Chicago left out of EPA's new lead action plan

1 big thing: Chicago left out of lead action

Mercury found on Brighton Park migrant camp site

2. Mercury found on migrant camp site 

3. Chart of the day: Bus arrivals rise

4. Tips and hot links 

Illustration of the Axios "A" with a Chicago hotdog making up part of the letter.

Construction underway on new Green Line stop at Damen Avenue

5. Photos: Green Line construction 

It's Monday. On this day in 1969, the FBI and Chicago police raided a house on West Monroe Street, killing Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton.

🌨️ Today's weather: Cloudy and a high of 40°.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago members Matt Beran and Jesse Trevino!

Today's newsletter is 839 words — a 3-minute read.

Edited by Alexa Mencia and copy edited by Matt Piper and Keely Bastow.

🍕 Monica is excited to go to two anniversary parties tonight to celebrate 80 years of Uno's pizza and 90 years of Malört. A delicious food and drink pairing ... maybe.

🍿 Justin doesn't usually condone screaming, singing, standing up and dancing in movie theaters, but Beyonce's "Renaissance" might just have been the best movie experience he's ever been a part of. 

Want free Axios swag? Refer your friends to Axios Chicago and get cool merch like stickers, totes, hats, T-shirts and more!

Chicago

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Chicago. Written by Monica Eng, Justin Kaufmann and Carrie Shepherd.

Axios Chicago

Standard

Mystery dog illness puts Chicago pet owners on edge

1 big thing: Dog owners on edge about mystery illness

New Asian grocery store and food court officially opens in Chicago

2. 🛒 Grocery shopping, Gangnam style 

Chicago Blackhawks culture in question again after Corey Perry cut

3. Blackhawks culture in question again 

Photo of a man behind a podium listening to questions. 

Illustration of the Chicago Cloud Gate bean sculpture rotating and reflecting the Axios logo.

New jobs to check out

Chicago Spotify Wrapped: Taylor Swift tops streaming charts

5. Chicago apparently loves Morgan Wallen 

6. 👑 Crown a Chicago commercial champ

🅿️ Welcome to Thursday, and happy overnight parking ban eve! Tonight 107 miles of streets will become tow zones from 3-7am, whether snow falls or not. 

Print this map and keep it in your car until April, when the ban lifts again.

🌥 Today's weather:  Partly sunny with a high of 50°.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago members Barbara Boissonnas, Andrew McCune and Thomas Dammrich!

Today's newsletter is 911 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Edited by Alexa Mencia and copy edited by Rob Reinalda and Keely Bastow.

📚 Monica is intrigued by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame fundraiser at the Beat Kitchen.

📺 Justin is really digging John Hamm and Juno Temple in the new "Fargo" on FX. He loves all the subtle nods back to the original film. More, please.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas puts her flair on the holiday season

1 big thing: Christmas tree treasure trove 

2. 🏆 Best local commercial crowned

3. 🎰 Aurora breaks ground on casino project

Illustration of the Chicago flag with the stars changing into the words "Tips and Hot Links."

Stay booked and busy 

Chef Art Smith's Best Day Ever in Chicago

5. Best Day Ever: Chef Art Smith 

Pogues singer Shane MacGowan's death rocks Chicago music community

6. 🇮🇪 Quoted: Remembering Shane MacGowan

🎅 Happy Friday. Let the new month wash over you.

Today's weather:  Rainy with a high of 43°.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Chicago members Diane Black, Bill and Sue Davis!

Today's newsletter is 898 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🐕 Monica is looking forward to Duncan Robert Anderson's "The House Across the River" show at the The Dime gallery tonight that is, in part, dedicated to his late dog Smokey, whose last weeks the artist memorialized heartbreakingly over the last year.

🎤 Justin is ready to take part in the "Renaissance" this weekend.

Illinois halts construction of Chicago migrant camp

1 big thing: Migrant camp construction halted

Man holding sign reading "This land is contaminated" in front of a police SUV and next to traffic blockades. 

2. Two prominent CEOs call it quits

How former Ald. Ed Burke became Chicago's king of swag

3. Ed Burke: King of swag

Man with hand up to his mouth, covering it, wearing glasses and pinstriped suit.

4. Tips and hot links

Take your career to the next level

5. About Last Night: Food and drink milestones

6. 🔍 Where in the world is … Monica?

Monica smiles at the camera in a building with gold elevators and arched ceilings.

