Sharp turn. After days of inaction over reports of favoritism in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines, the board of the West Side’s Loretto Hospital has accepted the resignation of its chief operating officer (and Eric Trump pal) Dr. Anosh Ahmed.
■ The announcement came shortly after Block Club Chicago—whose reporting has led coverage of this story—revealed Loretto shots had gone to ineligible workers at a steakhouse Ahmed frequented.
■ Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell: The Loretto board’s not off the hook yet.
■ CBS Chicago: People wrongfully given vaccinations now are scrambling to find Dose No. 2.
‘Vaccine passports.’ As Gov. Pritzker got the one-shot dose of Johnson & Johnson’s protection from the coronavirus, he said he likes the idea of a voluntary system to identify those who’ve been immunized …
■ … a notion Chicago Public Square asked him about Dec. 8 (at 24:01 in this video).
■ Mayor Lightfoot is pushing an ordinance to require that companies give employees time off to get vaccinated.
■ Tribune columnist Rex Huppke got the shot: “The only side effects I experienced were increased awesomeness, sculpted abs, the ability to wield Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, and mild soreness in my left shoulder.”
■ Manny’s Deli didn’t make it even a day into its 30-day challenge for customers to wear masks, but it’s still going to give 1,000 free sandwiches to those who do.
Had it? You’re not protected. A University of South Carolina professor of immunology explains why even those who’ve survived COVID-19 infections should get vaccinated.
■ The New Yorker lists “things fully vaccinated people are still not allowed to do”—including “Use both armrests on a plane or a train.”
‘Biden has repeatedly disappointed those who hoped to see him babbling incoherently.’ As the president finally—for the first time since his inauguration—holds a press conference this afternoon at 12:15 p.m. Central, columnist Steve Chapman defends Biden: “Americans don’t need him to barge into their lives every day to be satisfied with his performance.”
■ Media writer Tom Jones says you can look for the White House press corps to “go out of its way to show … it can be just as tough on Biden as it was on Donald Trump.”
‘A slap in the face to people that have suffered great atrocities.’ A Black Chicago alderman took offense at a plan to give 5,000 of Chicago’s neediest families $500 a month—regardless of their ethnicity—“until we deal with the issue of reparations … to … descendants of slaves.”
■ Approved in the City Council: An anti-gentrification law slapping steep fees on developers who tear down residential buildings near The 606 trail.
■ A Chicago alderman is pushing an end to the city’s 6 mph threshold for speed tickets—returning to 10 mph—but increasing the fine from $35 to $100.
■ Headed to the Illinois House: A plan to end the state ban on local rent-control laws …
■ … and a plan to legalize marijuana possession in any amount.
Tribune trouble. Takeover of the Chicago Tribune’s parent company by the parasitic Alden Global Capital was looking more likely …
■ … because Tribune Publishing’s own board—including Alden’s agents—indicated it would back Alden’s deal …
■ … even as a Maryland businessman offered a better price.
■ Government and politics reporter Hal Dardick is the latest to depart the Trib.
■ The New York Times has told reporters: Get approval before launching a personal newsletter.
■ Media journalist Simon Owens deflates the argument “Why would I pay for a … newsletter when I can subscribe to Publication X for the same price?” (Apology: This link is not public, but Simon has granted permission to reprint the exchange, which we’ve done so in the following screenshot. Subscribe to Simon’s newsletter here!)
Chicago Public Square loses a reader. A subscriber considerately explains: “Now that we have a reasonable president, I note that your coverage has turned mostly to matters of interest to Chicago residents. Since I am not one of those, I find little of personal interest in the daily posts.”
■ Help replenish the ranks of those who do care about matters of interest to Chicago residents by recommending Square to a friend.
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■ Thanks to readers Steve Sheffey and Joe Hass for making this edition better.
Graham Crackers is a Chicago Public Square advertiser.