‘Horrifying.’ That’s how the Sun-Times describes a 24-hour period in Chicago during which nine people were killed violently …
■ Mayor Johnson’s declaring a “block by block, door to door” campaign to address violence in 10 of the city’s most troubled neighborhoods.
‘Home’ to stay. The Illinois Supreme Court has closed the door on real estate groups’ effort to kill the “Bring Chicago Home” referendum on whether to fund help for the homeless with a hike in the city tax on high-end properties’ sale.
■ The independent Civic Federation questions the predictability of the plan’s revenue and its ability to fill a hole in the city’s budget.
■ Columnist Eric Zorn says the Chicago Teachers Union’s response to being called out for politicking on the referendum during school hours is “weird.”
■ Don’t vote dumb in next week’s election: Check law blogger Jack Leyhane’s detailed breakdown of every Cook County judicial race …
■ … and, of course, the Chicago Public Square Voter Guide Guide.
Red Line green. President Biden’s proposed budget includes $350 million for the CTA’s extension south.
■ Also: An “environmental justice” pledge, to rebuild cities “torn apart” decades ago by highways …
■ … and, to quote education observer Jan Resseger: “Urgently needed federal education budget increases.”
‘The Israeli people are being stifled.’ Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer—the highest-ranking Jewish official in U.S. history—says Israel needs a new leader.
■ Updating coverage: Schumer was set to deliver a long speech on the Senate floor, criticizing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tick, tock, TikTok. CNN’s Oliver Darcy says U.S. House passage of a bill that could ban the company from operating in this country puts it in “more trouble than it has ever found itself in before.”
■ A Northwestern University communications professor: “It’s very much a sign of … xenophobia around China.”
■ Some Democrats in the Senate—where the legislation’s fate hangs in the balance—worry that a TikTok crackdown would compromise civil liberties.
■ A cybersecurity expert explains how TikTok’s risks differ from Facebook, Pokemon-GO and even your phone itself.
■ Would you rather a Trump administration veteran owned TikTok?
AI’s election disruption. The AP: Artificial intelligence-created disinformation is deceiving voters around the world.
■ AI image generator Midjourney is blocking creation of images featuring Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
■ With a new email newsletter, Wired is embracing a focus on “the most purely digital, technologically mediated, psychologically manipulative election season any of us have ever seen.”
■ A UCLA law professor emeritus recounts how Donald Trump nearly derailed democracy once—and what to beware this time around.
‘Big corporations around here spend quite a bit … trying to keep the economy the way it is, which is really working for the biggest companies … and not for everybody else.’ Progressive members of Congress are hoping to undo a law that quietly cut money the Justice Department gets to spend on antitrust enforcement.
■ 404: Two of the biggest manufacturers of locks used in commercial safes have secretly been including digital backdoors that could give bad actors access to what’s inside.
‘The haunted house of pandemic purchases.’ Discovery of a long unopened bottle of aloe vera sends columnist Mary Schmich flashing back four years, to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
■ Your Local Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina asks, “Why did we lose trust during the pandemic?”
■ A Sun-Times editorial: “Vaccination is Chicago’s best shot to keep the measles at bay.”
■ Measles cases or not, Mayor Johnson’s pushing ahead with plans this weekend to begin evicting migrants who’ve spent 60 days or more in city shelters.
‘Stop treating us like mutants.’ Columnist Parker Molloy says parallels between tales of the X-Men and society’s treatment of trans people “just keep getting stronger.”
■ A week before the Disney+ premiere of the X-Men ’97 cartoon revival, the show’s creator’s been fired.
Chicago’s shadowy future. The April 8 solar eclipse will be just partial here—but full in southern Illinois.
■ An ophthalmologist warns: Looking at it directly can severely damage your eyes.
■ An astronomer explains what a solar eclipse would look like from the moon.
If you missed Chicago Public Square Tuesday … It may be because email delivery of that issue to a handful of readers was, according to Mailchimp, possibly “blocked due to content.”
■ At least a dozen or more readers didn’t get it—possibly because that edition quoted Jon Stewart.
■ Which makes this an apt time to encourage you to support this service, for as little as $1, once.
Correction. Yesterday’s Square got Adam Schiff’s legislative post wrong. He’s a U.S. representative.