Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and I have so many questions about this mic stand used by mayoral candidate Willie Wilson. What is it normally used for? Does it match anything else in the room? Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. To mask up or not to mask up?

Several airlines, including United and American, announced masks are optional for domestic flights after a federal judge yesterday tossed a mandate for planes and public transit.

The New York Times talked to several experts about whether Americans should still strap on masks while they’re traveling. And the answer is yes.

For airplanes: “There’s no national mandate requiring airline passengers to be vaccinated, so even if you’re vaccinated you don’t know the status of the people around you,” the newspaper reports, adding you probably don’t want to ruin your vacation by getting sick. [NYT]

In Chicago this morning, masks were still required on public trains and buses, as well as inside airports. Officials throughout the day cited an executive order from Gov. JB Pritzker that kept the requirement in place. 

But the governor this afternoon announced he will end the mandate. 

Some commuters during the morning rush hour said they were OK with keeping their masks on.

“It’s common sense because Chicago is one of the country’s biggest cities and an international travel hub with people coming and going all the time,” one person told the Chicago Sun-Times. [ST]

2. Illinois’ richest man opens the door to running for office

Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO of the hedge fund Citadel, recently told The Wall Street Journal that he would like to run for office “at some point.”

“I would like to think that at some point in my life, I will have that opportunity to be involved in public service,” he said.

Griffin’s comments come as the billionaire has contributed $20 million to Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s Republican bid for governor. As Crain’s Chicago Business reports, “the outcome of this year’s gubernatorial contest could be the catalyst for a future Griffin candidacy.”

But he’ll have to navigate a Republican Party loyal to former President Donald Trump. And while Griffin is outspoken on crime and the economy, he has largely avoided heated issues in the nation’s culture wars, such as abortion rights. [Crain’s]

3. A Cook County judge refused to talk to police who were investigating another judge

A Cook County judge crashed into a parked car while driving drunk last year, and it turns out there was another judge in the vehicle with him, reports WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos, citing newly obtained documents.

The driver, Associate Judge Mohammed Ghouse, was arrested, charged and eventually pleaded guilty to driving under the influence. Ghouse was suspended from hearing cases by Chief Judge Timothy Evans, who said the matter would be referred to the state’s Judicial Inquiry Board.

But a spokeswoman for Evans declined to say if Cook County Circuit Judge Mary Kathleen “Katie” McHugh faces similar disciplinary action. She was in the vehicle with Ghouse and refused to talk with police, records show.

Ghouse and McHugh did not respond to messages from WBEZ. [WBEZ]

4. The Russian invasion of Ukraine enters a new phase

Russia today began a major assault in eastern Ukraine in what may be an attempt to create a land corridor connecting Russia to the Crimea Peninsula, which was seized from Ukraine in 2014.

A key part of this plan is taking over the strategic port city of Mariupol, where Ukrainian troops and resistance fighters were given a new ultimatum from Moscow to surrender.

Taking the eastern part of the nation would not just split Ukraine into two, but “deprive it of the main industrial assets concentrated in the east, including coal mines, metals plants and machine-building factories,” reports The Associated Press. [AP]

5. A National Weather Service for the pandemic

It’s called the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics.

And the new federal initiative includes about 100 scientists who will “analyze technical data and communicate policy options to decision-makers and the public about how the virus is behaving and who is most at risk — in user-friendly terms,” reports The Washington Post.

“We would love to be able for people to look to us to say, ‘I’m about to commute on the Red Line. … Should I bring a mask based on what’s happening with respiratory disease in my community? Should I have my birthday party outside or inside?’ Those kinds of decisions, I think, are where we would like to move toward,” Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist working on the initiative, told the newspaper. [WaPo]

Meanwhile, Moderna hopes to provide updated COVID-19 shots this fall that offer more protection against the omicron variant. [AP]

Here’s what else is happening

• At least 448 people have been killed, with nearly 4,000 homes destroyed and more than 40,000 people displaced, by floods and mudslides in South Africa. [AP]
• NASA advisers push for a probe of one of Jupiter’s moons that could potentially support life. [NPR]
• A growing number of Chicago City Council members are opposing plans to build a casino in or near their wards. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Local businessman and mayoral candidate Willie Wilson is planning a third gas giveaway. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

This month marks the 30th anniversary of a groundbreaking video game that elevated role-playing games and still influences the industry — The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.

“More colorful than its predecessors, A Link to the Past introduced intricate side quests, new items, memorable characters and complex puzzles,” reports KNKX’s Vivian McCall. “Despite the SNES’ limited, sample-based hardware, composer Koji Kondo crafted an epic orchestral score. Some of its most enduring melodies still pop up in new Zelda games.” [KNKX]

Among the video games that clearly drew inspiration from A Link to the Past is the current mega-hit Elden Ring, which sold more than 12 million copies worldwide in just 18 days. [IGN]

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?

Melissa Hicks writes:

“I often struggle with motivation, and yeah, pandemic + gloomy weather only makes it worse. I’ve found that upbeat music, something that will make me want to dance, helps. I’ll play a variety of cheesy popular dance music, but my go-to is ‘Bust a Move.’ ”

Jim Jolley writes:

“What motivates me, a huge tennis fan, is when a player changes his shirt on court. I hope this gives you a laugh.”

And Paul Teodo writes:

“Take a walk. At least 20 minutes. Say hello to at least five people. Ask if you can pet three dogs. Smile. Then get an ice cream cone. When you get home, call your best friend and tell her/him what it was like.”

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