Hey there! It’s Monday, and shout out to the Rundown reader who caught me last night serenading every person who walked by with ABBA’s “Fernando.” Like they say, “If I had to do the same again, I would, my friend, Fernando.” Here’s what you need to know today.

(By the way, if you’d like this emailed to your inbox, you can sign up here.)

1. Pfizer and Moderna vaccines’ effectiveness could last years

Vaccines made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna could provide lasting protection against COVID-19 for years — and possibly a lifetime for people who were infected and later vaccinated, according to a study published today.

The news raises the possibility that many people who received those vaccines may not need boosters, so long as the virus does not mutate and render the vaccines ineffective.

The peer-reviewed study did not examine Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. However, one of the study’s authors told The New York Times he expects the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to be less durable than ones from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. [NYT]

Meanwhile, the highly contagious Delta variant is expected to become the most dominant coronavirus strain in the U.S., but one scientist told NPR that “Delta does not look like it will be much of a threat to vaccines.”

An early study found the Pfizer vaccine is 79% effective against the Delta variant, and another study showed it was 88% effective against symptomatic disease. [NPR]

2. Clues emerge into what may have caused a Florida condo building to collapse

How does a concrete building, created to withstand the impact of hurricanes, collapse suddenly and with so little warning?

An investigation has just begun into what caused a condo building outside of Miami to fall on top of itself, killing at least 10 people. And a structural engineering report from 2018 may offer some clues.

The report, provided to the building’s condo association, found widespread problems, such as significant cracks and breaks in the building’s concrete, which needed to be repaired “in the near future.”

But a month after the report, a town inspector told residents the building was “in very good shape.” [NPR]

The New York Times takes a deeper look into what was known about the building’s structural problems and how the building collapsed. One resident, who is missing, told her husband over the phone that she saw a hole opening near the pool, which was an area of concern in the 2018 report. The call was cut off shortly afterward. [NYT]

Meanwhile, rescue workers continue to search for survivors.

More than 150 people remain missing, though it’s possible some of them were not inside the building when it collapsed. A local official today told ABC’s Good Morning America that workers have found some voids in the ruins, mostly in the basement and parking garage areas. [AP]

3. Chicago suffered two deadly mass shootings Sunday night

At least 17 people were shot — two fatally — in two mass shootings last night that took place about two hours apart.

“These people at war over here. It’s ongoing stuff that just never goes away, basically,” said the mother of a 15-year-old boy who was wounded in a shooting in the South Shore neighborhood, where at least five people were injured and one person was killed.

Hours later, a woman was killed and 10 other people wounded in a shooting in the Marquette Park neighborhood.

According to the Chicago Tribune, at least 77 people were shot, seven of them fatally, over the weekend. [Chicago Tribune]

4. Supreme Court rejects school board’s effort to revive transgender bathroom ban

The nation’s high court today rejected a Virginia school board’s appeal to reinstate a policy that banned a transgender student from using the boys’ bathroom, though the court’s decision does not set a national precedent.

The Supreme Court did not say why it declined to take up the case, which isn’t unusual. The court often turns down cases without explanation. But Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas did vote to hear the school board’s appeal.

Last year, a federal appeals court ruled the Gloucester County school district in Virginia violated the Constitution by barring the student, Gavin Grimm, from using the same bathroom as other boys.

Grimm, who is now 22 years old, welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision.

“We won,” he tweeted, adding, “Honored to have been part of this victory.” [AP]

5. Chicago Blackhawks hire a former federal prosecutor to investigate sexual assault claims

The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Chicago lawyer Reid Schar, who helped lead the federal prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, to conduct an “independent” investigation of sexual assault claims against a former coach, reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney.

The move comes after an unnamed former player sued the team last month, alleging former coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted him and another player in 2010 and the team did not take his complaints seriously.

After leaving the Blackhawks, Aldrich went on to be convicted of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a high school student in 2013, requiring that he be named on the state of Michigan’s sex offender registry. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• As the Fourth of July approaches, the nation faces a shortage of fireworks that’s driving up prices. [NPR]
• A new study says nope, there’s no life on Venus, but we should take a look at Jupiter. [AP]
• A new Illinois law eases business restrictions for home bakers. [WBEZ]
• Harper High School, which garnered national attention after eight students were killed during the 2012 school year, closed for good last week. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

This weekend brought more good news for Hollywood as F9, the latest installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, saw the biggest box office opening since 2019 by bringing in an estimated $70 million in North America.

The news suggests concerns over attending movie theaters is fading now that vaccinations are widely available in the U.S. And it comes at the perfect time for movie theaters, which are hoping to see a robust summer blockbuster season after suffering during the pandemic.

The next big test will be Marvel’s Black Widow, which will be released on July 9. Unlike F9, the next film in Marvel’s superhero franchise will be available simultaneously on Disney+ and in theaters. [CNN]

Speaking of movie theaters, the New 400 theater in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood has survived two pandemics. [Block Club Chicago]

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.

My husband loooooves plants, and our apartment almost looks like a jungle.

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

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