Hey there! It’s Friday! And one of the reasons I love fantasy role-playing games is because the names are so dumb, like City of Lost Omens. What does that mean? I’m going to make one called The Alley of Broken Futures, which used to be Wrigleyville after 4 a.m. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Chicago is on track to begin reopening in early June, Lightfoot says

Without giving a specific date, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she is hopeful the city can begin lifting coronavirus restrictions in early June.

That could mean outdoor dining will be allowed for restaurants and coffee shops, and libraries, barbershops, child care facilities and other businesses could reopen under certain restrictions. Lightfoot said guidelines for reopening will be unveiled next week.

But the mayor said the lakefront, gyms, religious services, bars and museums may not reopen until later in the summer. [Chicago Tribune]

The city’s plan to lift restrictions differs from a similar plan from Gov. JB Pritzker. Click this link to see how the city is following stricter benchmarks. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, state officials today announced 2,758 new cases after 25,113 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. That brings the statewide total to 105,444. Officials also announced 110 new fatalities, pushing the death toll to 4,715 since the pandemic began. [WBEZ]

At least 355 people living in state-run homes for adults with disabilities have tested positive for COVID-19, according to an investigation by ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune. [ProPublica Illinois]

2. Coronavirus patients faced higher risk of death after taking antimalarial drugs, study finds

That study, published today, surveyed 96,000 coronavirus patients on six continents, reports The Washington Post. The study found that patients taking hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, which have been touted by President Donald Trump, were likely to develop an irregular heart rhythm that can lead to sudden death.

“If there was ever hope for this drug, this is the death of it,” Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, told the Post. [WaPo]

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that a third of coronavirus infections are asymptomatic and 40% of transmissions occur before people get sick. [CNN]

Across the U.S., more than 1.5 million cases and more than 94,000 deaths have been reported. [NPR]

3. Trump says “we’re not going to close the country” if second wave hits

With public health experts warning of a potential second wave of infections, President Trump said the U.S. will not shut down to contain the spread of the virus.

“We’re not going to close the country — we’re going to put out the fires,” the president said.

Health officials say various areas in the South and Midwest could become hot spots to new clusters of infections. [Washington Post]

The president today called on governors to allow churches and other places of worship to reopen, saying they are “essential.” [NPR]

Meanwhile, flags will be flown at half-staff at all government buildings, military posts and embassies this Memorial Day weekend in memory of the nearly 100,000 people who have died from COVID-19. [NPR]

4. Potential vaccine developed in China appears to be safe, scientists say

A potential coronavirus vaccine appeared safe and effective in early clinical trials in China, according to a study released today.

Researchers conducted tests on 108 healthy adults in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and they found the vaccine triggered the immune system to create an antibody that attaches to the virus. While the news is promising, scientists say further research is needed to determine if the potential vaccine can create enough antibodies to protect against infections.

About 100 teams around the world are currently searching for a vaccine. [USA Today]

Worldwide, more than 5.1 million cases and more than 335,000 deaths have been reported. [Johns Hopkins]

5. Democrats eye Senate takeover

Republicans must defend more seats than Democrats this election year in order to hold on to the Senate, and some political observers wonder if the GOP can successfully appeal to voters outside of President Trump’s base, which stands at about 40% of the electorate.

Among the battleground states are Maine and Iowa, where Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Joni Ernst find themselves in close races after they voted to acquit Trump of impeachment charges earlier this year, reports The New York Times.

The Senate is crucial for Republicans on two big fronts. The chamber is pivotal to the GOP’s mission to confirm conservative judges to federal court benches. And if former Vice President Joe Biden wins the presidency, a Republican-majority Senate would prevent Democrats from gaining total control of the executive and legislative branches. [New York Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Authorities arrested a third man in the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery. [Buzzfeed News]
• At least 57 people are confirmed to be dead after a passenger plane crashed in the Pakistani city of Karachi. [BBC]
• About 1 in 5 adults in England believe the coronavirus is a hoax, according to researchers at Oxford. [NPR]
• Here’s what the pandemic sounds like. [New York Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

Who isn’t anxious living through a pandemic and witnessing the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression? Ugh, deep breaths.

Today’s episode of Nerdette examines how we can manage anxiety with expert advice from Bidwell Smith, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief.

“One of the most simple things that someone can do right now is some meditation,” Smith tells Nerdette host Greta Johnsen. “Taking time out to do some breath work, to stop your racing thoughts — step away from them, clear your mind a little bit — is what will help calm you down in an immediate sense and help in a long-term way too. Use an app. There’s so many great apps that can guide you through some simple breath work.” [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

If you could “stay at home” anywhere right now, where would it be? And that’s aside from staying with family members, which is obviously my first one.

Melissa Rothermel writes:

“If I could hunker down anywhere, it would be a condo just outside of Lahaina on Maui. The sounds of the waves are amazing and, at times, they are strong enough to lift the rocks on the shore. The sound of the rocks settling back down is unique!”

And Art writes:

“For me, it would be in a luxury RV on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I would magically be able to carry enough food/water/vodka for 6 months, and would also be able to stream Netflix and get high speed internet.”

Thanks for all the responses this week! I’m sorry I couldn’t include them all, but it was nice chatting with y’all!

Thanks for reading and have a nice night! I’ll see you on Tuesday.