Hey there! It’s Thursday, and I can’t stop thinking about yesterday’s Loki finale. Feel free to email me if you want to talk about it. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Lightfoot announces $1 million award fund in effort to reduce Chicago’s gun violence

Mayor Lori Lightfoot today announced a $1 million award fund for tips that lead to the seizure of illegal firearms. The mayor also said she will unveil more plans in the next week that “think creatively” to reduce gun violence, which remains high after last year’s surge.

Lightfoot faces increasing pressure from City Council members, businesses and community leaders to clamp down on violence, which some political observers say could jeopardize Chicago’s ability to lure tourists after more than a year under pandemic restrictions. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Meanwhile, Gov. JB Pritzker said he discussed the violence in Chicago and other cities with President Joe Biden during a meeting yesterday at the White House. [Chicago Tribune]

2. Emmett Till’s funeral site is among Black landmarks sharing a $3 million grant

Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ, which hosted the funeral of Emmett Till in 1955, is among 40 historic sites across the nation that will receive part of a $3 million preservation grant.

The money comes from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, which is a part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation that was created in 2017 as a response to the conflict over the statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Va., reports NPR.

Among the other landmarks in line to share the grant is Cleveland’s Karamu House, which is the home of the oldest African American producing theater in the country. Legendary writer Langston Hughes once had an in-house apartment at the theater. [NPR]

3. COVID-19 misinformation is an “urgent threat”

In his first advisory as the U.S. surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy today called for a war against “health misinformation,” saying false information about COVID-19 is an “urgent threat” that could lead to more deaths and prolong the pandemic.

Murthy’s comments come as the U.S. is reporting a rise in COVID-19 cases, especially in states with low vaccination rates. The recent surge is also partly driven by the highly contagious delta variant, which was first discovered in India. [NPR]

Meanwhile, people who received Johnson & Johnson’s one-and-done shot are questioning whether they should try and get another vaccine. Data suggest Johnson & Johnson’s shot remains effective against the delta variant. [Washington Post]

4. Expanded child tax credits are being sent out

About 39 million American families today will begin receiving hundreds of dollars through monthly tax credits established by President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package.

Eligible families qualify for up to $300 per month for each child younger than 6 and up to $250 for each child aged 6 to 17. The payments will be sent on the 15th of every month until they end in December.

Married parents who file joint tax returns and make less than $150,000 are eligible for the full refund, as are single parents making less than $75,000, reports NPR. [NPR]

5. Netflix plans to expand into video games within the next year

Netflix will offer video games as a new section on its streaming service and doesn’t plan to charge additional fees, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The ambitious move could open a new front in the TV streaming wars, as competitors like Disney+ and HBO Max gain ground, and it could potentially transform the video game industry.

As CNN reports, Netflix remains the king of the hill among streaming services, but the company’s growth in subscribers has slowed down. And expanding into video games isn’t without risks. Amazon and Google tried tapping into video gaming with little success. [CNN]

The news comes as a study found the U.S. gaming population is growing and more diverse than some may have expected.

About 45% of gamers identified as female, and 55% as male, according to a study from Entertainment Software Association, the industry’s leading trade group. [Axios]

Here’s what else is happening

• U.S. coastlines could see record flooding in the coming decades due in part to a moon “wobble,” according to NASA scientists. [NPR]
• Illinois became the first state to ban police from lying to minors during interrogations. [Chicago Tribune]
• The Chicago Sky’s Candace Parker will become the first female basketball star to be on the cover of a video game. [AP]
• “Tiger king” Joe Exotic should get a shorter prison sentence for his plot to kill animal rights activist Carole Baskin, a federal judge ruled. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

Stacey Abrams, one of the highest profile Democrats on the planet, says she could use some help in the dating department.

“I’ve not been great at dating,” Abrams says in the latest episode of WBEZ’s Art of Power. “I think I could get better at it. I just have to practice.”

In a wide-ranging conversation with Art of Power host Aarti Shahani, Abrams talks about the many facets of her life, from politician to entrepreneur to novelist. It’s hands down one of my favorite episodes of Art of Power. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite Chicago date spot?

Ben Vigeant writes:

“Easy date spot: The summit at Palmisano Park in Bridgeport. Beautiful panoramic views of the entire city, great view of sunset, short walk to Maria’s and other great Bridgeport stops or Chinatown.”

And Paul Lockwood writes:

“Favorite date spot? Any of the glorious theaters we have in Chicago and the ’burbs where the excitement starts as soon as you enter and typically carries through to the end of the play, musical, concert or stand-up performance.”

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

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