Hey there! It’s Thursday, and as the election process goes through a stress test, so does my waist size. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud

As election authorities continue to count ballots in several battleground states, international observers monitoring the U.S. presidential race say they have not seen any systematic wrongdoing, reports NPR.

But the 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which was invited to observe the election by the State Department, warned that President Donald Trump is trying to sow doubt about election results by spreading claims that are unsupported by evidence.

You can find more live updates and election analysis in this link. [NPR]

Democratic nominee Joe Biden today gained ground in Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Here’s a look at where the Electoral College map currently stands. [NPR]

Meanwhile, Trump and his allies have stepped up their attempts to delegitimize the election by promoting baseless conspiracy theories that contradict the president’s own administration.

Chris Krebs, the head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, recently praised local authorities for “enhancing the security and resilience of elections.” [Washington Post]

2. COVID-19 deaths surpass 10,000 in Illinois

Today, Illinois hit two grim milestones in the pandemic.

Officials today reported 97 deaths, pushing Illinois’ total death toll to 10,030. The state also announced its highest number of coronavirus cases reported in a single day: 9,935, which shatters the previous record of 7,899 from Oct. 31.

The state is seeing a rolling, seven-day average of 7,190 cases per day, which is up 80% from the average two weeks ago. The positivity rate is 9.1%. [WBEZ]

In Chicago, the surge has pushed the city’s positivity rate to 10.9%. According to Chicago’s COVID dashboard, the city is seeing an average of 1,395 cases per day, an increase of 48% from the previous week. [WBEZ]

And the U.S. is suffering its worst week yet during the pandemic, seeing an average of more than 86,000 per day, a new record. [AP]

Meanwhile, the United Nations will hold a summit next month to discuss the pandemic. The news comes as infections climb throughout Europe. Germany today broke a new record of nearly 20,000 new cases, and Greece announced a new lockdown. [AP]

3. New U.S. jobless claims signal economic rebound is in trouble

The Labor Department reported today that 751,000 workers filed new unemployment claims last week, which is down significantly from when the pandemic first hit but still historically high.

And many economists are concerned that the economic pain facing the nation could get worse. Not only have weekly jobless claims remained persistently high, but business restrictions have returned in many states facing a surge in coronavirus cases. [AP]

Today’s Labor Department report also showed that Illinois saw the biggest spike in claims compared to any other state. [Chicago Tribune]

The grim economic news comes as Congress and the White House have been unable to reach a deal on new federal relief. But the stalemate appears to be thawing. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell this week said hammering out a deal would be “Job 1” when lawmakers return after the elections. [New York Times]

4. Durbin suggests it’s time for Madigan to step down as head of the Democratic Party of Illinois

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin blamed Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, and the corruption scandal surrounding him, for local election losses that have stung Democrats, such as the failure of the graduated income tax.

“All across our state — and the advertising told the story — we paid a heavy price for the speaker’s chairmanship of the Democratic Party,” Durbin said last night during an interview on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight.

Durbin did not outright call for Madigan to step down, but the senator said he hopes Madigan “understands that his presence as chairman of our party has not helped.” [WTTW]

Gov. JB Pritzker today said he agrees with Durbin and would like to see new leadership of the party.

Madigan’s offices were subpoenaed by federal prosecutors over the summer as utility giant ComEd admitted it engaged in an eight-year bribery scheme aimed at winning influence with the political veteran. Madigan has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing. [WBEZ]

As WBEZ’s Dan Mihalopoulos and Dave McKinney reported, that scheme came at a cost for millions of ComEd customers in Illinois. [WBEZ]

5. No Taste Of Chicago or Air and Water Show next year?

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s proposed budget does not include funding for big city events, like the Taste of Chicago and the Air and Water Show, reports Block Club Chicago, adding that the events have not been officially canceled.

Mark Kelly, commissioner for the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, told the City Council during a budget hearing today that not funding the events could save the city almost $9 million.

But Kelly also said the city and businesses would lose money that’s generated from the events. If the Taste of Chicago is scraped next year, the city would lose “over $100 million in economic value,” Kelly said. [Block Club Chicago]

Here’s what else is happening

• Mayor Lightfoot announced a plan to create a $10 million relief fund for bars and restaurants. [WTTW]
• The head of the Chicago Teachers Union said schools will not reopen to students on Monday. [Chicago Tribune]
• Renters in Chicago are organizing in an effort to win more protections during the pandemic. [WBEZ]
• A Chicago pizza shop is using its ovens to help make face shields. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Oh, and one more thing …

We’re not even close to Thanksgiving, but nonstop Christmas music will return to Chicago’s WLIT 93.9-FM tomorrow at 4 p.m., reports media columnist Robert Feder.

“After a year like 2020, we need holiday music more than ever,” said Mick Lee, program director and afternoon host. [Feder]

I don’t know about that. A medically induced coma also sounds good right now.

Tell me something good …

What’s your favorite comfort food?

Anthony writes:

“Nothing says home better than a big ole’ pot of meatball marinara from my great grandmother’s house. If I am ever needing comfort, I pull out the old recipe and spend the evening with my gg.”

Rebecca Palumbo writes:

“My favorite comfort food is a Polish dish, seemingly exclusive to my mom’s family, called culuski. It’s potato dumplings smothered in fried, diced bacon and onion. Oh. My. God. It’s heaven — and a heart attack — on a plate.”

And @WhitneyHerrigPA tweets:

“Simple: Gummy worms. From our neighboring state, IN: Albanese, they truly are the world’s best. Even my dog loves them!”

What’s your favorite comfort food? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

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