Hi! It’s Thursday. Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. Biden announces aggressive goal of cutting greenhouse gas emission by 50-52% by 2030

Saying the planet is at a “moment of peril but a moment of opportunity,” President Joe Biden today announced a new goal to cut in half gas emissions in the U.S. in just nine years.

Biden’s pledge came during a virtual climate summit with dozens of world leaders, however the president did not lay out specific plans for how he intends to achieve the goal. But the climate pledge comes as the Biden administration pushes an infrastructure plan that would boost clean energy and electric vehicles. [NPR]

The Biden administration is trying to encourage world leaders to do more to address climate change before it’s too late. Scientists say the world will likely need to zero out emissions by mid-century in order to avoid the more catastrophic effects of climate change.

Here’s a look at how the new U.S. goal compares to other countries. [New York Times]

2. All of Chicago’s mass vaccination sites will accept walk-in appointments starting tomorrow

Dr. Allison Arwady, the head of Chicago’s Department of Public Health, today said all of the city’s mass vaccination sites, including one located at the United Center, will be open to walk-in appointments.

The move comes as mass vaccination sites in Matteson, Summit and Tinley Park will also begin accepting walk-in appointments. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, Chicago officials are reporting a seven-day average of 631 new cases per day, down from last week’s 726. The positivity rate has also dropped from last week’s 5.8% to today’s 5.4%. [COVID Dashboard]

Looking at the entire state, Illinois is reporting a 12.2% drop in the average number of cases compared to last week. [Washington Post]

The news offers some cautious optimism that the recent surge in cases may be subsiding as more people become vaccinated. About 53% of Illinois residents 16 and over have received at least one shot, reports The Washington Post. [WaPo]

Cook County officials say they expect to resume administering Johnson & Johnson vaccines soon. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Remember all that talk about a Chicago casino? It could happen in four years

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration today formally opened the door for developers to pitch their ideas on the long-sought Chicago casino and, if there are no hiccups, the city’s first gambling house could open in 2025.

Developers are expected to submit complete plans, including a proposed site for the casino. It is likely developers will focus on the downtown area, which was favored by eight out of 11 developer groups that were consulted by city officials, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Public presentations of the proposals will be made in September, and the mayor’s office is expected to select a finalist early next year. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, confirmed a year ago today, faces a long list of challenges

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown marks his anniversary on the job as city violence rises, court-mandated police reforms have been slowly adopted and the police killing of 13-year-old Adam Toledo has widened the divide between officers and people of color.

WBEZ’s Patrick Smith and Chip Mitchell examine how Brown, a reform-minded leader who earned praise for his time running the Dallas Police Department, has changed in Chicago.

“In Dallas, he was trying the guardian style of policing,” Chicago-based police-reform expert Carlton T. Mayers II said, referring to an approach in which cops show empathy and work as members of the community. “In Chicago, he’s leaning into a warrior style.” [WBEZ]

5. Weekly jobless claims fall to a pandemic low

About 547,000 Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, the lowest number since the beginning of the pandemic, the Labor Department announced today. The number of claims is also down from the previous week’s 586,000.

Economists are optimistic that, as COVID-19 vaccinations become increasingly available, employers will go on a hiring bonanza.

As The Associated Press reports, many companies have complained they can’t find enough workers, though that could be due to a host of reasons, like child care needs and fears of infections. [AP]

Here’s what else is happening

• A man has been charged with three counts of attempted first-degree murder and a count of aggravated battery in the shooting of a toddler on Lake Shore Drive. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Cardinal Blase Cupich said St. Sabina parishioners are using “inappropriate and intimidating tactics” to influence an investigation of Father Michael Pfleger, who is accused of sexual abuse. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Journalists working for the Tribune Publishing Company are searching for new owners before May 21, when a hedge fund is expected to buy the newspaper company. [NPR]
• The Chicago Transit Authority is testing new railcars on the Blue Line that include a mix of forward-facing and aisle-facing seats. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

Let’s hear it for the “mathletes” at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in north suburban Lincolnshire.

Both of the school’s junior and senior math teams are among the six finalists in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge, an elite international competition that received responses from 535 teams from across the U.S. and U.K.

This year’s competition asked math teams how to get the internet — increasingly essential for school and work — to more people. Teams had just 14 hours to answer the question, and by the end of the competition, both Stevenson teams had produced 20-page papers, plus references and appendices explaining their computer coding. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s something that made you smile this week?

Patti writes:

“On Tuesdays and Thursdays, my husband takes our grandson to his martial arts class. On the way home, they stop at a gas station for a treat. My husband usually has to use the restroom, so he tells our grandson to pick out his snacks, and he’ll pay for them when he’s done.

“After the last class, same scenario, but our grandson replied, ‘Grandpa, I must be getting old because I have to go to the bathroom, too.’ Says the 11-year-old, going on 25.”

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

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