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Tuesdays at 11:30 a.m. I talk with WGN-AM 720 host John Williams about what’s making news and likely to be grist for the PS mill. The WGN listen-live link is here.
Today:
Zelenskyy raises
From the Feb. 28 meeting in the White House between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
Trump: You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards.
Zelenskyy: I'm not playing cards.
Trump: Right now, you don't have playing cards.
In the news this week:
A surprise Ukrainian drone attack that targeted several Russian air bases hosting nuclear-capable strategic bombers was unprecedented in its scope and sophistication for the first time reached as far as Siberia in a heavy blow to the Russian military. Ukraine said over 40 bombers, or about a third of Russia’s strategic bomber fleet, were damaged or destroyed Sunday.
From the memes now rocketing around social media:
Everyone dies
At a town-hall meeting Friday, Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa responded to a heckler who said that Medicaid cuts will cause people to die by saying “Well, we all are going to die. For heaven’s sake, folks.”
She doubled down the next day with an “apology” video shot in a graveyard that implied her critics were believers in the tooth fairy and went on to add that those who wanted eternal life ought to follow Jesus.
I was reminded of two things. One was Episode 28 of “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” in which Mrs. Shazam’s best friend suddenly explodes and her son, seeking to calm her, says “Oh, mother, don't be so sentimental. Things explode every day.”
The other was James Keelaghan's song, “Who Dies?”
Now your time may be short or your time may be long Who dies? Everyone dies But it's going to happen as sure as you're born Oh, everyone dies Friends and relations and all we hold dear Will one day pass to the other side So we'd better embrace them as long as they're here Oh, everyone dies
Of course we count on government to help delay that eventuality as long as possible, which was the nuance that Ernst’s tone deaf quip and even more tone deaf follow-up video missed. Social media wags were on the case:
Still, Keelaghan‘s words echo:
Princes and paupers, there's no one immune And no one who'll escape their demise So you'd better make the most of each day that you're given Oh, everyone dies
Unpopular opinions?
The so-called “Pizza Tax” — a $1.50 fee on the home delivery of most goods in Illinois — was part of a mass-transit bailout package that did not pass in the General Assembly in the session that ended Saturday at midnight. But it came close enough and seems likely enough to be part of upcoming funding proposals that it excited a great deal of comment online.
Some are saying “Aw, hell no” to the idea of adding what is formally called a “Retail Delivery Climate Impact Fee” to each order a motor vehicle brings to your door — excluding groceries and medications — while others are saying “Well, yeah, but it beats having to endure the chaos of severe cutbacks in mass transportation.”
I’m just glad that we’ll have a chance to consider and debate this idea, which I’d heard and read nothing about until the end of last week when there was an untended firehose of proposals in Springfield as lawmakers rushed to meet the end-of-session deadline.
What other options are on the table? What would the impact of such a fee be on small businesses? What would the impact be on people with limited mobility?
And if it’s such a good idea, why do they want to hide it from you? From page 19 of the bill:
The retailer shall not add the fee to the price orcharge for the retail delivery showing the total fee as acharge that is separate and distinct from the price andany other taxes or fees imposed on the retail delivery.
I’m reminded of the Trump regime’s anger at the idea that Amazon would include a note saying how much newly imposed tariffs had added to the price of certain goods.
But just in general …
Reader Conor Mac has some recommended links to explore the issue of transit funding:
“Why Building Transit Costs So Much,” by Hayden Clarkin
“America's Infrastructure Costs are Too Damn High — And it's stopping us from addressing climate change,” by Sam Deutsch
“No way to run a railroad: Governance is holding back transit in Chicagoland,” by Richard Day
Understanding the drivers of transit construction costs in Canada: A comparative study” from the University of Toronto.
Last week’s result
Mark K. — It's incorrect to call the individuals carrying out the attack cowardly. But the people organizing and financing such attacks from afar — the ones spreading hateful ideology and brainwashing followers into committing senseless violence — they were and are most definitely cowardly.
Laurence E Siegel — It still takes bravery sometimes to commit immoral acts. We don't want to associate such acts with bravery — generally a positive word — because we don't agree with the actions or often, the cause. Calling terrorists “cowards” underestimates them.
