Good afternoon! I’m getting a tattoo tonight that’s not appropriate for public radio. Good thing it’s going on my arm! I kid. Sorta. But here’s what you need to know today.

1. Biden has a lot riding on tonight’s State of the Union address

The marquee event will serve as something of an on-the-job interview for President Joe Biden, who hopes to put to rest lingering questions over whether he can effectively lead the nation for another four years, NPR reports.

Biden is also expected to contrast himself with his likely opponent in November — former President Donald Trump.

“Really now we are at the start of 2024, and it’s the opportunity for President Biden to really lay out, ‘Here’s what this election is about,’ ” said Karen Finney, a Democratic political consultant. “Here’s what my presidency has been about, what’s at stake, what I’m fighting for.” [NPR]

The president may also give a preview into what he hopes to accomplish in a second term, including efforts to increase corporate taxes and reduce the cost of housing, The New York Times reports. [NYT]

Biden’s speech comes as he faces dissatisfaction from Democratic voters over his handling of the war in Gaza. He is expected to announce a plan to establish a temporary pier on Gaza’s coast for the delivery of aid. [AP]

WBEZ will air live coverage of the State of the Union address beginning at 8 p.m. You can listen at 91.5 FM, online or on the WBEZ app.

2. Chicago is ready for demonstrators during the Democratic National Convention, city’s top cop says

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said his officers are preparing to walk a fine line during this summer’s DNC by allowing protesters to have their voices heard while tamping down any violence or vandalism, my colleagues Tom Schuba and Fran Spielman report.

“We want to make sure that we maintain peace. We’re going to police constitutionally, but we’re also not going to tolerate the violence,” Snelling said during a press conference this week.

Snelling also made a commitment to residents across the city that “your neighborhoods will be safe” even as police resources are stretched.

When asked whether he will request assistance from the Illinois National Guard, Mayor Brandon Johnson said officials “haven’t made a determination of what else is needed.” [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. The U.S. is running out of energy

Large portions of the nation are at risk of running low on electricity due to the increasing number of data centers and clean-technology factories, The Washington Post reports.

“The soaring demand is touching off a scramble to try to squeeze more juice out of an aging power grid while pushing commercial customers to go to extraordinary lengths to lock down energy sources, such as building their own power plants,” the Post reports.

The rise of artificial intelligence and the popularity of cryptocurrencies have increased demand for data centers, with major tech companies like Amazon and Google searching the U.S. for new centers.

And regulators worry residential ratepayers will be left holding the bill for infrastructure upgrades. [Washington Post]

4. Obama is in town to see a prototype of an 88-foot immersive exhibit for his Presidential Center

Former President Barack Obama is in Chicago today to review a 44-foot prototype of the largest of 50 video installations slated for the Obama Presidential Center, my colleague Lynn Sweet reports.

The exhibit, called “Power of Words,” will eventually display images from seven projectors on an 88-foot, four-story interior wall inside one of the center’s buildings.

Valerie Jarrett, the CEO of the Obama Presidential Foundation, said the exhibit is intended as “an immersive experience for those who come to visit. They can see it on the various floors, and they can also see it if you stand on one floor and look all the way up.”

Obama, who has been hands-on in developing the Obama Presidential Center, will also be in briefings covering the interior designs of the furniture, the retail store, the restaurant, the café and everything in between.

“He really enjoys going through the details of what this campus is going to look like down to the finishes,” Jarrett said. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Students at Columbia College Chicago aren’t happy about a new neighbor — the Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology Chicago recently opened a public information center in Printer’s Row and has become a “hot topic” among students at the nearby college, Block Club Chicago reports.

“It’s just very icky,” said Jazlynn “Jazzy” Edwards, a sophomore majoring in journalism who lives in student housing next to the Scientology center. “To be the building next door to a college because, of course, college students, especially as freshmen, are going to be vulnerable.”

Other students didn’t seem to mind as much.

“I’m just trying to be careful and mind my own business,” Columbia junior Adriah Hedrick said. “If they want to practice their own things, as long as they keep it in that building, I think that’s OK.” [Block Club Chicago]

Here’s what else is happening

• Last month was the hottest February ever recorded. [AP]

• Sweden officially joined the NATO military alliance as concerns about Russia grow. [AP]

• The FDA warned that six brands of cinnamon may be contaminated with lead. [NPR]

• Voyager 1, a space probe launched by NASA in 1977, isn’t making a lot of sense. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

It feels like I play this game every night. It’s called “What Should I Eat for Dinner?”

Apparently Chicago’s late-night dining scene is thriving in this post-COVID era, WBEZ contributor Maggie Hennessy reports.

As live music and performance events begin to kick off this spring, Hennessy created this handy list of eight spots worth checking out.

“Plus, keeping a few late-night dinner options in the hopper averts the dreaded, all-too-familiar scene: a group huddled on the street outside the venue scrolling on their phones for ideas, their collective hanger rising with each moment,” Hennessy writes. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

The Oscars are on Sunday. Who would you like to see win this year?

John Lynch writes:

“Of all the Oscar Best Picture nominees this year, American Fiction was the only one I didn’t want to end. I could have spent another three hours with Jeffrey Wright’s Monk, Sterling K. Brown’s Cliff, Erika Alexander’s Coraline and all the rest of that amazing cast. As much as I enjoyed the other nominees, it’s hard to say I wasn’t ready for any of them to be over by the time the credits rolled!”

And Gretchen Brewster writes:

“On a very personal level, as well as for the incredible acting of so many, I would very much like to see The Holdovers honored. My favorite movie of last year! (I saw it twice!)”

Feel free to email me, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.