Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and my 3-year-old nephew wears his shoes all the time because he wants to run as fast as Sonic the Hedgehog. Here’s what you need to know. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Coronavirus fears deepen in Chicago area

Gov. JB Pritzker said today that there are four new cases in Illinois, bringing the total to 11. The governor also declared a disaster proclamation, which grants the state access to federal resources, like medical assistance.

The Chicago area has seen relatively few confirmed cases compared to other cities, but McCormick Place continues to rack up convention cancellations, which carry major consequences to the city’s economy.

As the Chicago Tribune reports, the cancellations of four conventions means the city has lost about 100,000 visitors, who on average spend about $300 each. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, Illinois’ largest health insurance companies said they will cover the costs of tests for COVID-19. [Chicago Tribune]

Health officials face a major test in containing the virus after a St. Louis woman tested positive. The woman had flown into O’Hare from Italy, stayed with a friend and then took an Amtrak train home last week, officials said. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, another Chicago-area school canceled classes today over concerns of the coronavirus. Loyola Academy in north suburban Wilmette was closed after a student came into contact with an infected person. School officials said the risk to students was low, and classes were canceled as a precaution. [Chicago Tribune]

2. Chaos erupts on financial markets

Investors, already jittery over the worldwide spread of the coronavirus, went into a panic this morning, causing markets to plunge so much that they were forced to briefly close.

The drop — the worst since 2008 — happened after Russia and Saudi Arabia engaged in a price war over crude oil that sent oil prices tumbling. While low oil prices can be beneficial and translate to lower gas prices, they can also cause havoc on countries that depend on oil, like the U.S.

The impact was immediately severe on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 plunged 7% within five minutes into trading. That triggered what’s known as a circuit breaker, a 15-minute “time out” aimed at preventing huge crashes. [New York Times]

Meanwhile, White House advisers presented President Donald Trump with a set of policy proposals aimed at containing the economic fallout, including paid sick leave and financial assistance to small businesses. [Washington Post]

3. Sanders, Biden face major test in Michigan

Democratic voters in six states will vote tomorrow, and the stakes are high for Sen. Bernie Sanders, who hopes to stem the momentum building behind former Vice President Joe Biden after last week’s Super Tuesday.

Some political observers say Sanders must win Michigan, a state he held in 2016. If he loses Michigan, Sanders may not have the opportunity to recover enough delegates for the Democratic Party’s nomination.

Here’s a look at the states in play in tomorrow’s so-called Big Tuesday. [NPR]

And an early heads up: WBEZ will air special coverage of tomorrow’s election results beginning at 7 p.m. CST.

4. Sports betting begins in Illinois

Rivers Casino in Des Plaines today began accepting legal sports bets, marking Illinois’ first tee off into the nascent industry. Illinois is the 15th state to legalize sports betting after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to do so in 2018.

Other casinos, racetracks and large stadiums, like Wrigley Field, can potentially allow sport betting under a gambling expansion bill signed by Gov. JB Pritzker. Critics say that gambling bill could oversaturate the market in Illinois, but Pritzker’s administration is hoping to generate enough money to help pay for a $45 billion plan for construction projects across the state. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. It’s not all bad in Chicago

Chicago got the top rank in a study, and it’s not for something completely horrible this time.

The Windy City is the best place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, according to the personal finance website WalletHub, which reviewed a wide variety of factors, from safety to the cost of beer.

That means we beat Boston and Philadelphia, two cities known for their St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, which is also the same day as Illinois’ primary election. And no, I’m pretty sure you can’t bring that green beer to your polling place. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• The killing of two Chinese men has inflamed racial tensions in Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood. [WBEZ]

• Here’s a look at how Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s political philosophy compares nationally, and whether the Jussie Smollett scandal could undermine her reelection efforts. [Politico]

• RIP Marnie. [Buzzfeed News]

• Tonight’s full moon is the first supermoon of the year, and it’s called a worm moon. [WTTW]

Oh, and one more thing …

More than 3,500 French people ignored coronavirus warnings to avoid crowds and gathered on Saturday to break a Guinness World Record for the most people dressed as Smurfs.

The horror show took place in Landerneau during something called the Starry Moon Carnival, and you can find a video of the, um, record holders in the link. The previous record of 2,762 people dressed as Smurfs was set in Germany last year. [UPI]

Tell me something good …

I saw my nephews this weekend and watched A LOT of children’s movies. So I’d like to know what your favorite childhood movie is.

One of mine is Labyrinth, the Jim Henson movie featuring a hip-swinging David Bowie. I also liked Return to Oz, because by today’s standards, that’s definitely not a movie for kids.

What’s your favorite childhood movie? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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