Cold, cold, cold / 'A bizarre, embarrassing editorial' / Disney+ dawns

Cold, cold, cold. Chicago’s set successive records for cold Nov. 11ths and 12ths—plus a record Veterans Day snow …
 … and it’s likely to get colder tonight and in the days ahead …
 … which explains why some Metra train tracks are on fire.
In what its CEO calls a “seismic shift” in how it helps the needy, the Greater Chicago Food Depository plans a $50 million, a 40,000-square-foot kitchen to prepare 4 million meals a year for home delivery.

Southwest safety questioned. The FAA says Southwest Airlines has been flying dozens of planes that may not have been properly inspected.
An American Airlines plane skidded off a runway during a scary landing yesterday at O’Hare.

‘Luis and Ed, just go away.’ A Sun-Times editorial implores two indicted Chicago politicians to get out of Democratic Party business.
House Speaker Michael Madigan is demanding indicted ex-Illinois Rep. Luis Arroyo withdraw from the process of picking his successor.
A Tribune editorial: Let voters—not “a small group of party poobahs”—fill vacancies in elected offices.

‘A bizarre, embarrassing editorial.’ Media critic Robert Feder sees “a teachable moment” in an apology by Northwestern University’s student newspaper for its coverage of student protesters at ex-U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ appearance on campus last week.
BuzzFeed News’ Brandon Wall: “I can’t imagine … the trials and tribulations of j-school in this extremely online, shoot-from-the-hip dogpiling era.”
The paper’s editor-in-chief elaborated in a Twitter thread: “I was the third black EIC in The Daily’s more than 135 years of publication …”
 … and he told the Post: We have to go to class with those students tomorrow.
Evanston police are hunting the source of racist letters sent to three Evanston/Skokie School District 65 schools.



Drug score? Chicago-born Walgreens could get snapped up in history’s biggest private equity deal.
It probably wouldn’t be good news for employees, but it could mean better health care for customers.
Politico: A federal health contract funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to allies of President Trump.
Google is collecting and storing health data on millions of Americans—in Illinois and 20 other states, plus the District of Columbia.
A Jeopardy! contestant’s (wrong) answer brought ailing host Alex Trebek close to tears.

Disney+ dawns. TV critic Aaron Barnhart says Disney’s streaming video service, which debuted today, “may not look like the future—but be assured, it is.”
The launch hasn’t been without technical problems.
Netflix and other streamers are taking aim at password sharers.
If you can’t tell the difference between Apple TV, Apple TV, Apple TV and Apple TV+, join the club.

Yeah, but now it goes to the Senate and McConnell probably won’t even call it for a vote. Former lying White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been voted off Dancing With the Stars.
Spicer says he’s “relieved in a way.”
Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple says Spicer’s White House successor, Stephanie Grisham, should instead have the title “‘Special Envoy to Fox News,’ a place where she can repeat her remarkable praise of Trump with minimal resistance.”

Starring role. Chicago’s Adler Planetarium is getting a new and bigger telescope.
Didja catch the Beaver Moon?

Chicago Public Square wouldn’t have survived long enough to have been named the Chicago Reader’s 2019 “Best of Chicago” poll choice for best blog if not for support from, among others, some Johns: John Messina, John McClelland, John Iltis and John Culver. Please consider joining them here.
 And thanks to the ever-vigilant Mike Braden and Pam Spiegel for spotting a handful of typos above.

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