The Evening Rush for Monday, August 26, 2013

The must-read news stories for Monday, Aug. 26, 2013

Safety Guard Renee Green high-fives Demari Hill, 5, as she heads to Gresham Elementary School with her parents, Destiny and Anthony Hill, on her first day of kindergarten. | M. Spencer Green/AP

1 school day down; 180 to go

All eyes were on the new Safe Passage routes today as Chicago Public Schools students began classes, many at new schools after theirs were closed. Despite three fatal shootings along or near the routes to “welcoming” schools since mid-August — including one just yesterday — some parents weren’t overly alarmed and praised teachers and the 600 newly hired Safe Passage workers in yellow vests guarding the 53 routes marked with bright yellow signs. One grandmother, however, was so concerned about a North Lawndale shooting late last night that she said her grandson would soon be transferring to a different school. In all, students from the nearly 50 closed schools scattered to 287 new ones, WBEZ’s Linda Lutton reported. Kenyatta Laye, who walked her third-grade son, Travaras, to school, summed up the day: “It’s a start.” [Sun-Times, Voices, WBEZ]

Body found in trash

Streets and San workers discovered a dead body stuffed in a trash can near a Safe Passage route in Englewood, Fran Spielman reports. [Voices]

“Moral obscenity”

Secretary of State John Kerry called the Syrian government’s chemical-weapons attack on civilians a “cowardly crime,” suggesting the Obama administration could be moving toward a military response. [N.Y. Times]

Scrap-metal investigation

Federal law-enforcement authorities raided two Chicago scrap-metal companies last week. No arrests or charges yet. [Sun-Times]

Hot, hot, hot

Temperatures hit the 90s today, and the heat index could reach 100 tomorrow for the second day of school. [Sun-Times]

Book bike swiped

The Read/Write Library’s “Bibliotreka” custom tricycle was stolen from a staffer’s yard over the weekend. [DNAinfo Chicago]

Here we go again

The U.S. will reach the debt ceiling again in mid-October. [Washington Post]

Vexed by Ventra?

Tracy Swartz recounts her first week with the CTA’s new Ventra card. [RedEye]

Cubs progressing?

The Cubs’ second season of rebuilding “isn’t much easier to watch than the first,” writes Gordon Wittenmyer. Alternatively, “watching the Cubs this year as been sort of fun,” Eric Lutz says. “Sort of fun” — what counts for optimism inside Wrigley Field these days. [Sun-Times, ChicagoSide Sports]

Trimming the roster

The Bears waived 14 players Sunday, including veteran receiver Devin Aromashodu. Who else will go before tomorrow’s 75-man deadline? [Sun-Times]

50 Greatest Bears

Download the newest Sun-Times e-book to see how contemporary Bears players like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs stack up with past greats like Walter Payton and Mike Singletary. [Sun-Times]

The Bright One

A new manufacturing center in Pullman — bringing 90 jobs, Method Products Inc. says — will get funding from no fewer than three TIF districts, David Roeder reports. [Voices]

Commute

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

And finally

It’s National Dog Day 2013. And HuffPo is on it. [Huffington Post]