Good afternoon! It’s Thursday, and the Labor Day weekend is thankfully almost here. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Biden meets with members of Jacob Blake’s family during trip to Kenosha

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, today visited Kenosha, Wis., where the police shooting of Jacob Blake sparked civil unrest and protests over police brutality and racial injustice.

Biden privately met with members of Blake’s family in Milwaukee, and he took part in a public community discussion in Kenosha with “business figures, civic leaders and law enforcement officials,” The Associated Press reports. [AP]

In other election news, President Donald Trump faced a backlash over comments suggesting that people who vote by mail should then “go and vote” in person. Voting twice in an election would be illegal.

Trump today tried clarifying his remarks, saying he was urging people who vote by mail to visit polling places to make sure their vote was counted. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, recent polling suggests that Trump’s efforts to reframe the election around “law and order” hasn’t changed the race to his advantage. [New York Times]

2. Fauci warns Illinois and other Midwest states could see surge in coronavirus cases

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ top infectious disease expert, said several Midwest states could see an increase in COVID-19 cases if residents let their guard down over the Labor Day weekend. The states are Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas and Missouri.

“Those states are starting to see an increase in the percent positive of their testing; that is generally predictive that there’s going to be a problem,” Fauci said this week.

Illinois’ positivity rate currently stands at 4.4%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. [Bloomberg]

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently told states to prepare to distribute two coronavirus vaccines by November, The New York Times reports. In documents obtained by the newspaper, the CDC made references to Vaccine A and Vaccine B.

The CDC’s description of those vaccines closely match two potential vaccines undergoing tests by Moderna and Pfizer. [New York Times]

In Illinois, coronavirus cases are slightly increasing. The state saw a seven-day average of 1,916 cases per day as of yesterday, according to The New York Times. That’s a 1% increase from the average two weeks ago. You can find more information on Illinois’ numbers in this link. [WBEZ]

3. Rochester police put “spit hood” on Chicago man who died from asphyxiation

A recently released police body camera video shows officers in Rochester, N.Y., placing a “spit hood” on 41-year-old Daniel Prude. The officers then pressed his face into the pavement for two minutes before he died in late March.

Prude, who lived in Chicago, died from “complications of asphyxia in the setting of physical restraint,” and his death was ruled a homicide, according to a medical examiner. The report lists excited delirium and acute intoxication by phencyclidine, or PCP, as contributing factors.

About eight hours before the encounter that led to his death, officers took Prude into custody for a mental health evaluation for suicidal thoughts. Prude’s brother, Joe, says he was only at the hospital for a few hours.

Officers crossed paths with Daniel Prude again after his brother called 911 to report he left the house. [AP]

4. New jobless claims drop below 1 million but remain historically high

The Labor Department reported today that another 881,000 people applied for state unemployment benefits last week.

While that’s 130,000 fewer people than the previous week, the department changed the way it calculates claims, meaning the difference between the weeks isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, reports NPR. The Labor Department said it adjusted claims for seasonal variations, which should make the jobless reports more accurate.

Without the seasonal adjustment, unemployment claims would have been 833,000, which would be an increase from 826,000 reported the previous week. [NPR]

5. Facebook unveils changes to crack down on disinformation about November election

The changes announced today will include banning new political ads a week before the election. Facebook said it will also crack down on any attempts by candidates to call a false victory and would redirect users to accurate information on election results.

The changes are an indirect acknowledgment of Facebook’s influence over public discourse. And the changes come as President Trump has publicly refused to commit to accepting the results of the upcoming election. [AP]

Here’s what else is happening

• Some parents are paying for extra help to oversee remote learning pods — an option not all can afford. But some parents and educators found a solution. [WBEZ]
• Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a loan program to improve affordable housing on the South and West sides. [Chicago Tribune]
• Organizers of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics say the games can be held next year even without a coronavirus vaccine. [Washington Post]
• A huge pot dispensary in Skokie is selling a Blues Brothers strain of weed. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

The owners of Chicago Cut Steakhouse, a critically acclaimed high-end restaurant known for serving the political and business elite, agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by a group of well-connected investors, according to a private settlement proposal obtained by WBEZ.

The proposal comes after a group of investors filed a lawsuit in 2018 that accused restaurant co-owners David Flom and Matthew Moore of withholding financial documents. Both parties agreed to the terms of the settlement, according to the proposal sent to investors this summer.

Chicago Cut is one of the city’s swankier restaurants, attracting a wide assortment of the political and business elite. Among the celebrities who have dined at the steakhouse are then-President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, former Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Chicago cast of Hamilton.

The steakhouse is known for its pricey menu, where a porterhouse steak costs $80 and bottles of red wine range from $45 to nearly $400, without tax and tip. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

I don’t have to tell you these are some pretty stressful times. What do you do to relieve stress?

Jennifer writes:

“One of the best ways I relieve stress is with evening walks through the neighborhood to greet all the pandemic puppies out for a walk. Happy puppies are a great cure for stress!”

And Wendy Trafny writes:

“To relieve stress, I line dance twice a week with a group of women at Central Park in Skokie. We’re able to keep our masks on and stay at least 6 feet apart. After we’re done dancing, we listen to music and drink some wine together.”

What do you do to relieve stress? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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