Time to cram. Tomorrow’s Election Day, so study up with the Chicago Public Square Voter Guide Guide and decide who gets your vote.
■ Politico has questions about Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s last-minute claim that she won an endorsement from the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died a month ago.
■ Law professor Joyce Vance flags “concerns that ICE might show up to intimidate people.”
■ USA Today’s Chicago-based columnist Rex Huppke: Republican candidates “go into midterms with nothing to brag about.”
■ Chicago parents, guardians and temporary custodians of students get to vote again Wednesday—this time for local school council members.
■ Here’s how to do that.
But … but … but … President Trump says he’s “demanding” that “about seven” countries help keep Iran’s oil-delivery-essential Strait of Hormuz open.
■ Columnist Jeff Tiedrich—whose birthday is today—paraphrases Trump: “Our allies, they’re worthless, we can win this thing all by ourselves, in fact, we already have won it all by ourselves, but also our allies are already helping us, but come on, we really need them to step up, because why … aren’t they helping us?”
■ Economist Paul Krugman: “Thanks to Trump, we’re held in contempt even by our closest allies.”
■ Columnist Steven Beschloss: “When you abuse … countries, they are unlikely to come running to help you.”
■ Historian Heather Cox Richardson: “Fallout from the strikes on Iran … appears to have caught the administration by surprise.”
‘Even without a bite, the threat matters.’ Poynter’s Tom Jones assesses Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr’s barking at the media—threatening networks’ broadcast licenses—“because the president is unhappy with coverage of the U.S.’s involvement in Iran.”
■ Former ABC journalist Terry Moran—fired after criticizing Trump—sees a lesson in “how to kill a free press without killing a free press.”
■ CNN media-watcher Brian Stelter tips a cap to a reporter who “refused to be shushed by Trump.”
■ Author and former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich bestows the title “Trump’s Stupidest Cabinet Member” on a guy who “dismisses war crimes, pooh-poohs the rules of engagement and projects unequivocal belligerence at a time when the United States is rapidly losing whatever moral standing it had in the world.”
■ The Daily Beast: “Hegseth hands Pentagon contractor behind security disaster another $100M.”
CTA dangers. The Sun-Times’ analysis finds that, on average, an L rider gets shoved onto the tracks once a month.
■ Separately, the paper reports that a deadbeat Chicago developer owes the CTA a million dollars in back rent.
Winter hangs on. Fresh snow plus near-50-mile-an-hour winds made Monday morning miserable for Chicago-area drivers …
■ … but the 50s return before the week’s up …
■ … which makes this a good time to revisit Chicago-born John Belushi’s 1976 Saturday Night Live piece on the many ways March comes in and goes out.
■ Host Conan O’Brien joked: “We’re coming to you live from the ‘Has a Small Penis Theatre.’ Let’s see him put his name in front of that!”
■ But O’Brien also had his serious moments.
■ See his monologue here.
■ The broadcast was plagued by production problems …
■ … and it was worse for those watching on Hulu.
■ Here’s the full list of winners.
■ The show’s Chicago highlights included the great Buddy Guy taking the stage with the cast of Sinners …
■ … and, 40 years after her first nomination, an Oscar for Chicago-born Amy Madigan—daughter of longtime CBS Chicago newsman John Madigan.
■ Variety’s Scott Feinberg notes that “she has been in the business forever” and “knows and is known by everyone.”
Promise broken. Popular Information: Presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner’s “claim that he would not raise additional money during Trump’s presidency to avoid conflicts turned out to be a lie.”
■ Monopoly watchdog Matt Stoller: “An explosive and little-noticed document” filed Friday “details Watergate-style corruption” at the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division.
■ Hypocrisy much? New York Times headline (gift link): “To Address Farm Labor Shortage, Trump Administration Turns to Migrant Workers.”
Population Bomb author. Paul Ehrlich, whose 1968 book warned of human population growth outpacing the planet’s ability to provide, is dead at 93.
■ Smithsonian Magazine in 2018: Ehrlich’s work triggered a worldwide “wave of repression.”
Monkeys, business. Mailchimp’s raising the price of delivering Chicago Public Square by almost 12%.
■ You can help cover that increase by pitching in as little as $1, just once.
■ Make it $100 and get a limited-edition Square cap.
