‘What will you do?’ American Prospect columnist Rick Perlstein confronts “the life-changing choices we may be forced to make” if convicted felon Donald Trump defeats Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidency.
■ ProPublica: “A Texas woman died after the hospital said it would be a ‘crime’ to intervene in her miscarriage.”
■ Public Notice’s Lisa Needham, reacting to disclosure that Trump’s promised “control of the public health agencies” to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: “It’d be comical if it wasn’t horrifying.”
‘Petty tyrant.’ Speaking to an overflow crowd not far from the White House last night, Harris warned voters just how dangerous a second Trump presidency would be.
■ See her speech here.
■ PolitiFact struggled to find problems with her remarks.
■ The AP: “Trump’s rhetoric has grown darker.”
‘The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.’ Biden said that yesterday in response to a comedian’s berating of Puerto Rico at a Sunday rally for Donald Trump …
■ … but then the president walked it back on Twitter X.
■ Noting that an apostrophe there—as in supporter’s—changes the meaning slightly, Politico says Biden nevertheless handed Republicans “fuel to undermine” Harris’ final push …
■ … not unlike Hillary Clinton’s “basket of deplorables” insult, which dented her 2016 campaign.
■ Wonkette’s Evan Hurst’s take: “MAGA Nazis Desperately Trying To Jerk Biden ‘Basket Of Deplorables’ Moment Into Existence.”
■ Illinois Republicans are in a fix …
■ … but USA Today’s Chicago-based columnist Rex Huppke sees the Sunday Trump rally as “an hours-long freak show fully endorsed by the GOP thanks to an appearance by House Speaker Mike Johnson.”
Speaking of deplorable … The man already serving 30 years in federal prison for attacking the husband of ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now also has been sentenced to life—with no possibility of parole—by a California state judge …
■ … who told the convict, “I don’t feel sympathy for you. I feel sympathy for the victim … who’s lucky to be alive.”
Hey, Chicago: You up? Axios says early voting’s down here.
■ If we don’t know who won by the end of Election Day, this Arizona county may be why.
■ The U.S. Supreme Court today cleared Virginia’s Republican administration to resume a voter registration purge.
■ CNN’s Brian Stelter: “News outlets are running out of ways to communicate the uncertainty.”
■ Ready to make your call? The continually updated Chicago Public Square Voter Guide Guide is ready, willing and able to help.
Cash clash. Mayor Johnson was set today to deliver his budget address to a divided City Council.
■ Walgreens is laying off 256 workers—mostly in Chicago.
‘Some people dread this early darkness.’ But veteran Chicago TV journalist Matt Rodewald celebrates “the unexpected beauty” of post-daylight-saving-time in Illinois.
■ Yes, that was a record high yesterday …
■ … but Halloween’ll be chillier.
Not so fast. You might wanna hold off a bit on upgrading to the latest AI-infused iPhone software, which has been linked to a rash of complaints about diminished battery life.
■ Podnews puts the lie to a podcast series’ claim of impressively high downloads—many of which were never heard.
■ User Mag: “Thousands of people on Facebook are melting down over an AI-generated hoax claiming that neighbors are egging … cars over Halloween decorations.”
Also not endorsing. The papers of the nation’s largest chain, Gannett—including USA Today—as well as the Tampa Bay Times and the Tribune.
■ Former USA Today editor-in-chief—now director of the Free Speech Center at Middle Tennessee State University, as well as a Chicago Public Square supporter—Ken Paulson: With a single corporate edict, Gannett’s imposed “a gag order” on more than 200 local newsrooms.
■ Press Watch proprietor Dan Froomkin says Washington Post owner and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos should turn the paper over to a nonprofit— and do it soon.
■ Jordan Zakarin at Progress Report: In using the phrase “our profession” to defend his suppression of a Post editorial endorsement for Harris, Bezos is “stealing valor from actual reporters and editors” and fueling the far right’s next insurrection.
■ Popular Information’s Judd Legum: “It is possible to do meaningful journalism without being under the thumb of a conflicted billionaire.”
■ Author and journalism professor Jeff Jarvis explains why liberals are infuriated with the media.
‘I still want to encourage real journalism, especially locally.’ Reader Mike Nowak writes on Facebook: “I’m taking my Washington Post money and using it to support Chicago Public Square. It’s a fabulous independent compilation of local and national news. … I’ve been following for several years now, and it’s about time I put up or shut up.”
■ You can join him in The Legion of Chicago Public Squarians by pitching in as little as $1, once, to help keep this service coming …
■ … and—this costs not a cent—by sending a nod Square’s way in the Reader’s Best of Chicago poll, nominations for which close at noon Monday.
Cookies! The Tribune’s revealed the 13 finalists from recipes submitted for its annual Holiday Cookie Contest …
■ … and you can try them out yourself now.