How is everyone’s weekend going?
We start the second week of March with good weather on the horizon (see those 50 degree days this week?) and more states—Texas, Arizona, Connecticut—rolling back Covid restrictions. Expect more in the coming weeks as more Americans get dosed with the vaccine.
Today’s Six features articles on changes in the Chicago political scene, a classic 80’s movies finally reaches streaming services, school superintendent insanity and an update on summer concerts (good news and bad news).
A Shift In Chicago Politics From the Old Machine
I first moved into the Chicago area as a kid in 1983. That same year, a local assemblyman, Michael Madigan, took over as state speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives in Springfield. After 38 years in power, Madigan stepped down earlier this year. His departure as ‘boss’ signals not just a shift in leadership but culture with the Chicago and Illinois political scenes. But will the ‘Chicago Machine’ remain? The Tribune offers analysis.
The Clown Princes Talk About ‘Coming To America 2’
Thirty-two years (32!) after the original “Coming To America” hit theaters in 1989, and became a sensation, the sequel is finally here. As of Friday, the simply titled “Coming to America 2” is available for streaming on Amazon. The film’s two stars—Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall—talk to the NY Times about the movie and their careers. It’s awesome the movie is out but a bummer it’s not more of a cultural moment.
Burbank School District Suspends Baseball Players
There were a lot of nutty stories this week, but this one got the highest ranking on the Twitter ‘kook’ chart. A school superintendent in California suspended a group of high school baseball players for taking a senior picture. Yes, for taking a picture. When adults act more immature than the kids they are supposedly charged with leading, it signals abject failure within the system. As I said on Twitter, suspend the superintendent.
What Is the ‘Best’ Vaccine to Get?
With the single-dose Johnson and Johnson vaccine hitting the market, we are flooded with choices. The Mayor of Detroit made this a bit newsworthy when he turned down the J&J vaccine saying he wanted the ‘the best’ vaccine for the citizens of Detroit. What is the best? Vox Media explores (an basically says it’s still the first one you can get).
Dr. Seuss Controversy Inflames ‘Cancel Culture’ Debate
If Six readers turned on a television or scrolled through social media this week, ‘Dr. Seuss’ was trending or in the ‘A’ block of any newscast. The New Republic takes an interesting angle in this piece how that the faux controversy is just content for the culture wars, filling a massive hole left by the absence of Donald Trump. I tend to agree but believe that any ‘cancellation’ on any level, especially books, is bad for democracy. Who’s next? The Cookie Monster?
Will We See Concerts This Summer?
As a frequent summer concertgoer, I’ve been following what’s going on in the music industry regarding live entertainment. The good news is the vaccine has sped up the timeline for concerts in small to mid-level venues. The bad news? Nothing on a massive scale (big festivals like Lollapalooza, which I attend every summer) likely won’t happen until 2022. Rolling Stone with a thorough analysis.
Have a great rest of your weekend everybody. Thanks for reading as always.
Have a suggestion for the Sunday Six? Send email to jon@jonjkerr.com.