Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and it’s also the last day of WBEZ’s pledge drive, which helps make this newsletter free to the public. If you can make a donation, it would mean a lot to me. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. The life expectancy for Black Chicagoans is falling, and the city’s violence is partly to blame

Black residents on average are expected to live about nine years less than non-Black residents, according to a recent study from the Chicago Department of Public Health.

The study found this racial gap grew between 2012 and 2017, with Black Chicagoans living an average of 71.4 years and non-Black residents living an average of 80.6 years, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Among the main factors for this disparity are homicides. And the recent rise in gun violence, along with COVID-19’s devastating impact on communities of color, could mean the situation is even worse than we know, said Phoenix Matthews, an associate dean for equity and inclusion at the University of Illinois at Chicago. [Chicago Sun-Times]

The news comes as Chicago saw its deadliest day of the year Tuesday, when eight people were killed, reports the Sun-Times. At least 26 people were wounded in shootings yesterday. [ST]

2. Illinois lawmakers poised to approve an elected school board for Chicago

A bill creating an elected school board in Chicago appears likely to pass the Illinois House today despite objections from Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

The bill would create a 21-member school board. City residents would get to vote on 10 of the seats after the 2024 general election, with the mayor appointing the 11 remaining seats. The board would become fully elected by 2026.

Lightfoot says a 21-member board is too large to get anything accomplished, and the bill doesn’t include campaign finance caps. Crain’s Chicago Business reports the mayor made a last-ditch pitch to the Illinois House Black Caucus, urging them to sidetrack the bill, but the caucus refused.

Gov. JB Pritzker is expected to sign the bill if it clears the House. [Crain’s]

3. Biden and Putin’s high-stakes summit

President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first in-person summit today, and while both men said the talks were constructive, it was clear some tensions remained.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Putin denied Moscow was behind cyberattacks on U.S. institutions that are increasingly bolder. Putin also suggested he was not interested in setting boundaries on what kinds of cyberattacks were acceptable during peacetime, which was one of Biden’s objectives.

In a separate press conference, Biden said the U.S. would continue to stand by Ukraine in its war against Russian-backed separatists. Biden also said he would continue to call out Russia on human rights violations, such as the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and two U.S. Marines. [NPR]

4. Intense heat wave smashes records in parts of the U.S.

About 40 million Americans could see temperatures hit or surpass 100 degrees as a long-lasting and potentially deadly heat wave hits the West and Southwest, reports Axios.

The heat wave coincides with already severe drought conditions that could cause another devastating season of wildfires, from Arizona to California and parts of Montana.

And the record-breaking temperatures come as scientists increasingly warn that heat waves will become even more intense and last longer as the overall climate gets warmer. [Axios]

The situation is so bad that doctors are literally warning people about the risk of burns from sidewalks and roadways. [NPR]

5. Pritzker’s plan to combat climate change faces an unknown future

The lights appear to be dimming on Gov. Pritzker’s ambitious green energy plan that aims to put Illinois on a path of reaching 100% carbon-free energy by 2050.

The Illinois Senate adjourned yesterday without finding an agreement on one of the biggest sticking points of Pritzker’s plan — phasing out coal and natural gas power plants. Labor unions claim thousands of jobs would be lost, but environmentalists argue investments in clean energy would create more opportunities.

Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, said disagreements between unions and environmentalists prevented lawmakers from reaching a compromise. The situation signals how growing concerns over climate change are butting up against unions, a loyal ally of Democrats.

Pritzker’s plan also seeks to put Illinois in a better position to take advantage of the growing electric vehicle market, and the plan would bail out financially struggling nuclear power plants. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Mayor Lightfoot is now proposing a midnight liquor curfew for Chicago instead of a cutoff at 10 p.m. [Chicago Tribune]
• The Illinois attorney general should file charges over the massive chemical fire in Rockton, Ill., state officials say. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Juneteenth is now an official state holiday in Illinois. [Block Club Chicago]
• Temperatures in the Chicago area could hit the mid-90s tomorrow. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

There’s a lot of hilarious stuff in the news today, so here are some things that I’ve been laughing about … alone … in my apartment.

First up: Someone bought a painting at a thrift store for about $4, and it turned out to be a piece created by the late legend David Bowie. Now, it could fetch about $18,000 at an auction. [NPR]

A new plant-based alternative to milk uses pineapples and cabbages. [Washington Post]

Don’t worry if your cat or dog eats a cicada. [NYT]

Kim Jong Un’s weight could have geopolitical ramifications. [AP]

Tell me something good …

Today’s the last day of WBEZ’s summer pledge drive. So I’d like to know what you enjoy about public radio, whether it’s your favorite show, podcast, host or memory.

Scott writes:

“ ‘From a Distance’ — Episode 20, Act 3 of This American Life. Ira reading out a transcript of someone apologizing to a phone line about a person’s stalking obsession with ‘Snuggles,’ the bear from the eponymous fabric softener.”

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

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