Hey there! It’s Friday, and I misjudged my nephew’s interest in Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away. I thought it would get him ready for bed, but he was so enthralled that we stayed up almost until midnight. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Will Chicago mandate vaccinations for restaurants, bars, gyms and other indoor spaces?

Several members of the City Council are calling on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to require people entering indoor public spaces to show proof of vaccination, a move that comes as President Joe Biden puts pressure on local officials across the country to take tougher steps to boost vaccination rates.

Other cities have already adopted such requirements. New York City last month mandated proof of at least one vaccine dose, while San Francisco went further in requiring proof of full vaccination.

“We believe it is time for Chicago to do the same given: (1.) the uncontrolled community transmission of the Delta variant, (2.) the threat of new variants, (3.) approaching colder weather that will drive Chicagoans to indoor activities, and (4.) free and readily available FDA approved and emergency authorized COVID-19 vaccines,” the council members wrote in a letter. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, city officials are reporting a seven-day average of 466 cases per day as of Sept. 5. That’s a 10% decrease from the previous week. About 65% of city residents are fully vaccinated, according to city data. [COVID Dashboard]

2. “Have at it,” Biden says to GOP governors threatening to sue over vaccine mandates

President Biden today challenged Republican governors who oppose his sweeping COVID-19 vaccination mandates, accusing them of being “cavalier with the health of their communities.”

When asked about potential lawsuits seeking to block enforcement of the mandates, Biden said: “Have at it.” [AP]

Republicans have largely accused Biden of overstepping his authority by imposing unconstitutional vaccine requirements. As Axios reports, some notable conservatives are calling for an uprising just months after the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection highlighted the dangers of using inflammatory rhetoric.

But the White House believes it is “uniting the 75% vs. the 25% that is in opposition,” according to an official close to Biden. [Axios]

Scientists, however, say the mandates will greatly help the nation regain its footing in curbing the pandemic, though it could take several weeks to see an impact.

“It’s going to fundamentally shift the arc of the current surge,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University School of Public Health, told The New York Times. “It’s exactly what’s needed at this moment.” [NYT]

3. Remembering the victims of 9/11

In the weeks leading up to the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, NPR set up an old phone booth in Brooklyn Bridge Park — across the river from the new World Trade Center — and invited people to leave a voicemail for someone they lost that day.

That includes Trish Straine, whose husband died in the north tower just six days after their second son was born. And Matthew Bocchi, who was only 9 years old when he lost his father in the attacks.

As NPR reports, “Their individual experiences offer insight into the nature of grief and how it changes — or doesn’t — over time.” [NPR]

4. Illinois House approves green energy bill that would close fossil fuel plants by 2050

House lawmakers late last night approved an ambitious plan that sets a timeline for phasing out high-polluting power plants, expanding renewable energy and enticing Illinois residents to purchase electric vehicles. The bill now heads to the Senate, which is expected to reconvene on Monday.

In addition to closing fossil fuel power plants by 2050, the House plan mandates that 40% of the state’s power come from wind and solar sources by 2030 and 50% by 2040. It also establishes a state goal of having 1 million new electric vehicles in use by 2030 with rebates of $4,000 per purchaser.

House Republicans voted en masse against the legislation, complaining it would lead to statewide power shortages, force utilities to import dirty, costlier, out-of-state power to keep their grids lit and cost coal plant workers their jobs. [WBEZ]

5. Wait a second. There’s a secret society of … BAKERS?!

In what kinda sounds like the Food Network’s version of Tales from the Crypt, a secret society of bakers known as … wait for it … the Bakers Dozen have been quietly meeting in Chicago, according to Jennifer Billock, author of Historic Chicago Bakeries.

The Bakers Dozen was founded in the 1930s and is made up of “leaders from the oldest family-owned bakeries in and around Chicago,” Billock writes. New members have to be approved by unanimous vote.

The secret society meets on Wednesday at an undisclosed location, and the host typically picks three things to discuss, like recipes and tips for various baked goods. [Block Club Chicago]

Here’s what else is happening

• A representative for Queen Elizabeth II said the royal family supports the Black Lives Matter movement. [AP]
• Mayor Lightfoot says an alderman accused of abusing his power should be investigated by City Hall’s top watchdog. [Block Club Chicago]
• Employees at the Art Institute of Chicago are hoping to form the first major museum union in the city. [Chicago Tribune]
• This week’s Art of Power talks to Kemp Powers, the first Black director at Pixar. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

More than a dozen vehicles from Mad Max: Fury Road are hitting the auction block later this month, and I’m hoping to buy the War Rig because it’ll give me more motivation to go back to the office, whenever that happens.

Could you imagine being on Chicago’s Navy Pier, where WBEZ is located (next to a funhouse), and see the magnificently monstrous War Rig pulling up?

As Immortan Joe said, “You shall ride eternal. Shiny and chrome!” [The Verge]

Tell me something good …

So my husband and I have our nephew this week, and we’d like to know: What was your favorite thing to do as a kid?

Emmi writes:

“During the 1970s, I grew up in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood in a family of seven kids, all born within about a decade. On the rare occasions that our Mom left us alone (which didn’t often happen, for obvious reasons), a bunch of my brothers and my sister and I would round up all our couch and armchair cushions and lay them along our first- to second-floor staircase, which had two turns — one at the top, one at the bottom. Then we bravely lined up at the top and hurtled ourselves down the staircase like a bunch of lunatics on a rafting ride — without any rafts! Our biggest challenges were making the turns, not hitting the door at the bottom with a force strong enough to break any bones, and frantically returning the cushions to the couch before our Mom caught us.”

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

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