Dan P. — Shooting down unsuspecting, unarmed humans is definitely cowardly. It's no different than executing people in mass shootings or robberies. The killer or killers are counting on the victims being at a tremendous disadvantage and using the element of surprise.
Matt Greenberger — The attack on the employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. was cowardly — not because the perpetrator lacked personal courage but because he carried it out against people who were unarmed, unaware and unprotected. When the target is completely vulnerable, attacking is an act of cowardice. Would you say a gunman who entered a grade school and slaughtered 7-year-olds was not a coward, because he then was shot by police?
My argument, and the one that prevailed in the poll, is that it’s a categorical error to frame such despicable acts in terms of bravery — usually considered a virtue — and cowardice — usually considered a mere character flaw. To be brave is to take on considerable risk in the service of a goal, even when we can agree that the goal is reprehensible. The assassin in Washington, D.C. risked being killed in a response attack and risked his freedom for the rest of his life. That doesn’t ennoble his act.
The list of armies that have carried out attacks from afar — with bombs or missiles — that killed “unarmed, unaware and unprotected” civilians during wartime is quite long. And it doesn’t advance the discussion in the least to refer to the political and military leaders behind such attacks as cowards.
This occasional Tuesday feature is intended to highlight opinions that are defensible but may well be unpopular. If you have one to add, leave it in comments or send me an email, but be sure to offer at least a paragraph in defense of your view.
Notes and comments from readers — lightly edited — along with my responses
Jussie Smollett: A dissent
Barry Lee — Regarding “Good riddance at long last to Jussie Smollett” in last week’s PS, let me start out by saying that Jussie Smollett is, without question, one of the most reprehensible scumbags God ever put on this Earth. And I was shocked, dismayed, and disappointed by Kim Foxx's handling of the entire matter.
But one of the most important principles of the justice system is that it forbids double jeopardy — it says that someone cannot be tried twice for the same crime. There is no individual or criminal act so heinous or reprehensible that it’s worth sacrificing this principle over.
Why did Kim Foxx agree to drop the charges in exchange for bond forfeiture and community service without even extracting an admission of guilt? I don't have the first clue. But she exercised her prosecutorial discretion, and entered into a plea agreement with Smollett's attorneys that the Illinois Supreme Court ruled was binding.
There was, without a doubt, considerable political and judicial outrage over Foxx's decision. But it did not merit sacrificing a hallmark of the criminal justice system of this country.
I agree with Foxx when she says that any first year law student would see his retrial as double jeopardy. Actually, anyone who passed a sixth grade civics class would see this as double jeopardy. And it would appear that the Illinois Appellate Court— which ruled otherwise — is as political a body as the U.S. Supreme Court now is.
Even someone as reprehensible as Smollett is not worth sacrificing a principle that this country was founded on. I am disappointed in you giving any sort of credibility to the decision to take Smollett to trial.The process is always more important than the end result.
Zorn — I don't see how there can be a plea deal without a plea. There was nothing ever signed or explained. Smollett was never "put in jeopardy" prior to this handshake arrangement, so I don't see where a trial amounted to double jeopardy.
The idea that a first-year law student is smarter than the Illinois Appellate Court was a self-serving fiction from Foxx, who never allowed that this was at least a close call and that she totally botched the whole thing.
Barry Lee replies — Crimes involving first-time offenders are handled like this all the time. Of course, this practice doesn't usually apply to celebrities or people of notoriety who pull something as egregious as what Smollett did.
Do you really believe for one half second that Smollett would have agreed to forfeit his $10,000 and perform community service if an agreement hadn't been reached and signed?
Once charges are dropped in return for financial or other compensation, the charges cannot be refiled; its that freaking simple. You can't change a couple of words and punctuation marks and charge someone twice for the same crime.
Are you trying to tell me that elected judges (which Illinois appellate judges are) aren't motivated by politics, or because they're chosen to wear a robe that they're not ignorant?
It’s not that a first-year law student is smarter than the Illinois Appellate Court, its that they're not as jaded.
Zorn — If there had been a signed agreement, Smollett’s lawyers would have been waving it about. There wasn’t. Smollett performed his “community service” —he spent two days at Operation PUSH talking to young people, which was not exactly picking up trash by the side of the highway — several days prior to Foxx announcing her decision to drop charges. And he volunteered to forfeit his bond if they’d drop charges, which has a bit of an odor to it.
