WBEZ’s Rundown Of Today’s Top News: Is It Time To Mask-Up Again?

Fall 2020
People walk down Michigan Avenue on November 13, 2020. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ
Fall 2020
People walk down Michigan Avenue on November 13, 2020. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ

WBEZ’s Rundown Of Today’s Top News: Is It Time To Mask-Up Again?

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Hey there! It’s Thursday! And I, a 38-year-old, threw out my back while Mick Jagger, who is 77, will be on tour for two months. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Concerns over delta variant could bring back mask requirements

White House officials have begun debating whether they should revive face mask mandates — which would include fully vaccinated Americans — as the highly contagious delta variant is causing a spike in cases and overwhelming hospitals, especially in conservative communities.

The Washington Post reports the talks are in a “preliminary phase,” and they coincide with separate discussions among scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [WaPo]

In the Chicago area, a top public health official told the Chicago Tribune that the level of community spread remains low, and fully vaccinated residents can continue going maskless in most settings. [Chicago Tribune]

The debate over masks comes as school districts across Illinois are preparing to welcome back students. As WBEZ’s Susie An reports, some districts are struggling with whether to enact mandates or go mask-optional. [WBEZ]

2. Merrick Garland visits Chicago to highlight anti-violence “strike forces”

Attorney General Merrick Garland is in Chicago today to tout the Biden administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence, which has spiked in cities across the nation.

Politico reports Garland will unveil new “strike forces” that are “aimed at shutting down the pipelines of guns being illegally trafficked into urban centers.” A Justice Department official told the website that most illegal guns flowing into Chicago usually come from downstate Illinois and Indiana.

But officials told Politico they understand that today’s news could be viewed as just another policy announcement, and “a new approach will be required to get better results” in reducing gun violence. [Politico]

Garland’s visit comes after at least 27 people were shot, three fatally, within 8 hours in Chicago. [Chicago Tribune]

3. Evanston official is suspended after more than 50 lifeguards and beach workers said they were sexually assaulted and harassed

Officials in north suburban Evanston have suspended the head of human resources, Jennifer Lin, amid questions over her handling of sexual misconduct allegations from dozens of young girls and women who worked as lifeguards and beach workers, reports WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos.

In an email to members of the City Council, Evanston City Manager Erika Storlie said Lin did not disclose the allegations to her and the city’s top lawyer. Those allegations were detailed in a petition signed last summer by 56 female beach employees. Storlie also said she is considering punishments for other employees who were aware of the petition but failed to notify high-ranking officials.

Today’s news comes after city employees last week defended their handling of the petition, saying they had taken “appropriate actions.” [WBEZ]

4. A racial divide emerges in the debate over keeping Chicago police in public high schools

A year after the police killing of George Floyd reignited a heated debate over police officers in schools, about two-thirds of Black students in traditional high schools will still see a regular police presence this fall, according to a WBEZ analysis of school data.

Some schools, like Hyde Park High School, do not have very many resources after years of declining student enrollment and slashed budgets. Parent and activist Dexter Leggin said under-resourced schools feel like police are their only option for dealing with troubled students.

“When a kid is acting up, we don’t have the resources,” he said. [WBEZ]

5. Olympics opening ceremony director is fired for Holocaust comments

Just a day before the Opening Ceremony, the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee sacked the show’s director, Kentaro Kobayashi, because of an anti-Semitic joke about the Holocaust that recently resurfaced. He also is said to have bullied people with disabilities.

Kobayashi is the latest in a series of scandals to face the Tokyo Olympics, and it’s not clear how his last-minute firing will affect the ceremony, which is expected to run about three hours.

Ceremony organizers were already scrambling because of last-minute changes to the music after the composer resigned. In interviews in the 1990s, Keigo Oyamada boasted about bullying people when he was a student — including classmates with disabilities.

And in March, the creative director of the opening and closing ceremonies resigned after he made disparaging remarks about a Japanese female comedian. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

  • China rejected the World Health Organization’s plan for the second phase of a study into the origins of COVID-19. [NPR]
  • The IRS is warning Americans about child tax credit scams. [NPR]
  • Famed musician Eric Clapton said he won’t perform at venues that require COVID-19 vaccinations. [NPR]
  • Netflix officially announced it will expand into video games as growth in subscriptions slows down. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

You might want to sit down for this one. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says he is going to Lollapalooza, reports Capitol Fax.

“I intend to go to Lollapalooza. I’m bringing my wife and a few friends to Lollapalooza. So I think it’s OK,” the governor said today during a media briefing.

Pritzker and his wife are both fully vaccinated, and studies have consistently shown vaccinations are effective against COVID-19.

What I want to know is what performances he is going to watch and what is he going to wear? The four-day music festival next week features Miley Cyrus, Tyler The Creator, Post Malone and Foo Fighters. [Capitol Fax]

Tell me something good …

I have to do a performance review for work because apparently showing up everyday isn’t enough. But I’d like to know: What was the first job you had, and did you learn anything meaningful from the experience?

Val Cavin writes:

“My first job as a ‘Kelly Girl’ (temporary office worker) in Detroit was as a receptionist at a small moving and storage company. I replaced a long-time receptionist and bookkeeper who was out sick. When the boss had me write checks and then call the bank for a balance, he discovered that the receptionist had embezzled thousands of dollars from him. That job lasted a little longer than planned.”

And Dave Connell writes:

“My first job was a city job in the town I grew up in. It was picking up the garbage. One day I told the boss where I knew a bunch of garbage was, so we drove over there and he dropped me and two other girls off and said he would be back in about 90 minutes. The two girls put a big box in their bag and tied it up and looked over at me and said, ‘You found the garbage, you pick up the garbage.’ Lesson learned: Keep your mouth shut.”

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

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