Chicago Tribune - 13.10.2026 — 2026-10-13

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US agents search Rep. Omar's home

Top Dems decry act against Minn. official weeks before election

By Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Federal agents on Monday searched the D.C.-area home of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, a startling escalation in a criminal inquiry that brings renewed focus to the frequent target of Trump administration derision in the final weeks of her reelection bid.

The search of the Minnesota lawmaker's home so close to next month's midterm contests that will determine control of the House and Senate was swiftly condemned by top Democrats in Congress, who raised questions about the timing given longstanding Justice Department protocol to avoid overt investigative steps involving political candidates in the direct run-up to an election. Omar, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, said separately that she was being targeted as one of the Republican's "political enemies."

The nature and scope of the investigation were unclear, though Trump and officials in his administration have repeatedly referred in recent months to the existence of an inquiry into Omar, a Somali-born, naturalized citizen whose status as an immigrant and liberal views have drawn scrutiny from the White

House and other Republicans.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin last month cited an “ongoing investigation” that he suggested was examining potential fraud on her family’s immigration paperwork. “Something’s going to happen,” he said.

In a statement on X on Monday, Omar called the search an “attempt to target political enemies and weaponize federal law enforcement.”

"For ten years, Trump has targeted me with baseless lies and smear campaigns. This is just the latest escalation in his campaign of political intimidation," she said. "I will not be silenced."

Though the Republican focus on Omar's background dates back years, the search notably took place three weeks before the November midterms, in which Omar is on the ballot for reelection. The Justice Department has historically sought

See OMAR on Page A9

ELECTION 2026

Democrats on defense over recent scandals

GOP hopes turmoil helps them gain ground in Illinois legislature

By Jeremy Gorner

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

With the national political landscape tilting against Republicans ahead of next month's midterm elections, the Illinois GOP is hoping recent scandals involving Democratic state lawmakers will breathe new life into the party's efforts to gain more relevance in the General Assembly.

Republicans have seized on House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s handling of sexual harassment allegations against former Democratic state Rep. Harry Benton of Plainfield, who resigned this summer. A Tribune investigation in July revealed Welch, a Hillside Democrat, knew of Benton’s reported misbehavior toward a former staffer three years ago but did not discipline him at the time.

Also in July, another House Democrat, six-term Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana, was indicted on federal charges alleging she orchestrated a scheme to enrich herself using taxpayer and campaign funds. Ammons has pleaded not guilty and is running unopposed for a seventh term.

With Democrats using President Donald Trump's low approval ratings and the high gas prices triggered by his war in Iran to their advantage, Republicans are not only slapping back by labeling Democrats' economic policies ineffective but also looking for ways to change the conversation.

“Obviously there is a real gap of moral courage that’s going on from

See DEMOCRATS on Page A2

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Sex assault reported near UChicago

A woman reported that she was sexually assaulted early Sunday at an off-campus party near the University of Chicago, officials said. Chicagoland, Page 3

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More work to do in White Sox rebuild

The resurgence appears to be ahead of schedule after an ALDS appearance, but a young core leaves more work ahead for GM Chris Getz. Sports

BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

SUMMER IN OCTOBER

Two women and a dog float on a paddleboard in Lake Michigan while the leaves display fall colors at Promontory Point on an unseasonably warm day, with temperatures in the 80s, on Chicago's South Side on Monday. Story, Page A3

Lorena Lopez, left, and Jacqueline Ramirez-Lopez participate in Mass at Old St. Patrick's Catholic Church in the Loop on Oct. 3. After Mass, Cardinal Blase Cupich blessed a delegation, including Ramirez-Lopez, that is traveling to Rome to meet with Pope Leo. ARTHUR MAIORELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Chicago clergy set to visit Pope Leo

Group will travel to Rome to advocate for immigrant detainees

By Laura Rodríguez Presa

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The handwriting is messy, the spelling faulty. Some cried as they wrote. Others were so excited that they struggled with what to say. Some did not know how to write at all, and, in those letters, only a few words are legible.

But, still, the messages are all the same.

“Today they detained me, and I’ve been here for hours. I’m not afraid of what will happen to me; I’m afraid of not being with my family,” one immigrant detainee wrote to Pope Leo. “Please pray for them and for the families of all the other detainees. It saddens me that simply going out to work has brought me to this moment."

A group of Chicago-area clergy are behind last month's letter campaign to the pope, written from detainees who had passed through the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center in west suburban Broadview.

In September, Michael N. Okińczyc-Cruz, executive director of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership, traveled to Rome and hand-delivered the nearly dozen letters to Pope Leo.

He also presented the pope with a yellow stole bearing images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and signed by some of the detainees. The exchange was brief, Okińczyc-Cruz said, but Pope Leo “mentioned he was grateful for the work that we’re doing.”

Now, Okińczyc-Cruz and 29 Catholic clergy, women religious leaders and laypeople are scheduled to make a pilgrimage to Rome later this month to meet

See POPE on Page A5

ELECTION 2026 Competing visions for school board

District 4A race a test for shaping new fully elected panel

By Kate Armanini

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Ellen Sherratt had rung two dozen doors, most of which had gone unanswered, before meeting Michael Solheim on his shaded porch in Wrigleyville. His eyes skimmed over her flyer and colorful campaign sticker pinned to her blouse.

He leaned against his door-frame. “So, how do you think this reshuffling to a fully elected board is going to make a difference?” asked Solheim, whose two children attend the nearby Hawthorne Scholastic Academy.

See SCHOOLS on Page A5

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Tribune books

"He Had It Coming: Four Murderous Women and the Reporter Who Immortalized Their Stories" "Chicago The Musical" played on Broadway for more than 9,600 performances since it premiered on Nov. 14, 1996, yet not many people know the characters of Roxie Hart, Velma Kelly and others are inspired by real women. Their stories were captured by Tribune reporters. This book includes original newspaper clippings, Watkins' stories and a new analysis.

"Dinner at Home" Cooking at home doesn't have to be difficult, but it should always be delicious. JeanMarie Brownson, culinary director for Rick Bayless' Frontera Foods, helped readers put inventive, yet simple, dishes on the table through her Dinner at Home column for the Tribune. Her book includes everything you need to create spectacular food any day of the week.

"Capone: A Photographic Portrait of America's Most Notorious Gangster." Using many never-before-published photographs and newspaper clippings from the Tribune's archives, this coffee-table book chronicles the rise and fall of Al Capone.

"Gangsters & Grifters: Classic Crime Photos From the Chicago Tribune." This collection of photographs taken in the early 1900s through the 1950s features infamous criminals, small-time bandits, smirking crooks, pickpockets, hoodlums and wiseguys at crime scenes.

"Ask Amy: Advice for Better Living" For more than a decade, Amy Dickinson was the Tribune's signature general advice columnist, helping readers with questions both personal and pressing. This book, which collects columns from 2011 to 2013, is a testament to her empathetic counsel and practical common-sense tips.

“Culture Worrier: Reflections on Race, Politics and Social Change.” Clarence Page’s newest book commemorates the 30th anniversary of his column’s first appearance in the Tribune. It is the first such collection of the Pulitzer Prize winner’s columns, covering topics such as politics, social issues, pop culture, race, family, new media and prominent figures, as well as his personal life.

"10 Things You Might Not Know About Nearly Everything." You may never need to know the human body contains a half-pound of salt, but that's just one of the obscure facts you'll find about sports, history, religion, politics, arts and culture, food and leisure, and science and technology in this collection of columns from Mark Jacob and

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The Tribune's editorial code of principles governs professional behavior and journalism standards. Everyone in our newsroom must agree to live up to this code of conduct. Read it at chicagotribune.com/accuracy.

Corrections and clarifications: Publishing information quickly and accurately is a central part of the Chicago Tribune's news responsibility.

■ A story on Monday's Page 1 incorrectly described Justin Ishbia's dollar investment and specific role in a Bridgeport development. Ishbia's Canal Edge is helping to develop the Canal Street Yard and Ishbia is investing \$125 million into the project. Additionally, Ishbia could become majority owner of the Chicago White Sox as early as 2029. The Tribune regrets the errors.

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Jessica Dixon Heitman, newly appointed state representative, at her home in Plainfield on July 21. She is running to represent District 97. JOHN J. KIM/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Republican Gabby Shanahan, right, running to represent District 97, talks to Troy Township Supervisor Larry Ryan on Sept. 30 in Plainfield. ARTHUR MAIORELLA/TRIBUNE

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DEMOCRATS from Page A1

the leadership of the Democratic Party,” Bob Grogan, who was recently chosen as state Republican chair, told reporters in August during a GOP gathering at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. “The failure to protect victims, etc., is something that we’re going to talk to regular voters (about).”

While all 118 House seats and 39 of the 59 Illinois Senate seats are on the Nov. 3 ballot, there's no sign of the legislature flipping red. Democrats enter the election with majorities of 78-40 in the House and 40-19 in the Senate, and they also control all statewide offices.

Democrats also hold a significant fundraising advantage. For instance, Democrats for the Illinois House, a campaign committee controlled by Welch, reported having more than \$1.2 million on hand at the end of June, while the House Republican Organization, the GOP caucus's main campaign fund, had only nearly \$363,000, according to State Board of Elections records. More up-to-date figures are expected to be filed later this week.

Here is a look at some of the competitive legislative races being watched on Election Day.

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BENTON FALLOUT

After Benton resigned in July and dropped his reelection bid, Democratic Party officials appointed Jessica Dixon Heitman to finish his term representing the 97th House District, which encompasses a swath of Chicago's far southwest suburbs, and to take his spot on the ballot.

Heitman now faces Republican Gabby Shanahan, whom Benton defeated in the 2024 election by fewer than 2,400 votes out of more than 52,700 ballots cast.

A married mother of three from Plainfield, Heitman is a granddaughter of the late U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon and has held staff positions in the General Assembly, including as a deputy press secretary for former Illinois Senate President John Cullerton. Most recently, she has been president of communications firm Dixon/Heitman Collective.

She also worked briefly as a contract employee in Benton's Plainfield office in early 2023, overlapping with the ex-staffer who accused him of sexual harassment. Working in Benton's office "was not a great fit," Heitman told the Tribune in a July interview, adding, "It's a hard thing" to discuss.

Shanahan and other Republicans have criticized Heitman for not coming forward about the former Benton staffer's allegations. In an interview last month, Shanahan said that when bad things happen to young women in politics and government, “we need good advocates to encourage these people to come forward.”

"If you see something, you should say something, so that this doesn't happen again," Shanahan said, noting that Welch's campaign operation spent \$1.4 million supporting Benton for a second term in 2024.

That was a year after the speaker's office received the report of sexual harassment and took no disciplinary action. Welch has said Benton denied the allegations.

Heitman pushed back on Shanahan's criticism, stressing the importance of maintaining trust and keeping the ex-staffer's confidence by not getting involved in the matter.

“What happened to her never should have happened,” Heitman told the Tribune last week. “And it’s so disturbingly troubling to me to see her experience being turned into a political weapon because that is exactly what has happened here. ... She deserves better than what she went through, being used to score campaign points.”

Despite the scrutiny surrounding Welch, Heitman has welcomed his financial support. Welch's political operation, as of midday Monday, had contributed more than \$392,000 to her campaign, records show.

Running in one of the most competitive legislative races this year, Heitman said she accepts support from “people in organizations that want to see Democrats succeed.”

“Campaign contributions don’t change my position on what happened or my belief that that system 100% failed that woman,” Heitman said. “I will make my decisions based on what I believe is right for my district and the people I represent, and it’s regardless of who contributes to my campaign.”

Heitman said she hadn't decided whether she would support Welch for another two-year term as House speaker, saying she was focused first on getting elected.

If she wins, she said her top issues would include adequately funding public education while also supporting policies to ease the burden of property taxes, the primary source of school funding in Illinois. Increasing state support for education has to be done responsibly, she said, without “increasing more costs on families that are already struggling.”

Heitman said she's interested in proposals that would raise taxes on the wealthiest Illinoisans — even if it means trying again to win voter approval for a state constitutional amendment — if that revenue were to be dedicated to both school funding and property tax relief.

She also supports policies to increase healthcare access and, in light of the Benton case, to strengthen state ethics and sexual harassment laws.

Shanahan, from Joliet and a married mother of three, works as a grassroots engagement director for the policy advocacy group Americans for Prosperity.

The House Republican Organization, as of midday Monday, had contributed more than \$255,000 to Shanahan's campaign this election cycle, records show. In March, she also received a \$7,300 contribution from north suburban billionaire Richard Uihlein, a conservative megadonor and chair of the Uline packing supplies company.

If elected, Shanahan said, she'd oppose high taxes and "unfunded mandates" the state imposes on smaller jurisdictions. Shanahan also said she's interested in proposals to ease the property tax burden, including a House GOP proposal for property tax relief grants to school districts.

“Regardless of (whether) you’re a Democrat or Republican, we’re hearing the biggest issue in the state is property taxes,” Shanahan said of her conversations with voters.

The state could offer temporary tax relief by suspending the sales tax on gasoline, which is separate from the 48.3 cent-per-gallon gasoline tax, as House Republicans have proposed, she said.

“I think that’s something we can do to help our residents,” Shanahan said.

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REMATCH HEATS UP

In a rematch of a 2024 House race decided by just 595 votes, incumbent Democratic Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel of Ottawa is defending her seat against Republican Liz Bishop of LaSalle. The J-shaped 76th House District stretches south from DeKalb and west along the Illinois River Valley.

This time around, Bishop's campaign has turned up the heat on Briel by highlighting questions about the lawmaker's treatment of staffers, including during the 2024 campaign.

Among those who've come forward is a woman named Laura Jackson, who spoke out in a roughly 40-minute video interview coordinated by Bishop's campaign. Jackson accused Briel of making advances toward her and fostering a “chaotic and abusive environment within Briel's campaign and government office,” among other allegations, Bishop's campaign said in a statement announcing the video's release.

Speaking to reporters at a town hall event in DeKalb on Sept. 10, Briel denied the allegations from Jackson and two other former campaign staffers who, without being publicly identified, have alleged they were mistreated.

When reporters pressed her on the allegations in Jackson's video, Briel said she hadn't watched it but was "denying what I have heard."

Former Illinois Legislative Inspector General Michael McCuskey reviewed a complaint from Jackson but by law was unable to investigate because many of the events she alleged involved campaign activities that predated Briel being sworn in, placing that alleged conduct outside McCuskey's jurisdiction.

Bishop said in a Tribune interview that she publicized Jackson's allegations because she felt voters had a right to know.

“I would not have given her a platform if I hadn’t believed that she was (credible) because that doesn’t do anybody any good,” Bishop said.

Though she denied the allegations, after their disclosure, Briel withdrew from a House Democratic working group Welch created to explore ways to improve workplace safeguards in the General Assembly, part of the speaker's response to the Benton case.

“I just don’t want to be a distraction or cause any unnecessary scrutiny on them because it’s going to be a really tough job,” Briel said. “Why would I put my colleagues in a vulnerable position when they’re doing really amazing work?”

During Briel's one term, measures she's worked on that have become law include expanding a requirement for adult-size changing tables for the disabled in public buildings, a ban on hospitals pursuing liens on patients' homes during legal disputes over medical debt, and a training requirement for teachers and school employees on service animals.

If reelected, Briel said she would work on legislation to better protect healthcare workers from physical attacks or threats of violence. She also wants to fight for more resources for family farms, many of which, Briel said, are going bankrupt.

Despite the allegations, Welch and the Democratic Party of Illinois were still all in on Briel. Since August, Welch's campaign operation has contributed more than \$171,000 to Briel's campaign, state records show, while the state party's contributions have totaled more than \$119,000.

Bishop, who serves as the LaSalle city clerk and has a professional background in finance, has bankrolled a large portion of her campaign in this election cycle, with nearly \$592,000, state records show. The House Republican Organization has also stepped up with about \$212,000 in contributions, and the state GOP has helped her campaign with about \$94,000.

After losing to Briel two years ago, Bishop said she's gotten a better handle on campaigning in DeKalb, the district's largest city. A big part of that effort has been courting the campus community at Northern Illinois University, she said.

Like Shanahan, Bishop wants to zero in on making life more affordable for Illinoisans and evaluating unfunded mandates to determine “which ones are unnecessary” and “which ones are redundant.”

“We’re just pushing way too many costs down to counties, and then we’ve got these crazy property taxes,” Bishop said.

She also wants the General Assembly to reevaluate how the legislative inspector general is chosen, as well as the protections given to victims, whistleblowers and others coming forward with allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers and staffers.

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SENATE SHOWDOWN

In a hotly contestedrace in Chicago's northwest suburbs, Democratic Rep. Nabeela Syed of Palatine is trying to move into the state Senate by challenging Republican incumbent Darby Hills of Barrington.

The race could be a good test to see how much appeal Republicans still have in suburban Cook County and the collar counties, as the party's power has dwindled in the suburbs over the past decade as Democrats swept into former GOP strongholds.

Syed, now in her second term in the House, ended June with close to \$280,500 in her campaign coffers, records show. But since then, she's received more than \$2.6 million in large-dollar contributions, much of it from Democratic Senate President Don Harmon's campaign operation and the state Democratic Party.

Hills was appointed to her seat last year by suburban GOP officials to finish out the term of former Senate Republican leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods.

At the end of June, Hills had more than \$641,000 in her campaign fund. She's since raised more than \$598,000 in large contributions, with much of the money coming from the state GOP and the Senate Republicans' campaign arm.

Also in the northwest suburbs, incumbent Republican Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills faces Democrat Maria Peterson of North Barrington in a rematch of a 2024 race that McLaughlin won by just 47 votes. And Republican Danielle Penman of St. Charles is going against Democrat Michele Clark of Algonquin for a seat occupied by outgoing GOP Sen. Donald DeWitte of St. Charles.

In the western suburbs, Democrat Erica Bray-Parker, a member of the Wheaton City Council, is competing against Republican Robert Vrankovich, an entrepreneur from Carol Stream. They're running for a seat currently occupied by Republican Rep. Amy Grant of Wheaton, who isn't running for reelection.

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Sex assault reported at UChicago off-campus party

The AEPi fraternity house near the University of Chicago campus on Monday, where an alleged sexual assault was reported at a weekend party. BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Woman who is not a student there alleges incident linked to frat house

By Lila Hempel-Edgers and Kate Perez

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

A woman reported that she was sexually assaulted early Sunday morning at an off-campus party near the University of Chicago, officials said.

The victim, who is not a university student, reported the assault at 2:10 a.m., roughly 30 minutes after it occurred, and did not know the suspect, according to a university incident report. The party was held at 5625 S. University Ave. in Hyde Park, an address listed on social media as the home of the Lambda chapter of Alpha Epsilon Pi, a Jewish fraternity with chapters on hundreds of college campuses around the world.

The university's AEPi chapter has been told to halt all programming while local law enforcement investigates the reported assault, according to the fraternity's national organization. Jonathan Pierce, a spokesperson for the organization, said it learned of the assault on Sunday afternoon and has been working with the university's chapter leadership since then.

Stephanie Damish, a physics graduate student at the university, became aware of the alleged assault through a campus community alert over the weekend but said Monday she hadn't heard much discussion about it on campus. Still, in light of a two-year-old sexual violence case at Cornell University that resurfaced last month, she called the allegations disappointing.

"It was surprising to me because I feel like frats ... should be more on guard than ever to take precautions to prevent these things from happening," Damish said.

She said fraternities should be especially careful about “drink access” and should always have sober monitors in place.

According to the university, the suspect fled the fraternity house after another person intervened. He has not yet been identified, but witnesses described him as a 5-foot-7 South Asian man with a “dark complexion,” short hair on the sides and curls on top, wearing a black T-shirt, black jogging pants and white shoes.

Footage from nearby surveillance cameras showed a person matching that description running from the fraternity house, which sat mostly quiet Monday morning. A red flag bearing the organization's Greek letters,

AEII, fluttered in the wind outside the house, where curtains were drawn tightly across the windows.

After receiving the report Sunday morning, university police contacted Chicago police and arranged for the woman to receive medical care at the University of Chicago Medical Center. In the alert, the university called the incident “deeply concerning” and said “the safety and well-being of our students and all who come to our community is our highest priority.”

Abby Chriss, also a graduate student studying physics at the university, said she feels somewhat removed from undergraduate social and Greek life. Still, she said she finds the allegations unsettling.

“That’s not my sphere, but at the same time feeling a little freaked out by the presence of that,” she said.

But Chriss was "pleasantly surprised" by the university's response. She said she hopes administrators use the moment as an opportunity to raise awareness about consent on campus.

"Some institutions tend to get it wrong and fall short and don't make as strong of a statement coming out against it," she said. "It read to me like they were taking it very seriously, which I was happy with."

Pierce told the Tribune that all AEPi members are required to undergo sexual assault and harassment prevention training and could face expulsion for violating the fraternity's policies. Prohibited conduct includes repeated propositioning, coercive pressure, unwanted touching and physical violence, he said.

AEPi, like other Greek-letter organizations, is not officially recognized by the University of Chicago, though its students are still subject to the university's code of conduct and disciplinary procedures. Pierce said the fraternity's national headquarters provides the same oversight and support to all chapters, regardless of whether their universities officially recognize them.

“Most importantly, all of AEPi hurts for the person who was the victim in this incident,” Pierce said in a statement. “No one should attend an event on any campus — fraternity-based or otherwise — and have to fear for their safety and well-being.”

Last week, students at college and high school campuses across the state, including Chicago, protested after a two-year-old sexual violence case resurfaced last month at Cornell University. A woman referred to as "Jane Doe" filed a civil suit after a prosecutor declined to pursue criminal charges against seven men she alleges raped her in 2024 while she was intoxicated at a fraternity party on the Ivy League school's Ithaca, New York, campus.

Between the summers of 2024 and 2025, the University of Chicago's University-wide Disciplinary Committee met three times to consider allegations against three students, according to the university's website. In one case, the committee found a student not responsible for allegations of touching another student's genitals over their clothing and engaging in nonconsensual sexual activity.

The previous year, the committee met seven times to consider allegations against eight students. They found a graduate student responsible for drugging a person and recording sexual activity while they were unconscious, resulting in disciplinary probation until graduation and a ban from all nonacademic activities.

Two students accused of sexual assault and another accused of sexual harassment were found not responsible for violating university policy. A fourth student was found responsible for engaging in sexual activity with an incapacitated student and suspended for two quarters.

Criminal sexual assaults in Hyde Park fell 15% last year compared with 2024 and 21% compared with 2016, according to the university's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

"As noted in yesterday's message, the University remains committed to addressing sexual misconduct cases that occur, to imposing disciplinary consequences as warranted, and to continually improving efforts to prevent sexual misconduct," the university said in a statement on Monday. "In addition to the CPD's ongoing criminal investigation, the University is using tools at its disposal to gather information and when possible will initiate disciplinary proceedings. The University alerted the national office of the fraternity regarding this case."

The university's student handbook states that sexual misconduct violates campus community standards and is “unacceptable” even when it does not violate the law. It urges anyone who has experienced sexual misconduct to report the incident and seek medical care.

“Sexual misconduct can be devastating to the person who experiences it directly and can adversely impact family, friends, and the larger community,” the handbook states.

Macy Franz, 10, from left, Violet Murray, 10, and Zoey Franz, 12, laugh after jumping in the lake near Montrose Harbor on an unseasonably warm October day in Chicago on Monday. EILEEN T. MESLAR/CHICAGO TRIBUNE PHOTOS

Chicago and Rockford temps hit 88, breaking daily record

Jeff Mauricio, left, and his son, Jaiden Mauricio, play volleyball at Foster Beach on an unseasonably warm October day in Chicago on Monday.

By Adriana Pérez

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Temperatures at O'Hare International Airport hit 88 degrees on Monday afternoon, officially breaking the Chicago area's record high for this date.

It was on Oct. 12, 2008, that the city experienced the now-shattered record of 84-degree weather.

Farther north in Rockford, temperatures Monday broke an 18-year-old record by three degrees, also reaching 88, weather officials said.

The normal high temperatures for this date in the Chicago and Rockford areas are 65 and 64 degrees, respectively, according to National Weather Service historical data.

Dating back to 1871, Chicago has only had three other days with highs as warm as Monday — or warmer — this late in the fall: one day in October 1947 and two consecutive days in October 1975. In Rockford's case, since 1905, it has only been warmer at this point in the year once: with a high of 89 degrees in 1947.

Local meteorologists had forecast near-record temperatures across the state for Monday and Tuesday. Chicago's record high temperature for Oct. 13 was 88 degrees in 1975.

Trends in recent decades point to an overall warming of average temperatures in winter as well as fall, spring and summer, from human activities such as fossil-fuel burning that release heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.

In Chicago, fall is the second fastest-warming season after winter, according to climate science nonprofit Climate Central.

An analysis from the organization found that as of 2025, Chicago was experiencing 15 more fall days with higher-than-normal temperatures compared with 1970, while average autumn temperatures have increased by 2.8 degrees in that same time span. It mirrors a 2.9-degree average rise in 241 of 245 major U.S. cities analyzed.

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POPE

from Page A1

with the pope and continue their advocacy for immigrant detainees. The delegation, which was blessed by Cardinal Blase Cupich at a recent Mass, is scheduled to meet with the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development on Oct. 27.

The invitation to bring the delegation, said Sister Christine Tomy, signals that the global Catholic Church recognizes the people processed through Broadview.

"There's something profoundly symbolic about this visit," she said. She hopes it will provide another way to amplify the voices and experiences of those detained.

Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday he will undergo surgery “in the coming days” to remove a nodule on his lung, in the first major health event of his 17-month pontificate, according to the Associated Press. The 71-year-old Leo said the nodule was found at an early stage and was “circumscribed” or small and well-localized. The Vatican said Leo’s expected recovery time from surgery would be a week and a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership said Monday that the surgery is not expected to alter plans for the visit.

Their goal is for Pope Leo to amplify the stories of detainees, including their pain, struggles and hopes. They hope the pope will humanize people who are often stripped of due process and urge the government to establish lasting protections ensuring that clergy can continue entering the facility to provide pastoral care, regardless of changes in administration.

“This is a mission from Christ,” said Maximino Montalvo, a deacon who is also part of the pilgrimage.

The group intends to draw attention to enforcement operations targeting working people, including those with no criminal backgrounds who are arrested and held under harsh conditions, Okińczyc-Cruz said.

For many immigrants, the processing center in Broadview is a cold, empty and lonely place where they face either months in an out-of-state detention center fighting deportation or the prospect of leaving the country – and their loved ones – behind.

Few people from the public have been allowed inside the ICE facility, the first stop for immigrants detained in the Chicago area. Even fewer are permitted to speak with those arrested.

The Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership challenged the Trump administration in court to ensure ministers could provide pastoral care to detainees inside the facility. After the judge granted them access in May, Montalvo and other ministers have entered the facility daily.

The letters were part of the coalition's ongoing Pastoral Care for Immigrant Detainees Campaign, which seeks to ensure immigrants held at Broadview have access to pastoral care while raising awareness of the lives affected by immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.

"These are my people and they are a part of me," said Montalvo, who prayed the rosary daily outside the facility during Operation Midway Blitz, the militarized immigration enforcement operation that took place in the Chicago area last fall. “I know that going in there, there’s no way we can change any legal process but I’ve seen it brings (the) benefit to their emotional situation, at least for the moment.”

Last month, Montalvo helped the detainees write letters to Pope Leo, offering them an outlet to express their hope amid uncertainty, he said. In the letters, the men and women, many of them their families' breadwinners, expressed their pain and asked for prayers for their protection and that of their families.

Montalvo, an immigrant himself from Mexico, said the letters tell the stories of people detained while dropping off their children at school, working at job sites in their uniforms or heading home.

The Revs. Nina Brewer-Davis, from left, Luis Garcia and Leandro Fossa walk to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement holding facility in west suburban Broadview to visit detainees on Thursday. They are part of the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership. The CSPL members are among the few people permitted to enter the Broadview processing center, where they provide pastoral services to detainees every week. STACEY WESCOTT/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The Rev. Patrick McGrath, from left, Deacon Maximino Montalvo, Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Rev. Brendan Curran and the Rev. David Inczauskis celebrate Mass at Old St. Patrick's Catholic Church in the Loop on Oct. 3. After Mass, Cupich blessed a delegation traveling to Rome to meet with Pope Leo. ARTHUR MAIORELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"In some way it was interesting to see that they were like children writing something down in the back corner," Montalvo said.

On yellow notepad paper, in black ink, detainees expressed gratitude but also pleaded for mercy.

"They are separating me from my two daughters. ... I know God has His will, but it is unfair; I haven't done anything to anyone," another detainee wrote.

For Montalvo, the pilgrimage feels almost unimaginable. He recalled watching Pope John Paul II on a black-and-white television when the pontiff visited his home state of Zacatecas, Mexico, while Montalvo was about two hours away.

Montalvo said his family history also motivates his ministry. His father participated in the Bracero Program and experienced labor exploitation, including working for weeks without pay and facing threats of being reported to immigration authorities.

"These are sons and daughters of God. They're my brothers and my sisters," Montalvo said of the people he visits at Broadview.

He described many of the detainees as parents, grandparents and workers arrested while going about their daily lives. Some were picked up on their way to work, while collecting their children from school, visiting a barbershop or buying groceries. Others arrived from construction jobs still wearing work clothes stained with paint

and dirt.

“They’re just trying to live their daily lives and trying to bring some bread to the house,” he said.

Language is not necessarily a barrier to pastoral care, Montalvo said, recalling a young Venezuelan man who was crying as a minister comforted him.

“Love and caring is the main language,” he said.

Tomy regularly visits detainees at Broadview. Although immigration arrests are less visible than during Operation Midway Blitz, they continue daily, she said. Since she began visiting the facility in May, the number of immigrants passing through has remained largely unchanged.

The administration seems to be conducting arrests more quietly, but at the same rate, she said.

Tomy began the work in response to what she described as the dehumanizing approach to immigration enforcement and the events surrounding Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago in fall 2025.

“Every time we go, I feel like just a profound mix of gratitude and heartbreak,” she said.

The coalition's work at Broadview began in response to the immigration enforcement operations launched during Operation Midway Blitz. Nearly a year later, it has secured access for ministers to provide pastoral care, but its legal fight for permanent access continues.

On Oct. 11, 2025, the coalition led a Eucharistic procession in response to immigration enforcement and the lack of pastoral and religious care for detainees at Broadview. A small delegation asked to enter the facility to provide religious services, but the request was denied.

The coalition and Catholic priests subsequently sued the government, arguing that blocking access to the sacraments violated the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Federal Judge Robert Gettleman ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, issuing injunctions that required the facility to allow religious services.

On May 15, the coalition reached an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security allowing up to five ministers to enter Broadview daily, seven days a week, to provide pastoral care. The arrangement remains in place under a preliminary injunction while litigation continues.

"This protocol is working and we want to make sure that we have permanent access," said Okińczyc-Cruz.

While the letters are handwritten pleas from people separated from their families, the coalition hopes to carry their stories further, using its pilgrimage to Rome to draw attention to the people behind the immigration enforcement numbers.

SCHOOLS

from Page A1

“I think, hopefully, there can be more accountability,” Sherratt said. “I’m not someone who’s connected with City Hall. I think we need some independence.”

Three candidates are running to represent school board District 4A, stretching over 15 schools on the North Side. The two best-funded contenders – Sherratt and incumbent Karen Zaccor – are going head-to-head in a race that has become a microcosm of a broader fight over who will shape Chicago's first fully elected school board.

It's also one of five races where the district's two largest labor unions, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Service Employees International Union Illinois, are backing opposing candidates.

The district spans affluent stretches of Lakeview, but also Uptown and Edgewater, two of the North Side's most socioeconomically diverse neighborhoods. Its voters include many of the politically influential North Side progressives who helped elect Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU organizer. Zaccor ran for the seat in 2024 but finished as runner-up. Johnson later appointed her to the adjacent subdistrict.

Now, as CTU seeks to maintain its board majority, the race is testing whether the union's political influence can hold – and drawing heavy spending from outside groups with opposing visions for the district.

Also running in District 4A is Angel Alvarez, a research assistant professor at Northwestern University and a former Local School Council member, though he has no major endorsements and a comparatively smaller pot of campaign cash.

Zaccor is a recently retired Chicago Public Schools teacher, a longtime Uptown organizer and a member of Northside Action for Justice. She has argued that board members should advocate to challenge district policies and press Springfield and CPS for more resources. Her top priority, she said, is ensuring fully funded neighborhood schools across the city.

"I want to see CPS transformed into a system that is truly equitable. Not that we have some really great-sounding plans, but that we're actually practicing equity. And so to me, that absolutely takes activism, right?" Zaccor said. "It's not going to happen by us just sitting and listening to whatever is brought to us and saying yes or no."

Chicago school board incumbent Karen Zaccor District 4A, left, with challengers Ellen Sherratt, center, and Angel Alvarez respond to a questions during a forum in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood on Oct. 5. NATE SWANSON/FOR THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

In her time on the board, Zaccor has been a vocal CTU ally. In the spring, she successfully led an effort to delay charter school renewals, calling for stricter oversight. More recently, she joined a bloc of CTU-aligned school board members in amending the district's \$10 billion budget with \$150 million in unconfirmed state funding.

Board members in favor framed the move as a pressure tactic to force Springfield to assume responsibility for hundreds of teacher layoffs, pointing to commitments from several state lawmakers. But district leadership warned the move could lead to deeper midyear cuts.

Zaccor pushed back against the criticism her opponent, Sherratt, has directed toward the union. "What they fight for is social workers in every school, nurses, librarians, restorative justice coordinators, smaller class sizes. ... Why do we not like that? Why are those things bad?" she said.

Sherratt, meanwhile, has argued that CTU-aligned board members' budget revision falls into political brinkmanship — what she called an effort to “legislate through a megaphone.” She said she would have supported the spending plan as presented by CPS leaders.

"It was very irresponsible to play politics with the budget and hope that Springfield will come to the rescue," Sherratt said.

The Lakeview East resident has spent much of her career researching the national teacher shortage. She has led advocacy efforts to advance the American Teacher Act, a proposed federal bill establishing minimum salaries for public school teachers. Sherratt has emphasized her research background on the campaign trail, and said her top priority would be student learning and what she calls “responsible leadership.”

Her two children attend private school, a decision her family made during the pandemic. “We were absolutely planning to have our children at CPS, but remote learning was not working for my family,” she said, adding that she decided to keep them there because they were already settled.

The North Side race reflects the broader tension in the shift to elected governance, said Arnie Rivera, executive director of the nonprofit Chicago Education Alliance. This is the first year all 21 school board seats are up for grabs. For nearly three decades, the board had operated under mayoral control.

"I do think a big part of this is activism versus governance, and what members are understanding as their roles in those seats," Rivera said, though he noted "much of this is politically driven."

Indeed, the financial backing behind Sherratt and Zaccor — along with spending from independent expenditure committees, or super PACs — reflects how competing interests are lining up behind the candidates. Super PACs can spend unlimited amounts, but aren't allowed to coordinate with candidates.

A large pool of individual donors, plus a \$15,000 check from SEIU, has helped Sherratt raise about \$145,000 — among the largest war chests in all district-level races. She also has some support from three groups opposing CTU's influence on the board: Common Ground Collective, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and the Urban Center.

“I’m not beholden to any of the organizations,” Sherratt said. “And there’s also just families around the district who are concerned about their neighborhood schools.”

But CTU has argued that those groups and their affiliated super PACs are flooding the race with outside money. INCS' super PAC has spent nearly \$90,000 on digital ads and mailers opposing Zaccor, as well as \$39,000 to support Sherratt. Urban Center's super PAC has spent another \$13,000 on text messaging supporting Sherratt.

“So control by billionaires is OK, but CTU having an influence is bad?” Zaccor said, referencing the group’s wealthy donors. To date, she has raised about \$44,000, including \$20,000 of in-kind from Our Schools PAC, a pro-labor group affiliated with CTU.

