Good afternoon! It’s Monday. And after this weekend, I am totally ready for summer. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. World should prepare for coronavirus pandemic

The World Health Organization today said countries should prepare for a possible pandemic, when person-to-person infections are more common around the world.

The news comes as more confirmed cases are being reported outside the epicenter of China.

Officials in Iran are scrambling to contain an outbreak as the virus reached Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Afghanistan. In Italy, only three confirmed cases were reported last week, but officials say there are now more than 200. And South Korea, which has the largest amount of cases outside of China, is under a red alert.

But in China, the number of new cases appears to be falling. [BBC]

Meanwhile, U.S. stocks plunged today as investors worry about the coronavirus’ impact on the global economy. [AP]

2. Harvey Weinstein found guilty of rape and felony sex crime

But a Manhattan jury acquitted the disgraced movie mogul on the most serious charges, such as predatory sexual assault, which could have put him in prison for life.

Weinstein, 67, could still face decades behind bars, and the verdict marks a milestone for the #MeToo movement, which gained national prominence partly due to the allegations against the former Hollywood executive.

Weinstein now faces a separate trial in Los Angeles, where he is accused of raping one woman and sexually assaulting another in 2013. [NPR]

3. The Democratic presidential race enters a critical phase

What had felt like a casual jog is about to go into a full sprint, as the candidates face a Saturday primary in South Carolina followed by Super Tuesday, when 14 states will hold primaries and award a ton of delegates that could make or break candidates.

Here’s a look at what’s at stake for some of the candidates in South Carolina, which political observers see as the first major test of African American support. [Vox]

And here’s a look at why Super Tuesday is especially important this year. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday showed Sen. Bernie Sanders has expanded his base and taken the lead. What does that mean for former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and moderate candidates who oppose “Medicare for all”? Check out this analysis. [NPR]

4. Blago clemency puts Illinois GOP in a bind

Illinois Republicans wanted to highlight the various federal investigations into Democratic officials to attract voters who are exhausted with public corruption, but President Donald Trump may have undercut those plans when he commuted former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s sentence, reports the Chicago Tribune.

“It’s discouraging for people in the state of Illinois to see this happen and that a disgraced former governor who is corrupt to the core is walking out of the federal prison based on a gift from the president,” Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin told the Trib. [Chicago Tribune]

5. We’ve gone from 50-degree weather to staring down a snowstorm

We could see more than 6 inches of snow between tomorrow and Wednesday, as today’s rain is expected to turn into a snow storm either tonight or early tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service.

Starting tomorrow, most of northern Illinois will be under a winter storm watch, and the Tuesday evening rush hour could be dangerous, forecasters warn. Temperatures are then expected to plunge into single digits later in the week. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• Actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty to new charges and asked the Illinois Supreme Court to step in. [WBEZ]

• Here’s a look at how Illinois is a haven for abortion rights in the Midwest. [WBEZ]

• Is the presence of a gun enough to justify a police shooting? A jury could decide in a civil lawsuit against a Chicago cop and the city. [WBEZ]

• Katherine Johnson, an unsung hero of NASA’s early days and one of the women profiled in Hidden Figures, died at age 101. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Blaming a cow for the Great Chicago Fire is kind of like saying my dog ate my homework. But on the flip side, I guess you could say humankind has come a long way in the advancement of “not having barnyard animals create citywide disasters.” (As if, say, a donkey ever kicked over a dam and caused a mass flood.)

Anyway, I bring up the Great Chicago Fire because there’s an old timey song about the cow who allegedly started the fire.

It’s called “Hot Time in the Old Town,” and it’s sung at summer camps and soccer games. WBEZ’s Curious City looked at the controversial origins of the song and how it became a nationwide hit. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite place to go on a date?

My husband and I had a date night on Friday and we stopped by Gino’s North in Edgewater. It’s like a fancy dive bar that serves pizza, which is a pretty good metaphor for my life.

Where do you like to go when you’re on a date? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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