Your Daily Guide

CPD Overspent Budget by $520M in 3 Years

The Chicago Police Department spent $520.5 million more than City Council approved between 2023 and 2025 — and is on track to blow past its budget again for the sixth year straight. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s 2027 budget proposal would increase CPD’s budget by about 6% to $2.24 billion. [WTTW]

• Listen: We broke down the mayor’s whole budget plan. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Chicago Mayoral Hopefuls Submit Petitions

Monday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for mayoral and City Council candidates to submit petitions to get on the 2027 ballot. On today’s podcast, we discuss how many people want to be mayor, which alderpeople are running unopposed, plus important election dates to remember. Also: Soul Train honors Chaka Khan! [City Cast Chicago 🎧]

Construction Finally Begins on DuSable Park

The Chicago Park District broke ground Tuesday on DuSable Park nearly 40 years after former Mayor Harold Washington set the land aside to be developed in 1987. The $15 million project, funded by Open Space Impact Fees and developer Related Midwest, is slated to open in summer 2028. [Block Club]

Delays for Green and Pink Lines Continue

Remember how we said those delays and reroutes would end yesterday? CDOT needs more time on the Lake Street Bridge, and there’s no reopening date set. Green Line trains are running in two segments with shuttle service between Clinton and Clark/Lake, and Pink Line riders have to transfer to the Blue Line at Racine. [NBC]

Some School Board Candidates Want to Bring Back Ratings

The school board stopped rating Chicago public schools three years ago. (Ratings previously ranged from a low level of 3 to a high level of 1+.) Parents now judge schools using other measures. But almost a quarter of school board candidates, including presidential hopeful Victor P. Henderson, want ratings to return. [WBEZ]

After finding this gorgeous homemade creation on Facebook Marketplace — and schlepping to Tinley Park for it — I decided to be a Furby for Halloween. Little did I know the costume has Chicagoland roots.

Vernon Hills-based Tiger Electronics created Furbies and merged with Hasbro in 1998, just before Furbies hit shelves. The robotic pets were a phenomenon! And despite Hasbro’s ownership, the local Tiger name stuck for years.

Even More Chicago Halloween Costumes

Unlike Furby, most of these you can pull together last minute:

• The Blues Brothers: It’s not cliché, it’s classic. This was my favorite childhood costume alongside my best friend Kieran. Jake and Elwood Blues were our superheroes.
• A Chicago Handshake: Dress old-timey — in an old style, if you will — and walk around with a bottle of Malört, shaking people’s hands.
• Dennis Rodman: You don’t even need a Bulls jersey for this one. Take drag inspo from Dennis Rodman’s gay ‘90s.
• A Ghost bus: Keep it simple: a single white sheet with eyes cut out. Then run around the room, going “Vroom, vroom!”
• The Morton Salt Girl: Thanks to Gina H. from Jefferson Park for this idea. Extra points if you walk around looking ticked off all night, like a true salty babe.
• A meter maid: Go French-maid style and pass out fake tickets. You can even accessorize with a bag of boots!
• A cursed billy goat: Get a creepy rubber animal mask, or just horns and a fake beard. The key is maintaining a menacing air. Maybe bleat out curse words?
• Mrs. O’Leary’s cow: A black-and-white get-up with a lantern. Simple, elegant. Extra points if you have cow print leftover from 2019. Add Mrs. O for a couple’s costume.
• Harry Caray Bradshaw: Big ol’ glasses on top, tutu skirt on the bottom. Holy cow! The merging of two icons!
• A Hot Dog University professor: Lean into the old-school Vienna vibe or go Hyde Park professorial. See our adventure through Hot Dog U for inspo.
• The Bean: Cover yourself in tin foil … and post up at the party in a sort-of downward dog pose?
• Babe Lincoln: It doesn’t take much to sexify this costume — he’s Illinois' daddy. This is actually my costume for Saturday, with eight-inch platforms. (Yes, I’m doing more than one costume.)

You’ll notice “The Bear” is missing from this list — I’m over it.