A lot of hot air
From the Chicago Sun-Times: Mayor Rahm Emanuel appeared on NBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” where he and host Chuck Todd shared their competing viewpoints on the topic of public versus charter schools. In typical Emanuel fashion, the mayor colorfully and firmly defended his belief that charter schools are important in that they provide a choice in education.
“You know what, Chuck? I’m gonna get you a one-way ticket out of Washington,” Emanuel proclaimed. “You need to get out of that thin air. It’s affecting your brain.”
‘Chicagoland’ heats up
The third episode of the eight-part docu-series “Chicagoland” ran on CNN Thursday night and was arguably the most action-packed episode yet, according to Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune.
The focus on Fenger High School principal Liz Dozier continued in episode three, though it was more lighthearted than in past episodes. Instead of footage of her fighting budget cuts at Chicago Public Schools, episode three shows Dozier sailing Lake Michigan with restaurateur Billy Dec and dining with some of her students at Grant Achatz’s swanky Lincoln Park restaurant, Alinea. The epsidoe was set in the summertime.
Episode three also featured a look at DNAinfo Chicago reporter Erica Demarest, who profiles the fallen victims of Chicago gun violence; the Albany Park Theater Project, a theater group that performs original productions based on their own lives; and a teenage, shirtless Rahm Emanuel protesting a neo-Nazi gathering in Marquette Park.
The third episode of “Chicagoland” is set to re-air on CNN at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday, 9 p.m. and midnight on Sunday and at 3 a.m. on Monday.
You’ve come a long way
Twitter on Thursday unveiled a new feature that lets users see their first-ever tweet on the social networking site. Crain’s Chicago Business rounded up the first tweets from some of Chicago’s civic and business leaders:
“Great hearing youth voices at Chicago State University for #youthsummitCSU, Felicia Davis, commissioner of the city’s Department of Buildings,” said in her first tweet at 8:19 p.m. on Aug. 20, 2013.
“Unbelievably great 2012 for startup/growth tech in Chicago,” businessman J.B. Pritzker said via Twitter at 2:58 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2012. “I’m curious. Any predictions for big upticks in 2013?”
For more inaugural tweets, visit Crain’s Chicago Business.
*Coincidentally, The Daily Whale posted its first tweet exactly two years ago: “trib.in/GCjW1c City sees 24 percent turnout, the lowest in 70 years, for Tuesday's primary [via @chicagotribune].”
The champ
Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday announced the World Wildlife Fund named Chicago the United States’ 2014 Earth Hour Capital following the Earth Hour City Challenge competition. One hundred-and-sixty-three international cities, including 60 from the U.S., participated in this year’s challenge. Cities in the competition work to promote sustainable-energy advances and compete for WWF grants.
Chicago will now face off against 14 finalist-cities from different countries for the Global Earth Hour Capital. The winning global city will be presented with an award at a March 27 ceremony in Vancouver, British Columbia.
-Tom Butala