Hey there, it’s Friday! And it’s the 13th. And there’s a full moon out tonight. Spooky stuff, but it’s a great time to be a goth . Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can get this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Chicago could have settled this police case. Now it’s on the hook for $4.5 million and counting

City attorneys had a chance to prevent a lawsuit in 2013 from a police officer who believed she was being punished for breaking the so-called police code of silence.

Then-Officer Laura Kubiak told her bosses the year before that a fellow cop verbally assaulted her and made her feel physically threatened. Kubiak ended up filing a written complaint, forcing an internal investigation. Two months later, she was transferred from her longtime position in the public affairs office onto a midnight patrol shift.

Kubiak’s attorney made the city a deal: If the city would undo its retaliatory action against her, Kubiak would drop the issue. The city refused, Kubiak sued the city and last month a Cook County jury awarded her $1.9 million. But Chicago taxpayers are on the hook for much more: a total of $4.5 million and counting. [WBEZ]

2. Winners and losers of last night’s Dem debate

Most political observers agree that former Vice President Joe Biden started off strong. NPR’s Domenico Montanaro writes, “At the outset he was the crispest he has been. Biden started to slip some in the last hour, but his campaign has to hope that fewer people were watching, and the highlights had already occurred.” [NPR]

Last night’s Democratic presidential debate only featured the top 10 candidates, meaning that the race’s heaviest hitters were all on stage for the first time. As The Washington Post observes, that was good for the Democratic Party because the debate was more focused and the candidates were sharper. [Washington Post]

Sen. Elizabeth Warren generally received good reviews from political experts and strategists, while Sen. Bernie Sanders’ performance got a mixed reception. [New York Times]

The losers? Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro’s age-focused attack on Biden (“Are you forgetting what you said two minutes ago?”) may have made Biden appear more sympathetic. Also, Castro’s claim that Biden was contradicting himself wasn’t even accurate.

And Andrew Yang’s pledge to give $1,000 a month to 10 families came across as gimmicky. It also might be illegal. [CNN]

3. Ed Burke’s buddy system?

Two Chicago aldermen sponsored six tax breaks that benefited clients of Ald. Ed Burke’s law firm, according to an investigation from the Better Government Association.

The move allowed Burke to sidestep the city’s conflict-of-interest rules, and the resolutions gave millions of dollars in property tax breaks to Burke’s clients, the BGA reports. In two instances, Burke’s name was scratched off the official resolutions and the other aldermen’s names were written in as sponsors.

The aldermen were Patrick Daley Thompson, the nephew of former Mayor Richard M. Daley, and Michael R. Zalewski, who retired last year.

Burke currently faces federal corruption charges alleging that he used his position at City Hall for his personal benefit. Burke has pleaded not guilty to the federal racketeering and bribery charges. [BGA]

4. House antitrust probe seeks documents from Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google

The formal requests indicate that House investigators are reviewing competition in online markets — like advertising and internet searches — to determine whether the tech giants are “engaging in anticompetitive conduct.”

Today’s move by the House comes as numerous states, the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission are carrying out similar, independent investigations into big tech companies. [New York Times]

5. Some vape shop owners say proposed ban will put them out of business

President Trump’s plan to ban most flavored e-cigarettes has some vape shop owners worried they’ll have to close, a move they say will cause more people to go back to smoking traditional cigarettes.

There are as many as 600 vape shops in Illinois, and the vape shop owners say the products they sell are not responsible for a mysterious lung illness that has killed at least six people and sickened more than 450 people.

The cause of the deadly illness is not known, but health officials believe it is linked to an oil derived from vaping marijuana products like THC. [Chicago Tribune]

Meanwhile, a Gurnee teen hospitalized with a vaping-related illness is suing Juul. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• Actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in prison for paying thousands of dollars to inflate her daughter’s SAT scores. [NPR]

• Dozens of people gathered to remember a pregnant Chicago woman who was shot and killed months after she testified against the man who murdered her cousin. [WBEZ]

• The Chicago Fire soccer team was sold to billionaire Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto. [Chicago Sun-Times]

• Nerdette’s new book club gives a refresher on The Handmaid’s Tale before moving on to its sequel, The Testaments. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

WBEZ is teaming up with the Chicago Sun-Times to create a new podcast called Motive, which tells the story of a teenager who was wrongfully convicted of murder and later became a self-appointed gang leader. The series is hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main.

“This podcast is my attempt to understand it all — why T.J. was arrested for murder at 13, what he went through in prison and how his background might have guided his decisions after he became a multimillionaire,” writes Main.

Motive comes out Sept. 20. [Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

WBEZ has a number of job openings, and that’s got me wondering, what is/was your favorite job?

Kathy B. writes:

“Hands down, working at McDonalds when I was 16 and 17 was the most fun I’ve ever had at a job. We had a crew that was bonded in friendship and we had a blast.

“Managers held contests for us to see who could ring up the most money in a one hour Rush. We would close the store and play frisbee in the parking lot on warm summer nights. We bowled on Sundays at a nearby bowling alley.

“From that group, I met my husband of 34 years. At least 4 couples who dated in those years got married. Maybe 5? They are all still married. The Golden Arches will always be a part of our hearts. In addition to the marriages that took place, friendships formed and remain solid after 30 plus years!”

That’s a wrap for this week’s question. Thank you so much to everyone who wrote in. It was great chatting with y’all.

Have a nice night! I’ll see you on Monday. And if you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.