The claim that “crimes involving first-time offenders are handled like this all the time” is false. Foxx’s office was challenged to come up with examples of cases where charges are dropped without admissions of guilt — the “plea” in “plea bargain,” and couldn’t come up with one.
And while justices of the Illinois Appellate Court are elected, so are the justices of the Illinois Supreme Court. The implication that the appellate judges were corrupted by political considerations because you disagreed with them and the Supreme Court judges were exercising common-sense legal wisdom because you agreed with them is rather Trumpy.
One last point about double jeopardy — it is in fact possible to be tried twice for the same criminal acts when the system engages in the fiction that federal charges are distinct from state charges.
Craig Beardsley — I'm struck that you are ranting about a insignificant actor who is essentially following the Trump media playbook. Create a distraction, wrap it in populist rhetoric and outrage, make it a media sensation. When the story starts to unravel, blame the media. And then when it works its way through the courts, declare victory regardless of what actually happened.
His story is not worth the time, ink and attention you are giving it. In the meantime, Trump's cavalcade of lies, distortions, and self-created populist outrage continues unabated, and the media treats that as normal.
Zorn — Like I said, I hope we’re all through with this story which, in fairness, was an international sensation.
The Biblioracle: We’re in agreement!
Conrad Birdhee — Thanks for the interview with Biblioracle columnist John Warner. HIs knowledgeable, clever columns provide a welcome contrast to the growing tide of AI slop.
Shelley Riskin — As a librarian and bookworm, I'm a regular reader of John Warner's The Biblioracle Recommends. I enjoyed learning more about him, and was particular delighted to see that he recommended one of my favorite recent books, “Search” by Michelle Huneven. It's billed as a novel, but the author says it’s a true story, only the names have been changed. Having participated in searches for new clergy, this rings so true---and applies to any religion. I'm Jewish, not Christian, and found it to be completely believable. In addition to your interview with the school photographer awhile back, you're definitely featuring off-the-beaten-path people like Warner, so thank you!
Is the Sky the limit for Tribune?
Martin M. — You asked, “Is the Tribune smart not to be aboard the Sky train?” and noted that the Sun-Times is sending journalists on the road to cover our city’s WNBA team while the Tribune is relying on wire copy.”
No; the Tribune is not smart. Julia Poe is a good writer who covers the Chicago Bulls beat, but only covers home games for the Chicago Sky. The newspaper needs to do better.
The Sun-Times lost their excellent Sky beat writer Annie Costabile (to a national role with Front Office Sports), and it was good to see that the paper sent Steve Greenberg on the road with the Sky for their past three games. However, having a regular beat writer covering the entire beat—home and away—makes a huge difference in the quality and depth of the coverage. I enjoy Greenberg’s writing (and sarcastic sense of humor), but he just doesn’t have Annie’s comprehensive understanding of the Sky — at least not yet. The Sun-Times needs to replace Costabile with another dedicated, traveling Sky beat writer, whether that's going to be Steve or someone else.
The Sky have won their last two games and are starting to show signs of how new coach Tyler Marsh wants the team to play. Besides enjoying a win, Courtney Vandersloot set the new franchise scoring record and Kamilla Cardoso was the Player of the Game while starting to show how dominant she could become. Angel Reese is also starting to show signs of other skills that were less evident last season. I won’t argue that they don’t have quite a ways to go to becoming a strong team again, but they’re starting to be fun to watch.
Zorn — The Tribune sports department has impossibly early deadlines for a sports section and is laboring under the budget constraints that many papers are laboring under. I have no idea what reader surveys show. but if the Sky starts looking like a playoff team or even a title contender, I’d look for more coverage of the team.
From the suggestion box
I’m responding for the next few weeks to some of the hundreds of anonymous suggestions/comments that readers posted to my recent reader survey:
Suggestion: More guest columnists
Reply: This suggestion came before Mary Schmich, whose Facebook posts I’ve been featuring for more than three years, decided she’d like to step back. I’m working on replacing her offerings.
