Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I recently saw Everything Everywhere All At Once and may have to see it a second time because I’ve never heard people laugh and cry so hard during a single movie. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. The future of the Chicago Reader appears to be in jeopardy

The city’s alternative-weekly could run out of money in the coming weeks amid a standoff between the paper’s staff and a co-owner, according to a union representing the paper’s editorial staff.

The co-owner, Leonard C. Goodman, and two members of the Reader’s board are stalling a plan to turn the paper into a nonprofit, which would help keep the Reader in business, the union says.

The fight comes after Goodman wrote a controversial column in the Reader in November where he expressed skepticism over vaccinating his young daughter against COVID-19. Amid a reader and staff backlash, co-publisher Tracy Baim hired an independent fact-checker, who reportedly found 15 inaccurate or misleading statements.

Goodman says he is fighting against censorship, while staff say the battle is really about the spread of disinformation.

Now, staff and supporters are preparing to hold a protest on Thursday near Goodman’s home. [Block Club]

(Disclaimer: I freelanced for the Reader after college and was employed at the Chicago Sun-Times when its owner at the time, Wrapports, bought the Reader.)

2. A federal judge tossed the national mask mandate for planes and other public transit

A federal judge in Florida voided the mask mandate today, saying federal health officials exceeded their authority, reports The Associated Press.

The judge said she decided to vacate the rule because it would be impossible to end it for just a limited group of people who challenged it in court.

The news comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended the mandate for airplanes, trains and buses to May 3. Critics argued the requirement didn’t make a lot of sense as states ditched rules for masks at restaurants, bars and other public indoor spaces.

In extending the mask mandate, the CDC said it needed more time to understand an omicron subvariant that is causing an uptick in caseloads in some parts of the U.S. [AP]

In Chicago, officials were reporting a seven-day average of 456 cases per day as of Friday. That’s up 35% compared to the previous week.

Hospitalizations and deaths also appear to be increasing but are significantly low when looking at the peak of the winter omicron wave. [COVID Dashboard]

3. Russia claims missile strikes hit hundreds of targets throughout Ukraine

Russian officials claim they struck more than 300 targets, including one in the western city of Lviv where at least seven people were reported killed. The attacks come as Russian forces are expected to launch an all-out assault in eastern Ukraine.

In the key port city of Mariupol, outnumbered Ukrainian troops defied a surrender ultimatum from the Russians on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proceeded with the next step in obtaining accelerated membership in the European Union, which Russian President Vladimir Putin opposes. [AP]

4. How a tiny bee became a big problem for an Amazon-fueled expansion in Illinois

The Chicago Rockford International Airport has been on an expansion boom driven by its role as an Amazon cargo hub fulfilling orders from “one-click” shopping.

But the discovery of a tiny, endangered bee with a distinctive orange spot — known as the rusty patched bumblebee — has stopped construction in its tracks.

Conservationists are stepping up their campaign to save the area where the bee was spotted — the 21-acre Bell Bowl Prairie, which supporters say is scientifically important due to its complex ecosystem that cannot be recreated or replaced.

Now, the steward of the prairie, the Natural Land Institute, is proposing a compromise plan where the airport can continue its expansion and preserve a rare prairie remnant. [WBEZ]

5. Remembering Bob Chinn

Local legend Bob Chinn, founder of the beloved Bob Chinn’s Crab House in Wheeling, died Friday at the age of 99.

The crab house, which became one of the nation’s highest-grossing restaurants, is known for its tiki torches, Hawaiian shirts, very generous mai tais and the flashy jackets with colorful fish.

In some ways, the restaurant sounds like a reflection of Chinn himself, who loved to live life to the fullest, his family and friends say.

“If you talked to him once, it felt like you knew him,” said Maile LeTourneau, one of Chinn’s granddaughters. “You have no idea how many people will say to us, ‘Oh I knew Bob,’ and they met him one time. But you really did feel like you knew him because he made you feel comfortable.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Florida officials rejected 54 math books for its K-12 curriculum, claiming critical race theory appeared in some. [NPR]
• Alex Jones’s InfoWars filed for bankruptcy. [NPR]
• Olympic champ Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s Boston Marathon, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary. [AP]
• After seeing snow today, the Chicago area could see temperatures near 80 degrees on Saturday. [Block Club Chicago]

Oh, and one more thing …

A teaser released today for the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder shows Natalie Portman as the new god of thunder, and I am here for it.

I won’t spoil anything else from the trailer, but it was widely known that Portman’s character, love interest Jane Foster, would be swinging Thor’s magic hammer in the film, which is directed by Taika Waititi, who did the wildly fun Thor: Ragnarok.

Jane Foster becoming the new Thor is something that does happen in the comic books, and for anyone who wants to read the books before the movie, the new movie is expected to be based off “The God Butcher” storyline. [Variety]

Tell me something good …

I’ll be honest. I’m bored and feeling “blah” lately. Maybe it’s the gloomy weather? Maybe it’s two years living in a pandemic? Or maybe I didn’t get enough coffee today?

So I’d like to know, what keeps you motivated?

Feel free to hit me up, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.