Happy Tuesday. On this day in 1901, Walt Disney was born in Chicago. 

Open House Chicago visitors got to peek inside his childhood home in Hermosa in October.

❄️ Today's weather: 39° with a 50% chance of snow.

🚀 Want to elevate your support of our newsroom? Follow the lead of fellow readers who have joined our membership program.

Today's newsletter is 930 words, a 3.5-minute read.

📺 Carrie is very excited that the new season of "Shetland" is back on BritBox.

😪 Monica never got any Burke swag and is now feeling a little left out.

🤔 Justin got some once. He had an Ed Burke holiday card from 1998 in his possession for maaaaaybe 20 years? He thinks he still might have it in the garage.

Chicago gift ideas: Local food, books and experiences to shop

1 big thing: The 2023 Great Axios Chicago Gift Guide

Illustration of the Axios logo with a gift bow on it.

2. Popularity contest: Last week's top news 

Illustration of a phone with a like button in the shape of the Axios logo, which gets pressed, making the count of likes increase.

3. Photos of the day: Holiday history

Photo of crowds of people watching a parade. 

🎁 Happy Sunday! Each day is a gift, and today we'll help you spread the holiday cheer.

Today's newsletter is 799 words — a 3-minute read.

Edited by Alexa Mencia and copy edited by Rob Reinalda.

🛏 Justin is preparing for the week ahead by doing laundry and peeling a bunch of potat.... Oh, who is he kidding? He's sleeping in. 

📺 Monica loves seeing some of her favorite Chicagoans Natalie Moore, Erick Williams and Dario Durham on the latest season of Netflix's "High on the Hog" talking about Chicago culture and food.

✈️ Carrie is back from vacation tomorrow!

FetchError

Photo of a lead pipe next to a glass of water 

New federal rules aimed at getting lead out of the nation's water could vastly improve water safety in most of the country — but not in Chicago.

What's happening: Health advocates had been pushing for a rule that would shorten Chicago's timeline to remove 400,000 toxic lead water lines to just 10 years.

The Environmental Protection Agency's new proposal shortens the timeline to within the next decade for most U.S. cities, but gives Chicago 40-50 years to address its lead lines — not much different from the city's current situation.

Why it matters: Health authorities say no level of ingested lead is safe, and a 2022 Axios analysis found that more than a third of Chicago homes tested showed high levels of lead in their water.

By the numbers: Over the last three years, Chicago has removed only about 3,800 lines.

What they're saying: A top EPA official, Radhika Fox, defended the long timeline to the Sun-Times, saying the process requires "practical implementation."

Fox also touted a new lower lead "action level" from (from 15 parts per billion to 10 ppb) that would trigger accelerated removal and public notification.  "I would not say this is status quo."

The other side: Forty years means "that at least two more generations of children will continue to be exposed to the risk of drinking contaminated water and bearing the health and behavioral consequences of it," Brenda Santoyo of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) said at a press conference Friday.

Environmental advocates praised the EPA for shortening the removal timeline for most cities but took issue with other aspects of the proposed rule, including:

Very limited testing for lead in school water.

A 10 ppb action level instead of the advocates' preferred 5 ppb, which is the limit for bottled water.

Zoom in: 10 ppb "is still 10 times as much lead as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends as the limit for schools," noted John Rumpler from Environment America.

Between the lines: The proposal doesn't require utilities to pay for lead line removal — instead placing much of the burden on homeowners.

EPA officials say they don't have the legal authority to force utilities to pay. But environmental advocates disagree.

"If the residents could afford pipe replacement, it would have already happened. Now is the time to make clear that environmental justice communities are not saddled with significant costs or loans that can never be repaid with service line replacements," Abre' Conner of the NAACP said Friday.

Yes, but: EPA officials note that some replacements can be covered by $15 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and federal loans like the $336 million Chicago recently borrowed.

What's next: The EPA will accept public comments on the proposal for two months and hold a public hearing on Jan. 16, before finalizing rules next year.

Both LVEJO and the Illinois Environmental Council will be submitting comments and urging the "EPA to reconsider the timeline that they have for Chicago," Santoyo says.

The proposal gives Chicago 40-50 years to address its lead lines — not much different from the city's current situation.

