Hey there! It’s officially Fat Bear Week, and scientists are studying the hibernating giants to learn more about the human body. Here’s what you need to know today.

1. U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García faces more pressure from Latino leaders to run for mayor

Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García could make a decision any day now on whether he’ll try to unseat Mayor Lori Lightfoot. And he is facing more pressure from prominent Latino organizations to enter the race.

The Latino Leadership Council last night announced it’s launching a “draft Chuy campaign” ahead of the February election. [CBS Chicago]

That move comes just a few weeks after Nuestro PAC, a national political action committee focusing on Latino voters, attempted to pressure García into running by releasing a poll showing him tied in a head-to-head match against Lightfoot.

The increasing attention on García coincides with efforts by local Latino leaders to build more political power after the 2020 census showed Latinos are now the city’s second-largest racial or ethnic group.

But as those community leaders push the congressman to run, unions with progressive agendas, like the Chicago Teachers Union, have started to rally around a mayoral candidate who isn’t even in the race — Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson. [Chicago Sun-Times]

2. The Chicago marathon quietly added a nonbinary division. Some runners worry the move is superficial.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is this Sunday, and the race includes a nonbinary category for the first time ever, becoming the second major marathon in the nation to open a division for nonbinary runners.

“It’s really exciting. It feels really good to choose nonbinary in my hometown race,” said Cal Calamia, who does not identify as either male or female and uses the pronoun they.

But unlike the male and female races, the nonbinary category does not include an “elite” division, a finish line ribbon or a cash prize. And Calamia noticed there had been no public announcement to promote the division.

“Personally, it feels hurtful because it feels performative, or brushed under the rug, because it really is a big deal,” said Calamia, a teacher in San Francisco who grew up in Grayslake. [Chicago Sun-Times]

3. What’s taught at Darren Bailey’s private school

Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign this week released new ads focused on a private school founded by state Sen. Darren Bailey, saying the GOP nominee for governor promotes racist ideas.

Several of the school’s textbooks were obtained by St. Louis’ KSDK, which reports students are taught that “God regulated but did not forbid slavery.”

Teachers are also “instructed to ask students to compare outlawing abortion to ending slavery, and to ask students to explain the strengths of the Three-Fifths Compromise, the part of the U.S. Constitution that counted slaves as three-fifths of a person,” the station reports.

Bailey’s campaign said it would answer questions about the school at a later date. [KSDK]

4. More than 50 cats and dogs are relocated to Chicago after Hurricane Ian

Volunteers with the animal shelter PAWS Chicago brought the pets from areas that suffered significant damage in Florida from Hurricane Ian last week.

The shelter partnered with Humane Society Naples in Collier County to relocate 41 cats and 12 dogs, reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

“Many of the shelters lost their roof, they’ve closed down, they’ve lost their power,” said Paula Fasseas, founder and chair of PAWS Chicago, the largest comprehensive no-kill animal welfare organization in the Midwest. “They just didn’t have good conditions for these animals.”

The pets will now be treated for any medical conditions they may have and will be up for adoption. [Chicago Sun-Times]

5. The Stranger Things Halloween display in suburban Chicago might be permanently removed

The display of character Max Mayfield hovering in the air quickly gained notoriety online, with more than 14 million views on TikTok.

But the Plainfield family behind the impressive Halloween decoration were forced to take it down after a neighbor complained, reports Chicago’s ABC 7. Now, the family is meeting with Plainfield officials to try and keep the display up.

“Everyone seemed OK with it, until they weren’t,” Aubrey Appel, who created the display, told ABC 7. “It’s upsetting, you know, to be told ‘we support you. We’re behind you. We understand why you are doing this,’ and to have that blow up in your face.”

The family says the neighbor accused them of “bringing negative attention to the neighborhood, endangering the community’s children and making the neighborhood the target of possible home invasions because of all the spectators,” the station reports. [ABC 7]

Here’s what else is happening

• Oil and gas prices could rise again after Russia and Saudi Arabia today announced massive cuts in production. [NPR]
• Russian President Vladimir Putin today signed papers annexing four regions in Ukraine as Russian forces face mounting losses. [AP]
• Stress from the pandemic may have a lasting impact on personalities, especially among young people, a new study finds. [NPR]
• Clips from a new Scooby-Doo movie appear to confirm the fan theory that Velma is attracted to women. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

A new documentary about the rise of Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor and a beloved politician among progressives, will hit local theaters this Friday.

And the film, titled Punch 9, serves as an “invaluable reminder of that pivotal time for those who were there — and a history lesson for those who weren’t,” writes Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Richard Roeper, who gave it three-and-a-half stars out of four.

“There is a moment in Punch 9 when Ald. Ed Burke notes how things can change and yet stay the same. Burke was speaking of Richard M. Daley’s election to mayor in 1989, but that statement could also apply to the racial, social and political issues that dominated the headlines in Chicago and across the country in 1983 and continue to alternately unite and divide us to this day,” writes Roeper. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

What are some great places to go on a date in the Chicago area?

Wendy writes:

“A blind date at the Blind Faith Cafe in Evanston led to my marriage of 34 years. Over hearty vegetarian breakfast fare, we talked about ‘everything,’ including politics and religion. All these years and two kids later, we’re still talking. And I still love that restaurant.”

Feel free to email or tweet me, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.