Shootings declined in Chicago to start 2022

Plus, a guide to more than 70 farmers markets. That and more in today's Rundown.

To view this email as a web page, click here. Today's Rundown is brought to you by WBEZ members and   by Libby Berry   Hey there! It’s Tuesday, and it looks like Chicago’s “Mr. Sunshine” — who tracks sunlight patterns in the city — might finally catch some rays. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Fewer people have been shot in Chicago this year, but experts say it's too soon to call the downtick a trend   Shooting deaths are down in Chicago compared to last year — and Mayor Lori Lightfoot has attributed the decline to an anti-violence plan aimed at flooding the city’s most dangerous areas with new resources.  A Chicago Sun-Times analysis shows the 15 communities targeted by the mayor’s “Our City Our Safety” initiative saw a 19% decline in homicides and a 28% drop in nonfatal shootings from the same time last year. Citywide, those numbers have fallen 7% and 17% respectively, the newspaper reports.  But experts say it’s too soon to celebrate the downtick, noting the death toll is still higher than it was in 2019 and 2020. The weather so far this year has been unseasonably gloomy, and crime tends to increase as temperatures rise over the summer months. [Sun-Times] Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today released data that found the U.S. had more gun-related homicides in 2020 than any year since 1994. The biggest increases were among Black boys and men ages 10 to 44 and American Indian or Alaska Native men ages 25 to 44. [CNN] 2. Chicago aldermen reach a compromise on ward remapping   Chicago voters may have one less section on their ballots this June now that aldermen have struck a deal on a new city ward map.  The decennial redistricting process was set to go to referendum this summer if the City Council failed to approve fresh boundaries before a May 19 deadline. However, a new agreement reached by aldermen this week appears to have enough support to move forward.  The proposed map would create 16 Black majority wards and 14 Latino majority wards, along with the city’s first majority-Asian ward, and is set for a full City Council vote next week. [Sun-Times] 3. Russia targets Odesa as its war with Ukraine enters 11th week   Ukrainian officials said Russian forces today fired seven missiles at the city in an attempt to disrupt supply lines, hitting a shopping center and a warehouse. One person was killed and five wounded, the military said.  Home to Ukraine’s largest port, Odesa serves as a key gateway for grain shipments. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted its airport and claimed to destroy several batches of Western weapons sent to aid Ukraine’s defense. [AP] Meanwhile, the conflict continues to impact the global oil market. U.S. gas prices today hit another record high, with the average cost of a gallon at about $4.37. [NPR] 4. Earth is getting closer to a key warming marker   The planet has a 50-50 chance of temporarily hitting temperatures 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times by 2026, a new World Meteorological Organization report predicts — a threshold the Paris climate agreement set out to prevent from becoming an long-term average.  What’s so significant about those 1.5 degrees? Back in 2018, a major United Nations study found that at that level the world will start to experience the most dangerous effects of climate change.  The forecast, drafted by scientists across the globe, also found there’s a 93% chance the next five years will be the hottest on record. [AP] 5. Chicago issued half a million erroneous parking tickets over six years, study finds   If you got a parking ticket in Chicago between 2012 and 2018, there’s roughly a one in eight chance it wasn’t justified.  A new report from the University of Illinois-Chicago found the city issued more than 475,000 tickets when parking restrictions did not apply — that’s about 13% of all citations over that six-year period. The analysis covered seven different types of violations, including expired meters, street-cleaning and weather-related parking bans.  Researchers also found the city generated more than $27.5 million in revenue from the faulty tickets, only 7% of which were contested. Nearly a fifth of erroneous tickets were subject to late penalties. [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. The MPCS is still accepting applications for an Autumn 2022 start. Register for our upcoming webinar on May 25th at 12:00 p.m. central to learn program information, application deadlines, career outcomes, and more. Sign up here! Here's what else is happening Elon Musk said he would reverse former President Donald Trump’s Twitter ban if his bid to buy the company goes through. [Axios] A sponge created by a team of Northwestern engineers could help clean up microplastics in Chicago and the Great Lakes. [WBEZ] Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus will serve on a new Artistic Advisory Board at Second City. [Sun-Times] A Southwest Side high school softball team had to forfeit a playoff game because CPS didn’t arrange transportation. [WBEZ] R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago is set to begin Aug. 1. [Chicago Tribune] Oh, and one more thing... Looking for fresh produce? This summer, you might find the best prices at your neighborhood farmers' market.  As the war in Ukraine continues to impact the global economy, the cost of synthetic fertilizer has skyrocketed, with commercial farmers sometimes paying three or four times what they did in 2020. Organic farmers, on the other hand, say they’ve been largely unaffected by world events — keeping their prices somewhat steady.  “I’m not agribusiness. I’m just a farmer,” said Henry Brockman, who sells his produce weekly at the Evanston Farmers’ Market. “That kind of insulates me from a lot of the economic changes.” [WBEZ] Check out our handy guide to more than 70 markets in the Chicago area and suburbs to find a spot to shop near you. [WBEZ] Tell me something good What are you looking forward to doing outside as the temperatures get warmer? Fran writes: “Trips several times a week to Miko's Italian Ice in Irving Park. We'll sit on the chairs outside watching dogs and their people go by, chatting with others enjoying their ices. Or we'll take ours home in a cooler, and sit out in our screened porch, spooning and slurping the last drops of Miko's' fresh flavors.”  And Renuka says: “Spending ANY moment near the lake, in the lake, by the lake that we are so grateful for being near — beautiful Lake Michigan!” What about you? Feel free to email or tweet us, and your responses might be shared here this week. therundown@wbez.org | @libbyaberry Thanks for reading and have a nice night! We'll see you tomorrow. — Libby Berry P.S. Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up to receive The Rundown in your inbox. 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