Remember when planning a summer day meant glancing out the window to see if it might rain?

Summer now comes with a check list. What's the temperature? What's the heat index? What's the air quality index? Is wildfire smoke drifting in from Canada?

Neighborhood pools that once closed only for lightning now sometimes close because the air isn't healthy enough to breathe. Many summer sporting events--whether Park District baseball or major league matchups--have been canceled or postponed. Plenty of parents have become awfully familiar........

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