Suggestion: More click polls
Reply: I find click surveys oddly fascinating even though they are wholly unscientific and reflect the views of a fairly curated readership that skews old and left. “I like the interaction,” said one commenter. I will try to incorporate more of them, unless there is strong objection:
NewsWheel
Inspired by the WordWheel puzzle in the Monday-Friday Chicago Tribune and other papers, this puzzle asks you to identify the missing letter that will make a word or words — possibly proper nouns; reading either clockwise or counterclockwise — related to a story in the news or other current event. The answer is at the bottom of the newsletter
The week’s best visual jokes
Here are some funny visual images I've come across recently on social media. Enjoy, then evaluate:
There’s still time to vote in the conventional Quip of the Week poll!
Books we’re re-reading
Last week, in giving the green light to the novel “Lonesome Dove,” I noted that I seldom re-read books — there are so many good ones I haven’t read even once — but I might make an exception for “Lonesome Dove.” I asked which books you’ve read more than once. Here is a sampling of the responses:
Gary Ashman —”Catch-22” by Joseph Heller and “The Bridge of San Luis Rey” by Thornton Wilder
Candy Renard —”Dandelion Wine” by Ray Bradbury
Ray Lutha and Michael Hellyer —James Herriot’s “All Creatures Great and Small” series
Eileen Kelly — “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen
Mike Kreloff — “Marathon Man” by William Goldman and ”The Family Moskat” by Isaac Bashevis Singer
Gillean Wilsak — "War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy. “The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox" by Barry Hughart
Terry Parrilli — “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White and “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
Lynne Allen Taylor — "Polar Star" by Martin Cruz Smith. "The Trees" by Percival Everett . Tokyo Ueno Station by Yū Miri, “Beatrice's Last Smile: A New History of the Middle Ages” by Mark Gregory Pegg and every Jane Austen novel
Tony Fitzpatrick — "Travels with Charley" by John Steinbeck
Melinda A K — “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Chris Tozer — "The Caine Mutiny" by Herman Wouk, “A Farewell To Arms” by Ernest Hemingway and “Arundel” by Kenneth Roberts
Julie Stielstra — The Wolf Hall trilogy by Hilary Mantel, “Germinal” by Émile Zola and every Charles Dickens novel
Rich Gage — "Tristram Shandy" by Laurence Sterne and "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
Jay G. —"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Joanie Wimmer — “The Tropic Of Cancer” and “The Colossus Of Maroussi” by Henry Miller
Mary Ellen — "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute
Beth Bales — The Beany Malone / Katie Beth books by Lenora Mattingly Weber, the Betsy-Tacy-Tib books by Maud Hart Lovelace and the Melendy Family books by Elizabeth Enright, "Calico Palace" and "Celia Garth" by Gwen Bristow "Winter Solstice" and "The Shell Seekers," by Rosamunde Pilcher
Jim Strickler — "The Art of Fielding: A Novel" by Chad Harbach
Lilia Chacon — "Blood and Thunder" by Hampton Sides
Bob E. — “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig, “The Inferno” by Dante Alighieri and “Unconscious Putting” by Dave Stockton
In case you needed a summer reading list with all real books on it!
In closing, a timely tune
“The First Hot Day in June” by the Ladies’ Banjo Society of Illinois, recorded Monday night at the Chicago Barn Dance Company. My son Ben is on fiddle. Fred Campeau on banjo. Mary Tabatowski on mandolin. I’m playing guitar. Peppy!
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Info
Eric Zorn is a former opinion columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Find a longer bio and contact information here. This issue exceeds in size the maximum length for a standard email. To read the entire issue in your browser, click on the headline link above. Paid subscribers receive each Picayune Plus in their email inbox each Tuesday, are part of our civil and productive commenting community and enjoy the sublime satisfaction of supporting this enterprise.
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Answer to the NewsWheel puzzle
ELON MUSK
Re: "Pizza Tax". Unless there is a damn good reason, I do not like highly targeted taxes. Public transit serves the community broadly, and should have a broad base that financially supports it. Since the tax is to fund transit, having an increase in the gas tax in counties of Northeast IL makes more sense. A very small tax would raise more money that a substantial delivery fee. Also, if they want to say it is about climate, then why not tax burning all carbon-based fuels?
In regard to the click polls, I always want a "None Of The Above" option!