A NASCAR race in downtown Chicago

Plus, Pritzker tested positive for COVID-19. 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 Tuesday, and amid record inflation, I’ve made the very wise decision to start a new hobby that involves going to arts and crafts stores. Why yes, I am a craftsman. Thanks for asking. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Chicago will host NASCAR street races beginning next July   Mayor Lori Lightfoot today announced three years of NASCAR races through the streets of the downtown area. So where exactly will the race take place? The Chicago Sun-Times reports the “race would be run on a 2.2-mile course north of Roosevelt Road, along Columbus Drive, South DuSable Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue, as far north as Jackson Boulevard.” Even before the mayor formally announced today’s agreement with NASCAR, City Council members who represent parts of downtown said they were not thrilled.  “The Administration has allegedly been negotiating this event with NASCAR for many months now, yet they intentionally excluded members of the City Council who represent the impacted area from those conversations,” Ald. Brendan Reilly wrote in an email to the Sun-Times. [Sun-Times] 2. Pritzker tests positive for COVID-19   Gov. JB Pritzker has tested positive for coronavirus, appears to have a mild case and is being treated with the antiviral drug Paxlovid, his office announced today. The news comes just days after the governor traveled to Florida to deliver a speech to the state’s Democratic Party, an event that further fueled speculation over whether he’s considering a run for president. Illinois, like the rest of the country, is seeing an increase of cases linked to the new, hyper-contagious variant of COVID-19. As of Sunday, 1,387 people were hospitalized across the state with COVID-19, more than triple the number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations from the year’s low point in early April, when just 434 were hospitalized. [WBEZ] 3. Scammers target Highland Park residents in the wake of the Fourth of July mass shooting   And some appear to be specifically targeting Latino residents, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.  “People living both in Highland Park and neighboring Highwood say they have received phone calls from people claiming to be lawyers or saying they are calling from the Mexican consulate,” the newspaper reports, adding that some scammers offer to expedite visa applications. In response to the attempted fraud, Highland Park published the names of trusted organizations that those impacted by the shooting can contact for mental health services, financial services and legal aid. [Chicago Sun-Times] 4. Chicago tied property taxes to inflation. So what happens now?   Mayor Lightfoot made the decision two years ago to tie the amount of money the city gets from property taxes to the rate of inflation. Now, with inflation hitting a new 40-year high last month, the mayor’s decision “could mean that the tax increase would nearly quadruple in 2023 to $85.5 million, potentially sticking taxpayers with a hefty bill at a time when residents are struggling and she is up for reelection,” reports the Chicago Tribune. Lightfoot this week said she doesn’t regret her decision and vowed “to make sure there isn’t a significant burden on taxes for our taxpayers” when she unveils her next budget proposal. [Tribune] 5. Past redlining practices are linked to present-day abandoned properties in Cook County   Vacant and abandoned properties on Chicago’s South and West sides are linked to racially discriminatory practices from decades ago, according to a new report released today from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. “It was an ‘oh my God’ moment,” Pappas told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We all realized that there was a correlation between everything that happened in 1940 — redlining and legislation in 1940s that the state legislature passed about scavenger sales to try to help with these distressed properties.” Redlining was used to mark communities as “undesirable” because of its racial make-up, according to an academic project that examined these past policies.  As a result, redlining “set in motion urban decay and fueled an ongoing exodus of Black people from Chicago and other major U.S. cities,” according to the treasurer’s analysis. [Sun-Times] SPONSORED BY ROOSEVELT UNIVERSITY Earn Your Master's in Cyber Security Fast track your career in the booming field of cyber security. In Roosevelt University’s fully online master’s program, you’ll prepare to build strong IT systems that protect sensitive data from hackers. Learn from credentialed experts and research faculty in a program recognized by the Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency. Learn More.  Here's what else is happening Indiana’s attorney general could face a lawsuit by the abortion provider for a 10-year-old rape victim. [NPR] More Chicago high school grads are eyeing historically Black colleges as their top college choice. [WBEZ] Tenants of one of Chicago’s largest landlords are suing over conditions they say are unsafe. [Chicago Sun-Times] Emmett Till’s house will receive a share of $3 million in grants being distributed to 33 sites and organizations nationwide that are important pieces of Black history. [AP] Oh, and one more thing... I can’t wait to see Jordan Peele’s Nope when it hits theaters on July 22 — especially now that first reactions are coming in and critics are giving the movie a big thumbs up.  “We tried to make a big summer blockbuster that you can enjoy whatever you want,” Peele told Variety. “You want to go in and just smoke a big blunt and talk with a friend about societal issues, you can do that. If you want to come and just relax and get away from it all and see Keke Palmer in the midst of a UFO, then that’s what we got for you.” Sign me up. [Variety] Tell me something good I need some movie recommendations. What’s a film you enjoyed recently? Dan writes:  “If by now someone hasn't told you to see RRR after seeing Bahubali, now you've been told. It has the same director and many people are calling it the movie of the year; I concur. Netflix has it in Hindi (it was originally filmed in Telugu) but it is still worth watching there if you have no other options. The film has everything: singing, dancing, intense action scenes, love stories, the power of friendship and a very loose retelling of India’s history during the British occupation. Its three-hour run time flies by and you’ll wish you had an audience to cheer with.” And Anton agrees:  “My husband and I watched RRR on Netflix and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s an Indian action movie that is totally over the top, but in a good way! You should check it out!” Adding it to my list! Feel free to email or tweet me, 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? 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. 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