Final faceoff. Gov. Pritzker and his challenger, State Sen. Darren Bailey, meet in their second and last scheduled debate tonight.
■ You can watch on-air and online courtesy of WGN-TV.
■ A federal judge has at least temporarily blocked Illinois laws limiting political contributions to judicial races—potentially unleashing what the Tribune calls “a deluge of cash into two hotly contested races for … the state’s highest court.”
■ The Obamas returned to Chicago yesterday to cast their ballots in November’s election.
Buckle up. The Conversation asked college professors expert in social media to grade Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube for their ability to deal with misinformation in the days leading up to the election—and they returned not a single A.
■ Illustrating what CNET calls “the difficulties of content moderation in a world where social media can be used both to shed light on difficult subjects and to spread disinformation,” YouTube has yanked videos from a Daily Beast columnist’s channel spotlighting Russia’s propaganda efforts.
■ The New York Times profiles the Salem Media Group, “a conservative media juggernaut” that owns two Chicago radio stations.
■ Thanks to a former Naperville high school student, Illinois is the first state in the country to require classes in media literacy education.
‘If you were 50 when you voted for Nixon, you’re dead now. If you were over 60 and voted for Reagan, you’re long gone, too.’ Author, filmmaker and columnist Michael Moore encourages liberals to stop thinking of themselves as losers.
■ Popular Information asks why the news media are “spending so much time talking about crime instead of Social Security and Medicare.” (Cartoon: Tom Tomorrow at The Nib.)
■ Or, as The Lever’s David Sirota puts it: “It’s the economy, you absolute moron.”
■ Ex-Sun-Times CEO Edwin Eisendrath: “Democrats in Wisconsin urgently need our help in the closing days of this election. Are you in?”
‘Free rides for everyone.’ Columnist Eric Zorn says eliminating fares on the CTA would pay off in lots of ways.
■ Two months after the CTA pledged to make things better, a coalition of riders says complaints of “ghost” buses and trains that fail to show at the appointed time are as numerous as ever.
‘Still on track for a fall/winter wave.’ Your Local Epidemiologist Katelyn Jetelina surveys the COVID-19 landscape: “We only have 14.8 million Americans boosted with the fall vaccine—far below what’s needed to divert 100,000 deaths.”
■ WTTW News: Mayor Lightfoot’s fallen short on her promise to use federal pandemic relief cash to repair the city’s tattered social safety net.
■ The Sun-Times: As a Friday deadline nears, Cook County’s offer to the needy of $500 a month for two years with no strings attached has drawn 155,000 applicants for just 3,250 spots.
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Alderperson shoots self. A Chicago City Council member tells the Sun-Times he accidentally shot his wrist yesterday while repairing a neighbor’s gun—apparently while it contained a bullet.
■ Ald. Jim Gardiner— under federal investigation for alleged retaliation against some constituents—says he’ll pass on a Fire Department promotion, instead to run for another term.
Unrelated developments.
■ The feds have charged five people with possession of stolen Postal Service mailbox keys and the theft of mail in Chicago.
■ For the eighth year in a row, Chicago tops Orkin Pest Control’s list of rattiest cities.
Snapchat cash. A reminder that if you were an Illinois resident who used Snapchat’s Lenses or Filters features between Nov. 17, 2015, and the present, you’re potentially eligible for one of those Biometric Information Privacy Act settlement checks …
■ … and you can file a claim here until Nov. 5.
‘YES! YES! YES!’ For What It’s Worth law blogger Jack Leyhane enthusiastically dropped Chicago Public Square an email about yesterday’s item suggesting the U.S. House of Representatives could—with just a change in the law, not the Constitution—get a lot bigger and more, well, representative: “This would ameliorate … concerns that have been raised about the ‘unfairness’ of the Electoral College. … Great Britain has 635 seats in Parliament for a much smaller population. … There’s nothing magic about 435—except nobody in Congress wants to be king (or queen) of a smaller hill.”
■ Mike Braden made this edition better.