To be sure, CTU is also expected to spend heavily in the school board races — the union was the biggest spender in the 2024 election. Earlier this year, CTU leadership attempted to raise member dues, in part to bolster political spending.

That fight over campaign money and influence is playing out in 20 other races across the city.

---

THE UNION SPLIT

Meanwhile, Brighter Futures Chicago, a new super PAC funded by SEIU Illinois State Council, has put hundreds of thousands of dollars behind SEIU-endorsed candidates, including \$37,000 on digital ads and mailers supporting

Sherratt.

SEIU was once closely aligned with CTU, and the two unions helped elect Johnson as mayor. But their relationship frayed last year amid a turf war involving special education employees. The two unions have since publicly diverged over the amended budget. After the vote, SEIU leaders said the resulting financial uncertainty “threatens the stability of the entire school system.”

Particularly in down-ballot, nonpartisan races, union endorsements can carry the signaling power of a party label, giving voters a sense of a candidate's priorities, according to Robert Bruno, a professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Labor and Employment Relations.

“These endorsements can be very important, particularly when the unions involved have a broad scope of representation and really have good reputations for organizing from the ground-up,” Bruno said. “Both CTU and SEIU have demonstrated that capacity.”

The two unions are still supporting some of the same candidates. But the question is, Bruno said, whether their increasingly separate political operations could weaken their collective organizing power within CPS.

“If the SEIU candidate is, ‘Vote for me because I’m anti-CTU,’ that’s not great. That’s bad. And if the CTU endorsed candidate is saying, ‘Vote for me, because I’m anti-SEIU’ ... that is certainly destructive for both unions,” Bruno said. “And it’s not good, quite frankly, for the school system, either.”

The third candidate, Alvarez, is a CPS parent who directs a stem cell research facility at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine. He has raised \$1,500.

Alvarez said he would focus on early literacy and math screening before second grade, and more foundational support for students with disabilities. He acknowledged his lack of union endorsements and big-money support, but said, “I have to run my own race.”

“Anyone who thought that there wasn’t going to be large outside campaign contributions just was really naive,” Alvarez said. “I’m not going to go and try to outspend them, so I try to make sure my message is heard.”

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EDITORIALS

Illinois House endorsements in districts 61, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77

Today, the editorial board offers its third batch of endorsements in contested races for the Illinois House of Representatives. We are endorsing statewide.

---

61ST DISTRICT

Joyce Mason, a longtime resident of Gurnee, has served as the representative of this far north suburban district since 2019. She is not aligned with us on fiscal issues and we did not endorse her in 2022, the last time she faced a serious Republican challenge. That said, we do appreciate that Mason, 57, has amassed a legislative record in service of Illinois kids, such as establishing emergency training standards at childcare centers. We also have appreciated her efforts at cutting out some of the bureaucracy in the state's childcare licensing. Given that her Republican opponent, Tina Marie Durrant, has not mounted a serious or credible campaign in our view, we're giving our nod to Mason this time around, trusting that she'll also find time to tackle the state's severe fiscal challenges.

Joyce Mason is endorsed

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64TH DISTRICT

Running to represent this district covering far northern suburbs in Lake and McHenry counties are incumbent state Rep. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa,

and Democrat AJ Johnson, 62.

Weber, 59, is a strong fiscal conservative who unequivocally opposes the proposed millionaires tax and favors retaining Illinois' flat income tax. On top of that, we were moved

Weber

by Weber's personal accounts of working with crime victims and their families. He's clearly not just throwing out partisan talking points on public safety; he's working with his constituents to address shortcomings in state law.

Johnson is a military veteran and strong candidate, and we were impressed by his openness to a constitutional amendment to address pensions, a position we wish more Democrats would embrace. Where we feel he goes wrong is in extending that openness to a millionaires tax.

Weber's fiscal conservatism, legislative experience and demonstrated commitment to crime victims earn him our endorsement.

Tom Weber is endorsed.

---

65TH DISTRICT

Republican state Rep. Dan Ugaste, 62, of Geneva is, to our minds, one of the best Springfield lawmakers,

and his peers praise him for his extensive knowledge of policy and procedure. He's the kind of fiscal conservative this board wishes we could replicate at scale — one who offers practical ideas to address Illinois'

Ugaste

structural financial problems. He has proposed, for example, legislation that would use savings from pension reform to reduce school districts' reliance on property taxes.

He's assistant minority leader and has loads of committee responsibilities, ranging from Labor & Commerce to Higher Education, a testament to the breadth of his expertise as a legislator. Ugaste consistently votes against and criticizes excessive state spending, and has taken initiative on big issues such as keeping the Bears in Illinois and property tax relief.

Ugaste's opponent, Ricky Rivard, accuses the incumbent of working for “the radical right,” “special interests” and “himself.” We haven’t heard much from Rivard, who presents as a progressive Democrat focused on reproductive rights, childcare, health care and education. We find his campaign rhetoric unnecessarily partisan.

One of the most challenging but essential things for Illinois voters to consider at the ballot box is differentiating between feelings about Republicans at the national level and the need for more ideological balance in Illinois. Federal politics and state-level Republicanism are not one and the same, and many Republicans here are reasonable people with policies plenty of conservatives, independents and even moderate Democrats can get behind. Ugaste is one of those.

Springfield needs intelligent conservative voices that can challenge Democratic power with substantive policy ideas and personal dignity.

Dan Ugaste is endorsed.

---

66TH DISTRICT

Voters in this far northwest suburban district face a general election

Ness

do-over from 2024, with incumbent Democratic state Rep. Suzanne Ness facing Republican Laurie Parman, 71.

Ness has held this seat since 2021. We are not enamored of her support for a graduated income tax. A strong fiscal conservative would have a good chance in this district. Unfortunately, Parman continues to strike us as too extreme, especially on matters of immigration. Suzanne Ness is endorsed.

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68TH DISTRICT

Incumbent state Rep. Dave Vella, a Rockford Democrat, has represented

Easton

this district since 2021. Republican challenger Kathy Easton, 65, has the right instincts on tax policy and the need to scrutinize ever-ballooning spending in Springfield. She still needs to refine the specifics of her proposals, but we like her motto — “service over politics, results over rhetoric” — though she goes further than we would on criminal justice reform. Nevertheless, we are encouraged that someone with common sense on fiscal issues is in this race.

Kathy Easton is endorsed.

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69TH DISTRICT

GOP state Rep. Joe Sosnowski, 49, is a reliable fiscal conservative who opposes new taxes. While virtually all candidates told us affordability and property taxes are the top issues in their districts, Sosnowski gave us perhaps the most concrete proposal for lowering taxes — stopping unfunded mandates, increasing government consolidation, eliminating wasteful spending and considering property tax increase caps to help keep people in their homes. “We have been driving away job

Sosnowski

producers for decades, and we have one of the highest overall tax burdens already," he told us.

He has been running against his Democratic opponent, Peter Janko, since 2022. In the prior two contests, Sosnowski won handily each time. Janko shared good ideas on ethics reform and changes to address problems with pretrial electronic monitoring. He goes astray on tax policy.

Joe Sosnowski is endorsed.

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70TH DISTRICT

Republican state Rep. Jeff Keicher, 53, is chair of the bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission, and told us

he has “seen what works in this system and what does not, and the (Harry) Benton matter showed both.” His deep insight into Illinois’ ethics challenges, paired with his fiscal restraint, are valuable resources

Keicher

for voters in this region. We felt reassured by his position on legislative oversight, both because of his detailed knowledge and his clear intent to deliver for taxpayers.

Keicher's Democratic opponent is Veronica Garcia-Martinez, 44, who says the right things on ethics reform and oversight, but the wrong things on tax policy — namely, pledging her support for a millionaires tax upon arrival in Springfield should she win this race.

Jeff Keicher is endorsed.

71ST DISTRICT

Republican state Rep. Dan Swanson, 67, faces Democratic challenger

Swanson

Kermit Thomas to represent this Western Illinois district. Swanson told us the biggest challenge his district faces is “keeping families, young people and businesses in Western Illinois” due to high taxes and rising cost of living. Because of his focus on growth, he

is also a staunch opponent of higher taxes, much needed in our revenue-obsessed Statehouse. We have not heard much from Thomas, a military veteran and longtime resident of the Quad Cities region.

Dan Swanson is endorsed.

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73RD DISTRICT

This district features another one of our favorite state representatives,

Spain

state Rep. Ryan Spain, 44, of Peoria. We've spoken with Spain on numerous occasions and have found him both thoughtful and well-reasoned, especially on matters of fiscal policy and the need to end partisan gerrymandering in the General Assembly, a

problem we have highlighted repeatedly.

He is a strong fiscal conservative with clear eyes on the need for transparency and fairness in elections, and Illinois is well-served by his leadership on everything from fiscal policy to election fairness to criminal justice reform. He is one of the most valuable voices of reason in Springfield.

His opponent, Democrat Nicole Dopler, is running a campaign centered on healthcare reform, but we haven't heard much from her.

Ryan Spain is endorsed.

---

74TH DISTRICT

Republican state Rep. Brad Fritts is a dependable conservative voice of opposition to higher taxes and higher

spending. Springfield needs those.

Fritts

He balances support for public schools with a desire to make sure dollars are being spent wisely, and a desire to opt into the federal tax credit scholarship program, a very reasonable position.

Oh, and he's just 26 years old.

Something must be in the water down in Dixon, the heart of this district, which has produced not just one 20-something statehouse politician, but now features a second would-be representative.

Fritts' opponent, Democrat Nolan Kemp, comes across as moderate, and we could see him appealing to independent voters. At 24, he would be among the youngest representatives, but we were impressed by the thoughtfulness and thoroughness of the positions he shared with us. On taxation, for example, while he told us he understands the rationale behind the push for a millionaires tax, he called it a “punitive government response to a constituent’s financial success and slightly counterintuitive to the potential fruits of capitalism,” and added, “I will always side with less tax liability for the constituent.” We think he could have a bright future if he chooses to continue in politics.

Both of these candidates give us hope for the future. For now, we're sticking with Fritts.

Brad Fritts is endorsed.

---

75TH DISTRICT

State Rep. Jed Davis, 48, is the

Davis

Republican incumbent in this district, which stretches from exurban Will County through parts of Kendall and Grundy counties to the south. Davis, a foster parent, was appointed in 2023 to the bipartisan Illinois Department of

Children and Family Services Working Group, and is focused on family welfare issues and ideas to improve

DCFS, a worthy and unsung focus. We appreciate his desire to strengthen the Legislative Inspector General, in part by adding citizen representation to the legislative ethics commission. "Legislators should not have exclusive control over the body overseeing investigations of legislators," he told us. We also find it comforting to hear his resolve in holding the line on spending and tax hikes.

Caroline McCree, the Democrat, is running an enthusiastic campaign while juggling work and running a household as a single mom, no small feat. We haven't heard much from her, but she has carved out an anti-data center lane for herself. Meanwhile, her position on taxation seems fairly muddled and not yet fully formed.

Jed Davis is endorsed.

---

76TH DISTRICT

Incumbent Democratic state Rep.

Amy “Murri” Brief, 51, is in her first term. We appreciate her commitment to affordable healthcare and her support for more independent oversight of the General Assembly. Her enthusiasm for a millionaire tax and

Bishop

instincts on spending are concerns for us.

We don't know what to make of the accusations of workplace harassment brought by a former staffer against Briel in 2025. Legislative Inspector General Mike McCuskey, who since has resigned over his handling of the Harry Benton sexual harassment investigation, found the allegations against Briel unfounded, according to reports.

Her Republican opponent Liz Bishop, 66, ran against her in 2024, losing by fewer than 600 votes. She's been described to us as a “calming influence” who would bring balance to the legislature. Bishop, a retired bank examiner, is much admired by Republican leadership and earned our endorsement in 2024.

We believe she would bring a practical perspective on a wide range of issues, but most importantly those that affect our economy and state finances. “Illinois needs tax relief, spending discipline, and economic growth,” she told us. Illinois needs more steady hands willing to exercise fiscal restraint.

Liz Bishop is endorsed.

---

77TH DISTRICT

Running to represent this suburban district are two candidates from

Melrose Park, Democratic state Rep. Norma Hernandez and her Republican opponent, Anthony Airdo, who has run unsuccessfully for this seat in every election since 2016.

Hernandez

Hernandez is well to the left of us ideologically, but we have

endorsed her before in this primarily Latino district. We didn't approve of her strong defense of House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch in the wake of the Harry Benton sexual harassment scandal that once against thrust the General Assembly's ethics challenges into the limelight. "I think he did what he could do in the power that he has in office now," she said in August.

Despite that public defense (or maybe because of it), Welch added Hernandez to a working group formed to address Springfield harassment. Two House Democrats declined to join, including state Rep. Gregg Johnson, an East Moline Democrat, who told Capitol News Illinois he was uncomfortable with the group's makeup given that some members had already gone public with their defense of Welch. We think skepticism of the group's formation and efficacy is warranted.

As in the recent past, we have not heard from Airdo. We'd like to see a different GOP challenger who would present voters with a moderate alternative.

More missteps like Hernandez's response to Welch's poor handling of the Springfield ethics issue and, in the future, we could well withhold even a tepid endorsement, which this one is indeed. Nonetheless, Norma Hernandez is endorsed.

The US cannot lose its energy advantage

By Edward Cross

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

The Whiting Refinery in Indiana, shown on Jan. 29, 2025, is one of BP's largest locations. E. JASON WAMBSGANS/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Debate continues across the country on our nation's energy future. What is our best energy policy going forward?

Several factors contribute to a higher standard of living, but one of the most important is access to reliable and inexpensive energy. Affordable energy is essential for almost every aspect of our modern lives. Without it, we wouldn't have many of the things we often take for granted.

Affordable energy is needed to run the hospitals and laboratories that improve our health. It's required to deliver electricity to our homes and put fuel in our vehicles. It also supports the millions of jobs associated with all these things.

Today, the U.S. produces more oil per day than any single nation has ever achieved. The U.S. is not only the world leader in energy production, but we also lead the world in environmental quality.

When a country becomes the leading producer of oil and natural gas and has also reduced carbon dioxide emissions significantly in 10 years, it is clearly doing many things right. The oil and natural gas industry has proved that, over the long term, we can lead the world in energy production and environmental stewardship.

In the past, attempts were made to shift energy policy away from fossil fuels, and some expected this thinking to be the wave of the future. But that kind of thinking is a threat to economic development in the U.S. and around the world.

Nothing is more essential to economic growth than reliable, affordable and abundant energy. To lose that advantage is not in anybody's best interest.

Energy is an input for practically everything in the economy. The last thing we want to see is more upward pressure on costs that are felt by every family and business.

America should not be in the position of asking for foreign energy supplies, especially when we have abundant resources produced to standards that are among the highest in the world, right here at home. Instead, we should be leading, as the world's top producer of oil and natural gas.

We need not look further than the situation in Europe to see what happens when nations depend on energy production from suppliers that have agendas of their own. The problem is that when certain foreign governments control your energy, they have the power to use it for their own purposes — not yours. We don't want to learn that lesson the hard way.

Today, we see energy policies that allow market realities and a respect for consumers and their preferences drive smarter regulations that focus on protecting the environment and growing the economy. All Americans benefit from a safe, environmentally responsible and thriving oil and natural gas industry. And it is important to let market forces, not government mandates, drive energy policies.

The U.S. has a unique opportunity to show the world how energy abundance can be used as a positive force to lift people up, which is different than a zero-emissions world. More than a billion people around the world face challenges for adequate food and education, clean water and protection from heat and cold due to a lack of access to energy.

We should work to ensure more people have access to safe, affordable and reliable energy, no matter which state, nation or continent they reside in. Because to rise out of poverty and enjoy health and safety, people need more energy, not less.

Policymakers on both sides of the aisle can support leveraging America's energy resources to help protect consumers and cement U.S. energy leadership. I encourage policymakers to support actions to secure American energy leadership, protect consumers and help reduce inflation.

Such actions include supporting policies that protect consumer choice, restore the role of American energy in bolstering our geopolitical strength, reform the regulatory policies that increase certainty and unleash private investment, and advance sensible tax policy.

The most pressing issues facing the U.S. economy in the foreseeable future are not those arising from climate or an energy transition. Rather, the factors to watch are inflation, rising energy costs and national security.

As the midterm elections approach, we must stay focused on energy solutions for the American consumer and work together regardless of political party. The stakes are high, and together we are bringing the benefits of our nation's energy abundance to all.

Going forward, policymakers at the state and federal level should prioritize advancing American energy leadership with policies that encourage development of responsibly produced energy here at home. These policies should recognize the volatile world we live in and the long-term impacts of returning to the days of foreign energy dependency.

We should set aside the division that has marked too much of past national energy policy discussions and work together as one nation on a positive forward-looking energy future based on the understanding that our nation's best energy future can only be achieved through a true best-of-the-above energy strategy.

We need a new American understanding of energy and with it national and state energy policy based on science, the free market and entrepreneurial spirit.

Future generations are looking to us to get our nation's energy policy right. They're counting on us to leave them with a country that is second to none in energy production, security and economic prosperity.

Edward Cross is CEO of the Illinois Oil & Gas Association. He is also a board member of the Independent Petroleum Association of America and partnering society member of the Council for a Secure America.

Advocates: Nature is an essential part of strategy for growth in Chicago

A person runs along the lakefront during twilight at Montrose Harbor in Chicago on March 12, 2025. AUDREY RICHARDSON/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

By Michael Davidson,

Joe Ferguson and Raed Mansour

SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

The Civic Committee and Commercial Club of Chicago have given the region something it badly needs: a serious conversation about growth.

Their new Growth for All strategy lays out what it will take to attract and retain more people in the region, including economic opportunity, a better quality of life and investment in the infrastructure that makes a region work. We agree.

But if nature is not part of that conversation from the beginning, we are leaving out one of the things that makes a region appealing, healthy and livable, while helping businesses attract and retain the people they need. Nature should not be something we bolt on after the growth strategy is written. It should be part of the strategy itself.

The lakefront is perhaps our most visible example. More than 180 years ago, when Chicago was still a young city, its lakefront was designated public ground, "forever open, clear and free." That decision still shapes the city today. The lakefront belongs to everyone. It is unquestionably part of what attracts people to Chicago and keeps them here.

As former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson recently wrote, "Nature is critical infrastructure, not a free and inexhaustible good." A new report from the Paulson Institute, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund highlights that nearly \$58 trillion in global gross domestic product depends on nature, according to an analysis by PwC.

The identity and history of the region reflect this principle. Cook County created the nation's first forest preserve district over a century ago. DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties followed, and McHenry County established its own conservation district. Together, they built a network of protected natural areas woven into a major metropolitan region. Since 2022, residents in these

counties have approved \$1.6 billion in funding over the next 20 years for these places. That is a significant expression of what people value about the region.

This is about more than quality of life. Nature and the outdoors are already part of the economy. Illinois' outdoor recreation economy generated \$26.4 billion in economic impact and supported nearly 180,000 jobs in 2024.

Nature has long been part of how this region thinks about its future. Openlands helped create the Illinois Prairie Path, the nation's first rails-to-trails project. Chicago Metropolis 2020, the Commercial Club's own regional planning effort, endorsed a Regional Greenways Plan developed by the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission and Openlands. It envisioned a 4,300-mile network of connected greenways to improve water, reduce flooding and strengthen quality of life.

Nature also contributes to the health of our communities. New research from Northwestern University scientists using 11 years of data from 801 Chicago census tracts found that year-to-year increases in tree canopy were associated with lower mortality. Among the hottest neighborhoods, greater losses in tree canopy were associated with more deaths. The study does not prove causation, but it strengthens the case for maintaining and expanding tree canopy as essential public health infrastructure, particularly in communities most vulnerable to heat.

Growth for All itself recognizes that parks are critically important to public health. The opportunity is to carry that insight more fully into implementation.

The region is already planning for this. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning is developing The Century Plan, the next long-term vision for northeastern Illinois. Nearly 270,000 acres of natural space extend across the region's seven counties, but we remain well short of the 400,000 acres of conserved land the region has set as a goal for 2050. Connecting this work to Growth for All would build on investments already underway.

That kind of coordination also makes fiscal sense in a region known for costly and inefficient jurisdictional complexity. Nature does not stop at municipal boundaries, and neither do the effects of flooding and other environmental challenges, as this summer made clear. Neither should our efforts to protect and connect it.

Growth for All recognizes that transit stations can be more than places to get on and off a train. They can be anchors for housing, businesses, public spaces and new investment. That is a useful way to think about infrastructure: not simply as something that serves growth but as something that helps create the kind of places where people want to live.

We need an equivalent way of thinking about nature.

The Chicago Riverwalk offers a glimpse of what that can look like. Once largely an industrial edge of downtown, the river is now a destination for recreation, public life and economic activity. Chicago has 150 miles of riverfront along its three river branches. A growth agenda that takes livability and talent retention seriously should bring that same thinking to more of that riverfront.

Across the region are places such as the Indiana Dunes and Illinois Beach, with levels of biodiversity that would be remarkable anywhere. Along with the lakefront, riverfront, forest preserves, trails and other natural areas across the region, they are part of what makes this region distinctive and livable. That matters when Growth for All sets a goal of bringing Chicago's population back above 3 million and the region's above 10 million. As we pursue those goals, success should be measured not only by how many people we attract, but also by the quality of the places they call home.

Chicago has understood this for a long time. The city's motto “Urbs in Horto,” or “City in a Garden,” was adopted when Chicago was incorporated in 1837. More than 70 years later, the Commercial Club's 1909 Plan of Chicago put the lakefront, parks and an outer system of forest preserves at the foundation of the region's future. Chicago Metropolis 2020 carried that tradition forward. And this region has long been a place where people understood nature not as scenery but as something fundamental to how a region works.

We should bring that tradition into the next chapter of regional growth. Nature should be part of the strategy for achieving growth and part of what it means for growth to be truly for all.

That is the opportunity before us: to make the places that sustain us part of the strategy for attracting and retaining talent, strengthening the economy and building a region where more people want to live.

Michael Davidson is president and CEO of Openlands. Joe Ferguson is president of the Civic Federation and a member of the Openlands board of directors. Raed Mansour is a member of Openlands' board.

OPINION

Resumption of war between Houthis and Saudis is bad timing for Trump

This image from CCTV video released by Saudi Arabia's Media Ministry shows passengers taking cover as flames and smoke fill part of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during what authorities described as a strike at the airport on Saturday. SAUDI MEDIA MINISTRY VIA AP

Daniel DePetris

The last thing President Donald Trump needs right now is another war brewing in the Middle East. But this is what Trump is getting at a time when he's in a monthslong standoff with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and as midterm elections, traditionally seen as a referendum on the first two years of a president's term, are weeks away.

Over the weekend, the people of Saudi Arabia awoke to a series of missile attacks on one of the country's busiest airports. The Houthis, a militia that for years has ruled swaths of Yemen, launched the weapons at King Khalid International Airport, directly hitting two terminals. A dozen people were killed and about 300 others were wounded in what was the deadliest strike on the kingdom in over a decade. The airport was struck again the next day, forcing Saudi authorities to shut it down.

The Houthis have described the assaults as retaliation for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen and a Saudi-enforced blockade of Houthi-held areas. The Saudis, of course, see the attacks as terrorism meant to kill innocent civilians and coerce the kingdom into a striking a deal on the militia's terms.

Even before the airport was struck last weekend, Riyadh's international supporters rallied to its defense.

The United States agreed to provide the Royal Saudi Air Force with intelligence for its bombing runs. France is sending military advisers and air defense systems to the Saudi port of Yanbu, a key oil export facility. Pakistan, which signed a mutual defense agreement with the kingdom last year, has deployed at least 8,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to reinforce its security.

None of these countries, however, are interested in bailing the Saudis out in Yemen or taking offensive action in a country that spits out foreign invaders like a 3-year-old spits out peas during dinner.

For Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, better known as MBS, the resumption of war with the Houthis is coming at a terrible time. The Saudi government is set to host an international investment conference this month, where billionaires, CEOs and senior-level government officials will hobnob for a day of meetings. The event is designed to highlight Saudi Arabia's attractiveness as a moneymaker, increase the kingdom's international profile and boost MBS' flagship Vision 2030 project, which seeks to transform the country into the Middle East's premier business center.

Needless to say, missiles flying into airport terminals is not helping that image. Who is willing to invest billions of dollars in a country where planes are grounded and infrastructure is being targeted?

The Saudi government understands the gravity here and has taken pains to emphasize the country's potential as a land of endless opportunity. The problem is that MBS' options for dealing with this mess are limited.

Yemen brings back terrible memories for him. When he was defense minister in 2015, MBS convinced his father, King Salman, to organize an Arab-led military coalition to assist the internationally recognized Yemeni government's efforts to reclaim the capital, Sanaa, months after it was kicked out by the Houthis. The brash prince thought the mission would be straightforward; Riyadh assured President Barack Obama's administration that the war would be over in weeks.

Instead, the Saudis and their allies got bogged down. The Yemeni government's military was less a military and more a collection of militias that fought each other as often as they fought the Houthis. The Saudi Air Force was well equipped with U.S.-supplied fighter planes yet was indiscriminate in its targeting and hit civilian buildings such as homes and wedding halls as well as school buses.

The Saudi-enforced blockade, meant to stop weapons from getting into the Houthis' hands, held up humanitarian aid deliveries, contributing to a hunger crisis. The Houthis dug into their positions and withstood all of it.

As one U.S. official reflected, "We knew we might be getting into a car with a drunk driver." Hundreds of thousands of deaths later, MBS decided that continuing the war was futile and terrible for his own reputation and cut a ceasefire deal with the militia.

Trump has a bad history with Yemen as well. In March 2025, he ordered a weekslong bombing campaign to destroy the Houthis' military infrastructure and force them to stop firing on civilian vessels transiting the Red Sea. The Trump administration packaged the operation as a bold decision made by a bold president, and some U.S. officials even believed aggressive airstrikes could set the stage for the Houthis' collapse.

But Trump, like MBS, eventually got tired of the engagement. The U.S. military struck more than 1,000 Houthi targets, including drone manufacturing facilities, missile storage sites and radar systems. Yet the bombings failed to deter the Houthis from attacking ships at sea, and Washington was using up costly precision-guided munitions with no end in sight. About six weeks later, Trump announced a ceasefire with the militia and sold it to the American people as a win.

At the time of writing, Trump hasn't shown much desire to go through that again. The Saudis have repeatedly requested U.S. assistance in the form of airstrikes, if only to demonstrate to Riyadh that its relationship with Washington still yields dividends. Trump has declined, and he deserves credit for that. His first war with the Houthis wasn't a triumph, so why would a second war prove any more successful?

The airport attacks could very well change Trump's calculations. Just don't expect U.S. military involvement to achieve much.

Daniel DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a foreign affairs columnist for the Tribune.

Voice of the People

Sox are the South Side

When people hear “South Side,” they think of the White Sox. The two are synonymous, like air and breathing. As a South Sider, I’ve been a White Sox fan since birth. I have sat in every part of the stadium. My brother and I have been chasing foul balls in the stands since childhood. We have watched the stadium change its name repeatedly, but we still call it Comiskey.

Rate Field and homes in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood on Oct. 6.

BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Some of my favorite memories come from tailgating, where strangers welcome you into their gatherings, offer you a drink and talk baseball. Bridgeporters are kind, welcoming and resilient, but we're no pushovers. That spirit reflects the White Sox fanbase: hardworking people who stick with their team through good and bad. Being a Sox fan isn't about winning every game; it's about loyalty, tradition and the community that is built around it.

That community extends beyond the ballpark into neighborhood bars and restaurants such as Turtle's Bar, Maria's, Bernice's, Phil's and Electric Funeral. These places are more than businesses. They're gathering spots where friendships grow, losses are shared, wins are celebrated and every play in between is relived.

Moving the White Sox out of Bridgeport would be a disservice not only to the community that has supported the team for more than 100 years, but also to the fans who have never left their side. I don't want a \$20 beer at a yuppie bar where nobody knows my name or cares about the game. I want a \$7 beer, a local bartender and a postgame conversation with people who understand what this team means to me.

I want the character and essence of Chicago's South Side to remain part of White Sox baseball. A shiny new stadium with fewer seats and no iconic pinwheel cannot replace what generations have built. You

can change the stadium's name, seats, scoreboard and concessions, but you cannot manufacture the history, identity and community that surround this team.

The White Sox aren't simply a team that plays in Bridgeport. They are part of the South Side's identity, just as the South Side is part of theirs. Their home is more than a ballpark; it's a neighborhood filled with traditions and memories.

The White Sox belong on the South Side. They belong in Bridgeport. They belong to the people who have stood by them through every high and low for more than 100 years.

Allison Vazquez, Chicago

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Ishbia's strongman style

Ancient Athens once informed a foe, “The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.” Which is pretty much the message White Sox owner-in-waiting Justin Ishbia has delivered to the residents of Bridgeport.

Why should Ishbia move the Sox to a new stadium in the South Loop and stick Bridgeport with an Amtrak repair-and-service facility? Because he can. Why didn't he show up at a recent public forum

For online-exclusive letters, go to www.chicagotribune.com/letters. Email your letter submissions, 400 words or less, to letters@chicago tribune.com. Include your full name, address and phone number.

to lay out his reasons? Because he didn't feel the need to.

Someone might have asked him how he intends to build a new stadium on a site smaller than the Sox's present home. The only honest answer would be an admission of fewer seats and less parking.

That's a message Ishbia would prefer to deliver by way of a fait accompli, strongman style. — Douglas Bukowski, Berwyn

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Bravo to the White Sox

Over three seasons, the White Sox gradually rose from the suffering of the 2024 season in which they had an all-time loss record of 41-121 to the 2026 standard of 84 victories. That is a remarkable swing to 43 more victories.

The Sox did this with a roster of youngsters who outperformed for their age and experience. Many parents say, "You must walk before you can run"; this is true of the Sox. The players played and ran hard, while the manager and coaches tried their best to put the players in a position to win, but they all were young and inexperienced when it came to playoff baseball. Good pitching wins games over good hitting in the playoffs. This season, they were devoid of above-average starting pitchers.

The Sox brought the fans into the games with their on-field and dugout antics. Mike Vasil became a household name for his wizardry and cheerleading, pregame dancing and eating of ice cream cones. The marketing department had wonderful promotions that helped fill the stadium. The hope of divine intervention from Pope Leo XIV was promising up to the very end.

For true Sox fans, the season was unforgettable, but it left us wanting more. One more Sam Antonacci hit by a pitch, Miguel Vargas homer or Sean Burke win, but fewer strikeouts by Colson Montgomery and Munetaka Murakami, less use of openers and more quality innings from our starters.

For the fair-weather fans who jumped on board, thank you and please stay and watch the Sox grow. With this great 2026 experience, we hope that they can take the next step in the playoffs and join the 2005 Sox as world champions.

— Cary Riske, Grayslake

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Only one Super Bowl win

My sympathy goes out to the Ditka family, the Bears and their fans. I mourn the passing of “Iron Mike” Ditka. Unfortunately, sometimes we forget why the “exes” are exes. Like ex-girlfriends, ex-boyfriends and ex-spouses, sometimes our memories of the “good” times make us forget why they are the “exes.” Ditka ruined the mid-1980s Bears team, a team that should have won more than just Super Bowl XX. Ditka’s strengths were a double-edged sword; he always felt nobody knew better than Mike. Can you say Doug Flutie?

Ditka created considerable dissension on a team that was such a tight group of special football players by decisions such as acquiring Flutie.

While that special season of 1985 will always remain in my mind, and I thank Ditka and the players for that, the disappointment of the 1986 and 1987 seasons also remains with me. Thanks to Ditka for the memories of Super Bowl XX. I just wish the greatest football team ever won the other Super Bowls they should have.

I give Ditka credit for that season, but he also needed to take responsibility for their failures in the following years.

Kevin J. Connelly, Orland Park

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Ditka, Trump the same person

Anyone who mourns the death of Mike Ditka and despises the existence of Donald Trump is either an abject hypocrite or a sad innocent.

Ditka and Trump in all matters were absolutely the same man, just living in two separate bodies. — Bob Blanchard, Galena, Illinois

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Best tribute to Da Coach

With all the things that have divided Chicagoans in recent years, it's nice to see the “City of the Big Shoulders” unite to recognize the passing of Da Coach, Mike Ditka, who was not from Chicago but came to define Chicago at its finest: strength, toughness and the ability to come out on top.

And how ironic — or is it coincidental? — that by passing just nine days before what would have been his 87th birthday, Da Coach officially left us at age 86 after helping lead the Bears to their only Super Bowl victory in 1986! (Perhaps a repeat this year from the Bears would be a fitting tribute to perhaps America's best-known Chicagoan.)

David Applegate, Huntley

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Sandburg predicted Ditka

When Carl Sandburg described Chicago as the “City of the Broad Shoulders,” I’m guessing he had a futuristic dream involving Mike Ditka.

— Neil Gaffney, Chicago

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Note to readers

With Halloween coming, we'd like you to share your most memorable experience related to the holiday, either as a child or as an adult. A costume that you've never forgotten? A trip to a haunted house that scared you silly? Neighbors who went above and beyond to make things fun for the kids? Send a letter, of no more than 400 words, by Friday, Oct. 23 to letters@chicagotribune.com. Be sure to include your full name and your city/town.

A Homeland Security officer carries a box Monday from Rep. Ilhan Omar's home in Washington. J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., speaks during a news conference on Jan. 28 in Minneapolis. ADAM GRAY/AP

OMAR

from Page A1

to avoid public investigative actions involving a candidate within 60 days of a primary or general election.

Top Democrats seized on the timing as the latest instance in what they said was the “continued corrupt weaponization” of law enforcement against Trump’s perceived adversaries.

“For years, Donald Trump and far-right extremists have relentlessly targeted Congresswoman Omar with vile personal attacks and baseless accusations,” said a joint statement issued from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top congressional Democrats. “Now, less than 30 days until the midterm election, his violent mass deportation machine has descended upon the home of a duly elected Member of Congress and her family.”

The search was carried out by agents with Homeland Security Investigations, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security.

A DHS spokesperson referred questions to the Justice Department, which said in a statement that HSI agents had executed a judicially authorized search warrant in the Washington, D.C., area related to an ongoing federal criminal investigation. It provided no other details.

The street around Omar's home was blocked off Monday morning as HSI agents carried out the search, with some removing boxes labeled “seized property evidence.”

The operation came just two days after Trump referred pejoratively to Omar at a rally in Tennessee as coming from a country of “crime and squalor” and suggested that Vice President JD Vance “and our people” were investigating her.

Vance has in the past accused Omar of committing immigration fraud, an allegation she has denied, and has said the White House was looking for pathways to investigate her.

Omar, who was first elected to the House in 2018, represents Minnesota's 5th District, including Minneapolis. She is part of The Squad of progressive lawmakers who are a vibrant political force in the Democratic caucus in Congress but have also endured repeated attacks from Trump, dating back to his first term. She was one of the first two Muslim-American women in the House.

In January, Trump lashed out at Omar during a rally in Iowa hours before an assailant sprayed her during her own town hall meeting in Minneapolis with a substance that turned out to be vinegar. The attacker was sentenced to 14 months in prison.

Republicans have raised questions about Omar's past since before she was even elected, including asserting that she had married her brother and committed immigration fraud. Omar has broadly denied the allegations as “disgusting lies.”

"It certainly seems like something fishy is there, but everybody's entitled to equal justice under the laws," Vance told reporters in May. "So we're going to investigate it.

... If we think there's a crime, we're going to prosecute that crime. And that's something the Department of Justice is looking at right now."

In an interview last March with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Vance said without offering evidence that “we actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America.”

Omar's office dismissed Vance's claims as fabricated and defamatory, saying in a statement that, "This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to 'create stories' to redirect the media."

Chicago Daily Tribune

ON OCT. 13 ...

In A.D. 54, Roman Emperor Claudius I died after being poisoned by his wife, Agrippina.

In 1775 the Continental Congress ordered construction of a naval fleet, thereby launching the Navy.

