‘I am sorry.’ Mayor Lightfoot apologizes to an innocent woman who was handcuffed naked in her home during a misguided raid by Chicago police.
■ The Tribune’s Dahleen Glanton: “The mayor … was a coward.”
■ The victim condemns the cops: “They didn’t serve me, they didn’t protect me.”
■ An enraged alderman says the city should “give this woman whatever she is asking for.”
■ Columnist Mark Konkol: The city’s effort to keep video of the raid secret reeks of “shady efforts to hide scandalous truths about policing that city lawyers have practiced for generations.”
■ A nationwide effort aims to end middle-of-the-night police raids that disproportionately hit communities of color.
■ A new analysis finds concern over police misconduct and wrongful convictions disproportionately affected who voted for Cook County judges in the last election—and how.
■ A new analysis finds concern over police misconduct and wrongful convictions disproportionately affected who voted for Cook County judges in the last election—and how.
■ The contrast between Chicago and neighboring Oak Park got national attention in last night’s PBS Newshour segment on “The overwhelming impact of childhood trauma on Chicago’s West Side.”
Patience, Illinois. Gov. Pritzker did little to hide his disappointment in word that the state’s shipments of COVID-19 vaccines will only amount to about half what the Trump administration’s “Operation Warp Speed” originally projected.
■ Record-breaking winter weather threatens to delay vaccine deliveries, but Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says FedEx and UPS “know how to deal with snow.”
■ Chicago-based Abbott Laboratories has won FDA approval for a home coronavirus test that takes 15 minutes and costs $25.
■ Chicago’s cutting its self-quarantine requirement to just 10 days for people who’ve been in “high-risk” states—which is just about all of them.
■ So does Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.
‘This story will outrage you.’ Poynter’s Tom Jones mourns a Midwestern mayor’s resignation in the face of threats triggered by support for a mask mandate.
■ Crowds of yahoos have been protesting pandemic restrictions outside the home of Michigan’s health director—but he says they’re wasting their time.
■ The AP: At least 181 state and local public health leaders across 38 states have quit, retired or been fired since April 1—more than at any other time in U.S. history.
Welcome, granny. A pilot program approved by the Chicago City Council repeals a 63-year-old ban on coach houses and basement or attic apartments—so-called “granny flats”—in parts of the city.
■ Also OK’d: Business license relief for restaurants.
■ The Long Beach, California, City Council is moving to require $4/hour “hero pay” raises for grocery store workers.
‘He despises the Democratic strongholds of California, New York and Illinois.’ But, media writer Jack Shafer says, Donald Trump doesn’t deserve all the blame for talk of secession.
■ Politico: Vice President Pence plans “to confirm Trump’s loss—and then leave town.” (Cartoon: Keith J. Taylor.)
■ Gizmodo: “Trump Ends Efficient Showerheads’ Reign of Terror.”
Facebook vs. Apple. In full-page newspaper ads, Facebook complains Apple’s new user-privacy protections will hurt businesses’ ability to target you with (Facebook) ads.
■ Cultural critic Bob Lefsetz: “Hogwash.”
■ At least 10 states accuse Google of “anti-competitive conduct” in the online ad biz.
■ The lead lawyer in the case: “Google, beware.”
■ HBO Max is finally launching on Roku devices.
Press rundown. After 136 years, Indiana’s Chesterton Tribune is calling it quits—at least in print.
■ The (unrelated) Chicago Tribune is shrinking again—offering another round of staff buyouts. (Sixth item in Robert Feder’s media news roundup.)
‘A wonderful thing.’ A 93-year-old veteran of baseball’s Negro Leagues welcomes Major League Baseball’s decision to recognize thousands of Black players’ achievements there as part of MLB’s official record.
■ Five ways the move could change baseball history.
■ This’ll teach ’em: The Court of Arbitration for Sport is banning Russia—accused of cheating on doping tests—from using its name and flag at the next two Olympics.
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Thanks to Chris Koenig, Patrick Olsen and Peggy Madigan for making this edition better.