Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, and happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s a look at how dyeing the Chicago River green became a thing. And here’s what else you need to know today.

1. A $200,000 gas giveaway in Chicago created traffic jams — and highlighted inflation’s impact on inequality

Ten gas stations across the city were giving away free gas this morning thanks to a $200,000 donation from local businessman Willie Wilson.

Wilson, a former mayoral candidate, said he wanted to help people who are struggling with soaring prices for a gallon of gas. Just on Monday, Chicago broke a new all-time high for the average price of regular gas — $4.85, according to AAA.

And a lot of people showed up for the giveaway, causing traffic jams and lines stretching for blocks.

Ald. Maria Hadden said a “traffic disaster” erupted at a participating gas station in her 49th Ward on the North Side, and she called Wilson and gas owners “irresponsible and reckless.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

For many Chicago residents, the surge in gas prices is not something to take lightly, especially when inflation is at a 40-year high.

Low-income Americans are unable to absorb the rising costs of groceries, housing and other essentials like middle-class families, The Washington Post recently reported. And that’s widening inequality nationwide. [WaPo]

2. What is Chicago Public Schools doing with all that federal pandemic money?

To a lot of parents, the school district flunked when it came to putting safeguards in place as students returned to classrooms this academic year.

A program tracking infections was accused of being misleading and inaccurate, and convoluted explanations from Chicago Public Schools didn’t satisfy concerned parents. Meanwhile, the district’s effort at contract tracing didn’t fare much better.

So what did CPS do with the $2.8 billion in federal pandemic funding? That question becomes even more glaring when you look at Los Angeles, where officials spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a state-of-the-art testing program for schools.

Apparently, a good chunk of the federal aid sent to CPS is being used to pay for existing staff, reports Chalkbeat Chicago. Some schools and principals are questioning why the district is using that funding for run-of-the-mill staffing expenses and, more importantly, what CPS will do with the money it’s saving. [Chalkbeat Chicago]

3. Rescuers find survivors after Russian airstrike hits Ukrainian theater

Some good news out of the besieged city of Mariupol, which has been bombarded by Russian attacks that have increasingly hit civilians.

NPR reports survivors are being pulled out of a theater that was hit by a Russian airstrike yesterday. A bomb shelter underneath the large theater remains intact.

NPR also reports that satellite imagery from Monday shows the word “children” had been written in Russian on the ground near the theater.

Meanwhile, the $800 million in new U.S. aid to Ukraine includes “Kamikaze drones” that explode after hitting their targets. NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre says they may not completely close the gap between the Russians’ manned aircraft, but they “deliver a punch.”

Also today, a Russian court extended its detention of basketball star Brittney Griner to May 19. [NPR]

4. Which should be permanent: daylight saving or standard time?

The Senate this week moved to make daylight saving time permanent, potentially freeing the American public from the hassle of changing clocks twice a year.

But sleep experts say the Senate is getting it all wrong.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a statement arguing that standard time should be permanent, saying “current evidence best supports the adoption of year-round standard time, which aligns best with human circadian biology and provides distinct benefits for public health and safety.”

As The Washington Post reports, daylight saving time “has been associated with increased risks of obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and depression.” [WaPo]

5. Uh oh, Netflix takes aim at password sharing

TV streaming giant Netflix wants to charge customers more for doing something almost everyone I know does — sharing their passwords.

The company this week said it’s testing the change in Chile, Costa Rica and Peru. In Costa Rica, folks will have to pay an additional $2.99 to share passwords. People who don’t pay up can transfer their profiles to their own accounts, where they can keep things like recommendation lists based on their viewing habits.

Unsurprisingly, people are not happy about the news on Twitter, with many aiming profanity and laughing emojis at Netflix.

“Mind your business! Respectfully!” said one tweet. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Legal marijuana sales fell sharply in Illinois, raising questions over whether the state needs to relax its grip on the industry as the black market retains the upper hand. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Local soccer fans say they are not happy about the idea of the Ricketts family buying the storied Chelsea soccer club. [Chicago Tribune]
• The president of Chicago’s Fraternal Order of Police threatened to retaliate against three of the union’s strongest supporters in the City Council. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Tributes are pouring in for Merri Dee, a local broadcasting legend who died this week at 85. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

For the first time in 20 years, a lion cub was born at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo. And yes, the zoo put out a video of the little peanut.

The cub’s sex is not known, and they haven’t been named yet, Block Club Chicago reports. The cub’s mother is 3-year-old Zari, and the father is 4-year-old Jabari.

The cub’s birth comes after the zoo reopened its lion house in October following a two-year renovation.

“This cub’s arrival signifies the lion pride, which arrived at the zoo this past fall, feel at home in their new habitat and are receiving the best possible care,” said Mike Murray, the zoo’s curator of mammals. [Block Club]

Tell me something good …

Have you read anything good lately? I’m looking for a good book to escape into after reading the news all day.

Carolla Ault writes:

“I just finished reading Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia and heartily recommend it — action, adventure, suspense and ghosts — maybe!

“Once you start this book, you won’t want to put it down. A friend who started listening to it at work texted me yesterday that when she left work for the day, she had to find the physical book to finish it because she couldn’t wait until she got to work the next day to hear the rest. It really is just that good!”

And Rohini Dey writes:

“For something to read: The Damascus Station. The blurbs say it all (Gen. Petraeus et al). Unquestionably the best CIA action, spy novel of all time. Unsurpassed detail and threads. As a former avid reader, and now someone who’s trying to hang on to reading for dear life (Netflix barging in big time), this had me craving to get back to it. Have gifted it relentlessly too, trying to keep the embryo of reading alive…”

Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week.