The Rundown: Public Support Grows For Vax Mandates

vaccine drive
In this April 26, 2021 file photo, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering sophomore Brian Acevedo, 16, receives a COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Myra Glass, of East Hartford, during a mass vaccination site at Pratt & Whitney Runway in East Hartford, Conn. Jessica Hill / AP Photo
vaccine drive
In this April 26, 2021 file photo, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering sophomore Brian Acevedo, 16, receives a COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Myra Glass, of East Hartford, during a mass vaccination site at Pratt & Whitney Runway in East Hartford, Conn. Jessica Hill / AP Photo

The Rundown: Public Support Grows For Vax Mandates

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Hey there! It’s Monday, and I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I slept for, like, 12 hours after watching my nephew last week. That boy has … so … much … energy. 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. Support grows for vaccine mandates, poll finds

More than half of Americans say they support vaccination requirements for employees returning to the workplace (54%), students in schools (55%) and people attending sporting events or concerts (55%), according to a poll released today from CNN.

The survey comes as President Joe Biden turns to sweeping vaccine mandates in an effort to contain the highly contagious delta variant, keep schools open for in-person learning and calm concerns about the nation’s economic recovery.

But the poll also shows how polarized the issue has become. Americans were almost evenly split when asked if proof of vaccination should be required for “everyday activities outside of the home, such as going to work, shopping in a store, or eating in a restaurant.” [CNN]

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has not said whether she’ll mandate vaccines for entering restaurants, bars, gyms and other public indoor spaces. [Block Club Chicago]

As winter looms, only 65.3% of eligible Chicago residents are fully vaccinated, according to city data as of Sept. 9. [COVID Dashboard]

2. At least 63 people were shot over the weekend in Chicago

The city suffered yet another violent weekend, with at least 63 people shot, including an off-duty firefighter and his 15-year-old niece who were wounded in one of two mass shootings in the city, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

Among those killed was 12-year-old Kaden Ingram, who was shot by his mother after she questioned him about the location of a memory card, according to police. Relatives told investigators they had become worried about the mother’s mental health. [Sun-Times]

Under pressure to stem a surge in violence, Mayor Lightfoot is proposing a plan to sue gangs and alleged gang members. But critics say the proposal relies on the Police Department’s controversial gang database. [Block Club Chicago]

As another deadly summer comes to an end, Lightfoot told the Chicago Tribune that she has “total confidence” in Police Superintendent David Brown. [Trib]

But the editorial board for Crain’s Chicago Business wrote a scathing piece that questions whether the Lightfoot administration has a strategy.

“What’s exasperating, infuriating or depressing, depending on the day, is the sense that no one in a position of leadership at City Hall or at police headquarters has a plan to reverse this seemingly relentless wave of violence and destruction,” the board wrote. [Crain’s]

3. Texas’ new abortion law and other measures could hurt efforts to woo techies

The Lone Star State over the last several years has pitched itself as an affordable tech haven as states across the country compete to attract the high-paying and growing industry.

But Texas’ recent ban on most abortions, as well as new voting restrictions and a ban on COVID-19 vaccine mandates, has raised concerns from industry leaders about their ability to recruit and retain workers, reports The Washington Post.

Vivek Bhaskaran, the chief executive of an Austin-based online survey software company QuestionPro, told the newspaper that his company would cover out-of-state abortion services for employees.

“I’m not a politician; I can’t change anything. But I’m still responsible for my employees in Texas, and I have a moral responsibility to them,” Bhaskaran said. [WaPo]

4. Chicago QAnon supporter and ivermectin proponent dies from pneumonia due to COVID-19 infection

Veronica Wolski, whose fight with doctors over an unapproved COVID-19 treatment propelled her name in far-right circles, died today in the intensive care unit of AMITA Health Resurrection Medical Center on Chicago’s Northwest Side.

She died from pneumonia due to COVID-19, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office, adding that the manner of death was natural.

QAnon supporters mounted a pressure campaign on the hospital in recent weeks after doctors refused to give her ivermectin, a medication typically used as an anti-parasitic for cows and sheep.

Conspiracy theorists and far-right conservatives who have shunned COVID-19 vaccinations have touted ivermectin as a miracle treatment despite a lack of scientific proof.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised against taking the medication to treat COVID-19. [Chicago Tribune]

5. How the race to build electric vehicles is playing out in an Illinois town

The college town of Normal, Ill., has emerged as a potential winner in the national competition to build electric vehicles, an industry that analysts say could grow exponentially in the coming years, reports The New York Times.

Normal owes its success to Rivian, an electric-vehicle maker that has created thousands of jobs and plans to further expand. And the influx of visitors, contractors and suppliers has helped businesses like hotels and restaurants keep their heads above water during the pandemic.

“It’s really saved their bacon,” Mayor Chris Koos said.

But as the Times reports, Normal has gone through various boom and bust cycles, and some residents wonder how long Rivian’s good fortunes will last. [NYT]

Meanwhile, a green energy plan that phases out fossil fuel plants and encourages the use of electric vehicles heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

  • House Democrats today unveiled a plan to hike taxes on corporations and the wealthy to help pay for President Biden’s $3.5 trillion plan to expand the social safety net. [AP]
  • Voters in California will decide the fate of Gov. Gavin Newsom in tomorrow’s recall election. [NPR]
  • The Met Gala begins tonight, with this year’s theme celebrating American fashion. [AP]
  • The long-awaited return of HBO’s Succession will take place Oct. 17. [Hollywood Reporter]

Oh, and one more thing …

It’s not called the Pullman Historic District for nothing. TikTok historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas joins WBEZ’s Lisa Labuz tomorrow to talk about how the South Side neighborhood played a pivotal role in the history of the city and the nation.

Named after engineer and industrialist George Pullman, the neighborhood is the birthplace of the first sleeper trains that revolutionized how Americans traveled the country. And the Pullman Porters were the first Black labor union to sign a collective bargaining agreement with a U.S. corporation.

You can catch the segment at 7:45 a.m. and 2:33 p.m., and new conversations with Thomas will air every other week.

Tell me something good …

Fall is quickly approaching, with its Halloween costumes, pumpkin spice lattes and a slate of new TV shows. So I’d like to know: What do you enjoy the most about fall?

I love watching horror movies for the entire month of October. My husband and I got married on Halloween of 2019, though the pandemic makes it feel like it was a decade ago. If you have any horror movie recommendations, feel free to send them my way.

Feel free to email me at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah.

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