Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and I got a stationary bike to lose weight before I tell my boss I don’t want to go back to the office. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. The Chicago Police Department falls short on reforms, again

The Police Department failed to meet a majority of deadlines outlined in a court-ordered plan aimed at reforming policies and practices that federal officials say are racist and abusive.

That’s according to a report released last night by Maggie Hickey, an independent monitor tasked with overseeing the Police Department’s progress in a legally binding plan known as a consent decree.

Hickey’s report states the Department is out of compliance with 120 consent decree obligations, and a big sticking point is the Department’s ongoing struggle to engage with “underrepresented communities most impacted by policing.”

But the CPD is also “in at least preliminary compliance” with 154 consent decree obligations, marking the first time that the department has actually met more items than it missed. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, the top watchdog at City Hall says the Police Department has “fallen critically short” on its promises to improve a gang database that critics say enable racial discrimination. [Chicago Tribune]

2. Illinois faces an “intense” race against the coronavirus, says state’s top doctor

Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, said today that the state is in an “intense” and “close” race to vaccinate as many residents as possible as cases surge.

Illinois is averaging 2,377 cases a day as of Tuesday, a 55% increase from the average two weeks ago, according to The New York Times.

“We knew there was going to be this intense race between our vaccination efforts and the virus trying to make a resurgence,” Ezike told WBEZ’s Mary Dixon. “So we’re fighting this race, and it’s going to be close, but we definitely know the things that we need to do to try to get a leg up on the virus and this resurgence.” [WBEZ]

A little over 30% of the state’s population have received at least one vaccine dose, according to The Washington Post. The newspaper reports that Illinois is averaging almost 107,000 shots a day, an increase of 4% since last week. [WaPo]

Chicago, meanwhile, faces a “quantum leap” in infections that will prevent the city from moving forward with its reopening plans, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said today. Chicago officials are reporting a seven-day average of 498 cases a day, up 37% from last week. The positivity rate has climbed from 3.3% to 4.5%. [Chicago Tribune]

A WBEZ analysis of Chicago data found that a majority of doses have been shipped to ZIP codes with large hospitals. [WBEZ]

3. What’s inside Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan

President Joe Biden today unveiled a big-budget plan to improve the nation’s infrastructure, create jobs and boost the nation’s efforts on climate change. The huge proposal will be funded by 15 years of higher taxes on corporations, which is already opposed by Republicans.

On the infrastructure side, the plan sets aside $115 billion to repair and rebuild bridges, highways and roads. It also wants to use $100 billion to expand broadband internet access across the country, and spend $100 billion to upgrade and build new schools.

When it comes to climate change, Biden wants to provide billions of dollars in rebates and tax incentives to encourage Americans to buy electric vehicles, and he is offering other incentives for local governments to build charging stations. [NPR]

4. The planet lost enough forests to almost fill the entire state of Colorado

About 100,000 square miles of tree cover was lost last year despite the pandemic, a nearly 7% increase compared to 2019, according to a report from Global Forest Watch, a collaboration of various organizations that uses satellites to monitor forests.

Some of the biggest losses were reported in Russia, Australia and the U.S., where authorities struggled to contain massive wildfires. Brazil also saw its forest shrink because of wildfires and the illegal clearing of land.

The consequences are far reaching, raising questions about the protection of wildlife and efforts to reduce carbon emissions that play a significant role in climate change. [Washington Post]

5. Baseball’s Opening Day is tomorrow. Will fans show up?

Fewer than half of Americans say they feel comfortable attending a live sporting event, according to a poll released today from The Washington Post and the University of Maryland.

The poll found that 42% of Americans are comfortable, 40% are not and 18% are unsure. But when asked specifically about attending outdoor events, like baseball, 66% said they were comfortable. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, Chicago officials are warning they may close Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Park to fans if the city’s rise in coronavirus cases doesn’t go down.

The Associated Press reports the warning comes from the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications, which also said bars, restaurants and other businesses may be shut down. [AP]

Here’s what else is happening

• The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 100% effective in adolescents 12 to 15 years old, according to a clinical trial. [NPR]
• Prosecutors in the George Floyd case today examined the moments leading up to his death. [AP]
• Federal authorities have opened an investigation into last year’s police shooting at a Chicago Red Line station. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Don’t post your vaccination card online, warns Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

Trying to find a vaccine appointment? A teenager in Evanston might be able to hook you up.

Block Club Chicago has a charming story about Eli Coustan, 13, who created a website called ILVaccine to help people find vaccines.

“When appointments first opened up, I helped my grandparents and two dozen other people get appointments,” Coustan said. “After doing that I realized it was very, very difficult and there was no centralized info on availability and the state’s listings didn’t have availability.” [Block Club Chicago]

Tell me something good …

The weather is getting nicer, and I’d like to know what outdoor activities you’re doing that are safe and fun.

Cindy Burrows writes:

“As uneventful as this may sound, I am walking daily, taking note and delight in the progression of the daffodils, hyacinths, tulips, along with the budding bushes and trees, with the birds as my sound track. Every day I urge them on and literally applaud their growth. This is proving to be a tremendous emotional pick-me-up — I recommend it to my fellow walkers.”

And Roger Deschner writes:

“I took a drive out into random countryside on back roads southwest of Joliet. I saw a bald eagle sitting on top of a tree, and then it took off and flew low across a farm field. Awesome, especially to watch it fly.”

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

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