Trump rape charges. Popular Information reviews the allegations against the president in a new report from House Judiciary Committee Democrats.
■ Among them: A former Miss Switzerland says Trump raped her in 1993.
■ Read the report here.
■ Trump niece Mary L. Trump—citing, among others, former and now dead Illinois U.S. Rep. Denny Hastert: “The Republican Party’s ranks are filled with men who have committed horrible crimes.”
‘How the f*** is this real?’ Jon Stewart incredulously recounts the absurdities flowing from Trump’s mouth as he campaigns to maintain control of Congress …
■ … including the president’s obsession with … asses.
■ Columnist Eric Zorn “can’t let go unnoticed the anti-Muslim bigotry of his remarks Sunday in Michigan.”
■ Journalism critic Margaret Sullivan surveys news headlines that exemplify “the failures of the mainstream media.”
‘Doomsday’ scenario. Investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein: “The Justice Department is discussing contingency plans to potentially intervene in next week’s midterm elections.”
■ Stop the Presses proprietor Mark Jacob: “Republicans have cheated in elections for a long time.”
■ The American Civil Liberties Union this afternoon hosts an online town hall on ways to protect the election.
‘Last-minute efforts targeting voters in the Psychopath Belt.’ The Onion cites midterm races to watch.
■ Columnist Andy Borowitz on the prospect that Mississippi voters could elect their first Democratic senator in almost half a century: Their “secret weapon” is the Republican in the race.
■ Columnist Jeff Tiedrich is so tired of this campaign: “Can’t we just skip ahead to the part where the bad guys lose?”
■ Ready to get it over with? The Chicago Public Square Voter Guide Guide’s here for you.
Congressional threats traced. A Quincy, Illinois, man with a long criminal history’s been arrested after sending U.S. representatives threatening notes along with white powder …
■ … in envelopes that bore his real name and return address.
Government workers’ win. A federal judge’s ruling that the Trump administration illegally fired the daughter of Trump critic and ex-FBI Director James Comey effectively extends job protection to others under laws designed to abolish a “spoils system” that let presidents fill the ranks with loyalists.
■ The Daily Beast calls it “a humiliating defeat” …
■ … even as the administration tries again to prosecute Comey …
■ … in an action that law professor Joyce Vance says looks “almost as though they’d timed it for this moment.”
Netanyahu’s ‘day of reckoning.’ That’s what columnist Charlotte Clymer sees in today’s first Israeli legislative election since 2022.
■ The stakes are so high after three years of war that “thousands of Israelis living abroad are flying home to cast their ballots.”
■ Times of Israel founding editor David Horowitz: “Netanyahu, desperate, now tells us we’ll all die if we don’t re-elect him.”
Who’s in? The filing period’s ended for candidates in next spring’s Chicago mayoral campaign.
■ Axios looks ahead to the referenda on the ballot—including whether the city needs a permanent outdoor space for festivals.
■ A Chicago Park District study’s identified the five most endangered parts of the city’s lakefront.
Flock abuse? The Chicago Police Department’s investigating the possibility that officers have exploited their access to other agencies’ license-plate reader systems.
■ A top executive at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has quit after an investigation disclosed that she’d improperly OK’d $1.4 million in extra pay for employees—including nearly $52,000 for herself.
Safety first. After a deadly incident at a sibling park in Georgia, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee is putting new restraints on its Raging Bull ride.
■ With their postseason wrapped and the All-Star game coming next year, the Cubs have been ripping up sidewalks outside Wrigley Field for security updates.
Duo dinged. 404 Media: Just two days into its widespread release, users of Apple’s new iPhone Duo phone “are already seeing a big old crease in the middle of their $2,000 foldable iPhone.”
■ TidBITS: Apple’s free new operating system upgrade “gives Siri AI a memory and brings small improvements.”
‘Wildly illegal and incredibly immoral.’ Columnist and tech watchdog Cory Doctorow says the Los Angeles Times’ disclaimer for those who visit its website means that “by simply reading an article, you agree that you can never, ever sue them … and that you have consented to effectively unlimited … exploitation of your private data.”
■ Upping its spending on AI, Microsoft’s offering a quarter of its workforce buyouts.
Sunshine showdown. Off Message columnist Brian Beutler spotlights a Republican Party split over the future of daylight saving time—which returns ends this weekend.
■ Illinois lawmakers can’t agree, either.
Halloween howler. An E. coli outbreak’s been linked to a southwest suburban pumpkin farm.
■ Block Club: Protect yourself as Chicago’s flu season cranks up early.
From Chicago to the stars. Walter Koenig, who played Chekov on the original Star Trek, is dead at 90.
■ He was born here in 1936.
■ His castmate, George “Sulu” Takei—at whose 2008 wedding Koenig served as best man—recalls “a writer, a teacher, a thoughtful man and a loyal friend.”
■ Emmy winner—and former Rockford, Illinois, resident—Susan Saint James is gone at 80.
Thanks. Mike Braden, Chris Koenig, Charlie Pajor and Jean Davidson Meister made this edition better.
