The Rundown: What a decline in robins means for humans
Good afternoon! It’s Friday, and this newsletter will take a break Monday for Memorial Day. I hope you all have a safe holiday weekend. But first, here’s what you need to know today.
1. American robins’ numbers are on the decline. Here’s why and what that might mean.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of robins descend each fall on a natural area near Horsetail Lake in the south suburbs, showcasing their vast numbers and often-overlooked beauty as they gobble up native berries. A single Chicago or suburban park could feature dozens of the songbirds at any given time, hopping around or pecking for food.
But as Robert Herguth reports for the Chicago Sun-Times, there are signs of decline for the winged creatures known for their orange chests, sky-blue eggs and piercing, happy whistle.
Their numbers are believed to be down across the Midwest and much of the country, with an estimated drop of about 10% to 20% in the Chicago region between 2012 and 2022, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird database that relies on on-the-ground observations and computer modeling.
The North American Breeding Bird Survey, which is overseen by the U.S. Geological Survey and involves thousands of observers counting birds along designated routes each year, shows that in 2024 the “relative abundance” of robins in Illinois was at its lowest point since 1984. Their numbers are down more than 26% in Illinois since 2000, the survey found.
Robins can be indicators of larger environmental problems that also affect humans; studies in Michigan, for example, use the birds to gauge lead levels in the ground. Recent research also suggests migratory patterns may be changing, with more robins staying put in traditionally cooler areas throughout the year. The shift could indicate warming temperatures and food availability, including invasive species like berry-producing honeysuckle. [Chicago Sun-Times]
2. From O’Hare to the hospital, here’s how Chicago is preparing for Ebola
As a major hub for international travel, Chicago is no stranger to preparing for and handling deadly contagions, WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch writes.
The city developed a playbook more than a decade ago during an Ebola outbreak in West Africa and is using lessons learned for the deadly virus as it surges in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Public health leaders and infectious diseases specialists are preparing for everything from where to send patients in Chicago to how to get travelers safely through O’Hare Airport.
To be clear, there’s a low risk of Ebola arriving in Chicago, and a person can’t spread the virus unless they have symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea. And the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is routing all flights that include any passengers who have recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan to Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., for enhanced Ebola screening — not to O’Hare.
But if someone does develop symptoms, there are two designated hospitals where anyone in Illinois would receive treatment. Adults would head to Rush University Medical Center on the Near West Side, and kids and teens would go to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Streeterville. Each hospital can quickly convert a large space or several patient rooms into a biocontainment unit to treat people with dangerous, highly infectious diseases. [WBEZ]
3. Here’s who is running for Chicago’s first-ever elected school board president
Up until now, the mayor appointed the position and held sway over what came up for a board vote. Now that power will go to someone elected, my colleagues Sarah Karp and Emmanuel Camarillo report.
It wasn’t clear until now whom the powerful Chicago Teachers Union would support. The answer is Hilario Dominguez, the union’s own deputy political director, who told WBEZ he plans to file his nomination petition by Tuesday.
He joins Jessica Biggs, Jennifer Custer, Victor Henderson and Sendhil Revuluri, who filed their paperwork earlier this week. Candidates have until Tuesday to come forward, so that list could grow.
The Board of Education president is the only citywide position all Chicago voters will weigh in on this November, and the race is likely to attract big campaign contributions. [WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times]
4. Lincoln Avenue’s once-notorious Diplomat Motel is now a stylish new shelter for the unhoused
As Chicago Sun-Times architecture columnist Lee Bey writes, the well-designed Haven on Lincoln Avenue is the city’s first transitional shelter that gives each resident their own private, bathroom-equipped room. Haven provides 37 private sleeping rooms, along with on-site medical and mental healthcare, all designed to get folks back on their feet.
The Chicago Department of Housing bought the Diplomat for $2.9 million in 2023 and has spent $14 million converting it. Cornerstone Community Outreach operates the facility.
“This model was tested during COVID, [and] it was successful, both at preventing transmittable diseases but also in improving mental health,” Chicago Housing Commissioner Lissette Castañeda said. “When our mental health is at our best, it means that we can do our best in attaining permanent housing and all of those pieces.”
