The Evening Rush for Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013

Pension breakthrough?

Is it a Thanksgiving miracle? Or is it some posturing around a bill that will never actually get approved? Either way, the state’s top legislative leaders head into the holiday with some momentum on pension reform thanks to a tentative agreement announced earlier today. But now comes the tough part: convincing members of the legislature to approve the bipartisan deal. Said Mike Madigan, “We’re inside the one and we’re trying to get across the goal line.” That’s fine, Mike, just don’t fumble the ball at the goal line. [Sun-Times, Graphics]

First!

The first same-sex marriage in Illinois happened today. [Sun-Times]

Another ACA hit

Obamacare took another hit when enrollment for small businesses was delayed for a year. [WaPo]

Bad math

Ventra math is terrible because of course it is. [Sun-Times]

Bye Bye, Berlusconi

Oh, Berlusconi, you scamp, now you’ve been expelled from the Italian Senate! You crazy cat! [N.Y. Times]

Ghosts

The ghost of a 2004 ad could come back to haunt Jim Oberweis in next year’s senate election. Or so says his opponent, Sen. Dick Durbin. [Sun-Times]

Pardoned

Though he pardoned both turkeys, President Obama named ‘Popcorn’ as the National Thanksgiving Turkey for 2013. But I won’t recognize him until I see Popcorn’s long-form birth certificate. [NBC Politics]

Cleared for takeoff?

On the busiest travel day of the year, a judge has cleared the way for the American-US Airways merger. [Sun-Times]

War on Sriracha

A judge has ordered the factory that makes Sriracha to be closed because of funky smells, damning the world to tasteless, plain food. [BBC]

Gobble gobble

Chicago’s media turkeys of the year. [Feder]

Rx

With medical marijuana coming to Chicago, the City Council wants to set tight regulations. [Sun-Times]

Stadium collapse

An under-construction stadium in San Paolo, Brazil — being built for the 2014 World Cup — collapsed today, killing 3 workers. [Deadspin]

Sad Noah is sad

Joakim Noah is super-bummed, and Bulls fans feel his pain. [Sun-Times]

The Bright One

Mark Brown doesn’t believe Forrest Claypool is on the hot seat for the Ventra clustermess like Claypool claims. [Sun-Times]

Commute

Sudoku; Weather; Traffic; CTA; Metra; Flight delays

And finally

Watch “Turkey’s Away,” the WKRP Thanksgiving Day episode which is an all-time TV great, for free. [HULU]