Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and I got a feeling this summer is going to be bonkers. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Chicago Police launched a secret drone program, leaked emails show

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that city emails leaked online show the Chicago Police Department used money and other assets seized during investigations to fund a secret drone program.

Some of the drones would be used for “for missing persons, crime scene photos, and terrorist related issues,” Karen Conway, director of police research and development, wrote to another high-ranking official within the Police Department.

Ed Yohnka, a spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, raised concerns about privacy issues and questioned the Police Department’s motives, telling the Sun-Times that the city “continues to pursue the invasive technologies without any public disclosure, oversight or publicly adopted privacy policies.”

The emails cited by the newspaper are among a giant trove of hacked emails that were leaked online last month by Distributed Denial of Secrets, a nonprofit whistleblower group. [Sun-Times]

2. Death toll climbs as violence continues to escalate between Israel and Hamas

More than 50 Palestinians, including 14 children and three women, have been killed in Gaza and at least 320 people have been injured amid rising cross-border violence sparked by clashes in Jerusalem. At least six Israelis have died from rocket fire, including three women and a child.

As The Associated Press reports, the fighting resembles the devastation of a 2014 war between Hamas and Israel, but there is a major difference: “a burst of fury from Israel’s Palestinian citizens in support of those living in the territories as well as counterviolence by Jewish Israelis.”

There is no sign the warlike violence will come to an end soon. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said militants in Gaza will “pay a heavy price” for the rocket fire. Hamas has called for a full-scale uprising. [AP]

3. “I stand with Liz,” says Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger after House GOP ousts Cheney from leadership role

House Republicans today removed U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming from their leadership ranks over her criticism of former President Donald Trump, his false claims of a stolen election and his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The decision caps months of fighting within the GOP and reflects the party’s intolerance for breaking away from Trump. In a speech yesterday, Cheney said the former president poses “a threat America has never seen before,” and she warned the Republican Party is sliding into authoritarianism. [NPR]

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who voted to impeach Trump along with Cheney and eight other Republicans, today defended Cheney.

“I stand with Liz. I’m proud of her. There’s a lot of people who are proud of her for what she’s done, and a lot of people who feel threatened by her.” [CNN]

4. Derek Chauvin faces the possibility of a longer sentence in the killing of George Floyd

A ruling from a Minnesota judge paves the way for the possibility that former officer Derek Chauvin could face a longer sentence.

In an order made public today, Judge Peter Cahill said he found four aggravating factors in the case: Chauvin abused his authority as a police officer, treated George Floyd with “particular cruelty,” committed the crime as part of a group and did so while children were present.

Chauvin is expected to be sentenced on June 25. The trial of three other former Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd’s death — J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — is set to begin Aug. 23. [NPR]

5. Things are getting more expensive, fueling concerns over inflation

Consumer prices jumped much faster than expected last month by 4.2% compared to a year ago, the largest increase since 2008, the Labor Department said today. The news comes as economists debate how severe of a risk inflation poses as the U.S. tries to regain its footing since the pandemic recession.

What’s behind the jump in prices? Disruptions to the global supply chain have caused companies to pay more for critical materials, such as lumber and steel. And the federal government’s huge stimulus efforts to prop up the economy could also be a factor.

Many economists say it’s too early to gauge the threat of inflation, and some believe this could be just a blip as the economy essentially reboots. But if inflation continues to accelerate, companies could struggle with higher costs, and millions of Americans who remain unemployed will most likely be disproportionately impacted. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Scientists are racing to understand a coronavirus variant as the number of cases soars in India. [AP]
• Raised bicycle lanes are coming to Chicago. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Ellen DeGeneres will step down from her long-running daytime talk show next year. [Hollywood Reporter]
• The nation’s newest chess master is a 10-year-old kid in New York. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

The Go-Go’s, Tina Turner and Carole King were among those inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, marking the first time that three female artists have been inducted in the performers category in a single class, reports NPR. And seven of the total 15 inductees are women.

The news comes as the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has long been criticized for snubbing female artists. The Go-Go’s, for example, have been celebrated for decades as one of the most influential all-women bands, and the group has been eligible since their debut LP, Beauty and the Beat, turned 25 in 2006.

“I think there was a lot of misogyny within the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for a long, long time. Just by the ratio of men to women in it, that really says it all,” said lead singer Belinda Carlisle in an interview with Vulture earlier this year.

Also inducted were Jay-Z, the Foo Fighters and Todd Rundgren. [NPR]

Tell me something good …

As we get closer to the big reopening, I’d like to know what you’re looking forward to as life gets more normal.

Ellie writes:

“ I am really looking forward to wearing lipstick (when we no longer need masks). It’s my fave part of make-up. I wear a pretty pink-rose, and I cannot wait for people to see it again! 💋”

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

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