Hey there! Let’s start off with some good news: Articles from the Chicago Sun-Times are now free online. Smell ya later, paywall. Here’s what else you need to know today.

1. Pritzker and Bailey will appear in their first televised debate tonight

Gov. JB Pritzker and state Sen. Darren Bailey, the GOP nominee for governor, will face each other today at 7 p.m.

For Chicago-area residents, the gubernatorial debate will be aired live on WGN-Ch. 9 and on WGN’s website. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times will also be covering the debate, and you can find updates online later tonight.

The debate will be held at Illinois State University in Normal, and it will be moderated by WGN-TV News anchor Tahman Bradley and WCIA-TV News anchor Jennifer Roscoe.

The two candidates appeared with each other for a non-televised debate last week that largely focused on abortion rights, crime that has spiked during the pandemic and how to curb gun violence in the aftermath of the Fourth of July mass shooting in Highland Park. [WGN]

2. Rising energy costs could put the heat on Chicago-area residents this winter. But there is help.

Natural gas will likely cost more this winter, partly a result of disruptions in production from extreme weather events and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

People’s Gas, the utility serving Chicago, has acknowledged that bills will jump sharply this winter.

And Nicor, which covers most suburbs and Northern Illinois, estimated “its average residential customer will pay almost $450 more for natural gas supplies in the coming winter, or $971, almost double the cost of a year ago,” reports the Chicago Sun-Times.

The news is not great, especially as concerns grow over a possible economic recession. But there is financial help available for those in need, the Sun-Times reports.

“Among them is an income-based subsidy under LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program,” the newspaper reports. “Customers also can have monthly bills set at a fixed sum, avoiding seasonal spikes. Information is available at helpillinoisfamilies.com.” [Sun-Times]

3. The head of Chicago Public Schools’ military education program quietly resigned after mishandling student sex abuse allegations

The resignation of Col. Daniel L. Baggio “shows how military education leaders in Chicago played by their own rules — with devastating consequences for students who weren’t protected,” according to an investigation from WBEZ and Chalkbeat Chicago, which covers local education news.

The top watchdog for Chicago Public Schools accused Baggio in 2019 of failing to notify state and local officials of the suspected abuse of a student in a military education program at a North Side high school.

The watchdog’s report has not been made public, but WBEZ and Chalkbeat obtained it through a public records request, while learning additional details through court documents and records from the school district and the Chicago Police Department.

These records also show that what happened in Chicago is an example of a broader pattern of sexual misconduct in school-based military education programs nationally. [WBEZ]

4. The CEO of Fox News warned about ‘crazies’ after the 2020 election, according to Dominion

“We can’t give the crazies an inch,” Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott warned her colleagues as the network faced criticism from angry viewers and then-President Donald Trump after calling Arizona for Joe Biden.

That’s according to an account given by a lawyer for Dominion Voting Systems, which is seeking $1.6 billion from Fox in a defamation suit over false allegations of widespread election fraud.

As NPR’s David Folkenflik reports, “Dominion appears to be drilling down on its argument — hotly disputed by Fox — that the network’s executives knowingly allowed such false conspiracies to air on its programs to boost their audiences because their pro-Trump viewers had abandoned them after the Arizona call.” [NPR]

Meanwhile, the majority of GOP candidates on the November ballot for the House, Senate and key statewide offices deny or question the 2020 election results, according to The Washington Post. [WaPo]

5. The Art Institute of Chicago faces criticism of erasing a queer artist’s identity. The back story is complicated.

If you’ve been on Twitter lately, you may have seen complaints about a new description label for one of the more popular pieces in the Art Institute’s modern and contemporary collection — a giant pile of candy in various color wrappers.

The work, “ ‘Untitled’ (Portrait of Ross in L.A.)” by Cuban American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, used to have a label explaining “Ross” was Ross Laycock, the artist’s partner who died of AIDS-related complications.

But an updated label doesn’t mention anything about Ross, leading some critics to accuse the museum of desecrating Gonzalez-Torres’s intent.

The Chicago Tribune looked into the backstory and reports the controversial change was made with cooperation with Gonzalez-Torres’s estate and aimed at upholding the artist’s ethos. But the label has since been updated again to strike a middle ground. [Chicago Tribune]

Here’s what else is happening

• Biden’s approval rating has improved, but there are warning signs for Democrats, according to a new poll. [NPR]
• Democrats look to hold on to House seats in Chicago’s far western and southwestern suburbs. [WBEZ]
• Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle won’t hike taxes in her proposed $8.75 billion budget for 2023. [WBEZ]
• Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants to build tiny home communities in Chicago. [WBEZ]

Oh, and one more thing …

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is this Sunday, with 40,000 people from 50 states and 100 countries expected to compete.

My colleagues at the Chicago Sun-Times have a great guide for the race that includes a map of the course and … how to avoid it if you’re planning on traveling around the city that morning.

To cut to the chase (haw haw), streets will reopen in a staggered process from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. So the best way to completely avoid any traffic headaches would be taking public transportation. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Tell me something good …

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

Shawna writes:

“On our first date, my husband took me to The Webber Grill for dinner then on the Haunted Chicago Tour. Sixteen years and a pandemic later, we’re still going strong.”

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