Hey there! It’s Wednesday, and it is a busy day. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Illinois reports a record number of COVID-19 deaths

State officials today announced that 238 more people have died from COVID-19, a new record for the most deaths reported in a single day during the pandemic. That figure, which surpasses the previous record of 191 deaths reported on May 13, includes deaths from the Thanksgiving weekend.

State officials also today reported 9,757 new cases. Illinois is seeing a rolling, seven-day average of 9,281 cases per day, down 25% from the average two weeks ago. [WBEZ]

Here’s a look at how the virus is surging throughout the U.S. [NPR]

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today revised its guidelines for how long people should quarantine after potentially being exposed to the virus. Instead of 14 days, the CDC recommends 10 or seven days, depending on one’s test results and symptoms. [NPR]

The CDC is also urging Americans to stay home for the upcoming holidays. [AP]

And the U.K. approved Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. [NPR]

2. Biden keeps focus on economy as new urgency grips Congress

President-elect Joe Biden today tried to keep the spotlight on the nation’s faltering economy as many safety nets are scheduled to expire this month.

About 12 million Americans will lose jobless benefits the day after Christmas, and protections for renters and homeowners will expire at the end of the month, raising the possibility of a wave of evictions and foreclosures. [NPR]

Biden today is expected to speak with workers and business owners affected by the pandemic. And in an interview published today, Biden said his top priority is to get a big stimulus package through Congress even before he is sworn in.

When people “are out of the work force too long, you know, that makes it a hell of a lot harder for them to get back in the work force,” Biden told New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. “Many of them are losing years and years of opportunity.” [NYT]

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is shoring up Republican support for a new, more targeted plan that would extend emergency unemployment benefits by a month. But this new plan does not include a boost to jobless payments. Democrats want to reinstate the $600 weekly boost for all unemployed workers through October 2021.

McConnell’s plan would also provide relief to small businesses, but it does not offer aid to states and local governments, something that Democrats have demanded.

Some political observers believe McConnell could attach his proposal to a spending bill that must be approved by Dec. 11 in order to avoid a government shutdown. [CNBC]

3. Former ComEd executives and a lobbyist plead not guilty in bribery scheme

Four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists pleaded not guilty today in a long-running federal bribery investigation that’s ensnared Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, report WBEZ’s Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold.

Appearing in court today were former ComEd President and CEO Anne Pramaggiore; top Madigan adviser Michael McClain; John Hooker, a former in-house lobbyist for ComEd; and former company lobbyist Jay Doherty, the one-time head of the City Club of Chicago public affairs organization.

Federal investigators charged the group for their roles in allegedly orchestrating a bribery-tainted lobbying effort in Springfield between 2011 and last year. The alleged goal of that scheme was to curry favor with Madigan for the company’s statehouse agenda.

Madigan has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, here’s a look at Ed Moody, a key cog in Madigan’s political machine who serves as Cook County’s recorder of deeds. Now, his name has surfaced in the ComEd scandal. [WBEZ]

4. Trump discussed giving preemptive pardons to his children

President Donald Trump is considering preemptive pardons for Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump, as well as his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. The news was first reported by The New York Times and ABC News.

Trump has reportedly told advisers that he is concerned his family could be unfairly targeted by a Biden Justice Department. Donald Jr. was under investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller for contacts with Russians, but he was never charged. It’s not clear what criminal exposure Ivanka, Eric and Kushner may have that would require a pardon.

ABC News also reports the White House’s growing list of potential pardons also includes Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka Joe Exotic, aka the Tiger King.

“We’ve heard from the Tiger King,” an anonymous source told ABC News. “You wouldn’t believe the amount of calls, some insane, we’ve gotten.” [ABC News]

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is investigating a potential bribery-for-pardon scheme, according to heavily redacted court documents that were unsealed late yesterday. It’s unclear who may have been involved in the scheme, but it doesn’t appear President Trump is tied to it. No one has been charged. [NPR]

5. Illinois inmates say there’s no one to help them when things get bad in prisons

People locked in prisons rely on a grievance complaint system if they feel their needs are being unmet, and it covers anything from health care services to safety and sanitation.

But in Illinois, that system is sputtering, with little oversight, leaving prisoners vulnerable to harm, according to an investigation from WBEZ and ProPublica. And it’s costing the state millions to settle claims from inmates, some of whom raised concerns early, only to later suffer serious injuries when their complaints were denied.

“In one case, a prisoner at Stateville Correctional Center filed a grievance to complain about roaches crawling over him as he slept,” WBEZ’s Shannon Heffernan reports. “He also said he had extreme pain in his ear and heard constant crackling. But he said his complaints were ignored by prison staff. Two weeks after his grievance, records show medical workers removed a bug from his ear. He later filed a lawsuit, alleging ear pain and hearing loss. The case was settled for $12,500, three and a half years after the first grievance. The state denied wrongdoing.” [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Former President Barack Obama said the “defund the police” slogan was ineffective. [Politico]
• A UN agency removed cannabis from a category of the world’s most dangerous drugs. [AP]
• Here’s a look at the reopening plan for Chicago’s public schools. [Chicago Tribune]
• NPR looks at this year’s 50 best albums. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Did Mayor Lori Lightfoot make a bet on last year’s teachers strike?

An email obtained by the Chicago Tribune suggests the mayor and two advisers placed bets on when the strike would end.

“The Bet: 3 cigars and a bottle of scotch of the winner’s choosing. Under: Strike ends before next Weds. Over: Strike extends past Weds,” wrote senior adviser and legal counsel Michael Frisch in an email with the subject line “confirming our agreement.”

A spokeswoman for the mayor told the Tribune that Lightfoot “does not have any recollection of the email in question” and “never participated in any bet nor would she.”

Stacy Davis Gates, the vice president for the Chicago Teachers Union, told the newspaper that “this is the type of irreverence the mayor and her CPS team demonstrate all the time.” [Chicago Tribune]

Tell me something good …

What’s something you like doing during the winter?

Paula from Mount Prospect writes:

“I am one of those annoying people who is always cheering when the snow falls so that I can enjoy my favorite winter activity, cross-country skiing.”

And Carol Hirsh writes:

“Winter means cross country skiing on the lakefront if the snow is deep enough. If not, staying home, lighting the fireplace, sipping spiced cider and listening to my husband play guitar top my list.”

What are some of your favorite things to do during the winter? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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