Bruce, J.B., Sam and … ‘Kash’ / Awkward / 'If Kavanaugh's accuser is lying …'

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Bruce, J.B., Sam and … ‘Kash.’ All the candidates for Illinois governor meet in debate for the first time tonight.
See it live on the web at 6 p.m.

Awkward. Approaching Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s announcement this afternoon of her candidacy to replace Mayor Emanuel, her chief of staff is gone—for “inappropriate behavior.” (Photo: City Club of Chicago.)
An ex-Chicago FBI bureau chief is calling on Catholics to demand more accountability from the church on matters of sexual abuse.
A Chicago alderman is among those calling for dismissal of a priest who burned a rainbow flag last week.

Lame duck advisory. The Chicago City Council today meets for the first time since Emanuel announced he won’t seek a third term.
Aldermen are set to approve his massive tax hike on vaping products.
See today’s City Council meeting on the web here.

‘We do not believe this was a random act.’ Chicago police are hunting a masked gunman who fired into a car in Chicago’s South Loop last night, wounding a 6-month-old baby, a 13-year-old girl and two adults.
Ex-Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge, disgraced for a reign of police torture, is dead.



‘If Kavanaugh’s accuser is lying, why is she the one asking for a thorough investigation?’ The Tribune’s Rex Huppke on the accuser of President Trump’s Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh: “The woman who claims a drunk, 17-year-old future Supreme Court nominee climbed on top of her, tried to take her clothes off and covered her mouth with his hand sounds a lot more confident in her story than the man heading toward a seat on the high court.”
Updating coverage: Republicans say time’s running out for testimony against Kavanaugh.
The Guardian: A Yale law prof who coached students seeking clerkships with Kavanaugh told them privately it was “not an accident” his clerks all “looked like models.”
Ex-White House (and Tribune) photographer Pete Souza addresses Republican senators on Instagram: “Even I … had two FBI investigations into my background … . So you don’t want the FBI to investigate someone for the Supreme Court about a credible attempted rape allegation? Please explain.”
Columnist Steve Chapman: “The way Senate Republicans are handling the matter suggests they are afraid of what they will learn if the digging goes too deep.”
The Daily Beast’s Michael Tomasky: “What they’ve learned in 27 years is to play it cool for 24 hours, so the narrative is ‘Republicans Agree Ford Should Be Heard.’ Then they start turning the screws.”
A reporter who witnessed the 1991 confirmation hearings for similarly accused—and confirmed—nominee Clarence Thomas: “History is repeating—and diverging.”
Stephen Colbert: “To anyone out there who’s saying ‘boys will be boys,’ you should not be allowed to raise boys. Or girls.”
Axios: If Kavanaugh’s nomination fails, Democrats plan a “massive campaign” to turn the midterm elections into a referendum on women’s rights.

‘Have a good time.’ That’s Trump in North Carolina to a Hurricane Florence survivor who’d waited in line more than an hour for a box lunch.
Seth Meyers on the president’s “weird” Florence mission: “Trump could see a man jump off a building and think, ‘Oh look! Free shoes!’

Jobs you can’t have. Amazon is considering opening up to 3,000 stores without cashiers over the next three years.
Amazon rolls out new Alexa thingies at noon Central time.

Ticketmaster’s secret scalpers. A CBC/Toronto Star undercover report reveals Ticketmaster is recruiting professional scalpers who cheat its own system to squeeze more money out of fans.
In on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of most powerful people: Sexual-harassment scandal reporter Ronan Farrow. Out: Deposed and Farrow-scandalized scandal-scarred ex-CBS chief Les Moonves.


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