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☆ Chicago Is Tired of Waiting for Trains, and Thinks It Knows Who’s to Blame
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Julie Bosman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Until recently, Dorval R. Carter Jr. was another relatively unknown bureaucrat, a man who had quietly worked under three mayors as the president of the Chicago Transit Authority. These days, in the eyes of his many critics, he is the face of all that is wrong with the city’s public transportation system. “Yes, C.T.A. chief Carter needs to go,” Crain’s Chicago Business wrote in an editorial last month, saying that his agency was in a “shambolic state.” Gov. On Wednesday, the Chicago City Council is expected to introduce a resolution calling for Mr. Carter’s ouster — with a majority of council members in support of what is essentially a vote of no confidence.

Persons: Carter Jr, C.T.A, Carter, J.B . Pritzker, Carter’s, — Organizations: Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago Business, ”, Chicago City Locations: Dorval, Illinois

☆ 1,000 dollar stores are closing. These cities have revolted against them for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But critics of Family Dollar and other dollar store chains’ business practices like Hall-Harper say the closures highlight the risks of communities relying too heavily on dollar store chains. Hall-Harper has led Tulsa’s effort to restrict the growth of the three major dollar store chains — Family Dollar, Dollar Tree and Dollar General — in the predominately Black area of North Tulsa. Dollar General said it regularly hears from communities and customers asking it to bring a Dollar General store to their hometown. Backlash to dollar storesDollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar have spread rapidly since the Great Recession, opening more than 15,000 small stores. US regulators reached a settlement last year with Dollar Tree over hazardous conditions in Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.

Persons: Vanessa Hall, Harper, “ I’ve, —, ”, Dollar, Critics, Blaine Griffin, Meijer, Stacy Mitchell, ” Mitchell Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Dollar, Tulsa, Institute of Local, Chicago City, University of Toronto, UCLA, United States, Local, Research, University of Georgia, Cleveland City, Walmart, Target, Agriculture Department, Institute for Local, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Kroger, Albertsons Locations: New York, Tulsa , Oklahoma, North Tulsa, Tulsa, Tulsa ; Cleveland ; New Orleans, Birmingham , Alabama, Fort Worth , Texas, Akron , Ohio, United, Cleveland, Chicago, Baltimore

☆ Dollar store chains would be prohibited from opening stores within one mile of each other if a proposed Chicago law passes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewChicago is the latest city to consider limiting the number of dollar stores. AdvertisementSome have followed the path of the Chicago proposal, enacting laws limiting the opening of new dollar stores. One community in Southern Michigan pushed back on a proposed Dollar General store but ultimately approved the store after the company sued. Dollar Tree and Dollar General have responded by opening more stores with space for produce and refrigerated foods. AdvertisementDo you work at a Dollar General, Dollar Tree, or Family Dollar store and have a story idea to share?

Persons: —, Matt O'Shea, O'Shea, Dollar Organizations: Service, Chicago City Council, Chicago Sun, Times, WTTW, Business, Fortune, Sun - Times, Consumer, Institute for Local Locations: Chicago, Stonecrest , Georgia, Southern Michigan

The cities say they buy tickets only for migrants who want to travel and they do not coerce people to leave. The vast majority were bus tickets, but Denver also purchased about 340 tickets for flights and 200 for train rides. Ewing gave a similar message regarding El Paso’s busing of migrants to Denver, saying the two cities have been in communication. New York City and Chicago also are limiting migrants' shelter stays. “We have other Democratic cities, Denver, California, L.A., sending their people to Chicago, New York.

Persons: Mario Russell, ” Russell, Staff Mary Krinock, we’re, ” Jon Ewing, ”, Yoli Casas, “ There’s, We’re, Russell, Jared Polis, Lori Lightfoot, Eric Adams, Polis, “, Joe Biden, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Ewing, El, ” Ewing, ” El, Greg Abbott, Abbott, Andrew Mahaleris, Ron DeSantis, Maura Healey, ’ ” Alderman Anthony Beale, Sophia Tareen, ___ Organizations: DENVER, Democratic, Center for Migration Studies of New, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of, Staff, Denver Human Service, Vive Wellness, Denver, Center for Migration Studies, Colorado Democratic Gov, Chicago, New York City, Washington , D.C, Chicago Mayor, Democrat, Texas Gov, Democratic Gov, Chicago City, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: Denver, U.S, Mexico, El Paso , Texas, New York, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Center for Migration Studies of New York, Chicago, Venezuela, Archdiocese of Chicago, . Texas, New, Cities, Denver , New York, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington ,, ” El Paso's, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Massachusetts, New York City, Denver , California, L.A, Chicago , New York

☆ 'Selling Sunset' agents are freaking out about LA's new mansion tax — but it's not just millionaires who should be worried
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-12 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

This time, it hinges on Los Angeles' new mansion tax, which impacts homes sold for over $5 million. She added of the city's mansion tax, "This is a very reasonable and equitable way to generate some resources that can support those needs." Unintended consequences of a mansion taxColloquially known as a mansion tax, United to House LA (Measure ULA) passed in November 2022 with 58% support. Shane Phillips, a UCLA housing researcher whose work helped inspire LA's mansion tax, is worried about the mansion tax depressing new development, particularly of multi-family buildings. Phillips argued that if the law is tweaked to exempt first-time sales, the mansion tax "will unquestionably do more good than harm."

