‘Destroyer of careers.’ Chicago magazine’s Kate Bernot surveys the role the city’s infamous Ceres Cafe, on the ground floor of the Board of Trade, played in the downfall of Police Supt. Eddie Johnson.
■ A Board of Trade building guard confirms the inspector general’s office subpoenaed video of Johnson coming and going from the cafe.
■ Johnson issued a statement refuting Mayor Lightfoot’s accusation: “I did not intentionally mislead or deceive the mayor.”
■ The Sun-Times: Multiple cops are under investigation for allegedly covering up Johnson’s indiscretions.
■ Columnist Phil Kadner: “Imagine what a police chief could do if he managed to keep his eyes open.”
■ The Trib’s John Kass attributes Johnson’s ascendance to a system “created by the old white Irish power structure,” under which “black and brown patrol officers won promotion if they were connected to a Democratic ward organization with leverage at City Hall.”
Meanwhile … Chicago police have busted 53 people in connection with the sale of guns on Facebook.
■ Two people were in custody in connection with the shooting death of a man at the Red Line Howard station during the lunch hour yesterday.
■ Acting Chicago Police Supt. Charlie Beck has demoted a police commander accused of making other cops care for his special-needs son.
■ Columnist Eric Zorn: A cop who body-slammed a man’s head on the curb is lucky—as is the victim and are taxpayers.
■ Fifty years ago today, a police raid left two leaders of Chicago’s Black Panther Party dead, the city’s racial politics transformed and a key question unanswered.
Whoops. The House Intelligence Committee impeachment report reveals phone records putting its ranking Republican member, Devin Nunes, in deep doo-doo.
■ Read the report …
■ … or take MSNBC host Rachel Maddow’s shortcut: Just read the subheads.
■ One witness’ opening statement calls President Trump’s actions “worse than the misconduct of any prior president.” (Cartoon: Keith J. Taylor.)
■ See those hearings here.
■ Wonkette’s irreverent liveblog of the proceedings: Republican Rep. Doug Collins opened with “a bullshit motion … demanding [Intelligence Committee chair] Adam Schiff come testify, you know, because how they think he is the whistleblower and his mom is the whistleblower and his goldfish is the whistleblower and his butt is the whistleblower.”
■ Or follow FiveThirtyEight’s more restrained updates.
■ A House vote on impeachment could come Dec. 19—20 years to the day after the impeachment of President Clinton.
‘Thank you, Kamala Harris.’ Journalism professor and critic Jeff Jarvis says the senator’s presidential campaign was foiled partly by reporters he condemns “for still believing it is their job to predict elections—which they do terribly—rather than inform the electorate.”
■ She snapped back after Trump tweeted mock sorrow at her departure from the race: “Don’t worry, Mr. President. I’ll see you at your trial.”
■ The Sacramento Bee ponders her possible political futures.
■ Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton: “Harris should never have run for president.”
■ Still running: 15 Democratic candidates.
Springfield ‘chess.’ Politico’s Shia Kapos analyzes the play to replace retiring Illinois Senate President John Cullerton.
■ Illinois driver’s license offices are expanding hours to accommodate a crush of people seeking those new REAL ID driver’s licenses and ID cards.
■ A Chicago City Council today was set to consider a ban on aldermen working as lobbyists.
Cookie rumble. The Trib’s revealed the winners of its annual Holiday Cookie Contest …
■ … including a spitzbuben.
Thanks …
■ … to Chris Koenig for link suggestions.