GOOGLE + CHICAGO? Crain’s says Chicago’s on the short list of cities under consideration by Google for an expansion that could create thousands of jobs for “talented workers … who don’t necessarily want to move to expensive West Coast cities.”
■ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has become the richest person in history.
■ The Bezos-owned Washington Post is marking its second year of profitability and planning to expand space and staff.
CHICAGO’S 39,000 HOMICIDES. The Tribune puts the city’s present-day mayhem in context with 60 years of murder.
■ WBEZ: Five accounts of questionable suburban police shootings.
OBAMA CAVES. Facing growing criticism, the Obama Presidential Center has agreed to move its proposed parking garage underground. (Rendering: The Obama Center.)
■ A new Chicago office, retail and entertainment project—“The Salt District”—is in the works for the old Morton Salt warehouse along Elston, north of Division.
■ City Colleges of Chicago has a deal to sell its downtown HQ, for transformation into apartments.
#NOPRAH? CNN’s Brian Lowry is skeptical about an Oprah Winfrey candidacy for the White House: “It’s difficult to foresee Winfrey—as studious and skilled a guardian of her image as media has produced—subjecting herself to the scrutiny of a presidential campaign.
■ Obama strategist David Axelrod: “She has been the master of her universe for a very long time. … Once you run for president, you are surrendering that.”
■ Longtime Winfrey watcher Robert Feder: “The Oprah I know will never run.”
■ … but her best friend, Gayle King, says, “I do think she’s intrigued.”
■ Stephen Colbert jokes about Winfrey’s Golden Globes address: “People were immediately calling that speech presidential. And a year ago, I would have agreed.”
■ Ivanka Trump’s pro-Winfrey tweet is drawing ridicule.
CHECK YOUR iPHONE BATTERY. Wondering if yours is among those Apple has slowed down to keep an aging battery from triggering abrupt shutdown? The Apple news site TidBITS has a detailed guide, including a link to free software you can install on a Macintosh to run your own test.
■ French government regulators have opened a criminal investigation into Apple over the matter.
■ Apple shareholders are urging the company to get ahead of the “smartphone addiction” problem.
■ … but her best friend, Gayle King, says, “I do think she’s intrigued.”
■ Stephen Colbert jokes about Winfrey’s Golden Globes address: “People were immediately calling that speech presidential. And a year ago, I would have agreed.”
■ Ivanka Trump’s pro-Winfrey tweet is drawing ridicule.
CHECK YOUR iPHONE BATTERY. Wondering if yours is among those Apple has slowed down to keep an aging battery from triggering abrupt shutdown? The Apple news site TidBITS has a detailed guide, including a link to free software you can install on a Macintosh to run your own test.
■ French government regulators have opened a criminal investigation into Apple over the matter.
■ Apple shareholders are urging the company to get ahead of the “smartphone addiction” problem.
‘HECK, ITS PRIVACY POLICY STATED THAT ALL THE INFORMATION SUBMITTED WOULD BE ENCRYPTED, WHICH WAS A LIE.’ Engadget wraps up the settlement of a federal lawsuit against the Vtech toy company for a data breach that exposed data collected on millions of kids.
■ Microsoft’s patches for the potentially crippling Meltdown and Spectre bugs
■ Business Insider: “Senate Democrats have made a brilliant move to … save an open internet.”
■ Consumer Electronics Show-goers in Vegas—most of them men—showed up to watch robot strippers.