* ICYMI: Early voting expands across the suburbs Monday. Daily Herald…

- More than 50,000 suburban voters already have cast their ballots since early voting started Sept. 26, election officials report.
- On Monday, early voting expands to include 157 locations across the suburbs.
- “I’d encourage people not to wait until the last minute,” said Kane County Clerk Jack Cunningham, noting lines at early voting locations have not been too long.

* Related stories…

∙ NBC Chicago: Early voting in Illinois expands to dozens of locations across Chicago, suburbs
∙ ABC Chicago: Early voting expands in Illinois, including to Chicago wards sites

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* SJ-R | Illinois State Police trooper killed in crash with truck driver. Here’s what we know: Corey S. Thompsen, 28, was part of a Special Operations Group and had been with the state police for nearly five years, said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly at a news conference in Pesotum Saturday. […] A truck, driven by Helen Torres, 32, of Thomasboro, was traveling south on County Road 1300 East and stopped at the intersection at Leverett Road when she pulled into the roadway, striking Thompsen’s motorcycle.

* ABC Chicago | Previously solid-red Lake County becomes battleground for Democrats and Republicans before election: “Today, we are going to get out there knock on doors, make phone calls get our voters out to win, right?” said Gov. JB Pritzker. Pritzker rallied the troops in Highwood on Sunday, focusing on some of Lake County’s tightest races. Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart is trying to hang on to the seat he won four years ago, making him the first Democrat to win it in 40 years.

The governor will be at the University of Chicago David Rubenstein Forum at 10:15 am to give remarks at the Chicago Quantum Exchange Summit. Click here to watch.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | GOP leader tries to ‘sell hope’ in uphill battle to cut into Democratic stranglehold on state legislature: In a decidedly blue state, former President Donald Trump’s candidacy could hurt the GOP in legislative swing districts, said John Shaw, director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. “I think there is a guilt-by-association thing going on or a guilt-by-association possibility for Republicans who are running down ballot in swing districts, and even districts that maybe trend just a little bit Republican,” Shaw said.

*** Statewide ***

* WGN | Make A Wish Illinois raises funds to grant wishes for children battling serious illnesses: The goal of the walk was to raise $200,000 to continue making wishes come true for children fighting critical illnesses. In the next year, Make A Wish Illinois would like to grant the wishes of another 700 Illinois children.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson faces political headwinds from his progressive base: And Johnson appeared more and more comfortable playing the role of a mayor who, under fire from once-friends and foes alike, was doubling down on the message that he alone stands at the bully pulpit of the mayor’s office. “There’s a few people that somehow forgot there was a whole election that gave me the power to transform this city,” he said before handing Jackson the ceremonial key.

* Tribune | Former student protections chief Camie Pratt abused her position, according to OIG report criticizing CPS’ handling of Lincoln Park scandal: The CPS watchdog’s report casts new light on Pratt’s role in the web of sexual misconduct and retaliation allegations that embroiled Lincoln Park High School in scandal in early 2020. Since CPS accused an assortment of coaches and principals of mishandling an out-of-town trip involving allegations of misconduct among students on the boys basketball team, and a separate allegation of grooming on the girls team, multiple staffers have been reinstated.

* Tribune | Judge dismisses Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez’s defamation lawsuit against opponent: Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, sued 2023 City Council candidate Aida Flores over her claim that he regularly failed to recommend projects in the ward for the $1.5 million given to aldermen to spend on capital improvements. Judge Jerry A. Esrig ruled Thursday that Flores’ comments were not defamatory. Esrig also denied a motion from Flores to label Sigcho-Lopez’s lawsuit as a strategic effort to silence criticism. Despite that decision, Flores accused the Pilsen alderman of trying to squash dissent in a statement shared with the Tribune.

