NOT LONG AGO, THE PHRASE ‘CHICAGO DIGIT’ CARRIED AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONNOTATION. Mayor Emanuel’s bragging about a new Web site lumping together the city’s data, tech and social media innovations in one place: Digital.CityofChicago.org. So far, it’s organizationally challenged – too little structure, too much fluff. Really, how valuable is a Google map of the mayor’s news conferences over the last few months, or a collection of photos of his PR events? But the site gives those prominence greater than it gives more useful tools, like the city’s social media points of contact (a list of Chicago city tweeters requires lots of digging) and a collection of government smartphone apps. (Spot a pothole or other problem around town? SeeClickFix lets you take a photo and, within seconds, shoot the location data to the right people.)

WHY’S CRIME FALLING? True, Chicago’s homicide rate is up. But, in many of the nation’s big cities, violent crime is in spectacular decline. Writing in Mother Jones, Kevin Drum examines evidence the most significant factor may have been the elimination of lead, especially from gasoline. In a postscript, Drum says, even with the homicide spike, “the big picture in Chicago is similar to the big picture in every other big city in America: violent crime is down.”

OBAMA TWOFER. The president’s set today to name a new Defense Department chief and a new CIA boss.

PHOTO FINISHED. A Photoshopped image of the 2013 club of women serving in the U.S. House has sparked an ethical debate between professional news photographers’ groups and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

CHILLING NEWS. Quantum physicists have cooled potassium gas to a temperature below absolute zero. The paradoxical result? Something hotter than the sun. Ira Flatow explained on Science Friday.

This is the first edition of a new WBEZ blog. It’s an honor to be here, but it won’t be fun if you’re not along for the ride. Don’t miss a thing: Sign up for WBEZ email alerts. And check back here often. To make sure you’re paying attention, there will be quizzes. Like this one.

Thanks for the link suggestions, Julie M. Ross and Jeff Pierson. (And, yeah, one’s my sister and the other is a high-school friend. But email your suggestions and your name can be here, too.)

Music that helped get this issue out the digital door: Pandora R.E.M. mix.