Hey there! It’s Friday, and a heads up: The newsletter will be taking a little break on Monday. But I’ll be back on Tuesday. In the meantime, here’s a TikTok of a guy making sandwiches from cookbooks dating as far back as 1909. And here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Chicago aldermen grill police superintendent ahead of typically violent weekend

Aldermen, unhappy with the city’s persistently high level of gun violence, today held a special meeting of the City Council to hear from Police Superintendent David Brown ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, which typically sees a large number of shootings.

The wide-ranging hearing touched on everything from a spike in carjackings to the mental health of police officers to investing more in social services. But when it came to the source of the surge in violence, Brown repeatedly claimed Cook County judges are releasing too many people from jail as they await trial.

But high-ranking city officials have privately said there is no evidence linking judges to the rise in crime, according to internal emails that were leaked earlier this year. [WBEZ]

And some aldermen today cited a 2020 study by researchers at Loyola University who found no link between a rise in crime and bond court decisions and pretrial releases. [Safety and Justice Challenge]

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her allies criticized today’s meeting as a cynical political ploy that prevents Brown from preparing for the weekend. But 19 aldermen pushed for Brown’s hearing, suggesting how broadly the City Council is desperate and frustrated with the situation.

Meanwhile, 59% of Americans say crime is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem, the highest number since 2017, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. But the survey found that Americans don’t just want more police. [WaPo]

2. Most Americans are more concerned about voting access than fraud, poll finds

About 56% of Americans say making sure everyone has access to voting is a bigger concern than voting fraud, according to a NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released today.

And the survey found a majority of Americans support voter IDs, with nearly 8 in 10 saying voters should be required to show some sort of photo identification. Support for voter IDs extended to Democrats, Republicans, independents, whites and nonwhites.

The poll also found that two-thirds of Americans believe the nation’s democracy is “under threat,” but likely for reasons that fall along party lines. [NPR]

3. Hurricane Elsa could complicate rescue efforts at collapsed Florida condo

Crews searching for survivors of the Champlain Towers South collapse may hit another major setback, as officials say they are keeping an eye on Hurricane Elsa and quickly putting together contingency plans.

The path of the hurricane remains uncertain, but forecasters project that most of Florida falls within Elsa’s trajectory.

No survivors have been found in more than a week. Rescue operations were paused for 15 hours yesterday due to concerns that the remaining part of the building would collapse. That prompted officials to consider plans to demolish what’s left of the building.

At least 20 people are known to have died in the collapse, and as many as 128 people remain missing. [Miami Herald]

4. Great news for the U.S. economy

Employers added 850,000 workers last month, the Labor Department announced today, a sign that suggests the nation’s economic recovery is picking up even more momentum and concerns over worker shortages may have been overblown.

And the good news doesn’t end there.

Consumer confidence surged last month and is nearly back to its pre-pandemic level. And workers appear to have the upper hand with employers, who are offering higher wages as they desperately try to staff up.

And this all follows yesterday’s news that the U.S. could recover all the jobs lost during the pandemic by the middle of next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. [AP]

5. Should marijuana prevent an American athlete from competing in the Olympics?

That’s one of many questions being raised by the 30-day suspension of American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who tested positive for THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana.

The suspension means Richardson, a gold-medal favorite, will not be able to compete in the 100-meter race, which propelled her to stardom in track and field trials held last month in Oregon.

The news has reignited a debate over whether marijuana should be considered a performance-enhancing drug. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency outright bans it, but a 2018 study by researchers in Canada found there is no evidence that athletes use cannabis to get an edge over competitors. [NPR]

Meanwhile, the Olympics are being criticized for banning swimming caps designed for natural Black hair. [Guardian]

Here’s what else is happening

• Scammers are targeting Illinois residents with bogus texts about renewing their driver’s licenses. [Chicago Tribune]
• Chicago Ald. Carrie Austin is the latest member of the City Council to be indicted. [WBEZ]
• Here’s a look at where you can find fireworks in the Chicago area this weekend. [Chicago Tribune]
• “You can’t actually blow up the White House in a TV spot.” The Hollywood Reporter has an oral history of Independence Day, which hit movie theaters 25 years ago. [THR]

Oh, and one more thing …

I still have ABBA’s “Fernando” stuck in my head. Luckily, there are a lot of podcasts from WBEZ that I can turn to this weekend to help knock that song out.

Nerdette talks about some of the biggest stories this week, such as the highly contagious delta variant and the deadly heatwave in the Pacific Northwest. Host Greta Johnsen also talks to the editorial director of The New York Times Games section, who says she’s got big plans for crossword land. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, Art of Power talks to the founder of a video game company about how he transformed from a gamer to a gaming mogul. [WBEZ]

And Curious City is rerunning an episode that examines the origins of “Midwest nice.” [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

It seems like everyone I know is buying house plants or gardening, so I’d like to know what you’re growing, planting or buying this summer.

Vivian Noble writes:

“I have been purchasing pots of zinnias from Costco for the last few summers. The colors are so vibrant, and they make my day every time I see them. The birds love the flowers for perching, and the seeds are a bonus for them. It’s happiness in a flower pot.”

And Brett writes:

“I’ll tell you what NOT to do when dealing with plants. I once brought home some pamplemousse LaCroix from the store and accidentally punctured one of them. To put the leaking beverage to good use, I watered a few plants with it. The next day they were all dead.”

Thanks for all the responses this week! Don’t worry if I didn’t get to you. I got so many responses this week that we’ll do the same question next week.

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

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