At CG&A, we keep a close watch on the news. Each week, a few particularly helpful and interesting stories stand out from the rest. Instead of keeping them to ourselves, we thought we’d share. Welcome to CG&A’s Friday 5: a collection of the top 5 news articles and blog posts from the week. Comment. Discuss. Circulate. Enjoy.

July 22

Coalition Details Who's Owed What by Deadbead Illinois

Greg Hinz takes a look at how the Illinois financial crisis is impacting hundreds of non-profit agencies owed big bucks by the state.

College Journalists are Good at Consuming Multimedia but Bad at Making it. Why?

A funny, thought-provoking piece in the Huffington Post about today's college journalists and their decreasing ability/interest in creating online news.

Now You See Him, Now You Don't

A photo editor at the Dallas Morning News discovers a Getty image has been Photoshopped. Whoops.

Chicagoans Will Endure Almost Anything to Dine Al Fesco

“Direct views of a trash bin? Not a problem…. Downwind from a sewage-treatment facility? Hey, it brings out the oak in the wood-grilled salmon.”

Trailer for Facebook Movie "The Social Network"

The drama behind the rise of Facebook will soon be played out on the big screen.

July 16

How Facts Are Killing Politics

With misinformation and partisanship widespread in the U.S., facts can sometimes backfire.

The Way to America's Heart Is Through Its Stomach

Foreign Policy magazine examines the rise of food diplomacy as the world's smallest countries vie for a piece of the burgeoning gourmet food market in the United States.

Delete Your Ex From The Internet

Install the Ex-Blocker on a compatible web browser (Firefox or Chrome, for now), enter information about your ex (first and last name, Facebook profile, etc.) and the plugin will filter your viewing experience accordingly.

The Blogger Generation Still Dominates Blogging

A close look at who is contributing to the blogosphere.

Y.M.C.A. Drops Three of Its Letters - Does This Mean Fewer Dance Moves?

In the age of texting, twitter character limits and ubiquitous abbreviations, the Y.M.C.A. updates its branding to just "the Y.

July 9

Seven Ways to Avoid Brand-Damaging Quotes
Entrepreneur magazine offers simple, common-sense guidelines to prevent gaffes that could hurt your brand.

Corporate Social Media Policies: The Good, the Mediocre and the Ugly
After CNN fired a senior editor for a tweet, Fast Company takes a look at the news giant’s social media policy. Does your company have a social media policy? Do you know for sure what’s forbidden?

Gaps in Watchdog Journalism Reflected in News From a Trial
Using the Burge trial as an example, the New York Times reports on the decline of watchdog journalism and the importance of investigative reporting to the public interest.

Home and Away: Iraq and Afghanistan War Casualites
CNN.com connects the dots between the where US and Coalition forces started their lives and where they lost their lives. (OK, technically not this week’s news, but it’s worth a look at this powerful reminder of the human costs of war.)

Physics Major has a Name for a Really Big Number
First we had bits and bytes, then kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes. The Los Angeles Times reports on the chances of something even gnarlier, dude: “hellabytes.”