Hey there! It’s Friday, and I get this question a lot from readers: How can I support the newsletter? The best way is to become a member of WBEZ. It would mean a lot to me and the rest of the station. And thank you so much to the readers who are members! Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Illinois residents ordered to stay home

Gov. JB Pritzker today ordered that almost all 12.6 million Illinois residents stay home as officials fight to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The “shelter in place” order, which goes into effect tomorrow at 5 p.m and ends April 7, does allow people to continue going to grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential businesses.

Pritzker said the “shelter in place” order is the only way to save “ten of thousands of lives.”

The news comes as the state announced 163 new cases, bringing the state’s total to 585. [WBEZ]

The move comes after officials in suburban Oak Park issued a shelter in place order. Here’s what the order allows and doesn’t allow. Just a heads up: You can still go out for walks, just keep your distance. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo also ordered all nonessential workers to stay home. [NPR]

And California Gov. Gavin Newsom yesterday ordered the state’s 40 million residents to stay at home indefinitely. [NPR]

You can find a map tracking the number of infections in the U.S. here. [NPR]

2. Illinois officials expect huge surge in new COVID-19 cases next week

State projections estimate Illinois could see 3,400 new cases of COVID-19 a week from now if the virus continues to spread at its current pace, reports WBEZ’s Kristen Schorsch.

The Illinois Department of Public Health said that projection could change with all of the social distancing measures that are now in effect. [WBEZ]

To put that 3,400 figure in context, Illinois’ 209 hospitals, as of Monday, had 705 beds available in their intensive care units for the sickest patients, 525 isolation rooms and nearly 1,300 ventilators to help people breathe, according to state health officials. [WBEZ]

Dr. Allison Arwady, the commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said the city is looking into using empty schools to house people with the coronavirus who can’t isolate themselves at home. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, doctors, nurses and other medical workers across the nation say they are quickly running out of supplies, like masks and gowns, which could jeopardize the fight to contain the coronavirus while also putting their health at risk. [New York Times]

The situation comes as President Donald Trump resists calls from governors and congressional Democrats to use a federal law to force industries to ramp up production of crucial supplies. Advisers to Trump say they are following conservative ideals that oppose big government. [New York Times]

3. Senate’s relief package faces fire from both parties

Lawmakers are negotiating today over a $1 trillion stimulus bill aimed at averting an economic disaster caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Trump administration and Senate GOP leaders are hoping the plan will be enacted by early next week.

But House Democrats, some administration officials and a number of Republicans have voiced concerns with the proposal, reports The Washington Post. One criticism: Some low-income Americans would see smaller benefits.

The Senate plan, so far, would give $1,200 checks per person for many Americans, and $500 for every child in a family. The dollar amount of those checks would fall for people making more than $75,000, and they would be nonexistent for people making more than $99,000. [Washington Post]

The Trump administration today said all nonessential travel to Canada and Mexico will be restricted beginning tomorrow. [NPR]

Meanwhile, most American renters are not included in eviction protections in a Trump administration relief plan. [AP]

And the IRS says taxes won’t be due until July 15. [NPR]

4. Worldwide cases grow by another 100,000 in less than two weeks

It took three months for the world to see it’s first 100,000 cases of the coronavirus, most of which were reported in China. Now, it’s taken only 12 days for another 100,000 infections to be reported, according to data released today by the World Health Organization.

The news comes as the epicenter of the pandemic has shifted from China to Europe, where Italy has seen more people die from the disease than China. Italy is entering its 11th day of lockdown, and NPR reports that a decline in new cases isn’t expected until next week. [NPR]

You can find a map of worldwide infections here. [Johns Hopkins]

5. Republican senators sold fortunes in stock while GOP downplayed COVID-19

U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, sold personal stocks worth between $628,000 and $1.72 million in mid-February, days before he wrote an opinion piece for Fox News that said the U.S. was prepared for the pandemic.

When NPR reached out to Burr’s office, a spokeswoman initially responded by saying “lol.”

NPR also obtained a secret recording in which Burr warns a group of well-connected constituents to prepare for the worst three weeks ago. [NPR]

Another Republican senator, Kelly Loeffler, sold a large amount of stocks after Trump administration officials briefed lawmakers on COVID-19 in a private meeting earlier this year. [Daily Beast]

Here’s what else is happening

• Here’s a list of free things that weren’t free before the coronavirus. [NPR]

• WBEZ’s Nerdette offers tips on how to adjust to life in self-quarantine. [WBEZ]

• If you’re looking for something to listen to this weekend, there’s a new episode of Motive. [WBEZ]

• Right now’s a good time to return to some great video games. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

I’ve been wondering a lot lately about the pandemic’s long-term impact on the U.S., if not the world. Politico talked to 34 people who are way smarter than me about what lasting effects COVID-19 will have on our government, health system and even elections.

Will Americans trust experts and science more? Will Election Day become Election Month? Will virtual reality see a surge in demand? Who knows, but this piece offers a fascinating thought exercise. [Politico]

Tell me something good …

How are you staving off boredom and staying sane during this very strange time?

Mayer writes:

“My 4 1/2-year-old daughter has recently become obsessed with Swedish pop supergroup ABBA. So we are working on the lyrics to ‘Mamma Mia’ and ‘Super Trouper.’ ”

Karen Mcelligatt writes:

“Fostering a cat with special needs: It keeps me busy and is so rewarding.”

And Christina J. writes:

“Today, I practiced social distancing while cleaning up my neighborhood. I collected a whole bag of trash in West Chicago.”

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

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