‘I love this city.’ With an open letter published in Chicago’s newspapers, Chicago Fire Football Club owner Joe Mansueto has anounced plans for a new soccer stadium and entertainment district in the city’s long-undeveloped “78th” neighborhood at Roosevelt and the Chicago River.
■ In what reads like a dig at the Bears, Mansueto says his stadium will be privately funded—but the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman notes that “a formidable city subsidy would be needed to cover major infrastructure costs.”
■ Evoking a 2006 political scandal (2008 link), Chicago historian Robert Loerzel wryly calls the area “Rezkoville.”
White turn. Under investigation by Donald Trump’s Justice Department for allegedly racially motivated hiring at City Hall, Mayor Johnson’s firing back—suggesting Trump’s the one motivated by race: “His administration reflects the country club.”
■ In fact, as the Tribune notes, Brookings Institution research concludes Trump’s cabinet is whiter and male-er than any in the last quarter century.
■ The American Prospect: Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would “require all federal workers hired after the effective date to elect to become at-will employees or functionally lose a chunk of their paycheck.”
■ Speaking of firing: A photographer for Johnson’s office has been dismissed after allegedly carrying a gun onto city property.
One of our cases made it. The Supreme Court’s agreed to hear reactionary Illinois Rep. Mike Bost’s challenge to Illinois’ counting of mail-in ballots for up to 14 days after an Election Day.
■ Law professor Joyce Vance reflects on the court’s “utter folly” in giving the president immunity from criminal prosecution: “As the lower courts do their best to protect democracy from a runaway president, the conservative majority … seems content to shake its collective head and say, ‘Nah, that’s okay, keep going.’”
Blown away. Reuters reports that Trump’s Federal Emergency Management Agency chief left staffers gobsmacked when he told them yesterday that he didn’t know the United States has a hurricane season.
■ Columnist Jeff Tiedrich marvels: “Where does Donny find these people?”
■ A massive cloud of dust is blanketing the Caribbean on its way to the U.S.
■ Trump’s Energy Department is cutting $170 million in funding to advance clean-energy efforts by Chicago-based Kraft and beverage maker Diageo …
■ … which, coincidentally, shows up on Popular Information’s list of 19 companies pulling back their support for Pride.
■ The CTA’s launched its annual “Pride Train” and a special Pride-themed Ventra card.
‘Get this needed transit reform done.’ A Tribune editorial demands Illinois lawmakers reconvene this summer to resolve “the fiscal crisis the Chicago-area’s public transit agencies are facing.”
■ Without that action, a University of Illinois Chicago transportation professor says transit agencies will have to consider layoffs—and “it’s going to be chaotic.”
‘20 late-night jokes about Elon Musk’s White House exit.’ LateNighter’s Jed Rosenzweig rounds up the latest monologues from hosts—most of whom were on break last week.
■ Reason on data analytics firm Palantir, created by Musk’s PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel: “If you think the government will only use these tools to track illegal immigrants, think again.”
■ Investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein: “ICE is doubling … money to recruit informants among its long list of enemies; but AI? That’s coming after all of us.”
‘Teachers are not OK.’ 404 Media’s Jason Koebler shares a sample of the “overwhelming” response he got from educators after reporting that schools aren’t ready for an age of AI.
■ Columnist Charlie Sykes: “The warning lights are flashing red all around us … about a brain drain.”
■ ProPublica: Tech company recruiters are sidestepping Trump’s immigration crackdown via “a process that nearly everyone involved admits is nonsensical … as well as a contributor to inequities among domestic and foreign tech workers.”
‘Chriiiiist, what an asshole.’ Wonkette’s Gary Legum marvels at Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst’s tone-deaf defense of Medicaid funding cuts: “We’re all going to die.”
■ CBS News alumnus Dan Rather: “The junior senator from Iowa expressed brazen indifference at the prospect of people dying … and then she made fun of it” …
■ … which historian Heather Cox Richardson says “made things worse.”
■ Now, Ernst has a Democratic challenger for next year.
‘For a decade, I’ve been waiting for Trump supporters to be turned off by his crude behavior and rampant dishonesty. But they haven’t.’ Stop the Presses columnist Mark Jacob praises The Associated Press’ coverage: “Attacks on Trump’s persona simply don’t work. But attacks on the consequences of his policies might.”
■ Economist Paul Krugman explains why markets are “beginning to treat America as unreliable.”
■ Stephen Robinson at Public Notice: “The media … seem more concerned with the mental condition of a former president than the escalating madness of the current one.”
■ The Daily Beast: “Trump rages at claim he launched Harvard war because he didn’t get in.”
■ Talking Points Memo: Trump’s White House “hired a disgruntled Harvard Law student who was also serving as a would-be ‘whistleblower’ in the Justice Department’s investigation of the law review.”
Good Bunny. Brookfield Zoo’s lead animal care specialist credits Bad Bunny’s music videos for raising awareness of—and support for—efforts to protect the endangered Puerto Rican crested toad. (Tribune gift link, underwritten by Chicago Public Square supporters.)
■ Chicago-born Food Network star Jeff Mauro’s been reunited with his framed sports jerseys—missing since his Pork & Mindy’s sandwich shops went under in 2019 …
■ … which makes this an apt time to revisit a 2018 Chicago Public Square podcast—in which Mauro shared the tale of that time a guy in the audience died.
■ Columnist Elaine Soloway, 86, is looking for a boyfriend: “You must love Sondheim. Note I didn’t say ‘like’ or ‘enjoy.’ ‘Love’ is the only thing that will work for me.”
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