Hey there! It’s Tuesday, and here’s some good news: Illinois reported no new COVID-19 deaths for the first time since March 2020. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. After more than 100 people were shot in Chicago, the debate intensifies over what’s not working and who’s to blame

At least 108 people were shot — 17 fatally — over the Fourth of July weekend in Chicago. Among those wounded were two police officers, a 6-year-old girl and her mother, the Chicago Tribune reports. It was the most violent Independence Day weekend since 2017, according to the newspaper.

Police Superintendent David Brown today defended his strategy for combating gun violence by highlighting that New York and Los Angeles are reporting higher increases in homicides than Chicago.

But when it came to the cause of the violence, Brown vehemently blamed Cook County judges for allowing defendants to remain out of jail while they await trial. Brown offered largely anecdotal evidence to support his claim, which has raised objections from some members of the City Council.

These aldermen point to a Loyola University study that found no link between a rise in crime and bond court decisions and pretrial releases. And WBEZ has previously reported that aides to Mayor Lori Lightfoot privately said there is no evidence linking judges to the rise in crime. [WTTW]

Nationally, more than 180 people were killed over the weekend, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive and reviewed by NPR. [NPR]

2. Biden to make first trip to Illinois as president

President Joe Biden tomorrow will visit northwest suburban Crystal Lake, where he will pitch his ambitious American Families Plan that aims to reduce the cost of child care and make higher education more affordable, among other things.

The president is expected to make several appearances across the nation to help build public support for the $1.8 trillion plan, which faces broad opposition from congressional Republicans because it would be funded by new taxes on the wealthy.

Biden has signaled he may be willing to pass the plan through a fast-tracked process known as budget reconciliation, which would bypass a Senate filibuster. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Nearly all public schools in Chicago will have free condoms

Nearly all 600 public schools with students in fifth grade and up will be required to have free condoms available when schools fully reopen in the fall, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. That means all but a dozen of the more than 600 public schools will have condoms.

Elementary schools will initially receive 250 condoms, and high schools will get 1,000, the Sun-Times reports.

The move comes after the Chicago Board of Education approved a policy last year aimed at expanding sexual health education. Health and education experts say the policy will help prevent teen pregnancies, HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

Some parents, however, say Chicago Public Schools needs to do more than offer free condoms and instead improve sexual education. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. Rescue workers fight wind and rain in search for survivors of condo collapse

Crews today found four more victims in the ruins of the Champlain Towers South complex near Miami, bringing the death toll to at least 32.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told reporters up to 113 people remain missing, but only 70 of those are confirmed to have been inside the building when it collapsed on June 24.

Search and rescue efforts today faced more challenges from Tropical Storm Elsa. Crews had to pause their work due to lightning strikes, and strong winds hampered efforts to move heavy debris with cranes. [AP]

5. More than 500 people tied to Jan. 6 insurrection have been arrested

Six months after a pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, the Justice Department is still tracking down rioters even as some of the more than 500 people arrested are beginning to plead guilty, reports The Associated Press.

Among those who remain at large is the person who planted two pipe bombs outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees.

The AP reports that the FBI has been aided by “armchair detectives who have teamed up to identify some of the most elusive suspects, using crowdsourcing to pore over the vast trove of videos and photos from the assault.” [AP]

Meanwhile, The New York Times “synchronized and mapped out thousands of videos and police radio communications” of the insurrection to provide the most complete look at what happened that day. [NYT]

Here’s what else is happening

• Between 800 and 1,500 small businesses were affected by a major ransomware attack, according to the company whose software was exploited. [AP]
• The U.S. military says its withdrawal from Afghanistan is 90% complete. [Axios]
• New York Times reporter Nikole Hannah-Jones of the “1619 Project” and award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates will join Howard University. [NPR]
• Nintendo announced a new version of the Switch game console that has a larger screen. [CNBC]

Oh, and one more thing …

Got a question about Chicago’s climate that you want answered? Like are tornadoes uncommon for the area? WBEZ wants to hear from you.

Each week, the station is exploring a new aspect of how climate affects our region. All you have to do is send us your questions at climate@wbez.org, and we’ll ask our on-air experts. Include a voice memo with your name, neighborhood and question, and you could be featured on the radio. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

It seems like everyone I know is buying house plants or gardening, so I’d like to know what you’re growing, planting or buying this summer.

@cultureguru tweeted a picture of her dieffenbachia plant, saying:

“That’s all one dieffenbachia plant. No matter how many times I cut the stem or trim it, it just keeps coming back. It’s a symbol of the power of resilience!”

And Sam Salwierak writes:

“I couldn’t sleep the other night and instead of counting sheep, I mentally ‘walked’ my house counting my houseplants. There are at least 77.”

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah.

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