Welcome to a s__thole country. Using language historically associated with criticism of less developed nations, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe warns that the integrity of the U.S. election is in danger and recommends sending international observers in to keep an eye on things.
■ Illinois’ county clerks are already “swamped” by mail-in ballots ballot requests.
■ Facebook today starts tagging corrective notes onto some posts about voting.
■ A Wisconsin senator is at the heart of fears Russia’s interfering in this campaign.
■ The mayor of Hobart, Indiana, is switching parties to protest the Democrats’ shift “more and more to the left.”
‘Controversial, irresponsible, troubling.’ Poynter media writer Tom Jones condemns Fox News host Jeanine Pirro’s suggestion that “Joe Biden isn’t going to be on the ticket. I have a sense that something is going to happen” …
■ … speculation that drew an audible groan from one of her Fox homies.
■ Ex-Tribune columnist Charles Madigan says Fox News has no credibility in coverage of this election: “If they are sleeping with the elephant in the White House, they should not be covering the circus.”
‘A champion for climate.’ Mic: Biden VP pick Kamala Harris’ record on the environment is “surprisingly strong.”
■ Stephen Colbert on the president’s repeated use of the word nasty to describe Harris: “How lazy are you? You’re just repeating what you said about Hillary. You’re stuck in 2016. And that’s not fair. Why should you be the only one who gets to live in a time when you’re not president?”
■ Politico: Trump’s “dropping any effort at subtlety with an overt and concerted last-ditch effort to win back a core constituency that propelled his 2016 win: White women.”
■ Columnist Rex Huppke suggests Trump may dump Vice President Mike Pence: “Trump will see the fanfare the Harris pick brings … and then he’ll look over at Pence and see a man as electrifying as a dollop of mayonnaise.”
■ CNN: Trump’s Wednesday news conference “repeated at least 12 false claims he’s made before.”
‘We’re in a death spiral.’ Ex-U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan tells Politico Illinois Playbook (middle of today’s edition) Chicago should take a hammer to the violence problem hollowing out neighborhoods: That is, put young Black men to work building housing on vacant lots across the city’s South and West sides.
■ A Black Lives Matter organizer is unapologetic about supporting looting as protest: “We do, 100%. That’s reparations.”
■ Downtown Chicago will remain fundamentally closed evenings through the weekend.
■ Echoing a 2018 demonstration, groups opposing police brutality aim to march onto the Dan Ryan Expressway Saturday at noon.
‘To address the hard truths of Chicago’s racial history.’ Mayor Lightfoot’s launching a comprehensive review of the city’s monuments.
■ The Chicago Park District wants your ideas on how to rename parks whose names honor people with racist histories.
Restaurants on the edge. The Illinois Restaurant Association’s president says at least 20% of the state’s eateries won’t come back from the pandemic shutdown.
■ See his address to the City Club yesterday.
■ It’s curtains for one of Chicago’s acclaimed Harold’s Chicken locations.
■ Gov. Pritzker: “We can lick this thing. If people will just follow those basic rules.”
■ A challenge from the Illinois Department of Public Health director to people who don’t believe masks stop COVID-19’s spread: “Prove us wrong” by wearing them.
■ How safe are public drinking fountains?
11 tornadoes. The National Weather Service has upped its official count of the twisters that hit Northern Illinois Monday.
■ A collection of photos captures the storm’s drama and destruction.
‘The essential political film to watch this year.’ Critic Aaron Barnhart hails a Sundance-winning documentary now streaming on Apple TV+.
■ The nation’s biggest movie theater chain plans to reopen a week from today—with 15-cent tickets.
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Thanks to Paul Clark for catching an error above.