Hey there! It’s Friday, and a disclaimer: Today’s main story contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Female lifeguards allege rape and sexual harassment in Evanston

More than 50 female lifeguards and other beach employees in Evanston have alleged their co-workers in the lakefront suburb engaged in rampant sexual misconduct — often against underage girls, according to a petition obtained by WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos.

One of the four women who authored the petition and gathered signatures said some of the female beach workers then met with Evanston city officials. But she said she was frustrated because the leaders responsible for the beaches along Lake Michigan did not agree to the demands listed in the petition, which was handed to city officials in the summer of 2020.

In the petition, the young women called on Evanston officials to apologize publicly for failing to address “the blatant sexism, sexual harassment, assault, racism, and discrimination that occurs at the lakefront.” [WBEZ]

2. Chicago teens seek to reclaim neighborhoods from violence

Block Club Chicago has a fascinating story about a group of West Side teenagers who have established a “safe zone” that hosts events and activities in an effort to take back their neighborhood from crime.

The safe zone, located in South Austin, was born out of the Austin Safety Action Plan, a youth-led initiative created last year amid a spike in violence.

Aisha Oliver, a community organizer who helped develop the plan, told Block Club Chicago the safe zone is “our own area where we control the narrative of what happens and take back those spaces where people have started to do idle things in.” [Block Club Chicago]

3. “This is becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated”

That’s according to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who says U.S. cases of COVID-19 are up 70% over the last week. Nearly all deaths and hospitalizations are among the unvaccinated, Walenksy said.

A White House official told The Associated Press that the administration expects cases to continue climbing, especially in states with low vaccination rates. For example, one in five new cases last week came from Florida.

Meanwhile, officials in Japan are growing concerned about next week’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo, which is reporting a surge in cases. [AP]

4. Death toll from extreme flooding in Europe surpasses 100

Emergency workers are racing to rescue hundreds of people who are in danger or are missing after devastating floods have killed at least 120 people in Germany and parts of Belgium.

Authorities say about 1,300 people were missing in Germany as of last night. And search and rescue efforts have been hampered for several reasons. The extreme floods have knocked down communication networks, roads have been washed away and more rain could be in store for the region.

German officials and scientists say climate change is at least partially responsible for the flooding, as studies have shown that a warming atmosphere can hold more moisture that can then create extreme rainfall. [NPR]

5. Last year was good for LGBTQ movie characters

An annual study found LGBTQ characters had more screen time in 2020, reports NPR. According to GLAAD’s annual Studio Responsibility Index, more films featured LGBTQ characters, who had more than 10 minutes of screen time in 80% of movies released by a major studio.

There is a huge caveat. Because of the pandemic, this year’s study only looked at 44 movies compared to last year’s 118.

GLAAD’s study did find huge gaps in representation. New movies released last year contained zero transgender or non-binary characters for the fourth year in a row. There were zero LGBTQ characters with a disability. And there were no LGBTQ characters living with HIV. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Lawyers who promoted former President Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud are now defending themselves in court. [NPR]
• Some companies in Illinois are facing a new challenge as offices reopen: employees who developed addictions during the pandemic. [Chicago Tribune]
• Parts of the Amazon rainforest are now releasing more carbon dioxide than they absorb, according to a new study. [NPR]
• Monty and Rose, the endangered piping plovers who heroically took down a Chicago EDM festival, will appear on the big screen. [WTTW]

Oh, and one more thing …

I can’t stop laughing at the brutal takedowns of Space Jam: A New Legacy, the sequel to 1996’s Space Jam that is now in theaters and available on HBO Max.

NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour described the film as “the ultimate vanity project.” [NPR]

The New York Times writes “the movie throws so many gags at the screen that several jokes actually stick. But the purposeful sensory overload mostly yields head-spinning stupefaction, leaving a viewer feeling like Wile E. Coyote after hitting a mesa wall.” [NYT]

The New York Post just straight up called the film an “abomination.” [NY Post]

And Polygon takes it one step further by writing the film is the awful future of entertainment. [Polygon]

Tell me something good …

You know what, I’ll tell you something good. Thank you so much for reading this newsletter. I know the news can be a bummer sometimes, and I’ve gained my fair share of white hair over the last year (looks into a mirror that bursts into flames), but it’s been a pleasure hearing from y’all. I hope you have a great weekend.

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