The first conviction in the lifeguard abuse scandal

Plus, low COVID-19 vaccination rates at Chicago's public schools. Here's what you need to know.

Thursday, August 18, 2022 Today's Rundown is brought to you by WBEZ members and   by Hunter Clauss   Hey there! It’s Thursday, and I got to hang out with this precious angel today. Here’s what you need to know. 1. The first criminal conviction in Chicago’s lifeguard abuse scandal   An employee at the Chicago Park District has admitted to committing sex crimes against much-younger female employees that he supervised, reports WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos. The supervisor, Mauricio Ramirez, is the first to be convicted in the year-old investigation by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. The conviction also comes more than a year after WBEZ reported that the park district’s inspector general had been secretly conducting an investigation into dozens of sexual misconduct complaints in the agency’s Aquatics Department.  Current and former lifeguards described a workplace culture of misogyny and abuse at the beaches along the lakefront and at pools across the city going back decades. The scandal prompted the resignations last year of the park district’s longtime CEO and board president, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot apologized to lifeguards affected by the scandal and promised reforms to ensure a safer workplace at the city’s parks. [WBEZ] Meanwhile, two former employees are banned from working again for the park district. [WBEZ] 2. Students return to Chicago’s public schools next week. Only about half are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.   As schools prepare to welcome back students on Monday, about 54% of kids in district-run schools are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, reports WBEZ’s Sarah Karp. Vaccination rates vary widely from school to school, with some reporting that less than 10% of students have received full doses.  The news comes as district officials and the Chicago Teachers Union are nearing a deal on pandemic safety measures for the new academic year.  The union will vote next week on one plan that keeps most of the measures from last year, but with one major change: Close contacts of someone with COVID, even if they are unvaccinated, would no longer have to be quarantined. [WBEZ] 3. Accidents at Lake Michigan’s ‘Playpen’ raise questions about safety in the party boat hotspot   There have been two accidents in less than a week at the “Playpen,” a no-wake zone on Lake Michigan that is popular with boaters in Chicago. One person is in critical condition and a second person is missing after falling off a boat last night. Authorities are trying to determine if a body found this morning at a North Side harbor belongs to the missing person. Just days earlier on Saturday, two women were severely injured in a boating accident. One woman had both legs amputated after she was sucked under a 37-foot yacht. The recent accidents are raising questions over whether authorities could do more to ensure the safety of boaters at the Playpen. The party spot is regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard and also monitored by a Chicago police marine unit and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. [Chicago Sun-Times] 4. A pause on student loan payments ends in two weeks   More than 41 million Americans have not had to make payments on student loans since the COVID-19 pandemic began more than two years ago. But this freeze is scheduled to end on Aug. 31 unless President Joe Biden announces an extension. But The Washington Post reports the Biden administration has “created a plan to bring 7.5 million Americans in default on their federal student loans back into good standing, restoring their eligibility for financial aid and removing the incident from their credit history.”  In order to be eligible for the “Fresh Start” initiative, borrowers now in default must have a federal loan directly from the U.S. Department of Education, a Perkins loan or “old bank-based debt held by the department or private companies,” the Post reports. [WaPo] 5. The Chicago Sky lost their first game in the WNBA playoffs as the team defends their championship   The Chicago Sky is on the brink of elimination after losing 98-91 to the New York Liberty in last night’s first playoff game. “We relaxed and they came back at us and showed how lethal they can be,” general manager/coach James Wade said after the game. The team must now win Saturday’s game as they try to become the first WNBA team to win back-to-back championships in 20 years and the first Chicago team to do so in decades. [Chicago Sun-Times] SPONSORED BY OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC Musical Adventures Start With Old Town School This fall, experience the joy of learning music and dance at Chicago's legendary Old Town School of Folk Music. Join group classes in guitar, dance, ukulele, piano, banjo, and more... including our acclaimed Wiggleworms early-childhood classes for babies and caregivers together!  8-week classes for every skill level are forming now in-person in Chicago's Lincoln Square or Lincoln Park and also online. The next class session begins the week of August 29th. Use code WBEZFRIENDS22 for $20 off your registration — visit our website to browse the catalog and start your musical adventure with classes today. Here's what else is happening A Trump Organization executive pleaded guilty to 15 felonies in a tax scheme. [NPR] More than half of Americans say there’s an “invasion” at the southern border, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll. [NPR] Activists from Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana took the train this week to Chicago to highlight abortion bans in the South. [WBEZ] The first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is out today. [A.V. Club]    Sasha's Pick You know the story of Jackie Robinson integrating baseball, but do you know the story of Lane Tech grad Fritz Pollard and his impact on football as the first Black NFL coach? Well the high school is making sure that students do: They’ll be honoring Pollard by naming a playing field after him. We got the scoop from Reset architecture sleuth, Dennis Rodkin. [WBEZ Reset] — Sasha-Ann Simons, host of Reset Oh, and one more thing... One of the many things that’s awesome about Chicago is the 24-hour horror movie marathon that takes place every October at the Music Box Theatre.  And an early lineup of movies has been announced and includes two personal favorites: Blade and Ernest Scared Stupid. “This is not a drill! The @MusicBoxHorrors is screening Ernest Scared Stupid in 35mm this year! I only watched that movie 20,000 times as a kid. Who’s coming with me?” tweeted dajuice632. If you’ve never been and like horror movies, you’ve definitely got to check this out. The best part is the hilarious audience commentary and reactions to the movies. Tell me something good I saw Lady Gaga at Wrigley Field this week. And I’d like to know what is one of your favorite concerts or shows you’ve seen, whether it’s a band, comedian, drag queen or anything else. George writes:  “Years ago, at a club called Tuts, located on Belmont Avenue next to the L tracks, featured the horror rockabilly band called The Cramps. I remember their lead singer, Lux Interior, looking into the smoky haze where the audience was standing. ‘I can't see s*** out there, and I know there is a lot of s*** out there,’ he exclaimed before starting his set. It was a memorable show.” And Alma Urbiola writes:  “If you ask anyone who saw Radiohead at Butler Field in August 2001 (years before Lolla arrived there), they will assure you that it was, hands down, the best concert ever.   “In a stroke of genius, they positioned the stage in the northwest corner of the field. There was no alcohol allowed, yet the entire crowd buzzed in the ethereal ecstasy created by Radiohead making music with instruments and computers (so cutting edge for its time!) on a beautiful summer night, with the Chicago skyline, and an amazing orange and pink sunset as a backdrop to the stage. We were at once stunned and enthralled; I still get chills whenever I think about it!” 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 ©Chicago Public Media Inc 848 East Grand Ave, Navy Pier Chicago, IL 60611 View in Browser | Sign Up for Newsletters | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy