ICE is watching. States Newsroom surveys the federal government’s rapidly evolving data collection and surveillance apparatus.
■ Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg: “A course change is essential, before you show up at O’Hare to take your family to Cancun in 2031, and discover TSA won’t let you through security because of a meme about the Epstein files you shared on Bluesky in 2026. Think it can’t happen? It already is.”
■ Kim Komando’s Current newsletter: “Never owned a Ring. Never agreed to Amazon’s terms. Doesn’t matter. Walk past your neighbor’s house, and your face gets scanned, uploaded and stored.”
■ The Washington Post (gift link): “A retiree emailed a DHS attorney to urge mercy for an asylum seeker. Then DHS subpoenaed his Google account and sent investigators to his home.”
■ Columnist and former U.S. Rep. Marie Newman: “The lethal mix of Trump nationalizing our elections and DOGE stealing our personal data … puts the nail in the coffin of democracy.”
■ All of which makes this a good time to check Advisorator’s six simple steps to protect your privacy.
‘More chilling than it was last week.’ Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says that, even as federal immigration agents scale back their use of tear gas in the Twin Cities, they’re shifting focus to schools and children …
■ … and yesterday, they drew firearms as they arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles.
■ The New York Times (gift link) recounts “A winter of anguish for Minneapolis children: ‘It’s like living in fear all the time,’ a teenager said.”
■ Adrian Carrasquillo at The Bulwark: “ICE was terrorizing worshipers long before Don Lemon entered a church.”
■ The Trump administration says it’s yanking 700 federal agents from the North Star State—ostensibly because state and local officials have agreed to be more cooperative.
‘My own government attempted to execute me.’ That’s Chicagoan Marimar Martinez, shot five times by immigration agents, testifying yesterday before a D.C. forum convened by congressional Democrats.
■ The brothers of Renee Good, who was killed by immigration officers in Minneapolis, appealed to Congress to do something.
■ The president’s signed a spending bill that ends a partial government shutdown—funding Homeland Security for just two more weeks …
■ … setting the stage for what columnist Robert Hubbell calls “the moment of truth for congressional Democrats.”
‘It doesn’t add up.’ A Chicago-based criminal defense attorney is among experts who tell the Sun-Times they’re flummoxed that a guy with a history of child sexual abuse somehow passed a Chicago Archdiocese background check.
■ Brett J. Smith—who changed his name from Brett Zagorac when he moved here from Arizona in 2019—faces felony charges in connection with incidents in Orland Park and Evergreen Park.
Do it for Chicago journalists—or do it for the chance at a $100 gift card. Take a few minutes for a survey to help news organizations working with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism better understand the public they serve.
‘An absolute bloodbath.’ The Washington Post, owned by Amazon overlord Jeff Bezos, has announced massive layoffs …
■ … cutting a third of its staff across all departments.
■ CNN’s Brian Stelter has the ticktock on how it went down this morning.
■ Among the casualties: The Post’s Books section, its daily podcast and almost the whole Sports team.
■ Ashley Parker at The Atlantic sees “the latest attempt to kill what makes the paper special.”
■ Former Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler: “Bezos is not trying to save The Washington Post. He’s trying to survive Donald Trump.”
Meanwhile in Chicago … The Reader returns to print this week, now on a monthly schedule.
■ Newcity magazine is celebrating its 40th birthday.
Chicago Public Square’s now been bringing you the news for more than nine years. Through the end of February, those who support Square in any amount—even just $1, just once—get a special anniversary code good for $9 off the purchase of any Squarewear.