Axios Chicago

September 12, 2022
Happy Monday! Today is the National Day of Encouragement. You can celebrate today! We know you can! You've got this!
π° Today's weather: More scattered showers, high of 63.
Today's newsletter is 855 words β a 3.5-minute read. Edited by Everett Cook and copy edited by Rob Reinalda.
1 big thing: Fake news, delivered
Publications tied to conservative political operative Dan Proft have been mailed to thousands of homes throughout greater Chicago. Photo: Todd Panagopoulos/Chicago Tribune via Getty Images
Gov. JB Pritzker is speaking out against a new round of political ads disguised as newspapers being delivered in Chicago and the suburbs.
Why it matters: The publications β designed to trick readers into thinking they are reading a vetted, objective news source β feature stories the governor says are racist.
- Though these "newspapers" are political ads in disguise, they aren't illegal. The state attorney general's office tells Axios it hasn't received any complaints and is not pursuing legal action.
Context: The mailers are distributed by conservative radio host Dan Proft, who also is behind the People Who Play By the Rules PAC.
- Headlines from papers include "'Lightfoot's 'Summer of Joy' one of murder, mayhem," and, "The coming end of cash bail in Illinois: What it means for you and your family," the latter paired with mugshots of a Black man.
- Proft's PAC was also behind the ads that Mayor Lori Lightfoot accused of "darkening her skin."
- He also teamed up with then-governor Bruce Rauner in 2016 to deliver fake newspapers.
Between the lines: The papers focus mainly on the Safe-T Act, the criminal justice reform law going into effect in January that includes the elimination of cash bail in Illinois.
- Illinois will be the first state to do away with cash bail, which advocates say punishes poor people and continues the cycle of incarceration.
- Law enforcement are worried it will limit arrest powers and put criminals back on the streets after committing crimes.
- "It's going to be literally the end of days," a Democratic state's attorney said to one of Proft's newspapers.
What they're saying: "Instead of engaging in a serious debate about pretrial policy, Dan Proft has chosen to blow his racist dog whistle while spreading disinformation meant to confuse Illinoisans about the impacts of the law," the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice said in a statement.
- "This is a messaging that's coming from a racist political consultant," Pritzker said at a recent press conference.
- "It's a scare tactic. It's meant to have people (show) concern for their safety. The truth of the matter is that what heβs purveying here is complete hogwash."
The other side: Proft responded on Twitter with, "JBelly infuses race into every, single policy debate. He never deal on the merits, particularly on public safety. He signed the state's death warrant with his no cash bail law."

Editor's note: This story was corrected to show that Will County state's attorney is a Democrat, not a Republican.
2. North Side floods

Heavy rains caused massive flooding on the North Side yesterday.
Driving the news: Water flooded streets in neighborhoods like Ravenswood, Andersonville and Albany Park.
- Lincoln Square had almost 6 inches of rain.
- Several cars were stranded in viaducts, including at the corner of Irving Park and Cicero.
Get smart: The city's sewer system is designed to limit water intake during heavy storms and redirect it to streets to avoid the water backing up in basements.
- This is why you see water spouts coming from sewer grates, like the video above.
Yes, but: The city says 311 was overrun with reports of flooded basements.
- City officials want you to report flooding online.
Flashback: It's the worst flooding Chicago has seen in two years.
What's next: More rain is in the forecast today.
2. MMQB: Bears "rain" supreme
Safety Eddie Jackson celebrates after a fourth-quarter interception. Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Bears used a stingy defense and were helped by steady showers in winning their opener, 19-10, against the 49ers.
Driving the news: The sluggish Bears rallied at halftime, dominating the second half.
Justin Fields: The young quarterback had a rocky start but threw for two second-half touchdowns.
MVP: Roquan Smith was the heart and soul of a defense that stopped San Francisco during crucial fourth-quarter drives.
- Rookies Dominique Robinson and Jaquan Brisker also excelled.
LVP: Kicker Cairo Santos missed two extra points.
- Also, he and holder Trenton Gill were penalized for wiping off the field with a towel. The bizarre violation took the Bears out of field goal range.
Play of the game: Safety Eddie Jackson picked off a Trey Lance pass that lead to a Khalil Herbert touchdown to seal the win for Chicago.
What's next: The Bears will travel to Green Bay next weekend to take on the Packers on Sunday Night Football.
4. Tips and hot links
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
π§ββοΈ Closing arguments in the R. Kelly trial should start this week. (Tribune)
π½οΈ Bon Appetit's top 50 new restaurants had only one Chicago entry: Bocadillo Market in Lincoln Park. (Bon Appetit)
βΎ It's uncertain whether Sox manager Tony La Russa will coach again this year because of health concerns. (Sun-Times)
5. Illinois takes on the Emmys
Jane Lynch at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmys at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 4 in Los Angeles. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage
Illinois will be well represented at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards tonight.
- Live from Los Angeles, the show starts at 7pm on NBC.
What's happening: Nominees from Illinois include:
- Bob Odenkirk (Naperville)
- Nick Offerman (Joliet)
- Laurie Metcalf (Carbondale/Chicago)
- Peter Sarsgaard (Belleville)
- Jane Lynch (Dolton)
- Brendan Hunt (Chicago)
By the numbers: According to IllinoisBet.com, we have the third-most Emmy nominations in the country, behind only New York and California.
- Illinois has 8.1% of nominations.
- New York leads the U.S. with 12.8%.
π Justin's thought bubble: They may not be FROM Chicago, but several more nominees spent time here doing improv and theater. A "Ted Lasso" win is definitely a victory for us. Same with Colbert, "Saturday Night Live" or Seth Meyers.
- Bring home the trophies!
New jobs to check out
πΌ See whoβs hiring around the city.
- DevOps Architect at ClearBlade, Inc.
- Associate Director, Customer Strategy at Mindshare.
- VP, Marketing at Beyond.
Want more opportunities? Check out our Job Board.
Hiring? Post a Job.
Our picks:
π¬ Monica is flying back from the West Coast today.
π₯ Justin starts his quest for another Kup Media League championship tonight. He and his Axios 16-inch softball team are playing in the quarterfinals β unless the rain pushes the game back to next week.
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