‘At least 1,997 children.’ An investigation by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says Catholic Church leaders in Illinois vastly underreported the number of kids abused by 451 clerics and religious brothers.
■ Raoul: “These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide … a measure of healing to survivors.”
■ See the full 696-page report here.
■ Chicago Public Schools has suspended a teacher accused of pulling a gun on a student.
‘Growing concerns.’ An advisory from the U.S. surgeon general calls on lawmakers and tech companies to take “immediate action” to protect kids on social media.
■ Platformer columnist Casey Newton: “The research now appears robust enough that lawmakers can be confident in demanding more from the companies.”
■ The Conversation: Artificial intelligence chatterboxes including ChatGPT can fuel science denial.
Chicago’s new ‘peacekeepers.’ Gov. Pritzker’s dispatching a few dozen “street outreach workers” to try to keep things calm in city neighborhoods through the Memorial Day weekend.
■ Look for their yellow vests.
■ A retired 78-year-old Chicago cop traded gunfire with an alleged carjacker early today.
Same stage, new cast. A rejuvenated Chicago City Council was set to launch its first meeting under Mayor Brandon Johnson at Chicago Public Square’s email deadline time.
■ Politico’s Shia Kapos lists six things to watch there.
■ Here’s the agenda …
■ … and you can follow the fun on the web here.
■ Johnson’s shaped a compromise to expand outdoor dining in Chicago.
■ Ex-Mayor Lightfoot’s police bodyguard detail’s been cut dramatically.
‘Planned Parenthood needs to change.’ The organization’s planning to lay off dozens at its national office to shift resources to Republican-controlled states that’ve banned or restricted abortion.
■ … which, sadly, is folding in August.
■ Columnist Parker Molloy: “To all the writers, artists, and illustrators whose work I’ve come to admire because of The Nib, I’ll follow your work wherever you go.”
■ Citing threats to its workers ahead of June Pride month, Target is yanking LGBTQ+ merchandise from stores.
‘Huge money from the family foundation of [Illinois] cardboard box magnate … Dick Uihlein.’ The Lever traces funding behind Republicans’ threat to blow up the U.S. economy to the same forces pushing to loosen child labor laws.
■ ProPublica in October: “That Cardboard Box in Your Home Is Fueling Election Denial.”
■ USA Today columnist Rex Huppke: “My idea to end the Biden, McCarthy debt ceiling talks? Make rich kids beg for money.”
‘Trump has single-handedly destroyed the middle of the road.’ Columnist—and former Chicago and network TV reporter—Jim Avila says CNN’s effort to return to “its roots as a no-nonsense straight news service … is in today’s world a Mission Impossible.”
■ Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis planned to launch his presidential campaign officially at 5 p.m. (Chicago time) with an audio-only event on Twitter …
‘We open the windows, but it feels like we’re just smelling smoke.’ State lawmakers’ plan to widen the Stevenson Expressway has set off alarms about additional air pollution and state finances.
■ A Sun-Times editorial: Government needs to limit growing pollution from truck exhaust …
■ … a thing Amazon is kinda doing by backing away from plans for a warehouse on the Southwest Side.
Best cars for pedestrians. The Biden administration is proposing to rate new vehicles based on how well they protect bicyclists, walkers and runners.
■ For the first time in weeks, weekend service is returning to the CTA’s Blue Line.
‘Thank goodness, Sen. Anderson wasn’t around. Or he’d have beat the living piss out of me.’ Reflecting on an Illinois Republican lawmaker’s vehement objection to a bill that would let restaurants designate multi-user all-gender restrooms, Reader columnist Ben Joravsky flashes back years to the time he escorted his young daughter into a women’s room.
■ Existing law already requires single-occupancy restrooms to be so designated.
Netflix free rides ending. Sharing your account with out-of-home friends and relatives is about to cost ya.
■ A.V. Club: Netflix picked the perfect day to make the announcement …
■ … because so many critics were complaining about HBO Max’s rocky conversion to just plain ol’ Max.
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