Those are people who died. Undertaking a task he concedes “is kind of overwhelming,” newsletter journalist Christopher Ingraham is rounding up the obituaries of people who either refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or just didn’t get around to it.
■ Almost all—99.5%—of the COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. over the last few months have claimed the unvaccinated.
■ The Pentagon will order troops vaccinated beginning next month.
Offered, not required. Chicago Public Schools will provide students and staff free weekly COVID-19 tests—but won’t demand that everyone accept.
■ A Downstate dad is suing to overturn Gov. Pritzker’s requirement that all students, faculty and staff wear masks at Illinois schools.
‘Oh. My. God. It’s a movie. I made that up.’ The co-writer and executive producer of I Am Legend, Akiva Goldsman, is appalled that people are crediting the story’s inciting incident—a vaccine cure for cancer that goes horribly wrong—for their vax resistance.
■ Journalism critic Tom Jones faults reporters for not stressing “Facts. Numbers. Medical experts. Science.”
■ Law blogger Jack Leyhane slams the City of Chicago and reporters for touting pandemic numbers without sufficient context: “No wonder we’re all confused.”
Pandemic winners and losers. The AP suggests gyms may be headed the way of video arcades and movie rental stores.
■ But the fake vaccination ID biz is booming.
■ The pandemic is revolutionizing future teachers’ training.
■ A couple of Chicagoans are winners in the latest $100,000 Illinois lottery for the vaccinated.
‘Large and extremely dangerous.’ That’s how the National Weather Service described one of the at least six—and maybe a dozen—tornadoes that touched down yesterday in DeKalb County.
■ The Morton Arboretum is offering hundreds of free trees to people who lost theirs in June’s tornadoes.
■ The UN’s “code red for humanity” gets a satiric spin from The Onion: “Latest Climate Change Report Just Heartfelt Farewell Letter Telling Humanity To Remember The Good Times.”
‘Take that damn vest off right now and start compressions.’ The Sun-Times recounts police radio calls Saturday night after two officers were shot—one of them fatally.
■ Two Chicago brothers have been charged in the case with murder and unlawful use of a weapon, and an Indiana man faces federal charges for allegedly buying the gun used.
■ Several Chicago cops turned cold shoulders to Mayor Lightfoot as she visited the surviving officer at a hospital.
Illinois’ first. The ex-CEO of a suburban tech firm was set to become the first Illinoisan to plead guilty to federal charges in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol.
■ He apologized the next day (Jan. 8 link).
■ His website asserts, “It’s always been important to me to lead with integrity, honesty, and authenticity.”
■ University of Chicago research concludes 21 million Americans believe Donald Trump should be restored to the White House by force.
■ Dominion Voting Systems is suing Fox News wannabes Newsmax and One America News Network (OAN)—and also ex-Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne—for $1.6 billion, complaining they “recklessly disregarded the truth” in their spreading of conspiracy theories about the election and Dominion’s voting machines.
■ The Tribune reports that three of four South Side Walgreens stores damaged in last summer’s looting are finally fully reopening.
Thompson-centered. An auction Thursday will offer antique folk art collected by the late Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson …
■ … including a wood carving of Mrs. O’Leary milking her cow.
■ The Washington Post in 1982: “Thompson is reeling from articles … describing how he accepted antiques … from friends and contributors.”
Thanks. Molly Coleman made this edition of Chicago Public Square better.