‘Enough with the bellyaching.’ Acknowledging condemnation of CNN’s “town hall” session for Donald Trump as “a fascist ritual,” Politico’s Jack Shafer suggests the broadcast nevertheless “produced a bounty of information that just may damage Trump.”
■ Columnist Josh Barro: “Treating him more like you would any other politician is a step in the right direction, and that includes … events like this.”
■ An audience member tells Puck’s Tara Palmeri that the applause heard on CNN obscured the fact that many in the audience “sat there quietly disgusted” …
■ … but Poynter’s Tom Jones says that, once Trump perceived the crowd as being on his side, he was empowered “to do and say whatever he wanted.”
■ Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich addresses CNN president Chris Licht: “Forget the public’s trust in CNN.”
■ Press Watch columnist Dan Froomkin: CNN’s next president should learn from Licht’s mistakes.
■ The Onion: “Trump Condemned For Giving Platform To CNN.”
■ The Daily Beast posed CNN’s questions for Trump to AI bot ChatGPT—and got answers far more coherent than Trump’s.
Who needs a bed? Those 1,200 beds deployed to McCormick Place during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic have gone unused even as the city struggles to accommodate thousands of refugees shuffled here from Texas.
■ Neighbors are going to court to block Chicago from housing asylum seekers at the former South Shore High School.
‘A win for people seeking easier … birth control.’ Planned Parenthood hails a new Illinois order letting women get hormonal birth control directly from pharmacists—no doctor necessary.
■ Iowa’s conservative Republican governor has been trying—unsuccessfully—to expand birth control access there.
■ The Onion again: “Woman Turning Womb Into Personal Gym As Soon As Baby Moves Out.”
Missing a catalytic converter? Cook County sheriff’s police have arrested a man after finding 600 of ’em at his home.
■ In a rare concession, NASCAR says its racecars will run with mufflers in its Chicago street takeover.
■ The Tribune explains why NASCAR needs this thing to succeed.
Speaking of mufflers … Those noisy cicadas may emerge a year early in Chicago.
■ Some are already up and at it.
‘I love it.’ Despite widespread criticism of the Save A Lot grocery chain’s takeover of a former Whole Foods spot on Chicago’s South Side, it’s opened to at least some positive reviews …
■ … but the neighborhood’s City Council rep isn’t happy.
‘What did you say about well-regulated?’ Neil Steinberg turns his Sun-Times column over to a reader who suggests the Second Amendment includes a cure for the nation’s gun madness.
■ A federal judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush cites the amendment in striking down a federal ban on handgun sales to those under 21.
Careful where you sit. Peloton’s recalling more than two million of its original exercise bikes because the seat posts could break.
■ It’s offering free replacements here.
‘Indoctrination and over-sexualization of our children.’ Unhappy with the inclusiveness of public broadcasting’s shows for kids, Oklahoma’s Republican governor has vetoed funding for the nation’s most-watched PBS station.
■ Esquire’s Charlie Pierce: “Texas is on its way to turning public schools into Jesus Camp.”
Out of Jeopardy! In solidarity with striking writers, host Mayim Bialik has reportedly bailed on the final week of the show’s season.
■ Pay-TV subscriptions have fallen to their lowest levels in 31 years.
■ TechHive’s Jared Newman: “Hope you like ads, because it’s getting more expensive to avoid them” …
■ … but he spotlights a streaming TV bargain for sports haters.
Deplorable of the week. The Bulwark’s Charlie Sykes says the winner is “the Senate’s dumbest member.”
■ Men Yell at Me author Lyz Lenz’s Dingus of the Week: The pollen count.
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