South suburbs’ secret. The Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet says the Secret Service is building out a former big retail store south of Chicago for a communications center during the Democratic National Convention.
■ Politico: “Democrats, in Chicago and beyond, respond to questions about [Mayor] Johnson with a sigh and hope that he’ll recognize the weight of this moment, both for his career, the city and the country.”
Trump trial live updates. Today’s criminal proceedings against the ex-president began with what CNN says may prove to be “the most tedious testimony of the trial”: An AT&T employee authenticating phone records.
■ Law professor and former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance: “With the motive for the crime established, it’s about time for the People to call Michael Cohen to the witness stand.”
‘Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has finally out-stupid-ed herself.’ USA Today’s Rex Huppke assesses her failed attempt to oust Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson …
■ … a thing that flopped because Democrats voted bigly to let him stay.
■ Historian Heather Cox Richardson: “The majority of the House Republican conference appears to be tired of the chaos … that has made this Congress one of the least productive in American history.”
■ Politico, reflecting on an hourlong interview of Johnson, says he “seems to be wrestling with a split personality.”
Dingus of the Week. Lyz Lenz’s pick: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s brain worm.
■ Stephen Colbert: “It’s the most shocking political revelation since Ross Perot’s campaign slogan, ‘There’s a leech on my butt that controls my thoughts!’”
■ The Washington Post’s Alexandra Petri channels the worm: “I am eliminating the middle man and running for president myself.” (Gift link, paid for by support from Chicago Public Square readers.)
■ Spotted on Bluesky:
‘Pink slime’ crackdown. Illinois is going to court against a sleazy “news”paper publisher accused of illegally printing “hundreds of thousands” of voters’ birthdates and home addresses.
■ In a stomach-turning report, Futurism documents the presence of AI-generated crap in some surprisingly prominent publications—and a laughable attempt to cover it up by changing clearly fake bylines to those of people related to the company’s slippery CEO.
‘No one is asking you to join the Biden campaign … but we are asking you to make it clearer … that your news organization is aware of the threats to democracy on the ballot in November.’ Journalism critic—and former New York Times public editor—Margaret Sullivan has some unsolicited advice for the paper’s editor.
■ Former CNN and CNBC reporter John Harwood: “Trump's threat to democracy should be the biggest political story of 2024.”
■ Media writer Paul Farhi mocks Gannett for firing an editor who talked to Poynter about staffing shortages: “News organization that trades in people providing information to its journalists fires veteran editor for providing information to a news organization.”
■ Poynter’s Tom Jones: “Firing a single mother of three who was speaking up for more newsroom resources is a horrible look.”
■ Y’know who gets early access to each week’s quiz? Those who voluntarily contribute the equivalent of about 50 cents an issue of Square.
■ Not quizzed out? Try City Cast’s Chicago-centric challenge.
A crushing concession. Widely reviled for an iPad commercial that showed musical instruments getting mashed by a hydraulic press, Apple’s apologizing.
■ Tedium’s Ernie Smith: “I have not seen Apple make a party foul like this, ever.”
■ But Apple’s not the first tech company to smush things in a commercial.
‘After much reflection, meditation, and prayer, I have decided to extend my work week to two days.’ The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart’s launching a podcast, The Weekly Show.
■ PCWorld: “Did Comcast actually do something good for a change? On paper, it sure looks like it.”
Chicago on TV.
■ The Sun-Times catches up with Carl Sandburg High School graduate and Tracker star Justin Hartley—and, as so many profiles do, skips over his groundbreaking role as Green Arrow on Smallville (2020 link).
■ The Chi returns to Showtime today.
Passages. Rick Sallinger, veteran network, Chicago and Colorado TV reporter—and University of Illinois graduate—is dead at 74.
■ Musician, former WBEZ Radio Gumbo host and co-founder of Evanston’s Space venue Stuart Rosenberg is gone at 68.
Cold comfort. For the first time in almost a century, Chicago’s celebrated Rainbow Cone is introducing new flavors …
■ … or, to be more precise, four new “sliced creations.”