New 'L' stop / 'Thank you, Nordstrom' / Banned by Wikipedia

NEW ‘L’ STOP. Good news for anyone who’s ridden a Green Line train past the United Center and longingly wondered why the heck the CTA couldn’t let passengers off nearby: A new station’s coming to Lake and Damen. Crain’s Greg Hinz says it could open in 2020. Mayor Emanuel’s announcement’s scheduled for 11:45 a.m. Thursday at the Ashland stop. Expect delays. (Photo: John Greenfield, taken from the Pink Line.)
■ Bus drivers are demanding improvement to toilet conditions they call “degrading, unsafe and unsanitary.”
■ A Chicago alderman wants the CTA to let more musicians play underground—to get them off the street.

TRUMP BUMP.
■ Saturday Night Live is seeing its best ratings in 22 years.
■ Samantha Bee congratulates CNN on having “a good day. … We couldn’t believe it, either!”
■ Despite the President Trump’s Wednesday-morning slam, Nordstrom shares closed the day up more than 4 percent.

‘THANK YOU, NORDSTROM.’ Trevor Noah on Wednesday night’s Daily Show: “Because of you, Donald Trump finally realized how painful it is when a family member gets banned from a place they really want to be.”
■ Let the record show: I delivered this joke more 12 hours before Noah did.
■ UCLA law prof on Trump’s Nordstrom complaint: “If he was any other person in the government, it would be a clear violation.”
■ Study: Orangutan squeaks reveal language evolution.

STRANGE TURNS. The man Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has picked to take newly confirmed U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions’ former seat in the U.S. Senate is, conveniently, Alabama Atty. Gen. Luther Strange, who two months ago suspended an impeachment investigation of Bentley.
■ The president says his Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, didn’t say what Gorsuch’s representative says he said.
■ “Is Gorsuch a secret liberal?”
■ Businessweek’s new cover story: “Is Trump’s nominee for Labor, Andrew Puzder, yet another reason for American workers to worry? YES.”

BANNED BY WIKIPEDIA. The editors of “the free encyclopedia” have taken the rare step of banning a news source as a reference, concluding it’s “generally unreliable.”
■ Amid staff grumbling about Trump coverage, the editor of the Rupert Murchoch-controlled Wall Street Journal’s called a staff meeting next week.
■ Trump spokesman Spicer admits he confused “Atlanta” and “Orlando.” Three times.

LOOK! UP IN THE SKY! Friday’s night sky will deliver a triple feature: an eclipse, a full moon and a comet fly-by.
■ Snow piles up fast in the Northeast. “Travel not recommended.”

UPDATE. This item in yesterday’s Square lacked a link. Here it is:

■ Republican senator on healthcare overhaul plans: “To be honest, there’s not any real discussion taking place right now.”

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