Facebook f***ery. Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg details the plight of his friend and former colleague, veteran media critic Robert Feder—whose personal Facebook account Facebook has disabled, without explanation or recourse …
■ … just in time for Feder not to be able to share news of the release of a new Netflix documentary series in which he provides commentary on the rise and fall of what TV Guide once called the worst series of all time, The Jerry Springer Show.
■ Facebook has long failed to explain its censorship of Chicago Public Square (October link) …
■ … which is why it’s not a bad idea to periodically download your Facebook archives to a personal computer …
■ … and why between-edition Square updates now appear primarily on Bluesky.
■ The American Prospect: Bluesky “proves stagnant monopolies are strangling the internet” and “has the bloated Facebook empire scrambling to respond.”
‘If you’re in opinion, you should be getting your affairs in order and making other arrangements. Unless you’re a coward. Then you’ll be fine.’ Pulitzer-winning cartoonist and columnist Jack Ohman mourns the Jeff Bezos-owned Washington Post’s decision to kill a cartoon by another Pulitzer winner, Ann Telnaes, mocking Bezos and other plutocrats groveling before Donald Trump.
■ Here’s her account of why she’s quitting the Post.
■ Daring Fireball tech columnist John Gruber: “The only thing wrong with the cartoon is that she drew it too soon to include [Apple chief] Tim Cook”—the latest technocrat to bend a knee to Trump.
■ Columnist and traditional conservative Charlie Sykes says Bezos would have benefitted by publishing the cartoon: “Instead of looking like a thin-skinned, craven autocrat, he would have looked like someone big enough to tolerate criticism. Instead, he told us—again—who he really is.”
■ The Daily Beast: Bezos is bowing to Trump with an uncritical Amazon Studios documentary about his wife, Melania.
■ The Post reportedly was set this week to lay off dozens.
Stormy Monday. Updating coverage: Amid a winter blast that mostly spared Chicago but threatened up to a foot of snow on Washington, the U.S. House was set this afternoon to certify the election of a candidate who tried to subvert the last presidential election.
■ Four years ago today, a panel of Chicago-based journalists—including your Square columnist—looked on in astonishment as the chaos unfolded in D.C.
■ The AP: “Lawmakers brace for Trump’s promised Jan. 6 pardons. Some are urging restraint.”
■ Ex-Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger: “We should expect him to fulfill his promise … with even more lies.”
■ Awkward: Vice President Harris was to preside over the certification of her defeat.
■ USA Today’s Chicago-based columnist Rex Huppke: Now’s the day for Americans to declare war on stupidity.
■ Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin on New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan’s decision to sentence Trump 10 days before his inauguration for illegal conduct means “Trump will enter office as a convicted and sentenced criminal, provided the Supreme Court does not once again swoop in to spare him” …
■ … a development that triggered another late-night social media meltdown from the president-elect.
■ His lawyers are asking an appeals court to block the sentencing.
A ‘big, beautiful bill.’ Trump’s pushing the new Congress to put all his eggs in one basket: Omnibus legislation that would clamp down on immigration, overhaul the tax system and increase military spending.
■ Podcaster and political strategist Dan Pfeiffer reconsiders his beliefs: “Democrats should go on Fox.”
Earthbound. The weather put a crimp on flights out of Chicago.
■ The city’s opened its warming centers for the needy.
Not so fast. Chicago traffic congestion’s ranked among the nation’s worst.
■ As of Jan. 1, every police officer in Illinois is supposed to be wearing a body camera on duty. The Tribune’s reporting suggests not.
■ Law Dork: Want access to cops’ bodycam footage? Ohio agencies can charge up to $750.
■ Columnist Richard Day: Better policing requires more officers. Here’s how Chicago can hire them.
■ Gun-control advocates are pushing Illinois’ lame-duck legislature for quick action to close ownership loopholes for domestic abusers.
‘Your car is spying on you.’ That’s one takeaway from what Tesla so quickly was able to tell the cops about the explosion of its Cybertruck in Las Vegas on New Year’s Day.
■ Talking Points Memo: Mainstream media have been sugarcoating the Cybertruck bomber’s “minifestos” demanding the “culling” of Democrats.
■ Historian Heather Cox Richardson: “He [reflected the rhetoric of Ronald Reagan, who] championed a mythological American cowboy who wanted nothing of the government but to be left alone.”
■ The FBI’s released its most comprehensive account yet of the Bourbon Street massacre …
■ … including the attacker’s apparent surveillance bike ride weeks before—while wearing Meta glasses.
■ Will Bunch at The Philadelphia Inquirer sees a thread connecting the twin New Year’s attacks: “Male rage over the possible implosion of their ancient hierarchy.”
■ Columnist Russ Baker: Both attackers “served in the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, and both were in Afghanistan in the same time period. Of course, that ought to be a topic of serious investigation and public discussion. I doubt it will be.”
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Quantum quandary. Illinois’ aspirations of becoming a hub for quantum computing and data centers raises the specter of energy shortfalls for, you know, regular humans—not to mention electric cars.
■ Popular Information: A White House Council of Economic Advisers report concludes that corporate landlords’ use of artificial intelligence-driven property management software is costing American renters more than $3.6 billion a year.
■ Wired spotlights the 10 coolest things it’s seen so far at this year’s CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show)—including a robot dog designed for people with dementia.
‘Each weekday I eagerly look forward to receiving Chicago Public Square at the magic hour of 10 a.m. I am sure to be entertained, more well-informed and, at times, shocked, sometimes in a good way (laughing) and sometimes not.’ That heartwarming note accompanied reader Ila Lewis’ contribution of support to help keep this service coming.
■ You can join her for any amount—even just $1, once—here.
■ If you find PayPal easier, you can do that here.
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