From the Tribune's John Byrne: "With less than two weeks until election day, mayoral candidate Willie Wilson on Thursday again held an event to pay out tens of thousands of dollars to help cover the property taxes of Chicagoans he said are struggling to make ends meet. Wilson said he would write checks totaling $30,000 to $50,000 to about 115 homeowners, many of whom lined up outside the Cook County treasurer's office Thursday morning." Read the full story here.
It's not the first time — and it's legal: "The money will all come from his foundation, Wilson said. That means the payments won't violate campaign finance laws, according to an Illinois State Board of Elections ruling after Wilson held similar events in July," Byrne writes.
Ozzie Guillen's Valentine to Bill Daley: The Cubs-owning Ricketts siblings are knee-deep in city politics this campaign season, with Tom Ricketts writing a $25,000 check for Daley and sister Laura Ricketts backing state comptroller and mayoral hopeful Susana Mendoza, so why shouldn't the White Sox? OK, ex-manager Ozzie Guillen has not been with the team for a few years but that isn't stopping the World Series-winning skipper from weighing in on the mayor's race. He told the Tribune's Lolly Bowean by phone Wednesday: "Bill's got the experience, the credentials. He's a Chicago man, and I think right now, we need a man like him." Read the story here.
Amara Enyia's ex-campaign spokeswoman is suing her: The former staffer alleges Enyia has refused to pay her $24,000 for four months of work, the Tribune's David Heinzmann reports. Read about that and some of Enyia's other financial issues here. In other legal news, David Krupa, the City Council candidate trying to oust 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn, who is backed by powerful 13th Ward boss and Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, has filed a $4 million defamation suit against the Chicago Teachers Union for a 'defamatory' campaign mailer. Read Juan Perez Jr.'s story in the Tribune here.
Mayoral candidate alignment: The Tribune developed an online quiz aimed at helping readers determine which of the 14 candidates they most closely align with. All the candidates were asked whether they support or oppose 14 ideas, and to rank their importance on a scale of 1 to 10. Readers can take it here.
Endorsement: The Illinois Education Association Region 67 whose membership includes those working at colleges and universities in the Chicago area, announced Thursday that it's backing former federal prosecutor Lori Lightfoot in the mayor's race.
Deeper dive: For more information about the candidates and the issues, visit our Chicago Voter's Guide.
Students staring down a career in government: In a nation where political divisions have never been deeper — and even shut down the federal government — DePaul students ponder a future in the thankless job of public service. Read Christopher Borrelli's piece here.