Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and happy birthday, Chicago. Hope you save me a slice . Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. The coronavirus is deadlier than the flu, WHO says

The World Health Organization today updated the mortality rate for the coronavirus, bringing it up to 3.4%. That estimate is largely based on confirmed cases in China, and health officials say it could vary by location.

“By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1 percent of those infected,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the WHO. [New York Times]

Do you have questions about the coronavirus? Feel free to reach out to WBEZ in this link, and we might help you find answers. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, fears of the virus could hurt tourism in Chicago, which might create problems for Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s budget and the city’s economy. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Speaking of tourism, the Global Business Travel Association estimates the travel industry could lose $46.6 billion a month and nearly $560 billion in a year if virus-related travel restrictions continue. [NPR]

2. Biden vs. Sanders

The results from last night’s Super Tuesday primaries show the Democratic presidential race has quickly become a two-man competition between former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders. Last night’s results also showed that money can’t beat momentum. (See: Michael Bloomberg’s $500 million.)

You can find more Super Tuesday takeaways here. [NPR]

Speaking of Bloomberg, the billionaire dropped out of the race today and endorsed Biden. [NPR]

What will Sen. Elizabeth Warren do? She badly underperformed last night, coming in third place in Massachusetts, her home state, and failed to reach the top two spots in any Super Tuesday state. [NPR]

3. Supreme Court case could transform abortion rights

The nation’s high court today began examining its first major abortion case in the Trump era, and some observers believe it could be the beginning of the end for Roe v. Wade.

The case centers on a Louisiana law requiring doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. If the law takes effect, it would mean only one of the state’s three abortion clinics could remain open, a federal judge said.

As NPR’s Nina Totenberg reports, the Louisiana law is identical to a Texas law that the Supreme Court overturned in 2016. The only difference now is that the Supreme Court has a majority of justices who have anti-abortion-rights judicial records. [NPR]

4. Chicago cops in Red Line shooting are stripped of police powers

Two cops involved in last week’s downtown shooting were relieved of their police powers today, a move that comes as various agencies are still reviewing the shooting.

The shooting took place during the Friday afternoon rush at the Grand Red Line station. Police say officers tried stopping an unarmed man from jumping train cars before they chased him to the station’s platform. An officer shot the man twice after a struggle.

The shooting took place on the same day that Chicago police officials unveiled a plan to beef up patrols on the train system following a spike in crime. [Chicago Tribune]

5. Gene-editing tool breaks more barriers

Scientists for the first time have tried editing the DNA inside a person with a tool known as CRISPR.

In what is being called a “groundbreaking procedure,” the scientists injected the gene-editing tool into a patient who was blinded by a rare disease. The scientists hope to know within weeks whether the approach will restore the patient’s eyesight. [NPR]

WBEZ’s Greta Johnsen discussed CRISPR and her personal hopes for the technology in this episode of Nerdette. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Violence erupted in Afghanistan after the U.S. and the Taliban signed a deal aimed at paving the way for peace. [NPR]
• A former Marine is again in police custody for the fatal stabbing of a gay Latino man in Chicago. [Block Club Chicago]
• A jury awarded $1 million to the family of a teenager fatally shot by a Chicago cop. [WBEZ]
• You can nominate your favorite Chicago crossing guard for an award. [Block Club Chicago]

Oh, and one more thing …

It’s always nice to be reminded that Americans aren’t the only ones doing dumb stuff on the internet. (See, like, every gender reveal video.)

Let’s turn our gaze to France, where a man named Cyril Schreiner filled his bathtub with a new toy called Orbeez, which are tiny polymer beads that expand when they’re placed in water.

The, um, experiment goes probably as you would imagine. The dude pretty much destroyed his bathroom and allegedly wrecked his neighborhood’s sewage system. Check out the videos in the link. [A.V. Club]

Tell me something good …

Spring doesn’t officially begin until later this month, but it feels like we’re already out of the long, dark tunnel that is winter. What are you most excited to do now that winter seems to be over (for now)?

Valerie Booth writes:

“I can’t wait to rent kayaks on Montrose Beach!!!! Rent a sailboat on Dempster Beach and ride my motorcycle to both places!!!!”

And Shell writes:

“You asked what I look forward to with spring in its way? PUDDLES!! I love sloshing through them in my rain boots while out hiking, but I REALLY love puddle drives with my daughters! We wig out looking for good puddles in parking lots or side roads, and when we come upon one, we roll down the van windows and drive through. I LOVE the ‘whoosh’ sound it makes when I drive through one. It satisfies the senses!”

What are you looking forward to this spring? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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