In 1792 the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

In 1843 the Jewish organization B'nai B'rith was founded in New York.

In 1845 Texas ratified a state constitution.

In 1925 Margaret Thatcher, who would become Britain's prime minister, was born in Grantham, England.

In 1943 Italy declared war on Germany, its former Axis partner.

In 1944 American troops entered Aachen, Germany. Also in 1944 British and Greek advance units landed at Piraeus during World War II.

In 1962 “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” by Edward Albee opened on Broadway.

In 1974 longtime television host Ed Sullivan died in New York; he was 72.

In 1981 voters in Egypt participated in a referendum to elect Vice President Hosni Mubarak the new president, one week after the assassination of Anwar Sadat.

In 1987 Costa Rican President Oscar Arias was named winner of the Nobel Peace

Prize for his efforts on behalf of a Central American peace plan.

In 1988 Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz was named recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature.

In 1990, at the start of a three-day conference in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, the crown prince of Kuwait promised greater democracy for the emirate if it were freed from Iraqi occupation. Also in 1990 Le Duc Tho, co-founder of the Vietnamese Communist Party, died in Hanoi; he was 79.

In 1991 the Senate Judiciary Committee heard conflicting testimony from friends and associates of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and Anita Hill, the University of Oklahoma law professor who had accused Thomas of sexually harassing her.

In 1993 the U.N. Security Council voted to reimpose sanctions on Haiti unless military leaders there stopped violating a U.N.-brokered accord. Also in 1993 a German who had stabbed tennis star Monica Seles received a suspended jail term.

In 1994 pro-British Protestant paramilitaries in Northern Ireland announced a cease-fire matching the Irish Republican Army's 6-week-old truce. Also in 1994 Japanese novelist Kenzaburo Oe won the Nobel Prize in literature.

In 1995 British physicist Joseph Rotblat and the anti-nuclear group he founded, the Pugwash Conference, won the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1997 a jet-powered car driven by British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green streaked across Nevada's Black Rock Desert at speeds topping 764 mph, faster than the speed of sound. However, the car couldn't complete two runs within the 60 minutes required by record-keepers. (Green officially broke the record two days later.)

In 1999 the Senate defeated the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, 51-48. Also in 1999, in Boulder, Colo., the JonBenet Ramsey grand jury was dismissed after 13 months of work with prosecutors saying there wasn't enough evidence to charge anyone in the 6-year-old's strangulation.

In 2000 South Korean President Kim Dae Jung was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Also in 2000 Gus Hall, the onetime labor official and longtime American communist leader, died in New York; he was 90.

In 2001 Ukraine's defense minister and air defense chief offered to resign, conceding that the military was involved in the explosion of a Russian airliner over the Black Sea on Oct. 4 that killed 78 people.

In 2002 historian Stephen Ambrose died in Bay St. Louis, Miss.; he was 66.

In 2003 the U.N. Security Council approved a resolution expanding the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Afghanistan. Also in 2003 Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed into law a controversial redistricting bill designed to put more Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation.

Chicago Tribune extends our condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have passed.

chicagotribune.com/deathnotice

Death Notices

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Cherbonnier, Phyllis White

Phyllis White Cherbonnier died peacefully at home in Winnetka, IL, in her daughter's arms on October 7, 2026, a few weeks short of her 105th birthday. She was born in St. Louis, MO, on October 30th, 1921, to Maria Bain White and Dr. Park Jerauld White. She is a graduate of the John Burroughs School, Bryn Mawr College and Union Theological Seminary. She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, the Rev. Dr. Edmond LaBeaume Cherbonnier. She is survived by her sister Katherine White Drescher; her two children: Laurie Goodwin Cherbonnier (J. Christopher Nielsen) and Camden LaBeaume Cherbonnier (Mary Meyer); and four Grandchildren: Emily and Genevieve Nielsen and Kellie (Jo) and Amy Cherbonnier.

She spent most of her life between Hartford, CT, where her husband taught at Trinity College, and London. She exemplified the advice of Sydney Smith: "Do your best with a gay and careless heart." She was a voracious reader who loved travel, especially to France, tennis, paddle tennis and bridge. A funeral will be held in St. Louis, where she will be buried next to her husband at Bellefontaine Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, 303 East Wacker Drive, Suite 2300, Chicago, IL 60601-5224, tel.800-486-8844, or www.ifcj.org.

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Lipsich, MD, Michael Paul

Michael Paul Lipsich, MD, age 87, of Boca Raton, FL and raised his family in Winnetka, IL. He is survived by his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Joyce Lipsich, nee Carmel,

his wife of 67 years. He was the loving father of Lisa (Sheldon) Cin, Michele (Craig) Gordon, and Todd (Wendi) Lipsich; adored Papa Michael of Matthew (Gia) Cin, Clay (Lindsey) Gordon, Jordan (Laura) Cin, Spencer (Alexis) Gordon, Abby (Jonathan) Reiner, Paige (Ben) Newman, Taylor (Sam) Shapiro, and Joey (Nikki) Lipsich; proud great grandfather of Pearl, Roux, Judd, Troy, Cora, Millie, Sloane, Chandler, Scottie, Perry, Jacob, Walker, Tyler, and Leo; devoted son of the late Maurice and the late Ruth Lipsich; brother of Barbara Vinton; son-in-law of the late Sol and the late Annette Carmel; brother-in-law of the late James Carmel.

Michael was the true definition of a renaissance man. Not only was he a brilliant surgeon, a musical genius, and a great athlete, but most importantly, he was deeply caring and inquisitive with everyone he encountered. If you knew Michael, you knew he had a joke for every topic and a topic for every conversation.

Family was the absolute priority in his life. The truest measure of Michael is the family he leaves behind. Anyone who has spent time with the Lipsich family knows how close they are, and that closeness is his legacy that will carry on forever. A truly unique man, an exceptionally larger than life kinda guy.

Service Thursday, 12 Noon CT at The Chapel, 8851 Skokie Blvd, Skokie (At Niles Center Road). Michael's service will be livestreamed on his webpage at www.goldmanfuneralgroup.com. Interment Memorial Park, Skokie. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that memorial contributions be made in loving memory of Michael Lipsich to Toby & Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences of Boca Raton. Checks may be sent to Toby & Leon Sinai Residences, 21036 95th Avenue South, Boca Raton, FL 33428 Attention: Accounting Department. For credit cards, please use this link in honor of Michael Lipsich https://square.link/u/DbscdD3X. Info: The Goldman Funeral Group (847) 478-1600

GOLDMAN

FUNERAL GROUP

Death Notices

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Skipton, Mary Margaret

Mary Margaret Skipton, née Sullivan, age 78, passed away peacefully in Park Ridge on October 10, 2026. Mary was born to her Irish immigrant parents, Michael and Helen (née D'Arcy) Sullivan, in Chicago, Illinois. Mary attended Our Lady of Lourdes Grammar School and Immaculata High School. She went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Loyola University, where she triple-majored. Mary was a proud Irish-American woman and a talented Irish step dancer. She joined the Chicago office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1969 after graduating from Loyola. While there, Mary held a series of positions in the Human Resources Department, including leading recruitment and staffing for the Chicago office. Mary was credited with establishing one of the most effective urban intern programs at HUD. In 1983, Mary joined the Harold Washington administration as Deputy for Finance and Administration with the City of Chicago's Department of Housing. While there, she brought merit and fairness to the hiring process. Mary was appointed Purchasing Agent by Mayor Washington in 1985. She was the first woman to head the City's Purchasing Department. The City Council voted unanimously to reconfirm her to a four-year term in 1988. Mary left the public sector in 1989. In 1992, she launched Energon, Inc., a natural gas supplier with offices on LaSalle Street in Chicago. During her 17 years of ownership, Energon was recognized as one of the top women-owned businesses in the United States by Women's Enterprise USA magazine and was featured in MBE Magazine with an article titled "Q & A with the CEO of Energon, Inc." Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Energon, Inc. as one of the fastest-growing women-owned businesses in 2006. She sold Energon, Inc. in 2008.

She met Don McQuilkin in 1992, and they became friends, which later developed into a deep love for one another. They were married in 2005. Mary and Don spent their retirement years traveling between their homes in Park Ridge and Texas. They also traveled extensively throughout Europe. Mary was a "fashionista" and knew how to throw a party. Mary had many pets throughout her life and treated them like family. Mary is survived by her husband of 21 years, her stepchildren, Christopher (Beth), Lisa, and Rachel (J), her many loving cousins and friends, especially Jane Mistretta, Sheila Jaycox, Eileen Donohue, and her sister-in-law, Joanne McQuilkin. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Michael and Helen. Mary was deeply loved, and anyone who knew her was better for it. Mary will be missed by all who knew her.

Mary's services will be a visitation on Thursday, October 15, 2026 from 3:00pm to 8:00pm at Cooney Funeral Home located at 625 Busse Hwy, Park Ridge IL 60068 and Friday, October 16, 2026 a Funeral Mass will be held at Mary Seat of Wisdom located at 920 Granville Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068 at 10am.

Followed by her interment at All Saints Cemetery located at 700 N River Rd, Des Plaines, IL 60016. In in lieu of flowers please consider a donations to St. Jude in Mary's honor.

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Farms and Ranches For Sale

Mazon \$899,900 60444-6257

4700 E Grand Ridge Rd Farm

10 acre horse property in Grundy County.

Full listing in For Sale By Owner. 815-592-

1067

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Legal Notice

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CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Advertisement for Professional Services

Proposals will be received for the following

by Chicago Transit Authority through Electronic Submission to the Bid Office's E-Procurement Platform no later than 3:30 P.M. on

Friday, November 13, 2026 to the link below:

https://transitchicago.bonfirehub.com/

portal/?tab=openOpportunities

ReqNo.: B27RG04916,

Request Proposals for Sale of Surplus

Proposals for a Transit-Oriented Development

at 3401 to 3427 North Clark and 947 to 949

West Newport.

PROPOSAL GUARANTEE: NONE

Questions regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing via Bonfire no later than

4:30 p.m. (CST) Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

Questions will not be accepted after this date and time.

For additional information, please contact

Greg Medrano, Sr. Procurement Coordinator,

gmedrano@transitchicago.com

Chicago Transit Authority hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that

in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, Disadvantaged

Business Enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

PLEASE NOTE: The right is reserved to accept any bid or any part or parts thereof or to reject any and all bids.

CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY

By: Ellen G. McCormack

Vice President

Purchasing & Supply Chain

October 13, 2026

10/13/2026 162815

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LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT October 13th, 2026 CITY OF CHICAGO

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DEPARTMENT OF PROCUREMENT SERVICES

The Bidder must complete and submit an Electronic Bid prior to the bid due date. An electronic bid must be submitted through the City of Chicago's website at www.cityofc ihicago.org/eprocurement, on or before the due date and time stated below. The City's system will not accept electronic bids after the due date and time. Bidders must register for a log-in account to submit an electronic bid. Please allow up to three business days for creation of your log-in account. Paper bids will not be accepted. All Bids will be opened and publicly read aloud for the following:

DESCRIPTION: Airside and Landside Concrete and Maintenance for O'Hare and Midway International Airports. DEPARTMENT: Chicago Department of Avia

TYPE: Aviation – Work Service Competitive Bid.

ELECTRONIC BID DOCUMENTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED AND RESPONDED TO FROM THIS URL ADDRESS: www.cityofchicago.org/eprocurement

SPECIFICATION NO: 1300457A

RFQ NO: 77421

BID OPENING DATE: November 18, 2026,

11:00 AM Central Time.

QUESTION DUE DATE: October 27, 2026, at 4:00 p.m.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE: October 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Central Time, O'Hare Airport Administration Building, 10510 W. Zemke Road, Chicago, IL 60666

CONTACT: Derrick Knight Jr,

Senior Procurement Specialist/

Procurement Specialist

Email: Derrick.knightjr@cityofchicago.org

10/13/2026 161887

Print subscribers - if you haven't activated your FREE digital subscription go to Chicago Tribune.com/activate to get bonus online content for subscribers only

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Legal Notice

In the matter of the revision of the assessment of Real Property for 2026:

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the provisions of Section 14-35 of the Illinois Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/14-35) that the Assessor of Cook County will sit for the purpose of reviewing the proposed 2026 assessment of Real Property located in the following township(s) or taxing district(s) in Cook County.

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THORNTON

Identified also as Area(s) 29, 30 under the Permanent Real Estate Index Numbering System of Cook County.

The last date within which applications for revisions of assessment (Real Estate Assessed Valuation Appeals) may be filed for consideration at such sitting is November 23, 2026.

Such sitting will be held at the office of the Assessor of Cook County, Room 301, in the County Building, 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60602, and will continue thereafter from day to day as necessary until all such revisions in said township(s) or taxing district(s) have been completed.

Done by the Assessor of Cook County this 13th day of October, 2026.

FRITZ KAEGI

ASSESSOR OF COOK COUNTY

Oct. 13, 2026 162899

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Take Notice

TO: Marian Radgowski, Occupant, Richard S Radgowski, Czesława Radgowski, Richard S Radgowski Maria Szpak, Richard S Radgowski, Marian Radgowski, Christopher Radgowski, Occupant, Occupant, Cook County Clerk TAX DEED NO. 2026COTD002700 FILED 10/5/2026 TAKE NOTICE County of: Cook Date Premises Sold or Forfeited: 01/11/2024 Certificate No.: 21-0004577 Sold or Forfeited for General Taxes of (year): 2021 Sold for Special Assessment of (Municipality) N/A and special assessment number N/A Warrant No. N/A Inst. No. N/A THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN SOLD FOR DELINQUENT TAXES Property Address (as identified on the most recent tax bill, if available): 4516 S Karlov Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60632 Legal Description or Property Index No. 19-03-413-039-0000 This notice is to advise you that the above property has been sold for duequent taxes and that the period of redemption from the sale will expire on March 15, 2027. Check with the county clerk as to the exact amount you owe before redeeming. This notice is also to advise you that a petition has been filed for a tax deed which will transfer title and the right to possession of this property if redemption is not made on or before March 15, 2027. This matter is set for hearing in the Circuit Court of this county in Room 1704, Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago, Illinois 60602 on March 24, 2027, at 9:30 a.m. You may be present at this hearing but your right to redeem will already have expired at that time. YOU ARE URGED TO REDEEM IMMEDIATELY TO PREVENT LOSS OF PROPERTY Redemption can be made at any time on or before March 15, 2027, by applying to the County Clerk of Cook County, Illinois, at the time of the County Clerk in Room 434, 118 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois. For further information contact the County Clerk: Address: 118 North Clark Street, Room 434, Chicago, IL Telephone and/or Email Address: 312-603-5645 / tax redemption@cookcountyil.gov CLARK & RANDOLPH, LLC Purchaser or Assignee Dated: 10/5/2026 10/12, 10/13, 10/14/2026 158545

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CHICAGO ACCUWEATHER

Monday's reading

AccuWeather

TEAM

Meteorologists Larry Mowry, Cheryl Scott, Jaisol Martinez, Tracy Butler and Greg Dutra

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AccuWeather

Outlook: Very warm with times of clouds and sun. Partly cloudy and warm tonight with a couple of showers late; cloudy in the northern suburbs. | Tuesday | Day | | | | | Mainly cloudy and very warm | Winds: W 7-14 mphPOP: 15% | Wednesday | Day | | | | Night | Mostly cloudy and cooler | Winds: NNE 8-16 mphPOP: 25% | Thursday | Day | | | | | Cloudy with a shower and thunderstorm | Winds: E 7-14 mphPOP: 90% | Friday | Day | | | | | Partly sunny and stiff winds | Winds: NNW 12-25 mphPOP: 5% |

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Chicago forecast | Saturday | [85W] | Day | | | Plenty of sunshine | Winds: WSW 6-12 mphPOP: 0% | Sunday | Day | | | | | Partly sunny | Winds: SSW 8-16 mphPOP: 5% | ---

Tuesday Conditions

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Tuesday Activities

AccuWeather.com UV Index™

8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m.

RealFeel Temperature® | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68° | 73° | 78° | 80° | 79° | 75° | 75° | 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 8 p.m. | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | Golfing Index

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Chicago almanac

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Monday temperatures

The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low, 3-5 Moderate, 6-7 High, 8-10 Very High, 11+ Extreme. The patented AccuWeather.com RealFeel Temperature is an exclusive index of effective temperature based on eight weather factors. Golf and Fishing Indexes: 0-2: Poor; 3-4: Fair; 5-6: Good; 7-8: Very Good; 9-10: Excellent.

Fishing Index

Local temperatures | Average | Record | Monday high: 88° | 65° | 88° (2026) | Monday low: 63° | 47° | 28° (1988) | through 6 p.m. Monday | Average | Location | High | Low | High | Low | Aurora | 87° | 53° | 65° | 42° | Gary | 90° | 63° | 66° | 46° | Kankakee | 89° | 55° | 67° | 44° | Lansing | 88° | 56° | 66° | 45° | Midway | 88° | 62° | 65° | 48° | Romeoville | 90° | 56° | 66° | 45° | Valparaiso | 87° | 53° | 67° | 45° | Waukegan | 86° | 60° | 63° | 44° | Monday Precipitation

Source: Loyola Medicine via NAB | 2026 | 2025 | Normal | Monday* | 0.00" | 0.00" | 0.11" | Month to date | 1.41" | 1.36" | 1.35" | Year to date | 36.08" | 24.27" | 31.25" | \*24-hour period ending 4 p.m. Monday

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Cosmos

Pollen as of 10/8

Sun and moon | Trees | Grass | Weeds | Mold | Absent | Absent | Low | Very High | Source: Loyola Medicine via NAB | Moderate | Tuesday’s forecast | Good | Primary pollutant | ParticulatesSource: AirNow.gov | ---

Air Quality Index

Full

First | Tue. | Wed. | Sunrise | 7:01 a.m. | 7:02 a.m. | Sunset | 6:12 p.m. | 6:11 p.m. | Moonrise | 10:21 a.m. | 11:24 a.m. | Moonset | 7:25 p.m. | 8:05 p.m. |

Last

New

Oct 25

Oct 18

Nov 1

Nov 9

Tuesday's Planet Watch | Rise | Set | Mercury | 9:19 a.m. | 6:59 p.m. | Venus | 8:42 a.m. | 6:11 p.m. | Mars | 12:52 a.m. | 3:25 p.m. | Jupiter | 2:01 a.m. | 3:58 p.m. | Saturn | 5:57 p.m. | 6:15 a.m. | Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

Best viewing times today: Venus: not visible Mars: 6:30 a.m. Jupiter: 6:30 a.m. Saturn: 6:40 p.m. Mercury: 6:40 p.m.

National cities

Shown is Tuesday's weather. Temperatures are Tuesday's highs and Tuesday night's lows with high and low RealFeel Temperatures shown below.

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AccuWeather

Get the AccuWeather app

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Lake Michigan

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Tuesday

Wind from the west-southwest at 6-12 knots. Seas 1-3 feet. Visibility generally clear. Water temperature: 63.

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Boating Index | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | ---

Wednesday

Wind from the north-northeast at 8-16 knots. Seas 2 feet or less. Visibility generally unrestricted. Water temperature: 68.

Boating Index: 0-2: Poor; 3-4: Fair; 5-6: Good; 7-8: Very Good; 9-10: Excellent.

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National forecast

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Weather history

On Oct. 13, the Great Hurricane of 1846 moved from Cuba northward through Georgia and the Carolinas to Pennsylvania and caused great damage all along its path.

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Weather Trivia™ Q: What is black frost?

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World cities

crystals

A: When cold kilks vegetation without the presence of ice

Do you have a weather question for the ABC 7 team? Submit them at abc7chicago.com/weather or send them to:

Ask ABC 7 Weather Team

190 N. State Street

Chicago, IL 60601

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Regional cities | Tue. | Wed. | City | Hi/Lo/W | Hi/Lo/W | Abilene | 94/75/c | 91/70/t | Albany, NY | 66/62/sh | 67/49/sh | Albuquerque | 73/53/pc | 69/45/s | Amarillo | 86/62/t | 71/56/t | Anchorage | 44/33/sh | 44/37/pc | Asheville | 83/55/s | 84/58/s | Aspen | 55/37/t | 48/32/r | Atlanta | 89/63/s | 88/64/s | Atlantic City | 74/65/s | 80/61/pc | Austin | 93/78/t | 90/71/pc | Baltimore | 82/63/s | 87/64/t | Billings | 52/32/c | 61/40/sh | Birmingham | 90/60/s | 92/62/s | Bismarck | 51/31/c | 61/40/c | Boise | 62/36/s | 66/42/s | Boston | 64/60/c | 75/53/pc | Brownsville | 95/81/t | 92/76/t | Buffalo | 77/58/t | 65/49/sh | Burlington, VT | 56/50/r | 56/44/sh | Charleston, SC | 86/65/s | 87/64/s | Charleston, WV | 85/62/pc | 83/68/sh | Charlotte | 85/59/s | 87/61/s | Chattanooga | 90/59/s | 91/64/s | Cheyenne | 59/41/c | 43/38/sh | Cincinnati | 88/68/s | 82/64/sh | Cleveland | 85/63/pc | 68/52/sh | Colorado Spgs | 73/46/pc | 50/41/r | Columbia, MO | 93/71/pc | 75/64/r | Columbia, SC | 87/59/s | 90/59/s | Columbus, OH | 86/66/pc | 78/56/sh | Concord | 54/51/sh | 70/46/sh | Corpus Christi | 94/79/t | 93/76/t | Dallas | 92/77/t | 89/72/t | Daytona Beach | 86/71/s | 87/71/pc | Denver | 66/42/pc | 48/42/sh | Duluth | 53/40/c | 54/38/s | El Paso | 84/62/pc | 84/58/s | Tue. | Wed. | City | Hi/Lo/W | Hi/Lo/W | Fairbanks | 40/28/c | 40/28/pc | Fargo | 52/37/c | 58/38/s | Flagstaff | 50/31/sh | 56/33/s | Fort Myers | 89/71/pc | 90/72/s | Fort Smith | 92/75/t | 90/71/t | Fresno | 74/50/s | 79/54/s | Grand Junction | 57/46/t | 53/43/sh | Great Falls | 46/32/s | 53/31/s | Harrisburg | 80/62/pc | 82/59/s | Hartford | 63/60/c | 78/51/pc | Helena, MT | 47/27/s | 55/31/s | Honolulu | 87/73/s | 88/74/s | Houston | 91/77/t | 91/70/t | Int'l Falls | 49/39/c | 51/37/s | Jackson, MS | 95/62/s | 95/61/s | Jacksonville | 87/63/s | 87/65/s | Juneau | 49/36/c | 50/40/c | Kansas City | 89/66/t | 66/61/r | Las Vegas | 66/55/pc | 75/59/s | Lexington | 88/67/s | 85/67/sh | Lincoln | 73/53/pc | 63/53/r | Little Rock | 92/75/t | 92/71/t | Los Angeles | 76/57/s | 81/60/s | Louisville | 89/70/s | 86/69/r | Macon | 91/56/s | 90/55/s | Memphis | 92/73/s | 93/70/pc | Miami | 90/76/s | 89/77/t | Minneapolis | 63/47/sh | 61/48/pc | Mobile | 90/61/s | 90/63/s | Montgomery | 90/57/s | 91/58/s | Nashville | 92/65/s | 92/67/pc | New Orleans | 89/66/s | 89/69/s | New York City | 71/65/pc | 79/58/pc | Norfolk | 82/65/s | 87/69/s | Oklahoma City | 90/74/pc | 82/68/t | Omaha | 74/52/pc | 65/54/sh | Orlando | 88/70/s | 88/71/pc | Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. POP: Probability of Precipitation. | Tue. | Wed. | City | Hi/Lo/W | Hi/Lo/W | Illinois | Carbondale | 92/71/s | 82/68/r | Champaign | 91/68/pc | 76/62/r | Decatur | 91/69/pc | 76/62/r | Moline | 81/62/pc | 70/56/sh | Peoria | 86/67/s | 71/59/sh | Quincy | 90/68/pc | 72/60/r | Rockford | 80/60/pc | 68/54/pc | Springfield | 92/69/pc | 74/62/r | Sterling | 80/62/pc | 71/55/pc | Indiana | Bloomington | 88/69/s | 79/67/r | Evansville | 91/71/s | 84/67/r | Fort Wayne | 85/64/pc | 73/54/pc | Indianapolis | 89/69/s | 79/62/sh | Lafayette | 89/67/pc | 76/60/sh | South Bend | 82/62/pc | 69/55/pc | Wisconsin | Green Bay | 69/50/c | 62/46/pc | Kenosha | 78/58/pc | 65/53/pc | La Crosse | 70/52/pc | 66/50/pc | Madison | 73/54/pc | 65/49/pc | Milwaukee | 75/58/pc | 62/55/c | Wausau | 65/47/c | 61/44/pc | Michigan | Detroit | 83/61/pc | 67/51/pc | Grand Rapids | 75/55/pc | 67/47/c | Marquette | 52/45/sh | 51/41/c | Sault Ste. Marie | 53/49/sh | 54/40/c | Traverse City | 68/51/c | 57/43/c | Iowa | Ames | 74/52/pc | 67/56/sh | Cedar Rapids | 76/58/pc | 67/54/sh | Des Moines | 75/54/pc | 65/58/sh | Dubuque | 75/56/pc | 65/52/c | Tue. | Wed. | City | Hi/Lo/W | Hi/Lo/W | Palm Beach | 89/76/pc | 90/79/sh | Palm Springs | 78/58/s | 84/63/s | Philadelphia | 80/66/s | 83/61/pc | Phoenix | 80/59/sh | 80/61/s | Pittsburgh | 81/65/pc | 74/54/sh | Portland, ME | 55/51/r | 66/46/pc | Portland, OR | 65/48/pc | 70/50/pc | Providence | 64/61/pc | 77/53/pc | Raleigh | 86/62/s | 90/65/s | Rapid City | 52/39/sh | 57/45/sh | Reno | 59/34/pc | 68/40/s | Richmond | 85/64/s | 91/69/s | Rochester | 79/56/t | 63/48/sh | Sacramento | 77/43/s | 79/49/s | St. Louis | 95/75/pc | 79/70/r | Salem, OR | 66/43/pc | 71/45/pc | Salt Lake City | 50/43/t | 58/44/sh | San Antonio | 93/78/pc | 89/72/pc | San Diego | 73/56/s | 79/58/s | San Francisco | 72/51/s | 73/52/s | San Juan | 89/79/t | 89/79/r | Santa Fe | 68/46/pc | 64/40/s | Savannah | 88/62/s | 89/63/s | Seattle | 61/53/c | 66/50/pc | Shreveport | 91/73/t | 93/65/t | Sioux Falls | 62/42/c | 62/47/pc | Spokane | 58/37/s | 61/36/s | Syracuse | 76/57/r | 63/45/c | Tallahassee | 90/59/s | 90/61/s | Tampa | 89/72/s | 89/72/s | Topeka | 91/64/t | 69/61/t | Tucson | 79/57/sh | 78/54/s | Tulsa | 92/76/pc | 81/70/t | Washington, DC | 83/65/s | 88/65/t | Wichita | 93/67/t | 73/64/t | Wilkes-Barre | 78/63/pc | 76/51/pc | Yuma | 79/59/pc | 83/65/s | Tue. | Wed. | City | Hi/Lo/W | Hi/Lo/W | Acapulco | 89/77/pc | 89/76/r | Algiers | 81/57/s | 82/57/s | Amsterdam | 68/51/sh | 63/50/c | Ankara | 67/51/t | 64/51/sh | Athens | 69/60/sh | 64/60/c | Auckland | 69/59/pc | 72/60/pc | Baghdad | 100/76/pc | 104/84/c | Bangkok | 93/78/r | 90/78/t | Barbados | 87/80/sh | 87/79/t | Barcelona | 77/64/pc | 79/64/pc | Beijing | 72/41/s | 72/47/pc | Beirut | 82/71/pc | 81/72/pc | Berlin | 61/52/pc | 63/42/pc | Bermuda | 84/75/sh | 83/75/pc | Bogota | 64/50/r | 67/49/r | Brussels | 70/50/sh | 65/50/pc | Bucharest | 57/47/c | 60/40/c | Budapest | 61/34/s | 58/43/s | Buenos Aires | 64/56/pc | 65/56/pc | Cairo | 86/69/pc | 90/70/s | Cancun | 91/74/t | 89/75/t | Caracas | 90/78/r | 91/77/r | Casablanca | 82/58/pc | 90/61/s | Copenhagen | 57/51/pc | 60/48/c | Dublin | 60/49/sh | 63/58/c | Edmonton | 52/37/s | 60/27/pc | Frankfurt | 59/50/c | 67/42/pc | Geneva | 64/48/pc | 72/47/s | Guadalajara | 82/60/t | 83/60/t | Havana | 89/74/sh | 91/75/r | Helsinki | 45/38/pc | 50/44/r | Hong Kong | 91/78/s | 90/80/pc | Istanbul | 67/62/r | 67/57/r | Jerusalem | 78/63/pc | 80/65/pc | Johannesburg | 85/58/pc | 80/57/pc | Kabul | 68/50/pc | 65/48/pc | Kingston | 91/79/sh | 91/78/r | Forecasts and graphics, except for the WLS-TV/ABC7 Chicago content, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026 | Tue. | Wed. | City | Hi/Lo/W | Hi/Lo/W | Kyiv | 54/45/c | 57/42/pc | Lima | 81/72/pc | 82/72/s | Lisbon | 80/61/pc | 86/64/pc | London | 70/48/pc | 66/55/pc | Madrid | 83/56/s | 81/55/pc | Manila | 91/79/t | 92/78/r | Mexico City | 77/56/r | 77/55/sh | Monterrey | 88/71/r | 89/72/t | Montreal | 49/44/r | 53/41/sh | Moscow | 50/45/r | 49/43/pc | Munich | 59/52/pc | 63/43/r | Nairobi | 82/61/c | 83/63/s | Nassau | 86/78/t | 88/78/sh | New Delhi | 90/74/s | 93/74/s | Oslo | 47/39/r | 59/44/s | Ottawa | 45/42/r | 53/38/sh | Panama City | 86/74/r | 88/75/r | Paris | 75/50/sh | 68/47/s | Prague | 58/48/s | 61/39/pc | Rio de Janeiro | 82/73/pc | 83/72/t | Riyadh | 100/76/pc | 99/74/s | Rome | 75/51/s | 76/52/pc | Santiago | 65/45/r | 73/47/r | Seoul | 70/48/sh | 67/50/s | Singapore | 91/80/sh | 92/79/sh | Sofia | 51/44/r | 53/36/r | Stockholm | 47/41/pc | 48/35/r | Sydney | 68/57/t | 64/55/pc | Taipei | 92/68/s | 84/73/pc | Tehran | 83/67/pc | 86/68/pc | Tokyo | 77/70/s | 82/65/s | Toronto | 79/55/sh | 65/45/sh | Trinidad | 88/78/t | 89/78/pc | Vancouver | 56/51/c | 58/48/c | Vienna | 62/43/s | 63/45/pc | Warsaw | 54/41/c | 56/43/pc | Winnipeg | 48/35/c | 54/40/s |

---

Adopt US Kids

I asked what kind of family Amina wanted. She said, 'A family like yours.' That's when I knew I had to adopt her.

Denise, adopted 17-year-old Amina

LEARN ABOUT

ADOPTING A TEEN

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ADOPTUSKIDS.ORG

Business

PAGE 1 | SECTION B | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 | CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

A passenger walks past a CTA Green Line train after it arrived at the Clinton station in Chicago on March 20, 2025. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Green, Pink Line commutes to be affected by construction

Lake Street Bridge work to impact lines for 2 weeks

By Talia Soglin

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Major construction work will snarl Green and Pink Line commutes downtown for nearly two weeks starting Tuesday, according to the CTA and the Chicago Department of Transportation.

Green and Pink Line trains operate on the upper level of the 110-year-old Lake Street Bridge, which CDOT is doing major work on.

Between 4 a.m. Tuesday and 4 a.m. on Oct. 26, Green Line trains will not run between the Clinton and Clark/Lake stations. Shuttle buses will connect riders between the two stations, which are about a 12-minute walk apart. Green Line trains will travel around the Loop on the Orange Line's route.

Pink Line trains won't operate around the Loop. Trains will make all stops between 54th/Cermak and Polk before connecting with the CTA's Racine station, where riders can transfer to the Blue Line to get downtown. The CTA recommends riders needing to get to or from the

Ashland, Morgan or Clinton stations use the 9 or X9 Ashland bus instead.

More details about service impacts are available on the CTA's website. Brown and Orange Line service will also be affected during the last weekend of work, CDOT's project website said.

Another 12-day Green and Pink Line outage is expected in spring 2027, according to the city.

American Airlines plans to expand Starlink Wi-Fi

By Jordan Parker

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

American Airlines will install Starlink on more than 1,000 of its mainline aircraft, doubling down on the high-speed internet service before installation had even rolled out on its Airbus fleet.

In May, American said that it would install Starlink on more than 500 of its Airbus aircraft. The installations will now include American's widebody aircraft, such as the Boeing 777-300ER, which is used for long-haul international flying. Starlink installations will begin early next year, according to the airline.

"Our customers have told us that dependable connectivity can make a meaningful difference in how they spend their time in the air," American Airlines chief customer officer Heather Garboden said in a statement. "Whether they are livestreaming a favorite show, gaming, collaborating in real time on an important work deal, scrolling social media or online shopping, Starlink will give our customers countless options to make the most of their time while traveling. Just as importantly, it provides the foundation for future innovations that will further enhance the customer experience.”

Starlink uses satellite constellation technology in a low Earth orbit to bring high-speed internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more, according to the company's website. The service is operated by SpaceX, the Texas-based aerospace company founded by Elon Musk.

Because of customers' demand for increased connectivity, airlines are racing to complete Starlink installations as fast as possible. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines expects to have the service installed on more than 300 aircraft by the end of the year, it previously said. Other airlines like United Airlines and Frontier are also turning to Starlink.

American Airlines will add Starlink internet to more than 1,000 aircraft, expanding high-speed Wi-Fi to narrowbody and widebody jets.

SMILEY N. POOL/THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

George Gaitan operates the cash register at The Ancestral Oven in Oak Lawn, the cafe he and his wife, Holli Gaitan, opened after selling his sourdough bread at pop-up markets. JANICE NEUMANN/DAILY SOUTHTOWN

Ancestral Oven grows from stand at farmers market to destination

Homemade sourdough

a hit with customers

at Oak Lawn bakery

able on the South Side."

By Janice Neumann

FOR THE DAILY SOUTHTOWN

George Gaitan takes South Side pride in his homemade sourdough bread, mainly because his customers do too.

“They said, ‘I don’t have to go all the way to the North Side to get my bread,’ recalled Gaitan. “We just knew we had a product not avail-

Today The Ancestral Oven, which is at 4616 W.103rd St. in Oak Lawn, has a noticeably dedicated following, after opening two years ago on Halloween.

But bakery owners Gaitan, the head chef/baker, and his wife, Holli Gaitan, who handles the business side, started out small.

During the pandemic, with extra time on his hands, Gaitan practiced his baking.

He was working at Sherwin-Williams but had enjoyed cooking ever since he saw his mother's old Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook as a boy. His dad, who worked as a chef at a Fairmont Hotel and then in management jobs, made the craft seem important.

"It was a big thing in our house that the boys knew how to cook," said Gaitan, who had an older brother, older sister and younger sister. "When everything shut down, I had a little more time to hone my craft."

He began selling his sourdough

See OVEN on Page B3

Experts cast doubt on price impact from Russian diesel

Trump deal to boost supplies unlikely to ease pain at pump

By Alex Veiga

ASSOCIATED PRESS

A new pact that calls for Russia to boost the U.S. supply of diesel over the next few months is unlikely to make a dent in painfully high prices at the pump or elsewhere, energy policy experts say.

President Donald Trump announced Friday that he had struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately supply the U.S. more than 300,000 tons of diesel. That would be followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November, then 4 million more tons at some point after that.