* Tribune | Unusual trial of two former prosecutors to restart Monday after long appeal delay: Nearly a year after a rare appeal stopped a trial in its tracks for two former Cook County assistant state’s attorneys, the case is expected to resume on Monday as special prosecutors allege wrongdoing in connection with an infamous wrongful conviction case. Nicholas Trutenko, 69, and Andrew Horvat, 48, are facing felony charges in connection with the third trial for Jackie Wilson, whose case was critical to unveiling systemic practices of torture within the Chicago Police Department.

* Block Club | Ballot Questions Ask South, Southwest Side Neighbors If They Want Free Mental Health Programs: That question also asks if neighbors would support funding the programs by raising property taxes up to .025 percent for properties within the area. As part of that, the second question asks voters if they support creating a fund of $700,000 or less for the Englewood and Greater Chatham program in next year’s tax levy, or a fund up to $1.2 million for the Near Southwest Side program.

* Sun-Times | More immigrants are under surveillance by ICE’s Chicago field office than ever, data analysis finds: The agency did not respond to questions about the Chicago field office and why its monitoring has grown so much. ICE says the number of people it’s monitoring across the country has decreased from 321,000 people in fiscal year 2022 to 194,427 people in fiscal year 2023. In its annual report, ICE said that decline could have been because fewer people were being placed under monitoring at the southern border and because more people are being terminated from these types of programs.

* CBS | Off-duty Blue Island officer fired shot at off-duty CPD officer in road rage incident: Blue Island police officer was arrested after he allegedly fired at least one shot at a Chicago police officer during a road rage incident while both officers were off duty Saturday evening in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. Police said, shortly after 5 p.m., a 47-year old man was in a vehicle in the 4700 block of South Halsted Street, when he pulled out a gun and fired at least one shot toward another vehicle.

* Block Club | South Siders Urge Slowdown On Quantum Computing Campus: In an Oct. 9 letter addressed to alderpeople and state lawmakers, members of the Alliance of the Southeast and 80 local residents requested more advance notice of developments at the site. […] In their proposed community benefits agreement, residents demanded an environmental impact study, a commitment to creating local jobs, measures to prevent displacement and community representation on the project’s governance committee as prerequisites for government funding.

* Chicago Council on Global Affairs | As global cities feel the strain of overtourism, what makes Chicago immune?: Everything from urban planning to visitor habits plays a role. At the end of the day, though, leaders in Chicago and in Europe agree on one thing: that short-term rentals — an industry that has exploded in the past decade alongside growth in travel — must be regulated to maintain locals’ quality of life.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Judges aiming to keep seats in November include some with questionable records: Despite tax debts, arrests and residency questions, judges running for retention in Cook County have drawn little attention and run a quiet — and at times evasive — campaign.

* Daily Herald | How much of your county’s transit sales tax dollars are going to transportation? It ranges from 3% to 100%: Lake received about $41.2 million and McHenry $14 million from the sales tax. Both counties funneled 100% into transportation. DuPage’s RTA tax share was $67.9 million and officials dedicated just 2.9%, or $2 million, to transportation in fiscal year 2023. The remainder went to fund public safety.

* Tribune | Mental illness put her in DuPage County Jail. 85 days later, she was dead: Advocates and attorneys who work with Illinois’ mental health and criminal court systems say Reneyda’s death appears to have been an entirely avoidable tragedy, one that exposes a confluence of long-standing failures: The continued overreliance on police as first responders in a mental health crisis. The limited community-based treatment options. The scarcity of beds tied largely to staffing shortages at state mental health hospitals.

* Daily Herald | Some in Elburn unhappy with town’s new rules for fences: The biggest change to the ordinance prohibits privacy fencing, or solid fencing, which begins at ground level from being installed in the drainage/utility easements within residents’ yards. The easements are within 10 feet of the lot line in the front and back, and within five feet on the sides of the lot line. That means fences will have to be inside of 10 feet in the front and the back of the lot and inside of five feet on the sides. Fences on corner lots must also be 25 inches from any sidewalk or right of way.

