Hey there! It’s Friday, and as a wise man once said, “You can microwave a frozen burrito for 90 seconds or cook it for 40 minutes in an oven.” I’m so hungry. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Some states reinstate coronavirus restrictions as cases mount

A small but growing number of states are either pausing or backtracking their reopening plans as infections surge in the South and West.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered bars to close again and tightened indoor capacity at restaurants. The reversal comes after the Lone Star State saw a record 5,996 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. [NPR]

Florida also cracked down on bars by suspending indoor consumption of alcohol. The step backwards came as the state reported a record 8,942 new cases today, blowing past a previous record set just two days ago. [NPR]

Speaking of bars, they’re now open to indoor customers in Illinois. Click this link to see what reopened today and what precautions different businesses must follow. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, the seven-day positivity rate in Illinois remains low at 3%. State officials announced 39 new deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities to more than 6,800. Another 857 new cases were reported after more than 30,000 tests were performed in the last 24 hours. Illinois has seen a total of more than 140,000 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic. [IDPH]

And like other minority groups, the LGBTQ community faces health and economic disparities that are exasperated by the pandemic. [WBEZ]

2. Trump administration asks SCOTUS to strike down Affordable Care Act

The Trump administration late last night asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Affordable Care Act, which would leave more than 20 million people without health insurance.

The administration, along with Republican officials from 20 states, argues the ACA is illegal now that Congress has removed the tax penalty for people who do not buy health insurance. California and 17 other states are asking the Supreme Court to preserve the law. Arguments before the high court will likely be held in the fall.

Eliminating the ACA, also known as Obamacare, would also allow insurance companies to deny coverage due to pre-existing conditions. [NPR]

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden criticized President Donald Trump for seeking to overturn the ACA during a pandemic, saying that complications from COVID-19 could become a “new pre-existing condition.” [NBC News]

Meanwhile, Trump’s disapproval rating hit a record 58%, according to a poll from NPR, the PBS NewsHour and Marist. [NPR]

3. Tax hikes possible as Cook County faces record budget gap

The COVID-19 pandemic has blown a massive hole in Cook County’s budget, which faces an estimated shortfall of nearly $281 million for this year and possibly as much as $409 million for next year, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said “everything is on the table,” and she would not rule out tax hikes or layoffs as the county faces “the largest budget gap we’ve seen in almost a decade.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

The news comes as Chicago must also overcome its own dire financial challenges. Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced this month that the city’s budget deficit for this year has grown to an estimated $700 million. [WBEZ]

The pandemic has decimated state and city budgets across the nation, and the ensuing economic crisis has stretched wallets and seen tens of millions of people unemployed. Local officials say they have no option but to raise taxes and cut programs unless they receive federal aid. [Washington Post]

4. Chicago homicides jump by 25%

That’s according to an analysis of crime statistics from the Chicago Tribune. The city has seen at least 295 homicides from the beginning of the year until last Sunday, an increase of 60 compared to the same time last year, the newspaper reports.

Shootings that involved at least one victim spiked by almost 40% despite stay-at-home restrictions during the height of Illinois’ outbreak.

Other major cities have also seen an increase in homicides. New York City, which had been the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, has a 25% increase over last year. [Chicago Tribune]

5. Hollywood’s summer comeback is delayed

The film industry’s hopes of salvaging its summer blockbuster season appear to be dimming by the day.

Warner Bros. announced this week that the $205 million Tenet will be pushed back to August. Movie studios were hoping that the much-anticipated film, directed by Christopher Nolan, would signal a return to movie theaters. Now, the industry hopes the American public will extend its appetite for movies into September, which is typically a slow month for moviegoers.

Tenet’s push back could also signal trouble for Disney’s Mulan reboot, which is slated to be released in July. If Mulan is delayed, the movie industry’s most lucrative month will not have a major release for the first time in modern history. [Washington Post]

Here’s what else is happening

• Asians are the fastest growing demographic in Illinois. [WBEZ]
• Retired Black cops held a demonstration against the union leaders representing Chicago’s rank and file officers. [WBEZ]
• Nerdette’s book club talks about The Vanishing Half. [WBEZ]
• The abyss can check itself out before it stares back. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

Pride month is sadly coming to an end, but the Chicago Reader has this fascinating feature on how three gay bars were instrumental to Chicago’s punk scene.

The bars were O’Banion’s in River North, Oz in Rogers Park and La Mere, which closed after a mysterious fire in 1978.

“Because it was already a welcoming space for people cut off from the mainstream, it made a natural home for a fringe subculture with queer roots,” reports music writer Leor Galil. [Chicago Reader]

And here’s a look at how a Chicago artist was the “gay granddaddy of tattooing.” [Chicago Reader]

Tell me something good …

We’re officially now in summer! And I’d like to know: What is one of your favorite “songs of summer”?

Paula M. writes:

“ ‘Cruel Summer,’ Bananarama.”

Anthony from Portage Park writes:

“Best summer song: ‘Long Hot Summer’ by The Style Council.”

And Suzanne Dunne writes:

“Summer to me is kicked off with PRIDE weekend! Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” blasting from many floats in the PRIDE parade is a sure sign of summer for me. My family and I will be blasting it on our home speaker instead of the parade this weekend. Happy Pride!”

Happy Pride! And thanks for all the responses this week!

Thanks for reading and have a nice night! We’ll see you on Monday. And if you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.