‘Man’s greatest distraction.’ That’s how Northwestern University Athletic Director Derrick Gragg—you know, the guy in charge of the university’s scandal-scarred sports programs—describes women in his 2015 book.
■ In an interview with the student newspaper that broke the story, Northwestern’s president says he’s worried “not in the slightest” about his job security.
‘A laughingstock into a Stanley Cup power.’ That’s how the Tribune describes the Blackhawks’ transformation under owner Rocky Wirtz, who died yesterday at 70.
■ Wirtz’s legacy was tarnished by the team’s sexual assault scandal, questions about which prompted him to lose his temper—before apologizing (2022 link).
‘We lost everything.’ Block Club Chicago: West Siders are pleading for city and federal help recovering from this month’s devastating floods.
■ The Chicago area was confronting a fresh round of severe thunderstorms today …
■ … along with a continued heat advisory.
■ The Guardian: Surface water temperatures around the Florida Keys approached a record with temperatures similar to those found in hot tubs.
■ The Conversation: Extreme heat + an aging population = A direr future for America.
‘Zero homelessness.’ (Text and link corrected:) That’s the goal of an executive order a bill Gov. Pritzker signed today, creating an Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and a new government job: State Homelessness Chief. codifying the Illinois Interagency Task Force on Homelessness and the Community Advisory Council on Homelessness.
■ ProPublica explains how the ultrawealthy use private foundations to bank millions in tax deductions while giving the public little in return.
■ Watch here.
Metaphor leaves DeSantis unhurt.* Presidential candidate Ron DeSantis escaped injury in a car crash yesterday.
■ His campaign’s cut more than a third of its campaign staff …
■ … including an aide who created a video that put DeSantis at the center of an icon appropriated by the Nazis …
■ … and whom The Bulwark called out four months ago.
■ New York’s Jonathan Chait: That nod to white supremacists was a strategy, not an accident.
■ Media watchdog Tom Jones assesses Fox host Greg Gutfeld’s approving comments about the Holocaust.
‘Something was off.’ Columnist Matt Baron shares his frustrations in buying a new car from a dealer he says he won’t patronize again …
■ … but he exacted a small amount of revenge.
■ Crain’s: Illinois drivers insured by Allstate will be paying an average of more than $1,000 annually than they did at the beginning of 2022.
Apple insecurity. The company’s released another round of free system updates to protect i-things and Macintoshes from “actively exploited” security bugs.
■ TidBITS: “We advise installing these updates soon.”
‘A fantasyland to people like … Aldean.’ Reporter Bob Chiarito says Jason Aldean’s song Try That in a Small Town fetishizes the good ol’ days.
■ Columnist Clarence Page: Aldean’s views “serve to stoke tribal anger.”
■ Here’s how to block an artist’s work on Spotify and other music apps.
■ Big winners’ refusal to cross Hollywood picket lines has derailed the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.
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■ Brian Dunn, Mike Braden and Bill Smith made this edition better.
* Thanks to The Onion for subhead inspiration.