Good afternoon! It’s Monday, and I’m already looking forward to the long weekend. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Chicago faces an estimated $2 billion budget hole for this year and next

Citing the pandemic’s devastating impact on the city’s economy, Mayor Lori Lightfoot today announced this year’s budget gap has grown to more than $800 million and next year’s shortfall is estimated at an astonishing $1.2 billion.

Lightfoot said her administration is looking to close this year’s deficit through a number of movies, including leveraging money provided under the federal CARES Act, refinancing the city’s debt and borrowing money. Lightfoot also raised the possibility of layoffs.

The mayor urged federal lawmakers to approve a coronavirus relief package that provides aid to cities and states hammered by the pandemic. But negotiations in Washington have hit an impasse, partly due to demands from Democrats to give relief to local governments.

The enormity of Chicago’s shortfalls raises the obvious question: Will Lightfoot’s administration raise property taxes — one of the biggest generators of revenue — at a time when many people remain jobless?

Lightfoot said raising property taxes is among the last choices she’d make to close the budget gaps, but she would not rule them out. [WBEZ]

2. Biden argues Trump can’t stop violence because “for years he fomented it”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden made a rare public appearance today in Pittsburgh, where he addressed recent civil unrest and pushed back against President Donald Trump’s false claims that Biden is anti-law-enforcement.

Biden condemned destruction caused during protests while also accusing Trump of making the country unsafe by stoking divisions during a nationwide outcry over police brutality.

“Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected?” Biden said. [NPR]

The White House, meanwhile, said Trump will visit Kenosha, Wisc., tomorrow despite pleas from Gov. Tony Evers to reconsider the trip. Some Kenosha residents say they’re worried Trump’s visit will cause more violence. [WBEZ]

The trip comes as Trump recently used Twitter to amplify conspiracy theories that claim the protests are actually a coup d’état against him and the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 is only 9,000 — instead of more than 182,000. [New York Times]

3. U.S. surpasses 6 million coronavirus infections

The milestone comes as the nation is seeing about 42,000 new cases a day. But the number of confirmed cases is likely an undercount, many health experts say. The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in June that for every case reported, there were 10 other infections. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Dr. Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, told the Financial Times that a COVID-19 vaccine could get emergency approval before Phase 3 trials are completed. The news comes as some scientists have voiced concerns about the politicization of the FDA under President Trump. [CNBC]

In Illinois, state officials today announced 1,668 new cases and an additional seven deaths. Illinois has seen a seven-day average of 1,927 cases per day, according to The New York Times. That’s a 11% increase from the average two weeks ago. You can find more information about the state’s positivity rate and other COVID-19 metrics in this link. [WBEZ]

In Chicago, CTA bus drivers say more needs to be done to push riders to wear face masks. [WBEZ]

4. Chicago school officials are crafting a plan to offer free childcare

Officials at Chicago Public Schools are creating a plan to provide free childcare, especially for “children younger than 14, those living in under-resourced communities and families without a permanent home,” reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The goal is to help working class families facing additional challenges with the school district’s remote-learning plan for the fall.

The childcare plan would at least cover the first quarter of the school year, and it would provide breakfast and lunch, according to the Sun-Times. Families in need of childcare can fill out this survey from Chicago Public Schools. The “priority deadline” for the survey is tomorrow. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Tributes continue to pour in for actor Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman, known for his roles as Jackie Robison and Marvel’s Black Panther, died on Friday after privately battling colon cancer for four years. Black Panther filmmaker Ryan Coogler wrote a lengthy tribute to Boseman, saying that he did not realize Boseman “was living with his illness the entire time I knew him.”

“Because he was a caretaker, a leader, and a man of faith, dignity and pride, he shielded his collaborators from his suffering. He lived a beautiful life. And he made great art.” [Hollywood Reporter]

More than 6 million people watched a special commercial-free airing of Black Panther last night in tribute to Boseman. [Variety]

Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. Here’s a look at what is known about colon cancer. [New York Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Chicago immigration advocates are worried that pandemic-related delays in the citizenship process will prevent some people from voting in the November election. [WBEZ]
• A 19-year-old man has been charged in the shooting of two Chicago police officers. [Chicago Tribune]
• The first commercial flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates landed, marking a major step in normalizing relations between the two countries. [Al Jazeera]
• Here’s a look at all of the outfits and face masks worn by Lady Gaga during MTV’s Video Music Awards. [Harper’s Bazaar]

Oh, and one more thing …

Here’s the quote of the day: “We waited six years to get Halloween on a Saturday, and now this.”

That’s from George Garcia, the owner of Fantasy Costumes in Chicago’s Portage Park, who talked to the Chicago Tribune about the pandemic’s effect on the holiday and whether Halloween will effectively be canceled this year.

Halloween events across the country have already been scrapped, and many haunted houses will truly be boarded this year due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus.

But some costume store owners say they’re uncertain if the pandemic will keep people home or make them want to celebrate. An official for a company that sells costumes and masks told the Trib that big-box stores in northeastern states have increased orders as the area began to recover.

“With everything going on, people are going to be looking for a little bit of escape or relief,” Garcia said. [Chicago Tribune]

Tell me something good …

I don’t have to tell you these are some pretty stressful times. What do you do to relieve stress?

When I’m not spending an embarrassing amount of time playing the Animal Crossing video game, I watch workout videos while drinking a vodka soda and remember the time when I actually worked out to relieve stress.

What do you do to relieve stress? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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