A pivotal moment for the Chicago Teachers Union

Plus, is inflation peaking? 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 Wednesday, and today marks the day that I transition from hot coffee to iced coffee. Here’s what you need to know. 1. An upcoming CTU election could shape schools and the city for years to come   Chicago educators will vote next week on who should lead the city’s teachers union for the next three years — a decision that will decide which direction the CTU will take in the years to come. The CTU election comes at a pivotal moment for education in Chicago, with schools still grappling with the effects of the pandemic, a mayoral election looming and the city’s first school board elections nearing.  And it leaves teachers and support staff asking themselves a vital question: Should the union continue its role as a progressive force fighting for wider social justice issues inside and outside the classroom, or should it instead solely focus on classic teacher concerns such as pay, preparation time and pensions? [WBEZ] 2. Inflation slowed down last month but remains high   Consumer prices jumped 8.3% in April compared to the same time last year, the Labor Department said today. That’s down from the 8.5% reported in March, giving some hope that the relentless wave of inflation is peaking.  But prices remain at 40-year highs, and there are troubling signs that inflation’s grip on the economy may not be loosening.  “Core” inflation, which looks at everything except prices of food and energy, rose more than expected last month, meaning inflation may be harder to get back under control. Digging into the numbers, grocery prices saw their largest year-over-year increases since 1980, shooting up 10.8%. The cost of a gallon of gas fell 6.1% last month but is still up nearly 44% from a year ago. [AP] 3. More than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year   The record-breaking levels of drug overdose deaths were reported today by the National Center for Health Statistics, and it “reflects challenges exacerbated by the pandemic: lost access to treatment, social isolation and a more potent drug supply,” reports The Washington Post. Fentanyl and meth were involved in a growing share of overdose deaths, federal officials say. “Since the start of the 21st century, an overdose epidemic led by prescription pain pills and followed by waves of heroin, fentanyl and meth has killed more than 1 million people, or roughly the population of San Jose, according to the provisional data,” the Post reports. [WaPo] 4. A new initiative seeks to create better police leadership in Chicago and across the nation   The University of Chicago Crime Lab is launching training programs for police supervisors and community-based violence prevention workers, an effort aimed at reducing crime and reforming police departments, reports WBEZ’s Patrick Smith. The academies will largely be funded by Michael Sacks of Grosvenor Capital, who is donating $2.5 million, and billionaire Ken Griffin, who is giving $25 million to the effort. Griffin has been a vocal critic of how local officials have handled a rise in crime in Chicago and Illinois. He has contributed $45 million to the campaign of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who is seeking the GOP nomination to run against Gov. JB Pritzker in the November election. [WBEZ] 5. How to get COVID pills if you test positive   Paxlovid, a five-day course of pills from Pfizer, is at the top of the list of recommended treatments for COVID-19, but it’s not easy to get, reports NPR. Dan Weissmann, a former WBEZ reporter who hosts the health podcast An Arm and A Leg, tried three different routes to access Paxlovid in the Chicago area when he got COVID last month.  Eventually, his wife tracked down his recently retired primary care doctor, who wrote him a prescription. Weissman’s condition improved after taking the pills, but he says it took “an unusual amount of knowledge, connections and assertiveness,” to obtain them. If you are also having trouble getting access to the treatment, NPR has this informative guide that will hopefully make the process easier. [NPR] SPONSORED BY MEEZ MEALS Top Meal Kit Brand is Right in Your Backyard Meez Meals is a dinner meal kit delivery service that has been around since 2011 and is rated the #1 national brand by the Chicago Tribune (#1 on YELP too).  Meez does all the chopping and prep-work for you, so you can easily create delicious, from scratch dinners in about 30 minutes. Additionally, Meez Meals doesn’t make you sign-up for a subscription or lock into a fixed meal plan. They only deliver when you place an order. (crazy idea, right?)   Meez is locally based in Evanston and has a prestigious 3-Star Green Rating from the Green Restaurant Association. Visit meezmeals.com and use code Radio for 50% off your first order! Here's what else is happening A veteran journalist for Al Jazeera was killed while reporting on an Israeli army raid in the West Bank. [NPR] One in five early childhood educators in Illinois live in poverty, a new report finds. [WBEZ] In case you missed it yesterday, my colleagues put together this impressive guide to summer farmers’ markets in the Chicago area. [WBEZ] Nine Inch Nails, My Chemical Romance and The Original Misfits are headlining this summer’s Riot Fest. [Chicago Sun-Times] Oh, and one more thing... Disney would immediately lose its copyright for the original version of Mickey Mouse under a plan floated by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. The copyright protection for the “Steamboat Willie” version of Mickey is set to expire in 2024, meaning it would enter the public domain and allow other artists and creators to use it in their own work. A group of Republican lawmakers have vowed to fight Disney’s efforts to extend the copyright after the company opposed GOP-backed legislation in Florida that prohibits discussions about gender identity or sexual orientation in grades K-3.  But some industry observers say the copyright’s expiration might not be as big of a blow as Republicans think. As the Los Angeles Times reports, Disney had been preparing for this possibility and insulated itself by acquiring other franchises, like Star Wars and Marvel. [LA Times] Tell me something good I’m getting pretty jazzed about the summer. What are you looking forward to doing outside as the temperatures get warmer? Mike Boyd writes:  “Warmer temperatures always make me think of one thing: Scooter’s. No, not the annoying transportation. Scooter’s Frozen Custard on Belmont and Paulina. Even though most of my friends moved out of that area years ago, we still make regular warm-weather pilgrimages up to Scooter’s, both for the treats and for some excellent dog-watching (they serve free doggie-cones!).” Feel free to email me or hit me up on Twitter, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week. therundown@wbez.org | @whuntah Thanks for reading and have a nice night! I'll see you tomorrow. — Hunter Clauss P.S. Did a friend forward you this email? 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