Parking on Chicago's lakefront just got more automated — and in some cases, more expensive.

Driving the news: The city installed new gates at 10 lakefront spots run by the Chicago Park District, using technology that reads your license plate and tracks when you arrive and leave.

Friction point: Folks used to sitting in their car and staring out at the lake for free could be in for a buzzkill.

• All drivers — even those who stay in the car — face charges of $4.07 to $23.39 after a 15-minute grace period.

The intrigue: Unlike the Park Chicago meters — with generally lower fees — the money collected at these 10 lakefront lots goes to the Chicago Park District, not the private company that controls most of the city's metered parking under the Daley-era lease.

Zoom in: The 10 beaches affected include: Waveland, Wilson & DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Foster Beach, 55th & South Shore Drive, Oakwood & DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Museum of Science & Industry – Lots East & South, Rainbow Beach North and South, 63rd Street Beach and the Diversey Driving Range.

• North Avenue Beach already had a gate but got a new one along with the technology.

💭 Monica's thought bubble: We tested the system at Foster Beach on a recent night, and within minutes of driving in and out, we got a text message prompting us to pay through the Metropolis parking system.

• We didn't get charged because of our short stay, but it still felt kind of Big Brother-ish.

What's next: Park District officials expect the new automated system to generate about $9.4 million in revenue this year.

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Protesters are expected to gather today in Union Park before marching downtown as part of May Day's "Workers Over Billionaires" boycott, which calls on Chicagoans to avoid shopping, working and attending school.

The latest: The protest begins with a 1pm rally in Union Park, with demonstrators planning to march east to Daley Plaza shortly after.

The big picture: The Chicago Teachers Union is among the movement's organizers and lobbied the new CPS CEO, Macquline King, to close public schools so teachers and students could join the demonstration. The union said the "day of action" is included in its latest contract with CPS.

• King defied the mayor and the CTU, opting to keep schools open. She said teachers could request time off or organize field trips to Union Park.
• The district says it reviewed 45 applications for field trips and has 10,000 substitutes ready to cover potential absences, while deploying "network and central office teams" to provide support.

State of play: Organizers hope this year's May Day boycott matches last year's turnout, when thousands marched in protest against Trump-era immigration policies.

Yes, but: While Democratic leaders are largely aligned on the rally's message, the Chicago Teachers Union is taking aim at the governor.

• "In Illinois, billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker refuses to tax the wealthy to fully fund Illinois schools, even though the state's richest individuals received an $8 billion Trump tax cut," the CTU said in an email to members.

Keep reading

🧑‍⚖️ A Texas appeals court granted podcaster Alex Jones's emergency request to pause a deal that would allow Chicago-based The Onion to license the Infowars brand name and turn it into a satirical site. (NPR)

✈️ United Airlines has agreed to cut more than 100 daily flights at O'Hare this summer to meet an FAA mandate. (CBS 2)

🥬 Starting today, nearly 120,000 Illinois residents are expected to lose SNAP food support due to the Trump administration's expanded work and volunteer rules. (Sun-Times)

🚨 The DOJ is investigating 36 Illinois school districts over whether they taught lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity — and, if so, whether parents were notified. (ABC 7)

📁 Former Chicago inspector general Deborah Witzburg is set to become the new chief of staff to the Illinois Attorney General. (WTTW)

👋 Hey, it's Monica.

This week, I attended my fourth and final adult gymnastics class in a month-long quest to regain my teenage roundoff back handspring (flip-flop) before I hit 57 next month.

Friction point: Last week, a few round-offs during warm-ups left me with debilitating pain in both elbows that forced me to leave early, unsure if I could even drive home safely.

• It was that bad.

Yes, but: After a week of rest and physical therapy using exercises my athletic son sent me for medial epicondylitis, I was ready to give it one last try.

The strategy: I took it easy during warm-ups and saved my meager arm strength for spotted flip-flops — my first in 42 years — on a springy "tumbling track." Moderate success.

The moment of truth: 10 minutes before my final class ended, I feared my back (which never regained its flexibility after my first child) couldn't handle a roundoff flip-flop. But maybe it could handle a roundoff back tuck. 😬

• I practiced a few times on a big puffy crash mat and didn't quite stick it. But time was running out — which is always a great reason to fling oneself backward in the air, right?

The bottom line: I did it!!!! Not my roundoff flip-flop, but a back tuck — something technically harder. And now I'm hooked.

What's next: I'm signing up for another $175 class session at Lakeshore Academy this summer, joining a group of other supportive adults — mostly in their 20s and 30s — trying to get their groove back.

Follow my journey

👋 Hey, it's Justin!

Did someone say it's the 140th anniversary of May Day? Oh, right, we did, above.

• It seems fitting to make today's Kaufmann quiz all about work.

Friction point: We had some controversy over last week's jazz quiz as readers fired off emails disputing that Louis Armstrong was a Chicagoan.

• Sure, Armstrong was born in New Orleans, but the legendary jazz musician lived in Chicago for almost a decade. So we all win.
• Congrats to Brian R., Jim P., Matt R. and Tim B.!

Take today's labor quiz here