Morning Watch - February 11
Feb 11, 2013
Clout control: There's a handful of political hires in Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart's office, including Ald. Ed Burke's son, the Sun-Times reports.
Brother's keeper: Facing criticism for awarding insiders with state construction grants, UNO says it will temporarily cease business with the brother of a school executive, the Sun-Times reports.
Accountable: The Sun-Times' editorial board says taxpayers depend on UNO to remain vigilant about how it spends public tax dollars.
President's plan: Obama's trip to Chicago Friday will address gun violence, CBS 2 reports.
Not pocketing pensions: The Trib's editorial board gives credit to the 22 legislators who have chosen not to collect their state-subsidized pension benefits.
Ethics edicts: The Trib's editorial board wonders why City Council is more worried about hypothetical political sabotage than preventing corruption when it comes to a new ethics ordinance.
Kelly for Congress: The Tribune endorses Robin Kelly for the 2nd Congressional District seat.
Mayoral might: Rahm is expected to announce a new gun control plan that includes longer minmum sentences for gun possession, NBC 5 reports.
Crime crushers: A new crop of Chicago detectives are promoted and assigned to investigating violent crimes, the Sun-Times reports.
Off the bench: The Sun-Times' editorial board hopes measures to dump incompetent judges become law soon.
Sandi's safe? Legal experts say with Jesse Jackson Jr.'s plea deal, it will be unlikely that Sandi Jackson will face prison time, FOX Chicago reports.
State of the states: Illinois and Indiana law enforcement will hold a gun summit after a report shows 20 percent of guns recovered by Chicago police were purchased in Indiana, WBBM Newsradio reports.
Outta there: Amid allegations it showered a Chicago official with trips and sports tickets, the city bans the red light camera firm Redflex from competing for contracts, the Sun-Times reports.
Put it on the tab: Taxpayers are on the hook for another $4.1 million after the city settles in the case of a cop who shot and killed an unarmed man lying in the fetal position, the Sun-Times reports.
21st century voting: Gov. Quinn says it's time to offer voter registration online, ABC 7 reports.
Decades in debt: The State Journal-Register finds Illinois' history of shorting pensions goes back decades.
Behind on burials: The state is running several months behind in paying funeral directors and cemeteries for services they provided to the indigent population, the State Journal-Register reports.
Drill team: The Daily Herald's editorial board says practicing school drills to prepare for a shooter is a good idea, but mandating them is not.