The Evening Rush for Monday, September 9, 2013

Sun-Times Media File

Ventra’s quiet rollout

While the CTA’s new Ventra card system is still dogged by questions of “What’s the point?” at least there haven’t been too many issues with the slow rollout that started today. Reports of cards or card-readers not working are still floating around, but today seemed to go (mostly) without incident, which is pretty much a win when you consider it’s the CTA we’re talking about here. One minor burp to today’s transit? A Blue Line train derailed at O’Hare, which has thrown a kink into getting to the airport today. [Sun-Times, NBC Chicago]

Pew pew!

The city’s gun ordinance has now been “gutted” thanks to the state’s new concealed-carry law. [Sun-Times]

Syria

There’s a small ray of hope that some sort of resolution to the Syria chemical weapons crisis that doesn’t involve military action could come into play. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama is making the media rounds before tomorrow night’s national address and Syrian President Bashar Assad is threatening retaliation. [N.Y. Times, Sun-Times, Lynn Sweet]

Stop me if you’ve heard this one…

Police are investigating an incident in which George Zimmerman’s wife is alleging Florida’s neighborhood watch vigilante threatened her and her father with a gun. [ABC News]

RIP

Thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Chicago radio great Don Wade. [Sun-Times]

Big find

Van Gogh, still a painter. [L.A. Times]

As the Worm turns

Dennis Rodman, still an idiot. [Sun-Times]

Helping life choices

A 24-hour waiting period may help D.C. residents rethink that tribal tattoo. [WaPo]

Beating the Bungles

In the wake of yesterday’s come-from-behind win for the Bears, here are 10 observations moving on to Week 2. [Sun-Times]

Cubs for guv?

Cubs board member Pete Ricketts of the lovable Ricketts clan is running for governor of Nebraska. [ESPN]

The Bright One

The Watchdogs recap a grant-fraud probe that’s snared over a dozen people so far for embezzlement. [Watchdogs]

Commute

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

And finally

This weekend, the 2020 Olympics were awarded to Tokyo, something the manga and film-version of Akira predicted 30 years ago. [Kotaku]