The must-read news stories for Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013
Jon Bostic’s hit on the Chargers that landed him a $21,000 fine. | Still via ESPN video
Expensive hit
Bears rookie Jon Bostic learned the hard way that hits in Roger Goodell can be expensive and that punishment often has no rhyme or reason. Bostic was fined $21,000 today, per his teammate Lance Briggs, for a hit against the Chargers last week that seemed, for all intents and purposes, pretty clean. (Never mind that the ref called the pass incomplete when it was clearly a completion and a fumble.) The NFL, though, seems to have thought it was too close of a helmet-to-helmet hit even though a penalty was not called on the play. Not for nothing, the NFL had previously shared links to Bostic’s hit — prior to the fine — labeling the hit as “spectacular.” Now that he has to pay up? Not so great. [Sun-Times, Morrissey]
Manning sentenced
Bradley Manning, the Army private who leaked secure documents to WikiLeaks, was sentenced today to 35 years in prison. Our editorial board doesn’t think that’s long enough. [ABC News, Sun-Times]
The real Spygate
I’m shocked — SHOCKED, I say — to learn the NSA was eavesdropping on Internet communications for years despite the lack of a terrorist threat. [WaPo]
Hit-and-run
An Iraqi immigrant was killed last night in West Rogers Park in a hit-and-run accident. [Sun-Times]
Chemical attacks alleged again
Once again, the allegations of chemical attacks by the Syrian government have been raised by rebels. [N.Y. Times]
Chainsaw attack
A drunk argument between two longtime friends and neighbors escalated to the point one of the men attacked the other with a chainsaw, as one tends to do in these situations. [Sun-Times]
Rape kits
Cook County Sheriffs’ officials are asking about 200 victims of unsolved rapes to come in and recount their attacks, because they weren’t properly documented the first time around. [WBEZ, SouthTown Star]
Mistakenly released
A man who was arrested for beating his girlfriend last month was mistakenly released by police and was arrested again for the same crime. [NBC Chicago]
Audited
An inside look at the RTA’s audit mess. [Sun-Times]
Dissed
Ald. Fioretti says some aides of Mayor Emanuel cut him off and distracted him at a ribbon-cutting. [Sun-Times]
The Orion 8
Meet the eight astronauts who will head to Mars. [Kinja]
Big wig owners
Beyonce and Jay-Z are rumored to be the new owners of the big Regal Theater on the South Side. [Sun-Times]
Call it a day
Notre Dame linebacker Danny Spond is hanging up the cleats due to migraines. [ESPN]
Slump
The struggles of Starlin Castro. [Sun-Times]
The Bright One
The Reader’s Michael Gerbert looks at the death of the deli. [Chicago Reader]
Commute
Sudoku; Weather; Traffic; CTA; Metra; Flight delays
And finally
How do Americans view other states? These maps (sort of) show it. Though they nailed Louisiana. [Business Insider]
