‘Says a lot about you, Charles.’ Ex-ABC 7 political reporter Charles Thomas’ ads for Gov. Pritzker’s Republican challenger, Darren Bailey, are drawing fire from his former colleagues, including Ron Magers.
■ Journalism professor Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin tells Axios Chicago that, although Thomas isn’t bound by any code of ethics, “he is being paid by the campaign specifically because he was a reporter for a quarter-century, and his credibility rests on his having abided by journalistic ethics … all that time.”
‘Pritzkerville.’ That’s Bailey’s new derogatory nickname for Chicago, flung in their debate last night.
■ Politico’s Shia Kapos: “You knew right away that … debate was going to be rough.”
■ See it here.
■ The Better Government Association: Less than a year after leaving state government, a Pritzker adviser now running for Congress accepted more than $500,000 from a lobbyist, big-money Democratic groups that don’t disclose their donors, and political and labor organizations.
■ Remember when the Tribune leaned way Republican? All the candidates it’s endorsed so far for this campaign—including five today in congressional races—are Democrats.
■ Ready to make your picks? The Chicago Public Square voter guide awaits.
‘Equitable development still doesn’t get the attention it deserves.’ Ten years ago, sociology professor David Schalliol photographed 100 Chicago buildings targeted for demolition: “In the past decade, nearly 90% of the buildings located around the Loop and on the North Side … have been replaced with another building, while approximately 90% of the buildings on the South and West Sides are now a derelict lot.” (2012 photo: © Schalliol.)
■ Bloomberg: Purportedly to curb crime, Chicago plans to accelerate vacant lot sales.
■ A new report from the Cook County treasurer’s office concludes that hedge funds are exploiting a system designed to help recover property taxes from delinquent home and business owners.
■ Mayor Lightfoot’s capital plan includes $58 million for new bike lanes, better “priority bus routes” and more pedestrian safety measures.
Unrelated developments.
■ Lightfoot’s defending the police department’s decision not to fire a cop who lied about his involvement with the racist Proud Boys group.
■ WTTW News: Chicago’s No. 1 rating for the nation’s “rattiest city” may in fact just reflect Chicagoans’ dedication to reporting rodents.
Grocery sore. Two U.S. senators plan hearings on the proposed merger of Kroger and Albertsons, parent companies for the Chicago area’s Jewel and Mariano’s stores.
■ Walgreens and CVS are under a federal microscope for pharmacists refusing to fill prescriptions that could end a pregnancy.
Facing the music. The former CEO and president of Schubas Tavern and Lincoln Hall has pleaded guilty to secretly recording video of women naked in his Chicago home …
■ … including a former nanny.
‘Trump’s post conveniently fails to include the uncomfortable fact that a number of evangelical Christians are singularly focused on Israel because they believe it will be the site of the Rapture, wherein Jews who have not converted to Christianity will go to hell.’ Vanity Fair’s Bess Levin unpacks Donald Trump’s “pitting of apparently ungrateful Jewish people against the ‘wonderful’ and ‘appreciative’ evangelical Christians.”
■ The Guardian: Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, is backing a movement to gain control of enough state legislatures to call a constitutional convention that would “turn the country into a permanent conservative nation irrespective of the will of the American people.”
Sole mates. Popular Information: “A recent political donation raises questions about whether Nike itself ‘believes in something’ or is simply exploiting progressive politics to sell shoes and apparel.”
■ Columnist Will Bunch: “Billionaires like Starbucks’ Howard Schultz can’t handle the truth of not being loved.”
■ The Onion: “Café Has Bathroom Code In Case Homeless Person Tries To Regain Scrap Of Own Humanity.”
What’s Amazon got on you? Advisorator Jared Newman: If you’re an Amazon customer in any capacity, change these settings now.
■ Consumer Reports tomorrow afternoon will offer a free class in personal cybersecurity.
■ The Girl Scouts are getting their largest donation ever from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife.
■ Tedium tackles the question of who invented the word dongle.
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‘Honestly, it looks pretty cool.’ Media writer Tom Jones reviews the debut of global news startup Semafor.
■ One of its distinctive features: Stories come wrapped with reporters’ analysis and other perspectives.
■ Among today’s offerings: “Donald Trump’s plan to kill mail ballots in Pennsylvania” and “Even Don Lemon got sick of Don Lemon.”
■ Your Square columnist’s note to editor-in-chief Ben Smith about Semafor’s substantial collection of email newsletters: “We don’t need big arrows to tell us to read from top to bottom.”
‘Anti-entertaining.’ Critics are blackballing Black Adam.
■ Rolling Stone: “Generic, flavorless and incoherent.”
Thanks. Reader and Square supporter Ed McDevitt made this edition better.