Boogaloonies. The Guardian rounds up incidents in which armed men around the country—some affiliated with the pro-gun, anti-government “boogaloo” movement—have been disrupting protests by driving vehicles at crowds.
■ As Trevor Noah noted on last night’s special hourlong Daily Show, police have sometimes been just as bad: “Is there anyone non-threatening enough that police would not get violent with them? What we’re learning is that the answer is no.”
■ Police Supt. David Brown: “Chicago has moved past this period of looting and vandalism.”
■ Chicago cops arrested more than 3,000 people over the last nine days for “civil unrest” and looting. (Cartoon: Keith J. Taylor.)
■ Updating coverage: George Floyd, whose death in Minneapolis inspired protests nationwide, was to be buried today—his body borne by a horse-drawn carriage.
‘For every one video I watch of someone being arrested, I watch 10 other videos of no one doing a thing but being black.’ Public defenders held a Black Lives Matter protest around Cook County’s Southwest Side criminal courthouse.
■ WTTW: When black teenagers learn to drive, it’s time for “the talk.”
■ ProPublica’s Wendi C. Thomas: “The police have been spying on black reporters and activists for years. I know because I’m one of them.”
■ Acknowledging its abuse in racial profiling, IBM says it’ll stop selling facial recognition and analysis software.
■ The Smithsonian is launching a new initiative: “Race, Community and Our Shared Future.”
‘Decommission defund.’ Tribune columnist Eric Zorn says a poor choice of words—“Defund the police”— threatens to undo the progress civil rights activists have made over the past two weeks.
■ Six Chicago aldermen explain how cutting police funding could make Chicago safer.
■ The Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet: “Defund” plays into President Trump’s hand, crippling efforts to elect Joe Biden …
■ … who the Trib’s Rex Huppke jokingly says should be tweeting more insults.
■ Newsweek: Biden is planning the most radical economic overhaul since the New Deal.
■ Eccentric but wealthy ex-mayoral and ex-presidential candidate Willie Wilson is forming his own party—the Willie Wilson Party, because of course—to challenge Sen. Dick Durbin.
■ NBC News: Republicans are recruiting an army of poll watchers to fight patently nonexistent voter fraud—and maybe to intimidate minority voters.
‘A ticked-off mayor.’ A Trib editorial calls on Mayor Lightfoot to show restraint and keep cool.
■ Chicago magazine’s Edward McClelland: Lightfoot was never a police reformer.
■ Chicago filmmaker Steve James—whose new documentary series, City So Real, seemed complete with Lightfoot’s election—is adding footage on the crises she’s faced since.
■ Hear Chicago Public Square’s 2018 podcast with James.
Illinois’ second wave? The Trib’s Joe Mahr runs down the stats to watch for signs COVID-19 is making a comeback.
■ As businesses reopen, older workers face tough decisions about whether to return to work.
■ Google Maps’ new update adds COVID-19 features like transit crowdedness and testing center guidelines.
■ Hospitals’ new opioid crisis: Not enough for coronavirus patients.
‘No delivery fees for the remainder of the year.’ Uber Eats is pitching in to help black-owned restaurants get back to business.
■ As oil demand plummets, BP is eliminating 10,000 jobs …
■ … and State Farm is cutting Illinoisans’ auto insurance rates even more.
Weather eyes up. Chicago faces the prospect of heavy rain and winds later today …
■ … the remnants of Tropical Storm Cristobal.
Folding out. The world’s longest-working comics artist, Al Jaffee—creator of Mad magazine’s “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions”—is retiring at 99 …
■ … with a special edition featuring a final iconic “fold-in.”
■ From 2017: An interview in which Jaffee discussed life, death and cartooning.
■ Critic Chris Jones praises the latest from Chicago’s Neo-Futurists, who’ve taken their skit performances onto the web for $3 a week.
‘Our local news outlets help keep us safer. Let’s help keep them open.’ A multimillion-dollar “Support Local News” campaign backed largely by Google launches today.
■ Axios has cleared its reporters to join protests—and promises help covering bail and medical bills if they’re arrested or hurt while doing it …
■ … a notion your Square publisher has been cool with for decades (2017 link).
■ The Daily Beast: Trump’s new favorite news channel employs a guy also paid by the Kremlin.
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Thanks, Joe Hass, for making this issue better.