No Chicago Public Square Monday. Have a memorable weekend and be back here Tuesday. And now the news:
‘Political bullying.’ That’s how one Democratic lawmaker—a Northwestern University graduate—characterizes Republicans’ conduct during an hours-long House hearing at which Northwestern’s president, Michael Schill, was summoned to discuss the university’s negotiations with antiwar protesters.
■ The Guardian’s Moira Donegan calls the proceedings “an ugly attack on Palestinian rights.”
■ Schill, who identified himself as a Jewish descendant of Holocaust victims, justified the agreement for de-escalating tensions and bringing the continuing protest “in conformity with the university rules.”
■ Discourse Blog columnist Katherine Krueger to Democratic politicians “desperate to talk about anything” other than the Mideast war: “Sorry the genocide is starting to inconvenience you.”■ Chicago’s only Jewish City Council member’s calling out another a colleague for a social media post seeking medical advice: “Looking for an anti Zionist pediatrician for this baby.”
‘We need police to enforce the laws, using whatever technology can help them.’ Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg spotlights the upside to Chicago’s controversial ShotSpotter gunfire sensors: “Ignoring gunshots isn’t a valid option.”
■ A Tribune editorial: Mayor Johnson’s insistence that he’ll end the deal denies the political reality of the City Council’s support for the tech.
■ Better Government Association CEO David Greising: Johnson “needs his police chief to succeed, with help from the costly, high-tech tool he would rather do without.”
Controlled and ‘dangerous.’ Louisiana lawmakers have sent the governor a bill that would impose fines and jail terms on people possessing “abortion pills” without a valid prescription. (Cartoon: Kathy Hirsh.)
■ California’s governor has signed a bill clearing Arizona doctors to travel to California to perform abortions there.
■ USA Today columnist Rex Huppke on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ order banning all non-red, -white and -blue lights from state bridges: “If you think DeSantis is intentionally trying to undercut Pride Month, I’ve got news for you: He’s WAY too busy doing important, unifying things, like trying to make sure that trans kids feel terrible and that anyone who says the word ‘gay’ in our schools gets eaten by an alligator.”
‘It gives anyone who wants to gerrymander, Republican or Democrat, the roadmap for getting away with it.’ Law professor Joyce Vance analyzes the Supreme Court’s approval of a South Carolina congressional map that a lower court had concluded unconstitutionally diluted Black voting power.
■ Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich: “Republican justices have made it much harder, if not impossible, to challenge racial gerrymandering.”
‘Look, honey, the Alitos put up another treason flag.’ Wonkette’s Evan Hurst reviews what’s up with Justice Sam and Martha-Ann.
■ Former Sun-Times CEO Edwin Eisendrath: “The United States Supreme Court is a danger to American democracy.”
■ Actually, I’m a very nice person columnist Julia Gray: “The ‘Appeal to Heaven’ flag dates back to the Revolutionary War, so it can’t be that bad, right? … Well, it is.”
■ Stephen Colbert: “A second flag at a second home. Alito’s second wife better watch her back.”
■ Handbasket columnist Marisa Kabas: “Flags are having a real moment.”
Tapped out. Seven years after its takeover by global brewer Heineken, Lagunitas is closing its Chicago brewery …
■ … but keeping its warehouse running.
■ A City Winery employee faces murder charges in the stabbing death of a co-worker Wednesday night.
■ Not recommended for those with seafood allergies—because cicadas are related to shrimp and lobsters.
■ Spotted in Wheaton: A “one-in-a-million” blue-eyed cicada.
■ Block Club: Why cicadas are showing up en masse in some spots and not at all in others.
■ The Onion: “Cicada Emergence Results In Increase In Odd Kids Filling Satchels With Molted Shells While Mumbling.”
Government to journalism’s rescue? New York State’s offering $90 million to help news organizations hire and retain journalists.
■ But, spotlighting the dangers that accompany government funding for journalism, Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple perceives “epic cowardice” in National Public Radio’s organizational changes seemingly aimed at appeasing congressional Republicans—and preserving federal funding for NPR.
■ Fighting an expensive lawsuit filed by ■ One of those axed posts: “There’s a reason far-right billionaires attack Media Matters.”
■ Veteran Chicago TV news director Jennifer Schulze: “Voters still aren’t getting the full story on Trump. Journalists need to fix that.”
Amy, adieu. After more than two decades, Amy Dickinson says she’ll sign off from her “Ask Amy” advice column at the end of June …
■ … among other things, to open a library in her hometown.
■ Her successor: Black male playwright and screenwriter R. Eric Thomas, whose column will be called “Asking Eric.”
Dingus of the Week. Men Yell at Me columnist Lyz Lenz’s pick: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—who, “undeterred by rejection or the wants and needs of a woman … released OpenAI with a voice that really sounds a lot like Scarlett Johansson,” who’d already told him “no.”
■ Vox asked OpenAI’s ChatGPT what to call it “when a man tells the public that a woman is wrong about his actions … after she publicly accuses him of doing something she didn’t consent to.”
■ The Onion: “Jerky, 7-Fingered Scarlett Johansson Appears In Video To Express Full-Fledged Approval Of OpenAI.”
25 lousy percent. That’s the best your Square columnist could score on this week’s news quiz, courtesy of past Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Fritz Holznagel.
■ Your turn.
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■ See ya Tuesday.
■ Thanks. Readers Walt Fyk, Mike Braden and Jim Parks made this edition better.