Hey there! It’s Thursday, and WBEZ’s fall pledge drive is underway. If you enjoy this newsletter, please consider donating to the station. That money helps fund The Rundown. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. U.S. nears 200,000 COVID-19 deaths

The nation is quickly approaching another grim milestone in the pandemic. So far, more than 191,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.

Cook County is among the top five counties for deaths (5,100) and confirmed cases (more than 132,000), according to the university. [Johns Hopkins]

The news comes as Illinois officials today announced nearly 2,000 new cases and 28 additional deaths. The state is seeing an average of 2,190 cases per day over the last week, according to The New York Times. That’s a 10% increase compared to the average two weeks ago. [New York Times]

Meanwhile, health officials in an Italian city initially hit hard by the pandemic are following up with patients who survived. They’ve discovered almost half of their patients have not fully recovered, experiencing a wide range of conditions, like leg pain, severe fatigue and depression. [Washington Post]

2. Trump defends efforts to downplay risks of the coronavirus

President Donald Trump today launched new counter attacks against veteran journalist Bob Woodward, whose forthcoming book, Rage, reveals that Trump admitted to downplaying the coronavirus.

“I wanted to always play it down,” Trump told Woodward in a recorded interview in March. “I still like playing it down, because I don’t want to create a panic.”

Trump has seized on the “panic” part of that quote, saying he wanted the nation to remain “calm.” Trump also questioned why Woodward did not report his comments until now. Woodward said he chose to hold off because he needed time to see if Trump’s remarks were true. [AP]

The revelations from Woodward’s book come at a time when Trump and Republicans have sought to reframe the election away from the president’s handling of the pandemic, instead focusing on law-and-order issues and the economy.

But the president’s message on cracking down on protesters and looting appeared to have little effect on voters in at least one crucial swing state: Wisconsin, where a police shooting of a Black man in Kenosha last month sparked protests over racial injustice.

A poll released this week from Marquette Law School Poll showed support for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at 47% compared to 43% for Trump, which is within the margin of error. In a Marquette poll released last month, Biden was ahead at 49% with Trump at 44%. [Politico]

3. Senate fails to advance GOP’s slimmed down relief bill

Senate Republicans today failed to muster the 60 votes needed to advance their scaled down rescue package, and it appears increasingly unlikely Congress will approve economic recovery measures before Election Day.

Among the areas of disagreement between Republicans and Democrats are enhanced unemployment benefits. Republicans wanted to boost jobless payments by $300 a week, but Democrats are seeking to restore a $600-per-week enhancement that expired in July.

Democrats also want to provide aid to state and local governments that have seen tax revenue evaporate during the pandemic, a move opposed by Republicans. The GOP proposal also does not include another round of stimulus payments, which the White House supports. [NPR]

Meanwhile, another 884,000 new jobless claims were filed last week, according to numbers released today by the Labor Department. That’s worse than what economists had projected in a Dow Jones survey. [CNBC]

4. Lightfoot announces plan to begin replacing lead water pipes

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration unveiled plans to start replacing lead water pipes that can cause brain damage, reports the Chicago Tribune.

But the plan calls for replacing “only 750 of the roughly 400,000 lead service lines connecting homes to street mains,” the Trib reports, adding that the city has more lead pipes than any other major U.S. city.

The city, which faces a combined $2 billion budget shortfall for this year and next, says it will pay for the work using federal grants and low-interest loans. The Tribune reports that $19 million is earmarked for the project and will be spent in low-income neighborhoods. [Chicago Tribune]

5. Deadly West Coast wildfires torch millions of acres

Wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington have killed at least seven people, but some officials believe the death toll could grow as they assess areas that have been destroyed by the record-setting blazes.

“This could be the greatest loss of human lives and property due to wildfires in our state’s history,” said Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.

In California alone, more than 2.5 million acres have been burned this year so far. In a normal season, an average of 300,000 acres would likely burn, reports NPR.

But the West Coast may see some relief, as forecasts show a decrease in high winds today that have fueled the wildfires along with extreme heat. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• A majority of Americans — 56% — support NFL players kneeling during the national anthem, and 62% say athletes should use their platform to highlight national issues, a poll finds. [Washington Post]
• In an effort to energize conservatives, President Trump announced his list of potential Supreme Court nominees. [NPR]
• Twitter today announced steps it will take to crack down on disinformation surrounding the election. [NPR]
• The Chicago Transit Authority released a new tool aimed at helping commuters avoid crowded trains and buses. [Block Club Chicago]

Oh, and one more thing …

My favorite childhood hobby was watching TV shows and movies I was very clearly not supposed to watch. Like 1994’s Pulp Fiction, which came out right as I was about to turn 13. (And I turned out … mostly alright?)

If you liked Pulp Fiction, check out this week’s Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal. Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me’s Peter Sagal dig into the vulgar glory of this classic Quentin Tarantino film.

And next week, the gang revisits Toy Story as part of their adventures in quintessential ’90s movies. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

WBEZ’s fall pledge drive is here, and I’d like to know what you enjoy the most about public radio.

Beto writes:

“What I enjoy most about public radio is that it consistently brings to our attention perspectives I personally would not hear elsewhere. Especially now that we’re all staying more or less away from each other, it is nice to know what important events and discussions are happening in the world and in my community.”

And Renuka writes:

“What else can I say but it’s the only good way to receive unbiased news information while introducing our children to the world.”

What do you enjoy the most about public radio? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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