Hey there! It’s Friday and Transgender Day of Remembrance. Here’s what else you need to know today.

1. Trump seeks new ways to subvert the election as legal challenges fail

President Donald Trump will meet today with Michigan state legislators as part of his brazen and unprecedented attempt to block Joe Biden’s victory.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said it was “not an advocacy meeting,” but it comes as Trump supporters have floated the idea of persuading the Michigan state legislature to ignore the popular vote and swap in Republican-chosen electors.

According to The Associated Press, Michigan’s House GOP caucus has created a 732-word stock response that pushed back at the idea, saying state law requires electors to be nominated by the party that wins the most votes. [AP]

Also today, Trump’s legal team confused Michigan with Minnesota in an effort to prove voter fraud in Michigan. [New York Times]

And Andrew Giuliani, the son of Rudy Giuliani, announced today he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a press conference where his father and other campaign lawyers did not wear masks. [Politico]

Meanwhile, hairdressers say the stuff dripping down Rudy Giuliani’s face was probably not hair dye. [New York Times]

2. Illinois has reported the second highest number of recent COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.

The state has seen more than 800 deaths in the last seven days, second only to Texas, where more than 900 fatalities have been reported, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you look at deaths per 100,000 people, Illinois ranks sixth, behind South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and Wisconsin. [CDC]

In Chicago, the number of deaths is rising and will likely affect Black residents more, reports WBEZ’s María Inés Zamudio. [WBEZ]

Illinois officials today announced 13,012 new coronavirus cases and 126 deaths. The state is seeing a rolling, seven-day average of 12,144 cases per day, up 58% from the average two weeks ago. [WBEZ]

3. Growing number of Illinois lawmakers say they won’t support Madigan

Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan appears to be facing something that seemed unthinkable just a few years ago: losing the leadership post he has held for a historically long time.

At least 18 representatives have said they will not vote for Madigan to serve another term as House speaker. If those numbers hold, that means Madigan is short five votes from reaching the 60 votes needed.

Madigan is being asked to step aside as leader after federal authorities filed new bombshell indictments this week against four former Commonwealth Edison executives and lobbyists for engaging in a bribery scheme, among them Madigan’s consigliere — Michael McClain.

Madigan has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.

As WBEZ’s Tony Arnold reports, Madigan has served as House speaker since 1983, with brief gaps in 1995 and 1997, when Democrats lost the majority in the House. [WBEZ]

4. Battle over stimulus escalates between the Treasury and Federal Reserve

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin today tried downplaying his move to pull the plug on emergency coronavirus lending programs set up with the Federal Reserve. That resulted in a rare, public rebuke from the central bank.

“The Federal Reserve would prefer that the full suite of emergency facilities established during the coronavirus pandemic continue to serve their important role as a backstop for our still-strained and vulnerable economy,” the Fed said in a statement.

Why is this important? These programs were created in the spring to help stabilize the U.S. economy. The programs provided loans to small and medium-sized businesses that were struggling, and they supported short-term debt from states and local governments to help them maintain public services during the pandemic.

Mnuchin argues that the programs are no longer needed because they “have clearly achieved their objective.” But some economists are alarmed that the economy will suffer a large backslide as coronavirus infections surge throughout the nation. [NPR]

5. Tips for having a virtual Thanksgiving

If you’re like me and staying home this Thanksgiving, there are several ways you can connect virtually with friends and family members.

USA Today has this handy list of tips if you’re using your laptop, smartphone or tablet. Some big takeaways: Using a stand for your device can help keep things simple, just make sure it’s positioned at eye level. [USA Today]

The video-conference service Zoom will lift its 40-minute limit on free meetings on Thanksgiving. [CNN]

And if you’re looking for ways to keep your virtual Thanksgiving fun, Parents magazine has several suggestions, from virtual games for kids to recipe swaps. [Parents]

Here’s what else is happening

• Iran told its allies to avoid provoking the U.S. and giving President Trump a reason to launch attacks, according to Iraqi officials. [AP]
• The White House won’t say if Trump will attend a virtual summit of the G-20. [Washington Post]
• Curious City looks at the challenges and rewards of remote learning. [WBEZ]
• Sasha-Ann Simons, the incoming host of WBEZ’s Reset, talks about why she took the job. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

The Chicago Transit Authority announced today that the holiday train and buses are still on for this year, but riders won’t be allowed to board.

The holiday train will start running on Nov. 27, and holiday buses will roll out on Dec. 1.

“Santa and his elves will stay socially distanced this holiday season, meaning that customers won’t be able to board the CTA Holiday Train or the CTA Holiday Bus,” the CTA said in a statement.

When I was in college, I didn’t know the CTA had a holiday train, so when I boarded one for the first time, I thought I was hallucinating. [Chicago Tribune]

Tell me something good …

What’s one of your most prized possessions?

Trixie writes:

“To tell you how I acquired one of my most prized possessions, I must begin by telling you that I have long had an intense fascination/obsession with the far away continent of Antarctica. ‘The Ice,’ as frequent travelers there call it, is magical to me because of its breathtaking beauty and pristine landscape which, even in 2020, remains largely untouched by humankind.

“I was a Montessori teacher in Batavia, Illinois, with twin students in my classroom. Their father was a glaciologist who traveled to Antarctica regularly for work. (What luck I had!) One day to my surprise and sheer delight, their father, Dr. Powell, presented me with an actual rock from that magical continent!

“The rock fits easily in my hand and its wind-worn faces make tangible, for me, the fierce katabatic winds that rule that vast, white kingdom. I keep my rock in a special box and take it out for my countless, imaginary adventures to the quietest place on earth.”

Thanks for all the responses this week! I’m sorry I couldn’t share them all, but it was nice hearing from you!

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