Mask Mandate Ruling / Konkol / Black Restaurant Week / Shiela E.

Let's start the weekend with some good news:

Sheila E. and The E-Train are playing two shows at City Winery Saturday night.

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Saturday: Colder than a ___. High: 20 Low: 15.

Sunday: Flurries, maybe. High: 32 Low: 16.

"C'mon, man," could be the campaign slogan of Pastor Anthony Williams, who on Friday announced plans to run for U.S. Senate as a Republican.

That's the cynical catchphrase I hear from Williams every time we talk about the lip service that politicians give to the issue closest to his broken heart: the never-ending surge of violence that plagues America and took his son's life.

KONKOL COLUMN: Tired Of Lip Service To Violence, Pastor Launches U.S. Senate Run

• The state is in a court showdown over how Gov. J. B. Pritzker's administration issued the school mask mandate. On Friday, a downstate judge issued a temporary restraining order that prohibits the Pritzker administration from implementing a mask mandate in school districts across the state. Pritzker said he plans to file an expedited appeal of what he called a "misguided decision" that will have "grave consequence." (Patch)
• Federal prosecutors want Ald. Ricardo Munoz to serve a year in prison after being convicted on corruption charges to send a message to other elected leaders. “If lighter sentences in the past have not proved a strong enough deterrent for elected officials, then stiffer sentences should be imposed. Elected officials pay attention to these cases," Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morris Pasqual and Jared Hasten told Kness. (WTTW)
• Chicago Black Restaurant Week starts Sunday. This year, 32 Black-owned bars, restaurants coffee shops and food trucks across the city — and in the suburbs — will serve up specials. Check out the full list. (Eater Chicago)
• Call it a teachable moment. Mother McAuley High School officials fired a veteran teacher for using the N-word in its entirety while teaching a unit on Native American culture. Her three daughters, also McAuley alumni, are fighting to win back their mother's job and save her legacy, or at the very least, have a chance to apologize to her students, Lorraine Swanson reports. (Patch)

For A Good Time, Click:

Saturday:

• Trinity Irish Dance Company at Auditorium Theater (8 p.m.)
• Elton John at United Center (8 p.m.)
• Andrew Santino at Chicago Theater (8 p.m.)
• IntoCable at The Rosemont Theater (8 p.m.)

Sunday:

• Confused House at Punch House (9 p.m.)
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra at Chicago Symphony Orchestra (2 p.m., 7 p.m.)
• Grandstand Big Band at FitzGerald’s (7 p.m.)
• Soul Message at Green Mill (8 p.m.)
• Trevor Wallace at The Vic (7 p.m.)

Just The Links:

• This message from radio philosopher Lin Brehmer of WXRT lasts the weekend, at least.
• Winter, coronavirus restrictions and crime are putting a hurtin' on Chicago hotels.
• What happened to the $190 million in federal cash sent to schools?
• Property taxes in Chicago have nearly doubled since 2010.

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— Mark