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

1. No officers were charged with causing the death of Breonna Taylor

A Kentucky grand jury today indicted former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison of endangering the lives of Breonna Taylor’s neighbors during a March raid on her home. Two other officers who fired shots during the raid were not charged.

That means no officer was charged with causing Taylor’s death.

The police department fired Hankison in June, saying he “displayed an extreme indifference to the value of human life” when he “wantonly and blindly” fired 10 rounds into Taylor’s apartment.

Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was shot several times by police, who had used flawed information to obtain a “no-knock” warrant for her apartment. [NPR]

Demonstrators are expected to gather in Chicago’s Millennium Park this evening. Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for a citywide moment of silence for Taylor tonight at 7 p.m.

2. Mourners pay respects to Ginsburg at Supreme Court

Former law clerks lined the Supreme Court steps today as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s casket arrived at the nation’s high court, where she will lie in repose today and tomorrow. The justice’s family, close friends and members of the court held a brief ceremony in the court’s Great Hall.

Chief Justice John Roberts said that Ginsburg’s life “was one of the many versions of the American dream.”

On Friday, Ginsburg will become the first woman to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol. WBEZ will air live special coverage that morning. [NPR]

Meanwhile, here’s a closer look at Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Chicago’s 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Barrett is widely reported to be one of the front-runners to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. She considers herself an “originalist,” someone who interprets the Constitution based on the intent of the authors at that time. [Chicago Tribune]

3. How the Johnson & Johnson vaccine candidate is different from others

Pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson today began a critical trial of an experimental vaccine that aims to include 60,000 participants, making it the largest final-stage trial so far.

While other vaccines have already begun so-called Stage 3 trials, which test for safety and effectiveness on large groups of people, medical experts say Johnson & Johnson’s drug may have significant advantages over competitors. It only requires one dose instead of two, and the vaccine does not need to be stored in subzero temperatures. [Washington Post]

Here’s a vaccine tracker from The New York Times showing the status of different drugs that are currently being tested. [New York Times]

The news comes as four of the nation’s top doctors appeared before the Senate today in an effort to assure lawmakers that science — and not election politics — would dictate whether a vaccine gets emergency approval. [NPR]

Meanwhile in Illinois, the number of new coronavirus continues to decline. State officials reported 1,848 new cases and 22 additional deaths. [WBEZ]

4. Presidential race tightens in Florida and Arizona

Voters in the battleground states of Florida and Arizona are closely divided between President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, according to polls released today from The Washington Post and ABC News.

Among likely voters in Florida, Trump has 51% to Biden’s 47%. When it comes to registered voters in the Sunshine State, Biden holds 48% to Trump’s 47%. In Arizona, likely voters support Trump 49% to Biden’s 48%, and registered voters back Biden at 49% to Trump’s 47%.

The surveys appear to indicate that despite its shaky recovery, the economy remains a strong issue for Trump. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, here’s a look at how predominantly white suburbs outside of Milwaukee could be crucial for Trump to win swing-state Wisconsin. [New York Times]

And Cindy McCain became the latest prominent conservative to endorse Biden. [NPR]

5. Lightfoot puts pressure on ComEd

Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently unveiled a list of demands to ComEd as city negotiations over a new deal with the utility giant coincide with the fallout from the company’s yearslong bribery scheme.

As WBEZ’s Becky Vevea reports, Lightfoot’s demands include ending late fees and providing relief to low-income customers. But one of the bigger issues being pushed by the mayor is requiring ComEd to go through state regulators when seeking rate hikes. [WBEZ]

That’s notable because ComEd executives have admitted to engaging in a bribery scheme that allowed it to win favorable state legislation that boosted its profits at ratepayers’ expense. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• How should Chicago deploy officers throughout the city? A study is underway to provide a scientific answer. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• The Dreadheaded Cowboy has been charged with aggravated animal cruelty. [Chicago Tribune]
• Bears Hall of Famer Gale Sayers died at age 77. [AP]
• A rare blue moon is in the cards for Halloween. [CBS News]

Oh, and one more thing …

How are you planning to make it through the winter AND the pandemic AND maintain your sanity? (Nervously eyes a bottle of tequila on top of a stack of Batman comics and Golden Girls DVDs.)

WBEZ’s Mariah Woelfel recently talked to doctors and Chicago residents about what people can do to manage their mental health, such as taking Vitamin D supplements and using light therapy, which can trick your body into thinking the days actually aren’t getting shorter. [WBEZ]

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to get so many light therapy, uh, lightbulbs that my apartment is going to look like this.

Tell me something good …

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

Richard writes:

“We rescued our dog from a local shelter in March and her age was estimated to be 4 to 5 months. Goldie is a Sheltie/Shiba Inu mix and is extremely smart. I call her an escape artist. Our neighbor gave us a cute pink cage with a soft top and the first time I put her in it, she surprised us at the door as she managed to remove the top. She has also squeezed out of her harness several times and can open all the doors in the house. We installed two baby gates, and it was only a matter of time before she figured out how to open them as well. She loves to play fetch and can catch a ball and walks around whining and fretting over where to hide her milk bones. She is truly entertaining, and it didn’t take long to fall in love with her.”

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

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