Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday! And I created a wizard for Dungeons & Dragons (not at work) named Dr. Baller, who is going through a very late midlife crisis. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. The disaster that was the Iowa caucuses

The caucuses were supposed to build momentum in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, but they were significantly undercut by chaos and confusion sparked by new procedures intended, in part, to prevent chaos and confusion.

A smartphone app designed to quickly relay caucus results to party officials had a “coding issue” that resulted in inconsistencies, said Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price. NPR reports that at least some of the results will be released around 4 p.m. CST today. [NPR]

Iowa’s fiasco is fueling arguments that the Hawkeye state should not be the first to nominate a candidate. Even before problems emerged last night, Gov. JB Pritzker tweeted that Illinois should hold the first Democratic primary because it is the “most representative state.” [Twitter]

Meanwhile, the field of presidential candidates has largely moved on to New Hampshire, which will hold its primary on Feb. 11. Some political observers believe next week’s primary in the New England state will be even more important after Iowa’s meltdown. [Vox]

2. Trump will unleash “relentless optimism” in tonight’s State of the Union address

President Donald Trump will deliver the State of the Union address tonight in the same House chamber where he became the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. WBEZ will air special coverage tonight beginning at 8 p.m. CST.

A senior administration official told reporters that among the issues Trump will highlight tonight are lowering health care costs, immigration, paid family leave, national security and the economy. [NPR]

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from Texas, will deliver a Spanish-language rebuttal. [NPR]

Mayor Lori Lightfoot will attend the State of the Union address as a guest of U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s a look at other noteworthy guests, including Nathan Law, a pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong, and Courtney Wild, who testified in court that Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused her when she was 14. [New York Times]

3. China launches “people’s war of prevention” as coronavirus spreads

Chinese President Xi Jinping threatened to punish anyone deemed neglectful in preventing the spread of the mysterious, deadly virus, according to state-run broadcaster CCTV. Xi’s comments come as more than 20,000 cases have been confirmed and at least 425 people have died.

Hong Kong has confirmed its first death from the new strain of coronavirus, which is the second death reported outside of mainland China. Thousands of health care workers and other demonstrators have taken to the streets, demanding that Hong Kong officials close the border to mainland China. [NPR]

4. Senators sound off on impeachment charges as final verdict looms

Senators today took turns today announcing on the Senate floor whether they plan to vote to acquit or convict President Trump.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blasted the charges against the president, urging his colleagues to “vote to keep factional fever from boiling over and scorching our republic.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized Republicans from blocking new witnesses from testifying in the trial, saying the move “fails the laugh test.”

The Senate is expected to vote on the two articles of impeachment facing Trump tomorrow. WBEZ will air live coverage beginning at 3 p.m. CST. [NPR]

5. Sexual misconduct allegations emerge at Lincoln Park High School

Chicago Public Schools officials said a wide-ranging investigation is looking into multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, retaliation against witnesses, financial misconduct and several other serious violations at Lincoln Park High School, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

School officials laid out the allegations in broad terms after two top administrators were removed and the district canceled the boys basketball season last week.

Debra Spraggins, director of investigations for CPS’ Office of Student Protections, said the allegations include “both adult-on-student sexual misconduct as well as student-on-student.” Another CPS official said students were harmed “physically” and “emotionally.” [Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• A former Illinois lawmaker pleaded not guilty to a federal bribery charge. [WBEZ]

• The corruption trial of Chicago Ald. Ed Burke won’t happen until at least May 2021. [Chicago Tribune]

• A west suburban plant accused of spewing a cancer-causing chemical now faces allegations that it redirected $1.3 billion in an effort to reduce potential payouts. [WBEZ]

• An art installation in Chicago honors gun violence victims, and its organizers hope to make it a national monument. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

Man, dead people in Chicago have voted faster than it’s taking Iowa to release the results of last night’s caucuses. And the sick burns are coming in hot on Twitter.

“In another bizarre twist of fate, the Iowa Caucus has been quarantined, due to a rare case of moronovirus,” tweeted @IPOT1776.

“Iowa Caucus: The Fyre Fest of 2020 campaign,” tweeted @lizzwinstead.

You can find more hilarious hot takes here. [Buzzfeed]

My personal favorite comes from comedian Billy Eichner, who tweeted: “Look, if they’re desperate and depending on an app for results, the gay guy is at a major advantage.”

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite thing to do when you have a day off of work?

Geppert writes:

“Recently, I got called for jury duty. I was released early around noon. After I got home, I spent two glorious hours playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before I had to go pick the kids up from school.”

What’s your favorite thing to do when you have an expected or unexpected day off from work? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! If you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.