Fritz returns, and the quiz—it burns!

Chicago Public Square’s still on break, but past Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Fritz Holznagel is back at the helm of The Conversation’s news quiz …

■ … on which your (vacationing!) Square columnist scored a disappointing 2/8 correct.

■ Square returns in force next week, but you can meanwhile get your fix of breaking news and commentary via the Square account on Bluesky …

■ … which, just so far today, has delivered updates on—among other things—Pam Bondi’s ouster as U.S. attorney general, late-night hosts’ reactions to that dismissal, Wired’s analysis of just which goons the Trump administration deployed to Chicago, and Lyz Lenz’s Dingus of the Week.

See you Tuesday.

ICE’d out / ‘Embarrassing’ and ‘infuriating’ / $500 more for gas? / Quiz!

Chicago Public Square’s taking a few days off … to begin with, to join the Online News Association’s annual convention, in Chicago this year.

■ You’ll get a fresh news quiz a week from today, and then we’ll be back in full force Tuesday, April 7.

■ Between now and then, get your fix of Square-style news and commentary via Bluesky.

■ But on with news of the now:

ICE’d out. On the 42nd day of a partial government shutdown, the Senate early today OK’d funding for the Transportation Security Administration—but not immigration enforcement actions …

■ … making it, in NOTUS’ words, “the House’s problem now.”

■ Illinois state representatives—none of them Republicans—have advanced a bill to forbid federal immigration detention centers near homes, schools, daycare centers, parks, forest preserves, cemeteries or places of worship.

■ Men Yell at Me columnist Lyz Lenz’s Dingus of the Week: ICE at the airports.

■ The Onion: “Entire Spring Break Spent In Airport Security Line.”

Justice League. In what the Sun-Times says seems to be the first Chicago-specific alliance of its kind, ex-federal prosecutors—including three former U.S. attorneys—are teaming up to challenge their former department on matters such as election integrity and prosecutorial misconduct.

■ NPR alumnus Bob Garfield recommends a new “gotcha” question Democrats should ask Trump’s nominees for the federal bench.

■ A self-described “huge Trump supporter” from Winthrop Harbor has been convicted of threatening judges, doctors, lawyers, cops—and the president himself: “Especially you, Trump. You should be executed.”

‘The No Kings protests don’t scare Trump. Your friends do.’ Columnist and former U.S. Rep. Marie Newman says the White House is watching who you bring to tomorrow’s rallies.

■ CNN’s Brian Stelter foresees a brain-busting coverage challenge tomorrow for C-SPAN.

■ Most-tapped links in yesterday’s Square: Find a No Kings rally near you and check the deal for Chicago.

■ WTTW News reviews the evolution of Chicago police policies toward protests—changes credited with enhancing First Amendment rights here.

‘Embarrassing’ and ‘infuriating.’ Critics are piling on the president for taking almost five minutes during an unhinged Cabinet meeting yesterday to ramble on about … Sharpie pens. (Cartoon: Jack Ohman.)

■ The What Did Trump Do Today? blog: That meeting exposed “a visible erosion of cognitive discipline in a sitting president” …

■ … who said he doesn’t care if the Iran war ends quickly or not.

■ Columnist Jeff Tiedrich: “Don Snoreleone snoozes again.”

■ The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Will Bunch (gift link) pegs last Monday as “24 hours that truly defined the decline of the American empire.”

■ In a first for a sitting president, the Treasury plans to put Trump’s signature on new paper currency.

‘How many fake trophies that were made specifically for him is this guy going to get?’ That’s Seth Meyers on House Speaker Mike Johnson’s presentation to Trump of the made-up “America First” award.

■ Jimmy Kimmel: “You know when you promise to buy your kids gummy worms if they have a good behavior day? It’s like that.”

‘Return to bad old days.’ Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg: “Our country is in full retreat regarding the environment.”

■ WBEZ: Climate change is fueling Illinois home insurance premiums’ surge.

■ Block Club: A new business development program aims to revive West Side communities devastated by flooding.

$500 more for gas? PolitiFact checks Democratic Sen. Ed Markey’s assertion that the Iran war will cost “every American driver … $500 more in gasoline prices at the pump this year.”

■ The Conversation: High oil prices can help and hurt development of renewable energy sources.

■ Yeah, but Breyer’s ice cream is on sale at Jewel for $2 a carton (with its maddening app).

Bearish Sanders. In a move squarely targeted at the Chicago Bears, Sen. Bernie Sanders is cosponsoring a bill that would require professional sports teams considering relocation to another state to give at least a year’s notice …

■ … giving governments time to find another buyer or organize community ownership—like the Green Bay Packers’.

‘Teen takeovers’ are back. Another crowd of rowdy young folks descended on downtown Chicago Wednesday night.

■ Community activist and entrepreneur Ja’Mal Green, addressing those kids in the Tribune (gift link): “Being young doesn’t give you a free pass for breaking the law. You can’t shut down streets just because it’s trending.”

‘A devastating blow.’ State Rep.—and likely next West Side U.S. Rep.—La Shawn Ford is calling for an investigation of West Suburban Medical Center’s abrupt shutdown.

■ Patients were being moved out of the facility today.

‘It’s not yet a prairie fire, but it may soon become one.’ Columnist and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich sees some positive developments toward “getting big money out of our politics.”

■ Paul Starr at The American Prospect: “The Republican Party forgot it was conservative.”

So last week’s quiz was abnormal? With past Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions winner Fritz Holznagel still on break, The Conversation writes: “Thanks to Charlie Meyerson for hosting last week’s quiz! This week we return to normal programming.”

■ Predictably—a perfect score is so much easier when one’s devised the quiz—your Square columnist scored a mediocre 6/8 correct.

‘The first national radio newscast built American journalism.’ Veteran Los Angeles radio news anchor Rob Archer mourns the impending death of CBS News Radio.

■ Netflix is raising prices again.

■ Watch TV via Amazon’s Fire devices? Brace for an overhaul.

Thanks. Mike Braden made this edition better.