Did you catch yesterday’s special Chicago Public Square breaking-news update on Mayor Emanuel’s surprise decision not to run for reelection? Thank the Square supporters whose pledges make such new things possible—including Michael A. Collins, Michael Johnson, Michael Weiland, Michele Kurlander, Mike Braden, Mike Dessimoz and Mike Gold. Join them here by kicking in just a few pennies a day. And now the news:
■ Politico on Mayor Emanuel’s decision not to seek a third term: He “concluded the daily battle would be too punishing.”
■ The Tribune’s Jeff Coen: The mayor’s global vision was bogged down by local troubles.
■ Eric Zorn in the Trib: “History will show that Emanuel inherited a steaming mess from Mayor Richard M. Daley.”
■ Emanuel’s record in review.
■ The Sun-Times’ Mary Mitchell: “Say what you will, he cared about this city.”
■ An audio stroll down memory lane: “My Year of Rahm”—including “Who’s Mayor Emanuel Ridiculing Now?”
Now what?
■ The mayor says he’s not done with politics.
■ But he tells the Sun-Times’ Mark Brown the notion of a run for the presidency is “ridiculous.”
■ The departure of Emanuel, champion of Chicago’s bid to lure Amazon’s new HQ, may not help.
■ Ted Cox in One Illinois: “I can’t join … those who think Chicago is now doomed without him.”
■ Sun-Times editorial: He “couldn’t unite our city. Can anyone?”
■ Trib editorial: “An Emanuel liberated from trying to please everyone” can make his final days the best.
Who’s next?
■ The race for mayor begins all over again now.
■ Trib columnist John Kass: Now, “it’s Lord of the Flies on LaSalle Street.”
■ The Sun-Times’ Tina Sfondeles surveys the field of mayoral challengers “after Rahm drove a bulldozer through it.”
■ The Trib’s Rick Pearson: Get ready for a seismic shift in Chicago politics.
■ And there are recordings: Here’s an annotated transcript of Trump’s phone call with Woodward—after the book’s completion.
■ Axios: The book’s release caught the White House unprepared and left the president “furious.”
■ Ezra Klein in Vox: The book helps make the case for impeachment.
History in Boston. In another sign of Democratic voters’ shift to the left, a liberal candidate has displaced a 10-term congressional incumbent, winning an unopposed nomination to become Massachusetts’ first female black representative.
■ Bloomberg: Democratic voters are “eager to vote for women.”
■ BuzzFeed News: “Vermont’s Only Black Woman Lawmaker Dropped Her Reelection Bid Because Of Racist Threats.”
■ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is pumping $10 million into a political action committee aimed at electing U.S. military veterans to Congress—his first major political donation.
■ BuzzFeed News: “Vermont’s Only Black Woman Lawmaker Dropped Her Reelection Bid Because Of Racist Threats.”
■ Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is pumping $10 million into a political action committee aimed at electing U.S. military veterans to Congress—his first major political donation.
■ But Kavanaugh took time in his opening statement to brag about his own daughter getting her braces off. (Cartoon: Keith Taylor.)
■ Updating coverage: Kavanaugh takes the Senate’s questions today. (Video here.)
■ The man Arizona’s governor has appointed to replace Sen. John McCain, John Kyl, is also a guy who helped guide Kavanaugh through the confirmation process.
■ In February, Kyl described Trump as “boorish.”
Frats drying out. Hundreds of fraternity houses across the U.S. say they won’t let their members serve hard liquor.
■ The Onion: “University Admits It Pretty Weird They Let Bunch Of 20-Year-Olds Live In Big Mansion And Torture Each Other.”
■ Two suburban teenagers are dead after their car crashed into a tree.
Check in before they check out. Chicago hotel workers say they may strike “at any time.”
■ Harvard Law students are backing the nationwide prison work strike.
Chrome overhauled. Marking the 10th anniversary of its web browser, Google’s issued a new version …
■ … with an upgraded password manager that might keep you from using the same password over and over again.
