Lede of the week about finalists who block scoring with zest and fury:

MINNEAPOLIS—Twelve years ago at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, just a few miles from where the men’s Final Four is taking place, a bull broke loose. It charged about a block through the crowded grounds, miraculously missing all fairgoers. Then it lowered its head, took aim at a fire hydrant and rammed it, dying instantly.

No death in the afternoon in this case, or at night time either, however.

It’s not too early for recently elected alderman Andre Vasquez to begin planning for his next election, in which case he should save this Mark Brown article for use in his literature.

Greg Hinz of Crain’s gives advice to new mayor, letting the left hand know what the right is doing, you might say, including getting the city out of its “fiscal pinch” by various practices that “job creators” can stomach.

“The socialists [newly ensconced aldermen] won’t like it,” he says.

But then, they won’t like it as long as there are any “rich” people left to tax. Lightfoot will be walking on a fiscal balance beam in months to come. Here’s hoping she makes it across and doesn’t fall off. [Italics added]

Yes. Where would socialists be without rich people?

More reliable than climate change models, I trust.

On Thursday, Politico ran a story detailing how several economic models with a history of accuracy predict a win for Trump in 2020:

“[I[f the election were held today, he’d likely ride to a
second term in a huge landslide, according to multiple economic
models with strong track records of picking presidential winners
and losses.

“Credit a strong U.S. economy featuring low unemployment,
rising wages and low gas prices — along with the historic
advantage held by incumbent presidents.”

The economy, s—-d.

“‘Even if you have a mediocre but not great economy—and that’s
more or less consensus for between now and the election—that has
a Trump victory and by a not-trivial margin,’ winning 54 percent
of the popular vote to 46 for the Democrat, [Yale economist Ray
Fair] said. Fair’s model also predicted a Trump win in 2016 though it missed on Trump’s share of the popular vote.”

Fair enough.

Beats socialism any day.

Key Points

• The number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits dropped to a more than 49-year low last week.
• The data pointed to sustained labor market strength despite slowing economic growth.
• Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped to 202,000 for the week ended March 30, the lowest level since early December 1969, the Labor Department said.

Could this have something to do with how the current administration operates? Somehow I think so. And hope against hope that it’s getting wide coverage in the nation’s newspapers, etc. tomorrow. I can hope, can’t I?

Give this man a cigar.

Bill Daley: ‘Progressive is [used] just because Democrats didn’t want to call themselves liberals anymore because it was such a negative term’

And they went from progressive many years ago when progressive had become such a negative term.

You need a scorecard, really.

All in all, this is as good a place as any to keep up with leftist rant. FYI.

Thunder from the (far) left, warning about Tuesday’s big, big winner.

Lightfoot claimed to be a progressive, but her record has been scrutinized by criminal justice activists and the CTU (which backed Lightfoot’s opponent, Cook county board president Toni Preckwinkle); she drew a large donation from a murky “dark money” group that uses vague pro-austerity rhetoric as well as support from Emanuel’s personal lawyer. The city’s labor movement and left will probably find themselves joining together to fight Lightfoot in office.

Isn’t that a blessing?

Chicago’s socialist victories [Tuesday] night weren’t a fluke. Throughout the country, people are tired of low wages, soaring housing costs, privatization of public goods, budget cuts and corporate giveaways of public money. They have tried austerity and found it miserable.

If Chicago’s elections are any indication, maybe they’re ready to try socialism.

Isn’t it nice to know our socialist friends have our back, in these perilous times?

The Chi-based author of this keen, gloom- and intensity- filled analysis:

• Micah Uetricht is the managing editor of Jacobin magazine. He is the author of Strike for America: Chicago Teachers Against Austerity (Verso, 2014) and a member of the Chicago Democratic Socialists of America

You were looking to the most hope-filled reform effort since Anton Cermak? (Heh) Forget that. Roll up your sleeves, comrades. The revolution has not yet happened.

Their plans for us:

Democratic socialist candidates have at the core of their platforms the dismantling of Chicago machine politics and policies. [And after that, original sin.]

They champion views that would:

• Elevate the working class. [Oh my]

• Expand affordable housing. [Oh?]

• Push for progressive taxation. [Uh-oh]

• Stop gentrification in its tracks. [Oh]

I can hardly wait.

Multiculturalism gone wild.

Bishop Sérgio Colombo, 64, of Bragança Paulista, Sao Paulo, Brazil, participated in a pagan ritual outside he Bom Jesus church in Vila Bela (January 13).

The performance was organized by the diocesan council for “ecumenism.”

[Bishop] Colombo practiced so called Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion related to Voodo. At the performance with roses and doves (pictured) demons called Orixás are invoked.

One of those demons made him do it? (Sorry)

Another snarky aside:

Apart from traditional paganism, Bishop Colombo hates Tradition. In 2012, he expelled an Old Rite male Carmelite community from his diocese.

Tut, tut. All in a day’s work, apparently.