Hey there! It’s Thursday. Sweet, sweet Thursday, when serotonin returns to my brain because tomorrow is Friday. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Pritzker hopes to fully reopen Illinois as soon as June 11

In another sign the worst of the pandemic is behind us, Gov. JB Pritzker today announced he hopes to fully reopen Illinois as soon as June 11. Chicago, which sets its own rules, hopes to reopen by July 4.

But before June 11, the state will enter a so-called Bridge Phase on May 14 that will see some business restrictions lifted, so long as the state’s number of coronavirus cases continues on its downward trajectory.

Under the Bridge Phase, restaurants would be limited to seating parties no larger than 10 people and tables must remain six feet apart. Indoor standing areas would be limited to serving at no more than 30% capacity. [WBEZ]

2. Lightfoot’s new deputy mayor for public safety defended an officer involved in the alleged Laquan McDonald cover-up

Police reform advocates are blasting Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to hire John O’Malley as her new deputy mayor of public safety.

O’Malley formerly served on the Chicago Police Board, which decides whether officers should be disciplined for wrongdoing. The Chicago Tribune reports O’Malley sided with officers in high-profile cases.

O’Malley was the only board member to vote against dismissing one of four officers who were accused of trying to cover up the police killing of Laquan McDonald.

Civil rights attorney Sheila Bedi wrote on Twitter that O’Malley’s track record sends a “a loud & clear message to racist CPD officers who kill & harm w impunity: They’re safe. We’re not.” [Chicago Tribune]

3. U.S. jobless claims fall to pandemic lows for fourth week in a row

Weekly unemployment claims fell last week to 498,000, the Labor Department announced today, a new pandemic low for the fourth week in a row and a sign that the labor market is gaining momentum.

Today’s news comes as the federal government tomorrow will release its big April jobs report, which is expected to show the U.S. added nearly 1 million jobs. If that’s the case, it would mean the U.S. still needs to regain more than 7 million jobs in order to hit pre-pandemic levels. [AP]

Meanwhile, many companies in the Chicago area are offering hiring bonuses as they face a labor shortage. [Chicago Tribune]

4. China’s greenhouse gas emissions surpass all developed countries combined

That’s according to an analysis released today by the research firm Rhodium Group, and the findings also suggest all countries will have to take dramatic and immediate action in order to meet goals outlined in the Paris climate accord.

China is responsible for 27% of global emissions, while the U.S. is the second-largest emitter with 11%, according to the report. India is third with 6.6%. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, a growing drought in California and much of the West is raising concerns the region will see another season of extreme and destructive wildfires. [NPR]

And there’s a “lithium gold rush” in the U.S. to power electric cars, and it highlights that renewable energy may not be as green as it appears. [NYT]

5. Florida becomes the latest state to restrict voting

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) today signed into law a sweeping elections bill that Democrats and voting rights advocates say will make it harder for voters to cast ballots, particularly people of color.

The law adds more hurdles to voting by mail and restricts the use of drop boxes that became popular during the pandemic. DeSantis and other Republicans hailed the law as essential to safeguarding elections, even as they admit the state saw no major voting irregularities last year.

Today’s news comes as several states with Republican-dominated legislatures have moved to restrict voting after former President Donald Trump’s loss to President Joe Biden. [AP]

Here’s what else is happening

• A person who faked their own death was exposed by their poodle. [BBC]
• The maker of American Girl dolls and a Chicago astronomer have resolved a lawsuit accusing the company of stealing their likeness. [Chicago Tribune]
• The “Obama Portraits” will be projected on Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in June. [Chicago Tribune]
• Netflix released a teaser for the next season of Stranger Things. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

Alright, folks, I think we really might have to do a Stacey Abrams book club. Because the prominent political player (and former romance novelist) now has a political thriller, reports The Washington Post.

The book, When Justice Sleeps, is about “a president who’s involved in international intrigue and a Supreme Court justice who’s fallen into a persistent vegetative state, and this law clerk has to sort of save the world,” Abrams told the newspaper. [WaPo]

LOL, sorry, just give me a minute. The title makes so much sense now. Whew, I needed that after, you know, surviving a pandemic. I seriously laughed for a solid five minutes.

Tell me something good …

Summer really does feel like it’s around the corner. What are you looking forward to when the weather warms up?

Don writes:

“I am looking forward to taking in and photographing the stunning glowing top of the Carbide and Carbon Building. The northwest setting sun strikes the gold ‘cork’ on the top of the green champagne bottle-colored tile of this Art Deco building and causes the gold leaf to glow and spectacularly radiate.

“I live on a high floor in a building north of this building and feel fortunate to have a beautiful view and a joy to behold. The savoring of this summer’s gold shimmering reflections will mark my last as a building now under construction, and growing daily across South Water Street, will obscure the building from my view. Like summer and life in general, things end, and I will try to appreciate this view while it lasts.”

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

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