Hey there! It’s Friday, and I’m ready for a nap under a keg of, uh, nonalcoholic beer. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Facebook lines up plans in case Trump tries undermining election results

Amid rising criticism over the power social media wields in amplifying conspiracy theories and disinformation, Facebook officials are running through potential responses in case President Donald Trump tries to use the platform to delegitimize election results, reports The New York Times.

The newspaper reports that employees at the world’s largest social media network are looking at how Facebook could react to different scenarios. Among the options discussed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and others is a “kill switch” to shut off political advertising after Election Day, the Times reports.

Other tech companies, like Twitter and YouTube, have also reportedly discussed post-election plans. These discussions come as many tech giants have worked to avoid a repeat of the 2016 election, when Russian operatives used social media platforms to spread disinformation. [New York Times]

Because of the pandemic and increased interest in mail-in voting, this election will look incredibly different, and election results may not be known immediately. That’s not unusual when it comes to mail-in ballots, which take time to process, say some political observers. [Buzzfeed]

2. Democrats displayed unity in opposition to Trump

That’s just one of many takeaways from this week’s Democratic National Convention.

As NPR’s Domenico Montanaro writes, “Sure, there was some grumbling about who got time, who didn’t and who got more, but this is a far more unified Democratic Party coming out of this convention than the one taking on Trump the last time.”

Democrats also offered a different vision for the direction of the country, one that embraces diversity and wants to change course from the agenda set by President Trump. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden last night described the choice as one between right and wrong.

“I will be an ally of the light, not the darkness,” Biden said during his acceptance speech. [NPR]

Now the GOP will have its say. The Republican National Convention will kick off on Monday, and you can tune in to WBEZ online or on 91.5 FM for live coverage and analysis.

3. USPS will prioritize ballots, postmaster general tells Senate committee

Facing an outcry of concerns over the integrity of mail-in voting, embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoy today told senators that the Postal Service will follow the standard practice of prioritizing ballots over mail during elections.

Appearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, DeJoy also said he is “extremely highly confident” that ballots mailed close to the November election will be delivered in time to be counted.

A week ago, the USPS sent letters to almost every state informing local election officials that some mail-in ballots may not be delivered on time. A backlash quickly erupted, and DeJoy this week announced he would suspend many service changes and cuts that critics said would undermine the election. [AP]

4. Pritzker unveils ethics reforms, rate and fee restrictions in wake of ComEd bribery scheme

Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration today announced an energy policy agenda that includes ethics reforms in response to ComEd’s bribery-tainted lobbying practices, report WBEZ’s Dave McKinney and Tony Arnold.

Christian Mitchell, Pritzker’s deputy governor and point person on utility matters, said the overarching goals of the energy agenda are to protect utility consumers, encourage more climate-friendly energy use and instill greater ethical standards so that ComEd won’t be able to ramrod its legislative agenda through the statehouse without transparency.

Pritzker’s administration also wants to do away with automatic annual utility rate increases, eliminate deposits and late fees for low-income residential ratepayers and end fees assessed for the online payment of bills. [WBEZ]

5. Cook County judges are releasing more violent-crime suspects on electronic monitoring

That’s according to an analysis from the Chicago Sun-Times. The newspaper found that “more than 1,000 people charged with murder, robbery or illegal possession of guns” have been freed on bail and put on electronic monitoring.

Among the newspaper’s findings: Electronic monitoring of suspects facing murder charges was up 40% earlier this month compared to the same time last year. And twice as many people charged with robbery or illegal gun possession were put on the monitoring program.

The analysis comes as Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown has blamed the increased use of electronic monitoring for the city’s 50% surge in homicides this year.

Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans told the Sun-Times that judges “must balance the right of the defendant to be presumed innocent with any evidence that the defendant would pose a real and present threat to the physical safety of any person.” [Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• Cases of COVID-19 in Illinois continue to rise. You can find the latest numbers in this link. [WBEZ]
• Former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis may never be convicted of a crime in the wide-ranging federal probe of City Hall corruption. [WBEZ]
• Firefighters battling blazes in Northern California must also confront another risk: COVID-19. [NPR]
• Here’s a preview of the next season of WBEZ’s Motive, which looks at the white supremacist movement. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

Who knew that horror movies can be good for you?

I read this line today in The New York Times: “A new study found that people who like horror movies tend to cope better with crises, feel less stressed by possible outcomes and are more resilient when preparing for tough times.”

It’s part of this guide to recent horror movies and TV shows that are highly recommended, such as HBO’s Lovecraft Country. The show follows Atticus Freeman (played by Jonathan Majors), a Black man who runs into monsters both fantastical and racist as he searches for his missing father in the 1950s. [New York Times]

Tell me something good …

This week is the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Is there a woman who fought for equality who inspires you?

Joyce writes:

“Eleanor Roosevelt, she wasn’t a suffragette, but she rose to the occasion of doing what she thought was best for our country and by example did much for every woman to follow. Thank you, Eleanor.”

Thanks for all the responses this week! I’m sorry I couldn’t get to all of them, but it was nice hearing from y’all!

Thanks for reading and have a nice night! I’ll see you on Monday.