The science behind yesterday’s storm

Plus, why do some people seem resistant to COVID? Here's what you need to know today.

Monday, September 12, 2022 Today's Rundown is brought to you by WBEZ members   by Hunter Clauss   Good afternoon. I hope everyone is doing alright after that storm yesterday. The grocery store down the street from my apartment was closed because of flooding. Here’s what you need to know today. 1. A ‘supercell’ storm dumped nearly four inches of rain on the North Side in about two hours   Yesterday’s torrential rain was the result of a rotating thunderstorm known as a supercell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told Block Club Chicago. The storm came in from the west and stalled over Chicago’s North Side, dumping enormous amounts of rain in a short period of time. Other parts of the city also saw heavy rain but were spared from the worst. “I don’t remember anything like it, and I’ve been here 25 years,” Lincoln Square resident Noe Torres told Block Club. “Where the table is floating? Water in the fridge? I’ve never had that happen before.”  Here’s something I didn’t know until today: Flooding in streets is intentional when heavy rain hits Chicago. The city’s sewer network is designed in a way that makes streets act as a holding area for rain so the wastewater system isn’t overwhelmed. [Block Club Chicago] 2. A Chicago jury will soon decide the fate of R. Kelly and two co-defendants   Closing arguments began today in the trial of disgraced R&B singer R. Kelly on federal child pornography and obstruction of justice charges.  Federal prosecutors accuse Kelly and two co-defendants — former business manager Derrel McDavid and former assistant Milton “June” Brown — of intimidating or paying off witnesses to help the singer beat child pornography charges in 2008.  Among those witnesses was “Jane,” whom federal prosecutors say was the underaged girl who appeared on one of the tapes at the heart of the 2008 trial. Jane, now in her late 30s, testified that Kelly began abusing her when she was 14 years old. Closing arguments are expected to continue tomorrow. [Chicago Sun-Times] 3. Political and personal issues mount for a once-rising star of Illinois politics   The state spent nearly $150,000 in a civil discrimination case involving Democratic state Sen. Michael Hastings, who is also accused of domestic violence by his estranged wife, reports WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos. “Boasting an education at West Point and military service in Iraq, Hastings had been viewed by many as a rising star in Springfield, and he launched what he hoped would be a run for a statewide office this year,” Mihalopoulos writes. “Instead, he’s fighting a Republican challenger in the November election for his seat representing a district in the south suburbs, where Hastings’s family is powerful and voters made him one of the youngest state senators in Illinois history.” [WBEZ] 4. Ukraine reclaims more ground in the Northeast as Russian forces retreat   A lightning advance by Ukrainian troops has reclaimed a wide swath of territory from Russia, liberating towns and freeing more than 20 settlements in just 24 hours, reports the Associated Press.  In some parts, troops have pushed all the way back to the northeastern border as Russian forces made a hasty retreat. “The Russians were here in the morning. Then at noon, they suddenly started shouting wildly and began to run away, charging off in tanks and armored vehicles,” Dmytro Hrushchenko, a resident of recently liberated Zaliznychne, a small town near the eastern front line, told Sky News. [AP] Ukraine’s momentum and Russia’s retreat undermine President Vladimir Putin’s carefully crafted image as a savvy strategist, reports The New York Times. [NYT] 5. Haven’t gotten COVID yet? Scientists believe they understand why some people are superdodgers.   Scientists around the world are trying to understand why some people appear to be resistant to COVID-19 when most people have had at least one bout with the infectious disease.  Now, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco believe they have an answer — a genetic mutation that prevents a person from having COVID symptoms, reports NPR. The researchers analyzed DNA from more than 1,400 people and found a mutation that helps clear out the coronavirus so fast that a person doesn’t have a chance to develop symptoms. [NPR] Here's what else is happening A string of grocery store closings is ramping up efforts to fight “food apartheid” in Chicago. [WBEZ] Children’s hospitals in Illinois are reporting a surge of kids with respiratory illnesses. [Chicago Tribune] Business owners and fans of the Chicago Bears have mixed feelings about the team’s potential move to the suburbs. [Chicago Sun-Times] NPR profiles strippers in Los Angeles who are fighting to unionize. [NPR]    Sasha's Pick Reset’s Re-Imagine Chicago series investigates how city government, community investment, public safety and schools work — or don’t work — in Chicago. As the mayor’s race heats up and we approach budget season, we're taking a look at how mayoral and aldermanic systems function in Chicago, and what improvements could be made to better serve citizens. [WBEZ Reset] — Sasha-Ann Simons, host of Reset Oh, and one more thing... Queen Elizabeth II will lie in rest in Scotland until tomorrow, and thousands of mourners are expected to pass by her coffin at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh. The commemorations are taking place amid a renewed push for independence in Scotland, and some observers think King Charles III may not be able to hold the United Kingdom together. But the fact the queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland could actually strengthen a union that has been under strain.  Scottish historian Tom Devine told the Associated Press that because of the “extraordinary serendipity” the queen died in Scotland, “it was possible for the world to see the relationship between the queen and this country.” [AP] Meanwhile in New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said today there are no plans to change to a republic following the queen’s death. [AP] Tell me something good Yes, I’m one of those people who sees it’s raining and thinks, “What a perfect time to read a book.” So what books are you reading these days? I’m almost done with East of Eden by John Steinbeck and need something new. Cathy, Kate or whatever she calls herself is one creepy antagonist. Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might appear 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