Hey there! It’s Thursday, and I’m currently shopping for sunglasses in anticipation of Chicago’s beaches reopening tomorrow. I’m looking for something that says, “I am the rave Terminator. Come with me if you want to party.” Here’s what you need to know today.

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1. The debate over renaming Lake Shore Drive is about more than just a road

A plan to rename Chicago’s iconic Lake Shore Drive in honor of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, the area’s first Black non-Native resident, has ignited an emotional and heated debate over the city’s identity and racial equity.

Allies of Mayor Lori Lightfoot yesterday delayed a City Council vote on the plan for at least another month, upsetting supporters who claim they have enough votes.

Ald. David Moore, who is a co-sponsor of the name change, told the Chicago Tribune that efforts to delay the vote carried “racial overtones.” He and other proponents argue DuSable does not get enough attention as the “founder of Chicago,” and renaming Lake Shore Drive is the best solution.

Opponents, most notably the mayor, argue the name Lake Shore Drive is ingrained in the city’s DNA. Lightfoot says changing the drive’s name could hurt marketing and cause several buildings to change their addresses.

There have been a few efforts over the years to rename the drive after DuSable, but they appeared to gain momentum in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd and a nationwide debate over memorials and statues. [WBEZ]

2. Israeli airstrikes in Gaza may be war crimes, says UN official

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet today called on Israel to allow an independent investigation of its military actions, saying that airstrikes in Gaza may “constitute war crimes.” Bachelet also accused the militant group Hamas for violations of international law.

Bachelet’s comments came before a special session of the U.N.’s Human Rights Council, which approved a resolution to create a commission charged with monitoring rights violations in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.

According to The Associated Press, the U.S. mission to the U.N. in Geneva criticized the council’s move, saying it is a “distraction that adds nothing to ongoing diplomatic and humanitarian efforts.”

At least 248 people in Gaza were killed during airstrikes, including 66 children. In Israel, at least 12 people, including two kids, were killed by rocket attacks. [AP]

3. Biden, seeking to expand the social safety net, will propose a $6 trillion federal budget

President Joe Biden is expected to propose a $6 trillion budget tomorrow as the White House seeks to reshape the economy and expand the social safety net, which showed severe shortcomings during the pandemic.

The budget doesn’t contain any new major policies, but instead reflects Biden’s push to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure and expand access to education, support women in the workforce and reduce child care costs.

The president plans to finance his proposals with tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy. [CNN]

Speaking of Biden’s infrastructure plan, Republicans today proposed a $928 billion counteroffer. That’s way less than the nearly $2 trillion proposed by the president, signaling both sides remain far apart. [NPR]

4. The world is at risk of hitting a dangerous climate change milestone

There is a 44% chance the world’s average temperature could hit the critical 1.5-degree Celsius threshold in the next five years, according to a major study released this week by the World Meteorological Organization.

Scientists around the world have long warned that if temperatures rise an average of 1.5 degrees Celsius than the 1800s, it could usher in the most catastrophic and long-term effects of climate change, such as massive flooding, severe droughts and mass deaths of marine life as oceans become increasingly warmer, which could also fuel more tropical storms.

“We had had some hopes that, with last year’s COVID scenario, perhaps the lack of travel [and] the lack of industry might act as a little bit of a brake. But what we’re seeing is, frankly, it has not,” said Randall Cerveny, a climate scientist at Arizona State University who works with the World Meteorological Organization but was not involved with the study. [NPR]

5. Debate heats up over how to make Illinois nursing homes more pandemic-proof

A lobbying group representing for-profit nursing homes is waging an intense political battle against Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration over how to ensure the safety of elderly residents, who were more likely to die from COVID-19.

The group, Health Care Council of Illinois, opposes a Pritzker-backed bill that seeks to address two big problems highlighted by the pandemic: overcrowding of nursing homes and a shortage of staff. The bill would offer incentives to homes that hire more employees and move residents out of ward-style living arrangements.

The Health Care Council of Illinois argues nursing homes instead need a $486 million infusion of cash — with no string attached — to help hire more employees and fund plans to reduce infections. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• The Chicago Transit Authority will reduce fares this summer in an effort to bring back commuters. [Chicago Tribune]
• Years after Illinois Republicans mounted a fierce campaign against labor unions, many GOP lawmakers are now supporting a constitutional amendment to ban “right to work” laws. [WBEZ]
• A federal indictment of a longtime top aide to ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan signals authorities are intensely looking at the former powerbroker. [WBEZ]
• Here’s a look at how a rental assistance program is playing out in Illinois as the state seeks to phase out its eviction moratorium. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

Full disclosure: I am not a fan of the sitcom Friends, and my social media feeds have been clogged with stories about some “reunion” that’s on HBO Max. [Hollywood Reporter]

So here’s a list of TV show reunions I’d rather watch, and feel free to add to this list: Mama’s Family, Martin, Married with Children, In Living Color, Family Matters, Small Wonder and Legends of the Hidden Temple (but instead of a reunion, it’s just all the grownup kids trying to make it through the temple again).

Tell me something good …

This summer, WBEZ’s Reset is re-imagining how Chicago could function better for all its residents. What investments would you like to see in your neighborhood?

Jennifer writes:

“It’s not my neighborhood, but we should be expanding public transportation in underinvested communities on the South and West sides, and internet access in those neighborhoods is awful, with little to no options/competition from providers. That’s got to change.”

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

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