Hey there! It’s Thursday, and I’m listening to The Pie, a new podcast from the University of Chicago and WBEZ that focuses on some of the pressing economic news of the day. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. COVID-19 deaths are rising in Illinois, and it could get worse

State officials today announced that 192 more people have died from COVID-19. Illinois has reported 957 deaths in the last seven days, the highest number of any state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 12,830 confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Illinois, plus another 795 probable deaths. According to projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, the state could reach 23,508 deaths by March.

Officials today also announced nearly 11,000 new cases. The state is seeing an average of 9,050 cases per day over the last seven days, down 24% from the average two weeks ago. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, NPR analyzed mobile phone location data and found that 42% of Americans with smartphones stayed home for Thanksgiving, up from 36% last year. But the analysis also found that 13% of Americans still traveled a significant distance.

“This level of travel will unfortunately lead to a rise in cases,” said Ali Mokdad, who is the chief strategy officer for Population Health. [NPR]

2. Some health care workers are wary of COVID-19 vaccines

Companies Pfizer and Moderna say their vaccines are 95% and 94% effective, respectively. But some health care workers say they are not eager to be among the first group of people to receive the vaccines, says a member of an advisory board for the CDC.

“We’re hearing a lot of hesitation among health care personnel, and I think a lot of it has to do with the politicized nature of the vaccine development and the whole response to the pandemic,” said Dr. Robert Atmar, a professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which recommended this week that vaccines should first go to health care professionals. [NPR]

As some health care workers express caution about going first, doctors are worried about a group that could be last to receive vaccines: children. Experts say children may not be vaccinated in time for the next school year. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton say they are willing to publicly get vaccines in an effort to encourage skeptical Americans to do the same. [NPR]

3. Weekly jobless claims fell but remain historically high

Another 712,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, down from 787,000 the week before but still persistently and historically high. In March, before the pandemic hit, jobless claims were about 225,000 per week.

Some economists expect the unemployment numbers will rise again. Some of the hiring may have been for seasonal jobs, and many states could revive more restrictions as infections surge throughout the nation. [AP]

Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke today as momentum appears to be building for another economic relief package. McConnell said earlier today that he has seen “hopeful signs” for reaching a deal before the end of the year. [CNBC]

4. What will Trump bring (or not bring) to the table in Georgia’s Senate runoffs?

The GOP’s majority is at stake in next month’s runoff election in Georgia, and some Republicans are nervous about President Donald Trump’s visit to the state on Saturday. That’s because some Republicans believe Trump’s baseless attacks on the election process will turn away voters.

“At this point, there’s no way that it can’t,” said Gabriel Sterling, a top Georgia election official.

Those concerns grew this week after pro-Trump attorneys Sidney Powell and Lin Wood urged Republican voters to not cast ballots for Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, accusing them of being insufficiently loyal to the president.

“I mean, it’s Looney Tunes. … I’m speechless. That’s the best I’ve got right now,” Sterling said. [Politico]

5. Chicago Public Schools wants to offer in-person classes next year. How many students will show up?

The city’s public schools plan to start reopening next month, marking the school district’s third attempt to offer in-person classes. As Chalkbeat Chicago reports, Chicago Public Schools plans to forge ahead even if a majority of students decide to continue with virtual classes.

“That presents a conundrum for districts and school leaders: How to deliver in-person instruction while addressing the quality of remote learning for the majority of students who choose to remain online,” Chalkbeat reports.

The district is also asking teachers to return to classrooms unless they request a leave for family or medical reasons. Can the district convince teachers and students it’s safe to return to schools when the city’s positivity rate is currently around 12%? We may have an answer next week, when parents must tell the school district of their plans. [Chalkbeat Chicago]

Here’s what else is happening

• Ivanka Trump gave a deposition this week with investigators from the Washington, D.C., attorney general’s office. [NPR]
• Cyberattacks are targeting companies and government organizations that will distribute COVID-19 vaccines. [AP]
• A $7.2 million grant from JPMorgan Chase grant seeks to help Black and Latino families become homeowners after decades of disinvestment in Chicago neighborhoods. [WBEZ]
• Some good news for anyone who has run out of things to watch at home. [CNBC]

Oh, and one more thing …

The mysterious monolith travels almost as fast as conspiracy theories spread on Facebook.

Another monolith has appeared in the city of Atascadero in Southern California, and it resembles the one first found in a remote area of Utah last week.

But unlike the Utah monolith, this one is not attached to the ground and can be knocked over, reports the Atascadero News, which estimates that the object weighs about 200 lbs. [Atascadero News]

The California obelisk comes as a similar object was found in Romania this week. Andrei Carabelea, the mayor of the Romania city of Piatra Neamt, speculated that “that some naughty and terrifying alien teenagers have left home with their parents’ UFOs and started planting metal monoliths around the world. First in Utah and then in Piatra Neamț. I am honored that they chose our city.” [USA Today]

The monoliths in both Romania and Utah disappeared shortly after they were discovered, adding another layer of mystery to the objects that look like the obelisk from Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Meanwhile, two athletes recently said they were part of a group that removed the Utah monolith because hundreds of people were damaging the public land where the object was located. [AP]

Tell me something good …

What’s something you like doing during the winter?

Ken Jurish writes:

“I absolutely love to get outside in our fantastic and singular forest preserves, typically early mornings, and snowshoe or XC ski. I have done this in temperatures down to -15 (air temperature, windchill not included) and it is awe-inspiring. The forests are so quiet because the snow serves as a sound insulator. And speaking of the snow, when the sun hits, the little crystals reflect like billions upon billions of little diamonds. The sky is an amazingly pure azure blue.

“But the best bit is that, unlike the other seasons, you are able to see evidence of wildlife all around you: Coyote and fox tracks; mouse and squirrel and shrew and rabbit and opossum and beaver and raccoon tracks; not to mention deer and birds. The world goes on without us and we can watch it unfold in the traces our fellow inhabitants leave behind.

“Winter is so sorely under appreciated around here — we just need to get outside and appreciate it more. I am never, let me repeat that, never cold during these forays. I wear two layers: A wool base layer and a fleece outer layer. Once I’ve been moving for about 10’, I’m so hot that I actually unzip the fleece. Amundsen had it right: Just move around and you’ll be fine in the coldest of weather.”

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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