The Diplomat was one of 14 postwar motels built along Lincoln Avenue between Foster and Devon avenues. They started to fall from favor in the 1960s, when Interstate 94 supplanted U.S. 41 as the main North Side automobile route in and out of town. [Chicago Sun-Times]
The final season began streaming today on Paramount+ with the Showtime add-on. Viewership has remained strong for the sprawling show, known for its large cast and genre-switching — from thriller to soap opera and more — between seasons. Last year, Season 7’s opening became the most-streamed premiere of the series.
“The Chi” will be remembered for employing a wealth of up-and-coming and veteran Black talent in front of and behind the camera, including iconic Chicago filmmaker and West Side native Robert Townsend, who directed an episode this season. And with storylines about family, politics, gang violence, religion and LGBTQ+ romance, it is celebrated for its multifaceted portrayal of Black life on the South Side, my colleague Erica Thompson writes.
“Chicago feels like everyone’s city now,” creator Lena Waithe said. “Even if they aren’t from Chicago and they’ve never been to Chicago, they recognize what it’s like to be a part of a city that helps to define you.” [Chicago Sun-Times]
Here’s what else is happening
- Tulsi Gabbard resigned as director of national intelligence. [CNN]
- Ultrafast-fashion juggernaut Shein purchased Everlane, a company that sold millennials the dream of ethical, affordable luxury. [NPR]
- Dating apps are shifting away from swiping and using more artificial intelligence. [New York Times]
- The Chicago Tribune is buying the suburban Daily Herald. [Daily Herald]
Oh, and one more thing …
Chicago’s history as a thirsty city just 90 miles from the founding Schlitz brewery has left ardent fans crying in their beer, arts contributor Zachary Nauth writes, as Pabst Brewing Company has put the famed Midwest brand on ice. Bars like Schubas have eulogized its passing with final pourings; another bar with historic Schlitz ties — Friends of Friends in West Town, which opened last year — will host a Schlitz sendoff on Memorial Day.
At the turn of the 20th century, Schlitz was the bestselling beer in the world. Chicago, with its sizable German population, was a critical market for Joseph P. Schlitz, who married the widow of brewer August Krug, took over the business and named it after himself. After the 1871 Great Fire burned down many breweries and taverns, Schlitz was shipped into the growing city, generating customer loyalty.
The company cribbed the tied house concept from the United Kingdom, constructing European-looking store-and-flat buildings that would advertise, legitimize and sell a single brand of beer. Schubas in West Lake View, housed in a striking building designed in the German Renaissance Revival style, was such a place until Prohibition legislated an end to the practice. Ten former Schlitz tied houses sporting the famous globe logo, plus a brewery stable, are official Chicago landmarks. [WBEZ]
Tell me something good …
What plans are you looking forward to this summer?
J.R. writes:
“Baseball. Baseball. And more baseball. And when that is done...perhaps some baseball. You’ll find me watching the Chicago Dogs or the White Sox with a hot dog in one hand and box score in the other.”
And Barbara writes:
“I’m planning a European trip...at the beginning of August I’ll fly into Norway to visit family....many years ago, a cousin married a Norwegian woman & they left the U.S. to live & raise their daughters. Now my cousin is suffering from Alzheimers & living in a care home. His wife lives in the same town as he does. His younger daughter lives in the family home built by her grandfather. When she & her partner bought the family home, they built a garage across the drive & made a lovely apartment on the second floor for her mom. It’s almost too perfect for words...the deck wraps around 2 sides with sea & town views. The occasional deer graze in the area around the dwelling! I’ll also visit my second cousin & her family in Oslo. From there it’s on to Amsterdam to visit friends who recently relocated there. My final visit will be to Edinburgh to attend the Edinburgh Military Tattoo...a spectacular display of international military musicians & International dancers. I’ll stay in a b & b that I stayed in a few years ago. The owner & I got on famously so there was no question about where I’d stay! I hope to see another friend while in Edinburgh too. At 80 I fear this may be my last big jaunt so I'm pulling out all the stops!! BTW I travel on local trains & buses alone & do whatever I want!”
Thanks for all the responses this week! I hope y’all have a great holiday weekend and summer.
Discussion in the ATmosphere