Newsletter: CDC Tells States To Prepare For A Vaccine

CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is shown Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Atlanta. John Bazemore / AP Photo
CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is shown Sunday, March 15, 2020, in Atlanta. John Bazemore / AP Photo

Newsletter: CDC Tells States To Prepare For A Vaccine

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Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and I’m loving this weather even though I have to pack up the kiddie pool in the living room. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. CDC told every state to prepare for a coronavirus vaccine as soon as next month

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told states and five major cities, including Chicago, to prepare to distribute a possible coronavirus vaccine for “health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November,” reports The New York Times.

The notifications were sent on the day President Donald Trump mentioned in a speech during the Republican National Convention that a vaccine might arrive before the end of the year.

Health experts told the Times that they’re worried the Trump administration is rushing a possible vaccine rollout right before the November election. [New York Times]

The news comes as the World Health Organization recommended using a cheap and widely available steroid to treat seriously ill COVID-19 patients. [New York Times]

In Illinois, state officials voiced concerns about social gatherings over the Labor Day weekend, reminding residents to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Those warnings come as cases continue to rise. State officials today announced 2,128 new cases and 27 additional deaths. You can find more information about the state’s positivity rate and other COVID-19 metrics in this link. [WBEZ]

2. What to expect from Joe and Jill Biden’s visit to Kenosha

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will travel to Kenosha, Wisc., tomorrow and will hold a community meeting “to bring together Americans to heal and address the challenges we face,” according to Biden’s campaign.

The trip comes after President Trump visited the area yesterday and surveyed damage caused by unrest in the city following the police shooting of Jacob Blake. The president, who did not meet with Blake’s family, said Kenosha has “been ravaged by anti-police and anti-American riots.” [AP]

Meanwhile, WBEZ’s Mike Puente takes a closer look at Kenosha, one of the most swinging areas in the swing state Wisconsin. [WBEZ]

In other election news, Biden’s campaign released a TV ad condemning looting and rioting as Republicans accuse the Democratic candidate of being soft on lawlessness. [New York Times]

3. Jobless workers in Illinois could soon see boost in payments

The Federal Emergency Management Agency today approved Illinois’ request for a $300-per-week boost to unemployment payments.

It’s not immediately clear when jobless workers will begin seeing that extra money. FEMA said it will work with Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on creating a system to disperse the money. But state officials warned the extra money will last for only three weeks. Officials also said about 55,000 people would not qualify for the boost because of the program’s new restrictions. [Chicago Tribune]

The news comes as the pandemic’s devastating effects on the economy continue to grow while Congress and the White House remain divided over a new coronavirus relief package.

Chicago-based United Airlines announced today it will furlough more than 16,000 employees next month unless the company receives additional federal relief. [AP]

And the prestigious Palmer House Hilton hotel in downtown Chicago appears to be in trouble. A foreclosure lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court claims the hotel’s owner defaulted on a $333.2 million mortgage.

As the Sun-Times reports, the Palmer House is the second largest hotel in the city and relied on conventions and business travelers. [Sun-Times]

4. CDC issued an eviction moratorium. Who qualifies for it?

News broke last night that the Trump administration ordered a halt on evictions for most renters for the rest of the year. The order, enacted through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the moratorium is needed to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

To qualify for the moratorium, renters must show they lost a substantial amount of their household income, had previously applied for government relief, cannot pay their full rent and would become homeless if they are evicted. [AP]

5. More than a hundred years ago, Chicagoans had a solution for a Columbus statue

Two statues of Christopher Columbus were removed in the dead of night in Chicago this summer after protesters tried toppling one over, leading to violent clashes with police officers.

More than a hundred years ago, Chicago residents also disliked a Columbus statue, though for different reasons. The statue, located in Grant Park, was butt ugly. “Coarse and bestial” and a “ridiculous caricature” were some of the ways the statue had been described at the time.

So in 1902, a solution was proposed: Melt it down. Check out this hilarious and informative report on the statute from my colleagues Mary Hall and Katherine Nagasawa. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

  • Republicans in the Illinois General Assembly are pushing for an investigation into any possible connections between House Speaker Michael Madigan and the ComEd bribery scandal. [WBEZ]
  • Calling out disparities in schools, the economy and the criminal justice system, Black Illinois lawmakers say they’re demanding support for their forthcoming agenda. [WBEZ]
  • A bar is under investigation for taking bets on violence in Chicago and New York. [AP]
  • Before he played the Black Panther on the big screen, Chadwick Boseman wrote a play produced in Chicago. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

It’s Wednesday, and that means there’s a new episode of Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal. And this one’s gold because the crew takes on Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, which stars Matthew McConaughey, Parker Posey, Ben Affleck and Anthony Rapp.

The recap is hilarious. Just take this description of the episode: “Does Dazed and Confused have a plot? Barely! Does that matter? To some people, yes!”

Take a listen, and then check back next week when Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bodeba and Peter Sagal review Pulp Fiction as part of their journey through classic ’90s movies. [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?

Jill writes:

“My daughter is suffering from having to spend her senior year online and confined with us. I’m suffering from the cancellation of Saturday night dancing at Planet Earth @ Late Bar. So we stress-bust with Impromptu Living Room Dance Parties! WOOT WOOT!”

And Allison writes:

“I’m a control freak, so when things get stressful, I try to do something, even if it’s completely unrelated to the source of the stress, because it gives me something else to focus on. I’m leading diversity and inclusion initiatives at work, I’m getting a certificate in paralegal studies, I’m learning a new instrument, and I’m writing fiction again. And watering plants like my life depends on it. Okay, AND taking Zoloft and going to therapy — HA. I highly recommend the latter two.”

What do you do to relieve stress? 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.