Good afternoon! It’s Friday! Here’s a song I’ve been listening to on repeat today as I get ready to not work for two glorious days. And here’s what else you need to know.

1. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson draws a line in the sand on property tax hikes in talks with business leaders

A big question looming over Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson is how he’ll come up with $1 billion to boost social programs that are the cornerstone of his anti-violence strategy.

Today, my colleague Fran Spielman reports Team Johnson has told the business community the incoming mayor is open to ditching proposed taxes and hikes they oppose. That includes reviving a head tax, increasing the hotel tax and taxing financial transactions that could force exchanges to leave Chicago.

But Johnson is not backing down from his promise to hold the line on property taxes, said Jason Lee, a senior adviser to Johnson’s mayoral campaign and transition team.

“He lives in a neighborhood in Austin where you’ve got fixed-income seniors trying to pass on their homes to their kids and their grandkids so they can have stability. And this rise in property taxes makes it very difficult for these individuals to stay in their home. This is not an abstract concept to the mayor-elect. This is real. He sees the faces of the people who are struggling,” Lee said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. ‘No one now will be’ held accountable, says Emmett Till’s cousin

Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Emmett Till’s cousin and best friend, extended his condolences to the family of Carolyn Bryant Donham, whose words doomed Till, reports my colleague Kaitlin Washburn.

“Our hearts go out to the family of Carolyn Bryant Donham,” Parker, who lives in the Chicago-area, said in a statement. “As a person of faith for more than 60 years, I recognize that any loss of life is tragic and don’t have any ill will or animosity toward her.

“Even though no one now will be held to account for the death of my cousin and best friend, it is up to all of us to be accountable to the challenges we still face in overcoming racial injustice.”

Till traveled from Chicago to visit relatives in Mississippi in August 1955. Donham — then named Carolyn Bryant — accused him of wolf-whistling at her in a grocery store.

Evidence indicates Donham identified Till to her then-husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother, J.W. Milam. The two then killed Till, but were acquitted by an all-white jury. Both men later confessed in an interview with Look magazine the following year. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Social media could become a 13-and-older club

A bipartisan group of senators this week proposed barring kids under 13 from social media, which they accuse of helping fuel a mental health crisis among young Americans, reports NPR.

The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act would also require parental consent for teens between the ages of 13 and 18. And social media platforms would be banned from using algorithms to recommend content to young people.

“Social media [companies] have stumbled onto a stubborn, devastating fact: The way to get kids to linger on the platforms and to maximize platforms is to upset them,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii.

The group of senators cited a recent federal study that found 42% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness over the last year. [NPR]

4. Trees are moving because of climate change

Yup, you read that right. Trees are moving.

Specifically, the growing ranges of trees are shifting northward, reports The Washington Post, citing projections from the U.S. Forest Service.

“By the end of the century, Alabama cherry trees might find themselves unwelcome in Montgomery, replaced by blue jacarandas, now native to Latin America,” the newspaper reports.

“In Washington, D.C., cabbage palmettos — the state tree of Florida and South Carolina — could thrive, while Fraser firs — popular as Christmas trees — could die out.”

The nation is divided into zones — called “plant hardiness zones” by scientists — that influence what kind of trees grow there. But those zones are shifting as the planet becomes warmer. [Washington Post]

5. The seismic impact of Chance the Rapper’s ‘Acid Rap’

Chicago’s Chance the Rapper this week announced a series of events in the coming month to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his seminal mixtape, Acid Rap.

Today, WBEZ contributor Alejandro Hernandez talks to music insiders and historians about Acid Rap’s impact on the industry and Chicago.

“I think we knew we were witnessing history,” said Andrew Barber, creator and owner of the Fake Shore Drive music blog who heavily covered Chicago and Midwest artists throughout the blog era.

“For whatever reason the industry wasn’t paying attention to Chicago,” Barber added. “We’re the third biggest city in the United States, why aren’t more big names rappers coming from here? Then boom, the drill thing [the Chicago born-subgenre drill becomes mainstream] happens. Keef comes in, Lil Durk comes in, King Louie comes in, Herb and Bibby start to emerge at that time in 2012. Let’s not forget about Derrick Rose too so there was a lot of exciting energy in Chicago.” [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Abortion bans failed to advance in conservative Nebraska and South Carolina, signaling Republican lawmakers are worried about a political backlash. [AP]
• A freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in Wisconsin, injuring four employees and sending two containers into the Mississippi River. [NPR]
• Brittney Griner says she’s “never going overseas” again after her detention in Russia. [NPR]
• A tree older than Chicago is scheduled to be cut down on Monday at the Lincoln Park Zoo. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

I was advised by my editor I could milk this story for all it’s worth: A runaway cow caused udder chaos in the north suburbs after a senior prank went wrong yesterday.

Nearby residents were told to stay inside and to keep very quiet as authorities sought to wrangle the heifer, reports my colleague Stefano Esposito.

But Rita Thorpe, 81, knew it was safe to come outside when she heard the mooing.

“I texted my kid and said, ‘How many cops does it take to catch a runaway cow in Park Ridge?’ ” Thorpe said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

Sometimes it feels like there is way too much going on. Do you have any hobbies that give you a sense of joy?

Carolyn Holtermann writes:

“The hobby that is giving me so much joy these days is square dancing! I am having so much fun dancing to over 50 different calls with some of the most fun-loving and interesting people I’ve ever known.

“This is not your grandparents square dancing — no costumes, partners only or even a boy-girl partner required. There is a thriving community of dance clubs in the Chicago area. There is also one in the city that is LGBTQ+ friendly — although all the ones I go to are also!

“While lessons are needed, even learning the calls is fun — and everyone teaching and helping are so supportive. Many clubs offer a sampler to try it out. I encourage everybody to give it a try — you may be surprised. Plus, it’s a lifelong hobby. I dance with some people who are well into their 80s who can dance literal rings around me!”

Thanks for all the responses this week. I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from y’all!