Thanks, Pope. In his first address to the media since his ascension, Pope Leo XIV has called for the release of journalists imprisoned around the world.
■ The Intercept: Journalism students studying in a Columbia University library were suspended for a protest they took no part in.
■ Columbia journalism prof Margaret Sullivan: “Last time I checked, journalism is not a crime or a disciplinary offense.”
■ The New Yorker’s out with a comprehensive look at The Washington Post’s challenges under Jeff Bezos’ ownership and Trump’s presidency.
■ Noah Berlatsky at Public Notice: Leo’s selection is the “latest sign that the world rejects Trumpism.”
■ The Sun-Times’ Neil Steinberg: “I’m hoping he … reminds a world still coming to grips with Donald Trump 2.0, that the United States also turns out guys named Robert Francis Prevost. … He has his work cut out for him.”
‘It won’t be sold and it won’t be rented out.’ The pope’s childhood home in Dolton is no longer on the market, as the present owner faces a tough decision about what’s next.
■ His Hyde Park alma mater, the Catholic Theological Union, is bracing for a bunch of applications.
■ Harold Meyerson (no relation) at The American Prospect: “The new pope’s Catholicism appears Christian—and even social—democratic.”
■ LateNighter: John Oliver bookended HBO’s Last Week Tonight —which focused mainly on an exposé of the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative “Christian rights” organization behind decades of anti-gay legislation—with nods to the new pope and Chicago.
■ … and a rundown of Chicago businesses cashing in on popemania.
■ Of course: Now there are Leo bobbleheads.
Plane old grift. Columnist Dan Pfeiffer says Qatar’s “gift” to Trump of a luxurious jumbo Boeing 747-8 jet is “a bribe—pure and simple.”
■ Columnist and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich: “Trump just can’t resist.”
■ As ever, Jeff Tiedrich is more blunt: “What kind of shithole country allows its president to accept ginormous bribes?”
■ The Lever: “Airlines are collecting your data and selling it to ICE.”
■ Tech policy strategist Nicole Schneidman warns that, “for the first time in American history, the federal government appears to be assembling a single, unified database on all its citizens … a ‘panopticon.’”
■ Inside Medicine columnist Jeremy Faust takes a stab at tallying the lives lost to the Trump administration’s draconian cuts.
‘Guess we’re nearing the suspend habeas corpus and arrest members of Congress stages of fascism now.’ Wonkette’s Marcie Jones reviews the weekend in Trumpworld.
■ Contrarian editor Jen Rubin: “Trump and his henchmen lash out when they lose … and then they start arresting people.”
■ Lawyer Robert Hubbell takes a stab at answering a common question from his readers: “How does Trump get away with it?”
■ The Onion: “Trump Administration Offers Free At-Home Loyalty Tests.”
‘A brazen, unprecedented power grab with no legal basis.’ In a potentially illegal move, Trump’s fired the top U.S. copyright official …
■ … shortly after her office released the third in a series of reports examining artificial intelligence’s impact on human creativity.
■ Press Gazette: How Google forced publishers to allow AI summaries of their content.
‘Trump administration cuts to university funding … erode hope for every family facing a devastating diagnosis.’ A retired oncologist writes for HuffPost that everyone counting on science to save lives should fear the future being written at the White House.
■ A University of Chicago Institute of Politics fellow writing for the Tribune (gift link, courtesy of Chicago Public Square supporters) says we oughtta learn from HBO’s series The Last of Us: “We’re not ready for the next outbreak.”
Want a school? Chalkbeat Chicago surveys Chicago’s long-abandoned city schools—empty for a dozen years and still up for sale.
■ A New York City teacher shares a firsthand account: “My school banned phones for the year. Here’s what happened.”
Not a surprise to Chicago Public Square readers. The Hollywood Reporter: “Cecily Strong makes surprise return as Jeanine Pirro to ‘lay down the law’ on SNL.”
■ One cast member was injured mid-show, appearing with a crutch as the credits rolled.
■ The Tribune’s Christopher Borrelli profiles Jim Downey, “the Joliet guy who had the secret sauce to transform 50 years of SNL.” (Another gift link.)
Square mailbag. Reader Michael Rosenbaum wrote about Friday’s Square: “Hate to see Brandon Johnson getting credit for Shermann Thomas’s tagline about everything dope about America coming from Chicago. I even have the T-shirt. … BTW, if you ever have an interest, the bus tours are very informative.”