The deal marks a stark reversal of policy by the U.S., which from the start of Russia's war with Ukraine had banned imports of Russian oil, and comes at a time when the U.S. economy and consumers are being squeezed by a global rise in oil prices due to the 8-month-long U.S. war with Iran.

The national average for a gallon of diesel in the U.S. hit a record high of \$6.53 on Sept. 22, according to the motor club AAA. It averaged nearly \$6.28 a gallon on Friday, up from almost \$3.68 this time last year. Diesel prices have hit records in Europe too.

Higher diesel prices mean more expensive transportation for a long list of everyday goods. That's because diesel is used for many freight and delivery networks. And some businesses have already passed along steeper costs to consumers in the form of added fees on online orders and packages in the mail.

Shoppers may feel more and more sticker shock, particularly in the grocery aisle. Perishable foods, like meat and produce, face one of the most immediate strains of expensive diesel because they need to be hauled in and restocked frequently — or may be harvested using farm equipment powered by the fuel.

But energy policy experts on Friday expressed doubts that a boost in diesel supply from Russia will have a significant impact on oil prices, whether in the U.S. or globally. "It's kind of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic," said Michael Lynch, distinguished fellow at Energy Policy Research

Foundation, a nonpartisan research institution focused on energy and economics.

"If we get diesel from Russia, basically it means that their existing customers are not going to get it and they'll have to go somewhere else, and that will keep the price basically where it is now," Lynch said.

And while the White House may be counting on this move to give some relief at the pump for U.S. truckers, ranchers and farmers who have been hit hard by rising diesel prices, that's not a given.

If Russia, which in July moved to ban diesel exports due to Ukrainian drone strikes on its refineries, now believes it is able to resume exports of diesel, then that will help stabilize global diesel prices, said Daniel Sternoff, senior fellow at the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy.

However, prices are likely to remain elevated overall because a lot of refining capacity in the Middle East isn't available to the world market due to the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz from the U.S.-Iran war. "Refined products like diesel are still barely half of prewar levels," Sternoff said. "It might take the edge off of prices, but it will not substantially lower them."

Caige Bragg of Alabama catches his third fish by 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 1 in Buchanan, Tenn. WILLIAM DESHAZER/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Students reel in financial aid

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Popularity of competitive bass fishing spawns growth of high school, youth clubs across US

By Ken Belson

THE NEW YORK TIMES

BUCHANAN, Tenn. — Just before sunrise on a Saturday in August, 25 boats bobbed in the marina at Paris Landing State Park in Buchanan, awaiting the start of the final round of the most prestigious event in high school bass fishing.

After “The Star-Spangled Banner” was played, the boats sped onto 184-mile-long Kentucky Lake in search of bass, the heavier the better.

Caige Bragg, a lanky 18-year-old Alabaman who was in first place, motored about 10 minutes south of the marina where he knew the fishing would be fruitful.

Eight hours later, Bragg returned to the marina and handed the tournament's organizer a mesh bag with his catch. At a combined 11 pounds 3 ounces, the three fish were enough to secure him the championship, beating out 213 other teams.

For winning the Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship,

Bragg received a \$25,000 boat and a \$5,000 college scholarship.

“I just love fishing for bass, to be honest,” he said. “There’s always a puzzle every time. It’s kind of like chess.”

Competitive bass fishing has been around for about 60 years, but in the past decade or two, it has turned into a high-stakes pro sport complete with star anglers, big sponsors and media deals. The chance to make a living with a rod, reel and boat — or at least get a college scholarship from it — has in turn spawned a growing number of youth fishing programs across the country.

The sport's sanctioning body, BASS Nation, short for Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, has about 12,000 anglers in 1,100 high school and youth clubs in 35 states, up from 600 clubs and about 6,000 anglers in a dozen states a decade ago. Bass fishing is sanctioned as a high school sport in at least eight states, with clubs in many other schools. (Bragg fished for his high school's club team, the Springfield Anglers.)

Dave Washburn, the vice president of operations at Major League Fishing, one of the top professional tours, said bass fishing, long a hobby, now looked and felt like many other high school sports, complete with jerseys, pep rallies and awards cere-

monies.

“For many students, it is the first time their passion is viewed as something that carries the same legitimacy as more traditional sports,” he said.

But as in other youth sports, competing at the highest levels relies on high-end equipment, entry fees and out-of-town travel. New bass boats can cost \$100,000, and they must be hauled to events, where parents have to pay for meals, hotels, gas and registration fees. Digital fish finders can cost \$2,000 or more, while rods can run hundreds of dollars each.

Most junior high school and high school bass fishing teams operate as clubs, not sanctioned sports, because schools do not want to insure the boats and anglers. "When you say boats and kids, they think liability," said Shane Barker, who runs the Tennessee Valley Bass Team, which has 42 school-age anglers, two of whom competed in the national tournament.

Without school funding, teams must raise their own money mostly by selling sponsorships, which Barker said could cost several hundred to several thousand dollars apiece. The anglers' team jerseys are often crowded with logos and names of bait shops, marinas and other businesses.

Liability laws' use on rogue AI models spurs debate

By Maggie Eastland

BLOOMBERG NEWS

The Trump administration's embrace of legal liability to enforce artificial intelligence safety sets the stage for future conflicts over who foots the bill when AI models go rogue: the companies that design the systems or the people that deploy the technology.

Holding AI developers financially responsible for the safety of their products has won support from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and former White House AI czar David Sacks, who argue that existing liability laws would be more effective than new rules. President Donald Trump, in spurning new AI safeguards, has taken it a step further, saying the Justice Department should intervene if models get out of hand.

In a sign of the administration's increased willingness to invoke current law to address safety concerns, Trump's newly launched AI task force late Friday warned developers that they are required to report and resolve security incidents or face potential unspecified consequences.

“Companies must immediately disclose incidents involving their models and follow with swift, decisive action to remedy any and all harm,” the group dubbed the Super Intelligence Force said in a statement following the disclosure of a breach by Anthropic PBC.

Yet the administration's reliance on liability as a cornerstone of AI safety remains riddled with uncertainties. Existing cybersecurity and product liability laws may not be strong enough for the federal government to hold AI agents accountable for harm, legal experts say.

Even when there are clear victims, there are few legal precedents to define who's on the hook for damages caused by rogue agents and how careful companies have to be when developing their AI tools. Further complicating any finding of responsibility, a model's behavior is shaped by both its AI industry developer and the end user deploying the system.

Wall Street firms, retailers and airlines are deploying AI agents and tools in a widening range of operations from customer service to invoice processing.

China's auto exports rise as EU caps car imports

By Chan Ho-Him and Sam McNeil

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HONG KONG – China's passenger car exports surged 64% in September from the same month in 2025, an industry association reported Monday, as Chinese automakers increasingly focus on exports to drive growth amid sluggish domestic sales.

China exported around 919,000 passenger vehicles in September, lifted by overseas demand for plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed. In the first nine months of 2026, China exported over 7.1 million passenger cars, up more than $70\%$ from the same period last year.

Meanwhile, domestic passenger car sales in China fell for most of the year as automakers faced weaker consumer confidence at home and scaled-back government subsidies. They fell 27% year-on-year in September to over 1.6 million units, according to the association.

China is the world's largest vehicle exporter but is facing increasing skepticism from trade partners who fear it's undermining their domestic industries and trade balance.

The EU is capping Chinese hybrid vehicle imports at 350,000 a year, officials say.

In recent months, Chinese automakers have more aggressively targeted rapid growth in overseas markets such as Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Canada is also opening its doors to Chinese EV exports.

The industry increasingly relies on overseas markets for sales and profit growth as players seek to offset weakness in the domestic market, analyst Stephen Chan of S&P Global Ratings said.

Consultancy AlixPartners and some auto analysts expect Chinese automakers to export nearly or around 10 million vehicles in 2026.

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Business briefs

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TRUMP NAMES ADVISER AT HIS MEDIA COMPANY TO PRESS POST

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has announced that Katie Zacharia, a communications adviser for his media company, will succeed Karoline Leavitt as White House press secretary.

Trump revealed his selection Friday on his Truth Social platform, where he often makes political and official announcements. Zacharia is a conservative commentator for Trump Media & Technology Group, which operates the social media site.

Zacharia worked as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year and has been a commentator for Fox News and Newsmax. Trump said Zacharia had been involved in his presidential campaigns.

Leavitt left the position Aug. 27. She will serve as an on-air contributor on Fox News Channel beginning Nov. 1. — Associated Press

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EU SANCTIONS RUSSIAN FIRMS, OFFICIALS IN ARMS INDUSTRY

BRUSSELS — The European Union imposed sanctions on Monday on almost 1,600 Russian people and companies linked to Russia's arms industry, notably targeting those suspected of involvement in making parts for drones and missiles.

In the biggest single listing of sanctions since the Kremlin launched full-scale war on Ukraine almost five years ago, and brings the total number of Russian officials and “entities” targeted by the EU to more than 4,500.

The EU said the companies are on a list established by the Russian government itself “that identifies them as belonging to the Russian military-industrial complex, and they are therefore entitled to receive subsidies.”

The components they provide include electronics, communication equipment, radar and navigation systems, and satellite and missile systems. — Associated Press

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TURKEY PASSES SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR KIDS YOUNGER THAN 15

Turkey has barred social media platforms from providing services to children younger than 15, according to a regulation published in the Official Gazette.

Social media companies will be required to verify users' ages when accounts are created, using an age-verification token through Turkey's e-government system. Applications from users found to be younger than 15 must be blocked, according to the new rules.

The regulation, which takes effect Nov. 1, follows a bill passed in Turkey's parliament in April. Age verification for existing accounts is expected to be completed by March 31, and accounts belonging to users found to be under 15 will have to be shut down.

Social media platforms that fail to comply with the rules may face fines of as much as 3% of their global revenue and advertising bans. — Bloomberg News

Poll reveals most Americans think AI developing too fast

By Barbara Ortutay and Linley Sanders

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — Worries around artificial intelligence cross party lines, with the vast majority of Americans saying the U.S. government should prioritize keeping AI under human control and protecting workers.

A new poll from Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that most Americans, 64%, think AI is developing “too fast,” while 27% say its development has been “about right” and only 8% say it’s moving “too slow.”

The risk that powerful AI models could evade human control and hurt humanity, once the stuff of science fiction, has been emerging as a more pressing concern. Even leaders of the companies that are developing frontier AI models are calling for a slowdown so that government regulation can catch up. President Donald Trump has pushed back against slowing down AI development because of concerns that China will gain an advantage with the technology. Data centers powering AI projects have also taken a prominent role in major political races as the midterm elections approach.

About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say it's “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. government to ensure that AI stays under human control, and they are about as likely to want the government to prioritize protecting the country’s workforce. Most U.S. adults also think minimizing environmental harm and growing the U.S. economy are highly important. About half say this about promoting technological innovation, and slightly fewer say that about competing with China.

There's bipartisan concern about the speed of AI's development, but few Americans think either major political party has an advantage in handling AI.

Trump, a Republican, also gets a low rating on his handling of the issue, with 67% of U.S. adults disapproving of his performance on AI.

Most Democrats and Republicans agree on the importance of protecting workers and keeping AI under human control, the poll found.

There's less consensus about the importance of other priorities when it comes to AI. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say it's highly important to grow the U.S. economy and to compete with other countries like China. Democrats, on the other hand, are more likely to say it's at least "very" important to minimize environmental harm.

People supporting restrictions on AI hold up signs at City Hall before a city council hearing Oct. 5 in New York. A new poll gauges U.S. adults' feelings about the tech. SETH WENIG/AP

And while about three-quarters of Democrats say AI is developing “too fast,” only about half of Republicans share that worry. People under 30 years old also express higher levels of concern than people 60 or older, the survey found.

Americans have little trust in either party when it comes to the handling of AI issues. About 4 in 10 Americans say they don't trust either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party on AI, according to the poll, while nearly 2 in 10 trust both parties equally, and the rest are split between trusting the Republicans and the Democrats.

Even people who identify with the parties are ambivalent about their ability to handle the issue. Only about half of Republicans and Democrats say their party is better equipped to handle AI issues, and roughly 3 in 10 in each case say neither party is.

A counter display case contains pastries at The Ancestral Oven in Oak Lawn, which was started after co-owner George Gaitan found his homemade sourdough selling like hotcakes. JANICE NEUMANN/DAILY SOUTHTOWN

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OVEN

from Page B1

bread at pop-up markets put together by Streetz Arts Alliance at area breweries and bars. As his bread gained popularity, he went on to sell at the Tinley Park Farmer's Market.

“We took this slow, steady approach,” said Gaitan. “Customers knew me — I was the bread guy. When we opened, I had a pretty large customer base.”

Gaitan said making sour-dough bread is not difficult. but it is very time-consuming. It takes three days, with day one mixing the starter, day two mixing dough and portioning it, and day three doing the baking.

"The end result is fantastic," he said.

The menu at The Ancestral Oven also includes traditional American bacon, egg and cheese dishes but also influences from his childhood, such as chorizo con papas and huevos rancheros. There are also sandwiches, seasonal soups and pastries. He grew up in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood and his mother was from Texas, while his dad's family was from Mexico.

Gaitan, who has an associate degree in applied sciences from the Art Institute of Chicago, bakes from scratch, making mayonnaise, pickles and roasting chickens for stock used in his soups like cream of poblano, chili and vegetable lentil.

Though the business is hard work, Gaitan enjoys it.

"For myself, having the freedom to just do whatever I want," he said. "We switch our pastry case every month, keeping up with seasonality and allowing the bakers to be creative. We work things through together. I think allowing the bakers to have a creative outlet is something you don't really see in a lot of restaurants."

It's been a labor of love for Holli Gaitan, too.

"I'm especially proud of George because of how much of himself he has put into this business," she said. "He has always been passionate about food and creative with flavors, but he has continued to learn, experiment and push himself.

"He has built the menu, developed the breads and recipes, and created the kind of food and experience that people are now coming back for."

She added it's important that it's also a family business built into the Oak Lawn community. They've worked at it while raising their 9-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son, who enjoy hanging out there.

Marilyn Standard, who has lived in Oak Lawn for 23 years and is a regular customer, said it was a welcome addition to the community. She first started coming there to take a break from shuttling her grandkids around about two years ago.

“Everything is so fresh here and the staff is very accommodating and they go out of their way to please people,” said Standard, who enjoys the chocolate-flavored pastries, scones and their Americano coffee. “George tries to incorporate different cultures and different styles of cooking.”

Standard also said Gaitan made customers feel at home, asking for feedback on food and sometimes a sample.

“I’m a big fan,” she said.

Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

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Market Roundup

DOW 51,850.55

195.60 0.38%

NASDAQ 27,245.90

-120.27 -0.44%

StocksRecap | NYSE | NASD | Vol. (in mil.) | 3663 | 3061 | Pvs. Volume | 4299 | 2756 | Advanced | 1239 | 1331 | Declined | 1389 | 2098 | New Highs | 45 | 116 | New Lows | 92 | 335 | LOCAL STOCKS

S&P 500 7,807.24

-4.30 -0.06%

EURO 1.1155

-0.0048 -0.43%

CRUDE OIL 93.74

1.89 2.06%

Commodities

Crude Oil rose 2.06% to \$93.74, leading gains. Heating Oil fell 2.96% to \$4.74, marking the largest decline. Copper increased 0.84% to \$6.70.

GOLD 4,165.80

-25.20 -0.60%

6-MO T-BILLS 4.33

0.0 0.0%

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Foreign Exchange

Indian Rupee fell most at -1.21%, while Swiss Franc led gains with 0.46%. Mexican Peso declined -0.97%, and Australian Dollar rose 0.34%.

Interestrates

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 5.24%. Yields affect interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans. | PRIME RATE | FED FUNDS | YEST | 7.00 | 3.88 | 6 MO AGO | 6.75 | 3.63 | 1 YR AGO | 6.75 | 3.63 | 30-YR T-BONDS 5.6

-0.0 -0.02% | FUELS | CLOSE | PVS. | CHG | %YTD | Crude Oil (bbl) | 93.74 | 91.85 | +1.89 | +63.2 | Heating Oil (gal) | 4.74 | 4.88 | -0.14 | +121.3 | Natural Gas (mm btu) | 3.17 | 3.22 | -0.05 | -14.1 | Unleaded Gas (gal) | 3.29 | 3.30 | +0.00 | +91.9 | METALS | CLOSE | PVS. | CHG | %YTD | Aluminum (ton) | 3,134.25 | 3,180.00 | -45.75 | +7.8 | Copper (lb) | 6.70 | 6.64 | +0.06 | +19.0 | Gold (oz) | 4,165.80 | 4,191.00 | -25.20 | -3.7 | Platinum (oz) | 1,679.40 | 1,679.30 | +0.10 | -17.4 | Silver (oz) | 60.14 | 60.67 | -0.53 | -14.2 | AGRICULTURE | CLOSE | PVS. | CHG | %YTD | Lumber (1,000 bd ft) | 539.50 | 533.00 | +6.50 | -15.4 | Cattle (lb) | 2.25 | 2.25 | +0.00 | -3.0 | Coffee (lb) | 2.87 | 2.89 | -0.02 | -16.9 | Corn (bu) | 4.83 | 4.80 | +0.03 | +9.7 | Cotton (lb) | 80.54 | 79.94 | +0.60 | +25.4 | Orange Juice (lb) | 1.49 | 1.50 | -0.01 | -26.0 | Soybeans (bu) | 12.88 | 12.92 | -0.04 | +25.0 | Wheat (bu) | 6.72 | 6.71 | +0.01 | +32.6 | MAJORS | CLOSE | CHG | %CHG | 6MO AGO | 1YR AGO | British Pound (GBP/USD) | 1.3204 | -.0021 | -.16% | 1.3455 | 1.3349 | Canadian Dollar | 1.4280 | +.0017 | +.12% | 1.3841 | 1.4016 | Euro (EUR/USD) | 1.1155 | -.0048 | -.43% | 1.1730 | 1.1620 | Japanese Yen | 158.640 | +.3700 | +.23% | 159.25 | 151.20 | Mexican Peso | 18.2209 | -.1782 | -.97% | 17.286 | 18.579 | EUROPE/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST | Israeli Shekel | 3.0724 | +.0098 | +.32% | 3.0324 | 3.2715 | Norwegian Krone | 9.5867 | +.0277 | +.29% | 9.5219 | 10.120 | South African Rand | 16.4992 | -.0059 | -.04% | 16.403 | 17.486 | Swedish Krona | 9.9766 | -.0198 | -.20% | 9.2665 | 9.5057 | Swiss Franc | .8342 | +.0038 | +.46% | .7894 | .7990 | ASIA/PACIFIC | Australian Dollar | 1.4362 | +.0048 | +.34% | 1.4148 | 1.5432 | Chinese Yuan | 6.6920 | +.0000 | +.00% | 6.8278 | 7.1275 | Hong Kong Dollar | 7.8471 | -.0016 | -.02% | 7.8320 | 7.7832 | Indian Rupee | 95.4480 | -1.172 | -1.21% | 93.106 | 88.755 | Singapore Dollar | 1.2801 | +.0013 | +.10% | 1.2736 | 1.2973 | South Korean Won | 1333.28 | -6.060 | -.45% | 1483.5 | 1428.4 | Taiwan Dollar | 31.9333 | -.0131 | -.04% | 31.726 | 30.705 | TREASURIES | LAST | PVS | NET CHG | WK | MO | QTR | 1YR AGO | 3-month T-bill | 4.16 | 4.16 | 0.00 | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | 3.70 | 6-month T-bill | 4.33 | 4.33 | 0.00 | ▲ | ▲ | ▲ | 3.72 | 1-year T-bill | 4.47 | 4.47 | 0.00 | — | ▲ | ▲ | 3.70 | 2-year T-note | 4.79 | 4.79 | -0.00 | ▼ | ▲ | ▲ | 3.76 | 5-year T-note | 5.02 | 5.02 | 0.00 | ▼ | ▲ | ▲ | 3.90 | 10-year T-note | 5.24 | 5.24 | -0.00 | ▼ | ▲ | ▲ | 4.28 | 30-year T-bond | 5.60 | 5.60 | -0.00 | ▼ | ▲ | ▲ | 4.89 | CONSUMER RATES | NAT'L AVG | WK AGO | 6MO AGO | 1YR AGO | 72 month new car loan | 5.74 | 5.74 | 6.17 | 6.37 | Money Market Account | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.42 | 0.44 | 1 year cd | 2.10 | 2.08 | 1.87 | 1.97 | $30K Home equity loan | 7.34 | 7.31 | 7.05 | 8.15 | 30 year fixed mortgage | 7.51 | 7.36 | 6.41 | 6.39 | 15 year fixed mortgage | 6.85 | 6.75 | 5.82 | 5.71 | NAME | CLOSE | CHG | %CHG | YTD CHG | LO | HI | DIV | ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc. | 73.59 | -0.30 | -0.4% | -5.35 | 69.58 | 97.00 | ... | AbbVie Inc. | 281.12 | +4.65 | +1.7% | +52.63 | 190.75 | 281.30 | 6.92 | Abbott Laboratories | 101.82 | +2.22 | +2.2% | -23.47 | 81.97 | 133.34 | 2.52 | Acco Brands Corp. | 4.54 | +0.05 | +1.1% | +81 | 2.81 | 4.56 | 0.30 | Allstate Corp., The | 232.60 | +3.17 | +1.4% | +24.45 | 188.08 | 277.22 | 4.32 | AptarGroup Inc. | 118.95 | -1.43 | -1.2% | -3.01 | 103.23 | 146.91 | 1.92 | Archer Daniels Midland Cc | 80.42 | +53 | +0.7% | +22.93 | 55.58 | 88.75 | 2.08 | Baxter International Inc. | 24.78 | +43 | +1.8% | +5.67 | 15.73 | 30.00 | 0.04 | Boeing Co. | 189.50 | -0.87 | -0.5% | -27.62 | 176.77 | 254.35 | ... | Brunswick Corp. | 62.14 | +66 | +1.1% | -12.10 | 59.06 | 90.25 | 1.76 | CDW | 143.76 | +1.59 | +1.1% | +7.56 | 97.12 | 161.10 | 2.52 | CF Industries Holdings Inc | 114.58 | +3.04 | +2.7% | +37.24 | 75.42 | 141.96 | 2.40 | CME Group Inc. | 277.24 | -3.32 | -1.2% | +4.16 | 218.31 | 329.16 | 5.20 | CNA Financial Corp. | 46.66 | +49 | +1.1% | -1.08 | 41.53 | 55.71 | 1.92 | Century Aluminum | 34.96 | -1.80 | -4.9% | -4.22 | 25.40 | 70.43 | ... | Chicago Rivet & Machine ( | 10.98 | -0.22 | -2.0% | -2.93 | 8.50 | 15.00 | 0.12 | ConAgra Brands Inc. | 13.68 | +19 | +1.4% | -3.63 | 12.53 | 20.32 | 0.70 | Deere & Co. | 632.61 | +11.68 | +1.9% | +167.04 | 433.48 | 721.22 | 6.48 | Distribution Solutions Grp | 35.06 | +03 | +0.1% | +7.67 | 19.02 | 35.30 | ... | Dover Corp. | 190.88 | +2.05 | +1.1% | -4.36 | 158.97 | 237.54 | 2.10 | Enova International Inc. | 176.83 | -1.24 | -0.7% | +19.63 | 103.02 | 267.45 | ... | Equity Lifestyle Propert. In | 59.19 | +18 | +0.3% | -1.42 | 57.46 | 69.00 | 2.17 | Exelon Corp. | 42.12 | +36 | +0.9% | -1.47 | 39.73 | 50.65 | 1.68 | Federal Signal Corp. | 114.78 | +1.21 | +1.1% | +6.19 | 101.18 | 134.51 | 0.60 | First Indust.Realty Trust In | 60.04 | +61 | +1.0% | +2.77 | 50.29 | 69.88 | 2.00 | First Mid Bancshares Inc. | 49.20 | +68 | +1.4% | +10.20 | 34.16 | 53.36 | 1.00 | Fortune Brands Innovator | 38.58 | -0.43 | -1.1% | -11.44 | 32.34 | 64.84 | 1.04 | FreightCar America Inc. | 6.28 | +03 | +0.5% | -4.79 | 6.06 | 14.90 | ... | Fuel Technologies Inc. | 1.65 | .00 | 0.0% | +.09 | 1.17 | 3.45 | ... | GATX Corp. | 166.16 | +1.38 | +0.8% | -3.44 | 150.42 | 205.56 | 2.64 | Gallagher & Co., Arthur J. | 233.92 | +1.22 | +0.5% | -24.87 | 190.75 | 304.03 | 2.80 | Grainger Inc., W.W. | 1306.73 | +16.94 | +1.3% | +297.68 | 906.52 | 1419.91 | 9.96 | Groupon Inc. | 18.46 | -0.17 | -0.9% | +.85 | 9.17 | 29.90 | ... | Hub Group Inc. | 26.61 | +85 | +3.3% | -16.00 | 25.64 | 53.26 | 0.50 | Huron Consulting Group Ir | 173.23 | +6.18 | +3.7% | +.32 | 84.88 | 186.78 | ... | Hyatt Hotels Corp. | 161.18 | -0.76 | -0.5% | +.86 | 134.18 | 206.86 | 0.60 | IDEX Corp. | 235.77 | +1.48 | +0.6% | +57.83 | 159.27 | 243.80 | 2.92 | Illinois Tool Works Inc. | 265.11 | +98 | +0.4% | +18.81 | 238.82 | 303.16 | 6.88 | Ingredion Inc. | 96.22 | +1.13 | +1.2% | -14.04 | 93.72 | 123.49 | 3.32 | JBT Marel Corp. | 106.73 | -0.35 | -0.3% | -43.94 | 103.26 | 170.19 | 0.40 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 334.30 | +1.31 | +0.4% | +12.08 | 279.10 | 366.50 | 6.60 | John B. Sanfilippo & Son I | 67.36 | +.36 | +0.5% | -3.24 | 59.07 | 92.08 | ... | Jones Lang Lasalle Inc. | 298.10 | -1.77 | -0.6% | -38.37 | 259.83 | 393.84 | ... | Kemper Corp. | 27.61 | +.66 | +2.4% | -12.93 | 22.69 | 50.52 | 1.28 | Knowles Corp. | 36.52 | -1.04 | -2.8% | +15.09 | 20.57 | 42.93 | ... | Kraft Heinz | 22.45 | +.18 | +0.8% | -1.80 | 21.04 | 28.09 | 1.60 | LKQ Corp. | 22.10 | +.26 | +1.2% | -8.10 | 21.17 | 37.13 | 1.20 | Lifeway Foods Inc. | 22.58 | +.42 | +1.9% | -1.65 | 17.31 | 32.71 | ... | Littelfuse Inc. | 413.84 | -12.66 | -3.0% | +160.92 | 233.36 | 500.57 | 3.00 | MYR Group Inc. (Del.) | 313.18 | +1.55 | +0.5% | +94.68 | 190.14 | 503.56 | ... | McDonald's Corp. | 235.65 | +.42 | +0.2% | -69.98 | 229.20 | 341.75 | 7.72 | Methode Electronics Inc. | 15.24 | -0.31 | -2.0% | +8.60 | 4.88 | 20.38 | 0.20 | Middleby Corp | 105.37 | -0.58 | -0.5% | -14.23 | 89.15 | 148.20 | ... | Mondelez International Inc | 61.79 | +1.38 | +2.3% | +7.96 | 51.20 | 66.65 | 2.08 | Morningstar Inc. | 204.30 | -0.15 | -0.1% | -13.01 | 141.49 | 227.51 | 2.00 | Motorola Solutions Inc. | 446.33 | +2.15 | +0.5% | +63.01 | 359.36 | 494.85 | 4.84 | NISOURCE Inc. | 41.23 | +.47 | +1.2% | -0.53 | 38.42 | 49.21 | 1.20 | Northern Trust Corp. | 169.22 | +1.00 | +0.6% | +32.62 | 121.12 | 193.89 | 3.20 | Oil-Dri Corp. of America | 85.33 | -0.65 | -0.8% | +36.39 | 45.61 | 107.00 | 0.90 | Old Republic Intl Corp. | 38.07 | -0.10 | -0.3% | -7.57 | 36.65 | 46.76 | 1.26 | Old Second Bancorp Inc. | 24.84 | +.23 | +0.9% | +5.34 | 16.65 | 26.06 | 0.28 | OneSpan Inc. | 17.85 | -0.37 | -2.0% | +5.01 | 10.07 | 18.82 | 0.52 | Packaging Corp. of Americ | 227.82 | -2.69 | -1.2% | +21.59 | 191.50 | 259.98 | 6.00 | Paylocity Holding Corp. | 156.03 | +2.07 | +1.3% | +3.53 | 93.27 | 160.73 | ... | Portillo's Inc. | 4.27 | +.25 | +6.2% | -0.27 | 3.29 | 6.69 | ... | Richardson Electronics Ltd | 20.74 | -0.05 | -0.2% | +9.86 | 9.37 | 23.15 | 0.24 | Ryan Specialty Holdings Ir | 37.25 | +.24 | +0.6% | -14.38 | 29.28 | 58.94 | 0.52 | Stepan Co. | 60.80 | -0.23 | -0.4% | +13.44 | 41.82 | 68.00 | 1.58 | Suncoke Energy Inc. | 10.06 | +.12 | +1.2% | +2.86 | 5.52 | 10.68 | 0.48 | Telephone & Data Systems | 34.79 | +1.26 | +3.8% | -6.21 | 31.51 | 49.12 | 0.16 | Titan International Inc. | 6.85 | -0.10 | -1.4% | -0.98 | 6.37 | 11.70 | ... | Tootsie Roll Industries Inc. | 37.71 | +.23 | +0.6% | +1.08 | 34.44 | 45.06 | 0.36 | TransUnion | 66.07 | +.59 | +0.9% | -19.68 | 60.96 | 89.12 | 0.50 | US Foods Holding Corp. | 97.70 | +.27 | +0.3% | +22.38 | 69.88 | 111.42 | ... | Ulta Beauty Inc. | 567.47 | -2.90 | -0.5% | -37.54 | 443.60 | 714.97 | ... | United Airlines | 104.44 | -3.02 | -2.8% | -7.38 | 84.64 | 138.77 | ... | Ventas Inc. | 83.54 | +1.50 | +1.8% | +6.16 | 66.92 | 101.60 | 2.08 | Wintrust Financial Corp. | 144.20 | +.95 | +0.7% | +4.38 | 119.61 | 167.22 | 2.20 | Yunhong Green CTI Ltd. | 2.70 | -0.05 | -1.8% | -0.93 | 2.38 | 7.11 | ... | Zebra Technologies Corp. | 388.12 | +.94 | +0.2% | +145.30 | 199.05 | 390.80 | ... | # Musk gives \$276M to aid midterms

Elon Musk receives the National Medal of Science from President Donald Trump on Thursday in D.C. WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY

Donations aimed at saving Republicans' majority in Senate

By Theodore Schleifer

THE NEW YORK TIMES

WASHINGTON — Elon Musk has quietly funneled more than \$276 million into Republican groups and his super political action committee since the start of July, building a huge turnout operation to help the party battle headwinds in the midterm elections.

The staggering amount of money makes Musk, the richest person in the world, by far the largest known donor in the midterms. Representatives for Musk supplied the previously unreported figures on his political giving to The New York Times before a federal filing deadline Thursday.

In an effort to save Republicans' Senate majority, Musk gave a total of \$158 million this summer to the Senate Leadership Fund, the main super PAC backing the party's candidates for the chamber, according to his team. In sum, that is one of the largest political donations in American history, and more than the group's Democratic rival raised from all of its donors that quarter.

Musk has also built a major Republican turnout operation through a super PAC he founded in 2024, America PAC. He donated over \$76 million this summer to the group, which spent that much on building a sprawling canvassing program to try to turn out hard-to-reach Republican voters. The group is active in seven Senate battlegrounds and nearly three dozen House races.

Musk has already given far more money, about \$366 million, to federal committees during the 2025-26 election cycle than he did during the 2024 election, when he laid out roughly \$290 million to help return President Donald Trump and Republicans to power. He has given even more in undisclosed donations during both elections, according to people briefed on the giving.

The latest torrent of spending has helped give the Republican Party a financial advantage in the midterms, as well-funded outside groups like Trump's powerful super PAC flood the airwaves with advertising in the final weeks. No Democratic billionaire is spending nearly as much as

Musk, and money remains a central worry for the party in an otherwise favorable political environment.

The donations also clear up the mystery of how much staying power Musk wants to have in American politics.

“In terms of political spending, I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” he said in May 2025.

Musk, who oversees a vast business empire that has benefited from enormous federal contracts, is famously unpredictable and often jumps from one project to another. He has been far quieter about his political work since his dramatic blowup with Trump last year. After months of wielding vast influence inside the

White House and overseeing Trump's government cost-cutting project, the Department of Government Efficiency, he raged against the president's major domestic policy bill and floated threats to start a third party.

But the two men have warmed back up, appearing together at three events in the last two weeks and praising each other.

Now Musk has donated more than a quarter-billion dollars to help Trump and Republicans in the midterms. The money signals his commitment to the right and sets him up as a potential player in the 2028 presidential election, when his super PAC says it intends to remain active – the first time it has confirmed such plans.

Beyond Musk's donations to his super PAC and the Senate Leadership Fund, his representatives said that from July through September, he had given smaller but still substantial amounts to other conservative groups:

■ \$20 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, the main super PAC for House Republicans

■ \$10 million to Lone Star Liberty PAC, a group supporting Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for Senate in Texas

■ \$10 million to the Republican Governors Association

■ \$2 million to the Republican Attorneys General Association

This spring, Trump's political advisers asked Musk to reprise America PAC's 2024 field program, a person familiar with the conversation said. Despite the challenging environment for Republicans, some party strategists believe that a field program can make the difference in particularly tight races.

As it did in 2024, Musk's operation is focused not on persuading swing voters, but on registering and turning out voters with conservative beliefs — especially "low-propensity" ones who are less likely to cast a ballot.

This is a lot harder for Republicans in a midterm election, without Trump at the top of the ballot.

To do it, Musk's super PAC is leaning hard into the culture wars, especially transgender issues. (Musk's daughter, who is transgender, has spoken about their clashes over her identity, and he has suggested that this led to his increased political engagement.)

Musk is taking a hands-off approach this election and does not appear as personally passionate. He has not brought up the midterm elections or the Trump presidency much in private conversations with friends, according to people who have spoken to him in recent months. He is focused on his businesses, these people say, entrusting major decisions to Chris Young, his top adviser.

The \$276 million figure is, of course, just what is publicly known. Musk has also made some seven-figure donations to support midterm candidates through groups that are not required to disclose their donors, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Saudis search for answers in defense systems' failure

Drones cleared path for missiles to strike airport, officials say

By Samy Magdy

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CAIRO — Saudi Arabia has launched an investigation to determine how its air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, including an attack on Riyadh airport that killed at least 13 people and wounded over 300, two regional officials said Monday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the initial probe showed that Yemen's Houthis first fired multiple drones to pave the way for a mix of cruise and ballistic missiles to reach Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport.

The Houthis possess ballistic missiles and advanced systems fitted with warheads that can change direction during flight and pose a challenge to Patriot interceptors and other defense systems used by the

Saudis.

One of the officials said the investigation also aims to find out why air defense systems did not provide earlier warning of the attack in which the Houthi missiles and drones flew over 620 miles to reach Riyadh.

The incident, one of a string of Houthi attacks since last week on Saudi airports, has exposed vulnerabilities in Saudi Arabia's defense system and signaled a dangerous inflection point in an expanding Mideast conflict that began more than seven months ago when the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb. 28.

The Saudi-led coalition also said it had twice intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles launched Monday by Yemen's Houthi rebels toward Riyadh.

At least three explosions could be heard Monday night in the city. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Civil Defense officials later said the danger had passed.