Environment

<figure><img alt="Photo of a lead pipe next to a glass of water " height="3024" id="1bf5efb0-7685-4d61-8a54-31541677ba12" src="https://images.axios.com/E4qZ5gXTb_DxZ6X4wrFROJZi_vI=/2023/12/01/1701467087772.jpg" width="4032"/><figcaption>Photo: Monica Eng/Axios </figcaption></figure>New federal rules aimed at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="getting lead out of the nation&#x27;s water" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/epa-lead-pipe-replacement-drinking-water" data-vars-content-id="14718938-372b-4f32-a3a4-66e66b7371e6" data-vars-headline="Chicago left out of EPA&#x27;s new lead action plan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/30/epa-lead-pipe-replacement-drinking-water" target="_self">getting lead out of the nation&#x27;s water</a> could vastly improve water safety in most of the country — but not in Chicago.What&#x27;s happening: Health advocates had been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="pushing for a rule" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/08/17/illinois-lead-line-removal-epa" data-vars-content-id="14718938-372b-4f32-a3a4-66e66b7371e6" data-vars-headline="Chicago left out of EPA&#x27;s new lead action plan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/08/17/illinois-lead-line-removal-epa" target="_self">pushing for a rule</a> that would shorten Chicago&#x27;s timeline to remove 400,000 toxic lead water lines to just 10 years.

News

In recent witness testimony at Ed Burke's corruption trial, a fast-food mogul revealed that the alder once gave him fancy Burke-branded "salt and pepper shakers" over lunch at the Beverly Country Club.

That got us thinking about the various totems we've heard about Burke offering Chicagoans over the years.

What's happening: We rounded up pictures and stories about a few of them.

Thin, silver salt and pepper shakers with a Chicago flag on them.

Pass the salt. Photo courtesy of an Axios reader.

Salt and pepper grinders: An Axios reader and friend of Monica's shared a picture of the "Anne and Ed Burke" salt and pepper grinders he also received over a meal with Burke.

Monica's used them, and they work beautifully.

Gold badge on blue background, gold badge with photo of a man in center, on blue background.

Special pins: Ina Pinkney, who ran the erstwhile Ina's on Randolph, shared the 40th anniversary pin (left photo) that Burke gave her "when his family was in to eat," she tells Axios.

"Next time he gave me a second, because it had his photo on it!"

That one (right picture) says: "You'll never remember the words of your enemies. But you'll never forget the silence of your friends."

ID card in white, next to gold badge in black leather wallet.

Special credentials. Photo courtesy of Neil Steinberg.

VIP badge: On his Every Goddamn Day blog, Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg recounts the day Burke showed up at a book signing with this offering.

"I won't lie — when Burke gave me his 'Special Aide' badge, there was something flattering, sweet and Old Chicago about it. A welcome-to-the-club pat on the head by the broken-down, wheezing yet somehow still running remnant of the Democratic Machine," Steinberg tells Axios.

"I wasn't going to flash it to anybody or use it to try to get out of a speeding ticket. But of course I wrote about it, and did display the badge on a shelf in my office, alongside my Stick-o-Type Award and a headstone-shaped honor from the Society of Professional Obituary Writers."

Burke was also known for sending constituents branded winter hats, baseball caps, keychains and ice scrapers, Block Club reports.

Salt and pepper grinders, VIP badges, and more.

Former Chicago alderman Ed Burke last year. Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Corruption

In <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="recent witness testimony" data-vars-click-url="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/11/21/23971891/ed-burke-chicago-corruption-trial-burger-king" data-vars-content-id="2880311e-d42e-4da0-888c-411d9bceb4f1" data-vars-headline="How former Ald. Ed Burke became Chicago&#x27;s king of swag" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/11/21/23971891/ed-burke-chicago-corruption-trial-burger-king" target="_blank">recent witness testimony</a> at Ed Burke&#x27;s corruption trial, a fast-food mogul revealed that the alder once gave him fancy Burke-branded &quot;salt and pepper shakers&quot; over lunch at the Beverly Country Club.<ul><li>That got us thinking about the various totems we&#x27;ve heard about Burke offering Chicagoans over the years.</li></ul>

Culture

Politics

High levels of mercury, arsenic and lead were found on the site of the Brighton Park migrant camp, according to a city-commissioned report.

Driving the news: Chicago officials say they've taken steps to reduce exposure to the toxins and make the site safe for temporary stays.

Catch up fast: Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration has been fielding questions for weeks about why it was moving ahead with construction before getting a final environmental assessment.

City officials promised the report by the end of last week and finally released it late Friday night, but only to those who had filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain it.

The city finally posted the full assessment on this FAQ page by Sunday morning.