■ Rosenbaum added: “I see I am not on your wall of fame, so I want a refund for the past three years, plus interest and penalties. And a cookie, ’cuz I’m hungry.” But he backed off the refund—and cookie—demand, which is why he leads off today’s …
Roll call! Continuing our sporadic salute to readers whose support has underwritten the cost of creating and distributing this service—including those gift links: Thanks, Michael Rosenbaum, Deborah Kadin, Dave Miretzky, Doug Waco (again!), Jeff Baker, Robin Marohn, Jerry D. Mason, Richard Milne, Robert Clifford, Anne Costello, Victoria Quero, Mike Cramer, Glenn Jeffers, Robert S. Gold, Heather Foote, Judy Sherr, Jeffrey Nelson, Tom Macek, Alisa dePedro, Daniel Honigman, Jane Hirt, Ed McDevitt, Mario Greco, Ed Hansen, Carol Gulyas, Mary Godlewski, Susan Karol, Reed Pence, Dominick Suzanne, Suzy Le Clair, Matt Baron, saknrad, David Mendell, Mary T. Davison, Logan Aimone, Steven Yandel, Martin Gallas, Ted Cox, Thom Clark, Michael Wilson, Mary Lanus, Peter Economos, JM, Scott Knitter, John Robinson, Alan Dikty, Susan Gregoire, Deborah Montgomery, Lisa McNulty, Nancy Hess, LJ in Arkansas, Elan Long, Claire Barliant, Carol Hendrick, Michael Mini, Eric Zorn, Mike Leiderman, Kathy Manofsky, Kevin Weller, Robert Jaffe, Skip Yates, Alec Bloyd-Peshkin, Eric Davis, Elizabeth Denius, Bridget Hatch, Joan Richmond, Bill Paige, Mark Thurow, Patricia Solano, Jill DeVaney, Werner Huget, Stephan Benzkofer, Teresa Powell, Marianne Griebler, Donna Rigsbee, Andrew Thackray, Pat Albu, Jean Remsen, Gary Kochanek, Rob Breymaier, Jeff Hanneman, Linda Baltikas, Dan Shannon, Tony Recktenwald, Jim Moriarty, Daniel Forden, Lucy Smith, Andrew Stancioff, Jeff Currie, Karen Hand, Victoria Engelhardt, Anne White, Judith Alexander, Alan Solomon, Beth Botts, Karl Schuster, Dale Epton, J. Michael Williams, Jeanne Loshbough, Sandyand Jeremy Lipschultz, Jim Walz, Christa Velbel, Carol Morency, Judy Karlov, Jim Burns, Charles Pratt, Graham Greer, Fritz Holznagel, John Iltis, Gordon Hellwig, Christine Koenig, Lucia Podraza, Zarine Weil, Riva Reed, Linnea Crowther, Laura Braden Temple, Alternative Schools Network, Aya A, Emily Gage, David Weindling, Rhona Taylor, Ken Scott, Joyce Porter, Christine Mackey, Orin Day, Ken Trainor, Ryan Osborn, Jeanette Ruby, Sandy Ridolfi, Jack Ohman, Helen Marshall, Mary Kay O’Grady, Frank Heitzman, Chris Schuba, Sharon Bloyd-Peshkin, Anne Frederick, Alice Cottingham, Jim Prescott, Laurie R. Glenn/Thinkinc., Mike Schultz, Doreen Rice, Maureen Kelly, Carol Lavoie Harper, Bob Kaige, Randall Kulat, another Debbie Becker, Maria Mooshil, Ken Hildreth, Laurie Huget, Neal Kleemann, Allen Matthews, Amy Reynaldo, Deb Humiston, Kathleen O’Brien, Angela Mullins, Keri Lynch, Mike Chamernik, Avis Rudner, Jasmin Phua, Lil Levant, Michael Weiland, Janet Holden, Tanya Surawicz, Michelle Damico, Jennifer Fardy, Annette Cade, Ryan Bird, Rich Gage, William Wheelhouse, Alan Hoffstadter, Ann Spittle, Sarah Rodriguez, William Lindsey Cochran, Darold Barnum, Kathy Catrambone, Dan Haley, Tracey Thomas, Cheryl Foertsch, Diana Lauber, Mary M. Jeans, Amy Carlton, Ken Paulson, Chris Beck, Michele Prod, Carmie Callobre, Mark Nystuen, Kurt Wehrmeister, Joel Hood and Sherry Skalko, Tim Bannon, Susan Yessne, Cassandra West, John Lewis, Mark Hines, Mary Cronin, Dave Connell, Jon Hilkevitch, Peter Kuttner, Mollie Kramer, Ilene Siemer, Patricia Winn, Chris Handzlik, Lee Rusch, Jeff Weissglass, Matthew Hunnicutt, Sara Burrows, Randy Young, Jim Haglund, Margaret Meyer, Chris Rhodes, Ellen Cutter, John Culver, Maureen and Jerry Peifer and Kaiser, and Sherry and Margaret—in memory of Jack Helbig.
■ Join their honored ranks by pitching in as little as $1, just once—really—to see your name atop tomorrow’s rundown.
■ Mike Braden made this issue better.
