Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and I think about this tweet a lot. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. How seriously will Illinois take climate change?

That’s the big question hanging over state lawmakers this week as Gov. JB Pritzker pushes them to approve a green energy plan that would phase out coal and natural gas power plants, offer rebates for the purchase of electric vehicles and bailout three financially struggling nuclear plants.

The ambitious plan, which aims to reduce the state’s carbon footprint, has hit a snag in the Illinois Senate, where Democrats say shuttering one coal plant would leave some Chicago suburbs, like Naperville and Winnetka, on the hook for long-term borrowing used to finance the power plant.

The fight illustrates the complexities of combating climate change on a local level as the issue moves more into the forefront. And the solution to this legislative hiccup could signal just how far Illinois Democrats are willing to go.

Lawmakers are also expected to address a proposal creating an elected school board in Chicago. WBEZ’s Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold have this handy explainer on what may or may not happen this week in Springfield. [WBEZ]

2. Chicago suffers third mass shooting within days

Four people were killed and four others were wounded in a shooting inside a home early today in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, it is the third mass shooting to take place in Chicago in a little over a week.

Police said there was a party at the home when an argument broke out and shots were fired. Two of the wounded were hospitalized in critical condition.

The shooting comes as city officials are under mounting pressure to reduce the city’s violence as the pandemic recedes and businesses open up. At an unrelated press conference, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said today’s shooting was “a tragedy,” but the “reality is, our city is safe.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Many people who recovered from COVID-19 are reporting new medical problems

An analysis of nearly 2 million people who recovered from COVID-19 is raising questions about the long-term effects of the virus, reports The New York Times. The study, conducted by the nonprofit FAIR Health, found that 23% of people sought treatment for new medical conditions a month or more after becoming infected.

The most common new health problems were “pain, including in nerves and muscles; breathing difficulties; high cholesterol; malaise and fatigue; and high blood pressure,” the Times reports. “Other issues included intestinal symptoms; migraines; skin problems; heart abnormalities; sleep disorders; and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.” [NYT]

Meanwhile, a new study suggests the coronavirus was in Illinois and four other states as early as December of 2019, significantly moving up the timeline of the pandemic. [AP]

And the pandemic has claimed the lives of more than 600,000 people in the U.S., the most of any country. [NPR]

4. Trump pressured the Justice Department to back his false election claims, emails show

In his final days inside the White House, President Donald Trump and his allies tried pressuring the Justice Department into investigating his unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud in last year’s election, according to a trove of emails released by the House Oversight Committee.

Trump at one point directed “sham claims of voter fraud to then-Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen less than an hour before the president tweeted that Attorney General William Barr — who publicly stated that there was not evidence of widespread election fraud — would be stepping down and replaced by Rosen,” reports NPR.

Then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows also emailed Rosen, sending him a YouTube link detailing a conspiracy theory. Rosen then forwarded the email to a colleague, writing, “Pure insanity.” [NPR]

5. Concerns grow over environmental impact of massive chemical fire in northern Illinois

A chemical fire in Rockton, Ill., could take seven days to burn out, according to the area’s fire chief.

The fire began yesterday morning at the Chemtool Inc. plant, and it became so large that it could be seen on weather radar, reports the Chicago Tribune. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Nearby homes and businesses were ordered to evacuate, and residents who live within a 3-mile radius of the fire have been advised to wear masks outdoors.

Firefighters stopped dousing the flames with water due to concerns that the runoff could contaminate nearby waterways. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency says it is monitoring the area’s water supply, and air monitoring devices have been set up. [Chicago Tribune]

According to WREX, the Chemtool plant housed several chemicals that can be hazardous to inhale, such as zinc, sulfuric acid, nitrogen, lead, ethylene glycol and diphenylmethane diisocyanate. [WREX]

Here’s what else is happening

• The White House will give bipartisan negotiations over an infrastructure bill another week before deciding its next steps. [AP]
• The Biden administration released the nation’s first plan for countering domestic terrorism. [Axios]
• Inmates at an Illinois prison say guards beat them in an area without cameras, and one person died. [WBEZ]
• Chicago’s outdoor pools will reopen on June 25. [Block Club Chicago]

Oh, and one more thing …

The Girls Scouts have 15 million boxes of unsold cookies this year because the pandemic caused many troops to pull back due to safety concerns, NPR reports.

The lower than usual sales mean local councils may have to cut back on spending related to programs, camping and travel.

In a typical year, the Girl Scouts sell around 200 million boxes of cookies, or around $800 million worth. [NPR]

Tell me something good …

WBEZ is holding its summer pledge drive, which helps pay for this newsletter and keeps it free to the public. So I’d like to know what you enjoy about public radio, whether it’s your favorite show, podcast, host or memory.

RC Jones writes:

“My favorite NPR memory was listening to the now famous Terry Gross interview of Gene Simmons. It showed me how skilled she was at thinking on her feet as she kept the interview moving forward despite his obnoxious responses. It was a wild, entertaining and illuminating half hour.”

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

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