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Daywatch: Is a ‘twindemic’ on the horizon? | Few Illinois schools COVID testing weekly, despite signing up for program | How Chicago Party Aunt became a Netflix series

  • Noble Charter school teacher Robert Seymour fills a testing vial...

    E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune

    Noble Charter school teacher Robert Seymour fills a testing vial with saliva as the school conducts COVID testing on staff on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.

  • Aldermen rise to begin a City Council meeting Wednesday, May...

    Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune

    Aldermen rise to begin a City Council meeting Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at City Hall.

  • Bears fans celebrate after quarterback Justin Fields rushes for a...

    John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune

    Bears fans celebrate after quarterback Justin Fields rushes for a touchdown during a preseason game at Soldier Field on Aug. 14, 2021.

  • Shoppers outside the Sears store at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg,...

    Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune

    Shoppers outside the Sears store at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, on Black Friday in 2018.

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Good morning, Chicago.

Experts are warning that the approaching flu season could be particularly severe, renewing fears of something we heard about last fall, too: a potential “twindemic.” Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming flu season and getting your flu shot this year during the pandemic.

In lighter news, if you’re looking for something fun (and safe) to do this weekend, we have the list for you. From live music, a taco festival and an Oktoberfest for dogs, here’s our guide.

Nicole Stock, audience editor

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

COVID-19 tracker | For your smart speaker | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Daily horoscope | Ask Amy | Today’s eNewspaper edition

Noble Charter school teacher Robert Seymour fills a testing vial with saliva as the school conducts COVID testing on staff on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.
Noble Charter school teacher Robert Seymour fills a testing vial with saliva as the school conducts COVID testing on staff on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021.

Hundreds of Illinois schools signed up for COVID-19 saliva testing. Why have so few of them started?

Most Illinois schools have not yet started weekly COVID-19 saliva testing despite being several weeks into the school year — a situation that officials blame on the logistics of getting testing off the ground as well as a crush of demand.

CPS logged 245 COVID-19 cases, with nearly 5,500 students and staff potentially exposed, in first 2 weeks of school

New CEO for CPS: 6 things to know about Pedro Martinez

Aldermen rise to begin a City Council meeting Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at City Hall.
Aldermen rise to begin a City Council meeting Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at City Hall.

Number of Chicago aldermen declining pay raise drops to 5 as George Cardenas blames ‘mix-up’ for his inclusion in list

The number of Chicago aldermen declining the automatic 5.5% pay raise dropped from six to five on Thursday, when one council member who the city reported would forgo the raise now says he will take it.

The city initially said Wednesday that Southwest Side Ald. George Cardenas, 12th, was among those who filed paperwork to decline the pay increase. But Cardenas said on Thursday that he never had any intention of turning down the raise, and there was “some kind of mix-up,” likely involving one of his staffers wrongly filing the form.

Chicago Ald. Jim Gardiner, said to be subject of FBI probe, now also faces Ethics Board inquiry

Shoppers outside the Sears store at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, on Black Friday in 2018.
Shoppers outside the Sears store at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, on Black Friday in 2018.

Sears closing in Woodfield Mall, leaving Illinois without a single store from the retailer

Sears is closing its Woodfield Mall store in November, leaving the iconic retailer without a single department store in Illinois, where it built its retail empire.

The retailer’s parent company plans to redevelop the property as part of a “strategy to unlock the value of the real estate and pursue the highest and best use for the benefit of the local community,” Hoffman Estates-based Transformco said in a statement Thursday.

Sears timeline: Rise, fall and restructuring of a Chicago icon over 130 years

Bears fans celebrate after quarterback Justin Fields rushes for a touchdown during a preseason game at Soldier Field on Aug. 14, 2021.
Bears fans celebrate after quarterback Justin Fields rushes for a touchdown during a preseason game at Soldier Field on Aug. 14, 2021.

Going to a Chicago Bears game? What you need to know about Soldier Field, including the COVID-19 guidelines and where to park — and tailgate.

Welcome back to Soldier Field, Chicago Bears fans. Here are some tips on how to buy tickets, get to the stadium and follow COVID-19 guidelines while you’re there.

A scheduling conflict at Soldier Field with the Bears forces the Chicago Fire to return to Bridgeview for 1 match. Here’s the hefty price tag.

From Wrigley Field to Soldier Field: How the Bears have fared in every home opener since 1920

When will Justin Fields start for the Chicago Bears? Tracking the rookie QB’s progress during the 2021 season.

Be the first to read Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on the Bears each week. Sign up to get it in your inbox.

“Chicago Party Aunt,” the new adult animated comedy from Netflix, is based on the parody Twitter account of the same name.

How Chicago Party Aunt became a Netflix series: Chicago improvisor Chris Witaske is the man behind the woman, and the bawdy Twitter account

Five years ago, a Twitter account with the handle Chicago Party Aunt appeared out of the digital mist as if conjured to life by the spirit of Bill Swerski and those old “Saturday Night Live” Super Fans sketches from the ’90s.

An affectionate riff on a specific and proudly old-school Chicago personality, the Chicago Party Aunt’s bawdy white lady exploits are legendary (in her own mind). Now she’s the star of her own Netflix animated comedy and she has a name: Diane Dunbrowski. Or just Dye-yaaan in Chicagoese.