Violent crime rises on CTA trains and buses

Plus, the Senate could pass a major climate change bill this weekend. 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 Friday, and it’s also my mom’s birthday! Happy birthday, mom! For your birthday, I got you Keanu Reeves in “The Devil in the White City” TV series. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. Violent crime on CTA trains and buses has risen to a level not seen in more than a decade   That’s according to a Chicago Sun-Times analysis, which found that 488 attacks had been reported on the transit system through July 19. That’s the most since 2011, when 533 attacks were reported during the same time period. The news comes as city officials are trying to attract riders back after the COVID-19 pandemic caused ridership to crater. But the Chicago Transit Authority has struggled to reduce crime on its transit system, as well as provide a reliable schedule for trains and buses. The Sun-Times also reports that as “more violent crimes have been committed, the deployment of police officers on the CTA system hasn’t kept pace.” “There are 145 officers assigned to the Chicago Police Department’s transit units, down 92 officers from a peak in April 2020. They are supplemented by more than 250 unarmed, private security guards.” [Sun-Times] 2. A North Side alderman says he might quit and run for mayor   Another week, another potential new candidate in the crowded race to unseat Mayor Lori Lightfoot. This time around it’s Ald. Tom Tunney, the first openly gay member of Chicago’s City Council. Tunney says he hasn’t “completely ruled it out” the possibility of putting together a mayoral campaign, reports Fran Spielman at the Sun-Times. Tunney’s comments come as at least eight City Council members have decided to not run for election. Speaking on the wave of resignations, Tunney said it’s “not a good place to work these days.”  “There’s a lot of acrimony in the council,” he said. “People need to work together. We all need to compromise. ... It’s got to happen in the mayor’s office. It’s also got to happen in the aldermanic offices. And I just think that a lot of people feel that it’s not a good place to work these days.” [Sun-Times] 3. The Senate could pass a major climate change and health care bill this weekend   Senate Democrats appear to have enough votes to pass the legislation after holdout Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona late yesterday said she would support the bill with some tweaks. That means the Senate could begin debating the bill as soon as tomorrow.  As NPR reports, the legislation solidifies key portions of President Biden's domestic agenda, which has struggled to gain traction in the Senate because Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the chamber. The bill provides billions of dollars to help tackle climate change, partly through a significant expansion of electric vehicles. Democrats want to increase cash incentives for buyers to boost the number of Americans who drive electric cars. And they want to greatly expand the electric vehicle industry in the U.S. When it comes to health care, one of the biggest goals is reducing prescription drug costs. [NPR] 4. The pace of hiring unexpectedly surged last month despite concerns of a recession   U.S. employers added more than half a million jobs in July, an unexpected surge that shows the labor market remains robust (so far) as the Federal Reserve takes aggressive moves to tackle inflation. The Fed is raising interest rates as a way to cool off the economy and get prices on everyday items down. They’re calling this a “soft landing.” But that strategy comes with the risk of setting off a recession. “I think what we're seeing is the soft landing that a lot of folks are hoping for,” said Dave Gilbertson, vice president at UKG, which tracks the working hours of some four million hourly employees. “I really do believe this is going to be a tight labor market for a long time.” Today’s news also means the U.S. has replaced all of the jobs that were lost in the early months of the pandemic. [NPR] 5. The endangered piping plovers really fell in love this summer   You might want to listen to Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach for this one.  The federally endangered piping plovers had a record-breaking breeding session this year, according to the Great Lakes Piping Plover Conservation Team.  About 150 wild chicks reached their flying stages, the most since an official count began in 1984, reports the Chicago Tribune.  “The fact that we had almost 150 fledged chicks — just with the wild population — is fantastic. When you have that high a fledge rate, it makes you really excited for what is to come,” said Jillian Farkas, the Great Lakes piping plover coordinator at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [Chicago Tribune] SPONSORED BY INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION Celebrating Community and Conservation Save the date for the first annual Great Midwest Crane Fest – Celebrating Community and Conservation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, from November 10 to 12, 2022, as thousands of Sandhill Cranes gather near the Wisconsin River before flying south for the winter. Witness the marvel of Wisconsin’s largest crane congregation and participate in guided crane-viewing tours, photography and crane behavior workshops, conservation-related lectures and extraordinary events. Explore the beautiful landscapes and rich histories connecting the festival hosts, the International Crane Foundation and the Aldo Leopold Foundation. Learn more here. Here's what else is happening Republican candidates are beginning to acknowledge that abortion rights will be a key issue in the general election. [New York Times] Seven months before a smokestack’s botched implosion smothered Little Village in dust, Chicago’s city inspector issued a dire warning. [Chicago Sun-Times] More than 600 women will be doing double dutch on the South Side this weekend. [Block Club Chicago] After waiting years (if not decades), fans of author Neil Gaiman finally get to see The Sandman on screen. [NPR] Oh, and one more thing... Looking for something to listen to this weekend? What a random and fortuitous question, because there’ve been a lot of great things on the radio lately. First up is Nerdette, which talks about Beyoncé’s new album, Renaissance, and the 10th anniversary of Tinder. [WBEZ] Need more Beyoncé? Reset recently discussed how her new album draws influences from house and disco music. [WBEZ] Then, my friends over at Curious City look at community gardens in Chicago and how you can start one. [WBEZ] And The Daily this week examined why monkeypox spread so rapidly across the nation. [New York Times] Tell me something good I finally saw Jordan Peele’s Nope, and I’d like to know what is a scary movie, TV or book that really got you? Regeta writes:  “There is a scene in the original movie Candyman in the UIC covered Halsted parking lot. The actor Tony Todd is standing waiting for the victim. I was working at UIC and often parked in the lot and all I could see was Candyman waiting for me!” Susan writes:  “I saw Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window at a much too young age. It gave me nightmares for years! That, along with a few other Hitchcock movies, may be why I don’t care much for scary movies now. One of the few disadvantages of having siblings much older than myself.” And Cheryl writes:  “No scarier film than Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. It took me years to be able to take a shower when alone in the house.” Thanks for all the emails and tweets 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? 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. You are receiving this email because you are a WBEZ member or signed up to receive email communications from us. You can unsubscribe from The Rundown here. CHICAGO PUBLIC MEDIA'S PRIVACY POLICY