‘Their own worst enemies.’ Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg wonders why Chicago police are so afraid of COVID-19 vaccination—and suggests a way the city could have gotten cops to demand it.
■ Tech and culture journalist Charlie Warzel says the repercussions from vaccine skeptic Joe Rogan’s podcast with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta exemplify “how our media delivery systems are caught in a churn loop that degrades almost any conversation.”
‘You can listen to your powerful friends telling you to choose Rahm Emanuel or you can listen to us, the people.’ Chicago political consultant Delmarie Cobb calls on President Biden to abandon his nomination of the ex-mayor to become U.S. ambassador to Japan.
■ The Senate confirmation hearing’s set for Wednesday …
■ … which happens to be the seventh anniversary of the police killing of Laquan McDonald—video of which Emanuel’s administration fought to keep secret.
Weekend woes. Among Chicago’s shooting victims Saturday and Sunday: An 11-year-old wounded around 2 a.m. Sunday when an 8-year-old shot him by accident.
■ CWBChicago sees a teachable moment in a Lincoln Square burglary early Saturday: “It’s not easy to run away from cops while carrying $4,500 worth of coats.”
Bottle deposits for Chicago? The city’s new Streets and Sanitation commissioner says it’s time to encourage recycling with a 10-cent surcharge on the sale of bottles and cans.
■ The Biden administration is pledging “to use every tool in our toolbox to restrict human exposure” to so-called “forever chemicals” …
■ … whose presence in products ranging from cosmetics to food packaging to nonstick pans John Oliver exposed with stunning clarity earlier this month.
■ The Conversation: “Managed retreat” from climate change could revitalize rural America.
■ The Onion: “Intergalactic Animal Rights Groups Condemn Use Of Brutal, Unsanitary Planet To Raise Human Meat.”
90 seconds of rage. The New York Times dives deep into a small segment of video documenting the Jan. 6 insurrection to provide “a close-up view of how seemingly average citizens—duped by a political lie, goaded by their leaders and swept up in a frenzied throng—can unite in breathtaking acts of brutality.”
■ The Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet: Federal Election Commission numbers illuminate Trump Republicans’ fundraising strength in Illinois.
■ Popular Information explores the weaponization of local school boards to advance Republican politics.
■ Acknowledging his reputation as “one of America’s most vocal critics,” author and filmmaker Michael Moore offers 13 things he likes about this country.
Colin Powell, COVID casualty. The first Black U.S. Secretary of State is dead at 84 of complications from the coronavirus.
■ Announcing the news on Facebook, his family said he was fully vaccinated …
■ … but (update, 2:59 p.m.) USA Today notes that his death was an exception among the vaccinated—not proof inoculations don't work.
■ Powell served under Ronald Reagan but then endorsed Barack Obama and split with the Republican Party under Donald Trump.
■ The AP: His “sterling reputation was forever stained when he went before the U.N. and made faulty claims to justify the U.S. war in Iraq.”
‘They may have lied.’ A letter from five members of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee accuses Amazon executives of at least misleading Congress about shady business practices.
■ But, the Sun-Times’ David Roeder notes, Amazon is bringing 3,200 jobs to Chicago’s far south suburbs—at a facility whose size matches the company’s ambitions for growth.
‘Game forever changed.’ Midway Minute proprietor Kevin Kaduk hails the Chicago Sky’s WNBA championship: “We’ve never seen anything like the celebration scene.”
■ Mayor Lightfoot says the city will hold a victory party Tuesday.
Beatles + the Bard. Critic Chris Jones calls Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s mashup of As You Like It with the Fab Four’s songbook “a pandemic-blasting gust of fresh, joyous air.”
■ Audience members showing up for the first Second City mainstage revue in almost two years get told individually before the show that bigoted improv suggestions aren’t welcome.
