Good afternoon! It’s Wednesday, and if you’re not doing anything tonight, WBEZ is throwing a virtual gala, where you can watch me take a shot of Malört for the very first time. Here’s what you need to know today.

(By the way, if you’d like this emailed to your inbox, you can sign up here.)

1. How Biden plans to get COVID-19 vaccines to young children

The White House today unveiled a plan for vaccinating kids ages 5 to 11 in anticipation that federal regulators will authorize the doses in the coming weeks. And it looks much different than what adults experienced last spring.

Instead of using mass vaccination sites, the Biden administration will make doses available to more than 25,000 pediatric or primary care offices, thousands of pharmacies and hundreds of schools and community health centers.

Needles and vials for the doses will also be smaller to make them easier to get to health care professionals.

The Biden administration says it has enough doses for the more than 28 million children who fall into this age group. Federal regulators are expected to meet on Oct. 26 to begin discussing a vaccine for young children developed by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech. [NPR]

2. Suburban sheriffs were asked to send backup to Chicago in case of an emergency during vaccine standoff. Three said no.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, a coalition created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, recently warned suburban police officials that Chicago officers may need help if an emergency erupts during the standoff between the Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the city’s police union over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Despite the plea, the sheriffs in Kane, DuPage and Kendall counties said they would not send their deputies to the city, reports the Chicago Tribune.

“I don’t feel like the onus is on us to go in there in an emergency situation that was created by poor government and a lack of support the officers receive,” Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain told the newspaper. Hain also said he does not feel comfortable with requiring his officers to get COVID-19 vaccines. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, only a small number of Chicago officers have been sent home without pay for refusing to follow the mandate for all city workers. [Block Club Chicago]

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that all city workers must be vaccinated by the end of the month or lose their paychecks. [ABC News]

3. Netflix co-CEO says he “screwed up” in his defense of Dave Chappelle’s special

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos did several media interviews late yesterday as the controversy over comedian Dave Chappelle’s recent special resulted in a walkout today from employees at the TV streaming service.

Sarandos said he “screwed up” his response to employees who were upset with transphobic jokes in Chappelle’s special, The Closer, such as comparing the transgender community to people who wear blackface. Critics say Chappelle’s comments could cause physical harm to transgender people.

Sarandos said he should have recognized his employees were “in pain” over Netflix’s decision to stream The Closer, but he said there are no plans to remove it or add a disclaimer. [Hollywood Reporter]

Adding a disclaimer is one of several demands being made by employees who walked out today. They also want the company to hire trans and non-binary people to executive positions and create a fund to support trans and non-binary talent. [The Verge]

4. Chicago’s Black Caucus wants Lightfoot to drop a basic income plan and boost funding of violence prevention

The City Council’s Black Caucus wants Mayor Lightfoot to cancel a guaranteed basic income program in her proposed budget and shift its $31.5 million to violence prevention, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The basic income program would send $500 monthly checks to 5,000 low-income families for a year. The idea of a guaranteed basic income has gained more traction in progressive circles as the pandemic exposed severe shortcomings in the U.S. social safety net.

But the pandemic has also led to a surge in violence that has put mounting pressure on city officials to find a solution.

“We believe that violence is a public health issue and that public safety is one of the top priorities — not only of the administration but of everybody in the city,” Black Caucus Chairman Jason Ervin, 28th Ward, told the Sun-Times.

The City Council is expected to vote on Lightfoot’s budget plan next week. [S-T]

5. Facebook plans to change its name as it seeks to become a metaverse company

As Facebook draws intense scrutiny and comparisons to the tobacco industry over its business practices, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is planning next week to discuss rebranding the social media company, reports The Verge.

The move is aimed at reflecting Facebook’s ambitions of becoming a metaverse company that combines virtual and augmented realities. (Think Ready Player One.) The rebranding could mean Facebook would fall under a new parent company that includes its other products, such as Instagram and WhatsApp. [The Verge]

The news comes weeks after a Facebook whistleblower told Congress the company harms children, sows division and undermines democracy in pursuit of profits. [NPR]

Here’s what else is happening

• Nikolas Cruz, a former student who killed several of his classmates and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018, pleaded guilty to murder today. [NPR]
• A federal judge today ordered R. Kelly to stand trial in Chicago next year after he is sentenced in a separate trial in New York. [AP]
• Chicago officials selected 11 projects to fund in disinvested neighborhoods, and they range from a healthy corner store to senior housing. [WBEZ]
• The top five high schools in Illinois are all public schools in Chicago, according to U.S. News. [WGN]

Oh, and one more thing …

The rally and parade for the Chicago Sky winning the WNBA title was really something yesterday. If you missed it, WBEZ’s Manuel Martinez took some amazing photos that capture the overwhelming joy from fans and the team. [WBEZ]

I also can’t stop watching this video of Gov. JB Pritzker “dancing,” but man, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has some moves.

Tell me something good …

What’s the best way to brighten up on a gray Chicago day?

Mary writes:

“Avoid the winter blues by embracing the beauty of the season. Cloudy skies diffuse the sunlight and create a soft, dreamlike glow. Night skies are sometimes a deep blue black background that makes the stars shine brighter and the moon a more lustrous silver. Enjoy the world’s cold beauty, and then hope the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow!”

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah, and your responses might be shared here this week.

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