'Per curiam means …' / Trump blinks / Mystery man found

‘PER CURIAM’ MEANS … Wonkette’s detailed—but highly irreverent—analysis of the appeals court decision that kept the president’s immigration ban at bay.
 Lawfare: How to read (and how not to read) the opinion.
 All 29 pages of the ruling.
 ACLU: TSA’s own files on its program to weed out terrorists “reinforce that behavior detection is unscientific and unreliable.”

TRUMP BLINKS. During a long call with China’s president, President Trump may have averted a showdown by agreeing to honor the one-China policy established under Trump’s muse, Richard Nixon.
The apparent key to getting Trump to back down? Refuse to take his call.
 Aides tell Politico: Being president is harder than Trump thought.
 Kellyanne Conway faces a formal ethics complaint.
 Anger over Affordable Care Act repeal plans has begun boiling over at Republican lawmakers’ town hall meetings.

‘BUYING AND SELLING HEALTH CARE STOCKS AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS WHILE YOU’RE VOTING AND HELPING THOSE COMPANIES, THAT’S BAD ENOUGH.’ But it wasn’t enough to stop the Senate from confirming Tom Price as the new boss of the Health and Human Services Department.
 Washington Post report: Before Trump took office, his national security adviser privately—and possibly illegally—discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with Russia’s U.S. ambassador.
 Mother Jones: He also may not be very bright.”

MYSTERY MAN FOUND. The Tribune’s interviewed the guy whose anti-violence ideas for Chicago seem to be the first to have gained traction with Trump.
 A Trump executive order might make yelling at a cop a felony.
 An expert’s view of the future of criminal justice reporting under Trump.
 The Chicago synagogue vandalism suspect is held on $150,000 bail.

NO DRIVER? NO PROBLEM. General Motors’ president tells the Sun-Times driverless cars are “a win in terms of safety.”
 Sears’ survival strategy leaves investors “thrilled.”

AWKWARD. A nonprofit group headed by Gov. Rauner’s wife is suing Gov. Rauner. Again.
 Gov. Rauner tells Illinois state workers Atty. Gen. Madigan is forcing a “crisis showdown.”

MOST HEROIC WHITE SOX PLAYER EVER?Catcher Was A Spy”—a movie about the life of Moe Berg, a baseball player best known for helping the U.S. beat Germany in the race to build an atomic bomb—begins filming next week, starring Paul Rudd, Jeff Daniels, Paul Giamatti and Guy Pearce.
 Mike Myers will play Chicago improv guru Del Close in a movie.
 Author Neil Gaiman will take your questions on Valentine’s Day.

CLARIFICATION. Thursday’s emailed edition of Chicago Public Square failed to make clear John Greenfield’s photo of the United Center was from a Pink Line—not a Green Line—train. If you catch a problem in Square, holler in an email to tips@chicagopublicsquare.com and get yourself some credit right hereabouts.

THANKS. Inspirations for this issue of Square came from Mike Gold, Julie Ross and readers like you.

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