What they're saying: City officials said in a statement that mercury "was identified at one location and was removed and properly disposed off site at a landfill. Likewise, soil with a high level of semivolatile compounds [including lead and arsenic] was identified at another location, and will be removed and disposed of offsite."

Additionally, the city says it's directing crews to install a 6-inch barrier of "crushed clean stone" on the site.

"With the limited soil removal and placement and maintenance of the barrier, the site is safe for temporary residential use," Johnson's press secretary, Ronnie Reese, wrote in a statement.

What we're watching: When and if migrants will be moved into this partially finished state-run facility.

Gov. JB Pritzker's spokesperson told WTTW that residents will not move in until the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency reviews the report and signs off.

City officials say they've taken steps to reduce exposure to the toxins.

Workers put up a tent frame as they start building an encampment for migrants in Brighton Park on Nov. 29. Photo: Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Migrants

High levels of mercury, arsenic and lead were found on the site of the Brighton Park migrant camp, according to a city-commissioned report.Driving the news: Chicago officials say they&#x27;ve taken steps to reduce exposure to the toxins and make the site safe for temporary stays.

As the holiday season begins, you might be looking for help shopping for the Chicagophiles in your life.

What's happening: For the third year, we're releasing a very Chicago guide to holiday gift-giving.

How it works: We broke our recommendations down into four categories: food, books, subscriptions and, of course, the wild card category that could make for great white elephant gifts.

Be smart: Block Club has a great, comprehensive list of Chicago's small businesses.

Illustration of a mug of hot cocoa with a peppermint stick and marshmellows—an Axios "A" is on the mug.

Food has always been a gesture of love, but it might be time to think beyond the traditional fruitcake this year. Consider these gifts showcasing our city's culinary creations instead:

🍳 "The Lula Cafe Cookbook" ($50) by chef Jason Hammel, revealing the secrets of one of Chicago's most beloved restaurants. Or "Midwestern Food" ($27) by Big Jones chef Paul Fehribach, which explains why we eat what we do around here.

🧀 Nothing says Happy Holidays better than a homemade charcuterie board. Mr. Charcuterie Chicago will make them for you, using local ingredients. You can get a medium board ($110) that serves 6-8 folks, or gift a workshop that teaches you how to make your own (prices vary).

🍪 Cookies for a Cause: Some of Chicago's top chefs — including Leigh Omilinsky, Stephanie Izard and Paul Kahan — have teamed up to make a box of holiday cookies to wow guests and support food education in schools through Pilot Light. Order an assorted box for $30.

☕️ Sip of Hope Coffee, where 100% of the cafe's proceeds go to suicide prevention and mental health education. A 12-ounce bag of their Hope for the Holiday beans costs $18.

🇫🇷 French fare: The city-sponsored Rendezvous pop-up in the base of the Hancock offers French fashions, housewares and food — with great views of Boul Mich while you sip café au lait.  

We stopped by the FFL booth for a jar of delicious duck rillettes ($15-$25), a perfect host gift or treat for the Francophile on your list.

Paté-like duck rillette is locally made and sold at the FFL booth in the Rendezvous pop up. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios

Illustration of two books forming the Axios logo in between other books.

There are so many amazing local authors writing important books, we wanted to share a few.

📖 "King: A Life": Bestselling biographer Jonathan Eig has deservedly landed on many 2023 best of lists for this exhaustively researched biography of Martin Luther King Jr.

Among his original discoveries is one that suggests the rift between King and Malcolm X was overblown by an unexpected figure.

📻 "The Loop Files: An Oral History of the Most Outrageous Radio Station Ever": Local author Rick Kaempfer looks back at one of Chicago's most iconic radio stations.

Stories of Brandmeier, Steve & Garry, Kevin Matthews and the rest of the gang will surely be a great gift for anyone who listened to Chicago talk radio in the 1990s. Kaempfer should know; he was a producer at the station.

"Man's Country: More Than a Bathhouse": For the Chicago LGBTQ+ history lover in your house, historian Owen Keehnen brings alive the now-shuttered Man's Country bathhouse in Uptown with characters, stories and photos.

"When the Game Was War: The NBA's Greatest Season": Author Rich Cohen grew up in the area watching Bulls basketball, so naturally this historical account of the 1987 NBA season featuring the Pistons, Celtics and Lakers includes stories of the beginnings of Michael Jordan and the '90s Bulls.

