Vox Sentences: Who will make history in Chicago?

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Chicago holds a history-making election; tensions escalate between China and Taiwan.

Making history in the mayoral race

The Washington Post/Getty Images

• Polls just closed in Chicago’s mayoral election, and no matter who wins, a black woman will become mayor of the third-largest city in the United States. [Washington Post / Mark Guarino and Mark Berman]
• The race is between Lori Lightfoot, a former prosecutor who would be Chicago’s first openly gay mayor; and Toni Preckwinkle, who is Cook County Board president and former alderperson of Chicago’s Fourth Ward. [Vox / Emily Stewart]
• Lightfoot and Preckwinkle both describe themselves as progressive Democrats who will fight against the political machine. Their promises include improving safety, increasing the number of jobs and schools, and providing more investment opportunities in the South and West sides of Chicago. [ProPublica / Mick Dumke]
• Whoever wins will have to face difficult issues within the city, including an alarming rate of gun violence, rapid gentrification, and a lack of funds for pensions. [USA Today / Aamer Madhani]
• The new mayor will also have to address the growing distrust of the police, which has peaked since the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald in 2015. Former Chicago cop Jason Van Dyke was sentenced to 81 months in January for the shooting. [CNN / Ray Sanchez]
• Rahm Emanuel, Chicago’s mayor since 2011, decided not to run in September 2018 — in part because a third term would have included tough battles for a mayor who’s no stranger to controversy. [Politico Magazine / Natasha Korecki and Shia Kapos]
• Beyond these issues, however, the election of a black female mayor is also symbolically meaningful because many black women watching the race said they felt empowered by the representation. [Chicago Tribune / Javonte Anderson]

Tensions are high between Taiwan and China

• Tensions between Taiwan and China have ratcheted up after Chinese fighter jets crossed the “median line” separating mainland China from Taiwan on Sunday. Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen threatened to expel any Chinese fighters flying over the median line if it happens again. [Insider / Ryan Pickrell]
• China broke a long-held tacit agreement of not allowing warplanes to roam over Taiwan’s median line for the first time in a decade. [South China Morning Post / Liu Zhen]
• This incident comes months after increased Chinese aerial activity around the island, meant to show off the capabilities of the Chinese air force. In 2018, Chinese fighters and H-6 bombers flew in a route that encircled Taiwan. [The Drive / Joseph Trevithick]
• A Chinese state-run newspaper reported on Monday that the flights were supposed to be a response to the US sending warships through the Taiwan Strait. [Stars and Stripes / Caitlin Doornbos]
• Taiwan is self-governed by an elected government, but Beijing claims it as part of China, and Chinese President Xi Jinping is intent on affirming control — making the complex relationship between China, Taiwan, and the US more contentious. [BBC / Jonathan Marcus]

Miscellaneous

• Céline Dion is the new face of L’Oréal Paris at the age of 51. [The Cut / Kathleen Hou]
• Democrats are trying to reach out to Latino constituents by providing a Spanish version of their website, but many are failing to provide quality translations, making readers question if they just copied and pasted from Google Translate. [Politico / Jesús Rodríguez]
• The alcohol industry may be in trouble, as millennials challenge the idea that drinking is required to have fun. [Atlantic / Amanda Mull]
• Though two women have accused possible 2020 Democratic contender Joe Biden of inappropriate conduct, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said his behavior is not “disqualifying.” However, she said Biden must learn to respect the space of others and acknowledge how his actions may be perceived. [LA Times / John Wagner]

Verbatim

“If [the Taiwanese government] finds a way to censor what they consider fake news without a legitimate legal process … they would use the exact same weapons as the weapon that is used by the Chinese authorities.” [Cedric Alviani, East Asia director for Reporters Without Borders, commenting on how the Chinese government is spreading fake news among the Taiwanese people through tech companies]

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