* Daily Herald | Tollway tentative budget released: Tri-State, I-490 construction are priorities: At a Thursday meeting, Executive Director Cassaundra Rouse called the budget: “a balanced spending plan to support customer service, safety and security, and employee investment to improve efficiency — as well as the implementation of the largest capital program in the agency’s history.” The $1.72 billion budget represents a 4.2% increase from 2024 and covers salaries, equipment, IT, debt service and ongoing maintenance.

* Sun-Times | Bozo the Clown returns for a weekend at Billy Corgan’s Madame ZuZu’s in Highland Park: Generations of fans of the beloved character flock to Madame ZuZu’s for a packed weekend of sold-out events to celebrate all the nostalgia and wonder, including a Friday-night panel discussion and a Sunday-night Bob Ross-Bozo mashup painting event.

*** Downstate ***

* CBS | Years before a deputy killed Sonya Massey, sheriff’s office failed to police misconduct within its ranks: At least eight other deaths in the custody of Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office deputies and corrections officers have occurred under circumstances where officials’ conduct was called into question. In at least five of those cases, officers acted in ways that appeared to have violated local law enforcement policies as well as state and federal standards, according to a CBS News review of two decades’ worth of documents obtained through court records and Freedom of Information Act requests. Police in other communities who used similar tactics have sometimes been charged criminally.

* SJ-R | Pastor insists he wasn’t forced off Massey Commission; denies allegations made by two women: At a Sept. 16 commission listening session, two people making public comments called for McJunkins to step aside in light of an allegation that he groped Springfield activist and community organizer Emma Shafer during a February 2023 private meeting at Union Baptist Church. McJunkins, who has spent 22 years at the church and ran for city council in 2009, denied both allegations in interviews with the SJ-R.

* SJ-R | Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center has been approved to reopen. What’s the hold up?: The reopening plan requires a set-minimum staffing level to operate the facility 24 hours a day and seven days a week, he said in a statement to the SJR. “Sangamon County like many detention centers around the state has struggled to fill openings. The Administrative Office will not approve reopening until we meet the appropriate staffing level,” Holsopple said.

* 25 News Now | Top Republican leaders visit Peoria hoping to flip House seat to GOP: Two of the biggest names in the Republican Party visited Peoria Sunday afternoon hoping to raise funds for Congressional candidate Joe McGraw. Photos were posted on Facebook Sunday of Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who is second-in-line to the presidency, and U.S Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).

* WCIA | Over 10 fire departments respond to Champaign Co. fire: After investigating, the Fire Department confirmed that a camper had started the fire. A car had been towing the camper behind it. It caught on fire, and the driver unclipped it from the car. First responders said that the person left it in the road. The Broadlands-Longview Fire Protection District said it took around 15 minutes to put the camper’s fire out, but over two hours to put it out in the field. 13 Fire Departments responded to the fire.

*** National ***

* NYT | Electric Vehicles May Be Struggling. G.M.’s Leader Is Still a Believer.: G.M. says it will start making money on battery-powered models by the end of the year — becoming the only U.S. automaker aside from Tesla to achieve that feat. Sales of G.M.’s electric vehicles are starting to take off. And the company just introduced a model that sells for less than $30,000 after a federal tax credit.

* ProPublica | Who’s Mailing the Catholic Tribune? It’s Not the Church, It’s Partisan Media: A headline in the Wisconsin Catholic Tribune, and repurposed in other states’ versions, provocatively asks, “How many ‘sex change’ mutilation surgeries occurred on Wisconsin kids?” Another: “Haitian illegal aliens in America: What are Harris supporters saying?” […] Using tax documents and business filings, ProPublica traced the papers to a Chicago-based publishing network led by former TV reporter Brian Timpone.

* The Atlantic | Why the oil market is not shocked: In sum, the past few weeks have been as tense and belligerent a time in the Middle East as we’ve seen in many years. And yet, when I filled up my tank again yesterday, the price of a gallon of gas was only $2.94. Once upon a time, this would have been surprising: Geopolitical turmoil, particularly in the Middle East, used to send oil prices soaring, as frantic traders—anticipating potential supply shortages—added what’s often called a “war premium” to the price of crude.