Good afternoon! Remember that movie Problem Child? I had a friend who wanted a spin-off called Problem Grandma — and I really wish someone would make this movie. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.
1. Who’s getting a raise at City Hall? The Johnson administration won’t say until next month.
Last Friday was the deadline for the mayor, City Council members and other elected officials at City Hall to decide on whether to accept a 2.24% pay increase.
But in a break from previous norms, officials won’t say who is taking a pay hike until Mayor Brandon Johnson releases his budget plan next month, WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg reports.
A city spokesperson would not say if Johnson himself will be taking the raise. The mayor currently makes $216,210 and would receive a pay bump of a little over $4,800 if he accepts it.
“Whether to accept the raise has set up a political conundrum for elected officials whose constituents are dealing with inflation and rising costs,” Weinberg reports. [WBEZ]
2. A plan to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers in Chicago cleared a key hurdle
A proposal to eliminate the “sub-minimum” wage for tipped workers today won overwhelming support from the City Council’s Committee on Workforce Development, setting up a final vote before the full council.
The plan gives restaurants five years to phase in higher base wages for tipped workers and absorb a 66% increase in labor costs.
Advocates say the “sub-minimum wage” particularly hurts Black and Brown workers, and they say the lower minimum wage is blatantly unfair.
However, some restaurant workers are concerned their wages will actually decrease if the council approves the plan. These workers argue customers may tip less when they learn about the higher base wage.
But in the seven states that already have eliminated the “sub-minimum wage,” hourly pay actually increased, according to Saru Jayaraman, director of the University of California at Berkeley’s Food Labor Research Center who serves as a champion for the national “One Fair Wage” campaign. [Chicago Sun-Times]
You can learn more about the plan here. [WBEZ]
3. Midwives can be hard to find in some parts of the city
Many hospitals in the Chicago area are cutting back or not investing in midwives despite research linking them to low C-section rates and better outcomes for both parent and child, WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch reports.
The situation is particularly stark on Chicago’s South Side, where there are already few places for delivering a baby.
Hospitals have cited declining birth rates and financial problems for cutting back on midwives. There’s also a national shortage of OB-GYNs, which may mean midwives are not a priority in the hiring process.
But advocates say it all boils down to an unwillingness to value midwives.
“Illinois clearly has not really embraced midwives,” said Karen Jefferson, director of midwifery practice and education at the American College of Nurse-Midwives, which tracks midwifery trends around the nation. [WBEZ]
4. A former NFL player is missing after his mother was found dead in a Chicago suburb
Police in Illinois are searching for former NFL player Sergio Brown after his mother was found dead in a creek near her Maywood home Saturday.
The mother, Myrtle Brown, died from multiple injuries because of an assault, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Maywood Police are currently trying to determine whether a video recently posted online came from Sergio Brown.
In the video, a man who resembles Brown called reports of his mother’s death “fake news” and alleged the Maywood police and FBI are setting him up. [Chicago Sun-Times]
5. A look inside Illinois’ first foster home for LGBTQ+ teens
The state’s first foster home for LGBTQ+ teens opened in March on Chicago’s North Side, with child advocates calling it an encouraging milestone for a system that has struggled to provide services to some 20,000 children in its care.
“The home is small, with just five beds. But the people living here — along with staff and other experts who work with youth — say it’s a far cry from other foster homes,” WBEZ contributor Michael Gerstein reports.
“They describe a place where kids feel safe and accepted as they work through the finer points of learning to be an independent adult and learning to live with the trauma they brought with them.”
Nationally, about a third of foster care youth identify as LGBTQ+, and researchers say they are at significantly higher risk of experiencing homelessness and physical harm. [WBEZ]
Here’s what else is happening
- The chances of a federal government shutdown grew after House negotiations fell apart. [AP]
- The White House unveiled the American Climate Corps, a jobs training program that it says could put 20,000 people to work in its first year. [NPR]
- A rare Bob Ross painting could set you back nearly $10 million. [NPR]
- A NASA astronaut approaches a year in space, breaking the record for the longest space trip in history by an American. [NPR]
Oh, and one more thing …
Chicago’s Grant Park now has 16 new pickleball courts thanks to a $500,000 grant from Lollapalooza and an additional $41,000 raised by the Grant Park Advisory Council, Block Club Chicago reports.
Pickleball’s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, causing some tension between pickleball and tennis players over courts. As a result, the Grant Park Advisory Council launched a fundraising effort in 2021 to add more courts. [Block Club Chicago]
The news reminds me of the inspiring story of Leroy Archibald, who struggled with alcohol and drug addiction. He says pickleball saved his life.
“I got addicted to it. That’s my drug now,” Archibald told the Chicago Sun-Times last year. “I’ll get in my car with my wife, Angela, and we go all over the city and suburbs to play.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
Tell me something good ...
With fewer TV shows coming out this fall because of the ongoing strikes in Hollywood, what TV shows are you planning on rewatching this season?
Jacqueline Puschmann writes:
“This fall, I’m rewatching Gilmore Girls for at least the 10th time. It’s the perfect show for the colder weather and reminds me about all the fun activities there are during this time of the year. This show is a big warm cup of coffee, which is much needed during the darker, tired months.”
David Rex James writes:
“I’m rewatching Sense8. I enjoy that it’s shot on-site in eight different countries and highlights the colorful beauty, customs and culture as well. The show also strengthens the idea that humans are intrinsically connected.”
And Kevin Le Beau writes:
“Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine are two shows I can put on whenever for an immediate serotonin boost. I’m also due for a Twin Peaks rewatch. Season three in particular.”
Email me about your favorite TV show to rewatch and you may appear in the newsletter this week.
