Welcome, Democrats. Chicago’s landed the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
■ It’ll be the Democrats’ first national conclave here since 1996—which sounded like this.
■ Environmental journalist Emily Atkin: Pearson “was elected … specifically because of his advocacy for environmental justice in Southwest Memphis—an area surrounded by toxic facilities, and with a cancer risk rate four times the national average.” (Cartoon: Excerpt from Tom Tomorrow’s “Week That Was” review, “checking in on the party of small government, personal liberty and respect for the rule of law.”)
April 27-30 only! Will Rawls performs [siccer] at the Museum of Contemporary Art, a new work that encompasses dance, photography, and sound. Throughout the performance an automated camera snaps an image every few seconds with the performers improvising in the gaps between photographs. Through combined dance and imagery, they explore the ideas of how blackness and queerness are made visible.
One Justin back, one to go. One of two Black Democrats kicked out of the Republican-led Tennessee House for his role in an anti-gun protest, Justin Jones, has been reinstated because Nashville’s governing council voted unanimously to send him right back.
■ The other Justin—Justin Pearson—could return after a similar vote in Shelby County.
■ A Popular Information update: The Tennessee House speaker who led the move to oust those lawmakers, citing their violation of legislative rules, admits that his family lives hours away from the district he represents—and he hasn’t paid taxes for two years on the condo he owns within the district.
■ Columnist Robert Reich offers explanations for Republicans’ obsession with sex.
Horror, livestreamed. A Louisville bank employee who killed five people at his workplace yesterday shared his atrocities live on Instagram.
■ The Onion, on cue: “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.”
Cop flop. In contrast with a recommendation from departed Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, his interim replacement, Eric Carter, is recommending an officer be fired for shooting and killing a 13-year-old two years ago.
■ The company whose audio monitoring technology for locating the source of gunfire has been widely criticized (January link) is changing its name—from ShotSpotter to SoundThinking.
■ Its stock tanked after the Chicago mayoral victory for Brandon Johnson—who’s promised to cut the city’s ties with the company.
■ The Guardian: How Johnson won over Chicago’s young voters.
■ Speaking to Harvard students, Gov. Pritzker explained why he didn’t take a side in the mayor’s race.
■ See his appearance here.
‘Significantly more extensive than what we were … led to believe.’ A Chicago City Council member is taken aback at the road closures necessitated by NASCAR’s Fourth of July thing …
■ … including six days of shutdown along southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
■ Here’s the city’s detailed news release.
A Chicago Public Square advertiser
A ‘clear travesty.’ A member of the board overseeing Oak Park’s landmark Pleasant Home is quitting in protest (link fixed) of the park district’s unpublicized decision to remove “old growth” flooring “far superior to any wood available today. It is not replaceable.”
■ A Sun-Times editorial demands Chicago grant landmark protection to two skyscrapers threatened by the feds’ wrecking ball.
Fold in peace. Mad Magazine cartoonist Al Jaffee, best remembered for the magazine’s “Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions” and “Fold-In” feature at the back of each issue, is dead at 102. 
■ His autograph is among your Chicago Public Square columnist’s most treasured possessions.
‘They finally figured out how to attack conservative talk radio.’ Broadcast blowhard Mark Levin condemns automakers’ plans to strip electric vehicles of AM radio receivers—because “most conservative talk shows are on the AM band.”
■ The Environmental Protection Agency reportedly was ready to impose strict new auto pollution limits that would push more Americans into electric cars.
■ The Tribune reports that “pollinator advocacy groups” are pushing the EPA to reimpose insecticide regulations that protect bees.
Congrats, Raygun. The company that prints Square’s caps and T-shirts finished second for Best T-Shirt Shop in the Chicago Reader’s Best of Chicago poll …
■ …and was gracious enough to direct a nod Square’s way in its latest newsletter.
■ You get $5 off any Square swag by supporting Square for as little as $1.
■ And T-shirt weather is back this week …
■ … along with an escalation of pothole season