Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and there is an action figure of Timothée Chalamet (and no, it’s not from “Call Me By Your Name”). Here’s what you need to know.

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1. Is Chicago on the cusp of another wave of infections?

Chicago officials are “worried” about a recent rise in the positivity rate and the number of new coronavirus cases, according to Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health commissioner.

Today’s warning comes as the city is reporting a seven-day average of 350 cases per day, up 23% from the previous week. The positivity rate is currently 3.2%, an increase from last week’s 2.9%. Arwady said reaching an average of more than 400 cases is “a real sign of concern.”

The rise in cases coincides with a ramp up in vaccinations and a relaxation on businesses restrictions. Mayor Lori Lightfoot yesterday warned that if cases continue to climb, she will bring back safety restrictions. [Block Club Chicago]

2. What we know so far about the mass shooting at a Colorado grocery store

The nation saw its second mass shooting in less than a week when 10 people, including a police officer, were killed at a grocery store yesterday in Boulder, Colo.

All of the victims have been identified, and their ages ranged from 20 to 65.

The suspect, 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, is in custody and has been charged with 10 counts of murder in the first degree. According to Colorado Public Radio, Alissa has a police record: He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge in 2018.

Federal authorities are helping with the investigation, and a motive has not been determined. [NPR]

The mass shooting took place 10 days after a local ban on assault weapons was blocked in court. [Washington Post]

President Joe Biden today urged the Senate to take action on legislation approved by the House that would close loopholes in background checks. He also asked Congress to reenact a ban on assault weapons. [Washington Post]

3. Loretto Hospital board member resigns in protest amid vaccination scandals

Illinois state Rep. LaShawn Ford resigned from his spot on Loretto Hospital’s board today because he “strongly disagreed” with how two high-ranking hospital officials were reprimanded.

CEO George Miller and Dr. Anosh Ahmed, the hospital’s chief operating officer, face public criticism from city officials, who accuse the hospital of administering COVID-19 vaccines to well-connected people instead of prioritizing residents on the West Side.

Block Club Chicago reported that ineligible people were given shots at Trump Tower, a suburban church and a Gold Coast watch and jewelry shop. WBEZ has also reported that the hospital wrongly offered shots to Cook County judges and their spouses.

It is not clear how Loretto Hospital’s board reprimanded Millar and Ahmed, and Ford would not provide details in an interview with Block Club Chicago.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration has cut off the supply of vaccines to Loretto and says it is working with other providers to administer shots on the West Side. [Block Club Chicago]

4. Evanston becomes the first U.S. city to approve reparations program for African Americans

The Evanston City Council last night agreed to move forward with the first phase of providing reparations to Black residents. That includes making $400,000 available to eligible Black households, which could receive $25,000 grants for down payments on properties and home repairs.

These homeowner grants are part of a $10 million package that city officials aim to distribute over the next decade. The reparation initiatives are funded by sales taxes on recreational marijuana.

“We all know that the road to repair and justice in the Black community is going to be a generation of work,” said Evanston Ald. Robin Rue Simmons, who proposed the reparations program. “It’s going to be many programs and initiatives, and more funding.” [AP]

5. A COVID-19 bill, the Trump administration and … UFOs?

Last year’s pandemic relief bill contained a provision that the director of national intelligence and the secretary of defense work together to create a report on everything the federal government knows about UFOs, reports The Washington Post.

John Ratcliffe, a former intelligence director under the Trump White House, said on Fox News that the report will be publicly released — and contains big revelations.

The report could be delivered to Congress in June, as mandated by the relief plan that former President Donald Trump signed in December. But the Post reports agencies frequently miss deadlines for congressional reports, and the relief plan’s provision isn’t binding. [WaPo]

Meanwhile, a new theory has emerged about Oumuamua (pronounced “oh-mooah-mooah”), a mysterious object discovered speeding away from the sun in 2017. Oumuamua attained a higher level of public interest after Avi Loeb, an astronomer at Harvard, argued in 2018 that the object was an alien spaceship.

Now, astronomers from Arizona State University are offering another explanation: Oumuamua is basically space dandruff from a faraway planet that was hit by an asteroid. [New York Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• A Chicago alderman withdrew a proposal that would have prevented house museums, such as ones planned for civil rights icon Emmett Till. [Chicago Tribune]
• Post office service is expected to see large cuts in a plan that will be unveiled by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. [Washington Post]
• Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, confronted the White House about its lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the president’s cabinet. [Axios]
• A developer has dropped out of a project to reopen the Uptown Theatre, but the owner says the plans to renovate the historic theater are still on. [Block Club Chicago]

Oh, and one more thing …

Hold my Hot Pocket because Medieval Times in Schaumburg announced it will reopen by late April, reports the Chicago Tribune.

But my favorite part of this story is this statement from Medieval Times President and CEO Perico Montaner: “In consultation with health experts and government officials we’ve created a substantial reopening plan that ensures our guests and staff remain safe, without compromising the majesty and excitement fans expect from our tournaments.” (Emphasis added.)

Just spitballing here, but isn’t the charm of Medieval Times the lack of majesty? I mean, it’s not like we’re talking about the ballet or masterpiece theater. And that’s why I’m totally taking my nephews there when things are normal. [Chicago Tribune]

Tell me something good …

I finally completed watching the four-hour Zack Snyder cut of the Justice League, and I’d like to know who would be on your superhero team if you could pick anyone.

George Gerdow writes:

“My superhero pick is the greatest of all: The Doctor. I am referring of course to Doctor Who. He’s a Time Lord, after all, and what is cooler than that? He has defeated Sontarans, Cybermen, and even the dreaded Daleks. He also has the Tardis, which is itself an awesome weapon. To meet any threat all he has to do is — reverse the polarity!”

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

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