WBEZ’s Rundown Of Today’s Top News: Summer Events Return In Chicago

Chicago Pride
People watch the 50th Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Amr Alfiky / AP Photo
Chicago Pride
People watch the 50th Chicago Pride Parade in Chicago, Sunday, June 30, 2019. Amr Alfiky / AP Photo

WBEZ’s Rundown Of Today’s Top News: Summer Events Return In Chicago

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and do I deserve a break today? Or should I have it my way? Here’s what you need to know today.

(By the way, if you’d like this emailed to your inbox, you can sign up here.)

1. Summer cultural events return in Chicago

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced today that several cultural events will return this summer as part of a plan to fully reopen the city by July 4.

The events include the Taste of Chicago To-Go, the Maxwell Street Market and concerts at the Pritzker Pavilion, in addition to several festivals, such as Pride in the Park and Printers Row Lit Fest.

Some events organized by the city will have capacity limits, and officials say people will need to remain vigilant by wearing masks, staying socially distant and getting vaccinated. [Block Club Chicago]

The city also announced a summer concert series that is only open for people who are fully vaccinated. [Block Club Chicago]

The news comes as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases continues to decline in Chicago. The city is reporting a seven-day average of 510 cases per day, down from last week’s 530. [COVID Dashboard]

Meanwhile, a federal judge today ruled the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention overstepped its authority by issuing a nationwide eviction moratorium. [USA Today]

2. Kim Foxx’s top assistant resigns after probe into a prosecutor’s erroneous comments regarding Adam Toledo

The second-highest ranking official in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is resigning after an internal review found an oversight failure led to a prosecutor mischaracterizing video of the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo, reports WBEZ’s Patrick Smith.

State’s Attorney Kim Foxx would not say why her top assistant, Jennifer Coleman, was resigning, but Coleman’s job included keeping Foxx updated of what was happening in county courtrooms.

Last month, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy described Adam as holding a gun in his right hand when he was shot. Videos later released by the city showed Adam with a gun during a foot chase but dropped it seconds before he was fatally shot by Officer Eric Stillman. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, Latino leaders want the Chicago Police Department to put a moratorium on foot chases. [Chicago Sun-Times]

And the head of the city agency that investigates police shootings announced she will resign. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Chicago students will be back in classrooms full-time in the fall, schools chief says

Outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson said the next academic year will begin with schools opening as they normally would before the pandemic. She said there would be exceptions for people with “extenuating circumstances.” [Chicago Tribune]

Jackson’s comments come as the Food and Drug Administration is expected any day now to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for adolescents 12 to 15 years old. Canada today gave the OK for administering the two-dose vaccine to the same age group. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, it’s not clear who will replace Jackson as the head of Chicago’s public school system. But whoever it is will face several challenges, including whether they’ll still have the job in two years when Mayor Lightfoot is up for reelection. [WBEZ]

4. States passed a historic number of antiabortion bills in just 4 days

Seven states signed into law 28 restrictions on abortions from April 26 to 29, the most antiabortion legislation to become law in a single week in more than a decade, according to an analysis from the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights.

The flurry of restrictions come as conservatives hope the U.S. Supreme Court will revisit abortion rights now that the nation’s high court has a conservative majority. But the strategy has changed.

Before 2019, state legislatures sought to make access to abortions harder, like mandating waiting periods. But after 2019, states began outright banning the procedure. [The Lily]

5. Facebook oversight board upholds Trump ban — and renews debate over company’s power over speech

An oversight board funded by Facebook found the company was “justified” in barring former President Donald Trump, but the company should reassess its indefinite ban and make a final decision in six months.

The board’s decision renewed calls from Republicans to regulate social media companies that they claim harbor anti-conservatives biases. But many researchers and civil rights groups say Trump’s efforts to undermine last year’s election and encourage violence posed significant risks to the nation. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Axios reports that Trump is “increasingly likely to run in 2024,” according to unnamed sources close to the former president. [Axios]

The news comes as high-ranking House Republicans want to remove U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney from her leadership post and replace her with a staunch Trump defender. [CNN]

Here’s what else is happening

  • More federal charges could be filed in the ComEd corruption scandal, a defense attorney suggested. [WBEZ]
  • The U.S. birthrate fell to a record low last year, according to a federal report. [NPR]
  • Peloton is recalling all treadmills after reports of a child’s death and dozens of injuries. [CNBC]
  • Chicago Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens will host a virtual forum tonight about concerns over the newspaper’s future under the potential ownership of a New York-based hedge fund. [Feder]

Oh, and one more thing …

Warner Bros. is searching for a Black actor to play Superman as well as a Black director to helm the film, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

No names have been officially announced. But critically acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates is writing the screenplay and is expected to deliver a script by mid-December. Some potential directors include Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II), Regina King (One Night in Miami) and Shaka King (Judas and the Black Messiah). [Hollywood Reporter]

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?

Alma Urbiola writes:

“I can’t wait to visit the Art Institute and hang out on the rooftop. I’ll walk across the bridge from the roof to Millennium Park, stroll through the garden, then maybe put a blanket down and take an afternoon nap under the Pritzker Pavilion trellis. When I wake up, there will be a concert being set up. A few friends will find me at the spot I’ve been saving for us, and they will have dinner and drinks in tow. We’ll see a great show with the skyline in the background, and watch night fall and the stars pop up just in time for the encore.”

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

Have a nice night! If you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.