Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation

Plus, Chicago seeks to lure businesses away from Florida, Texas and Arizona. Here's what you need to know today.

To view this email as a web page, click here. Today's Rundown is brought to you by WBEZ members and   by Hunter Clauss   Hey there! It’s Thursday, and I can’t stop thinking about how Ald. Raymond Lopez, who is now running for mayor, dressed up as Pinhead from the “Hellraiser” movies for a City Council meeting around Halloween. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Senate confirms Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court   In a bipartisan 53 to 47 vote, the Senate approved Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic nomination to the U.S. Supreme. When she is sworn in this summer, Jackson will become the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s high court. [NPR] “It’s inspiring for me because I’m at the beginning of my career,” said Abigail Hall, a student at Jackson’s alma mater, Harvard Law School. “I’ve had to work to get here, but there’s so much work to do and that’s just motivating me to continue to break down those barriers, to meet my marks and get my Infinity Stones.” Christina Coleburn, a fellow student, said Jackson’s comments about her family during the Senate confirmation hearings made her think about her own grandmother and mother. “We’re our ancestors’ wildest dreams, some you’ve never gotten to meet,” Coleburn said. “I’m so lucky to still know mine, but to consider how their work made our lives possible, the things sometimes that people take for granted.” [New York Times] 2. Illinois House Democrats pitch nearly $1.4 billion in tax cuts as the election approaches   The House proposal comes as Democrats seek to “quickly curry favor with Illinois voters to stave off a potential wave of Republican wins nationwide this fall,” reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney. The plan includes Gov. JB Pritzker’s earlier recommendation to suspend a 1% state tax on food for a year, block an automatic tax increase on gasoline this summer and property tax rebates. But House Democrats want to add one-time payments of $100 per adult and $50 per child for those eligible to receive the state Earned Income Tax Credit. It also would put in place a “permanent expansion” of that tax credit program for those with low incomes, costing nearly $104 million. At the same time, Democratic lawmakers are trying to rebuff Republican attacks on crime by putting more money into public safety programs. That includes setting aside $236 million to fund police body cameras, automatic license plate readers, a pilot program that incorporates social workers into policing and grants to entice police to work beyond their scheduled retirements, among other things. [WBEZ] 3. Ukraine pleads for more weapons as Western nations further isolate Russia   Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged NATO to provide more weapons to his war-torn country as Russia’s invasion enters its sixth week.  The plea has taken on even more weight as Russian troops are accused of carrying out atrocities near Kyiv, where authorities are working to identify hundreds of bodies and document potential war crimes.  “The more weapons we get and the sooner they arrive in Ukraine, the more human lives will be saved,” Kuleba said from Brussels. [AP] The global outrage over the possible war crimes resulted in the United Nations General Assembly voting to suspend Russia from the organization’s leading human rights body. [AP] Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to suspend normal trade status with Russia and ban Russian gas and oil. [NYT]  4. Chicago targets anti-LGBTQ legislation in pitch to lure businesses from Florida, Texas and Arizona   Newspapers in the three states are carrying ads from World Business Chicago, the city’s public-private economic development arm, that promote Chicago as a more inclusive business climate, reports the Chicago Tribune. The ads come as Republican-led legislatures in several states are proposing or have approved bills aimed at eroding protections for LGBTQ youth.  In Florida, public school teachers are now banned from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade under what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” law.  Texas is considering a similar move as it tries to prevent gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth. [Chicago Tribune] 5. Obama calls out social media companies as he warns of the dangers facing democracy   Former President Barack Obama gave a dark warning during a discussion this week at the University of Chicago, which is hosting a three-day “Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy” conference. Obama said the nation’s democracy is on fragile ground due to the spread of misinformation on social media, the demise of local journalism and the nationalization of “anger-based” journalism, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.  He said Twitter, Facebook and YouTube “appear to have some insight into what’s more likely to prompt insurrectionists, white supremacists, misogynist behavior and internet bullying.” “They seem to know what it is. … We don’t want to be policing everything that’s said on the internet, but what they haven’t been forthcoming on is what their product designs are,” Obama said. “And there are ways in which a democracy can rightly expect them to show us … to show us in the same way than any other product.” [Sun-Times] SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE Sickness is relentless. So are we. Tougher than cancer. Smarter than heart disease. Stronger than Crohn’s disease. The University of Chicago Medicine is a leading community of physicians, researchers and game changers. Using the most advanced treatment options available today, our team of experts embrace challenges to make a difference in your life.    Learn more about our relentless fight against: Cancer Crohn’s Disease Heart Disease Visit us online to schedule a video or in-person visit at a location near you, or call 1-888-824-0200.  Here's what else is happening House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tested positive for COVID-19, the latest high-profile breakthrough case to be reported in Washington, D.C. [NPR] Palm Springs wants to create a universal basic income pilot program for transgender residents. [NPR] A woman won $10 million after accidentally pushing the wrong button on a lottery machine. [NPR] A marijuana dispensary can’t legally move into the former location of Chicago’s Rainforest Cafe. [Chicago Sun-Times] Oh, and one more thing... Want to intern at WBEZ or know someone who might be interested?  If so, I sit by the printer in the newsroom and will probably ask you 1) Do you play Dungeons & Dragons? 2) So that last season of Euphoria, am I right? And 3) Do you think Kelli from Insecure should get her own spinoff show? If you’re interested, WBEZ is accepting applications for our 2022 summer internship program. You can apply here, but hurry. The deadline is Monday, April 11.  Believe it or not, I was an intern way back in the day. I learned a lot from reporters and editors, and the experience helped me as I went on to do work with the Chicago Reader, The New York Times and the Chicago Sun-Times. Tell me something good What are you planting in your garden or windowsill pots this spring?  Laura writes:  “We have about 40 perennial lupines about an inch high and 20 bright red zinnia plants also an inch tall growing in our sunniest windows for planting outside when it gets warm enough.” And Jill Ellis writes:  “I’m planting lettuce and spinach this spring. What with all the E. coli scares about Romaine and other greens, I’m looking forward to making lots of healthy home-grown salads.” Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might be shared here this week. And speaking of plants, if you become a WBEZ member, you can get a pothos houseplant. therundown@wbez.org | @whuntah Thanks for reading and have a nice night! We'll see you tomorrow. — Hunter Clauss P.S. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to receive The Rundown in your inbox. 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