Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and this feels like it happened a decade ago. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Parents and teachers rally against CPS’ reopening proposal

Parents, teachers and activists demonstrated today against Chicago Public Schools’ blueprint that would offer in-person classes this fall. The protests come as parents face a deadline to decide if they’ll send their kids to schools or choose remote learning instead.

“They’re not really giving us enough information about what their safety (plan) is going to be. And also, I’m here because my kids are not an experiment, that’s basically what they’re trying to do,” said parent Sandy Viveros. [Chicago Tribune]

The demonstrations come as health experts are warning that Illinois and Chicago are seeing an increase in COVID-19. David Rubin, director of the PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Washington Post that his team sees negative trends emerging in Chicago and other big U.S. cities. And The New York Times recently reported that Illinois is among the Midwest states seeing new surges.

State officials today announced 1,298 new cases and 10 additional deaths. Over the past week, the state has seen an average of 1,512 cases per day, according to The New York Times. That’s a 33% increase from the average two weeks ago. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, some students and staff members will have to get tested for COVID-19 twice a week, according to new rules released today. [WBEZ]

2. Talks resume today over coronavirus relief package

And negotiators for the Trump administration and congressional Democrats remain far apart as enhanced unemployment benefits for tens of millions of Americans have expired.

The two sides haven’t reached a deal over what to do with jobless benefits, which has emerged as one of the biggest sticking points. Democrats want to extend the $600-per-week boost until the end of the year, while Republicans want to scale it back, arguing people are making more money than they did before the pandemic.

White House negotiators had suggested a temporary extension right before the expiration of the enhanced jobless payments. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said a more comprehensive package is needed.

Both sides agree on another round of $1,200 stimulus payments and allowing some struggling businesses to obtain more loans from the Paycheck Protection Program. [AP]

Meanwhile, the CEOs of more than 100 companies, including Starbucks and Microsoft, warned Congress that more small businesses will fail unless lawmakers approve more aid. [Washington Post]

3. Biden’s advantage grows on Electoral College map

An NPR analysis of the Electoral College found if the election were held today, presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden could hold a 297-170 advantage over President Donald Trump.

But the election is still three months out, and Biden’s current advantage might not hold up. However, if Biden were to lose Florida, he would be two Electoral College votes short of reaching 270, the winning number.

Today’s analysis found that Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada and Pennsylvania have shifted from a toss-up to leaning Democratic. Colorado has gone from leaning Democratic to likely Democratic, and Georgia has shifted to leaning Republican to a toss up. [NPR]

Meanwhile, state and local Republicans across the country say they fear Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting will hurt the party’s turnout in the November election. [Washington Post]

4. July was Chicago’s most violent month in 28 years

At least 107 people were killed in Chicago last month, the most homicides the city has seen in a single month since September of 1992, reports the Chicago Tribune. At least 570 people were shot in July, about 250 more than the same time last year, according to the Trib.

The news comes as Chicago saw yet another violent weekend. Neary 40 were shot and nine were killed, including 17-year-old activist Caleb Reed, who called for the removal of police officers from public schools and increasing money for social services for students. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, the “number of shooting victims younger than 10 years old is three times what it was last year,” reports the Trib. [Chicago Tribune]

5. So … the Chicago parking meter lease …

Private investors have so far earned $1.6 billion from Chicago’s parking meters, about $500 million more than their initial investment of $1.16 billion, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. And there are more than 60 years left in the 75-year lease.

“Not a penny of those revenues went to ease the burden on Chicago taxpayers that will almost certainly get worse to fill a $700 million hole in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s $11.6 billion 2020 budget and plug a $1 billion gap next year,” reports the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman. [Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• The World Health Organization said there might never be a “silver bullet” for COVID-19. [NBC News]
• A recent federal court filing suggests the Manhattan district attorney’s office is investigating President Trump and his company for possible bank and insurance fraud. [New York Times]
• Tropical Storm Isaias could hit the Carolinas tonight. [NPR]
• A lot of people are getting high in Illinois. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

Have you ever visited the Field Museum and wondered, “Gee, what would Sue the T. Rex look like while devouring a baby dinosaur — and not just a nibble, but with half the dino baby in her mouth?”

Well, the museum went all in and recently unveiled a 40-foot-long, 14-foot-tall model with the saucy name “Sue in the Flesh.”

As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, “The life-size model prominently features a replica baby Edmontosaurus in its mouth. The Edmontosaurus was probably a popular part of a Tyrannosaurus rex’s diet, experts say.”

And yes, the newspaper has a photo of young children looking at the model in what I imagine is confusion and awe. [Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

I need book recommendations. What’s a good book you recently read?

The last two books I read this summer were Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore, a surrealist whodunnit involving talking cats, and Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Tempest, which is the final chapter in their experiment of creating a world that encompasses all of pop culture.

What’s a good book you recently read? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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