The rebels later said they had targeted King Khalid Airport on Monday, warning international airlines that all Saudi airports, except those

25 $^{TH}$ WPC ENERGY CONGRESS

Guests attend the 25th World Petroleum Council's Energy Congress on Monday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after Houthi strikes hit the capital's airport. FAYEZ NURELDINE/GETTY-AFP

in the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina, were unsafe.

Earlier Monday, the Saudi state-run media reported that its military was responding to a new attack involving drones and cruise missiles, but provided no details.

"The events of recent weeks are serious," Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman told the World Petroleum Energy Congress in Riyadh on Monday. "Our response must be equally serious."

The Saudi government-run Center for International Communication, which oversees foreign media, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the probe into defense failures.

The Saudis want the U.S. to become more directly involved in their fight against the Houthis. The U.S. has provided intelligence sharing, target identification and planning for a Saudi-led offensive, but has held off on carrying out strikes against the Houthis.

A U.S. intervention could prompt the Houthis to try to halt shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea off Yemen, restricting the flow of oil out of the Persian Gulf. The flow of Mideast oil has already been complicated by Iranian efforts to choke off the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world's oil flowed before the U.S.-Iran war began.

The rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb last month. The Saudi-led coalition, backing forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognized government, has been trying to retake them.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Saturday after the deadly airport strike that he was looking at the possibility of carrying out U.S.

attacks against the Houthis.

But the conflict comes at a delicate time for Trump, just weeks before U.S. midterm elections that will decide if his Republican Party keeps control of Congress.

Persistent inflation and high gas prices fueled by the ongoing conflict with Iran have driven widespread American disapproval of that war. Expanding U.S. military involvement in the region risks further stoking voters' resentment.

Yemen's Houthi-run Health Ministry said Monday that airstrikes on a government complex and a house in the northern province of al-Jawf killed nine people, including five children and a woman, and wounded seven others, according to the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency.

Houthi officials also said that Saudi Arabia carried out new strikes on the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, killing one person and wounding 12.

Ministry spokesperson Anees al-Asbahi said 107 Yemenis have been killed by the Saudi-led coalition since Sept. 3, and 278 were injured. Over 60% of casualties were women and children, he said.

The Riyadh airport remained closed Monday and workers in the capital's financial district were told to work from home.

US investigating TV networks' pause on shared coverage of president

By David McCabe,

Michael M. Grynbaum,

Benjamin Mullin,

Lauren Hirsch

and Glenn Thrush

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Justice Department is investigating whether the major television networks — ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News — violated federal antitrust laws when the group briefly suspended their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump, according to six people with knowledge of the department's action.

Officials from the Justice Department contacted the networks Friday and demanded communications and materials related to the White House TV pool, the people said.

The pool is a long-standing system where the networks share the responsibility of providing video of the president and distributing it to other news outlets.

Last month, the networks collectively suspended their pool footage of Trump for several days after the president barred CNN journalists from the White House grounds, which prevented CNN from participating in the pool. Video footage of some major events, including Trump's greeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping, was not carried by any major news station.

In a statement Saturday, a Justice Department spokesperson, Emily Covington, described the five networks as having “proudly boycotted covering White House

events."

“Group boycotts among commercial competitors can violate the Sherman Act,” a core antitrust law, Covington wrote. “The Antitrust Division is simply investigating to determine whether these news organizations have violated the antitrust laws.”

The inquiry by the Justice Department is a profound escalation of the Trump administration's ongoing battles with the White House press corps.

It also follows a pattern of the Trump administration using the levers of government against its perceived foes in the media.

The Justice Department has subpoenaed reporters from The New York Times and seized a laptop from a Washington Post journalist.

The investigation, which is still in its early stages, is being overseen by the department's civil division, led by Stanley Woodward, the associate attorney general and a former White House lawyer.

Organized boycotts can be considered anticompetitive if they are aimed at achieving commercial objectives, but not if their primary objective is political speech, said William Kovacic, a former chair of the Federal Trade Commission.

"The critical ingredient in successful antitrust cases is to demonstrate that there is unmistakably a commercial motive and that the commercial motive predominates," Kovacic said. "And I don't think they would ever be able to do that here."

Wringing hope from rubble of Gaza

A Palestinian is seen through a gaping hole Sunday in Al-Zawayda, central Gaza Strip. EYAD BABA/GETTY-AFP

Palestinians work to

resume lives in year

since ceasefire signed

By Aaron Boxerman

THE NEW YORK TIMES

The ceasefire last October ostensibly brought an end to Israel's war in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas-led attacks Oct. 7, 2023.

A year later, however, Israeli strikes, though less frequent, haven't stopped. More than 1,400 people in Gaza have been killed since the truce was signed, according to local health officials. Israel says it is still targeting Hamas militants.

Palestinians in Gaza are trying to reconstruct their lives and livelihoods, seeking to wring a measure of normalcy from the debris. Some are trying to rebuild, using whatever materials they can scavenge. Others are trying to revive their businesses or launch new ones.

For three years, their lives have been consumed by death and destruction. But the bombs, hunger and displacement have not erased their aspirations for something better.

---

REBUILDING FROM RUBBLE

Jaafar Atallah, 28, once earned a living in his family's factory making bowls and vases from rich clay deposits near his home in the al-Waha area of northern Gaza. His home was razed during the Israeli military campaign. So Atallah and his family reestablished their business in al-Zawaydeh, a town in central Gaza.

For a place to live, Atallah built a modest dwelling out of red bricks fired in their kiln. They no longer have the heavy machinery required to extract clay from the ground, but they have something nearly as good, he said.

"We go to a crater from an Israeli bombing, because there you can get to the clay," Atallah said. "We dig it out, purify it and get to work."

The dwelling is a single room in which he now lives with his pregnant wife. The walls, made from brick reinforced with hay, provide natural cooling during Gaza's punishing summer heat. Atallah hopes they will also help keep them warm in winter.

The United Nations says that about 80% of Gaza's buildings were destroyed or damaged in the war. Much of the enclave was leveled during Israel's withering attack, which killed at least 74,000 people, according to Gaza health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. That offensive was prompted by the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on Oct. 7, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 250 hostages were seized.

A few Palestinians in Gaza are lucky enough to have homes that are still standing or wealthy enough to pay rent. Most of the rest live in sprawling tent camps.

One resourceful builder converted broken slabs of concrete into bricks to build a house.

Another, Hassan al-Huweihe, 34, is making a business out of cracking open concrete from damaged buildings to extract the iron struts inside. The metal is straightened and then used as frames for newly built or repaired structures.

"We are trying to make something new out of the rubble," al-Huweihe said.

---

REASON TO CELEBRATE

Before the war, weddings in Gaza could be extravagant affairs, featuring sumptuous meals of roast lamb and processions through the winding streets.

Such pleasures now feel like faraway luxuries for many Gaza residents.

One couple held their wedding in a United Nations school packed with displaced residents. Another wed on a beach with little fanfare.

To pay for his wedding, Saeed Kafarneh, 21, worked for several months doing odd jobs and selling gas tanks and cartons of aid he received from relief groups to raise about \$2,000. “We worked so hard to make it happen,” Kafarneh said. “But thank God, we did it.”

Last month, Kafarneh married his wife, Nermeen Abdul Hadi, in a displaced persons camp in central Gaza, where Kafarneh's family had been sheltering. On the day of the ceremony, Kafarneh and his relatives decorated a large tent donated by a Pakistani aid organization, setting up lights and arranging flowers. They rented a loudspeaker.

In one Palestinian custom, grooms bathe beforehand at a bathhouse or friend's home, a ritual marking the transition to married life. Instead, friends and neighbors poured water on a grinning Kafarneh in a tent while they cheered and danced.

The couple had their zifaf, or ceremony. Many friends and family members could not make it. Traveling even a short distance in Gaza — where fuel prices are sky-high — can be enormously expensive. Others avoided making the trip, fearing potential Israeli attacks during their return journey after dark, Kafarneh said.

“Even people just a few kilometers away didn’t come,” he said. “So we celebrated with those around us.”

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MAKING A LIVING AGAIN

Nivin al-Ashqar hears two constant hums when she goes onto the roof of her home in the northern Gaza town of Jabalia.

One comes from the beehives that she and her husband cultivate to produce honey and beeswax for sale. The other is from Israeli drones that hover overhead, a reminder that their house lies just a few hundred yards from the demarcation line behind which the Israeli military has entrenched itself.

The Trump administration's ceasefire plan envisioned a gradual Israeli withdrawal, in parallel with Hamas' disarmament, but neither has happened.

Before the war, in addition to a single hive they kept at home, al-Ashqar's family had about 400 hives, mostly in the area now under Israeli military control. Almost all those hives were destroyed during the conflict, she said.

Early in the war, al-Ash-qar fled fighting in Jabalia with her family. When they returned more than a year later to try to clean up their badly damaged house, she heard a relentless buzzing.

"We climbed up to the roof and we saw a cloud of bees emerging from the rubble," al-Ashqar said. "It was an unbelievable feeling, indescribable."

Al-Ashqar is the primary breadwinner in her household because her husband and one of her sons were wounded during the war. She has turned again to raising bees, hoping to sell their honey.

“With both of them wounded, I’ve become the one responsible for the home,” al-Ashqar said. “My husband helps, with his experience, but I have to run it.”

Gaza's economy was devastated in the war. A few, like al-Ashqar, are slowly coaxing their businesses back to life.

Fishermen are setting out to sea, although they fear running afoul of an Israeli naval blockade of the enclave if they head too far out. Barbers who once owned their own shops now practice their trade in make-shift salons. Al-Ashqar's bees now populate six hives but produce relatively little honey.

More than half of Gaza is now also effectively off-limits to al-Ashqar, as it is to the vast majority of the 2 million Palestinians living there. But, she said, she regularly sees her bees flitting away toward the Israeli-controlled zone, crossing to places she can no longer visit.

“Sometimes, I wish I were a bee,” al-Ashqar said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks via video for the opening of the Warsaw Security Forum on Monday in Warsaw, Poland. WOJTEK RADWANSKI/GETTY-AFP

Zelenskyy: Russia strikes energy sites despite Trump's ‘ceasefire’

By Samya Kullab

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday that while Ukraine is willing to halt attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, Moscow has continued to strike his country's energy sites despite President Donald Trump's announcement that the warring countries had agreed to cease such attacks.

Speaking at the Warsaw Security Forum in Poland, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had been “horribly surprised” that Moscow struck a power plant in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, as well as a gas production facility and a civilian gas station hours after Trump announced the purported “energy ceasefire” in the 4 ½-year-old war.

Later Monday, during an interview on Fox News, Zelenskyy said his government had refrained from striking Russian energy sites since Trump's announcement Sunday, and was ready to honor an energy ceasefire as "a good first step" toward closing the war.

But, he said, “I’m not sure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is ready.”

"Even after yesterday's messages from (Trump) ... Putin attacked our gas infrastructure," Zelenskyy said. "When we speak about energy ceasefire, it means only one thing: that they don't attack our energy infrastructure and we don't respond on their energy infrastructure."

On Monday, the Kremlin wouldn't say whether Russia had agreed to such a ceasefire, saying only: “Contacts are ongoing.”

Trump announced a similar deal on ceasing energy strikes that did not come to fruition. In a social post Sept. 14, he said both countries had agreed “not to hit” each other’s energy infrastructure, but offered no details on that bid either.

Zelenskyy also pushed back on Trump's claims that Ukrainian strikes in Russia were driving up fuel prices, saying: "Everybody understands that the prices on diesel (don't) depend on our attacks on diesel in Russia. Everybody understands that it depends on the blocking (of the) Strait of Hormuz."

The European Union's top diplomat on Monday welcomed the prospect of a pause in energy strikes on Ukraine, but said she sees no sign Russia is willing to do it.

"We haven't yet seen that ... Russia will stick to it," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said at a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Luxembourg. "Personally, I would also welcome that the ceasefire would include people not being killed, not only energy."

Trump's deal with Putin to purchase diesel from Russia dismayed officials in the U.S., Ukraine and around Europe. A bipartisan group of six U.S. senators, including four Republicans, called on the Trump administration on Sunday to “immediately reverse course” on the deal, saying the U.S. should “not provide Putin with a financial lifeline” while Russia is killing Ukrainian civilians.

Kallas also pushed back on Trump's comments on Saturday that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president and that Zelenskyy has not done enough to end the war. She said that now is not the time to hold elections in Ukraine, not without a truce.

On Monday, Zelenskyy said holding elections in Ukraine was impossible during war time, especially with new Russian tactics involving attacks day and night. But he added he would be ready to work to do so if Ukraine secured a full ceasefire lasting at least 60 days.

Americans win Nobel for work on managing economic shocks

By Paul Wiseman, Stefanie Dazio and Kostya Manenkov

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Photos of Robert Hall and Michael Woodford are displayed as the winners of the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics Monday in Stockholm. ANDERS WIKLUND/TT NEWS AGENCY

STOCKHOLM – American economists Robert Hall and Michael Woodford won the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics Monday for their work on models that have helped governments and central banks manage economic shocks, such as energy crises and inflation.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the economists' work created the theoretical foundation to better understand how consumers decide whether to save or spend, insights that make it easier for policymakers worldwide to stabilize economies after fluctuations.

"The laureates' research has made it possible to manage major macroeconomic crises far more effectively than before," the Nobel committee wrote in a paper explaining the economists' work. "It has been hugely beneficial during the pandemic and the energy crises of recent years."

Woodford, who was born in 1955, is affiliated with Columbia University in New York. Woodford spoke to the committee by phone from New York, saying: "It's a tremendous honor."

Hall, 83, who is affiliated with Stanford University in California, said the award was a “wonderful surprise.”

"I've spent my career trying to understand how the economy works, following interesting questions wherever they led. When I thought I had a new idea, the next step was to find out whether it was actually new, whether it was right, and whether it mattered," he said in a statement released by Stanford.

For decades, governments responded to economic shocks by following the Depression-era prescriptions of the British economist John Maynard Keynes: Intervene in the economy by lowering interest rates and taxes and hiking government spending, thereby encouraging consumers and businesses to spend and invest and help restart growth.

“This is the Keynesian recipe, and it worked well — until it didn’t,” said Timo Boppart of the Nobel economics committee.

Policymakers had thought economic management involved simple trade-offs — unemployment, for instance, would stay low at a time of high inflation and rise when inflation fell. But the “stagflation” of the 1970s — when the world economy experienced simultaneous high inflation and high unemployment — proved the formula was simplistic.

Some economists argued that government attempts to intervene in the economy were doomed to fail. But Hall and Woodford, in separate contributions, set about improving the Keynesian model. Hall studied the way that consumers' decisions about whether and how much to spend depend on what they expect their future income to be.

“If they are optimistic, they will consume more than if they are pessimistic,” the committee wrote. But consumer expectations can change unexpectedly as new information about the economy comes in. Hall found that forecasting future consumer spending is virtually impossible.

Woodford's research established that businesses make decisions about prices based on where they think interest rates will go.

"If the business believes that its competitors' prices and its own costs will increase, it is best to set a higher price than it would with the opposite expectation," the Nobel committee wrote. "Businesses' decisions are thus also governed by their expectations."

Therefore, central banks such as the U.S. Federal Reserve, which sets short-term interest rates, should provide “clear and credible communication about how they reason and what they plan to do.”

Woodford's research also offered guidance on how central banks should respond to energy price shocks — like the one that followed the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran in February — that can both feed inflation and send unemployment higher.

“Unlike the traditional Keynesian models, Woodford's model recommends a cooling measure, such as increased interest rates, to avoid uncontrolled inflation,” the Nobel committee wrote. “His insight has made it possible to respond to recent supply shocks more effectively than during the oil crises of the 1970s.”

GOP looks to flip script in key races

The Hidalgo County Republican Party Headquarters are seen Sept. 16 in Texas. The GOP is still eyeing wins in the midterms. JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON/AP

But Democrats stay 'on offense' in bid to win House majority

By Will Weissert

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON — The midterm elections might look ominous for President Donald Trump, but there are places where his Republican Party could turn the tables on Democrats if it can peel off a few key wins in key congressional races.

National organizations are pumping money behind candidates that Republicans hope can provide bright spots.

It still won't be enough, counters Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Aidan Johnson, who says his party remains “firmly on offense and on track to take back” the House majority.

In New Hampshire, the race in the state's first district has no incumbent as Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas runs for Senate against John E. Sununu, a former Republican congressman who served a single term as senator from 2003 to 2009.

Stefany Shaheen, a former Portsmouth city councilor and daughter of retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, won a hotly contested Democratic primary. She's facing Anthony DiLorenzo, who was endorsed by Trump and owns several car dealerships.

The seat used to frequently flip between parties, but has remained blue since Pappas first got to Congress in 2019, and the district narrowly supported Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump in 2024.

Shaheen has focused on the rising cost of healthcare and opposing Trump's tariffs and trade wars, which she says have hurt New Hampshire consumers.

DiLorenzo has taken a more moderate stance on immigration than Trump, calling for pro-business reforms to the federal system.

But he's also echoed the president's claim that Democrats want to push the U.S. toward socialism.

Last year, Republican Jay Ruais, the mayor of the district's largest city of Manchester, was reelected with around $59\%$ of the vote.

Republicans are also looking for a boost from the Senate race.

No Going Back Pac has pledged \$10 million to back Sununu. The group is associated with MAGA Inc., Trump's behemoth campaign war chest that had more than \$400 million in the bank at the end of July.

In New York, first-term Democratic Rep. Laura Gillen is facing Republican Jeanine Driscoll, a tax receiver in Hempstead in the state's fourth district, which includes Nassau County and runs east of Manhattan, hugging Long Island's south shore.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman is considered an underdog against incumbent Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul in a statewide race in reliably blue New York. But Blakeman is the Nassau County executive, meaning he may see strong turnout on his home turf and potentially affect Driscoll's chances against Gillen.

In 2024, Trump nearly carried the district after losing it by well over 10 points in 2020.

While Gillen has stressed sometimes working with Republicans to address key issues like the rising cost of living, Driscoll has championed Trump's immigration policies while promising to better shield suburban Long Island from regional and statewide policies she criticizes as government overreach.

In Ohio, Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman's first district on the westside of Cincinnati backed Harris in 2024 but was redrawn to make it more Republican-leaning ahead of November.

The new boundaries encompass Clinton County and rural western Hamilton County, while reducing the more Democratic-friendly Cincinnati suburbs. It's one of several places with new maps after Trump urged an unusual round of redistricting around the country to help his party keep control of the House.

Landsman, who was first elected to Congress in 2022, is squaring off against Republican former Air Force veteran and CIA officer Eric Conroy.

Like Trump, Conroy spent months suggesting that the war in Iran would reach a swift conclusion.

Landsman has focused on pocketbook issues, including rising utility rates. He's also raised more money than his challenger in recent quarters, which could be an indicator of where the race is headed.

In Nevada, Marty O'Donnell, the composer behind music featured in the wildly popular Halo video game series and the 1990s jingle for Flintstones vitamins, is looking to unseat Democratic incumbent Rep. Susie Lee in Nevada's third district.

Lee first won her seat during a Democratic wave in 2018 and survived in 2024 even though her district backed Trump. Nevada relies heavily on the tourism and hospitality industries, and Republicans are touting Trump's legislation to cut taxes on tips and overtime.

Lee and other key Democrats counter that Trump hasn't kept campaign promises to lower costs — especially as the war with Iran has driven up gasoline and diesel prices and renewed fears about high inflation.

There could also be trickle-down effects from Nevada's governor's race.

Republican incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo is a former sheriff of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas. He's in what's likely to be a close race with Nevada's attorney general, Democrat Aaron Ford, who previously represented a Las Vegas-area district in the state senate.

In New Mexico, Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez narrowly won his seat in 2022. And he narrowly won reelection in 2024 even as Trump carried the district.

Vasquez has built a political identity around being the son of Mexican immigrants and the first in his family to be born in the U.S. His Republican opponent, Greg Cunningham, is a Marine veteran and onetime undercover police office has focused on calls for stricter border security and law and order.

NEWS BRIEFING

NATO commander says alliance does not want war but ‘ready to fight’

system arrayed against us."

FROM NEWS SERVICES

WARSAW,

WARSAW, Poland

— NATO's top military commander said the alliance is "ready to fight tonight" if it is attacked, as European officials warn Russia could test NATO's defenses with increased covert attacks or a limited military incursion.

European nations have in recent months faced an escalation of covert Russian activity, including an arson attack on an Estonian defense company and a failed attempt to attack a Ukrainian aircraft at a German airport.

If Russia decides to attack NATO, the alliance will respond by using sensors, autonomous systems and military force to stop any assault, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander U.S. General Alexus Grynkewich said in Warsaw on Monday.

Grynkewich spoke at the Warsaw Security Forum to set out what he called NATO's “Theory of Victory.” The NATO commander said he does not believe that a conflict is imminent or inevitable and that the most effective way to preserve peace is to prepare for war and to maintain open lines of communication to “resolve misunderstandings.”

Grynkewich provided no specific details about what kind of attack NATO is preparing for, nor where, nor with what kind of forces. But outlining what a response to a Russian attack could look like, Grynkewich said NATO's combined land, sea and air forces will move to stop Moscow seizing territory and deny Russia the ability to hold ground.

"My theory of victory is simple," he told the Warsaw conference. "We will block the initial attack. If the attack persists, we will blunt it and prevent any enemy advance. And if required, we will break the enemy's forces and the operational war-fighting

Storm fallout: Waves from post-tropical cyclone Rachel crash into beachfront homes Monday in Long Beach, California. Forecasters issued flood watches Monday and warned more rain and isolated thunderstorms could hit the Southwest after the remnants of the tropical storm caused severe flooding in Las Vegas over the weekend. JAE C. HONG/AP

That includes not just the attacking force but anything and everything that supports, sustains and controls it, he said.

In recent weeks, senior European officials and intelligence services have warned that Russia may be planning to test the NATO alliance with increased covert attacks or even an incursion after a spate of sabotage incidents across the continent. Denmark's defense intelligence service specifically warned Russia could use such tactics to split the NATO alliance. But, at the same time, President Donald Trump has also sent shock waves through Europe by agreeing to a deal to buy diesel from Russia in a bid to try lower prices in the U.S. ahead of the midterm elections.

Pope surgery: The Vatican said Pope Leo XIV will be admitted to the hospital Tuesday ahead of surgery to remove a lung nodule, providing an unusual level of transparency about papal health under the American pope.

The surgery will require a weeklong recovery in the hospital, and the Vatican on Monday canceled all of Leo's audiences through Oct. 20.

Leo himself revealed the discovery of the nodule during his Sunday noon prayer and said he was following doctors' advice to have it removed. The Vatican press office said Monday that no particular issue precipitated the tests, denying Italian media reports suggesting an inflammation had prompted Leo to have the checkup.

Government ads: President Donald Trump must cancel any remaining television commercials paid for with millions of dollars in taxpayer money to promote his political message, a federal judge on Sunday night ordered, even as the administration said the ad campaign was coming to an end.

U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Rochon in New York sided with a coalition, including the nonpartisan watchdog Common Cause, that challenged the ads as an illegal misuse of funds. She told the administration to cancel any remaining ads, including any set to air Sunday night, in granting a temporary restraining order.

Asked for comment, the White House referred to an Oct. 5 social media post from Trump in which he defended the taxpayer-funded ads as “rather standard” but, amid backlash, said he would pay for them from his political fundraising. In a court filing late Saturday, the Justice Department argued that the temporary restraining order was unnecessary because “the alleged offending conduct will end tomorrow.”

The Department of Homeland Security tapped \$20 million in taxpayer money for the ads. Legal experts have suggested that violated a federal statute against congressionally appropriated money being used for "publicity or propaganda" and potentially other laws.

Golf course order: U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes on Monday ordered a 24-hour halt to tree-cutting at the East Potomac Golf Course, a historic D.C. course that has been part of President Donald Trump's plans to remake the city.

Reyes issued the order after a tense three-hour hearing in which she blistered the government for having deceived her with its actions over the holiday weekend.

The judge said the 24-hour temporary order could be extended to 14 days if necessary. It was limited to one day while the government tries to find a key Trump administration official to discuss why a massive tree-cutting at the park needed to occur over the holiday weekend, with little notification to plaintiffs in a lawsuit trying to halt renovation plans or to the judge.

Reyes plans to hold another hearing Tuesday and wants to hear from Greg Wischer, deputy chief of staff at the Interior Department. Wischer pushed for the work to be done urgently, according to testimony from Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the National Park Service.

Actor Brand trial: British comedian and actor Russell Brand appeared in a London court on Monday for the start of his trial on rape and sexual assault charges.

The hearing at Southwark Crown Court was adjourned until Tuesday after a morning of jury selection. The prosecution is due to open its case later in the week.

Brand, who is out on bail, left the court building beside the River Thames holding hands with his wife, Laura Gallacher. He had earlier arrived at court flanked by security guards and accompanied by his wife.

Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges involve six women and alleged offenses between 1999 and 2009. The trial is expected to last up to 10 weeks.

Actor Blair arrested: Actor Selma Blair was arrested and taken to a hospital late Sunday after she was accused of injuring two flight attendants on a plane from Los Angeles to New York.

Blair, 54, was detained by police around 11 p.m. after a Delta jet parked at a gate at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority said.

Blair and one of the flight attendants were taken to a hospital for evaluation, the Port Authority said.

Details of what happened on the jet weren't immediately disclosed by the airline, police or the FBI, but Delta said it "has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behavior, as the safety of our customers and crew always comes first."

The FBI later issued Blair a notice charging her with assault, a U.S. law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Arts & Living

PAGE 7 | SECTION B | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 | CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

The company of "Don Giovanni" by Lyric Opera of Chicago. CORY WEAVER PHOTOS

REVIEW 'DON GIOVANNI' ★★★★

Lyric delivers a blast of Falls' operatic past

Lawrence Brownlee, from left, Christian Van Horn and Mané Galoyan in "Don Giovanni."

By Chris Jones

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Director Robert Falls' signature maximalism is still with us, I am happy to report, even though

Chicago's most important theatrical auteur exited the Goodman Theatre in 2022. That's by virtue of opera companies (unlike nonprofit theaters) keeping around successful productions, such as the Lyric Opera of Chicago's 2014 staging of "Don Giovanni" from an era that I, as a longtime witness, would describe as peak Falls.

So there we all were again Saturday night as the Lyric opened its 2026-27 season, enjoying the massive sets from frequent Falls collaborator Walt Spangler, a veritable feast of groaning, Ghost of

Christmas Past tables, verdant hedgerows, huge Moorish light fixtures and massive stone exteriors that call to mind Falls' signature Eugene O'Neill stagings with their referents to classical tragedy and humans overwhelmed by their own circumstances.

This “Don Giovanni” also has a foot in another Falls specialty, Tennessee Williams, with Ana Kuzmanic’s eclectic costumes embracing the complex push-pull of seduction and power (which bedevils us still) and Duane Schuler’s lights shining accusatorily throughout the opera house at the show’s climax, demanding of the audience their position on the lustful title character’s final exit into hell (imagined here as a “Sweeney Todd”-like chute,

See JONES on Page B8

Can some Second City alums make Oklahoma City the new Hollywood?

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Rick Kogan

The last time I saw Jim Carlson, we were standing on the late-night sidewalk outside the Old Town Ale House and he was telling me he was headed west.

"It's time," he said. "I'm moving to LA."

That was 14 years ago. I had gotten to know Carlson when we were both part of “Chicago Live,” a series of Tribune stage productions that combined interviews with staff members and news-makers, historical stories, music and comedy.

That latter element was presented by the folks at The Second City, under the direction of and often featuring Carlson.

I hosted this concoction and got to observe Carlson, who was talented, smart and funny but also all-business in directing his cast of young comic actors.

For more than half a century, Second City folks have headed west or east toward stardom. Some did this on their own. Others were plucked from the stage by such people as “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels.

The successes make a long list peppered with familiar performers such as Alan Arkin, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Steve Carell, Mike Myers, Tim Meadows, Shelley Long, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, Jordan Peele, Jason Sudeikis and more.

Fame was deadly for some, think John Belushi and Chris Farley. And many simply faded into the sunny Hollywood landscape of broken dreams and run of the mill professions, stardom deferred forever.

Carlson went to Los Angeles with his then girlfriend, now wife, Kate Duffy. They had met when both performed and directed for nearly a decade with iO, the venerable improv operation, before coming to The Second City. Their skills and ambitions served them well in LA and each was able to find a few film and TV roles and some writing jobs. There was also much frustration, because that is the nature of Hollywood, filled with deals that evaporate and promises never fulfilled.

Jeff Carlson in a scene from "Drive Through Fire," a movie shot in Oklahoma City. WILL TURNER

In the summer of 2021, they both traveled to Oklahoma City to film a pilot for a potential series called “Faculty Lounging,” which Duffy had written and co-produced about two teachers secretly living inside their school. Carlson was cast in a small part, but the couple’s experience was so positive as to be life-altering.

"We were driving back to LA and we began talking seriously about moving," says Carlson. "By the time we got home that decision was made and in a short time, we were gone."

And so did Oklahoma City become their home that October.

In addition to enjoying the lower cost of living than LA, there were all manner of attractive career inducements, such as financial benefits like state cash rebates and a burgeoning film industry thanks to such Oklahoma-based productions as the movie “Twister” and the Sylvester Stallone cable vehicle “Tulsa King.”

“And there was a surprisingly deep talent pool of technical folks and actors,” says Carlson. “And visually there is a really wide variety. There are prairies, hills, sand dunes and a choice between small towns and cities. And none of it is overexposed, lush forests, historic small-town and cityscapes.”

He and Duffy live just north of the city — “We are surrounded by lots of trees,” says Carlson — and they formed “The Swamp,” a long-form improv group with fellow Second City alum Ryan Archibald, who had also moved back to the area to be closer to his family. They perform regularly at OKC Improv in Oklahoma City and at the Cody Mayo Studios in Tulsa.

Now some big news: Carlson has made a movie, a film titled "Drive Through Fire," in which he stars as an opioid-addicted former soldier who's now a ride-share driver. He rises quickly to the heroic level after he picks up a young woman and discovers that she is a victim of a sex trafficking operation. There is a murder, and Carson and his passenger must elude a gang of nasty bad guys.

See KOGAN on Page B8

Travis Knight, from left, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Carey Mulligan and Jacob Tremblay attend the premiere of “Wildwood” on Sunday in London. SCOTT A GARFITT/INVISION

CELEBRITIES

'Wildwood' makes long-awaited debut

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FROM NEWS SERVICES

The new stop-motion animated fantasy film from Laika, “Wildwood,” had its long-awaited world premiere Sunday at the London Film Festival.

Sixteen years in the making, “Wildwood,” is one of the most anticipated titles to be shown at the festival. Based on Colin Meloy’s novel, it follows two 12-year-old classmates Prue and Curtis (voiced by Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Jacob Tremblay), who get lost in a magical forest searching for Prue’s baby brother, who has been abducted by crows.

Lee and Tremblay were joined on the red carpet by co-star Carey Mulligan, director Travis Knight and writer Meloy, who didn't think he'd ever see his book on the big screen.

He was still working on it when Laika optioned it in 2010. “It’s kind of wild to see that it’s actually happening now,” Meloy said at the premiere.

Knight claims the key to working on such a long project is enjoying the process and finding joy in every step. But building an entire world in your hands can also be daunting.

“Stop motion is the worst, hardest, most difficult way to make a movie, but

it's also the most joyous thing, because it is the most human way to a movie, and that's why I think the movie's so special," Knight said.

Mulligan, who voices Alexandra, said it was amazing to be involved in that level of artistry, adding that “the craftsmanship that’s gone into every frame of this is kind of another level.”

Tremblay was excited to be a part of it, having grown up with Laika's films. He recorded his part in 2021 and says it's incredible to see all the hard work that went into it. "My mind is blown," Tremblay said. "I'm really happy to be here today to get to celebrate this with everyone."

Tarantino to debut stage play: The latest project from Quentin Tarantino is a swashbuckling stage comedy featuring “Borat” star Sacha Baron Cohen.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sonia Friedman Productions announced Sunday that the Oscar-winning filmmaker's first stage play, "The Popin-jay Cavalier," will open in London's West End in March.

It's set in 1830s Europe, and the producers call it "a rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen."

The play will be directed by Tarantino and marks the West End debut of Cohen.

"When the best director in the world calls, you don't ask questions," Cohen said.

‘Other Mommy’ scares up top spot: The Jessica Chastain horror “Other Mommy” topped the North American box office this weekend with a bigger audience than expected, while “The Social Reckoning” logged on to a lackluster start.

“Other Mommy,” released by Universal Pictures, earned \$27.5 million in its first few days in theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"The Social Reckoning," the weekend's other big release, was not as lucky, earning an estimated \$5.5 million.

Oct. 13 birthdays: Musician Paul Simon is 85. Singer Sammy Hagar is 79. Actor John Lone is 74. Director Chris Carter is 70. Singer Marie Osmond is 67. Actor Matt Walsh is 62. Actor Kate Walsh is 59. Singer Rhett Akins is 57. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is 55. Actor Kiele Sanchez is 50. Singer Ashanti is 46. Actor Caleb McLaughlin is 25.

Colleague confused after mixed messages sent about relationship

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R. Eric Thomas ASKING ERIC

Dear Eric: I am a male, a new female co-worker started around Halloween 2025, and I introduced myself on Day 1. The next week she comes over to my work area and asks me why I am so quiet and then she asks me a lot of personal questions, and I answer only a few.

Later, she tells me she is good at stalking people, and she looked me up online. I laughed it off and said, "Thanks for the honesty."

She tells me she has no friends, and I say I don't either.

Around the holidays, I gave her a Christmas gift, and she was so thrilled and happy.

Then I gave her my phone number around New Year's because I had a promo code for streaming that I was not gonna use. She was happy. We had talked about watching a DVD or a movie on streaming together.

I reminded her in January of her offer to watch the streaming service together. She seemed nonchalant but also unsure. I text reminded her a couple days later, she replied she has been seeing someone and does not know how he would feel about me being in her house.

So, the months go by, and we are very friendly and cordial. She had her birthday recently and told me she was going to see family.

There has never been any indication of a boyfriend, she carpools sometimes with other co-workers, and they have never mentioned her having a boyfriend.

I am sure she lied to me about having a boyfriend. Why would she lie about that?

We are close co-worker/friends; it seems real, she is not a fake person.

She is very friendly with everyone but more joking with them and more serious with me.

I enjoy being her friend, but I'm confused about what kind of relationship she wants.

Work Friends

Dear Friends: I think there might be some misread cues here that are tripping you up.

Suffice it to say, it's best to treat this friendship as platonic. Whether or not your co-worker has a boyfriend isn't relevant, and it would be best to drop it.

If it was a lie, it could be that she was trying to ensure that this friendship didn't cross over into a romantic place, or she simply wanted to set a barrier between her work and personal life.

I know that the beginning of the friendship may have had some moments that seemed especially personal

— like the questions she asked and the discussion about watching a film together. There's nothing wrong with following up about those plans, as you did. But for now, take the "no thank you" as the final word.

And if you're uncomfortable with some of the more personal aspects of your work friendship, it's OK to say so, too.

Dear Eric: My husband and I have known a couple for 25 years, and we had a lot of fun times together. I have always been the person who hosts dessert after every occasion over the past 23 years plus many dinners.

They participated occasionally in the first few years but do nothing now. I have begun to pull away from them, and they just keep trying to make plans with us.

I'm tired and disgusted with myself for allowing this to go on for so long.

It seems petty to me to say anything about it, but surely, they know they have really taken advantage of the situation. Should I say why to them?

— Party Planner

Dear Planner: It's not petty; it's just the truth, and the truth is going to keep you from developing deeper resentment.

It's natural for even the most willing social planner to get tired of holding on to that responsibility after a while. And every friendship goes through changing stages, especially after decades. So, it should come as no surprise to your friends that things have shifted for you.

If you want to pull away, that's fine. But it seems worth a conversation to see if you can shift things in this longtime friendship. It may be possible to make it work for everyone.

