The must-read news stories for Monday, Aug. 5, 2013
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees talks to the media after going 1-4-2 with a home run in a rehab game for the Trenton Thunder against the Redding Fightin’ Phils at Arm & Hammer Park on Friday in Trenton, N.J. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
A-Gone
The hammer came down today on New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez as Major League Baseball suspended him for the remainder of the 2013 season and all of 2014 due to violations of the league’s drug policy. There were 12 other players who were issued suspensions in connection with the Biogenesis scandal, but A-Rod’s was the longest and most prominent. That said, Rodriguez, who’s been working his way back from a hip injury that kept him out of most of the first half of the season, will be eligible to play pending his appeal. So you can expect to see him play — and face a chorus of boo birds — tonight at U.S. Cellular Field, where his suspension will overshadow the last appearance in Chicago by renowned closer Mariano Rivera, who’s in the midst of a farewell tour. Among the other players receiving suspensions are Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta, and Everth Cabrera — who I just traded for in my fantasy baseball league, because of course I did. [Sun-Times, Morrissey, ESPN]
Terror alerts
The U.S. State Dept. is going to extend the closures of 19 embassies due to increased “chatter” surrounding possible terror attacks. [WaPo]
Bezos bombshell
Big news out of D.C. where it was announced this afternoon that the Washington Post has been sold to Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos for $250 million. [WaPo]
Watchdogs
This week, the watchdogs have the story of a convicted felon who’s worked his way back to a full-time, $73,000-a-year job at UIC. [Sun-Times]
Trial under way
The trial of accused Fort Hood shooting suspect Maj. Nidal Hasan is finally getting started. [L.A. Times]
Hurtful cuts
Not surprisingly, the arts and specialty subjects are hardest hit by the latest CPS cuts. [Sun-Times]
Pension problems
Detroit and Chicago aren’t the only cities with deep pension problems. [CNBC]
Tough on litter
Mayor Emanuel is backing a plan to crack down on litterbugs by towing their cars. [Sun-Times]
Grumpy GOP
The GOP is threatening to block CNN and NBC from airing its 2016 presidential primary debates if the networks don’t pull their respective planned shows about Hillary Clinton. [Sun-Times]
Bad news burger?
There is nothing at all appetizing about the phrase “test tube burger.” [CNN]
Who?
There’s a new Doctor Who and fans of the BBC’s hilarious, profane political satire, “Thick of It,” will recognize him. [The Atlantic]
Lolla’d
Want to check back on any and all of our coverage from Lollapalooza 2013? We’ve got you covered. [Sun-Times]
Battling in camp
The secondary versus receivers is the best battle in Bears camp. [Sun-Times]
On deck
Someone shelled out more than $2,000 for the on-deck circle used by the 2012 Cubs — a lot of cash for a space where a team took practice swings to lose so many games. [Crain’s]
The Bright One
In the wake of the revelation about Millikin University professor James St. James, the Sun-Times Editorial Board calls for St. James to maintain his position at the school. [Sun-Times]
Commute
Sudoku; Weather; Traffic; CTA; Metra; Flight delays
And finally
Remember when Pluto was taken from us as a full-fledged planet? The kids, they never forget. [Mental Floss]
