Hey there! It’s Friday, and Chicago could see snow next week. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Adam Toledo shooting is a “tough case,” says former head of police oversight agency

As the investigation into the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo continues, a former city official who oversaw such probes says it may be difficult to determine whether the use of force was justified.

“This is going to be a tough case for investigators to work on,” said Sharon Fairley, whose tenure at Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority was widely respected by police reformers. Fairley said Supreme Court precedents allow officers to use their weapons if they fear for their safety.

But Fairley questioned whether the risks of a foot chase outweigh the benefits, saying officers need to “understand that sometimes it’s perfectly OK to let someone get away.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

Merrick Bobb, executive director of the Los Angeles-based Police Assessment Resource Center, says the key question is whether the officers “got themselves to that point by some mistake of tactic or strategy, and whether the whole incident could have been contained and the persons arrested without the use of force that we saw taking place — i.e., a shooting.” [WBEZ]

Eric Stillman, the officer who shot Adam Toledo, has been with the police department for five years.

During that time, four use of force reports and three complaints have been filed against him, according to the Invisible Institute, which maintains a database of police misconduct records. [Block Club Chicago]

2. Chicago residents 16 and over will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines on Monday

The city will move forward with the next phase in vaccinations to meet President Joe Biden’s target for opening up eligibility to all adults by April 19. But city officials urge residents to be patient, because there will not be enough shots for everyone immediately. [WBEZ]

WBEZ’s Vivian McCall has this easy-to-read guide on how you can find an appointment, a process that can be confusing and frustrating as the supply of vaccine doses is limited. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Chicago. City officials are reporting a seven-day average of 733 cases per day, up 20% from last week. The city’s positivity rate is up to 5.8% from last week’s 5.2%. [COVID Dashboard]

3. Biden to announce new goal in cutting greenhouse gas emissions

President Joe Biden next week is expected to unveil a new target, and environmental groups, scientists and major business leaders are pushing him to cut emissions 50% by 2030, reports NPR.

The news comes as scientists around the world say emissions need to drop to net-zero by 2050 in the hopes of preventing the more dire effects of climate change, such as intense heat waves and an extreme rise of sea levels.

In order to cut emissions 50% in just nine years, renewable energy needs to ramp up, gas-guzzling cars need to take a backseat to electric vehicles and we may need to phase out the use of natural gas in heating and cooking, reports NPR. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Scientific American and news organizations around the world have decided to use the term “climate emergency” in their coverage of climate change. [Scientific American]

4. Eight people killed in mass shooting at Indianapolis FedEx facility

Authorities are searching for a motive after a gunman opened fire at a FedEx facility, killing eight people and injuring several others, NPR reports. It is just the latest mass shooting to hit the nation in a matter of weeks.

Police have not identified the people killed as they work to contact their relatives. The suspect is believed to have shot and killed himself immediately after the shooting, according to police.

Levi Miller told WTHR-TV that he was working inside the facility when he heard several gunshots.

“I see a man come out with a rifle in his hand and he starts firing and he starts yellin’ stuff that I could not understand,” Miller said. “What I ended up doing was ducking down to make sure he did not see me because I thought he would see me and he would shoot me.” [NPR]

5. What’s in Lightfoot’s plan to create a partially elected school board

Mayor Lori Lightfoot in recent weeks has been under pressure to deliver a key campaign pledge: to create an elected school board. This week, legislation backed by the mayor was introduced in the Illinois Senate.

The proposal would allow Chicago residents to elect two members of a seven-seat board in 2026, with the mayor handpicking the other five. In 2028, the board would expand to 11 members, with eight being chosen by the mayor and the other three by voters.

The board would revert back to complete mayoral control in 2032 unless state lawmakers vote on an extension.

Lightfoot’s plan faces competing measures. Illinois state Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, has proposed a fully elected board, and a House plan would divide the city into 20 school board districts with elected representatives. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• President Biden will not lift the Trump-era cap of 15,000 refugee admissions for this year. [AP]
• Russia expelled 10 diplomats in retaliation against new U.S. sanctions. [AP]
• A founding member of the extremist Oath Keepers group pleaded guilty today on charges connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection. [NPR]
• Simon & Schuster says it will no longer distribute a book written by one of the Louisville police officers who shot Breonna Taylor. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

This month marks five years since the legend known as Prince unexpectedly died, and I sometimes wonder what it would have been like to party at the singer’s Paisley Park complex.

It turns out WBEZ’s Natalie Moore went to Prince’s parties. Moore has a wonderful column in the Chicago Sun-Times about the parties and how her daughter’s due date was the day Prince died.

“To this day, I still sing ‘The Ballad of Dorothy Parker’ as a lullaby. Yes, I know it is probably inappropriate for her to know all the words, but the melody puts her to sleep,” Moore writes. [Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

How are you preparing to go back to the office when this pandemic is over?

Paul Lockwood writes:

“How am I preparing to go back to the office? By being fully vaccinated (had my second shot this week!), fully masked and fully wary of being too close to fellow commuters and coworkers!”

Thanks for all the responses this week. I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from y’all!

Thanks for reading and have a nice night! I’ll see you on Monday.

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