Chicago casino crunch at City Hall

Plus, Chicago's COVID risk could soon be "high." 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 “Iron Chef” is making a comeback? I would pay money to see a chef make a frozen pizza on that show and the judges have to put it in an oven. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Chicago’s casino plan, on the fast track at City Hall, raises the specter of the infamous parking meter lease   The full City Council could approve a $1.7 billion casino plan as soon as today after the proposal was put on a very unusual fast track. The council briefly met this morning before Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for a recess. During that break, a special committee overseeing everything regarding the casino convened for a preliminary vote, endorsing the plan 27-3. Critics of the casino were quick to point out that this accelerated timeline was reminiscent of the controversial parking meter lease in 2008, when then-Mayor Richard M. Daley railroaded the council to agree to a 75-year deal in return for $1.16 billion. Ald. Brendan Reilly, who opposes the casino, said venue projections for the casino amounted to “fuzzy math” and pushed his colleagues to hold more public hearings.  “This casino is going to have to be on super steroids” to bring in the $200 million in annual revenue projected by Bally’s Corporation, Reilly said. 2. The City Council delayed a vote on Lightfoot’s new curfew for minors   Two allies of Mayor Lori Lightfoot today used a parliamentary maneuver to postpone a final vote on a new 10 p.m. citywide curfew for minors under 18. The full City Council is expected to revisit the issue when it meets again on Wednesday. The curfew has been slammed by both allies and critics of the Lightfoot administration. They say the measure is “a toothless and desperate response to a deadly outbreak of youth violence in the downtown area,” reports veteran Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman. And looming over the new curfew is a potential lawsuit from the ACLU of Illinois, which is concerned the policy will have a disproportionate impact on teenagers of color. “Everything’s on the table. We’re certainly not taking away the option of suing,” said ACLU spokesman Ed Yohnka. [Chicago Sun-Times] 3. Chicago is expected to reach a ‘high’ risk level for COVID-19 this week   But unlike previous points in the pandemic, crossing this threshold will not usher in the automatic return of mask mandates and business restrictions. “Even if Cook County moves to High, as long as the health care system in Chicago remains stable we likely will not automatically reinstate a mask mandate,” said Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s top public health official, in a statement last week. “We may, however, advise high-risk people to consider limiting non-essential indoor gatherings.” The news comes as eight Illinois counties have hit the “high” risk level. Cook County is currently at “medium.” [Chicago Sun-Times] The risk level system that Chicago follows comes from the CDC, and it factors in the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing serious illness, looking more at hospitalizations and death rates.  According to city data, the seven-day average for hospitalizations per day was 23 as of Friday. (The data should be updated after this newsletter hits your inbox.) That’s a 14% increase compared to the previous week. [COVID Dashboard] Meanwhile, about 60% of kids 5 to 11 in Illinois are still unvaccinated. [Chicago Tribune] 4. The leaders of the Chicago Teachers Union cement their role atop one of the city’s most influential organizations   The leadership of the Chicago Teachers Union outright won reelection with 56% of the vote, according to tallies released over the weekend. Stacy Davis Gates, the incumbent vice president, will take over as president.  That means the union will remain in “the hands of leaders who have fought for social justice inside and outside classrooms — and sparked counterparts to do the same nationwide — while creating a constant power struggle against the mayor’s office and Chicago Public Schools leadership,” reports my colleagues Sarah Karp and Nader Issa.  The election victory also served as vindication for union leaders, who were criticized by opponents for their handling of the pandemic, particularly the collective action this past January in which five school days were canceled and teachers weren’t paid for refusing to report for in-person work.  The opposing caucuses said it was poorly planned and didn’t result in any gains for the union’s 25,000 members. [WBEZ] 5. Superfans of electric vehicles have their eyes (and drones) aimed at Rivian   Electric vehicle upstart Rivian made a big splash when it made Normal, Ill., its center of manufacturing operations. Now, as the company finally ships its electric pickups from central Illinois to long-suffering preorderers across the country, a new kind of fan frenzy has taken off: exultation among those already behind the wheel, and envy from the tens of thousands still in line. From drone surveillance of the Rivian factory to action videos of brand-new owners demonstrating their adventure vehicles’ off-road chops, Rivian mania is playing out across Facebook groups, Reddit posts and several fan forums dedicated exclusively to the electric vehicle maker — not to mention parking lots where Rivian owners are approached by curious passersby.  Chicago fans, meanwhile, have been sleuthing the progress of a since-scuttled Rivian showroom in the Loop, and more recently are snapping parking lot pics at the company’s soon-to-open service center near the United Center. [WBEZ] SPONSORED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Masters Program in Computer Science UChicago’s Masters Program in Computer Science (MPCS) is designed to take your career to the next level. We offer part-time and full-time degree options for students interested in computer science careers. Our alumni achieve careers in data analytics, software engineering, application development and high performance computing at leading technology companies. Join us this week on Wednesday, May 25 at 12:00 p.m. central for our Informational Webinar to learn about MPCS program information, application deadlines, career outcomes and more. Sign up here! Here's what else is happening Former Vice President Mike Pence signaled he is open to running against former President Donald Trump in 2024. [Axios] A Russian soldier was sentenced to life in prison in Ukraine’s first war crimes trial. [NPR] Large parts of the U.S. set new daily temperature records over the weekend. [NPR] California considers whether to open sites where people can inject or snort illegal drugs under the watchful gaze of a health care worker. [KQED] Oh, and one more thing... A trailer finally dropped for Moonage Daydream, the first-ever David Bowie documentary sanctioned by his estate, ahead of its premiere today at the Cannes Film Festival. The documentary boosts “never before seen” footage of the legendary artist as it examines Bowie’s “creative, musical and spiritual journey,” reports Variety. You can find the trailer in the link, and grab some tissues. The Bowie-narrated trailer packs some punches with his reflections on life and death.  The film is expected to be released on HBO and HBO Max in the spring of 2023. [Variety] Tell me something good I need some restaurant recommendations. I’ve got some friends coming into town, and I feel like my brain no longer works after two years in the pandemic. One of my favorite restaurants is Parson’s Chicken and Fish in Andersonville. Please give my compliments to the chef. I could eat their fried chicken all day if that were physically possible and I had the metabolism of a horse. What are some of your favorite restaurants? Feel free to hit me up, and your response might be shared in the newsletter this week. 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. 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