‘He … put his arm through the door and started shooting.’ Police have arrested a man accused of wounding 15 people at a Chicago Halloween party—minutes after he’d been tossed out.
■ The attack followed by a year a mass shooting that left 13 wounded and one dead in Chicago.
■ Mayor Johnson: “The proliferation of high-powered artillery is tearing the fabric of our nation.”
■ Axios Chicago: Armed robberies are on the rise citywide.
■ More than a thousand turned out Sunday to mourn the dead in Maine’s worst mass shooting …
■ … threats about which police reportedly were alerted last month.
‘Peace has become the most dangerous word.’ Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch: “Daring to say that we don’t need to live like this can risk your political career.”
■ Thousands marched in downtown Chicago over the weekend demanding an end to Israel’s siege of Gaza.
■ Updating coverage: A suburban landlord was due in court today, accused of murdering a Palestinian-American boy and wounding his mother.
■ More than 200 protesters—many of them Jewish—were detained in New York City as they called for a cease-fire.
■ Discourse editor Jack Mirkinson is befuddled by the difference between calls for a “ceasefire” and a “humanitarian pause.”
■ Threats against Jewish students have put Cornell University on edge.
■ Columnist Robert Reich: “The tragedy unfolding in Gaza requires clear thinking and a moral compass. I’m not observing a lot of either.”
■ The Onion: “Israel Warns Gaza Still Harboring Hundreds Of Doctors.”
■ Author Cory Doctorow offers a media literacy handbook for the Israel-Gaza war.
‘An opposition researcher’s goldmine.’ Public Notice dives into new House Speaker Mike Johnson’s history of being “deep in the Christofascist derp.”
■ PolitiFact: After the 2020 election, Johnson did indeed spread lies about voter fraud.
■ Popular Information surveys the corporate giants—hi, Walmart, AT&T, Meta and others—supporting him.
■ “If Trump disgusts you, if you believe your vote should count, if you believe an LGBTQ+ person’s humanity and fundamental right to exist is important, please pay attention.” — A warning about Johnson from USA Today columnist (and Tribune alumnus) Rex Huppke …
■ … who appears alongside Bruce Springsteen, Brandi Carlile and others on a list of writers that actor/director/author Henry Winkler admires most (New York Times gift link, courtesy of Chicago Public Square supporters).
■ Ex-radio host John Howell shares the tale of his defenestration: “Management: ‘Just understand Cumulus has made the decision that WLS is going to be the most conservative station in America, and you don’t fit in.’”
Snow on the pumpkin? Chicago may get frosted on Halloween.
■ HBO’s John Oliver last night took the thrill out of chocolate—exposing abuses in the cocoa farming industry.
■ Tonight marks the 85th anniversary of one of the greatest Halloween pranks ever: Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast …
■ … which you can hear here …
■ … and which inspired (link corrected) a WXRT April Fool’s prank in 1980.
Nice job, Illinois. Carfax says the state’s auto owners are above average when it comes to taking care of routine car maintenance.
■ The United Auto Workers and Stellantis have cut a tentative new labor deal that includes a new vehicle to be assembled at the now-idled factory in Belvidere—a plant the company had planned to close …
■ … and GM has a tentative deal now, too, maybe spelling an end to the industry’s labor strife.
■ Hundreds of Columbia College adjunct faculty members* were set to strike today.
‘Professional and collegiate sports’ … embrace of online gambling … preys upon youngsters.’ Columnist Matt Baron says Game 1 of the World Series felt like, “We interrupt this gambling commercial to bring you a baseball game.”
■ Tribune food critic Louisa Chu offers tips for beating the house at the new Chicago casino’s restaurants and bars.
Things you missed. A sample of news developments you’d have caught over the weekend if you followed Square on Facebook:
Welcome, new readers. A special greeting to those here because of kind words from columnists Steve Sheffey and Jack Leyhane …
■ … who’s just published a milestone 4,000th post to his law blog, For What It’s Worth.
■ Email a screenshot of your Square noms to BestOf@ChicagoPublicSquare.com and see your name in a future edition.
■ Mike Weiland made this edition better.
* Whose number long ago included your Chicago Public Square columnist.