What the L? The CTA next month will close and demolish its 130-year-old elevated State and Lake stop for three years—to replace it with a new glass-covered station.
■ Meanwhile, Axios’ Monica Eng reports firsthand, Chicago’s neglecting snow and ice removal in its bike lanes: “I almost wiped out five times riding Divvys downtown this week.”
■ Men Yell at Me proprietor Lyz Lenz’s Dingus of the Week: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who “wants to do for American roads what Oprah did for the beef industry, or what Exxon Valdez did for the oceans. What fire did for the Library of Alexandria.”
ICE no-no. Illinois is warning rent-a-car companies it’s illegal for immigration agents to disguise vehicles by swapping out license plates …
■ … and the Tribune (gift link) reports that the state has revoked at least one Enterprise Rent-A-Car license plate after it was used in just that way.
Fa-la-la-la-la fatigued yet? The Conversation’s quizmaster, past Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Fritz Holznagel, has mounted a “nearly holiday-free” news quiz.
■ The Trib also reports that the City of Chicago was warned weeks in advance about immigration raids that eventually swept up more than 70 people working at O’Hare’s rideshare parking lots.
■ A Trump administration lawyer says “Operation Midway Blitz” ain’t over.
■ The Lever: “The Trump administration is sabotaging a legal defense program for tens of thousands of unaccompanied immigrant children.”
■ Someone vandalized an Evanston church’s Nativity scene featuring a zip-tied baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in gas masks and Roman centurion-like figures dressed like ICE.
■ Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch writes from New Orleans: “The first day of long-feared federal immigration raids … exposes the Big Lie of mass deportation.”
‘A disaster for America.’ That’s what monopoly expert Matt Stoller foresees if Netflix buys Discovery/Warner Brothers …
■ … which it’s in a position to do under a deal announced today.
■ That would give Netflix control over franchises including DC Comics, Harry Potter and Game of Thrones.
■ Netflix’s chief pledges to keep movies in theaters, but not to wait so long to make them available for streaming at home.
■ Columnist and ex-Illinois Rep. Marie Newman: “Technology is evolving at lightning speed, while our lawmakers, particularly Congress, move at a crawl. … It has become a longstanding problem.”
■ The Washington Post (gift link): “CDC panel makes most sweeping revision to child vaccine schedule under RFK Jr.”
‘A bracing reminder of the damage that Trump is inflicting on the rule of law.’ Columnist Robert Hubbell says Thursday was particularly painful …
■ … as, among other developments, the Supreme Court cleared Texas to use a congressional map gerrymandered to benefit Republicans next year—despite a lower court’s finding that the map’s likely discriminatory on the basis on race.
‘Mitch testified and, to be Frank … things went Bradley.’ That’s Stephen Colbert’s assessment of yesterday’s appearance before lawmakers by the Navy admiral who oversaw military strikes on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, Frank “Mitch” Bradley …
■ … who the AP reports insisted that, although “there was no ‘kill them all’ order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth … a stark video of the attack left grave questions.”
■ A source with direct knowledge of the briefing called Bradley’s rationale for killing two survivors “fucking insane.”
Another AI caution. Axios: Facebook parent Meta has cut deals with a range of news publishers—notably including several reactionary sources such as Fox News, The Daily Caller and the Washington Examiner—to use their stuff to fuel its AI chat tools’ answers to users’ questions about the news.
■ The assault on college media continues: Citing Trump administration policies on diversity initiatives, the University of Alabama has shut down two student-run magazines serving Black and female students (New York Times gift link).
■ Meta’s turning its back on what founder Mark Zuckerberg once called the future of the company, “the metaverse.”
■ Your Square columnist has again scored a measly 6/8 correct.
■ Then try your hand at Axios’ “Chicago on TV” quiz, on which yours truly scored 7/10 correct.
■ Maybe you can top 4/5 on City Cast’s Chicago news quiz.
■ Speaking of intellectual challenges, send thoughts and prayers to columnist Dave Barry, who concludes, “My brain is finally, after all these years, completely full.”
Redwalls singer dead. Justin Baren, who with his brother formed the acclaimed pop band while they were Deerfield High School students, has passed at 40.
■ A Tribune editorial (gift link) honors the memory of former publisher and editorial page editor Bruce Dold …
■ … as The American Prospect’s Harold Meyerson (no relation) mourns that a whole bunch of The Washington Post’s editorials seem to have been written by Amazon founder—and the Post’s sole owner—Jeff Bezos.
67? 41? Those were two of Google’s top trending searches by Chicagoans as highlighted in its “Year in Search” roundup.
■ Also, Jimmy Kimmel outranked the pope: “None of this would ever have happened without the support of loyal viewers like President Trump.”
Pick the best. The Reader’s Best of Chicago poll is off and running.
■ It’ll take you less than a minute to vote for Square as Best Newsletter and Best Blog here.
Thanks. Mike Braden made this edition better.