Persons: —, Mary Fitzgerald, Nicole Young, Jason Oppenheim, It's, Oppenheim, — aren't, Mari Castaldi, Karen Bass, Shane Phillips, Phillips, that's, Billy Rose, you'll, Rose, doesn't, Castaldi, Phillips isn't Organizations: Service, Netflix, Oppenheim Group, realtors, California Association of Realtors, Budget, House, LA Times, UCLA, Agency Locations: Angeles, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Chicago, Santa Fe, California, LA

☆ NASCAR to Start Its Engines Along an Unlikely Course: Downtown Chicago
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Mitch Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There is also a chance that the street race is a one-off. Ms. Lightfoot, who brought the race to the city, lost her bid for re-election this year and left office in May. Her successor and fellow Democrat, Mayor Brandon Johnson, has been polite but circumspect about NASCAR, though he attended a pre-race event this week. “Will this idea lead to the expansion of how we think about what can be offered in a major city?” Mr. Johnson said in an interview shortly before his inauguration. “If, on the other hand, it goes badly, I think there will be pressure on the new mayor to cancel this deal.”

Persons: Lightfoot, Brandon Johnson, “, Mr, Johnson, ’, Brian Hopkins, ” Organizations: NASCAR, Chicago City Council Locations: Chicago

☆ Leave ‘the American People’ Alone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Joseph Epstein | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As Donald Trump sides with Bob Iger in Ron DeSantis's escalating row with Disney, all three stand to lose more than they'll gain. Images: AP/Zuma Press/Shutterstock/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyIn the Chicago where I grew up, all politicians were guilty until proven innocent, and few were ever proved innocent. I remember my father telling me that a seat on the Chicago City Council paid $20,000 a year, yet politicians spent as much as a quarter-million dollars to get one. “Doesn’t make sense,” my father would say, in a voice of comic naiveté, “just doesn’t make sense.”There are ways to scope out the falsity of politicians—viewing the contradictions or simple selfishness in their voting records; discovering their net worth. You can tell how phony a politician is by how often he uses the term “the American people.”

☆ Walmart's plan to abruptly close 4 Chicago stores slammed as 'unethical' and 'unceremoniously abandoning these neighborhoods'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Walmart announced this week that it is closing four stores in Chicago in a matter of days. Elected officials said that the decision to close the stores "worsens food deserts" in the area. In a rare press release on April 11 announcing store closures, Walmart said bluntly that these stores "have not been profitable since we opened the first one nearly 17 years ago." "Walmart's decision to close four stores in predominantly Black and Brown communities not only worsens food deserts, but will also increase grocery costs for families." The four Walmart stores closing in Chicago

☆ Salesforce dimmed the lights of its Chicago office tower logo after residents complained they were too bright
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Salesforce dimmed the brightness of a logo on its new Chicago office building at the request of an alderman. Salesforce is scheduled to move into the 500,000-square-foot office space in Chicago this year. In early January, Salesforce — which is set to move into a nearly 60-story office space in Chicago later this year— crowned its Midwest headquarters with a bright fluorescent logo. According to Block Club Chicago's report, Brendan Reilly, alderman of Chicago's 42nd Ward, asked Salesforce to tone down the brightness. The adjustment took effect on Wednesday, with Salesforce also consenting to turning off the lights at 11pm every night, Reilly's office told Block Club Chicago.

☆ Infrastructure innovation derailed: How Facebook's failed plan to turn a century-old railway into a commuter bridge may serve as a warning for The Boring Company
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Elon Musk's tunnel infrastructure company has completed just one known project. While reporters and consumers immediately questioned whether Musk was serious about creating The Boring Company, early progress on its development silenced critics for several years. It's unclear whether The Boring Company will submit additional bids for tunnel projects in the future or complete the scheduled additions to the Vegas Loop. Despite its failed plan to materialize the Dumbarton Rail Bridge project, Facebook has continued massive infrastructure undertakings, largely in the form of submarine cable acquisition and development. Representatives for Facebook and The Boring Company did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Young Black activists are done waiting their turn for political office. They're taking on the 'John Lewis generation' of elder lawmakers who they say are out of touch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Elvina Nawaguna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Most members of the Congressional Black Caucus are twice as old as the median Black person living in the US. The Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful voice for Black Americans, is significantly older than those it speaks for. Clay had replaced his father, William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil-rights icon and founding Congressional Black Caucus member who had represented the area since 1969. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesThe Congressional Black Caucus is reckoning with a leftward shift it's struggled to embrace. A spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

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