Hey there, it’s Wednesday! And last night I tried figuring out who would be in the Chicago version of the Avengers and save us from this heatwave. So far I’ve got Streets and San Man, the Lake Shore Pile Driver, the O’Leary Cow and Shermann Dilla Thomas. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. Rising lake levels, nearly 10-feet high waves and strong wind gusts may cause toxic disasters along Lake Michigan

A new analysis from Chicago’s Environmental Law and Policy Center is raising alarms about how climate change’s effect on Lake Michigan could jeopardize Chicago and other lakefront areas.

“Lake Michigan is where we live, work and play,” ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Climate change is forcing us to see another side of Lake Michigan.”

The analysis, which used government data, found toxic disasters are possible if current trends continue.

That means we could see flooding at toxic-waste Superfund sites, a recently closed coal plant just north of Chicago and a dismantled nuclear plant in Zion, with water carrying “industrial pollutants to surrounding areas and into Lake Michigan,” the report said.

In Chicago, densely populated neighborhoods like Rogers Park, Edgewater, Uptown and South Shore could suffer from more severe flooding, with water reaching as much as a half-mile inland. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. Recent traffic deaths add a sense of urgency to calls for a more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly Chicago

Among those killed are two toddlers who were struck by vehicles just a week apart.

Two-year-old Raphael Cardenas was crossing a street on a mini scooter in the Lincoln Square neighborhood when he was hit and killed on June 2. A week later, 3-year-old Lily Grace Shambrook was killed after a semi truck hit the bicycle carrying her.

And on Sunday, Peter Paquette, 75, was fatally struck as he crossed a street in the North Center neighborhood after leaving an early voting rally. Earlier in the day, Paquette attended a separate rally for better pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

“Streets are currently designed mainly to move cars and trucks as quickly as possible,” Kyle Whitehead, a spokesperson for the Active Transportation Alliance advocacy group, told the Chicago Tribune. “I think that’s particularly upsetting in the city of Chicago … a major, relatively dense, urban area with people walking and biking frequently to destinations.” [Chicago Tribune]

3. More Americans are having abortions, reversing a three-decade decline

As the nation waits to see if the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade, a new study found the number of patients seeking abortions rose in 2020, reversing what had been a 30-year decline.

The U.S. saw an 8% increase in abortions in 2020 compared to 2017, according to the study from the Guttmacher Institute.

In Illinois, the number of abortions increased by 25% between 2017 and 2020, a time in which a growing number of restrictions were put into place in neighboring Missouri.

“The need for abortion is growing at a time when the Supreme Court is getting ready to strike down Roe v. Wade,” said Rachel K. Jones, a research scientist who co-authored the analysis of the data for Guttmacher. [NPR]

4. The Federal Reserve raises interest rates in the largest increase in 28 years

The nation’s central bank today hiked rates by three-quarters of a percentage point, the biggest increase since 1994. That will affect the cost of borrowing money, affecting things like credit cards and mortgages.

The move signals just how concerned the Federal Reserve is about surging prices as inflation accelerated last month.

The Fed is walking a very fine tightrope here: Officials hope that rising interest rates will cool down the economy and get prices under control. But the move also threatens to trigger a recession, which many leading economists say is likely in the next year. [CNBC]

5. Congrats to the class of 2022, graduating after ‘two of the most challenging years in American education history’

Students across Chicago graduated this week, and my colleague Nadar Issa over at the Chicago Sun-Times has a very touching report on what this moment meant for the kids. And I’ll be honest, it made me a little teary-eyed.

“Typically, kids are pumped for their last day of school as they head out to summer break, the outdoors and warm weather,” Issa reports.

“And there certainly were laughs and excitement Tuesday as Chicago Public Schools classes wrapped until the fall — but it wasn’t all smiles.

“At the end of a school year that marked most students’ return to in-person learning after two of the most challenging years in American education history, students seemed to have gained a new appreciation for school.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• RIP Internet Explorer. [NPR]
• A company wants to pay you $2,000 to infest your home with cockroaches. [NPR]
• A new blockbuster anthology gives a star turn to 134 living poets with deep ties to Chicago. [WBEZ]
• Christmas in July? I’ll take Halloween in June. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

Juneteenth celebrations are kicking off this week in Chicago, and Block Club has a great guide to more than 50 events all over the city, from Rogers Park to Pullman.

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free enslaved people. It was declared a federal and state holiday last year.

Block Club’s guide has a wide variety of events that includes festivals, picnics, basketball tournaments, a family-friendly game night and art exhibits. [Block Club Chicago]

Tell me something good …

My colleagues at WBEZ created an amazing and extensive guide to free events in Chicago this summer. And I’d like to know what’s a favorite or hilarious memory you have of enjoying the summer in the city.

Candice Blansett-Cummins writes:

“After the old A.V./Hideout fest, my friend from France and I went to Small Bar in Wicker Park. It had been a scorching day, so everyone was hot and lit at the festival and the bar.

“There was a DJ in that small little bar and the dance floor was killer until…duh duh duh … the clowns arrived.

“From what I can recall, they had been having some sort of association meeting nearby and popped out for a bevy. While doing so they used pamphlets, yes pamphlets, to help folks get over their fear of clowns. Pamphlets. Photos or it didn’t happen? You bet I have. Chicagoans and their nutty summers. Thank God.”

The photos are hilarious. Feel free to email me, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.