See you on Wednesday

Ben Joravsky Show [READER]( When I saw President Trump’s [Super Bowl commercial]( Alice Marie Johnson, I thought: What would Monroe say? Explanation time. Johnson’s the 64-year-old Black woman from Memphis who was sentenced to life imprisonment for drug trafficking. In 2018, Trump commuted Johnson’s sentence after hearing about her case from Kim Kardashian. Johnson closes the Super Bowl commercial by proclaiming: “I want to thank President Donald John Trump.” Monroe Anderson is a longtime Chicago journalist, former press secretary to Mayor Eugene Sawyer and [a weekly guest]( on my podcast, where he talks about all things Monroe’s developed a relatively late-in-life specialty in the crimes of our president. Anyway, I called Monroe and asked if the commercial changed his mind and convinced him to vote for Trump. To which he replied: “Are you out of your mind? I told my wife when I saw that thing—‘This is bullshit!’ How many times do I have to tell you? Trump is a white supremacist. That commercial wasn’t even intended for me or any Black person. It’s intended for white people who might feel slightly guilty for voting Trump so now they can say to themselves, ‘Well, that Black woman says it’s OK to vote for Trump.’” So, I guess you’re still not feeling Trump, huh, Monroe? “Man, if Trump ran into a blazing building and brought out three Mexican orphans, I’d figure he set up the fire to get reelected. That’s how much I believe in Trump.” See you on Wednesday, Monroe. Sincerely, Ben Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on “what really happened at [Obama’s ‘beer summit]( Donna Minkowitz in [The Nation]( on how Bernie Sanders broke her heart when he embraced Joe Rogan’s endorsement. Joe Rogan [defends himself]( explaining, among other things, “I’m a fucking moron.” [David Seaton & Micah Uetricht]( aka: Biden v. Biden—the great debate. [Maya Dukmasova]( on the Kim Foxx haters. [Leor Galil & Philip Montoro]( on the Reader’s 50 best Chicago albums of the last decade. [Local arts reviews, like Oscar nominations, aren’t covering America]( Coverage and awards send a disappointing—but not unexpected—message about whose stories really matter. By [Coya Paz Brownrigg]( [@coyapaz]( [Myth buster]( Contrary to what Hillary said about Bernie, you don’t have to be liked to get stuff done. By [Ben Joravsky]( [@joravben]( [The fight to release Beto]( After ICE detained Jesus Alberto “Beto” Lopez Gutierrez on his drive home from camping, one family has banded together to challenge his detention and deportation. By [Irene Romulo]( [@chi_irenita]( and [Borderless Magazine]( [@Borderless_Mag]( [Issue of Jan 30 - Feb 5, 2020 Vol. 49, No. 17]( [Download Issue]( (PDF) [DONATE]( [View this e-mail as a web page]( [@chicago_reader]( [/chicagoreader]( [@chicago_reader]( [Chicago Reader on LinkedIn]( [/chicagoreader]( [chicagoreader.com]( [Forward this e-mail to a friend](. Want to change how you receive these e-mails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © 2020 Chicago Reader, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Chicago Reader 2930 S. Michigan Ave., Ste 102Chicago, IL 60616-3228 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](