8_9.19.13

1 Water’s mark

Last night’s downpour flooded expressways, knocked out thousands of people’s power and killed a construction worker working in a sewer duct on the Northwest Side. [Sun-Times]

2 City of big exports

Chicago’s exports surged 7 percent a year even through the depths of the recession, and now account for 12.6 percent of the city’s economic action, according to a Brookings Institute study. [Grid]

3 Comptroller control

In the wake of scandals surrounding the former city comptroller, Mayor Emanuel is reining in that office’s power — two years after he expanded it. [Sun-Times]

4 Payton gets bigger

The Mayor said the decision to spend $17 million to construct additional space at Walter Payton College Prep was “all about giving parents a set of choices.” The Chicago Teachers Union accused him of “creating winners and losers” in the school system. [Sun-Times]

5 Fuel for gun violence: booze

A Northwestern study shows South- and West-Side residents are 500 times more likely to be shot when they’re hanging out near a liquor store or bar. [Trib]

6 Markets booming

Stock markets around the world are going nuts in the wake of yesterday’s news that the Federal Reserve won’t scale back (we refuse to say “taper”) its bond-buying program. U.S. futures signal another surge today. [WSJ]

7 Banks still stingy

One reason the Fed may have decided to keep interest rates low: bank loans aren’t growing. Both mortgage and commercial lending have been increasing at a much slower pace than in past economic recoveries. [Reuters]

8 Non-fat no-whip no-gun extra-hot policy

Dragged into the gun debate, which he wants nothing to do with, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz publicly asked coffee-drinkers not to pack heat in his coffee shops. Pro-gun groups howled. [WSJ]