Chicago’s
‘A massacre in the middle of Chicago and State.’ A Cook County judge has denied bail to two men accused in the mass shooting outside a McDonald’s restaurant near a Red Line subway station Thursday night.
■ Since Friday night, Chicago shootings have left at least one person dead and 24 hurt …
■ … one of them a man wounded in the third Millennium Park shooting in two weeks.
■ Journalist and ex-Better Government Association President Andy Shaw writes in the Tribune that more cops patrolling Chicago on foot would be “a game-changer.”
■ The University of Chicago is offering the city $3 million for more surveillance cameras and license-plate readers around its campus.
Bicyclists spoke up. When WBEZ asked bikers what they love and hate about getting around Chicago, they got an earful.
■ The city’s “complete streets manager” explains how the city decides where to put bike lanes.
■ A Sun-Times editorial concludes that dangerous driving habits took root in the pandemic: “It’s as if the basic rules of the road have been thrown out the driver’s window.”
Awaiting Facebook cash? If you applied for—but haven’t yet received—one of those $397 payouts resolving a class action lawsuit against the company under the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act, the settlement website counsels patience—asking that you wait until mid-June before inquiring.
■ If you haven’t applied, it’s too late. (But Chicago Public Square readers got the word Nov. 20, 2020.)
■ Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch: The U.S. needs to “tax Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and the Billionaire Boys Club out of their misery.”
‘It is concerning.’ The Lurie Children’s Hospital medical director of infection, prevention and control is among those concerned that 60% of Illinois’ eligible children remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.
■ Pfizer says three doses of its vaccine protect kids under 5, and it hopes the feds will agree.
■ As if Chicago schoolkids didn’t have enough to worry about, records for close to half a million of them were compromised in a December ransomware attack that the vendor didn’t report until last month—and the school system didn’t deign to mention until this month.
■ And beware those PBJ sandwiches: Dozens of Jif peanut butter varieties have been linked to salmonella.
Donald Trump still welcome. President Biden and top members of his administration are among close to 1,000 Americans permanently banned from entering Russia.
■ Also Morgan Freeman and Rob Reiner.
■ The chief of Russia’s mission to the U.N. is quitting, condemning the “bloody, witless and absolutely needless ignominy” of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Multiplex perplexity. Popular Information reports that the Cinemark movie chain, whose founder leans way right, is showing a “documentary” supporting Trump’s “big lie” about the 2020 presidential election …
■ … but, notably, not on screens within Chicago city limits.
SNL exodus. The season finale brought farewells for at least four Saturday Night Live cast members, clips of which Deadline has assembled here …
■ … but not “Weekend Update” anchor Michael Che, who’s been talking about leaving (May 13 link).
■ Hollywood Reporter critic Daniel Fienberg considers Kate McKinnon “entirely irreplaceable.”
Journalist, romance novelist. Gwendolyn Osborne—someone frequently helpful to your Square columnist in her days as public information director for the American Civil Liberties Union—was one of three women who died after being found unresponsive at a Rogers Park apartment building where temperatures reached 102 degrees May 14.
■ The precise causes of their deaths remained under investigation.
Thank the Legion of Chicago Public Squarians. That’s the group of Square readers whose financial support helps cover the cost of publishing this news briefing—including John Gehron, Phil Vettel, Suzanne Vestuto, Timothy Jackson, Ann Johnson Arellano, Darold Barnum, Sam Hochberg, Mary Godlewski, Kurt Wehrmeister, William Tracy, Mark Jacob, John Jaramillo, Doug Strubel, Dave Aron, Bennett Hart, Mary Gannon Pittman, Anne Rooney, Bob Ely, Michael Wilson, Joanne Rosenbush, Chris Ruys, Bill Drudge, Rick Baert, Marc Blesoff, Sabrina Deitch, Michele Kurlander, Elan Long, Jim Grimes, Stephanie Kiesling, Jeanette Mancusi, Bob Saigh, Leo Bonnie Dohogne, Colette Hogan, Lisa Krimen, Clyde Simpson, Laurie Casey, Philip Prale, Don Kumler, Tim Ward, Patrick Olsen and Mike Trenary.
■ Join them—on a one-time (cool!) or recurring (cooler!) basis—to see your name in this space tomorrow …
■ … and to get $5 off a Square T-shirt.
■ Mike Braden made this issue better.