1 Rauner’s row
The latest controversy dogging Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner could have legs, according to the Sun-Times’ Natasha Korecki. We revealed yesterday that noted rich guy Rauner made a $250,000 donation to Walter Payton College Prep just a year after he got his daughter in by making a call to then-CPS chief Arne Duncan. Using clout to take a coveted spot in a public school won’t endear Rauner to the middle-class families fighting honestly for a shot at the elite academy. [Sun-Times]
2 Clout math
How hard is it to get into Payton High, if you’re not a noted rich guy’s kid? The year that Rauner dropped a dime to get his daughter in, more than 9,000 Chicago students applied. Only 353 were admitted. [Sun-Times]
3 Rahm muscles through e-cig ban
Bowing to Mayor Emanuel’s persistent pressure, the City Council banned e-cigarettes everywhere smoking is prohibited. E-cigs will be treated like the real thing, meaning they have to be sold from behind retail counter, and never to minors. [Sun-Times]
4 Outrage at Alinea …
Scandal erupted on the North Side this weekend when a couple showed up at upscale eatery Alinea with their 8-month-old baby. The other diners, who paid $235 apiece for Chef Grant Achatz’s culinary wizardry, were not happy. The foodie community, who had nothing better to do, was flat-out on fire. [Sun-Times]
5 … and how to get hired there
It may be easy to waltz into Alinea with a fussy tot, but getting a job there is another story. Nick Kokonas, the guy business whiz behind the culinary juggernaut, dishes on what he looks for in candidates. Not surprisingly for such an innovative eatery, experience means nothing. [Grid]
6 Spending deal gets done
House and Senate lawmakers agreed on a trillion-dollar spending bill that will keep the government running through September. The bill includes almost none of the provisions House Republicans had tried to cram through. [New York Times]
7 How long can Thibs take it?
Is the Bulls’ front office alienating head coach Tom Thibodeau? Rick Morrissey thinks they are, and expects the coach to make an unceremonious exit before long at all. [Sun-Times]
8 Laughing at them, not with them
The Cubs, who are in negotiations over key players’ contracts, unveiled their first-ever mascot yesterday. It’s a big furry bear that’s either cuddly or creepy depending on how old you are. Fan reactions were hilariously overwrought. [Grid]
