Hey there! It’s Thursday, and don’t get me wrong, I love the summertime unveiling of Illinois’ butter cow, but I keep waiting for the folksy ritual to inspire a Midsommar-like horror movie. “They thought it was made of butter … but they were wrong.” Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

(By the way, if you’d like this emailed to your inbox, you can sign up here.)

1. Chicago’s population grew by about 50,000 residents over the last decade

That’s according to the results of the 2020 U.S. Census that were released today. As the Chicago Tribune reports, the city’s population now officially stands at 2,746,388 residents, or 1.9% over the 2010 total.

That means Chicago remains the third largest city in the U.S. (Whew.)

You can expect deeper dives into those numbers in the coming days. For example, it’s not immediately clear how the increase translates with the city’s diverse population, especially the Black community. In 2010, Chicago saw a decrease largely fueled by an exodus of Black residents from the South and West sides. [Chicago Tribune]

Illinois, however, saw its population drop by about 18,000 people, setting up a political battle over drawing new congressional boundaries that could result in fewer Republican U.S. House seats, reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney. [WBEZ]

The census data also shows the U.S. has become more diverse and urbanized. The number of people who identify as Hispanic, Asian and more than one race grew in the past decade.

And the nation’s white population fell for the first time ever, declining by 2.6% since 2010. [Axios]

2. Lollapalooza wasn’t a super-spreader event, Chicago’s top doc says

So far 203 attendees of the massive Lollapalooza music festival have been diagnosed with COVID-19, Dr. Allison Arwady, the head of the city’s Public Health Department, told reporters today. That’s out of an estimated 385,000 people who went to the four-day event.

According to Arwady, 127 people who became infected were vaccinated, and 76 were unvaccinated. No hospitalizations or deaths have been reported, she said.

“We would have seen a surge if we were going to see a surge, at this point” Arwady said. [Block Club Chicago]

Some health experts say the delta variant is so contagious that it doesn’t need mass gatherings for surges to occur, reports the Atlantic’s Ed Yong, one of the best reporters covering the pandemic.

In his latest piece, Yong explains how COVID-19 is here to stay, making vaccines even more important. [Atlantic]

3. Hundreds attend memorial for Chicago police officer killed in the line of duty

A shoulder-to-shoulder crowd gathered last night to honor Officer Ella French, whose death has become the latest flashpoint for a city facing a surge in violence and a debate over how to reform policing.

“We did not lose just an exceptional police officer, we lost a remarkable person, one with courage and compassion, one who made a positive difference every day of her life,” said former police superintendent Phil Cline during the memorial service. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Officers continue to show their outrage at city officials, claiming they have not done enough to support them.

As Sun-Times columnist Michael Sneed reports, several hundred officers gathered this week at McCormick Place and, when discovering Mayor Lori Lightfoot would attend, said they didn’t want her to come. [Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, Anjanette Young, who is suing the city over a botched police raid, said French was the only officer who showed her “dignity or respect.” [Sun-Times]

4. Will Chicago’s public schools reopen in about three weeks?

Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union remain far apart on several big issues over how to ensure the safety of students and school staff when classrooms welcome back students on Aug. 30, reports WBEZ’s Sarah Karp.

And the uncertainty, so close to the first day of school, raises questions over whether schools will reopen on time. CTU Vice President Stacy Davis Gates wouldn’t say whether teachers would pursue a strike if a deal isn’t reached soon.

CPS has agreed to offer weekly COVID-19 testing and mandating indoor face masks. But the union is pushing hard to continue the strictest protocols from last spring around quarantining and what would trigger a return to remote schooling. [WBEZ]

Davis Gates told me in a Twitter exchange last week that she supports a vaccine requirement for teachers, saying last week that more than 80% have already gotten a shot. 

Speaking of vaccine mandates for teachers, the nation’s largest teachers’ union today supported the idea, which is rapidly gaining traction with companies, universities and other corners of society. [NYT]

5. Trump put “persistent” pressure on Justice Department to discredit election results

A Congressional investigation into former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election continues to uncover new information that further illustrates how Trump attempted to use the levers of the White House for his personal gain.

Jeffrey Rosen, the last acting attorney general in the Trump administration, told senators in a closed-door session over the weekend that he thought Trump’s claims about voting irregularities were “misguided,” reports The Washington Post.

“The president was persistent with his inquiries, and I would have strongly preferred that he had chosen a different focus in the last month of his presidency,” Rosen said in an opening statement. [WaPo]

Here’s what else is happening

• New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who will soon replace outgoing Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said she will run for governor in 2022. [Axios]
• The Taliban now controls two-thirds of Afghanistan. [NPR]
• Nearly 2 in 3 Americans are dealing with dangerous heat waves. [NPR]
• The sale of Chicago’s historic Drake Hotel could fetch more than $250 million. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

I’m going to be honest: This is a sad one, and I’m getting teary eyed.

Tom Skilling, Chicago’s treasured WGN meteorologist and all-around nice guy, announced his dog, Maddie, recently died.

“Maddie, who many of you met when I originated my weather programs from home during the pandemic, leaves a void so huge and so painful, I simply haven’t been able to sit down and put something together to tell you of Maddie’s passing,” Skilling wrote on Facebook. “I am heartbroken as are my roommates WGN’s Sean Lewis and Trover Wilson. This was a doggie whose zest for life — always on display as she went for her cherished runs in the park — produced a face which beamed with a level of joy and an exuberance for life no words come close to describing.” [Robert Feder]

Tell me something good …

More than a year into this pandemic, I feel like I’ve seen everything that’s streaming on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. So please, dear reader, give me your TV show or movie recommendations.

Diane Carroll writes:

“Ted Lasso. Who isn’t watching Ted Lasso?

“We’re also watching Call the Midwife. Gotta love a feel-good British drama on PBS that has at least one birth scene (baby head and gushing fluids, side-angle) every episode. They also go head-on with controversial issues. However, the best parts are the outfits and hairstyles/makeup from the late ’50s and early ’60s — fabulous enough to make Mrs. Maisel envious.

“We somehow forgot to watch Star Wars: Rebels with the kids, even though I think we’ve seen every other series (can’t wait for the Bad Batch finale this Friday!) in the franchise. Gotta love a Dave Filoni Star Wars project — great story, familiar characters woven back into the SW timeline, fills in so many blanks better than the hacks making the movies could. (Did I say that?) So, Rebels for family time.”

What are you watching? Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah.