Good afternoon! It’s Tuesday, and giddy up, buckaroos, because the next Star Wars movie has space horses. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Chicago teachers strike picks up endorsement from Elizabeth Warren

The Democratic presidential candidate joined teachers on the picket line today. Clad in red, Sen. Elizabeth Warren told striking teachers that “the eyes of this nation are upon you. They have turned to Chicago for you to lead the way.”

Meanwhile, the back and forth between Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Teachers Union continued. Lightfoot this morning defended a letter calling on the Chicago Teachers Union to call off the strike as negotiations continue. CTU President Jesse Sharkey said that letter, along with city officials saying they have no money to address the union’s demands, had “dashed” his hopes of cementing a deal soon. [WBEZ]

If you’d like to know more about the issues being negotiated, here’s a handy guide. [WBEZ]

2. Trump will be in Chicago on Monday

President Donald Trump will speak at the annual gathering of the International Association of Chiefs of Police next week. The conference will be held at McCormick Place. It will be Trump’s first visit to Chicago since becoming president.

Trump spoke at the association’s conference in Florida last year and slammed the Chicago’s handling of crime, saying “the crime spree has a terrible blight on that city.”

Trump will also be in town for a fundraiser co-hosted by Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts, who is also the chairman of fundraising efforts to elect Republicans in 2020. [Chicago Tribune]

3. Putin’s name emerges in impeachment inquiry

A high-ranking State Department official told House investigators that President Trump’s perception of Ukraine as corrupt had been boosted by two of the Ukraine’s adversaries, Russian President Vladi­mir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, according to The Washington Post, citing current and former U.S. officials.

The revelation comes as House Democrats try piecing together the backstory of Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine for information he could use against political rivals. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, Chicago Congressman Bobby Rush was among those who criticized Trump for comparing the impeachment inquiry to a “lynching.” [WBEZ]

House investigators today met with the top American diplomat to Ukraine. Ambassador William Taylor has become a key witness after text messages showed he raised alarms over Trump’s handling of Ukraine. [NPR]

4. Russia becomes a power broker in Syria

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the two agreed to jointly remove Kurdish fighters along Turkey’s border with Syria.

The deal comes after the U.S. pulled troops from northern Syria, where they worked with Kurdish militias to combat the Islamic State. The withdrawal of American troops happened shortly before Turkey mounted an offensive campaign against the Kurdish fighters, whom Turkey views as terrorists. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, lawmakers from both parties in Congress are expected to grill Trump administration officials on the president’s decision to remove troops from Syria. [NPR]

5. The show goes on at City Club of Chicago … or does it?

The City Club of Chicago, a prominent public affairs organization that has become an area of focus in a sprawling federal investigation into political hiring and contracting at Commonwealth Edison, held an event yesterday that was headlined by … Illinois’ top law enforcement official.

That would be Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who did not address WBEZ’s reports on the FBI raid of the City Club’s downtown office. No one has been charged with any wrongdoing, and the group’s president, ComEd lobbyist Jay Doherty, doesn’t appear to be in jeopardy of losing his job.

When asked whether Doherty would remain as the civic group’s president amid the growing scandal, City Club Board Chairman Edward Mazur said, “Why not?” [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, the head of the Illinois Tollway abruptly pulled the plug on his speech before the City Club that was scheduled for today. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle threw cold water on a proposed referendum to raise property taxes for the forest preserve. [WBEZ]

• The U.K. will likely not leave the EU by Oct. 31. [New York Times]

• ExxonMobil is on trial for allegedly misleading investors and the public about the effects of climate change. [NPR]

• A federal judge denied a request by actor Jussie Smollett to toss out a lawsuit against him from the city of Chicago. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

One time I saw a dude use an electric saw to cut off the lock on a fancy-looking bicycle downtown. An electric saw.

That was the first thing I that popped up in my head when I heard Curious City was looking into what happens to bikes when they’re stolen. They found “the growth of loosely regulated online marketplaces has made it easier to sell stolen bikes directly to buyers.”

The Curious City team talked to bike recovery experts and theft victims, and they put together this handy list of tips for people if their bicycle is stolen. [WBEZ]

Tell me something good …

Halloween is almost here. What’s your favorite Halloween memory?

Sheila Black Haennicke writes:

“Two favorite stories from Halloweens past. I grew up in Elk Grove Village and Arlington Heights, in the 60s and 70s when kids ran around, blocks from home, unaccompanied by any adult, for hours on Halloween.

“Story 1: I’m around 7 years old, going up to a house with my siblings. The door flies open, and someone inside, I recall an angry man, hurls handfuls of candy at us. Trick or treat indeed.

“Story 2: My sister dressed as a pumpkin one year with a chicken wire and paper mache head. Some punk punched the pumpkin head, crushing the side. My sister, who grew up to be a corporate attorney, swung her pillowcase full of candy like a nunchuck, and slammed the offender pretty hard. Old school sidewalk justice.”

What’s your favorite Halloween memory? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet me at @whuntah.

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