Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and WBEZ is trying to raise $400,000 in five days. Thanks to the 1,404 people who have helped us raise $139,912 so far. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean a lot to me if you’d consider donating. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Illinois voters overwhelmingly support stay-at-home order, according to new poll

A massive 77% of registered voters in Illinois approve of Gov. JB Pritzker’s stay-at-home order, according to a We Ask America/Capitol Fax poll.

The survey also found 71% support Pritzker’s handling of the crisis, while 23% disapprove. When it comes to President Donald Trump, 48% support his response and 49% disapprove. [Chicago Sun-Times]

A number of polls have found that Americans largely support governors from both political parties who took early action to contain the coronavirus. Here’s a look at how governors have taken the stage while the White House struggled to respond. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, state officials today reported 2,341 new cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 63,840 cases since the beginning of the outbreak. Illinois also saw another 46 deaths, bringing the death toll to 2,662.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot told reporters today that the city reached 1,000 COVID-19 deaths on Sunday. [WBEZ]

2. Trump administration estimates about 200,000 new cases each day by the end of May

The grim projections also predict about 3,000 new deaths per day by early June, according to The New York Times, which obtained the internal estimates.

“The numbers underscore a sobering reality: While the United States has been hunkered down for the past seven weeks, not much has changed. And the reopening to the economy will make matters worse,” reports the Times. [NYT]

The U.S. has seen more than 1.1 million cases and more than 67,000 deaths reported. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence said he should have worn a face mask at last week’s visit to the Mayo Clinic. [NPR]

And Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator for White House coronavirus task force, said it is “devastatingly worrisome” to see crowds protesting stay-at-home orders. [NPR]

3. The pandemic’s economic damage hits hospitals

The nation’s health-care industry faces “a historic collapse in business” as stay-at-home orders have caused people to avoid medical services, like going to the dentist or seeing a physician, reports The Washington Post.

And the health-care sector is important to saving lives, but it’s also crucial for the U.S. economy. The downturn in health-care spending ended up being the biggest driver in the economy’s 4.8% decline between January and March. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, J. Crew filed for bankruptcy today, becoming the first of what could be many major retailers that collapse during the pandemic. [NPR]

4. Researchers race to find COVID-19 vaccine

Nearly 100 research groups across the world are searching for vaccines to stop COVID-19, reports The Associated Press. But there’s no guarantee that a safe and effective vaccination will be found before January.

The AP reports there are anywhere between eight and 11 potential vaccinations being tested in China, the U.S., Britain and Germany. [AP]

Meanwhile, some scientists believe they may never know which animal passed the coronavirus from wild bats to humans. [BBC]

Worldwide, there have been more than 3.5 million cases and more than 249,000 deaths reported. [Johns Hopkins]

5. Arrests in Chicago have dropped nearly 75%

That’s according to a WBEZ analysis of city data since Illinois’ stay-at-home order went into effect in March. The findings come as the city’s police force have been instructed to minimize public interactions to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

But a debate has erupted over whether officers are striking the right balance.

Consider this situation: A Humboldt Park man told WBEZ that he called 911 after a neighbor wielding a machete destroyed his yard. When police arrived, they made no arrests and told the man that if the neighbor was on his property with a machete or another weapon, he could legally shoot the neighbor. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Should grades matter for Chicago students right now? [WBEZ]
• A chain restaurant in Tennessee illustrates how hard it may be to reopen. [Buzzfeed]
• A 42-year-old man from Alabama was found camping at an abandoned Disney World island. [NPR]
• Speaking of Disney, the entertainment empire may not be the “happiest place in the world” right now. [New York Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

Remember Monty and Rose, the endangered piping plovers who took down an electronic music festival in Chicago last year? Those were the days.

Well, the famous couple has returned to the city’s Montrose Beach for a second year and are “already engaging in courtship behavior,” according to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official. Ooo-la-la.

The couple may have an easier time mating this year because the lakefront remains closed. Last year, Monty and Rose became the first piping plovers to nest in Chicago since 1955. They set off a battle between environmentalists and organizers of the Mamby of the Beach music festival, which was forced to cancel. [Block Club Chicago]

Tell me something good …

Like I mentioned earlier, WBEZ is hoping to raise $400,000 in five days. So I’d like to know what you like the most about WBEZ?

Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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