🌱 CTA To Replace Trains Using $200M Grant + Bally's To Hire Hundreds

Welcome to the weekend, Chicago. In today's quick guide to the latest headlines, find out:

• What Chicagoans need to know about the COVID-19 emergency declaration ending next week.
• When a South Shore migrant shelter is expected to open.
• Why this weekend's weather could set a city record.

But first, today's weather: Breezy in the afternoon. High: 71 Low: 60.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Chicago today:

1. The Chicago Transit Authority received a $200 million federal grant this week to replace its train cars, CBS Chicago reports. Funding comes from the Rail Vehicle Replacement Program in President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package. (CBS)

2. A “chaotic” meeting was held Thursday at South Shore High School to discuss plans to use the space for a migrant shelter, Block Club reports. The mayor’s office said the temporary shelter could open as soon as next week and provide “basic amenities” for up to 500 migrants. (Block Club)

3. The funding status for some state COVID-19 programs will change after May 11, when the pandemic emergency declaration ends. “Agencies say they will be able to continue those programs with federal funding until at least 2024,” WBEZ reports. (WBEZ)

4. Temperatures could reach as high as 90 degrees Sunday, the National Weather Service forecasts. The previous record for May 7 was 86 degrees in 2015. (Patch)

5. New construction begins Monday on the Kennedy Expressway, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced. Overnight lane closures are planned throughout the summer to resurface outbound lanes between Madison and Ohio streets. (WGN)

Today in Chicago:

• BFF Bikes hosts its annual garage sale. (10 a.m.)
• Chicago White Sox Charities hold a garage sale at Guaranteed Rate Field.(10 a.m.)
• The Logan Square Auditorium hosts the Latino Spirits Festival. (11 a.m.)
• A Cinco de Mayo bar crawl is held in Pilsen. (Noon)
• It’s Mental Health Awareness Day at the Bronzeville Children's Museum. (1 p.m.)
• Kentucky Derby parties are held at Hubbard Inn, Gold Coast Social and more venues across the city. (3 p.m.)
• Artist Himali Singh Soin performs a reading at the Art Institute’s Fullerton Hall. (3 p.m.)
• An orchestra performs “The Batman in Concert” at Auditorium Theatre. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• More than 290,000 people have left the Chicago area over the past five years, according to postal service data. (ABC)
• Chicago Public Schools is observing Jewish American Heritage Month this May. (Instagram)
• Bally’s Casino is looking to hire more than 700 workers as it prepares to open a temporary location on the Near North Side. (NBC)
• A group of Loyola University students is creating a documentary about the city’s oldest park. (Paid source: Tribune)
• OpenTable ranked seven Chicagoland restaurants among the most popular brunch spots in the country, including Beatrix and The Dearborn. (NBC)

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Featured events:

• Evanston Made First Saturday Art Events (May 6)
• New Tradition Chorus "Blast From the Past" with songs of '70s and '80s. (May 6)
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• BOUNDLESS with Chicago Sinfonietta orchestra (May 8)
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• Chicago Cabaret Week - Opening Night! Get carried away by Chicago Cabaret! (May 12)
• Free Learn for Life Webinar: Entrepreneurship Fundamentals (May 16)
• Free Information Session: A Graduate Degree Designed for You (May 17)
• Personal Protection Survival for Women, Girls & Boys (May 20)
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You're all caught up, Chicago! Patch will be back in your inbox Tuesday with another guide to the headlines.

— Georgi Presecky

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.