Hey there! It’s Thursday, and I really need a makeover and a haircut. My current hairstyle says: “I once saw Simon & Garfunkel perform live, and I excessively share this information.” 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. Illinois will offer 150,000 first-dose appointments next week as eligibility expands to all adults

Gov. JB Pritzker today announced that 150,000 first-dose appointments will open up next week as the entire state (except Chicago) moves forward with expanding eligibility for everyone 16 and over.

The appointments will be available at 11 state-run vaccination sites, as well as pharmacies at Walgreens, CVS and Jewel-Osco. (Here’s a good guide on how to navigate what can be a frustrating process.)

Pritzker also said Chicago residents 16 and over are welcome to sign up for appointments in the burbs. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has resisted calls to follow the state’s timeline on opening up vaccine eligibility, saying the federal government does not send the city enough doses. But the mayor said the city could meet President Joe Biden’s April 19 target date. [WBEZ]

A record-breaking 154,201 doses were administered yesterday as the state races to put as many shots in arms as health officials say another wave of infections could be coming. [Block Club Chicago]

2. Toddler is showing “progress” after Lake Shore Drive shooting

Doctors at Lurie Children’s Hospital today said 21-month-old Kayden Swann is showing brain activity after he was shot this week during a road rage incident on Lake Shore Drive. Kayden remains in critical condition.

“While it is still very early to make any meaningful prediction about his total recovery, we are optimistic about the clinical signs we are seeing,” said Dr. Marcelo Malakooti in a statement. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Authorities have not arrested the person suspected of shooting the toddler. But a 43-year-old Englewood man in the car with Kayden faces a felony gun charge, reports the Chicago Sun-Times. Jushawn Brown is accused of shooting at another car, according to the newspaper. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Biden makes moves to curb gun violence

President Joe Biden today announced a series of executive orders addressing what he called an “epidemic” of gun violence, but the president’s do-it-alone approach highlights the limitations he faces in addressing the problem as gun legislation stalls in Congress.

Among the president’s orders is a crackdown on so-called ghost guns, which are homemade weapons that are assembled using pieces without serial numbers, making them hard to trace. Biden also wants to provide more resources for gun violence prevention.

Biden called on Congress to pass legislation banning assault weapons and closing loopholes in background checks. The House has already approved two gun control bills, but the measures appear unlikely to move forward in the Senate, where Democrats would need support from at least 10 Republicans to reach the chamber’s 60-vote threshold. [NPR]

4. George Floyd died from a lack of oxygen, medical expert says, refuting defense’s argument of a drug overdose

Jurors in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin heard testimony today from Dr. Martin Tobin, a pulmonary specialist who works in critical care.

The veteran lung doctor said George Floyd died from “a low level of oxygen,” which supports the prosecution’s argument that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death when the officer pressed his knees on Floyd’s neck and back. Tobin also said Floyd showed signs of brain injury about four minutes before Chauvin lifted his knee on Floyd’s neck.

Tobin’s testimony comes as the trial enters a new phase in which prosecutors are expected to call several medical experts to the stand to discuss how Floyd died in police custody. Chauvin’s defense has argued that Floyd died as a result of a drug overdose and an underlying heart condition. [NPR]

5. The laws of physics may have been upended by Fermilab

Experiments at the Chicago-area lab suggest a subatomic particle is not following the rulebook of physics, opening up the possibility there is an unknown force of nature that plays a pivotal role in the cosmos.

The particle is called the muon, and preliminary results of two long-running experiments show muons were behaving in a way that doesn’t conform with the Standard Model, which is a series of equations that predicts how particles interact.

“We think we might be swimming in a sea of background particles all the time that just haven’t been directly discovered,” Fermilab experiment co-chief scientist Chris Polly said in a press conference. “There might be monsters we haven’t yet imagined that are emerging from the vacuum interacting with our muons, and this gives us a window into seeing them.” [AP]

Here’s what else is happening

• U.S. intelligence officials issued a bleak assessment of the future, saying climate change and the failure of elected officials to act on big issues could destabilize society. [Washington Post]
• Almost 19,000 children and teenagers were stopped at the U.S.-Mexico border in March, the most ever in a single month. [NPR]
• Chicago officials want to give “traditional parades,” like the Gay Pride and Bud Billiken parades, first dibs on picking dates this summer. [Chicago Tribune]
• Faith leaders in Chicago’s Black and Asian communities are building bonds by reflecting on their common histories. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

I’m 38 years old and still know the lyrics to the song in the Bagel Bites commercial from the ’90s.

Anyway, WBEZ’s Curious City has another great feature about food. Can you guess with one? Yup, bagels!

A fan of the podcast asked why it’s so hard to find good bagels in the Chicago area, so the Curious City team put together this guide to where you can find the best ones. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

What’s a good TV show or movie you’ve watched recently? I’m looking for suggestions, because I’m really hitting the bottom of the barrel after more than a year in this lousy pandemic.

Lisa Siedt writes:

“I may be a little late to the party on this one, but I discovered while catching up on my audiobook library that my current read is also a movie. The book and movie, A Man Called Ove, are both Swedish and absolutely lovely. You can find it with subtitles on Amazon. It reminds us that we all have worth and connection. Have tissues at the ready.”

And Barbara writes:

“Quirky, funny, endearing and very French — you must watch Call My Agent, if you haven’t already devoured it!”

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

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