"Authentic Chicago: The Fairway Flapper, the Lincolnwood Lone Ranger, the Wandering Church and Other Quirky History": Historian John Schmidt's new book chronicles the fun side of Chicago history. Schmidt has been publishing Chicago history books for years and excels at telling the stories of the hidden characters in this town's past.

Of note: If you need a more substantive list, check out the recommendations from staff at the Chicago Public Library.

Illustration of an opened gift box with a glowing light bulb inside. 

There's something special about giving an annual membership, especially if you just don't know what to get someone.

✍️ For the museum lover: It's always hard to pick just one. This year, we're going with the newer American Writers Museum on North Michigan Avenue. The AWM is a great place not just for learning about Chicago writers, but for literary events, too.

Memberships cost $50 annually for individuals, $80 for families.

🍌 For the composter: For folks on your list who could go beyond the city's new drop-off composting program, you can order them a subscription for a pick-up service like Collective Resource, BlockBins Waste Not or The Urban Canopy composting services to collect their scraps.

For the cinephile: We can't recommend enough the historic Music Box Theater at 3373 N. Southport Ave. The old movie house shows classic films and new indie smashes, plus Music Box also hosts the occasional sing-along.

Membership gets you discounted tickets and first call on special events for $60 annually.

Illustration of a shop inside a snowglobe. 

If you want to be the partygoer who stands out at your next white elephant exchange, we've got you covered.

Pumpkin spice Malört: Despite blending two things people love to hate, this holiday concoction has proven the hot drink of the season.

CH Distillery is selling the bottles for charity at $150.

For a cheaper homemade version, Monica recommends adding a half teaspoon of pumpkin spice powder and a tablespoon of honey to a fun-sized bottle of Malört (6 for $12.99) and shaking it like crazy.

Homemade pumpkin Malort. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios 

Holiday advent calendars are always a hit, but if you want one of the highest quality, Rise dispensaries has got you covered.

This weed-themed advent calendar ($80) features 12 chillums (think small one-hitters) filled with different cannabis strains, totaling up to about 5g of flower total.

A personalized song: Chicago startup Songfinch will hire a professional musician to write a custom song for you. Prices start at $199, and help keep artists in business.

Maria Pappas' 2024 calendar: Nothing proves your Chicago bona fides like a calendar featuring the Cook County treasurer posing in fashion-forward jackets.

Pappas' office says you can find some at Jimmy's Gyros & Grill, Sweet Connection Bakery, or WVON Radio.

If you want to be the partygoer who stands out at your next White Elephant exchange, we've got you covered.

holidays

As the holiday season begins, you might be looking for help shopping for the Chicagophiles in your life.What&#x27;s happening: For the third year, we&#x27;re releasing a very Chicago guide to holiday gift-giving.

Things to Do

Food and Drink

Illinois officials have paused construction on the Brighton Park migrant camp in order to review a new city-commissioned report that found high levels of mercury, lead and other toxic elements at the site.

The state is reviewing a report that found high levels of mercury, lead and other dangerous toxins at the site.

Illinois officials have paused construction on the Brighton Park <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="migrant camp" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/09/08/chicago-migrant-tents" data-vars-content-id="93a3cfc6-f050-4719-a096-e0c52db1eea9" data-vars-headline="Illinois halts construction of Chicago migrant camp" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/09/08/chicago-migrant-tents" target="_self">migrant camp</a> in order to review a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="city-commissioned report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/12/03/chicago-migrant-camp-brighton-park-mercury" data-vars-content-id="93a3cfc6-f050-4719-a096-e0c52db1eea9" data-vars-headline="Illinois halts construction of Chicago migrant camp" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/chicago/2023/12/03/chicago-migrant-camp-brighton-park-mercury" target="_self">city-commissioned report</a> that found high levels of mercury, lead and other toxic elements at the site.Why it matters: The state-funded camp, initially set to open in mid-December, was intended to be the first major sector of alternative housing for thousands of migrants sleeping in makeshift tents, police stations, churches and overcrowded shelters.

Monica Eng

Stories

How former Ald. Ed Burke became Chicago's king of swag

Illinois halts construction of Chicago migrant camp

Chicago left out of EPA's new lead action plan

Mercury found on Brighton Park migrant camp site

Chicago gift ideas: Local food, books and experiences to shop

Newsletter editions

⛺️ Migrant camp paused

⚠️ Camp site contamination

🎁 Shop local gifts

🎄 Trees and taxes

🐶 Mystery dog illness