‘White dudes’ abide. Last night’s “White Dudes for Harris” online event raised more than $4 million for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign, drawing almost 200,000 participants …
■ … despite some mediocre production (which you can see for yourself).
■ And then Twitter X suspended the Dudes’ account—ostensibly “for violating the X Rules” …
■ … although this morning it seemed to have been reinstated.
‘Doesn’t usually sound like something I would join.’ Gov. Pritzker nevertheless spoke last night.
■ With Pritzker rumored in the mix for potential Harris running mates, the Sun-Times’ Lynn Sweet says his vast financial portfolio poses a challenge to the campaign’s vetting team.
■ Harris has an emotional tie to Illinois: A year as a toddler in Urbana-Champaign.
■ The American Prospect: Harris’ choice to vet vice presidential candidates—a veteran of “the corporate wing of the Democratic Party, which served the country so badly under Clinton and Obama”—needed more vetting himself.
■ Rural Congressional Democrats are pushing another Midwestern governor—Minnesota’s Tim Walz, who gifted the party that pejorative label for Republicans, “weird.”
■ The Handbasket’s Marisa Kabas: “Republicans aren’t just weird—they’re creeps.”
■ Guardian columnist Moira Donegan: “The Republican Party’s obsession with families has taken a fanatical turn.”
‘Welcome to the shitpost election.’ Tech journalist Casey Newton: “Sharing weaponized misinformation in the form of lazy jokes has quickly come to define the developing presidential campaign.”
■ Columnist Eric Zorn: “Let’s settee this once and for all: No. JD Vance did not write that he had pleasured himself with a couch” …
■ … but that didn’t stop Emmy-winning John Oliver from going to town with that story.
■ Politico: Here comes the anti-Harris ad blitz.
■ Cartoonist Tom Tomorrow reflects on the political chaos of the last month: “Too many things are happening.”
Trumpany’s coming. Donald Trump says he’ll submit to a question-and-answer session tomorrow with the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Chicago.
■ The New Republic: Fox News’ Laura Ingraham “practically begged Donald Trump to walk back” his threat to end presidential elections … and he refused.
■ See here: “The country will be fixed and we won’t even need your vote anymore because frankly we will have such love.”
■ Press watcher Dan Froomkin: Now, journalists must conclude that he means it.
■ Daily Show host Jon Stewart’s advice to Republicans: “Replace your old guy, too.”
■ ProPublica: Trump’s media company has quietly cut a deal with a Republican donor who stands to make out well under a second Trump presidency.
‘I cannot defend why that roof was not better secured.’ The acting head of the Secret Service was testifying to the Senate today about the assassination attempt on Trump.
■ The Onion: “Gunman Googled ‘How To Be An Enigma.’”
Illinois’ Birth Equity Act. In pointed contrast to Iowa’s brand-new ban on abortions after six weeks, Pritzker’s signed a law aimed at closing the Black maternal mortality gap—among other things, requiring Illinois-based health insurance to cover abortion care without co-pays and deductibles.
■ Columnist Julia Gray: “Pritzker basically told our neighbor states to f**k allllll the way off.”
■ Lurie Children’s Hospital has announced layoffs.
‘Taking on the gun industry in new ways.’ ProPublica examines Chicago’s innovative strategy for suing gunmakers.
■ An off-duty Cook County sheriff’s deputy is dead after an overnight shooting and crash on the South Side.
‘Dangerously hot.’ The 19th: “Extreme heat is making schools hotter—and learning harder.”
■ Chicago was facing heat index values near 100 today—before storms move in.
Chimp change. Mailchimp’s charge for managing and delivering Chicago Public Square—free—to a growing audience has jumped 20% over the last couple of months.
■ Your support for this service—even just $1, once—helps cover that increase.