‘This one’s a freebie.’ USA Today columnist Rex Huppke: Yesterday’s unanimous Supreme Court decision securing Donald Trump’s spot on presidential ballots nationwide gives voters “final say on whether Trump deserves … a second chance to overthrow the U.S. government.”
■ Some Trump critics take heart that the court’s silence on the matter of insurrection stopped short of absolving him …
■ … and Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin says the court “did Trump no favors. He’ll be facing a fall trial”* …
■ … but the AP says justices may have set a time bomb ticking toward Jan. 6, 2025.
■ MSNBC exile Mehdi Hasan in his new newsletter: “That the three liberal justices signed on to the court’s decision is beyond disappointing” …
■ Read the full text of the decision here.
‘Out of habit, Trump immediately appealed the decision.’ Late show hosts’ skepticism about the ruling went to 11.
■ Stephen Colbert on Trump’s rising incoherence: “Not sure what actually happened there, but apparently he can’t say the word Russia without climaxing.”
Election Misinformation Tracking Center. NewsGuard’s monitoring the bullshit.
■ The BBC has flagged dozens of deepfake images—some shared by a sleazy Florida radio host—showing Black people seemingly supporting Trump.
■ The telltale signs: “Everyone’s skin is a little too shiny and there are missing fingers on people’s hands.”
■ Speaking of which: Scandal-scarred NewsNation TV host Chris Cuomo last week bestowed cred on an anti-Israel conspiracy theorist.
‘Get a move on, judges!’ Columnist Eric Zorn calls on the Illinois court system to stop “taking more than its sweet time” deciding what to do about the Bring Chicago Home property tax overhaul referendum on ballots people are already casting—even though a circuit court judge has ruled it’s illegal.
■ Capitol News Illinois: Almost 9 in 10 of Illinois’ state-level primaries are competition-free.
■ The number of places in which you can vote early has expanded in Chicago and Cook County …
■ … and state officials predict that 4 in 10 of this election’s ballots will be cast before Illinois’ March 19 primary …
■ … which makes the Chicago Public Square Voter Guide Guide more timely than ever.
■ Politico’s assembled a cheat sheet for tonight’s Super Tuesday primary voting around the country …
■ … which the AP is updating live through the day.
‘Somebody’s dream come true.’ Talking to Afghani sisters visiting Chicago, columnist Neil Steinberg is reminded not to take Chicago’s transit system for granted …
■ … not to mention a heroic CTA bus driver and passenger who rescued 14 people from burning homes early yesterday.
COVID’s new rules. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lightened up its guidance for people contending with respiratory illnesses.
■ Your Local Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina: “I worry the focus is on ‘fever’ without paying attention to the next instructions.”
Credit card crackdown. The Biden administration’s proposing a cap of $8 on late fees …
■ … which now average $32.
Protect your Twitter X privacy. Heed the AP’s advice on how to protect your location info and cut the risks of spam and ID theft.
■ ZDNET praises Apple’s new line of MacBook Air computers—which the company brags is “the best consumer laptop for AI.”
‘No one’s taking a victory lap for local news yet.’ Media consultant and veteran newspaper editor Jane Elizabeth sees hope for the pioneering merger of WBEZ and the Sun-Times—thanks to “millions of grant dollars, a growing audience and a double-sized newsroom.”
■ Ex-New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan explains why a leak investigation inside the Times newsroom is so disturbing.
What you missed. A sample of news and commentary noted on the Chicago Public Square Facebook page over a long weekend:
■ Columnist Josh Barro: Justice Sonia Sotomayor must retire.
■ The Intercept: Israel quietly crushed early American Jewish dissent on Palestine—in part with help from future CNN host Wolf Blitzer.
■ Press cynic Mark Jacob: “Fight the temptation to downplay the dangers that Trump and his gang display in public.”
■ The AP: France becomes the only country to explicitly guarantee abortion as a constitutional right.
Chicago Public Square’s progenitor. Happy 25th anniversary (two days ago) to the Chicago Tribune’s Daywatch news roundup—a blog before “blog” was a word.
■ It predated the Trib’s ability to update its front page in real-time …
■ … and the paper’s ability to email its readers—a thing that happened the next year.
Update. Columnist Steinberg has followed up a column linked from Friday’s Square—in which he questioned why immigrants seeking permanent U.S. residency had to answer seemingly silly questions.
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* That’s a gift link, paid for with generous support from Chicago Public Square readers like you.