Welcome to the Reader's morning briefing for Friday, October 27, 2017. Have a great weekend!
Chicago's bid to host the 2026 World Cup "looks strong," according to the Sun-Times, even though Soldier Field is one of the smaller stadiums in competition. The United Bid Committee is working to bring the World Cup to North America that year, and 25 U.S. cities, including Chicago, are vying to host the games. One of Chicago's biggest strengths is its diversity and its residents strong ties to their ethnicity. "Whoever comes and plays here, they're going to have a built-in fan base," Kara Bachman, the executive director of the Chicago Sports Commission, said. "Whatever country's here, they're going to be welcomed by ex-pats and the neighborhoods and really the whole city." [Sun-Times]
The Illinois house rejected a ban on controversial bump stocks and other devices that allow guns to fire more rapidly Thursday after "opponents on both sides of the aisle contended the measure was too broad and would turn legal gun owners into criminals," according to the Tribune. Bump stocks have been in the spotlight since the Las Vegas mass shooting that left 59 people dead and more than 500 others injured October 1. But opponents argued that the bill—which would have banned any modification that accelerates the rate of fire—was overly broad. "I don't view this as a bump stock ban, I view this as a ban on 40 to 50 percent of the guns in the state," Democratic state representative Jerry Costello, whose district includes the World Shooting Recreational Complex, said. [Tribune]