A week’s worth of developing stories, odd events, and signs of the times, culled from the desks, inboxes, and wandering eyes of the editors
Gotham Greenery
In Martha Stewart’s biggest endorsement of hydroponic technology since she attempted to rap about “green brownies” while baking with Snoop Dogg on live television, the domestic goddess herself has just given Pullman’s Gotham Greens her trademarked seal of approval. Situated on the roof of a factory and unequivocally at the top of the game when it comes to the dog-eat-dog industry of urban farming, the 75,000 square-foot greenhouse will begin distributing leafy greens and herbs to local retailers next week. Granted the honor of the Martha Stewart American Made Award, the co-founders of the operation will fly out to New York this weekend to rub elbows with the crème de la crème of local craft creation: the creators of a high-quality knit sock mill and a group of visionary linen embroiderers, among others.
Another Kind of Greenery
Monday marked the first day of medical marijuana sales in Illinois, with patients lining up at the doors of the five new dispensaries opening up across the state in order to take part in this historic occasion. But people hoping that Illinois will become the new Colorado are sorely mistaken, as the state’s regulations are some of the strictest in the country. A list of only about forty very serious medical conditions, including HIV, cancer, and multiple sclerosis, are authorized for treatment. No reporters have been allowed in the dispensaries—access requires a scannable medical ID—but the owner of EarthMed in Addison described the atmosphere as “comfortable,” also noting that “you’re not going to find any Bob Marley posters.”
The Down and Dirt-y
Psst, we’ve got some dirt on the White Sox. The team just put their annual “Holiday Packs” on sale. Starting at $40, these packs include vouchers redeemable for game tickets next season and an ornament filled with the aforementioned “game-used infield dirt from U.S. Cellular Field.” While an impressive level of Holiday Pack sales last year (amid a flurry of high-profile offseason acquisitions) didn’t bring quite enough cheer to give the White Sox a good year, perhaps this dirt will finally grow us a winning season.
Rauner Reneges, a Little
On Monday, a rare morsel of good news came for many on the South Side who rely on government programs when Governor Bruce Rauner agreed to a pair of compromises designed to increase both the number of people with disabilities and the number of children eligible to receive subsidized services from the state. The compromise was advertised by Democrats, who had been calling Rauner for weeks to pester him on the issue, as a victory for both the state’s littlest and most physically disadvantaged people. In reality, the governor had little say on the matter. What the Democrats did was more political coercion than ideological persuasion. With a seventy-one vote Democratic supermajority led by Speaker of the House Michael Madigan breathing down his neck, Rauner was backed into a corner for the umpteenth time in his short tenure. Had House Democrats gone forward with their plan to advance a bill that would have accomplished the same, Rauner would have been forced to choose between prioritizing fiscal solvency and aiding Illinois’ poorest —a stark decision that would have put the Governor in an even stickier situation.