The Evening Rush for November 27, 2012

Rich Hein/Sun-Times

Here are some of the stories that caught our attention during the work day for November 27, 2012.

Stuff got real when then Blue Line had a major malfunction earlier today, the second straight day the line had experienced significant delays. And it comes a day after Mayor Rahm Emanuel told reporters during a press conference that if commuters didn’t like the new higher pass rates for the CTA, they could just drive. While the comment has been taken out of context and blown out of proportion a little bit, it still reeks of tone-deafness, particularly given the number of slow zones and CTA construction issues that already exist. [Sun-Times; Gapers Block]

Christopher Vaughn, found guilty of murdering his entire family earlier this year, was sentenced to four life sentences today for the crimes. [Sun-Times]

The Florida man accused of stabbing a Bears fan visiting Jacksonville for the Bears-Jags game earlier this fall now has a March trial date. [FOX 32]

A Sun-Times investigation shows that a guy who sells t-shirts that say “Boobies Rock” is – shockingly- actually just defrauding those who think they’re contributing to a charity. [Sun-Times]

The latest gun control battle: Illinois and concealed carry because we don’t have enough gun problems. [WBEZ]

For once, an alderman wants to put a vote on hold after last-second information was introduced into a three-tower development in Wolf Point. No idea where this thinking was a few years ago on the parking meter vote. [Sun-Times]

Harley-Davidson’s River North spot is being stalked by Shake Shack because heaven forbid this city ever get a damn Waffle House. [Crain’s]

In Soviet Russia, airplane rides YOU from Midway to Branson to see Yakov Smirnoff. [Chicagoist]

The night Muddy Waters and the Rolling Stones formed the Voltron of blues at Checkerboards Lounge. [Sun-Times]

BRIGHT ONE: Rick Morrissey says no Heisman for Notre Dame’s defensive star Manti Te’o. [Sun-Times]

TO DO: Sudoku; Weather (In a word: chilly); Transit (in a word: clear … for now)

FINALLY: The Chinese obviously didn’t learn their lesson years ago from that “retractable Capitol Hill dome” story. The Onion has once again duped a Chinese paper, this time the Communist Party’s The People’s Daily which congratulated North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as being named The Onion’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” [Yahoo!; The Onion]