CTA Ventra card defended: Criticism 'very misleading'

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Also: 'Coming out' worked / Towering mistake / Free 'Trek'

'VERY MISLEADING.' Chicago Transit Authority chief Forrest Claypool dismisses an analysis suggesting the new Ventra commuter card is "not a very good deal for consumers." On WTTW-Ch. 11 last night, he contended, "There is zero cost on the transit side at all."
* Chicagoan enacts Stations of the Cross using every CTA train line.

'COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET WORKED.' Whatever the Supreme Court decides on the question of same-sex marriage, the Sun-Times' Neil Steinberg says credit goes to those who "helped their families understand that religion and morality ... are not always linked."
* The Tribune's John Kass describes himself as part of an "irritating minority": traditional Christians in journalism."
* The Tribune's Eric Zorn: Gay marriage opponents will become a "fundamentally irrelevant minority."
* Anti-gay-marriage pastor: "The dominoes are falling ... faster than I ever thought they could."
* Hear or download the full oral arguments yesterday before the Supreme Court. Or read the transcript.
* Magazine gallery cover documents a cultural revolution -- from "The sad 'gay' life of the homosexual" (1967) to "The first gay president" (2012).
* Backers of same-sex marriage say momentum's growing in Springfield.

ONE REASON YOUR TAX-RETURN SEASON MAY BE MISERABLE. A joint NPR-ProPublica investigation details how the maker of TurboTax software spent millions lobbying to keep free and simple tax-filing from becoming a reality for tens of millions of Americans.

TOWERING MISTAKE. A Willis Tower display on Chicago history mispells the name of beloved author and radio host Studs Terkel, according to a post on Jim Romenesko's media blog.
* Willis Tower offers bike valet service for $250 a year.

NEXT FOR KATHY GRIFFIN? Deadline Hollywood says Oak Park native Griffin may team up with Anderson Cooper for a regular show that could air on CNN.
* Mediaite's Joe Concha says a Cooper-Griffin series would be "the worst idea in the history of cable news."
* Nine other famous people from Oak Park.

FREE 'TREK.' Hulu's offering free access this week to every episode of every "Star Trek" series ever aired. Slate recommends 10 of the best, clickable and watchable on one Web page. Among them: The first appearance of the Borg.
* Hulu owners consider selling.

BUILD YOUR OWN MAGAZINE. The Flipboard news reader app for smartphones and tablets now claims 50 million users -- double its figure from August -- and it's adding a new feature, to let them create their own digital magazines on subjects they choose.


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