Free community college. That’s Illinois’ promise to families at or below median income under one of many progressive reforms Illinois lawmakers are sending Gov. Pritzker.
■ … a plan to overhaul a property tax scavenger sale system that critics say has gutted communities of color …
■ … and a task force to study the prospect of ranked-choice voting in Illinois.
There’s always money in the banana …—um, military budget. Taking a critical look at the debt ceiling deal between President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy, Popular Information’s Judd Legum sees disagreement between Democrats and Republicans on everything but sending more money to defense contractors.
■ The agreement still needs to pass a skeptical Congress.
■ Columnist Robert Reich lists five fake crises created by Republicans.
‘How has life without Roe v. Wade impacted you?’ The American Civil Liberties Union is seeking personal stories.
■ University of California law professor Mary Ziegler: Don’t rule out a national abortion ban in 2025.
Memorably deadly. Chicago’s holiday weekend brought at least 11 shooting deaths.
■ Still, fewer total shootings than Memorial Day weekend 2016.
■ Records obtained by NBC 5 show at least five mail carriers are crime victims each week in Chicago.
‘It was horrible.’ A former resident describes living conditions in a historic Davenport, Iowa, building that collapsed Sunday.
■ What remained of the building faced “imminent danger” of total collapse.
■ Block Club Chicago: A program to help Chicagoans avoid eviction’s in limbo as its funding dries up.
If you want to wake up in a city that never sinks … don’t pick New York—which new research concludes is sinking under the weight of its buildings.
■ Frustrated by its dependence on Chicago for Lake Michigan water, DuPage County is exploring the prospect of building its own pipeline to the lake.
Thanks. Today’s round of gratitude for Chicago Public Square supporters goes out to Paul Crossey, Cynde Seegers, Kevin Parzyck, Tim Ward, Joan Berman, Patrick Quinn, Elizabeth Denius (seen here flaunting her Square cap in San Diego’s Balboa Park), Meghan Strubel, David Weindling, Mary Dedinsky, Paul Noble, Diana Lauber, Mike Trenary, Paul Zavagno, Zarine Weil, Mike Janowski, Ben Segedin, Marc Blesoff, Peter Chien, Ronald B. Schwartz, Billy Pilgrim, Patricia Winn, David Mendell, Ed McDevitt, Stephanie Textor, Lynne Stiefel, Bob Konold, Martha Swisher, Beth Kujawski, Michael Mini, Jack Bizot, Bill Herbert, Anton Till, Helen Kossler, Hank and Marge Arnold, Maureen Kennedy and Tom Marker.
COMING SOON: The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago presents Gary Simmons: Public Enemy, a long-overdue survey of renowned, multidisciplinary artist Gary Simmons spanning over 30 years. Drawing on pop culture genres such as hip-hop, horror, and science fiction to explore legacies of race and class in the United States, the results are complex and profoundly moving works of art. Don’t miss Gary Simmons: Public Enemy at the MCA Chicago!
‘Someone should … update his current employment.’ Reader Sherry Kent notes that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Facebook profile is behind the times.
■ A man’s been charged with the fatal stabbing of a woman whose body was found in an alley not far from Johnson’s home on the West Side.
‘50 years. 10 mayors. 8 governors. Half a century is long enough.’ Veteran Chicago journalist Mike Flannery’s hanging it up at the end of June.
■ Media watcher Tom Jones files a spoiler-rich review of Succession’s finale.
‘Prices are going up and sizes are going down.’ A consumer activist tells the Sun-Times’ Stephanie Zimmermann that manufacturers’ sneaky “shrinkflation” product-size reductions make for “a double-whammy” on shoppers.
■ The Onion again: “CEO Outlines Challenges Company Facing Due To Own Insatiable Greed.”
■ You can join their impressive ranks—and get $5 off Squarewear—by contributing any amount to help keep this publication coming.
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