How to make biking better in Chicago

Plus, tattooing is illegal in South Korea? 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 finally Friday, and I’m in the office today because it was so hot in my apartment that the dog was lying in front of the refrigerator. Really looking forward to what this summer will look like. Here’s what you need to know. 1. How to make biking better in Chicago, according to nearly 200 cyclists   The hot and humid weather this week shows that summer is right around the corner, bringing with it the sunscreen, block parties and more bicyclists zipping throughout the city.  My colleague Courtney Kueppers recently talked to several cyclists about their frustrations and concerns, what they’d improve and what the city gets right about biking. These conversations took place at a time when bikers are on guard after a series of crashes that have killed riders at busy intersections. Among the things that need working on are bike lanes that go nowhere, lanes blocked by vehicles, finding good routes to get from the east to the west and lanes riddled with potholes. “All over the South Side the quality of sidewalks, bike paths in parks and even streets are TERRIBLE. So many potholes,” wrote a resident of Hyde Park. [WBEZ] 2. Richard Irvin, a GOP candidate for Illinois governor, privately criticized Trump as an “idiot” and a “bigoted racist,” text messages show   Richard Irvin has been reluctant to talk about former President Donald Trump as he campaigns in the GOP primary for governor. But text messages obtained by WTTW News show he had very strong views, dismissing Trump as an “idiot.” Irvin, who is the mayor of Aurora, texted in 2018 that “I hate Trump too” in a conversation with a retired longtime Aurora city employee, according to WTTW News. Later, Irvin clarified that “although I don’t hate Trump the man, I do hate what he stands for.” In a statement, Irvin told WTTW News that he doesn’t “recall sending those texts, and while there are areas where I disagreed, the Trump Administration delivered positive results for Americans like tax cuts, opportunity zones and a focus on public safety — all of which we utilized to great effect in Aurora and are now a focus of our campaign to take back Illinois from the disastrous Pritzker regime.” [WTTW News] The news comes as Irvin, whose campaign for governor has received tens of millions of dollars from billionaire hedge fund investor Ken Griffin, appears to face a formidable challenge from state Sen. Darren Bailey in next month’s GOP primary. A WGN-TV/The Hill/Emerson College Polling survey released this week showed 24.1% of people polled support Irvin, about 19.8% plan to vote for Bailey and 36.9% are undecided.  The poll also found that 57.4% of respondents said an endorsement from Trump would make them more likely to vote for that candidate. [WGN] 3. Chicago’s top cop blamed a man for a mass shooting, but details were overstated or inaccurate, according to the Trib   Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown made a highly unusual move this week by blaming a man for a recent mass shooting in the Back of the Yards neighborhood — even though the man has not been charged.  The Chicago Tribune fact-checked Brown’s statements about the man and found they don’t match up. For example, Brown said the man was “released recently” from federal prison, but the Trib couldn’t find “any record of the man serving time in federal prison.” Cathryn Crawford, a Chicago public defense attorney, said Brown sets a bad precedent by accusing someone for a crime they haven’t been charged with. “If they thought they had enough to establish probable cause, they should have gone to a judge to request an arrest warrant,” she told the Tribune. “[Brown] is not even saying he committed an offense. He is saying he is responsible. I have never seen that before. I was appalled. My immediate thought was, ‘How can he do that?’ ”  A lawyer for the man said in a statement that the man was “very concerned for the safety of his family and his own.” [Tribune] 4. The top court in Texas says gender-affirming care for transgender youth can be investigated as abuse   The Texas Supreme Court today ruled the state can investigate parents of trans youth for possible child abuse, reversing a lower court’s ruling that halted such inquiries statewide. But the court said the state could not resume the investigation into the parents of the 16-year-old girl who were among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, leaving the door open for other parents to file their own injunctions and potentially stop investigations. And that should give state officials something to think about if they decide to move forward with such inquiries, said Omar Gonzalez-Paden, counsel and health care strategist for Lambada Legal, an LGBTQ advocacy group. “It would be both futile and a complete waste of resources for them to do so,” Gonzalez-Paden said. [AP] 5. Here’s something I didn’t know: South Korea has a tattooing ban, and artists say it’s wildly outdated   My entire left arm is covered in tattoos. So my mind was blown when I read this story today that tattooing is pretty much banned in South Korea over “concerns about longstanding associations with organized crime, as well as fears about inadequate hygiene and potential harm inflicted by tattoo artists, who they say lack adequate skills,” reports The New York Times. The tattooing ban has been in place since 1992, and anyone caught inking someone up without a medical license can be fined up to $40,000 or even imprisoned.  Tattoos are more mainstream than they were in the ’90s, and artists say the industry has ballooned in Korea over the last decade. Some of the nation’s biggest stars, like Jungkook of the super popular K-pop boy band BTS, even have visible tattoos.  “The world is changing,” said Korean tattoo artist Apro Lee. “Then, why are we behind? Let’s move.” [NYT] SPONSORED BY THE POETRY FOUNDATION Celebrate Young People’s Poetry Day on May 14 Young poetry lovers are front and center at Young People’s Poetry Day with Pat Mora, winner of the Lon Tinkle Award for Lifetime Achievement and author of numerous books for young readers. This event for youth and their caregivers features a reading with Mora, a cartonera-making workshop with Suzi F. Garcia and Mayela Rodriguez, crafts, a poetry scavenger hunt, and more! Learn more about these offerings and other programs on the Poetry Foundation website. Here's what else is happening Israeli police beat mourners at the funeral of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, who witnesses say was shot and killed by Israeli forces while covering a military raid. [AP] Russia extended the detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner by a month. [NPR] Two names have emerged as frontrunners in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 3rd Congressional district. [WBEZ] Eurovision is back. Here’s a look at what the competition is bringing this year. [NPR] Oh, and one more thing... The late comedian Norm Macdonald secretly shot a Netflix stand-up special to be released in the event of his death, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The one-hour special was shot in one take in Macdonald’s living room, said a longtime producing partner for the comedian. Netflix will release the special, Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, on May 30. [THR] Tell me something good What are you looking forward to doing outside as the temperatures get warmer? @voltronchris tweets:  “My favorite warm weather activity is going to concerts in Millennium Park. Nothing beats the great music, iconic skyline, and BYOB wine.” Thanks for all the responses this week. I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from y’all. therundown@wbez.org | @whuntah Thanks for reading and have a nice night! I'll see you on Monday. — Hunter Clauss P.S. Did a friend forward you this email? 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