You can tell them how you feel simply. "In the past, I've organized our plans, but it has started to feel like a burden rather than a joy. Can you take on the responsibility of hosting dessert from now on?"

Ideally, even if they are aware they've been taking advantage of you, they'll quickly agree to pick up the slack. It's also possible that they don't see the arrangement as them taking advantage of you.

Often, when one person or one couple in a friendship is adept at planning, others assume that they just love to do it and neglect to ask if the role has become a chore.

Send questions to eric@askingeric.com or P.O. Box 22474, Philadelphia, PA 19110. Follow him on Instagram and sign up for his weekly newsletter at rericthomas.com.

Copyright 2026.

Distributed by Tribune

Content Agency

JONES from Page B7

perhaps into the Chicago River) and inviting us to ponder whether we, being sinners all, might be heading for the same fate.

Barea, Van Horn and company in "Don Giovanni."

Tommaso Barea, from left, Christian Van Horn and Nina Solodovnikova in "Don Giovanni." CORY WEAVER PHOTOS

Of course, Christian Van Horn, the longtime Lyric favorite who fills out every inch and note of one of opera's most cheerfully despicable roles, then gets to pick himself up out of the pit, shake himself off and head perhaps to the bar for a well-deserved drink. Presumably, Don Giovanni will not be so lucky.

Twelve years on from my first viewing, it feels like this production is part of a greatest hits album of Falls' decades-long aesthetic obsessions, given which might now seem to some obscene levels of resources, and part of an expressionistic world tour of the titular lothario's seductions, given that we are told early on by his disgruntled sideman Leporello (the self-effacing Tommaso Barea) that their locations have been as varied as the age, stature and style of the seductees.

This all goes on for some three-and-a-half hours. It is all, one might say, a lot.

Falls often was a lot. But a match for the title.

I'd go so far as to say that this production, which does not problematize the libret-to's palpable enjoyment of aspects of Don Giovanni, nor act as its apologist, probably would not have been conceived from scratch quite like this today, for a whole variety of reasons. Some purely pragmatic. Some perhaps for the best.

Opera was a sideline for Falls, but he always embraced its excesses with the kind of delight I could read on his face Saturday night as he took his bow. He also delighted in its conventions, knowing when to bring in a lush and apt drop, get everything else out of the way, push the singer everyone had come to hear forward toward the orchestra pit and what is now Enrique Mazzola's baton, and coax them into communicating with equal elements of theatricality and intimacy.

It works spectacularly well here with the soprano Mané Galoyan's vocally transfixing Donna Anna, the instigator of the revenge plot in what would be a revenge tragedy were not Don G too unsympathetic to be a tragic hero. And everyone from soprano

Nina Solodovnikova's uber-

chic Donna Elvira, who

looks like Scarlett Johans-

son if she were in a Fellini

movie, to tenor Lawrence

Brownlee's Don Ottavio

to Anna El-Khashem's

Zerlina, gets and deserves

their rich moment of focus.

El-Khashem, playing a

peasant girl seduced at

the very moment of her

matrimony, has a daunting

dramatic task not unlike

anyone essaying Lady Anne

in William Shakespeare's

"Richard III." Remark-

ably, El-Khashem pulls off

her half of "Là ci darem la

mano" with a disarmingly

quotidian ease.

Perhaps I have seen "Amadeus" too many times, but it seems to me that the enduring appeal of this particular title comes in

part from the remove of the composer from its dramatic content; one can close one's eyes for a second or two, listen to Mozart's music, and imagine the ideas and formalist experiments swirling chaotically in his

head, cued by Lorenzo de Ponte's libretto, for sure, but also cued from Mozart's own distinct kaleidoscope. Notes seem to cascade from every collective pore of the orchestra, and yet even though the wood-

winds sometimes chart the rhythms of seduction in ways you would expect, there invariably is a quizz-

zical element to Mozart's music, which perhaps explains the way Mazzola, whose body often reflects what is inside his head, just cocks his head from time to time as one section or another of his orchestra goes off god knows where, maybe on the devil's behalf. As if Mozart were going rogue. Don Giovanni would understand.

At its core, the opera, first seen at Lyric back in the foundational 1954, is structurally simple: “That man murdered my husband,” Donna Anna declares, sparking the “How did it happen?” question, and explanation, of the night. Galoyan clearly understands that Donna Anna’s power to usurp the title character is crucial and that she must sing as a force to be reckoned with, not that he can. That way, “Don Giovanni” can be seen as an exploration not so much of a libertine of legend dating back to the 17th century but of the consequences of his actions and the crucial levels of resistance.

Van Horn's remarkable singing makes you feel why Don Giovanni has been so successful at his chosen life's work and also why it is so pathetic and so subject to diminishing returns. With cascading damage.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

When: Through Nov. 1

Where: Lyric Opera of Chicago, 20 N. Wacker Drive

Running time: 3 hours, 25 minutes

Tickets: \$48-\$402 at 312-827-5600 and lyricopera.org

KOGAN

from Page B7

In addition to his starring role, Carlson also co-directed the film with Lauren Bond, who also collaborated with him on the script.

Her sister, Jennifer Bond, very ably plays the role of the terrified trafficked

woman.

You will likely not recognize any of the other cast members but for Michael Jai White as a homicide detective. He has been in dozens of films, beginning with playing the title character in 1995's “Mike Tyson.”

"Getting Michael to sign on was very important for us," says Carson. "Having a certified star gave us credibility."

It is a fast-paced and violent 87 minutes. The film was made for under \$1 million, a very modest budget, and accomplished it in 20 shooting days, a very rapid schedule.

"This was, by far, the toughest thing I have ever done," he says. "But it has also been empowering."

It has for a few weeks been available on streaming services and has received mixed reviews, with one critic writing online, "(With) 'Drive Through Fire'... you know what you're getting, and it doesn't disappoint. It's not going to knock your socks off, but at the same time, it's reliable, solid entertainment. It's shot well, there's a good cast, and it has a surprisingly humble energy, which is a great change of pace... if you're a fan of actionthriller cinema, give this one a shot."

This is the sort of project that should be an effective calling card. Carlson and

Duffy have a number of other film projects in the works, including a couple with the Bond sisters, who now live in Tennessee.

"This movie has given us real confidence," he says. "It also showed us that moving here was the right choice."

rkogan@chicagotribune.com

What to watch TUESDAY

October 13, 2026

All times Central. Start times can vary based on cable/satellite provider. Confirm times on your on-screen guide.

---

NHL Hockey ESPN,

beginning at 5 p.m. Live

ESPN gives hockey fans a big Tuesday night NHL tripleheader with the New Jersey Devils at the Detroit Red Wings, the Colorado Avalanche at the Dallas Stars and the Boston Bruins at the San Jose Sharks.

---

NCIS

CBS, 7 p.m.

When a man is murdered after a neighborhood dinner party, the team discovers every guest is lying about what transpired in the new episode “Clean Slate.”

---

Best Medicine

FOX, 7 p.m.

In the new episode “No Place Like Om,” Martin (Josh Charles) desperately tries to leave Port Wenn for a weekend trip to Boston, but he must first investigate the extremely strange behavior of three patients who have all recently visited a meditation retreat.

---

A Very Haunted Renovation HGTV, 7 p.m.

And then there were three! For the first time in this new series hosted by Anna Camp, the three remaining designers tackle a space of their own as they transform Bihl Manor's neglected exterior in "The Exterior Exorcism." Battling the spirits and the elements, they're aiming to give the grounds a glow-up worthy of the judges.

---

NCIS: New York CBS, 8 p.m.

In the new episode “Family Business,” the team is called in to find the suspect behind a deadly jewelry store robbery that involved military explosives.

FOX

---

Doc

FOX, 8 p.m.

Amy and Ben (Molly Parker and Blair Underwood) are at odds when their cancer patients demands the impossible, and Sonya (Anya Banerjee) grapples with the weight of life-changing news, in the new episode "Great Expectations."

---

R.J. Decker ABC, 9 p.m.

In the new episode, “Better Luck Tomorrow,” R.J. (Scott Speedman) and his dad must discover who has been gaslighting the caretaker at a senior living community and unwind a murderous scheme that has R.J.’s client convinced he’s living the same day in a loop.

---

CATCH A CLASSIC Laraine Day Birthday Tribute TCM, beginning at 6 a.m.

TCM celebrates Laraine Day's birthday with films spanning more than a decade of her career. The day begins with Calling Dr. Kildare (1939), one of several entries in which Day played nurse Mary Lamont. Other highlights include Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent (1940), the 1942 wartime drama Journey for Margaret (pictured), Mr. Lucky (1943) with Cary Grant and the psychological noir The Locket (1946). The film tribute closes with The Woman on Pier 13 (1949), which was originally titled I Married a Communist.

---

NCIS: Origins

CBS, 9 p.m.

In the new episode, present-day Gibbs (returning guest star Mark Harmon) returns to civilization and calls in a favor from old friend Woody (guest star Bobby Moynihan). In 1992, the team bands together to help Woody when he's accused of murdering a bowling rival.

---

Frontline

PBS, 9 p.m.

The new episode explores the changing views and experiences of Americans from the 2020 election to today, revealing how the hopes and fears of voters first filmed six years ago have changed amid another polarizing election season.

LOEW'S INC.

---

MOVIES YOU'LL LOVE

DAVID BLOOMER

Just Go With It (2011, Romance-comedy) Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston Paramount, 5 p.m.

Hocus Pocus (1993, Family)

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker

Freeform, 5:20 p.m.

Deadpool (2016, Action) Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin FX, 5:30 p.m.

Fuze (2025, Action) Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James HBO, 6:20 p.m.

Halloween II (2009, Horror) Malcolm McDowell, Tyler Mane SYFY, 6:30 p.m.

First Sunday (2008, Comedy) Ice Cube, Katt Williams VH1, 7 p.m.

Thirteen Ghosts (2001, Horror)

Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz

AMC, 7 p.m.

Blended (2014, Romance-comedy)

Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore

TNT, 8:30 p.m.

Trading Places (1983, Comedy)

Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy BBC

America, 8:30 p.m.

Ghost Ship (2002, Horror) Julianna Margulies, Ron Eldard AMC, 9 p.m.

Secrets on Greek Row (2023, Suspense) Lucy Loken, Grace Patterson LMN, 9 p.m.

Thor (2011, Action) Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman FX, 9 p.m.

Evil Dead Burn (2026, Horror)

Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright

HBO, 9:20 p.m.

From the editors of TV Weekly and tvinsider.com

TV Q&A

\$3.99/Month

CALL: 888-899-9992

Mention code: tune1

MOVIES TV GRIDS BEST BETS

Will ‘Rookie’ return to its beat?

By Rich Heldenfels

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Nathan Fillion stars in “The Rookie.” The police drama will air its ninth season and a new spinoff in 2027. ABC

Q: Is "The Rookie" coming back? I think it has been on TV for four or five years, and I can't find anything about it.

A: Yes, the police drama starring Nathan Fillion will be back on ABC for its ninth season — in 2027, most likely January.

That same year will bring a spinoff, "The Rookie: North," starring Jay Ellis.

According to the network, that show “introduces Alex Holland (played by Ellis) who believed his midlife wasn’t worthy of a crisis. But after a violent home invasion ignites a dormant purpose, Alex battles a lifetime of failed commitments by joining the Pierce County Police Department as a rookie.”

Q: I recently finished watching "Mr. Inbetween" on Disney+. I really enjoyed it despite the heavy Australian accents. My question is, will it be back for a fourth season? The last episode suggested that it might be.

A: The series originally ran in 2018-21 for three seasons totaling 26 episodes, and Disney+ has all of that. I know of no plans for more.

For those of you tuning in late, “Mr. Inbetween” is a comedy created by Scott Ryan.

He stars as Ray Shoesmith, a “criminal for hire,” collecting debts, drugs and guns from people and — as the Disney+ site puts it — often handling people “on a more permanent basis.” And he does it all while dealing with family and friends.

If that sounds familiar, it's because the series is derived from the movie "The Magician," also about Shoesmith and written and directed by Ryan.

Q: With all the recent buzz about the new movie about John Madden, I recalled a

documentary or film I saw many years ago about the original “Monday Night Football” broadcast team. It featured John Madden alongside Don Meredith and Howard Cosell, including archival footage and behind-the-scenes insights into how the trio worked together. I haven’t been able to find the title or where to watch it. Could you help me identify this production?

A: There's a good bit of revisiting of “Monday Night Football” these days, including with Nicolas Cage starring in the movie “Madden” in November, and the recent HBO Max film “Miller Night Football,” about Dennis Miller’s tenure on the football telecast.

But I think you may have seen “Monday Night Mayhem,” a 2002 drama based on the 1988 book by Marc Gunther and Bill Carter. It looks closely at the early years of the telecast — at the heyday of Howard Cosell (played by John Turturro), Don Meredith (Brad Beyer) and Frank Gifford (Kevin Anderson). Madden did not join the program until much later.

"Monday Night Mayhem" is available for rent on Prime Video.

Q: I'm curious to know the name of the African American actor called "Snowflake." He appeared in five classic films. Do you know when he was born and when he died? A: That was Fred Toones (1906-1962) sometimes billed only as Snowflake (like several actors of color, he was saddled with a demeaning nickname).

According to IMDb, he was in about 200 films and “was usually typecast as a porter, appearing in over 50 films in such a role. He also played a variety of other service-oriented or domestic worker roles such as stable grooms, janitors, elevator operators, valets, cooks, bellhops, doormen, butlers, and bartenders.”

You can find videos about him on YouTube, and a detailed look at his life and work at Fred “Snowflake” Toones on the Old Corral site about B-movie Westerns.

Do you have a question or comment about entertainment past, present and future? Write to Rich Heldenfels, P.O. Box 417, Mogadore, OH 44260, or brenfels@gmail.com. Letters may be edited.

Crossword

---

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

By Stella Zawistowski. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All rights reserved.

ACROSS

1 Employs

5 "Please don't take it ...".

10 Largest continent

14 Breathe heavily

15 Jewish holy book

16 Farm building

17 Opera star

18 Slushy pink drink

19 "Step \_!": 2 wds.

20 Elite athletes

22 Window material

23 Ahead of schedule

24 Deep discomfort

25 Fragrances

28 Tiny bit of salt

31 Light brown

32 Sound system

35 Sharpen, as a blade

36 Fly ball's path

37 Lion's home

38 Secrecy document: Abbr.

39 Sounds from cows

41 Casual French eatery

44 Apple platform: Abbr.

45 Fall rapidly

47 Bonus performance

49 Hard to find

50 Aussie marsupial

52 Rank in society

54 NFL player nicknamed "Flash 80": 2 wds.

58 Lofty

59 Welsh dog breed

60 Without thinking

61 "Uh-huh": 2 wds.

62 Showed again

63 Close by

64 QB's throw

65 Competing

66 Part of a tennis set

DOWN

1 Beehive, for example

2 Go by ship

3 Jealous feeling

4 Pollen producer

5 Initially: 2 wds.

6 Fable's lesson

7 Literary device

8 Cheeky back-talk

9 That lady

10 Officially do away with

11 The Spurs' city: 2 wds.

12 Purple flower

13 Spiders' prey

21 Taps gently

22 Marcia \_

Harden

24 In favor of

25 Bit of postage

26 Christmas song

27 Gives hope to

28 Penny

29 Diego Luna show

30 Renter's document

33 Revise

34 In medias \_

40 Breaks to bits

41 Spelling contest

42 Raising, as animals

10/13/26

Solutions

43 One and \_\_

46 Married lady's title

48 Compassionate

50 Gymnast Strug

51 Church instrument

52 Crispy snack

53 Actress Bonet

54 Baby kangaroo

55 "What's the big ?"

56 “Cherrystone” mollusk

57 "Jane \_\_" (Brontë novel)

59 Honda SUV

©2016 Brian Chera, dist. by Andrews McNeil Sonderton

---

Horoscopes

If October 13 is your birthday: Expect some nice openings and fewer stresses for the remainder of 2026 – more good should flow. A chance to revise your belief systems could ready you for new growth. About early November, a new opportunity could arise that

brings more than just an increased income stream — you could also enjoy increased attractiveness and charm.

Aries (March 21-April 19): Underwater Universal stars combined with a tendency to make a poor or reactive choice make today a very poor day for a financial decision, agreement, or a major purchase.

Taurus (April 20-May 20): Someone close could fall to their lowest nature instead of rising to their highest and best self for a few hours. Or this could be you.

Gemini (May 21-June 20): Today and tonight could precipitate actions or behaviors which could have consequences, there's a self-sabotage possibility and impulsivity could also emerge. Cancer (June 21-July 22): Don't even begin for one instant to go down the path of 'hold my beer and watch this,' a push to show off could create plenty of problems.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Listen to the angel on one shoulder, not the gremlin on the other today. It would be too easy to head down the wrong path today, especially in your home life.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Financial decisions, big purchases, and investments are a very poor idea for today. These same moves could rock tomorrow if your personal money transits are also helpful and strong. Wait at least one day.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Remember that who you are is for you, how they respond is about them. This is no excuse for bad behavior, ever, just a reminder that people will believe what they want to believe; understand what they want to understand.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Changes you're making deeply and internally will likely appear on the horizon of visibility within another couple of weeks — be ready.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A sense of inner upheaval could persist for several hours today, ride it out without making any decisions.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Tread gently in the workplace or out in the world today, odds just aren't great on below-zero days.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keeping yourself under the radar today is a very wise idea wherever you are. Disruptive energies aren't working in a positive way now.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20): For today at least, the trend is not your friend — don't go along with advice that could create downstream issues in your life.

---

— Magi Helena, Tribune Content Agency

The Argyle Sweater By Scott Hilburn

Bliss By Harry Bliss

"Come on, let's go. Don't make this weird."

---

Bridge

Both vulnerable, South deals

Fancy modern bidding allowed North-South to reach this pretty good slam, from a Senior Team Championship in England. The deal was reported by British bridge journalist Brian Senior, who sat West. On the spade lead, South took

Grand Avenue By Mike Thompson

©2026 Dist. by Andrews McMeel Syndication www.gocomics.com

The bidding: | South | West | North | East | 1NT | Pass | 3♠* | Pass | 4♣ | Pass | 4♦ | Pass | 4♥ | Pass | 6♣ | All pass | \*Shortness in spades, at least 5-4 in the minors

Opening lead: Three of ♠

his ace of spades, ruffed a spade in dummy, and led a club to his ace. The 2-1 trump split was all he needed. He cashed three rounds of hearts discarding a low diamond from dummy. He then cashed the king of spades, discarding

another low diamond from dummy, and ruffed his last spade. East over-ruffed but was end-played, forced to lead a diamond from the king or give up a ruff-sluff. Making six. Had East discarded instead of ruffing, South would have led a club to end-play him anyway.

West's spade lead with a known singleton or void in dummy would not be everyone's choice, but can you see a reason to find the killing diamond lead? Although we admire the North-South bidding, six clubs would have been cold on any lead if played by North. An auction starting with a Stayman response would have made North the declarer, but would it have led to slam? How would you have done?

— Bob Jones

Tribune Content Agency

Baby Blues By Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott

Zits By Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

© ZITS Partnership. Dist. by King Features

Mr. Boffo By Joe Martin

Frazz By Jef Mallett

Classic Peanuts By Charles Schulz

©1979 Peanuts Worldwide LLC, Dist. by Andrews McVeel

Pickles By Brian Crane

www.snoopy.com

Dick Tracy By Charles Ettinger and Mike Curtis

Animal Crackers By Mike Osbun

2026 MARSHALL RAMSEY DISTR. BY ANDRENS MCMEEL FOR UFS

Prickly City By Marshall Ramsey

ANSWERKS: 1A-Litter 5A-Valve 6A-Elope 7A-Sterman 1D-Lovely 2D-Tallest 3D-Eysoire 4D-Redem B-Velwetta

By David L. Hoyt.

For Better or for Worse By Lynn Johnston

0.205 Lynjorska Productions Inc. Ltd. by Aronai McMail Spedation

Blondie By Dean Young and John Marshall

© 2020 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. World Rights reserved

Hägar the Horrible By Chris Browne

©2026 by King Features Syndicate, Inc. World rights reserved.

Mutts By Patrick McDonnell

www.donda.com

Unscramble the four Jumbles, one letter per square, to form four words. Then arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by this cartoon.

WuMo By Mikael Wulff and Anders Morgenthaler

---

Sudoku 1234

10/13

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box in bold borders contains every digit 1 to 9. | 4 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 1 | A

By The Mepham Group © 2026. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All rights reserved.

---

Monday's

---

Jumble

---

Answer here

---

Monday's answers

Jumbles: BERET AWAKE ENTIRE NONFAT

the golfers would follow — TO A TEE

Sherman's Lagoon By Jim Toomey

© 2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

All Rights Reserved.

By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. All rights reserved. PlayJumble.com

Brewster Rockit: Space Guy! By Tim Rickard

Broom-Hilda By Russell Myers

BROOMIE TRADED HER CAR FOR SOMETHING MORE ECONOMICAL.

East Egg and West Egg are places mentioned in what classic novel? A) "A Tale of Two

---

Trivia Bits

Gatsby"

C) "Jane Eyre"

D) "The Mayor of

Casterbridge" Monday's answer: National Fire Prevention Week commemorates the most destructive day of the Great Chicago Fire, Oct. 9, 1871. © 2026 Leslie Elman. Dist. by Creators.com

---

Jumble Crossword

10-13-26

ACROSS | 1. Cat ____ | RIELTT | 5. Heart feature | LVEAV | 6. Marry in secret | EPOEL | 7. Jet ____ | SMAETR | DOWN

CLUE | 1. Delightful | LYLOEV | 2. Highest | ETSTLLA | 3. Visual blight | RYESEEO | 4. Cash in a coupon | DEREME | How to play - Complete the crossword puzzle by looking at the clues and unscrambling the answers. When the puzzle is complete, unscramble

CLUE: It was created in 1918 as a way to use broken pieces of cheese.

---

Crossword

10/13

---

Across

6 Feature of some Southern accents

11 Bread with caraway seeds

14 Like unhelpful hints

15 Civic-minded brand?

16 Snakelike fish

17 Seth MacFarlane cartoon series

19 Language in which "Baw pen nyang" means "It's nothing"

20 Ballpark snack

21 Hotel customer

23 Lane of "Superman"

26 Conversation that might involve Jordan and LeBron

29 Promises

31 Solemn acts

32 Letter before lambda

33 Moral wrong

Monday's solution

By Zachary Edward-Brown & Shannon Rapp. Edited by Patti Varol. © 2026 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

34 Get a better loan rate, for short

37 \_out a living

38 Big lottery win

42 \_sum: bite-sized Chinese fare

43 Truly engrossed

45 Quaker possessive

46 Running track shapes, often

48 Seven, in Spanish

50 Sea cow

52 "Room" Best Actress Oscar winner

55 Take a day off, say

56 Baggy

57 \_-frutti

59 Wine cask wood

60 Green Bay Packers fans, or what 17-, 26-, 38-, and 52-Across have

66 Carry-on screeners: Abbr.

67 Bridgestone products

68 Bright courtyards

69 "Charlotte's Web" enclosure

70 Bowling score indicated by a slash

71 Used a keyboard

1 "Hacks" comedy writer Daniels

2 Impact sound

3 The "A" of A/S/L

4 "Let's catch some waves!"

5 Whodunit suspect

6 Marvel villain played by Josh Brolin

---

Down

7 Fictional chocolatier

8 "On top of that ..."

9 Secrecy doc

10 Gizmo

11 Information on a movie poster

12 Baker's supply

13 Mexican corn dish

18 Bird house?

22 App with a Women Drivers option

23 L.A. NBAer

24 Honshu port city

25 Server's query after a drink order, perhaps

27 Journey

28 T. rex, for one

30 TV friend of Sheldon and Howard

33 Cloud location

35 Computer folder contents

36 "Nothing for me, thanks!"

39 Flour for chapati and roti

40 "Believe" diva

41 Heavy load

44 Formal neckwear

47 Assortment

49 Puts in office

50 Styling foam

51 Poker stake

52 Rorschach test shapes

53 Cook in an oven

54 Pilot

58 The one there

61 \_-hop music

62 Slice of history

63 Dada artist Jean

64 Monopoly cube

65 Melancholy

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

An extra array of word games, search and Jumble. Want more? Play online at PlayJumble.com

Scan QR code to play online.

---

SUDOKU

---

BOGGLE

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Level 1 2 3 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | © 2022 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit from 1 to 9. For strategies on solving Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk. | 5 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 12/27/22

INSTRUCTIONS: Find as many words as you can by linking letters up, down, side-to-side and diagonally, writing words on a blank sheet of paper. You may only use each letter box once within a single word. Play with a friend and compare word finds, crossing out common words.

BOGGLE is a trademark of Hasbro, Inc. 6-11-25

© 2025 Hasbro, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved

www.bogglebrainbusters.com | BOGGLE $^{2}$ POINT SCALE | YOUR BOGGLE $^{2}$ RATING | 3 letters = 1 point | 151+ = Champ | 4 letters = 2 points | 101-150 = Expert | 5 letters = 3 points | 61 - 100 = Pro | 6 letters = 4 points | 31 - 60 = Gamer | 7 letters = 6 points | 21 - 30 = Rookie | 8 letters = 10 points | 11 - 20 = Amateur | 9+ letters = 15 points | 0 - 10 = Try again | Boggle® BrainBusters Bonus

We put special brain-busting words into the grid of letters. Can you find them?

Find AT LEAST SIX UNITS OF TIME in the grid of letters.

ERA DAY FOR YEAR WEEK DECADDE

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WordWheel

Insert the missing letter to complete an eight-letter word reading clockwise or counterclockwise.

©2020 Knight Features. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. 4/24

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WORD SEARCH

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Wordsearch: From head to toe

1379

Can you find all the words hidden in the grid? Read backwards or forwards, up or down, or diagonally. The words will always be in a straight line. Cross them off the list as you find them. | E | M | B | A | L | L | E | T | S | H | O | E | S | P | W | R | O | E | A | I | O | D | T | B | E | A | N | I | E | Q | L | G | A | F | C | J | R | B | Y | C | I | H | E | A | D | S | C | A | R | F | D | N | L | O | M | H | A | Y | C | K | H | A | T | S | N | E | A | K | E | R | S | H | U | E | F | N | S | A | Z | V | X | O | U | E | K | M | R | T | N | J | F | A | P | S | D | A | S | P | O | C | L | I | L | T | S | W | E | T | F | D | L | K | W | A | H | I | O | K | H | P | Q | U | O | Y | Y | S | S | B | P | O | K | K | N | R | N | S | A | L | N | R | T | N | L | U | H | A | J | T | K | E | E | A | S | S | J | S | C | B | H | A | D | S | S | N | B | N | P | R | H | G | X | T | P | U | K | A | D | U | L | O | N | D | Z | H | B | Z | O | E | A | O | O | R | V | N | J | E | M | S | I | A | R | M | F | L | S | B | L | L | S | C | A | C | E | F | R | T | Y | U | O | O | C | R | W | F | S | M | O | S | K | H | R | E | B | K | A | S | F | C | T | B | P | F | A | I | E | S | U | I | P | O | P | F | F | S | E | W | Q | I | E | H | O | O | D | T | H | P | N | A | C | Q | T | I | M | Z | L | B | A | R | Y | A | Y | G | I | E | C | G | K | S | L | O | A | F | E | R | S | R | E | B | R | L | V | V | S | G | S | X | N | G | E | F | L | C | L | E | A | T | S | W | U | B | O | O | T | S | BALLET SHOES

BANDANA

BEANIE

BERET

BOOTS

CAP

CLEATS

CLOGS

CROCS

CROWN

EARMUFFS

FLIP FLOPS

GALOSHES

HAT

HEADBAND

HEADSCARF

HEELS

HELMET

HOOD

LOAFERS

MOCCASINS

SANDALS

SLIPPERS

SNEAKERS

SOCKS

SOMBRERO

STOCKINGS

TIARA

TURBAN

WADERS

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TV CROSSWORD

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by Jacqueline E. Mathews

Created by Jacqueline E. Mathews

6/26/22

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ACROSS

1 Behrs of "The Neighborhood"

5 Actor Gulager

8 "The \_\_ Breed"; James Stewart film

9 "\_\_\_\_ Days"

12 One of the Simpsons

13 "Who Do You Think \_\_\_\_?"

14 Wines and dines

15 "\_\_\_\_ Copy" (1989-99)

16 Jethro Bodine, for one

18 K-O center

19 "\_\_\_\_ Improvement"

20 Actor Katz

21 Tide type

23 "Dr. \_\_, Medicine Woman"

24 Actor Noah

25 Dwellings on "Gilligan's Island"

26 Singer Bailey

28 At \_\_\_\_; relaxed

29 Wheel shaft

30 Actor Jack \_\_

32 JFK's predecessor

35 Beast of burden

36 "What's My \_\_\_\_?"

©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC All Rights Reserved.

37 Narrow cut

38 Singer Dion

40 Paige \_\_; "The Good Doctor" actress

41 Tire groove pattern

42 Two cups

43 "I\_\_ Rock"; 1965 song

44 Mayberry resident

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DOWN

1 \_\_-Hilda; cartoon witch

2 Actor on "Chicago Fire"

3 Uno y dos

4 "Death Becomes \_\_"; Meryl Streep film

5 Task

6 Praise

7 Put \_\_ fight; resist

10 John Ortiz series

11 \_\_ for; desire greatly

12 Longfellow's initials

13 Potato variety

15 Actress Lange

17 "Law & Order: SVU" role

19 Monty or Arsenio

20 Pitcher's delights

22 "Jane \_\_"; Mia Wasikowska movie

23 Popular ATV

25 "From \_\_ to Eternity"

26 "\_\_\_\_ It Forward"; Kevin Spacey film

27 Precise

30 Actress Lavin

31 "\_\_\_\_ Tree Hill"

33 "\_\_\_\_ Harry"; movie for Eastwood

34 Letter from Greece

36 Actor Neeson

37 "\_\_\_\_ City" (1996-2002)

39 Actress Thompson

40 Health club offering

From head to toe | S | U | R | E | N | D | E | R | ---

JUMBLE

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THAT SCRAMBLED WORD GAME By David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek

Now arrange the circled letters to form the surprise answer, as suggested by the above cartoon.

Jumbles: EXERT UNIFY SPRUCE OVERDO

Answer: They needed a remedy, so they went to a highly-rated doctor to — PROCURE ONE

ARROW WORDS

Fill in the grid using the clues provided in the direction of the arrows. When complete, unscramble the letters in the circles to reveal a mystery word.

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“...la vista, baby?” Inflexible Computer operator Very slim margin Surprise victory Music genre Postal beat Author Brown One of TV's Simpsons Thought Flock tender Distant Tibetan gazele Pistol Initials before a summary Canadian ski resort Type of gas Loaded Quartet count Uproar Car service app Shrub Cookouts, Knocking noise Cask drags Extinct bird Book jacket promo Campus part Certain ant Unit of energy Golf pegs Towel word Emphatic retort

©2024 Knight Features. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

7/6/24

KIDNEWS FUN & GAMES

PUZZLE TIME Spot 10 differences

Sports

PAGE 1 | SECTION C | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2026 | CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami strikes out in the seventh inning against the Guardians in Game 3 of their AL Division Series game on Wednesday at Rate Field in Chicago. CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Still work to do

Despite a fun season, Sox rebuild isn't complete. Changes are needed for '27

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Paul Sullivan IN THE WAKE OF THE NEWS

The White Sox rebuild was well ahead of schedule with their run to the American League Division Series.

Some think the rebuild is done and the Sox are onto their next

phase, only needing to add a few pieces to the puzzle to get back to the postseason, as they did after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season with Lance Lynn, Liam Hendriks and, of course, manager Tony La Russa.

But that's not the way it works.

The '21 Sox made it to October, but had a more experienced core than the one Will Venable has going into 2027. The '26 Sox had an easier path to the postseason, and played a .500 Houston team in the wild-card series.

So the rebuild is not complete, and general manager Chris Getz has work to do to ensure they get back in 2027. (For the sake of this column, we'll pretend 2027 will be a semi-normal season with a minimal loss of games due to the impending lockout).

WHO IS PART OF THE SOX CORE?

That's debatable, but my guess would be, in order: Miguel Vargas, Chase Meidroth, Grant Taylor, Sean Burke and Sam Antonacci.

No one else is untouchable, including Munetaka Murakami, who will be a free agent after '27,

See SULLIVAN on Page C2

White Sox manager Will Venable walks on the field during a workout at Rate Field on Oct. 6. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

NORTHWESTERN FOOTBALL

Fitzgerald: 1st game vs. NU ‘is not about me’

Michigan State coach Pat Fitzgerald runs off the field with his team after pregame warmups before playing Illinois on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. LON HORWEDEL/AP

By Colleen Kane

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Pat Fitzgerald already had one viral moment in the last week. The Michigan State coach didn't try to add another one as he gears up to face his former Northwestern team on Saturday at Spartan Stadium.

Two days after Fitzgerald's animated, middle-finger-flipping sideline antics against Illinois drew social media attention, the first-year Spartans coach was reserved at his weekly news conference with local reporters Monday as he talked about meeting the team for which he played and then served as head coach for 17 seasons.

Fitzgerald didn't offer up any barbs or criticisms of his former program, which fired him in July 2023 amid a hazing scandal.

"This week and this game is not about me," Fitzgerald said. "It's

---

UP NEXT Northwestern at Michigan State 11 a.m. Saturday, Peacock

about the players on both teams. I'm very proud of my experience as a player there and the great teammates I had. Very proud of the teams and the coaches I worked with and the players I had a privilege to coach there, and very thankful for that experience.

"But I'm a Spartan and I'm proud to be a Spartan and I'm honored to be here. And our sole focus is getting our team better and getting prepared to play a Top 25 team and find a way to be ready to go at noon on Saturday."

Fitzgerald went 110-101 with 10 bowl appearances at Northwestern, including a 4-20 record over his final two seasons.

His dismissal at Northwestern came after football players reported hazing in his program

See FITZGERALD on Page C2

After debacle, true defense yet to emerge

UP NEXT

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Brad Biggs ON THE BEARS

Can anyone say with any level of confidence they've seen a game this season that truly reflects who the Bears are on defense?

It wasn't Week 1 at Carolina. I don't think it was Sunday's abysmal effort in Green Bay in which Packers coach Matt LaFleur, if he wanted, easily could have pushed quarterback Jordan Love past 400 passing yards — especially with Bears coach Ben Johnson using some timeouts in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.

But I also have no faith that what we saw in Week 4, when the Bears shut out the New York Jets on third down, was a true measuring stick of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's unit. Similarly, I'm not sure we got the truth when the Bears faced a struggling Philadelphia Eagles team in Week 3 or the Carson Wentz-led Minnesota Vikings in Week 2.

Bears at Falcons

Noon Sunday,

Fox-32

Somewhere between the stout efforts from Weeks 2 and 4 and the stinkers at Carolina and Green Bay lies the truth. Here's the issue: There's a really large gap between the best this defense has played and the worst.

"The Bears were playing defense by possessing the ball in the other games," one veteran personnel man said.

Certainly there's something to be said for the best defense being a good offense at times, and the Bears entered Week 5 with an average time of possession of 36 minutes, 36 seconds. Long, sustained drives kept the defense on the sideline and rested.

The box score shows the Packers had only 70 rushing yards on 26 carries (2.7 average), but they ran the ball at a 4-yard clip in the first half and did just well enough to force the Bears to remain honest.

Green Bay opened the game

See BIGGS on Page C3

Coming up | Team | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | BEARS | Next game | Sunday @ATL | | BULLS | @MIL (exh.) | 7 p.m. | CHSN | MIN (exh.) | 7 p.m. | CHSN | | BLACKHAWKS | PIT | 7 p.m. | CHSN | WPG | 7 p.m. | CHSN | DAL | 6 p.m. | CHSN | | FIRE | PHI | 7:30 p.m. | Apple TV | @NE | 6:30 p.m. | Apple TV | | STARS | Next game | Sunday vs. SEA |

White Sox pitcher Erick Fedde celebrates getting out of the first inning against the Guardians in Game 4 of their AL Division Series game on Thursday at Rate Field. BRIAN CASSELLA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

---

SULLIVAN

from Page C1

and Kyle Teel, who did not deliver offensively and spent most of the season rehabbing injuries.

