Hey, it’s Friday! And I finally have a better reason to exercise. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. Enrollment at Chicago Public Schools drops by more than 6,000

Chicago Public Schools announced today that student enrollment dropped to 355,156. That means enrollment has declined by more than 83,000 students since 2002, when the downward trend began.

But the decline slowed down this year. The school district lost about 10,000 students each of the last three years. And while the declines sound huge, CPS still remains the third-largest school district in the nation. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, here’s a look at how last month’s teachers strike served as a rebuke to the 1995 law that gave the mayor control over the city school system. [WBEZ]

2. Can the right superintendent fix what’s wrong with policing in Chicago?

That’s a question being asked as Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson heads toward the exit.

While the Police Department saw some improvements under Johnson, it still faces community distrust, and Chicago’s murder rate stands out among the nation’s major cities. WBEZ’s Chip Mitchell and Patrick Smith talked to policing experts about what the next top cop needs to do. [WBEZ]

Meanwhile, Mayor Lori Lightfoot today named former Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck as Johnson’s interim replacement. [WBEZ]

And here’s a look at the process for selecting a permanent police superintendent in Chicago. [Chicago Tribune]

3. GOP looks for fall guys in impeachment inquiry

House Republicans are preparing to defend President Donald Trump by accusing at least three of his deputies of acting on their own when it came to Ukraine, reports The Washington Post. Those deputies reportedly are U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, Trump’s lawyer Rudolph Giuliani and possibly acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

The strategy comes as House Democrats argue Trump tried pressuring Ukraine’s leader into investigating his political rivals by withholding U.S. military aid. [Washington Post]

Meanwhile, House investigators released transcripts of two closed-door testimonies today. One was from Fiona Hill, a former policy specialist on the National Security Council. [NPR]

The other was from Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine specialist on the National Security Council, who said the White House broke from its “normal process” when handling the Trump-Ukraine call. [NPR]

4. CDC finds “very strong culprit” for vaping-related lung illnesses

Vitamin E acetate, an ingredient added to some THC-based products, has been identified as a likely cause of a lung illness that has sickened more than 2,000 people and killed at least 39, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the federal agency left open the possibility that other compounds and ingredients could also be causing the respiratory illness.

THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and Vitamin E acetate has been added to some THC-based products sold on the black market, officials said. [Chicago Tribune]

5. A Warning by Anonymous gets side-eye from reviewers

Book reviewers do not mess around.

Some critics are tearing into A Warning by an anonymous author who is only described as a “senior Trump administration official.” That’s the same person who penned an op-ed last year in The New York Times that described how some officials resisted the president’s “more misguided impulses.”

This review in The Washington Post opens with an anecdote about how, according to the book, senior Trump administration officials considered resigning together but didn’t, causing some to wonder what that says about the anonymous author.

And a review from The New York Times concluded with this: “Toward the end of the book, an earlier quote from Mr. Trump kept coming back to me, unbidden: ‘These are just words. A bunch of words. It doesn’t mean anything.’” [New York Times]

Here’s what else is happening

• A Hong Kong college student died from injuries he sustained during a protest earlier this week. [NPR]
• Some residents on Chicago’s South Side don’t want a casino in their neighborhoods. [WBEZ]
• Now that is a legal argument. [NPR]
• Teens have questions about legal weed. Here’s how experts recommend you answer them. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

A debate broke out this week between me and a desk neighbor over who is more legendary: the Humboldt Park Lagoon alligator, Chance the Snapper, whose hilarious saga involved an alligator hunter from Florida named Alligator Robb? Or the Montrose Beach piping plovers, Monty and Rose, who took down an EDM festival with the help of bird watchers?

Here’s what some of y’all said.

Hilary tweeted: “Legendary = Chance the Snapper bc I think his story was more widely known BUT I think the piping plovers are more historic b/c of the fact that it was the first time in so long we had them.”

And Meredith tweeted: “I would like to add some analysis. Piping plovers had an actual effect on the city, like a protest against a piece of legislation. Chance the Snapper was a cultural phenomenon like the Lady Gaga meat dress. BOTH IMPORTANT.”

Thanks for everyone who chimed in, and here are the results of a poll I posted on Twitter.

Tell me something good …

The fall TV season is upon us, so what shows are you currently watching?

Darcy writes:

“Succession on HBO, there’s been 2 seasons and can’t wait until the 3rd! Also just started watching The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon and Steve Carell on Apple TV. Both shows are very smartly written and pertinent to today’s topics.”

And Andi Steinberg writes:

“I am watching Amazon Prime’s series Modern Love. Each episode focuses on a different couple and they are all based on a true story. It’s a glimpse into the private lives of people and all the issues we bring with us into relationships.”

Thanks for all the responses to this week’s question! I got a lot of new shows to check out this weekend.

Thanks for reading and have a nice night! See you next week. And if you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.