Who’s next? Now that Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has confirmed she won’t seek reelection, the Sun-Times surveys the field of possible successors.
■ The Triibe: “Foxx blazed a trail of progressive reforms.”
■ In her City Club speech—which you can watch here—she condemned critics for fixating on her failure to prosecute an actor who faked a hate crime: “My epitaph will mention Jussie Smollett.”
■ The April 4 Chicago election? Biggest turnout in 24 years.
No thanks. Chief Justice John Roberts has declined Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s request to appear before the Judiciary Committee for a chat about Justice Clarence Thomas’ shady dealings …
■ … but Roberts did attach the court’s “Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices” …
■ … which one court watchdog says constitutes a “rehashing of things we already … found insufficient.”
Nice refund if you can get it. An Illinois appeals court has upheld an administrative decision to send $1 million in property taxes on his namesake Chicago tower back to Donald Trump.
■ Unless the Illinois Supreme Court reverses that decision on appeal, most of that money will come out of Chicago Public Schools’ pocket.
■ A project pushed by Mayor Lightfoot after she got a $25,000 donation from Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto—an $80 million team training center on West Side land formerly occupied by public housing—broke ground yesterday.
■ Public housing advocates are not impressed.
‘He yelled at me.’ Men Yell at Me columnist Lyz Lenz traces the column’s name back in part to a 2018 interview with Tucker Carlson—and traces Carlson’s career back to Jon Stewart.
■ Public Notice: Carlson is no free speech martyr.
Back to the courtroom. Cook County Circuit Court judges*—many of whom have done much of their work virtually through the pandemic—are under orders to return to in-person work full-time over the next few weeks …
■ … but courtroom livestreams launched in 2020 will apparently continue.
‘Stunning.’ The New York Times’ architecture critic raves about Chicago architect Jeanne Gang’s addition to New York’s Natural History museum.
■ Here she is, interviewed on WBEZ in 2013—talking about what she’d do if she could make over Detroit.
Free ride’s end. Illinois’ largest health insurer, Blue Cross, says it’ll stop paying for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests after May 11 …
■ … so now’s a good time to get all the freebies you can.
■ Hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans are at risk of losing their pandemic-expanded Medicaid coverage.
‘Great’ progress. The brother of Streetsblog Chicago co-founder John Greenfield—hurt in a bike crash Friday—says friends and family are counting on Greenfield’s full recovery.
■ They’re asking those concerned about his welfare to donate to Streetsblog.
‘20% of respondents want AI to write their news.’ The co-founder of the Chicago-based Orbit Media digital agency, Andy Crestodina, is befuddled by the results of his own firm’s survey …
■ Square, still composed by an actual human each day, is free for all thanks to the generosity of a few.
■ You can join their ranks for any amount you choose—one-time (nice!) or recurring (nicer!)—here.
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* One of whom is married to your Square columnist.