I'm sure Getz feels otherwise, as he should since they're his players. Getz deserves credit for a season no one could've predicted, though his late-season pick-ups — Luis Castillo (-0.9 WAR with the Sox), Huascar Brazobán (0.1), Joey Bart (0.1), Brenton Doyle (0.4) and Tommy Pham (0.0) — provided little or no return.

The Sox need starting pitching and bullpen help, more contact hitters, a stronger bench and yes, more catching, as Teel and Edgar Quero both regressed.

---

STARTING OVER

The Sox went all-in on analytics this postseason, abolishing pitching roles and starting from scratch. Davis Martin (1 inning), Anthony Kay (2 $\frac{2}{3}$ innings) and Noah Schultz (3 innings) were used out of the bullpen, except for one poor start by Kay in Game 2 of the ALDS that ended after three batters.

Burke was the only starter with a semi-normal role and was up for the challenge, proving he's ace material. Erick Fedde made only two relief appearances, including the memorable bulk role in Game 3 of the ALDS, leaving to thunderous applause and the sound of 40,000 Sox fans chanting his name.

One fan asked me why Sox fans suddenly were so enamored with a journeyman pitcher like Fedde. My theory was that Sox fans understood Fedde was wrongfully demoted to a secondary role in the postseason and wanted to show Fedde they believed in him.

With Fedde gone, next year's rotation should include Burke, Taylor, Hagen Smith and a free agent starter who will sign after the lockout ends. Veteran Sonny Gray would be a perfect choice. The rest of the '26 starters who were demoted in the postseason can fight for the final spot, though Castillo, who is owed \$22.7 million next year, is not a viable option.

Get the wallet out, Jerry Reinsdorf.

---

KS FOR KIDS

No 2027 Sox lineup can have both Murakami and Colson Montgomery in it and not expect 3-6 combined strikeouts a game between them, every game. Murakami has one year left on his two-year deal, and the Sox are open to an extension, which seems crazy after his second-half slide and postseason flop. Murakami acknowledged after ALDS Game 5 that he needs to learn to command the strike zone better, spit at those high fastballs and stay healthy. He said he'd work on it in the offseason, so hopefully he figures it out.

Montgomery hit 31 home runs and won't be a free agent for four more years, but he struggled to find a groove and struck out a major-league record 227 times. The idea of waiting until No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky is ready to replace him at shortstop seems ludicrous. If the Sox can find a team that thinks they can fix Montgomery's swing, go for it. They can always move Meidroth to short and Antonacci to second, then figure it out when Cholowsky is ready.

---

ADJUST AS NECESSARY

Hitting coach Derek Shomon seems like a nice guy. He's loud and gregarious and his players enjoy his humor. But in the second half, the Sox finished 26th with a .230 average and a $24.7\%$ strikeout rate, and were only 15th with a .718 OPS. Then they hit .211 in the postseason with a .611 OPS, along with an astonishing 96 strikeouts, a jaw-dropping $36\%$ strikeout rate. After Cleveland's Gavin Williams struck out 11 in $5 \frac{1}{3}$ innings in Game 2, the Sox did nothing to adjust. Williams struck out 12 in 5 $^{2/3}$ innings in Game 5, when the Sox set an all-time nine-inning record with 21 strikeouts.

Four of the bottom eight hitters this postseason in strikeout percentage are Sox: Murakami (51.6%), Braden Montgomery (50%), Teel (45.2%) and Colson Montgomery (42.3%). Two of the other eight are the Cubs' Alex Bregman and Pete Crow-Armstrong, both at 50%, but they only played two games.

The Sox' offensive meltdown was not all Shomon's fault. But if they're hoping for improvement from Teel, Braden Montgomery, Murakami and the rest, maybe a change in hitting philosophy is needed.

---

READ THE ROOM

Tommy Pham is one of a growing number of professional athletes cursed by a lack of self-awareness. It's never his fault.

After he languished in the minors amid a bad reputation for previous antics, including slapping Joc Pederson, the Sox inexplicably gave Pham a shot in September as a right-handed bat off the bench. Pham was 3-for-17 (.176) in the regular season and 0-for-3 in the postseason. But he will mostly be remembered for his profani-

ty-laden rant aimed at a sports-writer in the media room after Game 2 of the ALDS — a White Sox win, by the way.

There's no warning label on Pham, but this kind of behavior was predictable. Venable could've escorted Pham out of the media room before the veteran made a scene, but chose to let him finish his rant. Pham didn't help the Sox on the field, and he embarrassed himself off the field.

---

A WILL AND A WAY

Venable was lauded for his early pitching maneuvering in the post-season, deploying his relievers and basically ignoring all his starters — except Burke.

Bullpen coach Matt Wise did a terrific job getting all the pitchers ready for revised roles, and until Game 3 of the ALDS it was working. In hindsight, it's a miracle the Sox won four of their seven postseason games when looking at the offensive numbers.

While the plan of employing a “bullpen day” for so many playoff games was not Venable’s alone, it clearly was not a plan that could be sustained. Smith’s control issues and Taylor’s fatigue were apparent by Game 4 of the ALDS, which was the backbreaker. Taylor had

just one appearance of more than 2 innings in 60 outings this season, before a $2 \frac{1}{3}$ inning stint in the wild-card opener at Houston and a 4-inning save in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Teel caught every inning of the postseason and was in the No. 2 hole in Game 5 despite his offensive struggles. He batted .207 with 14 strikeouts and one extra-base hit in 29 postseason at-bats. Veteran back-up Jake Rogers isn't an everyday player, but he had a career .304 postseason average in seven games and could've at least pinch-hit against left-handers, if not started a game or two.

Antonacci stood out as the team's sparkplug, but was not in the starting lineup for two of the ALDS games.

Venable is the likely favorite to be named American League Manager of the Year and deserves much credit for getting the Sox as far as he did. But analytics only go so far. Like his players, Venable can learn from his first postseason as manager.

All in all, a remarkable journey for the Sox, who became relevant again in Chicago under Venable.

But to stay that way, it will take more than a few tweaks this offseason.

FITZGERALD

Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald argues with a game official in the second half against Illinois on

Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. LON HORWEDEL/AP

from Page C1

that included “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature.” Fitzgerald settled his \$130 million wrongful termination lawsuit in August 2025, during which Northwestern said it didn’t find evidence that Fitzgerald directed or condoned the hazing.

When Fitzgerald returned to Big Ten media days in July, he mostly spoke well of Northwestern but also said he and the Spartans had "a bag of chips on our shoulder." He also quipped that he was "excited to have a home-field advantage (at Michigan State). Never lived that."

On Monday, he was complimentary of the Wildcats and said he was enjoying seeing the success some of the players he recruited are having at Northwestern.

“For me, it’s a little bit more nostalgia, thinking about the relationships with a lot of the guys that are playing at a high level there,” he said. “Going back to their home visits — back when it was the old recruiting — going in their homes, identifying those guys as sophomores and juniors, and now to see the way that they’re playing, I’m really, really proud of those guys.

"The coaching staff is doing a phenomenal job coaching them up, David (Braun) and the entire assistant group."

Michigan State (2-4, 0-3) still is seeking its first victory under Fitzgerald against a Power Four conference team. The Spartans' only wins came against Toledo and Eastern Michigan, with losses to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Fitzgerald went viral during Saturday's 38-37 overtime loss to

Illinois when he was caught on camera whipping a towel around to rile up the crowd and then waving his middle finger toward the field. He was upset that a successful onside kick was negated by an offside penalty as the Spartans rallied from a 23-7 third-quarter deficit.

Illinois ultimately won in over-time when it stopped the Spartans' 2-point conversion try to win after both teams scored touchdowns.

Fitzgerald said he apologized to his players that his reaction became a distraction.

"My mom's rolling over in her grave, so I need to be more disciplined," he said. "I need to be more composed. I do have a passion problem, and I've had that for a long time. But that needs to be controlled and not be emotional, and I was emotional and I can't do that."

No. 25 Northwestern (4-1, 1-1) enters the game in a different place under fourth-year coach Braun — ranked in the Associated Press poll for the first time since the 2020 season, when Fitzgerald was at the helm.

The Wildcats gained national attention with wins over Colorado and Penn State in the opening of the new \$875 million Ryan Field and with a close loss to defending national champion Indiana. They have games against Michigan State and Rutgers up next before a rugged three-game stretch against Oregon, No. 17 Iowa and No. 4 Ohio State.

Fitzgerald, who hired Braun to be his defensive coordinator before the 2023 season, said he's happy for the success Braun has had since taking over when Fitzgerald was fired.

"He's done just an absolutely terrific job leading the program and putting his stamp on it and doing it his way, which every great head coach does that," Fitzgerald said. “So really proud of him. He’s doing a terrific job. Huge fan of his and huge fan of theirs in every game but one this Saturday.”

Northwestern's first game against Fitzgerald isn't the only storyline this week. Wildcats quarterback Aidan Chiles returns to play his former team. Chiles threw for 3,807 yards and 23 touchdowns with 14 interceptions over two seasons at Michigan State under former coach Jonathan Smith.

Chiles and running backs Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II have helped the Northwestern offense thrive under new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Chiles has thrown for 1,172 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions and has rushed for six touchdowns in five games.

"He's playing outstanding," Fitzgerald said. "Touchdown-to-turnover ratio speaks for itself. He's executing Coach Kelly's offense excellently. He's giving them a chance to win every game and is the reason why they've won the way they've won. Hats off to him. He's playing at a really high level."

Braun echoed Fitzgerald's comments about limiting distractions during his news conference Monday in Evanston. He expressed gratitude for Fitzgerald giving him the opportunity at Northwestern but said he needs to model a focus on the game for his players.

"This game is not about me," Braun said. "This game is not about the fact that Coach Fitz is one of the most revered individuals to ever grace this program as a player and as a coach. And this isn't about Aidan playing his former program. This is about this team preparing to be at our best on the road in a hostile environment." | WEEK 1Sept. 13 | WEEK 2Sept. 20 | WEEK 3Sept. 28 | WEEK 4Oct. 4 | WEEK 5Oct. 11 | WEEK 6Oct. 18 | WEEK 7Oct. 22 | WEEK 8Nov. 2 | WEEK 9Nov. 8 | WEEK 11Nov. 22 | WEEK 12Nov. 26 | WEEK 13Dec. 6 | WEEK 14Dec. 13 | WEEK 15Dec. 19 | WEEK 16Dec. 25 | WEEK 17Jan. 3 | WEEK 18TBD | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | @CARWin,59-37 | MINLoss,9-3 | PHIWin,27-7 | NYJWin,23-12 | @GBLoss,31-7 | @ATLNoonFox-32 | NE7:15 p.m.Prime | @SEA7:15 p.m.ESPN | TB7:20 p.m.NBC-5 | NONoonFox-32 | @DETNoonCBS-2 | JAXNoonFox-32 | @MIANoonCBS-2 | @BUF7:20 p.m.CBS-2 | GBNoonNetflix | DET3:25 p.m.Fox-32 | @MINTBDTBD | ---

BEARS

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams takes practice throws before a game against the Packers on Sunday in Green Bay. JOHN J. KIM/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Bears ‘still working through’ who will start at quarterback

By Sean Hammond

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Bears coach Ben Johnson did not commit to a starting quarterback Monday as the team prepares to play the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.

Regular starter Caleb Williams returned to practice Friday and worked out with team trainers Sunday at Lambeau Field. But Johnson gave no indication if Williams might be ready to return. He hasn't played since straining his right hamstring in a Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“He’s doing a great job progressing and we’ll see when we can make him available to help us win ballgames,” said Johnson, who met with reporters virtually Monday. “But he’s itching to get back as soon as he can, which is a good thing, and when we get the green light, we’ll move forward from there.”

A day after a 31-7 drubbing by the Green Bay Packers during which Johnson pulled quarterback Tyson Bagent in the fourth quarter in favor of third-stringer Case Keenum, Johnson declined to say who would take the starting reps in practice this week if Williams is unavailable.

“We’re still working through that,” he said. “No determination has been made in terms of what direction we’re going. There are a lot of things that we’re assessing right now.”

After the Bears take on the Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, they have a quick turnaround before a Thursday night matchup against the New England Patriots on Oct. 22 at Soldier Field.

Earlier Monday, during his weekly radio interview on WMVP-AM 1000, Johnson said the quick turnaround won't factor into his decision at quarterback.

"I'm honestly not even thinking about that far," he told Bears play-by-play voice Jeff Joniak. "We are solely focused on today and this week."

Here's what else Johnson said Monday after his team's rough outing in Green Bay.

1. QUARTERBACK UNCERTAINTY LINGERS FOR BOTH TEAMS THIS WEEK.

Bagent struggled in Sunday's loss, completing 12 of 21 passes for 87 yards with two interceptions. He threw an interception on the Bears' second possession, which helped Green Bay jump out to a 14-0 lead.

Another interception late in the third quarter led to yet another Packers scoring drive and proved to be Bagent's final play.

Keenum didn't fare a whole lot better in the fourth quarter, going 11-for-19 for 108 yards with an interception and a fumble. But by the time he went into the game, the Bears already were trailing 31-7.

The Bears have won games with all three quarterbacks this season, and they're 2-1 since Williams injured his hamstring. Much as he did in Week 4 before the game against the New York Jets, Johnson could keep his plans vague this week.

"We have three guys that can win games in this league," he said Monday.

There also might be genuine uncertainty with Williams. One practice isn't necessarily enough to declare him healthy. The Bears need to see what he looks like with several days of practice.

Meanwhile, Falcons quarterback Michael Penix suffered a rib injury late in an overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. Backup Tua Tagovailoa finished the game and threw a game-sealing interception in overtime.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Penix's rib injury is not considered serious, but it does create some uncertainty surrounding who Atlanta's starting quarterback will be Sunday.

---

2. THE PASS RUSH AND SECONDARY BOTH WERE TO BLAME FOR BIG PLAYS

Packers quarterback Jordan Love carved up the Bears defense with six completions of 30 yards or more. The Bears had allowed just five such passes in the previous four games combined.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love passes the ball while under pressure from Bears defensive end Austin Booker during the first quarter Sunday at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Love finished with 367 passing yards and two touchdowns while completing 80.6% of his passes.

"I don't think it was a full representation of us as a team, which we talked about," defensive end Austin Booker said. "We're going to correct it and come back next week full swing."

Booker had two sacks, but the Bears were otherwise unable to get to Love. They totaled only three additional QB hits. Love had clean pockets to work with, and he made the secondary pay for it on the back end.

Johnson pointed to everyone on the defensive, not just the secondary.

“It’s a collective deal going on, and when we win, we win as a team,” Johnson said. “When we lose, we lose as a team. As I keep alluding to with the offense, I’ll be the first one to shoulder the blame for anything that went on offensively, and then defensively, (coordinator Dennis Allen) is the same way. He’ll be the first one to tell you when there’s a bad call.

“But (it’s) also a combination of bad rushes mixed in there and bad coverage mixed in there, so really all three things showed up over the course of the game.”

The rush and coverage have to work together. On Sunday, neither was working.

“We’ve got to be critical of ourselves, look in the mirror a little bit today and get that cleaned up and fixed,” Johnson said.

---

3. COULD KYLER GORDON OR SHEMAR TURNER RETURN THIS WEEK?

The Bears might have reinforcements coming off the physically unable to perform list in Turner at defensive end and Gordon at cornerback. They have to decide this week whether to activate Turner. Gordon's 21-day practice window opened a week later than Turner's, so the Bears have another week to make a decision with him.

Gordon, who has yet to play this season because of a calf injury, could be a significant addition for a secondary that struggled Sunday.

“Mentally, he’s pretty sharp right now,” Johnson said. “We’re, once again, in the middle of this stress test, making sure that he’s physically prepared to play in football games.”

Activating either one would require the Bears to create a roster spot, either by placing someone on injured reserve or waiving someone from the 53-man roster.

Johnson declined to give injury updates on three players who exited the Green Bay game: linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring), cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (hamstring) and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (quadriceps). The team must release its next injury report Wednesday.

With Stevenson and Odeyingbo going out, this could be a timely opportunity for Gordon or Turner to return at those positions.

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BIGGS

from Page C1

with consecutive 10-play touchdown drives, the second after the first of Xavier McKinney's two interceptions of Tyson Bagent. There were 10 runs and 10 passes on those two drives.

The Packers leaned into an offensive line that has been hit hard with injuries and forced them to sign aging veterans off the street. The pieced-together unit held up, and that allowed Love to hit chunk plays downfield repeatedly.

"When you're getting hit repeatedly, it's hard to play in this league," LaFleur said. "It's hard enough to play quarterback. But when you have pockets like we were getting — and the guys were straining, doing a great job up front — the only time they really got to us was in that two-minute drive (before halftime).

"We're getting better up front, and that makes all the difference in the world."

Austin Booker had two sacks, but the Bears were not consistent on the defensive line. Montez Sweat was credited with one quarterback hit and no tackles.

With no consistent pass rush, coverage on the back end couldn't hold up against Christian Watson and Matthew Golden as the Bears allowed two 100-yard receivers in a game for the first time since the Week 2 blowout last season in Detroit (Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams).

The secondary was exposed in certain areas. It lacked play speed on the perimeter. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson are not burners, and if they don't win at the line of scrimmage, it can be a long day for them, especially against Watson and Golden.

Safety Dillon Thieneman made some rookie mistakes. He needed to make a play on the football in the end zone on the touchdown pass to Watson early in the third quarter.

The Bears lack depth at cornerback, and the top of the depth chart isn't playing well. They're probably not going to rush the quarterback at a high rate. They can't count on Booker to be T.J. Watt. Sweat had a rough game going against right tackle Anthony Belton.

It's worth wondering if Allen will adjust by going to more zone coverage. The Bears used heavy man coverage the first two weeks, then mixed in more zone in the next two games but still played an awful lot of man. They have to find a way to eliminate the explosive plays they're giving up, especially if the personnel isn't the best fit.

Assuming Kyler Gordon is restored to the 53-man roster soon, he can help. Stevenson left the game with a hamstring injury, and Malik Muhammad II had to move to the outside. If Muhammad is covering for Stevenson on the outside, Gordon could play in the slot next week in Atlanta. He's experienced, but the Bears still could be at a disadvantage outside the numbers, and it's always matchup-based.

Looking ahead, the Falcons' Drake London might be a better matchup for Jaylon Johnson because he's a physical receiver, not a burner. You have to wonder what the matchups will look like week to week, especially if you can't be sure the pass rush will get home.

Excuses can't be made for the defense. It didn't play well. But the quarterback play between Bagent and Case Keenum was subpar. Bagent was reckless with the ball and some of his choices. Five turnovers gave the Bears almost no chance, no matter what the defense did.

What does the true Bears defense look like? I'm not sure and I doubt the coaches can say with certainty right now.

CALEB WILLIAMS EMERGED FROM THE LOCKER ROOM AT 8:45 A.M., MORE THAN THREE HOURS BEFORE KICKOFF, TO GO THROUGH A PREGAME WORKOUT.

It wasn't like the “practice” sessions before preseason games that coaches designed with called plays and wide receivers. Williams, with some equipment assistants and assistant trainers looking on, warmed up and then went through a throwing progression.

It started with simple throws to a target on an out route, and then Williams started taking drop-backs, simulating play-action throws as he slid in the pocket and stepped up at times.

By the end, he was running scramble plays in which he would escape the pocket and make a throw downfield. The total session, once he started, lasted about 30 minutes, and I tallied 78 passes. Assistant general manager Jeff King watched it all unfold.

The question now: What is the status of Williams' availability for Sunday's game in Atlanta? He was a limited participant in practice Friday. But teams have wide latitude in what “limited” means in terms of participation and what a player actually did.

"He's on track," Ben Johnson said after the game. "We'll see if that's Atlanta or after. It's going to be close."

When Johnson says Williams is on track, he's talking about the team's plan for getting him back into game action. The Bears haven't defined what that "track" is. So maybe Week 6 against the Falcons. Maybe later.

Johnson didn't have any feedback Sunday on how Williams' pregame throwing session went because he was dialed

in on the game. He also didn't commit to a quarterback during his virtual news conference Monday, including who would take the first-team reps in practice this week if Williams isn't available.

The Bears can put the sports science equipment on Williams that measures his movement skills and speed in practice. They can compare the data with when he was healthy. The concern with soft tissue isn't the rehab work or sideline work players do when they're with trainers. It's being able to run at top speed without pain.

The Bears aren't bringing Williams back to run a straight line in a track meet. The concern is the sudden movement required to play the position, especially in the style Williams is accustomed to. It's being able to elude a pass rusher and race to the edge. It's the ability to stop on a dime and cut back. Have a setback doing that in practice or a game, and Williams could spend even more time out of the lineup.

The Week 7 game is on Thursday, Oct. 22, at Soldier Field against the New England Patriots. So if Williams doesn't play against the Falcons, there might be only a walk-through before facing the defending AFC champions. After that, there's a long stretch before the Week 8 game on Monday, Nov. 2, in Seattle.

The sooner Williams is back in the lineup, the better. Bagent and Keenum were responsible for four of the five turnovers Sunday. The Bears can win with them when things are going well. It will be difficult to win because of them with any consistency.

Johnson might have to consider turning back to Keenum in Atlanta if Williams isn't available.

"We'll do the same thing we do every week," he said. "We talk as a staff, we'll recap this game and we'll make a decision going into next week what's best for us."

A critical component of the decision is what would be best in the big picture of Williams' season. Based on how the Bears handled their QB decisions the past couple of weeks, we could be waiting until late Friday or Saturday for solid clues.

THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2006 THE BEARS CAME INTO A GAME AT LAMBEAU FIELD AS THE FAVORITE, AND I THOUGHT THEY WERE WELL-POSITIONED BECAUSE OF THE RUSHING ATTACK.

Running games travel, and the Packers were demoralized in Week 3 when the Falcons' Bijan Robinson had 194 of their 242 rushing yards in a 35-14 win at Lambeau Field. The Falcons major in outside zone. The Bears major in outside zone.

So I figured even with Kyle Monangai (toe) sidelined, the Bears would have a significant advantage with an offensive line that paved the way to 785 rushing yards in the first four games.

I was wrong.

D'Andre Swift had 43 yards on nine

carries, and the Bears were held to a

season-low 81 rushing yards on 24 carries.

They tried attacking the perimeter with a

series of handoffs to wide receivers, looking

to take advantage of angles and get to

the second level, and it didn't work.

“We’ll look at the tape, see what we did wrong,” Swift said. “We weren’t able to sustain drives.”

The Packers knew they would have to be much better against the run. For all the talk about the rivalry and all that entails, this was an important game for them as they entered 2-2. Lose and they risked falling way behind in the division even at this early juncture.

“We know last time that we were in Lambeau (against the Falcons), we kind of peed down our leg,” Packers edge rusher Lukas Van Ness said. “We had to come in and prove this is our home. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. They’re faceless to us. It’s more about setting our standard and playing our brand of football, and I feel like we did that.

"We presented a lot of different looks and disguises and were able to force them into some different plays than what they were looking for. So I give a lot of credit to (defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon). We've been working diligently through the last couple weeks to stop the run, especially after the Atlanta game, and I am proud of the D-line and how we did that today."

Former Bears defensive tackle Jonathan Ford said he felt like the Bears were trying to trick them up front.

“They were trying to run a lot of side-to-side things,” Ford said. “Some things work, some don’t. They have two good backs. I guess one was down today. But we went out there and played our best ball to this point, honestly.”

I pointed out to Ford where I had erred in thinking the similar traits of the Falcons' and Bears' running schemes would have led to a different outcome.

"I've got to be honest, the back (Swift) isn't the guy (Robinson) we saw on that Thursday," Ford said. "Those are good backs the Bears have over there, but it's different. I would say two totally different weeks, different personnel. Those guys did the best they could, but I think we wanted it a little bit more. We went out there and fought. We'll see them again."

Ford was confident the Bears will be formidable running the ball the next time they meet. The chess match will be interesting.

BULLS TAKEAWAYS

Wilson has cold shooting night in loss in Denver

By Julia Poe | CHICAGO TRIBUNE

After raining down 3-pointers in Friday's preseason loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson went cold from deep in Denver.

Wilson missed his first three attempts behind the arc Sunday night in a 133-128 preseason loss to the Denver Nuggets. He finally made his only 3-pointer of the game as the first half ended, watching the ball rattle through the rim as the backboard lit up at the buzzer. The shot earned an appreciative pat on the chest from Nuggets veteran Aaron Gordon.

Even on a down shooting night, Wilson never was wanting for effort. After coughing up a turnover at the top of the key early in the second quarter, he chased Alpha Diallo at a dead sprint to smack the ball out of his hands, preventing a transition dunk to erase his error.

When his 3-point shot failed to fall, Wilson shouldered his way into the gut of the defense and pulled up to unload his midrange jumper. He tallied 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting and earned seven free throws, hitting four.

Wilson was an anomaly behind the arc in an otherwise hot shooting night for the Bulls. The rest of the starters went 7-for-13 from 3-point range, and Buddy Hield and Leonard Miller both went 4-for-6 off the bench. The Bulls finished 21-for-50 (42%) on 3s.

Here are four other takeaways from the loss.

1. SMALL BALL EXPERIMENTS CONTINUE.

The Bulls already were missing both of their centers with Nic Claxton (hamstring) and Zach Collins (quadriceps) sidelined for the majority of training camp. After playing 6-foot-8 forward Tobe Awaka in that position for the first two preseason games, the Bulls were forced to adjust again when Awaka was a late scratch because of an injury.

That pushed Jalen Smith — who originally was expected to come off the bench as the backup power forward — into the starting center position. It was a particularly undersized look for the Bulls to roll out against Nikola Jokić, who took advantage and racked up 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in fewer than 27 minutes.

Collins could return by the season opener Oct. 21, and Claxton should be close behind. But for now, these small rotations are the status quo for the Bulls. Although starting Smith gave the Bulls a positionless mobility that opened a fast-paced offensive style, it's hard to see how the defense can keep up for long with such a disparity on the low block.

---

2. LEONARD MILLER IS

GUNNING FOR A BIGGER ROLE.

The Bulls rotation is cluttered at the four, and Miller is adding to that cramped position group. He's competing with other backup forwards such as Noa Essengue to establish himself in the rotation, and he made a quick impression off the bench in Denver and started the second half as a result.

Miller went 4-for-6 from deep and 11-for-14 overall from the field to score a team-high 26 points before he was pulled in the fourth quarter. He also led the Bulls with seven rebounds.

3. NOA ESSENGUE STRUGGLES TO SCORE.

The Bulls are beginning to see flashes of the defensive instincts that made Essengue an intriguing prospect last summer. But in his second preseason, he hasn't quite figured out how to create his own shot. He finished with eight points despite playing the third-most minutes on the team.

Essengue missed all three of his 3-point attempts. Three of his four baskets were put-back dunks or layups. Those types of baskets are crucial for the Bulls, and that type of second effort should be rewarded for a young player like Essengue.

But on a team that already struggles with creation, the Bulls can't afford for Essengue to remain this stalled out in his own shot creation.

4. NEW THREADS FOR DEMAR DEROZAN.

The preseason game offered a reunion for former Bulls star DeRozan, who signed a one-year, \$2.45 million deal with the Nuggets in the offseason.

DeRozan, 37, will come off the bench for the Nuggets this season. He scored two points in just over nine minutes against the Bulls.

Bulls forward Caleb Wilson shoots over Nuggets guard Jamal Murray in the first half of a preseason game Sunday in Denver. DAVID ZALUBOWSKI/AP

Blackhawks center Connor Bedard looks down the ice in the first period of a game against the Bruins at the United Center on Jan. 17. CHRIS SWEDA/CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Bedard's return will help, but will it fix Blackhawks?

Kalen

Lumpkins

ON THE

BLACKHAWKS

Let's start with the obvious: The Black-hawks need Connor Bedard back.

They needed to build around him, too. General manager Kyle Davidson added pieces this offseason, trading for Bowen Byram, signing Ian Cole and Cole Smith, and later

bringing Patrick Kane back for a second Hawks stint.

Things were looking promising — until early July. Bedard was skating in an unofficial practice when he fell into the boards, injuring his left shoulder. The star center had surgery days later with a four-month recovery timeline.

Unlike Bedard's other two injuries (fractured jaw in 2024 and a right shoulder injury last year), the Hawks could at least prepare to be without their current captain. It was another tall task for coach Jeff Blashill — getting his team ready for a tough road trip without their best player.

Despite Bedard's injury, the expectations for the 2026-27 Hawks were heightened. They aren't Stanley Cup contenders yet, but this season seemed to be poised for a big step forward.

That's not how things have gone, at least so far.

The Vegas Golden Knights cruised past the Hawks, as did the Utah Mammoth, while the Buffalo Sabres used a third-period comeback to keep the road team winless. The Hawks lost their first three games in regulation, outscored 15-5.

They won their home opener against the St. Louis Blues in Kane's United Center return, but that's where the good news ended for the Hawks through six games. A frustrating loss to the New York Islanders and a home waxing against the Carolina Hurricanes left them at 1-5-0.

Still, Bedard has seen positives from his team while watching from off the ice.

“We have so many great players, even (through) six games, that you can see have gotten better with each game,” Bedard said on Monday. “A big thing is we’re never quitting, we’ve been down big a couple games and we play like (we’re) at 0-0, that’s going to be really important for one-goal games.”

Bedard is very close to returning to the Hawks lineup — perhaps as soon as Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins — which would be earlier than his original November timeline. It's no secret that the team will be significantly better with the 21-year-old playing.

But will it fix everything? Probably not.

The offense should see immediate improvement, as Bedard's ice vision and top-notch puck handling make all of his linemates better. On Sunday, Connor Bedard joined the team for full-contact practice for the first time this season. He did so again on Monday, centering the top line with Kane and Roman Kantserov.

“(I feel) good, I feel normal,” Bedard said. “I think everyone’s comfortable with everything, (so) I’m excited to keep building and get going here.

“They’re two amazing players (who play) the game at such a high level. For me, it’s just getting to spots where they want me, but all three of us think about the game in a similar way. It’s nice to have a couple skates and, once I’m back playing with them, just keep growing shift by shift.”

Bedard was cited as a big reason why Kane returned to the Hawks, and their first game sharing the ice as teammates is approaching.

"I think it's definitely a boost to the whole team," Kane said about Bedard's pending return. "Seeing what he's capable of doing out there just in practice, it's high-level skill — the way he attacks, the way he can make plays off attacking, he's a special player and he's a big part of our team, so it's nice to see him back."

The norm is that Bedard will shoot when needed, but will the other Hawks follow suit? It hasn't been that way in the captain's absence.

The Hawks have produced an average of 21 shots on goal per game this season. That's the second-lowest in the NHL, only ahead of the winless Philadelphia Flyers with 20. They've cracked 25 or more shots in a game just twice.

Players who should be taking shots have struggled thus far. Nick Lardis is trickling down the lineup, Byram hasn't produced enough power-play opportunities, and the forwards outside of the Cole Smith, Ryan Greene and Jordan Greenway line have not been consistent.

Figuring out the power play, where they're $\frac{1}{14}$ with 10 shots on goal, will lift some weight off the players' shoulders. The Hawks ran practice with Kane back on his natural right side on the top power-play unit and Bedard on the left.

"I've probably played more the other side in my career, but I feel comfortable over there, and we got four amazing players that can think the game at such a high level and get open for me," Bedard said. "If I don't have the puck, then (Kane) has the puck, (which) I think I'd probably rather have that."

Added Kane: “We weren’t able to really have sustained pressure, so I don’t know if that has anything to do with position or not, but I didn’t feel too bad on the left. I thought it looked pretty good in practice today for the first time and just kind of getting used to each other and the way we want to do things and communicating will be important, so hopefully we can start off well if we go to that type of setup.”

Along with generating (and converting on) scoring chances, the Hawks have to figure out how to leave their defensive zone. This was a problem even with Bedard last season, and one that has plagued Blashill's early tenure.

Clearing and gaining possession of the puck has been nearly impossible for Hawks defensemen and forwards. The result of this extended time in the zone has been multiple shots by opponents.

In Salt Lake City on Oct. 1, the Mammoth had 65 shot attempts, 32 of them on goal. On Saturday against the Hurricanes, the defending champs had 72 shot attempts, 39 of them on goal. Goaltenders Spencer Knight and Arvid Söderblom have tried their best to seal the leaks, but the dam has overflowed early on.

Is it a toughness issue? Lack of experience? Blashill explained his view of the Hawks' defensive zone struggles after the 5-2 loss to the Hurricanes.

"We have to figure out how to be a little bit quicker with those decisions and harder when it's time to be hard, that's probably the No.1 thing," Blashill said. "When you're ready to make a hard play, you make it hard. When there's time, you make the nice, good, poised plays."

The Hawks would've liked a better start to the year, but this is also a six-game sample size in an 84-game season. It's been an aggressive gauntlet so far, with the Hawks facing the two Stanley Cup finalists already.

And the Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks and other teams will say the same thing — the game's much harder without your best player. Bedard's presence won't fix everything, but it will help a lot.

In other words, no one's panicking yet.

“Obviously, the results haven’t been there, but there’s been positives,” Bedard said. “We feel like we’re a great team and we’re excited to show that in the coming weeks, starting (Tuesday).”

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Morgan Park's Smith Jr. runs past King

By Patrick Z. McGavin

FOR THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Junior quarterback Ronald Smith Jr. isn't going to take the easy way out for Morgan Park.

He knows he can throw the ball. All season long, he has thrown the ball pretty well, in fact. But Smith sees himself as a true dual threat behind center, so it was time to get down to business.

“I’ve actually been struggling using my legs throughout the season,” Smith said with a shrug. “I really wanted to show what kind of athlete I am and that just became a huge confidence boost.

"It gave their defense two things to worry about."

Smith made sure any worries the Mustangs had went away Saturday. He totaled 205 yards and ran for a touchdown to spark a 22-13 Public League Red Star win over King at Lane Stadium.

Junior running back Kenneth Sims also produced a 13-yard TD run and added a 2-point conversion run as Morgan Park (7-1, 5-0) clinched the league's division title.

Senior running back Herman Yancey broke loose for a 68-yard TD run on the first play of the third quarter and finished with 126 yards and two TDs for King (6-2, 4-1).

Smith, meanwhile, completed 12 of 18 passes for 173 yards and added 33 yards on four carries as the Mustangs advanced to play Kenwood next Saturday in the city championship game.

“I grew up with him and RJ has always been a running quarterback,” Sims said.

Morgan Park's Ronald Smith Jr. hands the ball off against King during a Public League Red Star game at Lane Stadium in Chicago on Saturday. JEREMY TONEY / DAILY SOUTHTOWN

“Morgan Park is a passing team known for receivers and he’s perfect for the role — so talented and physically gifted.

"He's just a great kid, always in class, never in trouble. You never see him in the wrong place. He's always exactly where you want him to be."

Morgan Park coach Chris James showed his faith in Smith by gambling on fourth down in Mustangs territory while protecting a three-point lead with less than six minutes to play.

A 66-yard TD pass to senior receiver Travezz Jones was wiped out by a penalty, but the net yardage extended the drive. Senior running back William Smith Jr. cashed in with a 2-yard TD run.

"He makes plays when they're there," James said of Ronald Smith Jr. "When it's time for us to do something, RJ makes a play. And we've had to battle through the last couple of games.

“That’s what he’s great at doing — just making positive things happen.”

The 5-foot-11, 181-pound Smith combines elusiveness with the ability to improvise out of structure. He has the rare ability where he appears to control the pace of the game.

His 5-yard TD run on the opening possession helped the Mustangs jump to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter.

