Hey there, it’s Thursday, and my dog, Princess Leia, went to the vet. The doctors said they needed to do “calculations.” I imagine a bunch of vets yelling stuff like “run scenario 53B” at a giant monitor. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. Republicans reject Trump’s refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power

President Donald Trump faced a backlash today after he declined to commit to accepting the results of the Nov. 3 election, something no sitting president has doubted in modern history.

Prominent GOP leaders, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, pushed back against the president’s comments without referring to Trump by name.

“The winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th. There will be an orderly transition just as there has been every four years since 1792,” McConnell tweeted today.

Democrats were enraged that Trump would not commit to accepting the will of voters, the bedrock of the nation’s democracy.

“What country are we in?” said Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Wednesday. “I’m being facetious. … Look, he says the most irrational things. I don’t know what to say.”

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany today tried walking back Trump’s comments, saying the president would accept the results of “a free and fair election.” [NPR]

Meanwhile in the crucial swing state of Florida, Republicans are seeing a huge increase in voter registration that allows them to catch up with Democrats. [Politico]

And almost 500 national security experts endorsed Biden. [NPR]

2. Protesters want stronger charges in Breonna Taylor shooting

Officials in Louisville, Ky., are bracing for another night of protests after a grand jury did not indict any officers with killing Breonna Taylor in her apartment during a botched police raid.

The grand jury only indicted a former detective for endangering the lives of Taylor’s neighbors, causing nationwide demonstrations for stronger charges.

During protests in Louisville last night, two officers were shot and 127 demonstrators were arrested. The officers did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said today. A suspect has been charged in the shooting. [New York Times]

In Chicago, protests were held in the city’s Auburn-Gresham, Bronzeville and Palmer Square neighborhoods.

“We are tired of police killing us and getting away with it,” said demonstrator Tanya Watkins. You can find a collection of photos from last night in this link. [WBEZ]

3. New York will form a panel to review vaccines. Will Illinois follow?

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today announced plans to form a panel that will conduct its own review of coronavirus vaccines approved by the federal government, a move that comes as concerns grow that election politics have infiltrated the approval process.

The move also comes after President Trump said he “may or may not” approve new F.D.A. guidelines that would toughen the approval process. By suggesting he could reject the guidelines, the president undermines efforts by the nation’s top doctors to assure the public that a vaccine, once approved, would be safe and effective. [New York Times]

Meanwhile in Illinois, the number of new coronavirus cases continues to decline. State officials today reported 2,257 new cases and 30 additional deaths. [WBEZ]

And if you have no plans tonight, WBEZ has a free Facebook Live event about the pandemic’s devastating impact on Black and Latino communities. [WBEZ]

4. Unemployment claims remain historically high six months into pandemic

Another 870,000 jobless claims were filed last week, slightly higher than the previous week, according to figures released today by the Labor Department. But the overall number of people continuing to receive unemployment benefits fell to 12.6 million.

While that number is high, it has steadily declined over the last few months. Economists say that is a sign that some jobless workers are being rehired, but others say it could also indicate that people are running out of jobless benefits, which typically last six months in most states. [AP]

Today’s unemployment numbers come as Congress and the White House have been unable to reach a deal on new economic relief, resulting in many Americans struggling to make ends meet. [NPR]

5. ComEd executives are expected to testify before Illinois lawmakers next week

Executives of Commonwealth Edison, the company at the center of a federal corruption probe, are expected to appear before a special Illinois House committee next week, reports WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and Tony Arnold.

The committee is investigating whether the utility giant and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan engaged in any wrongdoing together. ComEd in July admitted it took part in an eight-year bribery scheme, paying politically connected consultants who did little or no work in order to win favor with “Public Official A” — a clear reference to Madigan.

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

Here’s what else is happening

• President Trump was met with boos and chants of “vote him out” as he paid his respects to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. [NPR]
• The South Side church where Emmett Till’s body was displayed is one of the nation’s most endangered historic places. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• The Dreadhead Cowboy’s horse may have to be euthanized after he rode it to exhaustion on the Dan Ryan this week, Cook County prosecutors say. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Huh. [Axios]

Oh, and one more thing …

Some parents are getting creative about how to safely trick or treat this year as public health officials raise warnings about a potential fall surge in coronavirus cases.

NPR looked at how different cities are responding to the challenge of celebrating Halloween without spreading the virus. And they interviewed parents about how they’re navigating the holiday.

“Some of the ideas I’ve heard are: setting up a chute made of long cardboard tubes or plastic piping, then sending candy down the tubes,” said Lisa Rampton Halverson, a working mother of two from Utah. “Maybe having a small group of friends over for a scavenger hunt with candy in the backyard or possibly a clothesline in the yard with candy attached.” [NPR]

As a kid, I was in favor of houses that just left candy in a bowl outside because I’d just dump it into my bag. One time my brother, dressed up as Peter Pan, sat down on some house’s front steps and started eating candy out of a bowl.

Tell me something good …

What makes your pet — whether dog, cat, exotic lizard or guinea pig — special?

Barb writes about her rescue dog Hutch, who is an Australian Shepherd/Collie mix:

“He greets us with what we call “funny face.” He gives us a toothy grin from ear to ear and his nose crinkles up when we walk in the door. It’s the most heartwarming thing to see after a long day at work. Unfortunately he does it too fast to take a photo.”

And Kevin McCaffrey writes:

“My Golden Retrievers are very fond of cicadas for their early morning or late evening snacks!”

What makes your pet special? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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