Hey there! It’s Friday, and the finale of HBO’s “The White Lotus” is this weekend. To mark the occasion, here’s someone impersonating Jennifer Coolidge as Gandalf. And here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Chicago’s speed cameras raked in $11 million after Lightfoot lowered the bar for getting a ticket

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s move last March to drop the threshold of what would trigger a speed camera ticket — from 10 mph to 6 mph over the limit — resulted in 322,447 tickets of $35 in the first two months of the change, bringing in $11.3 million, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The news is reviving complaints that speed cameras are less about public safety and more about making money for the city.

“At the end of the day, the cameras are supposed to be located for safety, but they’re just located to tax poor people to make money for the city,” said Ald. Jeanette Taylor, whose 20th Ward includes a speed camera that handed out 16,996 tickets. [Chicago Tribune]

2. Latinos are now Chicago’s second-largest racial group

The city’s Latino population grew by 5% in the last decade, from roughly 779,000 in 2010 to nearly 820,000 in 2020, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Chicago’s Black population, meanwhile, fell to about 788,000 in 2020, its lowest point in more than 60 years, reports WBEZ’s Alden Loury and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang.

But the fastest growing racial or ethnic group are Asian residents, rising from about 145,000 a decade ago to about 190,000 — a 31% increase. [WBEZ]

So what does this all mean now? The news will no doubt further embolden Latino leaders to expand the community’s power on the City Council when aldermen begin the often contentious process over redrawing ward maps. There are currently 13 Latino-majority wards.

And that will likely test the political power of the Black Caucus, the council’s largest voting bloc with 20 aldermen. After the 2010 census revealed the city lost more than 180,000 Black residents, the caucus was able to limit its losses to just one seat.

3. Whistleblower says she’s deeply disappointed with how Lightfoot, Parks boss have handled lifeguard abuse allegations

A year and a half after sending a letter to top Chicago Park District officials alleging “extreme abuse from the other lifeguards,” the former employee who helped launch a wide-ranging sexual misconduct investigation says she’s deeply disappointed in how Mayor Lori Lightfoot and parks CEO Michael Kelly have handled the issue, reports WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos.

“The park district, Mayor Lightfoot, Mike Kelly — nobody is saying anything or doing much,” said the woman, who is still a teenager and now attends college. “I don’t think Mike Kelly cared enough. Honestly, it seems like a lot of people don’t care.

“The mayor and the park district are supposed to be protecting employees and making sure we’re OK, but they’re not taking this seriously.”

The whistleblower was 17 years old when she sent an 11-page complaint to Kelly in February of 2020, and Kelly quickly vowed to look into the allegations, documents show.

But he waited nearly six weeks, and after the mayor’s office forwarded a separate complaint, to notify the Park District’s top investigator. [WBEZ]

4. San Francisco announced tough restrictions for the unvaccinated. Will Chicago follow?

San Francisco Mayor London Breed this week announced people will soon need to show proof they are fully vaccinated in order to enter bars, restaurants, gyms, theaters and concerts. That’s full vaccination, not partial.

And that’s one step further than New York City, which is mandating proof of at least one shot for indoor activities. [AP]

In Chicago, Mayor Lightfoot last week said she is watching what happens in the Big Apple but added that her administration is “not ready” to take a similar step.

But Chicago Public Schools today announced that all teachers and staff must show proof they are fully vaccinated by Oct. 15, with religious and medical exceptions. [WBEZ]

In Illinois, the number of reported COVID-19 cases is nearing the peak we saw in the spring. According to The New York Times, the state is reporting a weekly average of nearly 3,000 cases a day as of yesterday. That’s up 93% from the average two weeks ago.

The high point of the spring surge came on April 13, when Illinois was averaging 3,380 cases per day. [NYT]

5. What you need to know about Afghanistan

The Taliban is quickly claiming control of Afghanistan, empowered by the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by Aug. 31. Today, insurgents took over three more major cities and are closing in on Kabul, the capital of the Afghan government.

The speed of the Taliban’s offense has created a sense of chaos, and the State Department’s decision this week to evacuate a significant number of staff from the U.S. embassy in Kabul has added to the panic. Three thousand troops are currently racing to the capital to speed up evacuation flights for American diplomats and thousands of Afghans. [AP]

A new U.S. intelligence report estimates Kabul could fall to the Taliban within 30 to 90 days, reports The Washington Post. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is urging the Biden administration to provide more support for Afghan government forces.

“Without it, al-Qaeda and the Taliban may celebrate the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by burning down our Embassy in Kabul,” McConnell said. [WaPo]

Here’s what else is happening

• A federal judge leaves the CDC’s eviction moratorium in place. [AP]
• A suspect in the killing of Chicago Officer Ella French was previously accused of violating his parole, raising questions over why he wasn’t in jail. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Chicago Public Schools will offer cash payments to up to 12,000 special-education students to make up for services they were illegally denied. [WBEZ]
• Murder hornets? Again? Come on, 2021. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

The Bud Billiken Parade, one of the greatest summertime events in Chicago, is back on this Saturday after being canceled last year due to the pandemic.

Founded in 1929, “the Bud” is the oldest and largest Black parade in the country. This year’s grand marshal is Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker.

According to the Chicago Tribune, organizers are encouraging attendees to wear masks around the parade route, and free vaccinations will be provided at Washington Park between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“Some people might wonder why have an event like this during a pandemic,” Myiti Sengstacke-Rice, parade chair and president/CEO of Chicago Defender Charities, told the Trib. “If people are going to come out anyway, then at least we equip them with all of the tools in order to be safe and healthy.” [Trib]

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.

Mel Georgiou writes:

“You should watch Reservation Dogs on Hulu. From Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, the show follows the exploits of four Indigenous teens in Oklahoma.

Seeing Dallas Goldtooth as a spirit lamenting his cold nipples in the afterlife made me laugh harder than I have in a good long time. The show has a lot of humor and heart and a lot of care and attention to the people it represents. Definitely well worth watching!”

Beth Belletete write:

“Definitely Girls5Eva on Peacock — a Tina Fey project — and Good Girls on Netflix. Great adult comedy and a way to get through these hot muggy days.”

And Kristin Taghon tweets:

“Since you asked .. we watched Olympics highlights. Watching TBS Miracle Workers and TBS Love Life. Reruns of Big Bang. Sometimes Full Frontal. Don’t have Netflix or Hulu. Trying not to watch too much TV.”

Thank you so much for all the recommendations this week. I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but I’ve got a lot of things to watch now. Thank you!

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