"It was actually called a pass play but everybody was telling me to use my legs when I needed to," Smith said. "I just took it and ran, and no matter what, I always just play my game.

"I keep my composure and just tell myself to just breathe."

Smith's father played running back in high school. His two older brothers were wide receivers.

"My brothers are a lot older than me, but they were a big influence and I think the reason I started playing football," he said. "It looked fun watching them play and I just fell in love with the game."

On the field, he's a force of nature. He never backs off a spotlight that's innate to quarterbacks. And like a musician, he knows the game is about creating rhythm and flow.

"I'm laid-back and you'll never going to see me get agitated," Smith said. "I'm a totally different person when I'm playing. They say pressure makes diamonds. Right now, I'm the diamond."

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SCOREBOARD

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NFL

NHL

AMERICAN CONFERENCE | East | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Buffalo | 3 | 1 | 0 | .750 | 127 | 107 | New England | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 110 | 94 | N.Y. Jets | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 93 | 96 | Miami | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 70 | 132 | South | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Jacksonville | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | 123 | 70 | Indianapolis | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 124 | 138 | Houston | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 110 | 112 | Tennessee | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 58 | 109 | North | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Baltimore | 4 | 1 | 0 | .800 | 146 | 119 | Cleveland | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 93 | 112 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 111 | 109 | Cincinnati | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 128 | 109 | West | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Kansas City | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 118 | 77 | Denver | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 97 | 111 | Las Vegas | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 132 | 129 | L.A. Chargers | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 84 | 129 | NATIONAL CONFERENCE

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WEEK 5 | East | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | N.Y. Giants | 3 | 1 | 1 | .700 | 109 | 106 | Philadelphia | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 92 | 112 | Dallas | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 138 | 136 | Washington | 1 | 3 | 1 | .300 | 115 | 149 | South | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Carolina | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 121 | 109 | Atlanta | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 119 | 122 | Tampa Bay | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 100 | 112 | New Orleans | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 118 | 151 | North | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Minnesota | 5 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 109 | 64 | Green Bay | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 104 | 112 | Detroit | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 164 | 148 | Chicago | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 119 | 96 | West | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | San Francisco5 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 154 | 93 | Seattle | 3 | 2 | 0 | .600 | 134 | 105 | L.A. Rams | 2 | 2 | 0 | .500 | 85 | 83 | Arizona | 1 | 4 | 0 | .200 | 108 | 162 | METROPOLITAN DIVISION

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MONDAY'S RESULT

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SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Jacksonville 19, Philadelphia 17 (London)

Cincinnati 31, Miami 24

Green Bay 31, Chicago 7

Houston 26, Tennessee 3

Minnesota 23, New Orleans 13

N.Y. Giants 27, Washington 27, OT

N.Y. Jets 17, Cleveland 12

New England 45, Las Vegas 17

Pittsburgh 34, Indianapolis 22

Denver 23, L.A. Chargers 17

Detroit 45, Arizona 21

San Francisco 32, Seattle 29

Baltimore 30, Atlanta 23, OT

Off: Kansas City, Carolina

---

WEEK 6

---

THURSDAY'S GAME

THURSDAY'S GAMES

Seattle at Denver, 7:15 p.m.

SUNDAY'S GAMES

---

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Baltimore at Cleveland, noon

Carolina at Philadelphia, noon

Chicago at Atlanta, noon

N.Y. Jets at New England, noon

New Orleans at N.Y. Giants, noon

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, noon

Tennessee at Indianapolis, noon

Arizona at L.A. Rams, 3:05 p.m.

Buffalo at Las Vegas, 3:25 p.m.

L.A. Chargers at Kansas City, 3:25 p.m.

Dallas at Green Bay, 7:20 p.m.

MONDAY, OCT. 19

Washington at San Francisco, 7:15 p.m.

Off: Cincinnati, Miami, Detroit, Minnesota

---

Late Sunday: | Baltimore | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | -30 | Atlanta | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | -23 | ---

First quarter

BAL - FG Loop 21, 10:27. | GP | W | L | OT | Pts | GF | GA | Ottawa | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 19 | 12 | Tampa Bay | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 16 | 12 | Boston | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 20 | 13 | Toronto | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 20 | 18 | Buffalo | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 22 | Florida | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 17 | Montreal | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 19 | Detroit | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 15 | ATL — Bates 36 fumble return (Folk kick), 8:03.

BAL - FG Loop 51, 8:04.

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Second quarter

ATL — Pitts 5 pass from Penix (Folk kick), 2:24.

BAL - FG Loop 51, :00.

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Third quarter

BAL — Henry 18 pass from Huntley (pass failed), 6:53.

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Fourth quarter | GP | W | L | OT | Pts | GF | GA | Carolina | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 27 | 17 | N.Y. Rangers | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 23 | 13 | Pittsburgh | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 17 | Washington | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 17 | 14 | Columbus | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 14 | New Jersey | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 18 | N.Y. Islanders | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 13 | Philadelphia | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 28 | GP | W | L | OT | Pts | GF | GA | Utah | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 22 | 15 | Minnesota | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 9 | Winnipeg | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 13 | 15 | Colorado | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 26 | 17 | Nashville | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 14 | Dallas | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 8 | St. Louis | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 14 | 16 | Chicago | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 26 | ATL – FG Folk 34, 8:03.

ATL – FG Folk 48, 2:31.

BAL – D.Walker 7 pass from Huntley (Henry run), :40.

First Quartime

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INDIVIDUAL STATS

Rushing — Baltimore, Henry 24-102, Hill 4-73, Huntley 6-20, Flowers 1-13. Atlanta, Bi.Robinson 17-86, Br.Robinson 7-16, Penix 2-8. | BAL | ATL | First downs | 24 | 17 | Third down eff | 8-15 | 9-17 | Total net yards | 391 | 367 | Rushes-yards | 35-208 | 26-110 | Passing | 183 | 257 | Punt returns | 1-11 | 2-0 | Kickoff returns | 5-132 | 5-124 | Interceptions ret | 1-2 | 0-0 | Comp-att-int | 24-32-0 | 21-35-1 | Sacked-Yards Lost | 4-18 | 3-17 | Punts | 4-44.25 | 4-53.25 | Fumbles-lost | 1-1 | 1-0 | Penalties-yards | 5-40 | 7-67 | Time of poss | 35:10 | 32:45 | ---

First Overtime

Passing — Baltimore, Huntley 24-32-0-201. Atlanta, Penix 19-32-0-240, Tagovailoa 2-3-1-34.

BAL — Huntley 1 run (Loop kick), 2:57.

Receiving — Baltimore, Flowers 8-53, Bateman 5-62, Andrews 4-28, Cuevas 2-26, Walker 2-9, Hill 2-5, Henry 1-18. Atlanta, D.London 7-118, Pitts 5-42, Bi.Robinson 4-32, Dotson 2-54, Branch 2-15, Woerner 1-13. | GP | W | L | OT | Pts | GF | GA | Vegas | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 23 | 14 | Edmonton | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 25 | 17 | Anaheim | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 18 | 13 | Seattle | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 26 | 17 | San Jose | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 13 | 17 | Vancouver | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 24 | 35 | Los Angeles | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 17 | Calgary | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 27 | ATLANTIC DIVISION

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NHL

Interceptions – Baltimore, Hamilton 1-2.

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WNBA Playoffs

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WNBA FINALS

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(Best-of-7; \*-if necessary)

#2 GOLDEN STATE vs. #4 ATLANTA

Saturday: Game 1 at Golden State, 2:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 19: at Golden State, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22: at Atlanta, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 24: at Atlanta, 2:30 p.m.

x-Mon., Oct. 26: at Golden State, 7 p.m.

x-Thursday, Oct. 29: at Atlanta, 7 p.m.

x-Sat., Oct. 31: at Golden State, 7 p.m.

BASKETBALL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

Note: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. Top three teams in each division and two wild cards per conference advance to playoffs. | 2026 Voting | (Team) Votes | Cheryl Reeve | (Minnesota) | 13 | Dan Padover | (Atlanta) | 11 | Ohemaa Nyanin | (Golden State) | 8 | Curt Miller | (Dallas) | 5 | Vanja Cernivec | (Portland) | 4 | Michael Winger | (Washington) | 3 | Monica Wright Rogers | (Toronto) | 1 | CENTRAL DIVISION

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NBA

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EXHIBITION SCHEDULE

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WESTERN CONFERENCE

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MONDAY'S RESULTS

Portland 119, London 66

Atlanta 113, Oklahoma City 110

Brooklyn 131, Washington 122

Minnesota 122, New York 104

San Antonio at Utah, late

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

Dallas 132, Houston 115

Cleveland 119, Orlando 105

Charlotte 105, Milwaukee 90

Denver 133, Chicago 128

TUESDAY'S GAMES

Cleveland at Orlando, 6 p.m.

New York at Toronto, 6 p.m.

Indiana at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m.

Golden State vs. L.A. Lakers, 9 p.m.

Portland at Sacramento, 9 p.m.

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Monday's results Buffalo 5, Florida 2

Ottawa 4, New Jersey 1

Vegas at Minnesota, late

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Tuesday's games

New Jersey at Detroit, 5 p.m.

Florida at Columbus, 5:15 p.m.

Buffalo at Montreal, 5:30 p.m.

Washington at Carolina, 5:45 p.m.

Seattle at Philadelphia, 6 p.m.

Tampa Bay at N.Y. Rangers, 6:15 p.m.

St. Louis at Ottawa, 6:30 p.m.

Vancouver at N.Y. Islanders, 6:45 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Winnipeg, 7:15 p.m.

Colorado at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Vegas at Nashville, 7:45 p.m.

Toronto at Utah, 8 p.m.

Calgary at Anaheim, 8:45 p.m.

Edmonton at Los Angeles, 9:30 p.m.

Boston at San Jose, 10 p.m.

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Sunday's results

Soccer

Seattle 5, Washington 3

N.Y. Rangers 6, Vancouver 2

Carolina 4, Philadelphia 1

Soccer | Eastern | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Nashville | 19 | 3 | 6 | 63 | 59 | 22 | Miami | 13 | 5 | 10 | 49 | 68 | 50 | Chicago | 14 | 8 | 6 | 48 | 51 | 40 | N. England | 14 | 10 | 4 | 46 | 45 | 39 | Charlotte | 13 | 8 | 7 | 46 | 50 | 40 | Philadelphia | 12 | 10 | 6 | 42 | 56 | 45 | Orlando | 11 | 13 | 4 | 37 | 51 | 66 | NY Red Bulls | 10 | 12 | 6 | 36 | 38 | 52 | Cincinnati | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | 58 | 65 | NYCFC | 8 | 11 | 9 | 33 | 42 | 38 | Toronto | 7 | 10 | 11 | 32 | 41 | 52 | D.C. United | 6 | 9 | 12 | 30 | 34 | 46 | Columbus | 8 | 15 | 5 | 29 | 41 | 46 | Atlanta | 7 | 15 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 48 | Montréal | 6 | 16 | 6 | 24 | 35 | 56 | ---

MLS | Western | W | L | T | Pts | GF | GA | Vancouver | 15 | 7 | 6 | 51 | 61 | 30 | St Louis City | 14 | 6 | 8 | 50 | 54 | 38 | Dallas | 13 | 7 | 8 | 47 | 52 | 45 | San Jose | 13 | 8 | 7 | 46 | 50 | 40 | Houston | 13 | 9 | 6 | 45 | 36 | 34 | LAFC | 11 | 9 | 9 | 42 | 44 | 31 | Seattle | 11 | 9 | 8 | 41 | 38 | 35 | Colorado | 11 | 13 | 4 | 37 | 39 | 39 | LA Galaxy | 9 | 11 | 9 | 36 | 39 | 50 | Portland | 9 | 13 | 6 | 33 | 51 | 54 | Salt Lake | 9 | 14 | 5 | 32 | 41 | 46 | San Diego | 8 | 12 | 8 | 32 | 48 | 51 | Austin | 7 | 11 | 10 | 31 | 36 | 51 | Minnesota | 7 | 12 | 9 | 30 | 42 | 51 | Kansas City | 6 | 18 | 4 | 22 | 35 | 68 | Three points for win, one point for tie.

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SUNDAY'S RESULT

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St Louis City 6, LA Galaxy 2 WEDNESDAY'S MATCHES

WEDNESDAY'S MATCHES

New England at Cincinnati, 6:30 p.m.

Charlotte FC at Columbus, 6:30 p.m.

N.Y. Red Bulls at D.C. United, 6:30 p.m.

New York City FC at Miami, 6:30 p.m.

Atlanta at CF Montréal, 6:30 p.m.

Orlando City at Toronto FC, 6:30 p.m.

Philadelphia at Chicago, 7:30 p.m.

Seattle at FC Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Sporting KC at Nashville, 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver at St Louis City, 7:30 p.m.

Minnesota at Colorado, 8:30 p.m.

San Jose at Real Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m.

Portland at LA Galaxy, 9:30 p.m.

Austin FC at Los Angeles FC, 9:30 p.m.

Houston at San Diego FC, 9:30 p.m.

NWSL | Club | W | L | T | Pt | GF | GA | Gotham FC | 16 | 4 | 7 | 55 | 35 | 21 | San Diego | 16 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 40 | 28 | Washington | 15 | 8 | 4 | 49 | 39 | 26 | Utah | 14 | 9 | 4 | 46 | 44 | 35 | Kansas City | 13 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 48 | 38 | Angel City | 12 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 45 | 29 | Portland | 12 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 45 | 39 | N. Carolina | 13 | 11 | 3 | 42 | 50 | 39 | Seattle | 12 | 11 | 4 | 40 | 33 | 32 | Denver | 10 | 9 | 8 | 38 | 45 | 37 | Orlando | 10 | 14 | 3 | 33 | 36 | 43 | Houston | 8 | 13 | 6 | 30 | 34 | 39 | Boston | 8 | 14 | 5 | 29 | 36 | 46 | Bay FC | 7 | 15 | 5 | 26 | 28 | 42 | Louisville | 7 | 17 | 3 | 24 | 36 | 52 | Chicago | 5 | 20 | 2 | 17 | 15 | 63 | ---

FRIDAY's MTCH

Gotham FC at Washington, 11:30 a.m.

Kansas City at Utah Royals FC, 5:30 p.m.

San Diego at North Carolina, 6 p.m.

Angel City at Denver FC, 7:45 p.m.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE | Club | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Man City | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 18 | Man City | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 18 | Arsenal | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 15 | Brighton | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 13 | Brentford | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 10 | Everton | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 10 | Chelsea | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 13 | 10 | Leeds | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 9 | Hull | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 9 | Liverpool | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 9 | Ipswich | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 9 | Newcastle | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 13 | 8 | Crystal Palace | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 7 | Man United | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 6 | Coventry | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 6 | Notting, Forest | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 5 | Aston Villa | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 5 | Sunderland | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 12 | 4 | Bournemouth | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 3 | Tottenham | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 | Fulham | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 2 | ---

MONDAY'S RESULT

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U.S. WOMEN'S SCHEDULE

Coventry City 4, Newcastle 1

SATURDAY'S MATCHES

Everton vs. Chelsea, 6:30 a.m.

Brentford vs. Liverpool, 9 a.m.

Fulham vs. Hull, 9 a.m.

Man City vs. Ipswich, 9 a.m.

Newcastle vs. Aston Villa, 11:30 a.m.

Tuesday: vs. Spain, 6 p.m.

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MLB Playoffs

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TODAY'S PITCHERS

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LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

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(Best-of-7; x-if necessary) NATIONAL LEAGUE | AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES | 2025 vs Opp | Last 3 starts | Pitchers | Time | W-L | ERA | Rec | W-L | IP | ERA | W-L | IP | ERA | Cle | TBD | 0-0 | 0.00 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | TB | Peralta (R) | 7p | 0-0 | 1.93 | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 1-0 | 15.2 | 1.15 | MILWAUKEE 2, L.A. DODGERS 0

Sun., Oct. 11: Game 1 at Milwaukee 2-1.

Monday: Game 2 at Milwaukee 7-4.

Wednesday: Game 3 at Los Angeles, 7 p.m.

Thursday: Game 4 at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.

x-Friday: Game 5 at Los Angeles, 8 p.m.

x-Sunday: Game 6 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

x-Mon., Oct. 19: Game 7 at Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND

Monday: at Tampa Bay, late

Tuesday: at Tampa Bay 7 p.m.

Thursday: at Cleveland, 5 p.m.

Friday: at Cleveland, 5 p.m.

x-Saturday: at Cleveland, 7 p.m.

x-Mon., Oct. 19: at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m.

x-Tue., Oct. 20: at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m.

Late Sunday: Brewers 2, Dodgers 1 | Los Angeles | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg | Betts ss | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 | Freeman 1b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | Smith c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | Ohtani dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 | T.Hernández lf | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | Muncy 3b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .250 | Pages cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .250 | Tucker rf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | E.Hernández 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | a-De Paula ph | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1-Edman pr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | Totals | 21 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 8 | Milwaukee | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg | Chourio lf | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .500 | Turang 2b | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | Contreras c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | Bauers 1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .333 | Vaughn dh | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .333 | Mitchell cf | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | Pratt ss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Lara rf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .333 | Ortiz 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | Totals | 26 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 13 | LAD | 010 | 000 | 000 | - | 1 | 7 | 0 | MIL | 000 | 110 | 00x | - | 2 | 6 | 0 | a-walked for E.Hernández in the 9th.

1-ran for De Paula in the 9th.

LOB: Los Angeles 9, Milwaukee 7; 2B: Vaughn (1); HR: Turang (1), off Skubal;

RBI: Pages (1), Turang (1), Lara (1); CS: Bauers (1); S: Pratt, Turang.

Runners left in scoring position: Los Angeles 3 (Betts, Pages, Tucker).

Milwaukee 5 (Mitchell 2, Contreras 2, Pratt); RISP: Los Angeles 1 for 6. Milwaukee 2 for 7.

Runners moved up: Mitchell, Ortiz; GIDP: Smith, E.Hernández, Freeman, Vaughn. DP: Los Angeles 1 (E.Hernández, Betts, Freeman). Milwaukee 3 (Pratt, Turang, Bauers. Pratt, Turang, Bauers. Turang, Pratt, Bauers). | Los Angeles | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA | Skubal | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 81 | 3.60 | Vesia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 0.00 | Phillips | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 0.00 | Scott | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 0.00 | Milwaukee | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA | Misiorowski | $4^{1/3}$ | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 94 | 2.08 | Hall | $^{2/3}$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00 | Uribe | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0.00 | Ashby | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 0.00 | Megill | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 0.00 | W: Hall 1-0; L: Skubal 0-1; SV: Megill 1-1

Inherited runners-scored: Scott 1-0, Hall 1-0; IBB: off Scott (Contreras), off Scott (Vaughn).

ABS Challenge: Misiorowski (Ball-Over-turned to Strike), Ohtani (Strike-Over-turned to Ball), Contreras (Strike-Over-turned to Ball), Skubal (Ball-Confirmed), Megill (Ball-Confirmed), Tucker (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

Pitch timer violations: Scott (pitcher).

Umpires: Home, Edwin Moscoso. First, Mark Wegner. Second, Ryan Additon.

Third, Alan Porter. Right, John Tumpane.

Left, David Rackley.

T: 2:55; A: 42,617 (41,700).

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Tennis

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ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

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Monday at Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena; Shanghai, China, outdoors, hardcourt

MEN'S SINGLES, Round of 32

Zizou Bergs d. #2 Carlos Alcaraz, 7-5, 7-6(4).

#4 Felix Auger-Aliassime d.

Pablo Carreno Busta, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.

#5 Daniil Medvedev d. Dalibor Svrcina,

6-2, 6-3.

Botic Van De Zandschulp d.

#8 Arthur Fils. 7-5. 6-4

#8 Arthur Fils, 7-5, 6-4.

Stefanos Tsitsipas d. #11 Taylor Fritz, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

#12 Rafael Jodar d. #22 Jiri Lehecka, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4.

#20 Casper Ruud d. #14 Learner Tien, 6-4, 7-6(3).

#15 Tommy Paul d.

#17 Valentin Vacherot, 6-4, 6-2.

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DONGFENG VOYAH WUHAN OPEN

Monday at Optics Valley International Tennis Centre; Wuhan, China; outdoors, hardcourt

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WOMEN'S SINGLES, Round of 64

Shi Han d. #13 Alexandra Eala, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Marie Bouzkova d. Clara Tauson, 6-1, 2-0, retired.

Lanlana Tararudee d. Diane Parry, 6-4, 6-1.

Leylah Annie Fernandez d.

Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-4, 5-6, 6-3

Sonay Kartal d. Anhelina Kalinina,

7-5, 6-3.

Janice Tjen d. Aoi Ito, 6-3, 6-1.

Mia Pohankova d. Anna Bondar, 6-1, 6-3.

Magdalena Frech d. Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Maria Sakkari d. Donna Vekic, 6-4, 6-2.

Caty McNally d. Yuliia Starodubtseva,

2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4.

Wang Xiyu d. Wang Xinyu, 6-2, 6-0.

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LISBOA BELEM OPEN

Monday at the Club Internacional de Foot-ball, Lisbon, Portugal; outdoors, Red clay

WOMEN'S SINGLES, Round of 32 #6 Leyre Romero Gormaz d. Alice Rame, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

#8 Jazmin Ortenzi d. Barbora Palicova, 6-4, 7-6(1).

Clara Burel d. Lina Gjorcheska, 6-1, 6-3.

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ROVERETOPEN CITTÀ DELLA PACE

Monday at the Circolo Tennis Rovereto in Rovereto, Ital; indoors, hardcourt

#3 Lisa Pigato d. Julia Avdeeva, 6-4, 6-4.

#7 Lucia Bronzetti d. Mona Barthel,

3-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Gabriela Knutson d. #8 Emiliana Arango, 6-4, 6-3.

Lucie Havlickova d. Linda Klimovicova, 6-4, 7-5.

Harmony Tan d. Polina latcenko, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.

Susan Bandecchi d. Gaia Maduzzi, 6-3, 6-2.

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MALLORCA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIPS

Monday at Mallorca City Center, Mallorca, Spain, outdoors, outdoors, clay

WOMEN'S SINGLES. Round of 32

#1 Julia Grabher d. Deborah Chiesa, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

#2 Laura Samson d. Aran Teixido Garcia, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3.

#5 Andrea Lazaro Garcia d. Yasmine Kabbai, 7-6(7), 6-0.

#7 Elizara Yaneva d. Jennifer Ruggeri, 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-1.

Francesca Curmi d. Eva Vedder, 4-6, 7-6, 6-0.

Brewers 7, Dodgers 4 | Los Angeles | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg | Betts ss | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | Freeman 1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .250 | T.Hernández lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .500 | Ohtani dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .333 | Smith c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Muncy 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .250 | a-Rojas ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | Pages cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | Tucker rf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | Edman 2b | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | Totals | 28 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 9 | Milwaukee | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg | Chourio lf | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .222 | Turang 2b | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .600 | Contreras c | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .429 | Bauers 1b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | .286 | Yelich dh | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | .400 | Mitchell cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .000 | Pratt ss | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | Frelick rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .000 | Hamilton 3b | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 | Totals | 35 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 10 | LAD | 101 | 020 | 000 | - | 4 | 3 | 2 | MIL | 102 | 011 | 02x | - | 7 | 12 | 2 | a-struck out for Muncy in the 9th. E: Freeman (0), Pages (0), Henderson 2 (2); LOB: Los Angeles 2, Milwaukee 11; 2B: Tucker (1), Turang (1); HR: Contreras (1), off Bubic; RBI: T.Hernández (0), Freeman (0), Contreras 3 (3), Yelich 2 (2), Turang (2), Bauers (1); SB: Hamilton 2 (2); CS: Pratt (1); SF: T.Hernández, Freeman; S: Edman.

Runners left in scoring position: Los Angeles 1 (Ohtani). Milwaukee 5 (Mitchell 2, Yelich, Frelick 2); RISP: Los Angeles 0 for 4. Milwaukee 6 for 15. Runners moved up: Freeman 2, Betts, Chourio 2. | Los Angeles | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA | Yamamoto | $2^{2}/_{3}$ | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 7510 | .12 | Vesia | $1/_{3}$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.00 | Sasaki | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 0.00 | Bubic | $2/_{3}$ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 13.50 | Stewart | $2/_{3}$ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 13.50 | Scott | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 0.00 | Henriquez | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 18.00 | Wrobleski | $2/_{3}$ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0.00 | Milwaukee | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA | Henderson | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 64 | 4.50 | May | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 0.00 | Romero | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0.00 | Uribe | $1\frac{1}{3}$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 0.00 | Ashby | $1\frac{2}{3}$ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0.00 | W: Romero 1-0; L: Stewart 0-1; SV: Ashby 1-1

Inherited runners-scored: Vesia 2-0, Stewart 2-0, Scott 2-0, Wrobleski 2-1, May 1-1; IBB: off Stewart (Turang); HBP: Stewart (Hamilton); WP: Henderson.

ABS Challenge: Henderson (Ball-Overturned to Strike), Henderson (Ball-Overturned to Strike), May (Ball-Confirmed), Tucker (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

Pitch timer violations: Stewart (pitcher).

Umpires: Home, Chris Segal. First, Ryan Additon. Second, Alan Porter. Third, David Rackley. Right, Edwin Moscoso. Left, John Tumpane.

T: 3:21; A: 42,516 (41,700).

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College football

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WEEK 7 SCHEDULE

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(Subject to change) TUESDAY'S GAMES

Delaware (2-3) at Mid Tenn. (2-3), 6 p.m.

FIU (3-2) at Jacksonville St. (4-2), 7 p.m.

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William Contreras watches his solo home run during the fifth inning of the Brewers' 7-4 win over the Dodgers in Game 2 of the NLCS on Monday in Milwaukee. Contreras added a two-run single an inning later. ASHLEY LANDIS/AP

MLB PLAYOFFS

Contreras, pen lift Brewers to 2-0 lead

ASSOCIATED PRESS

William Contreras hit a tying homer in the fifth and singled home the go-ahead run an inning later as the Brewers beat the Dodgers 7-4 in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday in Milwaukee.

Four relievers combined to retire the last 15 Dodgers batters in order as the Brewers took a 2-0 lead over the two-time defending World Series champions in this best-of-seven series, which heads to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Wednesday.

The Brewers are chasing their second pennant and first in the NL. They made their lone World Series appearance in 1982, when they were in the American League and fell to the Cardinals in seven games.

The Dodgers are trying to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series. They last rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win a series in 2020, when they beat the Braves in a seven-game NLCS before going on to win the World Series.

To have a chance at getting back to the Fall Classic, they will need more punch from their lineup. They mustered just three hits Monday and went 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position to drop to 2 for 26 in those situations this postseason.

The Dodgers couldn't even get a boost from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who entered 8-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 career playoff appearances. Yamamoto lasted just $2 \frac{1}{2}$ innings for his shortest postseason start.

"Just wasn't sharp today," Dodgers manager Dave

Roberts said. "He just didn't have it tonight, which is very rare."

The Dodgers took the lead on three occasions in the first five innings. The Brewers responded each time, the last coming when Contreras tied it with a 436-foot homer to center off Kris Bubic in the fifth.

That turned the game into a battle of the bullpens, where the Brewers again had the edge.

Dustin May, JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combined to shut down the Dodgers after Logan Henderson's early exit. Brewers relievers have allowed one earned run in 28 $^{1/3}$ postseason innings.

The score was tied 4-all when the Brewers' David Hamilton was hit by a pitch from Brock Stewart to lead off the sixth. Stewart attempted a pickoff throw that went off the glove of first baseman Freddie Freeman and into foul territory for an error, advancing Hamilton to second.

After Jackson Chourio grounded out, the right-handed Stewart walked the left-handed-hitting Brice Turang to face the right-handed Contreras, who had homered in his previous plate appearance.

Contreras singled to left this time to bring home Hamilton with the go-ahead run.

Turang and Jake Bauers added RBI singles in the eighth to extend the Brewers' lead.

The Rays hosted the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday night but it ended too late for this edition.

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IN BRIEF

49ers LB Greenlaw gets 1-game ban for headbutt

NEWS SERVICES

Linebacker Dre Green-law was suspended for one game after head-butting the Seahawks' Ernest Jones IV following a late hit on the sideline during the 49ers' 32-29 victory on Sunday in Seattle.

The NFL issued the suspension on Monday, saying the headbutt of a player without a helmet was “contrary to the generally understood principles of sportsmanship.”

Greenlaw will miss the 49ers' game next Monday night against the Commanders pending an appeal on Tuesday.

“I was disappointed they decided to do that. But it is what it is,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said Monday. “Hopefully the appeal process can go better tomorrow and we can get it rescinded. But I’ll wait to see how that goes.”

Greenlaw has a history of infractions. He has been ejected two other times in his career. He had a sideline altercation with the Eagles' head of security Dom DiSandro in 2023 and was also disqualified for a helmet-to-helmet hit on the Chargers QB Justin Herbert in 2022.

Greenlaw was also suspended for one game last season when he played for the Broncos after berating an official following a win over the Giants.

He also was fined \$11,941 for taunting the Broncos' sideline in a win last week.

The latest infraction came in the second quarter on Sunday, when Sam Darnold scrambled and was hit late by Greenlaw after going out of bounds, leading to a personal foul.

Several Seahawks defenders immediately confronted Greenlaw after the hit and Greenlaw responded by head-butting Jones. Jones was bleeding after the hit and Greenlaw was ejected.

The Packers don't expect All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to practice to practice this week as the Packers prepare for Sunday night's game against his former team, the Cowboys, ESPN reported. Parsons tore the ACL in his left knee in mid-December. There's no updated on when he's expected to return to the lineup. He had hoped to make his season debut this week.... Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. exited the Falcons' 30-23 OT loss to the Ravens on Sunday night with a rib injury, but reportedly it isn't believed to be serious.

College football: UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava is out indefinitely with a knee injury, ESPN reported. There's no timetable yet for his return. The 12th-ranked Bruins are 5-0 and host Wisconsin (4-1) on Saturday night.

NHL: Stars forward Matt Duchene is expected to miss about three months after undergoing surgery for a core injury. The 35-year-old Duchene hasn't played this season.

NATIONAL SPORTS REPORT

Shorts

USWNT'S SWANSON 'SUPER GRATEFUL' TO BE BACK

ANSON SUPER GRATEPOL TO BE BACK

Back on the field for the United States women's soccer team after a two-year absence, Mallory Swanson glided down the right wing with the ball before playing a brilliant, curling pass behind the defense to Ashley Sanchez near the far post. The play didn't result in a goal — missed chances were piling up by this point for the Americans – but it was a reminder of what the 28-year-old Swanson can provide up front as the U.S. prepares for next year's World Cup. "Super grateful," she said afterward. "It takes a lot to get back." The U.S. lost to defending World Cup champ Spain 2-0 on Saturday in Washington. The 28-year-old Swanson's entrance as a substitute during the second half was a bright spot. She'd last played for the U.S. in October 2024 before having her first child last year. Swanson was on the U.S. team that won the 2019 World Cup, scoring in the team's tournament opener at age 21. A knee injury kept her out of the 2023 World Cup, but she was back for the Paris Olympics the following year, scoring in the final against Brazil to lift the U.S. to the gold medal. The U.S. will get another shot against Spain on Tuesday in the Philadelphia area.

ZVEREV CLINCHES YEAR-END NO.1 ATP RANKING

Alexander Zverev clinched the year-end No. 1 men's tennis ranking on Monday to cap a breakout year in which he won his first two Grand Slam titles. Helped by a season-ending injury to Jannik Sinner, the 29-year-old German will become the oldest player to achieve the year-end honor for the first time. Zverev is currently No. 2 but will overtake No. 1 Sinner before the season ends next month. The first possible date that Zverev could become No. 1 is Nov. 2 — while he's mathematically certain of the top spot by the season's final rankings on Nov. 23. Zverev became assured of finishing No. 1 when No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz was beaten by Zizou Bergs at the Shanghai Masters. Zverev won the French Open and U.S. Open titles this year and also reached the Australian Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final. "It's been a fantastic season for me ... and knowing that I will finish the year on top of the rankings is just a dream come true," Zverev said. Sinner, who hasn't played since beating Zverev in the Wimbledon final in July, missed the U.S. Open and is sitting out the rest of the season due to inflammation in his right knee. Alcaraz missed $4 \frac{1}{2}$ months this season with a wrist injury.

JORDAN FINALS JERSEY SELLS FOR RECORD \$14M

A game-worn, autographed Michael Jordan road jersey from the 1998 NBA Finals has been privately sold for \$14 million, an auction house announced Monday, calling it the highest price ever paid for a piece of basketball memorabilia. Pennsylvania-based Hunt Auctions announced the private treaty sale and identified the buyer as Miami real estate investor Ron Firman. The red jersey is the one Jordan wore in Game 2 of that series on June 5, 1998; he and the Bulls beat the Jazz that night to even the matchup at a game apiece. Jordan and the Bulls would go on to win the series in six games, the sixth and final title of his Hall of Fame career. That 1997-98 season was the subject of the 10-episode “Last Dance” documentary series that was released in 2020. The \$14 million price would be the second-biggest known cost for a game-worn jersey, behind the \$24.12 million paid in 2024 for the jersey worn by Babe Ruth of the Yankees when he hit the “called shot” home run against the Cubs at Wrigley Field in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. This sale becomes at least the third time a Jordan jersey from that 1998 finals has fetched at least \$10 million. —AP

ON THE NFL

Division of bad decisions

NFC East teams blow legit opportunities for wins after wrong-headed calls, plays

Coach Dan Quinn walks off the field following the Commanders' tie with the visiting Giants on Sunday. Quinn took the blame for his team's mismanaged play at the end of overtime that cost it a shot at attempting a game-winning field goal. NICK WASS/AP

By Rob Maaddi

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Poor situational management cost the Eagles and Commanders victories. The Giants squandered chances, too.

It was a tough Sunday for the NFC East and a rough Week 5 altogether for the division, including the Cowboys losing at home Thursday night to a previously winless team and an undrafted rookie quarterback.

The depleted Eagles gave away an improbable victory in London.

The Commanders inexplicably ran the clock out on themselves in field-goal range and had to settle for a tie against the Giants, who wasted two chances to win in overtime.

Down four offensive linemen, Saquon Barkley and two running backs and No. 1 receiver DeVonta Smith, the Eagles still had a chance to beat the Jaguars when Jake Elliott kicked a 48-yard field goal with eight seconds left.

The Jags had no timeouts remaining so the Eagles should've kicked the ball into the end zone for a touchback and forced them to run a play from the 35 needing about 25 yards to get in field-goal position.

Instead, Elliott kept the ball in play and Ameer Abdullah returned it 53 yards against a unit that allowed a touchdown on the opening kick that was negated by penalty. Abdullah was tackled at the Eagles 39 with a second to go, giving Cam Little an opportunity to drill a 57-yarder for a 19-17 victory.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni immediately regretted the decision.

"I lost us that game," Sirianni said. "And that's what I said to our guys. And what hurts there is that the guys fought so hard and then I don't make the decision that I should make at the end of the game and I cost us that game and I put that fully on me."

Special teams coach Michael Clay also deserves blame for not choosing to go for a touchback.

There was a similar scenario in the Ravens-Cowboys game in Brazil in Week 3. In that one, the Cowboys elected to kick the ball out of the end zone after Brandon Aubrey made a 23-yard field goal to tie the score at 31 with seven seconds remaining. Unlike the Jaguars, the Ravens had a timeout so the touchback wasn't the right call. Lamar Jackson completed a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers, the Ravens stopped the clock and Tyler Loop made a 56-yard field goal for a 34-31 victory.

The Eagles should've been in position to kick the winning goal as time expired but the offense mismanaged the sequence leading up to Elliott's attempt.

They were in Elliott's range with a first down at the Jaguars 34 after Jalen Hurts completed a 17-yard pass to Dallas Goedert and the Jaguars used their second timeout to stop the clock with 25 ticks left.