Washington on watch. Advised by Capitol Police that today could bring a repeat of the Jan. 6 insurrection, the U.S. House has canceled its schedule for the rest of the week.
■ Underlying the shutdown: QAnon argle-bargle about Trump getting inaugurated today.
■ The Week’s Joel Mathis suggests maybe the terrorists have won.
■ With little explanation, room rates at Washington’s Trump Hotel skyrocketed for today.
‘Good trouble.’ In a tribute to the late voting rights champion Rep. John Lewis, the House has—over unanimous Republican opposition—sent the Senate a package of the biggest election law reforms in a generation.
■ Democrats are seemingly backing away from efforts at bipartisanship.
‘Neanderthal thinking.’ President Biden didn’t hold back as he condemned governors for moving to lift pandemic restrictions.*
■ The Onion: “New Texas Law Requires All Masks Have Word Pussy Written Across Front.” (Cartoon: Keith J. Taylor.)
■ Over the next two weeks, Chicago will host 11 free vaccination events for seniors 65 and older on the West and South Sides.
■ Illinois has opened two new mass vaccination sites in Des Plaines and Quincy.
■ WBEZ: “Chicago and Illinois officials are struggling to explain why they have allowed a state-funded city office that advocates for mistreated nursing-home residents to run at half-strength through the pandemic.”
■ Chicago theaters are considering requiring audience members to produce proof of vaccination.
■ Teenagers could be getting vaccinated before long.
■ Columnist Neil Steinberg’s approach to the vaccine hunt: “I’m just waiting.”
‘Speed things up.’ A Sun-Times editorial says Mayor Lightfoot’s plan to limit no-knock police searches doesn’t go far enough fast enough.
■ A Tribune editorial: “She seemed to redeem herself Wednesday.”
■ The one U.S. House Republican who voted for a national police-reform act says he did so by mistake.
‘We made history.’ Congresswoman Robin Kelly has become the first woman and the first person of color to chair the Illinois Democratic Party …
■ … but federal law may cripple her ability to raise funds.
Benched. Veteran Chicago TV sports anchor Mark Giangreco is off the air, facing possible dismissal, for something he said on the air about one of his colleagues.
■ Another news executive is bailing on the troubled NewsNation operation that used to be known as WGN America.
■ The Trump-friendly Sinclair Broadcast Group—which almost bought WGN parent Tribune Media—is laying off hundreds across the country.
‘Wait until June.’ TV critic Aaron Barnhart says the new Paramount+ streaming service launching today—a rebranded and expanded CBS All Access—isn’t worth $9.99 for the ad-free version, but is “a no-brainer” for the ad-supported tier coming in three months.
Graham Crackers is a Chicago Public Square supporter.
* The president may have missed this news from earlier this week.