The Overview: The Fight Against Election Misinformation

Good day! It’s Monday and I can’t stop listening to “Brat” by Charli XCX. Remix album. This is what you need to know today.

1. Illinois officials are fighting misinformation to protect the integrity of the November election

The last two presidential elections were marked by Russian influence and false claims of a rigged election. This time, Illinois election officials told WBEZ’s Tessa Weinberg that disinformation poses the biggest threat to the integrity of the vote.

Bad actors at home and abroad.”[a]“We’re trying to get into the minds of voters, and they’re trying to play voters against each other,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections.

The Chicago Board of Elections is hosting voting machine demonstrations ahead of the Nov. 5 election, answering questions about ballot storage and efforts to prevent hacking.

And bipartisan voter groups and election officials are launching a concerted new effort to help voters decide for themselves. The Illinois Attorney General’s Office offers tips on how to identify artificially generated images. Public service announcements sponsored by the Illinois State Board of Elections are broadcast on hundreds of radio and television stations in Illinois, encouraging voters to contact their election officials for the most trustworthy information. [WBEZ]

2. Former CEO of Loretto Hospital indicted for $15 million fraud

George Miller is the fourth person named in an alleged fraud scheme in which the small West Side hospital was billed for goods and services it did not deliver.

Charges had already been filed against former Loretto CFO Anosh Ahmed, former Chief Transformation Officer Heather Bergdahl and Ahmed’s friend Sameer Suhail.

According to prosecutors, Miller is accused of working with Ahmed to award hospital contracts worth millions to companies owned or operated by Suhail. The contracts were excellent without any tenders being held – and the hospital’s board did not know that Suhail was involved in the companies.

Miller left Loretto as CEO and president in 2022 under a cloud of allegations of financial mismanagement stemming from allegations that he misused his access to COVID-19 vaccinations at a time when supplies were limited. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. Michael Madigan’s friendship with a suspected fixer could be tested during their corruption trial

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s friendship with Michael McClain will take center stage as the two stand trial together for an alleged racketeering conspiracy, my colleague Jon Seidel writes for the Chicago Sun-Times.

The 117-page indictment against the couple alleges that McClain served as an agent for the so-called “Madigan Enterprise.” It says he made unlawful demands on Madigan’s behalf and passed Madigan’s instructions on to others. Jurors in at least three trials have already heard the widespread belief in Springfield that McClain acted as Madigan’s messenger.

Now Madigan and McClain spend their days in court together in Dirksen Federal Court. They largely kept their distance from each other during the first few days of jury selection last week.

So far, eight women and three men have been chosen to decide the fate of Madigan and McClain. One additional juror and six alternate jurors are needed. [Chicago Sun-Times]

4. The Plainfield community remembers murdered Palestinian-American boy Wadee Alfayoumi

The 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy was killed on October 14, 2023 in a hate crime against Muslims and Palestinians.

Will County authorities said Joseph Czuba, the man accused of stabbing Wadee multiple times, may have been radicalized by what he heard on conservative talk radio in the days after the Gaza war began.

Wadee’s mother, Hanan Shaheen, was also stabbed in the attack. Czuba, 71, remains incarcerated on murder and hate crime charges in Will County. The family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming Czuba’s wife and brother played supporting roles leading up to the attack. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. Native American and Afro-Mexican traditions take center stage at an Old Town School concert for Indigenous Peoples Day

Calpulli Ocelotl-Cihuacoatl founder Rosa Huilotlalcoatl

Following the group’s ceremonial dance, Afro-Mexican singer Alejandra “La Morena” Robles from Oaxaca, Mexico, will close the show with her signature melodic vocals inspired by the sounds of the Mexican coastal town where she grew up.

Calpulli is an intergenerational dance collective practicing the traditions of Danza Mexica, which honors the wisdom of the ancestors and the connection between the spiritual and natural worlds. Their dances also serve as an expression of gratitude for life, food and more.

Robles, from Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, will sing selections from her music catalog including “La Malagueña Salerosa,” “La Llorona,” “La Bamba” and “Babalú.” Their sounds are influenced by the Afro-Mexican and indigenous communities of Oaxaca. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• At least 21 people were killed in an Israeli attack in northern Lebanon. [AP]
• One person has been arrested following reports of threats against FEMA operations in North Carolina. [CNN]
• Bath & Body Works pulled a candle after some people said the packaging was reminiscent of the Ku Klux Klan. [AP]
• A NASA space probe is on its way to Jupiter’s moon Europa. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing…

The Chicago International Film Festival will bring 122 feature films and 71 short films to theaters across the city during its 12-day run starting Wednesday. This year, more than 100 directors and film artists will also gather for discussions and post-screening events, Courtney Kueppers reports for WBEZ.

The festival team knew Chicago had to do something big for its 60th anniversary, which runs October 16-27. Artistic director Mimi Plauché also told WBEZ that organizers didn’t want to just look back on the past.

Here are some standouts, from Angelina Jolie’s return to the big screen to local Chicago stories. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good…

Halloween is just a few weeks away and I realized that even though it is my favorite holiday, I have no plans. What ideas are there for someone who lives in a building where handing out candy isn’t a thing?

Feel free to send me an email. Your response may be published in this week’s newsletter.