Another violent weekend in Chicago

Plus, a new, more infectious omicron subvariant. 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   Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I somehow slept until 12:30 p.m. yesterday. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. At least nine people were killed and 26 others were wounded during a violent weekend   Two of the deadly shootings took place downtown, which has seen a spike in gun violence this year, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.  In what appears to be a first for the city, a theater company canceled a performance after two people were wounded in an alley near the city’s Theater District. Moulin Rouge! The Musical abruptly canceled a Sunday night performance at the Nederlander Theatre. [Chicago Sun-Times] So far this year, 178 people have been killed in the city, according to the Chicago Tribune. Compared to the same time as last year, the city is down 13 homicides. [Tribune] Meanwhile, businessman and mayoral candidate Willie Wilson today announced a plan addressing crime on mass transit, saying he wants to bring back CTA conductors and hire retired police officers to help patrol trains. [Chicago Sun-Times] 2. A new, more infectious omicron subvariant emerges   The subvariant, known formally as BA.2.12.1, is 25% more transmissible than the BA.2 “stealth omicron” subvariant and accounts for a majority of new infections in the Northeast U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The news once again highlights how the coronavirus continues to mutate in ways that make it harder to contain, raising questions about the effectiveness of vaccines. “It’s evolving at a fairly rapid rate,” Jesse Bloom, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, told The Washington Post. “I do think we need to aggressively consider whether we should update vaccines, and do it soon.” [WaPo] Meanwhile, New York City today entered into a higher risk level as cases continue to rise. It’s unclear if city officials will revive mask mandates and other public health measures. [New York Times] 3. Trump asked about shooting George Floyd protesters near the White House, according to a top Cabinet member   Former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says in an upcoming memoir that former President Donald Trump floated the idea of shooting protesters who took to the streets near the White House after the killing of George Floyd in 2020, reports Axios. “Can’t you just shoot them? Just shoot them in the legs or something?” Trump said, according to the memoir, A Sacred Oath, which is out May 10. The book was “vetted at the highest levels of the Pentagon,” reports Axios’s Mike Allen. “I’m told that as part of the clearance process, the book was reviewed in whole or in part by nearly three dozen 4-star generals, senior civilians and some Cabinet members.” [Axios] 4. A plan to forgive at least $10,000 in student loan debt is under consideration by the White House   President Joe Biden is considering an executive order that would forgive at least $10,000 in student loan debt per borrower, according to Bloomberg, citing anonymous sources familiar with the plan. Details of the relief are still being hammered out, but it is expected to target lower- and middle-income individuals. The news comes as Democrats face the possibility of losing control of Congress in the midterm elections. Providing student loan relief could help Biden energize voters, but any move could be criticized by progressives as not going far enough. Biden last week said he was considering some action on the issue, but he ruled out $50,000 in forgiveness per borrower. [Bloomberg] 5. Russian military tanks have a huge design flaw that helps Ukrainian forces   The Soviet-designed tanks, known as T-72, have ammunition shells placed in a ring within the turret and near the driver, tank commander and gunner, reports The Washington Post. If a shot is aimed at the right spot, it can ignite the ammunition, blasting the turret off the tank’s hull and killing everyone inside. Ukrainian forces have taken advantage of this vulnerability, with Russia losing at least 530 tanks since the beginning of the war, according to Britain’s defense secretary. [Washington Post] Meanwhile, an evacuation of civilians from a steel plant in the beleaguered city of Mariupol is underway. About 1,000 people are believed to be sheltering in bunkers beneath the plant. [NPR] SPONSORED BY THE POETRY FOUNDATION Live Music at the Poetry Foundation Enjoy an evening of live music, in-person at the Poetry Foundation on Thursday, May 5 at 7:00 p.m. The Zafa Collective will perform I Did, Did I?, a libretto by Liza Sobel and Gina Elia. Visitors are invited to experience the music, as well as Monica Ong: Planetaria, the Foundation’s new exhibition of visual poems that leverage the visual language of astronomy. Learn more about these offerings and other programs on the Poetry Foundation website. Here's what else is happening Some GOP lawmakers and advocates are beginning to push for a nationwide ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. [Washington Post] Thirteen states this month will hold primary elections, with Ohio and Indiana up first tomorrow. [NPR] More than 100,000 applications have been submitted for Chicago’s basic income pilot program so far. [WTTW] Here’s a look at why Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is observed in May. [NPR] Oh, and one more thing... I had no idea there was such a thing as a “Wicked” Bible. This edition of the Bible was printed in 1631 and had a very unfortunate typo that encouraged readers to commit adultery. The seventh commandment, “thou shalt not commit adultery,” didn’t include the word “not.” Copies are extremely rare, as most were destroyed after the error was discovered. About 20 of them are known to still exist, with one recently discovered out of the blue in New Zealand at an estate sale. After the “Wicked” Bible was printed, King Charles I summoned the printers to chew them out, yanked their printing license and fined them. Some scholars believe the mistake was an act of sabotage from a rival printer, but others think the printers were just sloppy. [Guardian] Tell me something good Mother’s Day is this Sunday. So I’d like to know what is one of your fondest memories of your mom? My mom goes all in for Christmas, her favorite holiday. One year, it seemed like there was a Christmas tree in every room of the house. And actually, there probably was now that I think hard about it.  The nephews get a big kick out of it and will sometimes ask when’s the next Christmas. Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might be shared here 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? Sign up to receive The Rundown in your inbox. VIEW OUR BROADCAST SCHEDULE ©Chicago Public Media Inc 848 East Grand Ave, Navy Pier Chicago, IL 60611 Please do not reply to this email. If you need assistance, you may contact us here. You are receiving this email because you are a WBEZ member or signed up to receive email communications from us. You can unsubscribe from The Rundown here. CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA'S PRIVACY POLICY