Hey there! It’s Thursday, and shout out to readers Andrew and Ringo for sharing pics of their new “Take it W B-Easy” shirts. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. More than 800 homicides have been reported in Chicago, the most in 25 years

Eight hundred and 12 people have been killed this year as of Wednesday, the most since 1996, when 856 homicides were reported, according to records from the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The news will no doubt intensify pressure on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration, which has struggled to curb a surge in violence that further threatens Chicago’s reputation.

While the causes of gun violence trends can be hard to pinpoint, experts told WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell that some factors appear to be in play.

The obvious one is the pandemic, which isolated people and prevented them from receiving services they may have needed. And people are “not turning to the state to solve problems,” instead taking matters into their own hands, said Andrew Papachristos, a Northwestern University sociologist who studies gun violence. [WBEZ]

2. Businesses and universities begin mandating COVID-19 booster shots

Loyola University Chicago this week announced all students, faculty and staff will be required to get booster shots, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The news comes as health officials warn omicron will soon become the most dominant variant in the nation. So far two cases have been identified in Cook County.

Several studies suggest boosters offer a significant level of protection against the fast-spreading omicron, which may be milder but able to cause breakthrough infections in vaccinated people, making booster shots even more important. [Sun-Times]

Loyola’s move comes as several other universities, such as Georgetown and NYU, are also mandating booster shots. And the NFL wants coaches and staff to get booster shots by Dec. 27. [Axios]

3. How Mark Meadows played a key role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election

Mark Meadows, the last chief of staff for former President Donald Trump, worked closely with members of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus to overturn the results of last year’s election, reports The New York Times.

And their actions went far beyond TV and radio interviews. The newspaper reports they bombarded the Justice Department with conspiracy theories and pressured state officials to conduct audits of the election.

Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., had become so open to outlandish claims of fraud that his chief of staff rushed to “an airplane hangar parking lot in Phoenix after a conspiracy theory began circulating that a suspicious jet carrying ballots from South Korea was about to land, perhaps in a bid to steal the election from Mr. Trump,” the Times reports, citing court documents.

The news comes as a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol appears to be gaining momentum. The Times reports, citing a prominent witness, that the panel is “interested in the relationship between Freedom Caucus members and political activists who organized ‘Stop the Steal’ rallies before and after the election.” [NYT]

But the committee may be running out of time, as Republicans hope to claim the House majority in next year’s midterm elections. [NYT]

4. Chicago Blackhawks reach settlement with a former player who says he was sexually assaulted

The Blackhawks have reached a confidential settlement with Kyle Beach, a former player who says he was sexually assaulted in 2010 by an assistant coach at the time.

Both sides announced the deal late last night, though no details on its size and scope were provided.

My colleagues Dave McKinney and Cheryl Raye-Stout report the agreement comes “at the end of a tumultuous year that wound up costing a pair of Blackhawks executives their jobs and resulted in the ouster of former Florida Panthers coach Joel Quenneville, who coached the Blackhawks when the alleged sexual misconduct occurred more than a decade ago.” [WBEZ]

5. Bruce Springsteen sells his entire music catalog to Sony in $500 million deal

The Boss has reportedly sold his music rights to Sony Music Entertainment in what could be the biggest deal of its kind.

While no public announcement has been made so far, several news outlets are reporting the deal is north of $500 million and gives Sony ownership of such classics as “Born to Run,” “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Blinded by the Light.”

According to the BBC, Springsteen’s work earned around $15 million in revenue last year.

In recent years, companies have acquired the works of legendary artists like Bob Dylan, Davie Bowid and Blondie, which can then be turned for a profit through film and TV licensing, merchandise and performance royalties.

A year ago, Dylan sold his catalog to Universal Music Group for reportedly $300 million. [BBC]

Here’s what else is happening

• An outside investigation commissioned by Lightfoot found the mayor did not conceal information over the wrongful police raid of Anjanette Young’s home. [WBEZ]
• Evanston Township High School was placed on lockdown today after two guns were found inside the school. Eight students have been detained. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• An Illinois teachers union is pushing for state legislation in response to the recent school shooting in Michigan. [Chicago Tribune]
• Kraft is paying people to not make cheesecake this holiday season. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

I’m not going to lie: I don’t like spiders. Every time there’s one in the apartment, I pray my dog will step on it. Though, strangely enough, I love Spider-Man. Something for the therapist, I guess.

Anyway, this week’s Curious City looks at why some spiders can be found on high-rise buildings. I won’t spoil anything, but it’s pretty fascinating stuff. [WBEZ]

And, I’m sorry, but now I can’t stop thinking about Spider-Man, especially now that there’s a new movie out. Actor Tom Holland, who is dating co-star Zendaya, recently told People magazine that he would like “to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world.” [People]

Tell me something good …

The end of the year is quickly approaching. What’s going to be your resolution for 2022?

Michael Blackwell writes:

“1) Kondo more of my house. 2) Kondo my frenemies and family. 3) Make art. 4) Read more books.”

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah, and your responses might be shared here this week.

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