Chicago

As Illinois muni debt continues to hover around all-time highs, the number of watchdog groups offering warnings about Chicago's deteriorating finances continues to grow.  The latest such warning comes from Truth In Accounting which provided the Windy City an 'F' on their latest fiscal report card citing a staggering debt burden that amounts to $41,700 per Chicago resident. To put that figure in perspective, the median household income in Chicago is roughly $48,500. 

 Just one week after Chicago shockingly repealed their soda ban following a revolt from local business owners (see: Soda Tax Fizzles In Chicago As Cook County Officials Cast Decisive 15-1 Repeal Vote), it seems that Philadelphia's flirtations with forming a more perfect "nanny state" via the elimination of sugary drinks could be on a collision course with a similar fate.

Via StockBoardAsset.com,

Back in June, President Trump used Twitter to officially announce America’s urban crisis.

He hit the ground running calling out the death and destruction in Chicago.

Trump made it clear that he was “sending in Federal help” to contain the dying city.

Crime and killings in Chicago have reached such epidemic proportions that I am sending in Federal help. 1714 shootings in Chicago this year!

What do you get when you combine the most corrupt city in the United States with a mayor that got his political debut serving in the Clinton White House?  Well, according to data presented by the Chicago Tribune today, it may just all add up to the second most sophisticated 'pay-to-play' operation in history...you know, because no one will ever come close to beating the Clintons at their own game.

More people were shot in Chicago over this past weekend than any other this year, except for the Fourth of July weekend that spanned four days.  According to the Chicago Tribune and police data, a total of 63 people were shot and 8 were killed as violence erupted all over the city.