‘The new era of political violence’ / ‘Impeachment revenge tour’ / Now hear this

‘The new era of political violence.’ The Atlantic’s Tom Nichols says the U.S. now is at risk not of civil war, but of attacks from “individual Americans with deep resentments and delusions … people who believe in nothing—or at least, in nothing real.”
Columnist Parker Malloy slams those conflating “cancel culture” with the attack on author Salman Rushdie: “This … is an example of what actual attacks on free speech look like.”

‘It appears to be intentional.’ Police have found the car involved in a hit-and-run that killed three men and wounded two others early Sunday outside one of Chicago’s oldest gay bars, but they were still seeking a suspect …
 … in what may have been a hate crime.

‘She lied to her kids as they hid.’ The Tribune shares the shock and confusion of those caught at Six Flags when shots rang out Sunday.
Police were still seeking suspects and asking for the public’s help.
In Highland Park, where a gunman killed seven people and wounded 48 on the 4th of July, the city council has voted unanimously to support state and federal bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
The Conversation: One in 10 teachers say they’ve been attacked by students.

‘It’s not your park, actually.’ Neighbors of Chicago’s Douglass Park say a summer of music festivals leaves the place unusable for most of the season.
They’re fighting an uphill battle because the area’s aldermen have taken cash from festival organizers.

‘Last stop on Trump’s impeachment revenge tour.’ That’s how NBC News describes Rep. Liz Cheney’s reelection bid in today’s Wyoming primary.
Her team’s bracing for a big loss … but maybe then a presidential bid of her own.

‘The short end of the stick on the climate deal.’ Esquire’s Charlie Pierce pours some (dirty) water on the legislation for which “most of official Washington … is still congratulating itself.”
Updating coverage: President Biden was set to sign that bill this afternoon.
You can watch here at 2:30 p.m. Chicago time.

Now hear this. The FDA has cleared the way for over-the-counter hearing aid sales as soon as October.
It’s big news because Medicare doesn’t cover ’em.

Starbucks’ plea. Citing a National Labor Relations Board employee’s charge that regional NLRB officials have improperly coordinated with union organizers, the chain is asking that all union elections at its stores be suspended.
Amazon faces current and former employees’ complaints of a racially hostile work environment at its Joliet warehouse.
Newberry Library workers are contemplating unionizing.

‘They make plagiarism trivial and easy.’ Bloomberg’s Vlad Savov fears a generation of new artificial-intelligence-driven image generators will “completely hollow out the already emaciated market for professional photography, editing and imagery.”
Images of HBO’s John Oliver are unexpectedly numerous on one of those apps.
Walmart+ members are getting free access to the Paramount+ ad-supported plan.

Sorry about the mockery. A half-century after Sacheen Littlefeather was jeered at the Academy Awards while accepting an Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando and delivering his condemnation of “the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry,” the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences is apologizing—and will host her in an evening of “conversation, healing and celebration.”
See her speech from March 27, 1973.

Link stink. One of the most-tapped items in yesterday’s Chicago Public Square—about a prophetic Isaac Asimov science fiction story—may have given some web browsers the heebie-jeebies, even though it was safe. (Damn you, http protocol.) Here’s a better one.
Thanks to reader Mike Weiland, first to spot the problem.
 And thanks to Julia Gray for making this edition better.

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