Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and I love fat cats (and TV news segments about animals). Here’s what you need to know today.

1. After Thanksgiving, will the U.S. see a rise in COVID-19 cases?

Many public health experts are concerned the nation could see a major rise in cases in the two weeks following Thanksgiving, as some families and friends gather indoors.

Dr. David Rubin, the director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press that the risk of a Thanksgiving spike is “extremely high.”

And the current situation is not good: The U.S. is averaging 172,000 new virus cases per day, almost double since a month ago, according to Johns Hopkins University. [AP]

The concerns over Thanksgiving come as some scientists say there is little evidence supporting the theory that small gatherings have been a major source of infections since the summer.

In states that provide breakdowns of where infections may have occurred, long-term care facilities, food processing plants, prisons, health care settings and restaurants and bars are still leading sources.

“Somebody says something, and somebody else says it, and then it just becomes truth,” Julia Marcus, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard University, told The New York Times. “I worry about this narrative that doesn’t yet seem to be data-based.” [NYT]

In Illinois, officials today reported 9,469 new cases and 125 deaths. The state is seeing a rolling, seven-day average of 11,328 cases per day, up 15% from the average two weeks ago. [WBEZ]

2. With transition getting the green light, Biden can now fully prepare for battles ahead

President-elect Joe Biden’s team began today with something new: the ability to meet with government officials now that the Trump administration has signed off on the transition of power.

That means Biden can now consult with government experts on a wide array of issues, such as containing the pandemic and plans to distribute vaccines. The White House also gave Biden approval to receive a classified presidential daily briefing on intelligence and national security matters. [NPR]

Wall Street traded in record territory today following news of the transfer of power, Janet Yellen’s expected nomination as Treasury head and another promising coronavirus vaccine. [NPR]

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is having construction work done on living quarters at Mar-a-Lago, where he plans to live, ABC News reports. Secret Service agents are also being asked if they would be interested in transferring to Palm Beach, Fla. [ABC News]

3. Lightfoot’s $94 million property tax hike clears the City Council

The City Council today approved Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s property tax hike by 28 to 22, just three votes shy of defeat. In addition to the $94 million increase, aldermen also approved the mayor’s plan to increase property taxes annually by an amount tied to the consumer price index.

Several aldermen said they would not vote for the tax increases at a time when many residents are suffering financially during the pandemic. But Lightfoot defended her plan, saying the increases would be modest for residents.

In addition to the tax hikes, aldermen also approved Lightfoot’s plan to refinance city debt to help close a S1.2 billion deficit.

To help boost support, the mayor in recent weeks made changes to her budget plan, such as canceling the layoffs of hundreds of city workers and increasing anti-violence funding. In the end, those efforts appear to have worked. [WBEZ]

4. How the ComEd scandal affects Illinois residents

More than 4 million homes and businesses — 70% of Illinois’ population — have already paid the price for ComEd’s bribery scandal, reports WBEZ’s Alex Keefe.

The utility giant admitted earlier this year to hiring political allies of Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in an effort to curry favor with the lawmaker and gain his support for lucrative legislation, such as electricity rate hikes. Madigan has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.

As Keefe reports, the scandal didn’t just cost Illinois residents money — it has shaken public trust in local government.

“How might your life be different if such an influential figure as Michael J. Madigan had not been in power at such pivotal moments? What might have happened differently?” [WBEZ]

5. Five years ago today, Chicago officials released the Laquan McDonald dashcam video

Laquan McDonald was killed by a police officer in October of 2014, and police officials said the shooting was justified at the time.

But when a Cook County judge ordered the city to release the infamous video, taken from a dashboard camera, the public literally saw a different story.

WBEZ and the Chicago Tribune teamed up a few years ago to create 16 Shots, an award-winning podcast that examines the shooting, the fallout and the trial of Jason Van Dyke, the officer who shot McDonald and was convicted of murder.

The podcast also looked at the longstanding tensions between the Chicago Police Department and the Black community, and how the department’s narrative of McDonald’s shooting fell apart. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• More than 212,000 fraudulent claims for jobless benefits have been filed in Illinois since March. [Chicago Tribune]
• Cook County officials today announced a program that offers legal assistance and other resources to residents and landlords dealing with evictions. [Chicago Tribune]
• The annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines has been called off this year. [Chicago Sun-Times]
• Two notebooks that belonged to Charles Darwin may have been stolen from Cambridge University Library. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Move over, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Because tomorrow is Green Wednesday.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that pot shops throughout the Chicago area will offer discounts tomorrow as part of an unofficial sales event right before Thanksgiving. Some shops in Logan Square and River North are already offering a full week of “Danksgiving” sales.

The event “is especially important this year as many of us won’t be celebrating in-person with our friends and family,” said a spokesman for NuEra, which owns three dispensaries in Illinois. The spokesman also said the “feel good” offerings will “help make Zoom Thanksgiving a little bit more uplifting.” [Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

David in Palatine writes:

“I am thankful that Medicare gives my wife access to the best doctors in the world at the Mayo Clinic to treat her stage 3 cancer.”

And Pamela writes:

“I am thankful for Misericordia Home in West Rogers Park. The administration and staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that the 600 hundred residents with developmental disabilities who live there have remained healthy and actively engaged during the pandemic. Our 32-year-old daughter is one of them.”

What are you thankful for? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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