CHICAGO — Here's what we're reading today.
Yelpers Hate on Cantina 1910, Reader Critic Blames Andersonville: Mike Sula, a critic for the Chicago Reader, visited Andersonville's newest Mexican spot for his latest review — and Yelp soon after, because "I couldn't help but take a look at what the sheeple were saying." There he found one-star complaints "indicative of the sort of people whose assumptions about Mexican food are framed" by the likes of Taco Bell and Uncle Julio. He also points to the closings of Pasticceria Natalina and Great Lake Pizza to say "Andersonville isn't always welcoming to innovative and uncompromising culinary talent." It seems his review may have inspired a new wave of sheeple: Since the column ran the restaurant has received blistering support on Yelp with a wave of positive reviews.
Hell, Yeah: A new Pew Research Center report made news this week with its conclusions that while most Americans still believe in God, organized religion is becoming less influential in the U.S., particularly among young people. But senior editor Andrew Herrmann is more interested in the report's findings on, ya know, that hot place. About six in 10 Americans believe in hell — described as where "people who have lived bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.” That number has been pretty steady over the years.
Who believes in hell the most? Evangelical Christians, at 82 percent. Some 76 percent of Muslims believe in hell while 63 percent of Catholics do. The least? People who identify as religious Jews, at 22 percent.
Who knew there were so many ways to be so bad?
Should We Be Building Higher Quality Housing For The Homeless?: In Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, nonprofit groups are constructing new buildings, or "sanctuaries," instead of shelters for those experiencing homelessness, according to an NPR report that reporter Mina Bloom is reading. The new buildings come with views and a ton of amenities, including a gym and a bike room. Advocates say living in nice buildings can help the homeless living with mental illness. One woman told NPR, "I have a mental health issue. The condition of my home is the condition of my mind."
How a Murder Mystery Became a Cause Célèbre: Jens Soering and Elizabeth Haysom fell in love when they met at college. Then they were given life sentences for the gruesome murders of Haysom's parents. The New Yorker explores in depth what led up to the '85 murders, why they're still shrouded in mystery and why, after all these years, Germany is pushing hard for Soering to be released by the United States and returned to his home country.
“It is an essential part of our justice system that criminals deserve a second chance and need to have the perspective of a life in freedom,” said Christian Wulff, Germany's former president. “Mr. Soering has been in jail for thirty years, more than half of his lifetime, for a crime that many in Germany believe he didn’t commit.”
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