DEMOCRACY

If we don't fix American democracy, Trump, Putin and Xi could be proved right: Autocracy is better.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

Tuesday (Nov. 2) is Election Day, but it’s well known that turnout tends to lag during off-year battles. That’s even more reason to make your voice heard.

Walberg should renounce the Big Lie

Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Carol Alvarado talked through the night, the latest long-shot effort by state Democrats to try to stymie its passage. The fate of the legislation now rests with the House, which still lacks a quorum due to a walkout by Democratic lawmakers.

Biden and Harris on Thursday afternoon are also planning to meet at the White House with top civil rights leaders to discuss voting rights, as well as criminal justice reform.

Middlewich Town Council could not legally meet online and its usual venue is being used for vaccinations.

Happy talk about American greatness will only lead to disappointment if we don't address our broken democracy.

The riots in Washington, D.C. Wednesday that left five people dead were scary and unsettling to watch for many people across the nation. Let them know that what they see on screen does not necessarily reflect the real life that’s going on around them. Experts said if you’re a parent who agrees with what happened then it’s important to be candid. The bottom line is that it’s an ongoing dialogue and a parent is the most important source of information for a child. Reports: FBI warns of possible armed protests at 50 state Capitols starting Jan. 16A memo from the FBI to law enforcement agencies across the United States is warning of possible armed protests at all 50 state Capitols starting Jan. 16, several outlets are reporting Monday.

Democracy under siege: How this week will be remembered Correspondent Lee Cowan puts the past week's tumultuous events in Washington, D.C., including the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol Building, into perspective.

LANSING, Mich. – The riots in Washington, D.C. Wednesday that left five people dead has reignited debates over whether guns should be allowed inside Michigan’s Capitol Building. READ: FBI, Michigan federal prosecutor seek tips in deadly siege on US Capitol BuildingWith the new legislative session starting in days, security of the Capitol will likely take center stage. It’s impossible to come to work when you are under that constant threat,” Lasinski said. Security experts are now viewing that event as a potential practice run for those who stormed the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday. “There should be no weapons of any kind in our Capitol,” Lasinski said.

DETROIT – Multiple Michigan residents have been taken into custody after Wednesday’s deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building with more arrests likely to come. U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said if they crossed state lines with intent to riot, they will be charged. RELATED: Several Michigan residents charged after deadly siege on US Capitol BuildingThe FBI has been receiving many tips from residents who are scared and want to help. Nearly everyone who went into the Capitol Building was caught on camera and authorities are looking to identify them. RELATED: Top federal prosecutor in Michigan seeks tips on Capitol mob“If you think about the U.S. Capitol, there are cameras all over the place,” Schneider said.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Multiple Michigan residents have been taken into custody after Wednesday’s deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building. Logan Grimes, 29, of Cadillac, was charged with carrying a pistol without a license, possession of unregistered ammo and large capacity ammo feeding device. There were many more Metro Detroit residents who were in D.C., but they did not enter the Capitol Building. Donalyn Atkinson and her brother, of Warren, took photos of people headed to the Capitol. “I went for the history,” Jimmy Lively said.

DETROIT – Michigan members of Congress shared details of the violent and deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building Wednesday. READ: Michigan lawmakers respond to deadly siege on US Capitol BuildingMembers of Congress continue to reel from the insurrection on Capitol Hill as stories of fear, chaos and bravery have come out. Bill Huizenga was one of them trying to take benches to try and secure the chamber,” said Rep. Debbie Dingell. “I started seeing clips and began to realize that there were mobs that didn’t care if they hurt people or damaged people,” Dingell recalled. Michigan officials are calling for the removal of Maddock and any representative who participated in the violence.

DETROIT – Some Michigan lawmakers are calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office as they recount the terrifying moments when they were told to hide and find shelter. READ: Michigan lawmakers call on Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump from officeThe deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol Building took place while the entire Congress was on their respective floors. Sen. Debbie Stabenow described the chaos and confusion Thursday morning and said many staffers were visibly upset after reaching a secure location. Related: Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell on Capitol riot: ‘They were attacking what is the symbol of our country and our democracy’“They opened some back doors and -- without telling us exactly what was happening -- they started yelling ‘Go go go go go!’” Stabenow recalled. Related: Michigan GOP Rep. Lisa McClain describes situation inside U.S. CapitolMore coverage

Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) has offered a description of what is was like to be in the U.S. House chambers on Wednesday when pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building. “They were attacking the symbol of our country and our democracy, and we have to fight for it.”Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan gives @SavannahGuthrie a firsthand account of what it was like inside the Capitol as pro-Trump rioters broke in on Wednesday afternoon. You saw law enforcement obviously engaged on the floor. You saw law enforcement then -- their protection detail -- take leadership very quickly off of the floor. “They were attacking what is the symbol of our country and our democracy, and we have to fight for it, all of us ...

On Tuesday, police had issued summonses for 12 protest leaders to answer charges of lese majeste, defaming or insulting key members of the royal family. Most of the protest leaders are already facing multiple charges, ranging from blocking traffic to sedition. Many in the months-long protest movement, spearheaded by students, believe the monarchy holds too much power for a constitutional monarchy. The ducks became a symbol of resistance last week when human-size inflatable ducks were brought to a rally outside Parliament and satirically dubbed the protesters’ navy. A protest rally outside Parliament last week turned chaotic, as police fired water cannons and tear gas at the protesters.

DETROIT – The United States has had close presidential elections before, but the 2020 General Election feels different. Some experts see reasons for concern as hyper-partisan fights seem to buck the norms of Democracy. Professor Richard Primus is a Constitutional Law expert at the University of Michigan. Our elections have been played by rules -- even with sharp elbows and lies -- when we count the votes, we declare a winner,” Primus said. Primus said the problem in 2020 is there’s a breakdown in the norms of being willing to accept the outcome of an election.

Thousands of pro-democracy protesters march out from the Democracy Monument to the Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Despite a massive security presence and harassment from counter-demonstrators, thousands of protesters marched from Bangkok’s Democracy Monument toward Government House, the offices of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. Before leaving Democracy Monument, several small clashes broke out between protesters and their opponents, who traded punches and threw plastic bottles as police tried to keep them apart. That demand has caused a huge controversy because the royal institution has long been considered sacrosanct and a pillar of Thai identity. Efforts by several royalist groups to counter the previous rallies fell flat, but the turnout of counter-demonstrators was much larger Wednesday.