Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and yea or nay: Should my post-pandemic office look include cargo vests? Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Pritzker teases a lottery for vaccinated residents

Gov. JB Pritzker today hinted the state might create a lottery for vaccinated residents in an effort to entice more people to get shots, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Hold on one second. Gotta call my doctor. “Hey there, can you put me down for one of everything? Yeah, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer. The whole thing.”

Sorry about that brief interruption. As the Sun-Times points out, Ohio launched a vaccine lottery and saw its vaccination rates balloon. [Chicago Sun-Times]

What are the vaccination numbers currently looking like in Illinois? About 55% of the state’s adult population has received at least one shot. [Washington Post]

2. Illinois is missing out on the full benefits of pot tourism, critics say

Experts in the recreational marijuana industry say Illinois essentially needs to chill out and create public spaces where stoners can toke up and have fun, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

There is currently nowhere in public to legally get stoned in Chicago, the newspaper reports, and that’s not the case in other states that legalized pot. For example, Colorado allows weed party buses.

These concerns come as the nation prepares to fully reopen this summer, with many observers predicting the U.S. will enter a season of partying, vacationing and decadence after living under pandemic restrictions for more than a year.

And local officials “don’t even know how much money they’re leaving on the table,” said Bryan Zises, co-owner of Chicago’s Dispensary 33. [Sun-Times]

3. An online hub for far-right extremists is run by a suburban Chicago man

The social media website MyMilitia has been described as the “Amazon for people on the fringe,” trafficking in disinformation and conspiracy theories that experts warn can radicalize people.

And the person who owns the website is Joshua Ellis, a 41-year-old man who works in mold remediation and water damage. Court records indicate Ellis lives in Antioch, Ill.

Liberal activists have unsuccessfully tried getting the website removed, saying the violent rhetoric can lead to dangerous outcomes.

Earlier this year, the FBI began an investigation into a Texas man who allegedly posted “alarming statements” on MyMilitia. The man, Seth Aaron Pendley, was arrested this spring for allegedly plotting to bomb an Amazon Data Center. [WBEZ]

4. Chicago is one step closer to getting an elected school board despite objections from Lightfoot

Chicago residents would be able to vote on school board members as soon as 2025 under a plan approved by the Illinois Senate this week. The proposal now goes to the House.

The legislation would create a 21-member board in 2025, with voters electing 10 members and the mayor appointing 11. In 2027, the board would be fully elected for the first time in the city’s history.

The Senate bill would also put a moratorium on school closings until 2025, a concession to proponents who are disappointed they will have to wait years for a fully elected board, reports WBEZ’s Sarah Karp.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot campaigned on creating an elected school board but opposes the current plan, saying 21 members is too big and deep-pocketed interest groups could take over the school district. [WBEZ]

5. We’ll soon have a better idea of how well the U.S. economy is doing, and that could be a problem for Biden

The monthly jobs report for May is expected to be released on Friday, and if it does not show a huge influx of Americans entering the workforce, that could be a huge problem for President Joe Biden’s ambitious agenda, reports Politico.

The monthly jobs report is even more important now after April showed tepid job growth, with employers hiring just 266,000 Americans. Many economists expected to see a boom in April’s hiring rather than a worrisome bust, which could indicate something is not working in the economic recovery.

Economists are predicting this week’s report will show the U.S. added about 630,000 jobs in May. If the numbers don’t meet those expectations, critics of the Biden administration will likely blame federal aid, like beefed up unemployment benefits, which they argue are too generous. [Politico]

Here’s what else is happening

• Former President Barack Obama made a surprise appearance at a meeting of business owners on Chicago’s South Side. [WBEZ]
• Gov. JB Pritzker says he is optimistic lawmakers can reach a deal on clean-energy legislation. [WBEZ]
• Evanston’s reparations program could be a role model for other cities as the issue gains momentum in the U.S. [Politico]
• Here’s a look at voting restrictions that have been enacted in at least 14 states. [Washington Post]

Oh, and one more thing …

Queen Elizabeth II is going platinum in 2022 without dropping the hottest album of the year.

Buckingham Palace today unveiled details of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, a four-day celebration commemorating her unprecedented 70th year on the throne. The event takes place in June of 2022 and includes a concert at Buckingham Palace with “the world’s biggest entertainment stars.” [BBC]

I’m really hoping Grace Jones is one of those stars. Jones performed for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, singing “Slave to the Rhythm” while hula-hooping the entire time. [YouTube]

Tell me something good …

I spent the Memorial Day weekend reading a ton of books, so I’d like to know what is a good book you recently read.

Carole S. Deeter writes:

“I just finished Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. A present-day Arthurian legend story with a Black female protagonist, queer characters, fighting systems of oppression and a good YA love triangle? Yes please!”

And Kath writes:

“Apeirogon by Colum McCann. This is a gut-wrenching book that focuses, in part, on two fathers. One is Israeli, the other Palestinian. Both have lost a child to the violence in their area. The struggles and arguments made me want to learn more about that ongoing conflict, but it also made me think about our racial conflicts here in the U.S.”

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

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