Hey there! It’s Thursday, and my favorite part of Contagion is when Matt Damon gets a haircut in the middle of a pandemic. Oh wait … . Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Chicago Teachers Union won’t say if there will be strike in the fall over coronavirus concerns

The Chicago Teachers Union has staunchly opposed Chicago Public Schools’ proposed plan to offer in-person classes in the fall, but union leaders won’t say if they’ll call for a strike, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Two other big teachers unions — the Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers — said this week they could call “health and safety strikes” if school districts do not provide enough safety protections for teachers. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, Gov. JB Pritzker said Illinois could see many coronavirus restrictions return as the state faced its 8th straight day of more than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases.

“We’re at a danger point,” the governor said today.

You can find more information about today’s numbers in this link. [WBEZ]

And are you traveling outside Illinois soon? You’ll want to read up on Chicago’s mandatory two-week quarantine order, which will apply to everyone traveling to the city from 22 states. [Chicago Tribune]

2. The U.S. economy suffered a historic plunge last spring

The economy shrank 9.5% from April to June, the largest quarterly decline in modern American history, according to data released today by the U.S. Commerce Department. On an annualized basis, the country’s gross domestic product fell at a rate of 32.9% (though that does not mean the economy shrank by more than a third).

The bottom line: The nascent economic recovery that began earlier this summer may be in jeopardy as outbreaks surge across the country, forcing officials to revive coronavirus restrictions on businesses. And it remains opaque as ever if the country will see a quick, V-shaped rebound.

Meanwhile, another 1.4 million people filed new jobless claims last week, the Labor Department announced today. It is the second week in a row that unemployment claims increased, and it is the 19th week straight that claims surpassed 1 million. [NPR]

The grim economic news comes as negotiations over a new coronavirus relief package have hit an impasse as tens of millions of American will soon see cuts to their jobless benefits. [Washington Post]

3. Top Republicans reject Trump’s suggestion of postponing November election

President Donald Trump today suggested the election should be pushed back because it would be fraudulent, though he did not provide any evidence to support his claim.

Trump said he is concerned with “universal mail-in voting,” which does not exist, and drew a distinction between absentee voting and mail-in voting, which are virtually identical.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., dismissed the idea of delaying the election, saying, “Never in the history of the country, through wars, depressions, and the Civil War have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time, and we’ll find a way to do that again this Nov. 3.”

Other top Republicans, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Lindsey Graham, also rejected the idea. [New York Times]

As NPR notes, the president does not have the authority to move the date of the election, which has been set by federal law and fixed since 1845. In order to move the election, Congress would have to vote on changing the law. [NPR]

4. Calls grow for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign

The state’s top House Republican today called on House Speaker Michael Madigan to resign after he was implicated, but not charged, by federal investigators probing ComEd.

The move by House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, “represents the most politically high-profile demand yet that Madigan immediately leave office,” reports WBEZ’s Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold.

Also calling for Madigan’s resignation are Democratic state Senators Heather Steans and Melinda Bush. Illinois Sen. Iris Martinez, who is the Democratic nominee for clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court, said Madigan should step aside as chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, Chicago officials said they plan to sign a new deal with ComEd to provide electricity for city residents, despite the utility’s role in the high-profile federal corruption scandal. [WBEZ]

5. Obama delivers eulogy at John Lewis’ funeral

Former President Barack Obama gave the eulogy today at the funeral of civil rights icon and longtime congressman John Lewis, who died earlier this month after battling pancreatic cancer.

Obama recounted the time he met Lewis while attending Harvard Law School, and how the two men met again after Obama was elected to the Senate.

“I told him, ‘John, I’m here because of you,’ ” Obama said.

Also in attendance at Lewis’ funeral in Atlanta were former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. [NPR]

The New York Times today published an essay that Lewis wrote before his death, and wanted released on the day of his funeral. In it, Lewis urged younger generations to continue fighting for equality and to engage in “good trouble, necessary trouble.” [NYT]

Here’s what else is happening

• At least three Chicago police officers and a suspect were shot at a Northwest Side police station this morning. [Chicago Tribune]
• Black enrollment at Illinois’ public universities and colleges dropped by 25% between 2013 and 2017. Chicago State University wants to change that. [WBEZ]
• A federal appeals court will review a decision to dismiss the case against national security adviser Michael Flynn. [NPR]
• NASA launched a Mars rover today in an effort to find signs of ancient life on the red planet. [AP]

Oh, and one more thing …

Man, I’ve been using all of this time staying at home to better myself as a human being. LOL just kidding, I’ve been blowing through things to watch on TV. And I’m desperately running out of things to watch, forced to scrap at the bottom of the Bravo reality TV barrel.

Luckily, the next season of Netflix’s Umbrella Academy comes out tomorrow, which pretty much will be part of my weekend plans of “not getting COVID-19.”

Netflix recently unveiled a video clip of Season 2’s opening scene, and it looks like it’ll be a fun one. If you’re not familiar, The Umbrella Academy follows an angsty group of superheroes who have to save the day without killing each other. It’s like the X-Men but way more dysfunctional.

Tell me something good …

What song brings back a good memory for you?

Lisa writes:

“I have been a Queen fan for over 40 years. When I was 13, we persuaded my dad to take us to see the band at the old Chicago Stadium — my first-ever live concert! This was 1977, and a time when parents didn’t take their kids to shows like that. I was giddy with excitement throughout the whole event — while my dad fell asleep. How is that even possible? It’s not only my favorite music memory, but a treasured memory of my dad, who passed away not long ago.”

What song brings back a good memory for you? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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