Leading up to Memorial Day weekend, Chicago police superintendent Eddie Johnson proclaimed that violence wouldn't be tolerated as the city approached the summer months. Then, just two days into the Memorial Day weekend we reported that 40 people had been shot, which meant that if the pace kept up, the number of people shot in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend would easily surpass 2015 totals.
In yet another twist in the Chicago pension saga, Illinois lawmakers voted to override a veto by Governor Bruce Rauner and allow the city to defer payments to fund pensions.
The evidence is now clear: The much-debated “Ferguson Effect”—in which heated protests lead to hesitant cops and higher crime—is real. In some cities, such as Baltimore and Chicago, these three phenomena emerged at the exact same time. Nationwide, many cities, especially those with large black populations, saw substantial increases in homicide between 2014 and 2015. And new data collected from big-city police departments indicate that the problem may be ongoing, with a 9 percent rise in homicide between the first quarter of 2016 and the same period last year.
Submitted by Michael Shedlock via MishTalk.com,
New accounting rules show Chicago has understated its pension liabilities by $11.5 billion.
At the end of 2015 the stated liability was $7.1 billion. Today it’s $18.6 billion. That’s a jump in net liabilities of 168%.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has hopes pinned on union concessions and help from the state legislature. Neither is likely.
Out of Money in 10 Years
"I always tell people I won't apologize for doing our job well,
but I do apologize to the people who found themselves stranded in
Chicago yesterday"
- TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger
Two days ago we showed a video that promptly became viral of what was a line at Midway Airport that, somewhat hyperbolically, stretched for miles.