‘Department of War Crimes’ / Franklin is pissed / ‘Appalling and sad’ / It’s that time

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■ The Just Security law and policy journal: “Under well-established law, those who complied with the orders cannot escape individual criminal responsibility.”
■ Read it in the Department of Defense Law of War Manual. (Search for “fire upon the shipwrecked.”)
■ … or, as Wonkette puts it: “Secretary Shitfaced has settled on a guy to ‘stand behind 100 percent’ and also ‘serve as his unwilling scapegoat.’”
■ Mother Jones: “In a rare instance of bipartisan alarm, Republican-chaired committees in the House and Senate … have launched inquiries” …
■ … although columnist Charlie Madigan cautions that “this won’t be as simple as Trump’s opponents think.”
■ Columnist Eric Zorn: The logic of those strikes “would have us shooting on sight those we suspect of being drug dealers.”
■ Meanwhile, Politico suggests, conditions are ripe for the anti-war movement’s comeback.

‘A motley crew of right-wing sycophants.’ That the war crime allegations have been reported at all is a marvel, given that—as Poynter’s Tom Jones notes—“Real reporters left the Pentagon. A new partisan crew just took their seats.”
■ CNN’s Brian Stelter: “The reporting has been led by news outlets that handed in press passes” …
■ … including those at The Associated Press, which notes that “outlets that reach millions of news consumers are being denied access to rare briefings by Pentagon officials” amid the crisis.

Franklin is pissed. The Canadian publisher of the Franklin the Turtle books is pushing back, politely, against Hegseth’s posting of a fake “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists” title.
■ Wonkette’s Gary Legum: “Have we not insulted the Canadians enough this year?”

Another claim debunked. Tribune analysis (gift link) finds that, of almost 1,900 immigrants detained during “Operation Midway Blitz”—ostensibly “the worst of the worst”—most had no criminal record.

‘A terrible idea.’ A Trib editorial called severe new limits on capacity at Chicago’s beloved Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza “absurd” …
■ First-night casualties of the city’s winter parking ban: 227 vehicles towed.

‘Northwestern becomes the latest university to give in to blackmail.’ Eric Zorn again, on the school’s deal with the Trump administration: “To make cancer research funding contingent on hewing to a particular view on the thorny issue of affirmative action is obscene.”
■ The Sun-Times’ Kaitlin Washburn breaks down what Northwestern’s giving and what it’s getting.
■ Sources tell Wired that Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” isn’t dead—it’s just “burrowed into the agencies like ticks.”

‘Appalling and sad.’ Stop the Presses columnist Mark Jacob reviews Donald Trump’s most recent displays of misogyny—calling female reporters “piggy,” “ugly” and “stupid.”
■ Daily Show host Jon Stewart mocked Trump’s lame insult to two women journalists.

Pollution deal. A settlement with Monsanto, maker of now-banned polychlorinated biphenyls, has agreed to pay will send Illinois, Chicago, Evanston and other suburbs at least $120 million in compensation for environmental and health damages.
■ The Civic Federation government watchdog warns that Mayor Johnson’s administration has allowed the creation of tax increment-financing districts that “act as a sort of stealth property tax”—instead of reviving economically challenged areas they were supposed to help.

Courts’ new boss. For the first time in decades, the Cook County Circuit Court has a new chief: Judge Charles Beach …
■ … whose challenges include addressing widespread concern about the county’s electronic monitoring system for the accused.

‘I hope they see each other in my version of heaven and … have chummy talks about Sondheim and the Cubs.’ Columnist Elaine Soloway reflects on the lives of her two husbands …
■ … the first of whom inspired the Amazon TV show Transparent, and who died last month at 88.

It’s that time. Thanks to Chicago Public Square readers like you, Square’s made the finals in the Reader’s Best of Chicago poll—in two categories. So please cast your ballots for …
Thanks. Walt Fyk and Mike Braden made this edition better.

Square up.

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