Will the suspect’s parents be charged?

Plus, Pritzker continues to fuel speculation about 2024. 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 people gathered today in Highland Park for a moment of silence for those killed in the mass shooting just a week ago on the Fourth of July. Here’s what you need to know. 1. Will the parents of the suspect in the Highland Park mass shooting face legal trouble?   That’s a big question many people are asking after authorities said the father of the suspect sponsored his son’s gun permit application in 2019, just months after he allegedly threatened to commit suicide and “kill everyone.” Legal experts tell The Associated Press that it’s incredibly difficult to prove criminal charges against a shooter’s parents or guardians.  “They have to show the parents aided and abetted crime in some way for there to be an accountability based charge,” said Paul Cain, a professor of law at Northern Illinois University. “That’s the getaway car driver who didn’t actually go in and rob the store at gunpoint … but performed some action to allow that robbery to go forward.”  But there is one exception: Prosecutors in Michigan charged the parents of a 15-year-old boy with involuntary manslaughter after a fatal mass shooting at the teenager’s high school. Aside from criminal charges, parents and guardians of shooters more often face civil lawsuits, where legal standards of proof are less stringent. [AP] 2. Multiple mass shootings take place in Chicago in a single month. So why don’t they get the same kind of attention?   Survivors of Chicago’s violence and family members of those killed are asking why Highland Park has garnered so much more attention and support, reports Block Club Chicago.  For example, 60 people were shot and eight people were killed in Chicago during the Fourth of July weekend. “There is no governor speaking, no senator speaking and another en route [to Chicago],” said Arthur Reed, executive director of the Second Chance Initiative, a violence intervention program on the South Side. “Every incident deserves this type of response. “I wish that response was echoed in parts of the city. Because the trauma is real everywhere.” [Block Club Chicago] 3. Most Democrats want a new nominee over Biden in 2024, according to a new poll   Sixty-four percent of Democratic voters say they want someone other than President Joe Biden to run in the 2024 election, according to a poll from The New York Times and Siena College. That’s compared to just 26% who want the party to renominate him. But Biden holds a narrow lead over former President Donald Trump — 44% to 41% — in a hypothetical rematch, the poll found. [New York Times] The poll comes as speculation continues to build over Gov. JB Pritzker’s future plans.  “For a guy who insists he isn’t testing the presidential waters, Gov. JB Pritzker sure is diving into the pool a lot lately,” writes Greg Hinz at Crain’s Chicago Business.  The governor was the first guest on Jake Tapper’s State of the Union on Sunday, and “he did absolutely nothing to cool potential interest from his party about a future potential candidacy for 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” [Crain’s] 4. Tomorrow’s Jan. 6 hearing will focus on how the violent mob came together and the role of extremists   The House select committee investigating the insurrection is expected tomorrow to zero in on what some panel members called the “marshaling of the mob,” reports NBC News.  That includes “evidence of coordination between Trump, his top aides and associates, and white nationalist or militia groups like the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers who members say led the assault on the Capitol that day,” NBC reports. [NBC News] WBEZ will air live special coverage of tomorrow’s hearing beginning at noon on 91.5 FM, wbez.org and on the WBEZ app. Meanwhile, Trump ally Steve Bannon is now willing to testify before the Jan. 6 committee. [AP] 5. A Chicago tour featuring rats   I’ll never forget the time when, on a nice fall night, I kicked a pile of leaves on the sidewalk as I was strolling through the neighborhood and unknowingly hit a large rat, which I first mistook for a cat.  Anyway, if you’re a big fan of rats, you might want to check out Underground Chicago (Plus Rats!) Tour.  The 90-minute tour of the city’s underbelly focuses on “how Chicago’s history and architecture are closely intertwined with the rats who also call it home,” reports Block Club Chicago. [Block Club] SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO MEDICINE Sickness is relentless. So are we. Tougher than cancer. Smarter than heart disease. Stronger than Crohn’s disease. The University of Chicago Medicine is a leading community of physicians, researchers and game changers. Using the most advanced treatment options available today, our team of experts embrace challenges to make a difference in your life.    Learn more about our relentless fight against: Cancer Crohn’s Disease Heart Disease Visit us online to schedule a video or in-person visit at a location near you, or call 1-888-824-0200.  Here's what else is happening Doctors took extraordinary measures to save the life of 8-year-old Cooper Roberts, who was wounded in the Highland Park mass shooting. [Chicago Sun-Times] Local activists head to D.C. to push for an assault weapons ban a week after the Highland Park shooting. [Chicago Sun-Times] Here’s what you need to know about a new omicron strain that is driving up cases and reinfections. [NPR] Despite a fancy new Netflix series, D.B. Cooper’s whereabouts remain unknown. [Chicago Sun-Times] Oh, and one more thing... OK, I seriously can’t stop laughing and/or thinking about something that my colleague Alex Degman shared on Twitter recently. In 2015, the mayor of Springfield, Ill., gave the keys to the city to … the fictional terrorist leader known as Cobra Commander.  “Springfielders near and far, I accept your mayor’s generous gift,” Cobra Commander reportedly said. “And let it be known that I too bring a gift for every man, woman and child of this city that is so near and dear to my heart; an invitation to join with me. Join Cobra!”  Divorced from context, the picture of Cobra Commander getting the keys cracks me up. But the event was arranged in anticipation of an upcoming G.I. Joe collectors convention in Springfield. [Polygon] Tell me something good What was an act of kindness that really lifted your spirits?  I know, it’s kind of a big question. But I’ll give you a couple in no particular order.  One time, when I was having a lousy week, my husband bought me all of the John Wick movies even though he does not enjoy the movies and how, at any given chance, I’ll explain to anyone and everyone how they are the greatest action movies of all time. Every time my sister sends me a video of the nephews singing “Happy Birthday” for my big day. And, after I’m done with work, my dog, Princess Leia, will sometimes try to lie down completely on top of me on the couch because she sometimes thinks she is a small dog. 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. 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