Hey there! It’s Thursday, and if you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, I highly recommend watching some videos on the Instagram account for Lili Hayes. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Illinois breaks yet another coronavirus record

State officials today reported 6,363 new coronavirus cases, the highest number announced in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic. The state also reported an additional 56 deaths. Since Oct. 15, Illinois has steadily broken new records for the number of cases reported in a single day.

The state is seeing a weekly average of 5,006 cases per day, an increase of 71% from the average two weeks ago. The state’s positivity rate stands at 6.9%.

In Chicago, the positivity rate is 7.9% as of yesterday, according to city data. The city is seeing a rolling, seven-day average of 776 cases per day, which is up 20% from the previous week. [WBEZ]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois has reported about 35,000 new cases in the last seven days. The only state to report more is Texas, which saw more than 41,000 cases. [CDC]

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said a vaccine could be within reach.

“By the time we get to the end of November, the beginning or middle of December, we should know whether we have a safe and effective vaccine, and at that point, you can think about the distribution of doses toward the end of December, the beginning of January,” Fauci said during an interview this week in Chicago. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s a map showing where infections are rising throughout the U.S. [NPR]

And here’s a good look at how the U.S. botched its response to the pandemic. [AP]

2. A look at the Senate races that could determine which party controls the majority

Thirteen races across the country could decide whether Republicans or Democrats hold the majority in the Senate. The GOP currently holds 53 seats, and Democrats would need to win at least four races if President Donald Trump wins reelection or three seats if former Vice President Joe Biden wins.

NPR put together this breakdown of which races to watch next week and where surprises could pop up. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Biden and Trump are visiting Florida today, a battleground state that is crucial for the president’s campaign. Polling largely indicates that the Sunshine State is a tossup. [Politico]

And with Election Day right around the corner, officials nationwide are warning voters that it may be too late to vote by mail. [NPR]

In Illinois, it may take up to two weeks to learn if voters approved or rejected Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax, said a top political strategist for the governor. [WBEZ]

3. The U.S. economy is not fully out of its pandemic-induced hole

So you might have heard something that sounds like good news: The U.S. economy grew at its fastest pace in history from July to September, according to a report released today by the Commerce Department.

But here’s the catch: That record bump comes after the economy pretty much cratered earlier this year, when states enacted stay-at-home orders that closed many businesses. A huge rebound was inevitable when those orders were lifted and businesses reopened.

Here’s the big picture: The economy is only part way to bouncing back to where it was before the pandemic, and many economists say progress is slowing down. [NPR]

In other troubling signs, U.S. jobless claims still remain historically high. Another 751,000 workers filed new unemployment claims last week, a dip of about 40,000 from the previous week.

Some economists say today’s numbers signal that the economic recovery remains fragile as many states face a new surge in coronavirus cases. [CNBC]

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi today wrote a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and asked him to address key issues in negotiations over a new relief bill, which economists across the ideological spectrum say is critical to keeping the economy humming along. [AP]

4. Outbreaks grow in Europe

The situation is becoming increasingly perilous in many European countries, forcing leaders in France and Germany to revive severe restrictions on nonessential businesses, like restaurants. In Spain, lawmakers voted to extend the nation’s state of emergency until May.

Hospitals throughout Europe are once again filling up at an alarming rate. Germany is taking in new coronavirus patients from the Netherlands to help relieve intensive-care units. National Guard troops from the U.S. are traveling to the Czech Republic to help overwhelmed health care professionals. [AP]

Here’s a map showing where infections and deaths are rising throughout the world. [NPR]

5. Hey, remember those murder hornets?

Some entomologists in Washington state turned to Amazon to find suits to protect them as they combat the spread of the honey-bee killing “murder hornets,” and it’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen all day.

As Wired reports, “The look can best be described as Michelin-Man-meets-Navy-diver-circa-1945 chic.” (Yes, there are pics in the link.)

Folks at the Washington State Department of Agriculture ordered more than a dozen specially-made suits at $170 a pop on Amazon. The suits are made by a company called Vevin and are advertised as “professional anti-wasp, -hornet, and –yellow jacket protective apparel.” [Wired]

Here’s what else is happening

• French President Emmanuel Macron said a knife attack that killed three people at a church in Nice was an “Islamist terrorist attack.” [BBC]
• Waukegan police released video footage from last week’s fatal shooting of Marcellis Stinnette, but none of the videos show the shooting itself. [WBEZ]
• The Illinois High School Association said basketball games could be played this winter, but school districts could face legal liabilities. [WBEZ]
• City So Real, a five-part series about Chicago’s 2019 mayoral election, is out today. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

A family in Rhode Island has come up with a solution to doling out Halloween candy during a pandemic: They built a 12-foot catapult. (Yes, there are pictures in the link.)

The catapult was built by Adam Hingorany, an engineer and father of two young boys. Lindsey Hingorany, the mother of the two boys, said the family brainstormed ideas to safely deliver candy, and they’ve been testing out different kinds of candy for the catapult to make sure they won’t break.

“We’ve been practicing all week,” Lindsey Hingorany told the Providence Journal. “The kids are eating everything they throw.” [Providence Journal]

Tell me something good …

Who is one of your favorite fictional villains?

Allison Parker writes:

“Favorite villain? Headmistress Trunchbull (from Roald Dahl’s Matilda) for sure. Between the torturous Chokey chamber and forcing poor Bruce to eat the entire chocolate cake, this was exactly the right amount of deeply disturbing stuff for my child mind.”

And EJ Roginic writes:

“The best fictional villain for me is Homelander from The Boys. He’s terrifying because he’s so unhinged and unbalanced that you never know what he’s going to do in any given situation. Also, I love his obsession with milk — it’s so on-the-nose Freudian.”

Who is one of your favorite fictional villains? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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