✊🏽 It's Thursday! On this day in 1969, during the "Chicago Eight" conspiracy trial, Judge Julius Hoffman famously ordered Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale to be gagged and bound to his chair.

🌧️ Today's weather: Slight chance of rain with a high of 68.

Today’s newsletter is 1,121 words — a 4-minute read.

Last week, Chicago writer Kit Graham ignited a firestorm by asking why local restaurants are still applying surcharges post-pandemic on top of just raising menu prices.

Why it matters: Many Chicago diners have the same questions.

What's happening: We queried the leaders at the city's largest restaurant groups to find out.

• They all politely declined to comment, but Illinois Restaurant Association CEO Sam Toia shed some light on the subject.

Between the lines: "If you raise prices 3% or 5%, you could lose 3 to 5% of butts in seats," Toia tells Axios.

• "But if you add a removable surcharge and try to explain its added value, like to give team members health care, consumers could be more OK with that."

By the numbers: The cost of running a restaurant rose 36% from 2019 to 2026, Toia says.

• And 42% of American restaurants failed to make a profit in 2025, per the National Restaurant Association.

Yes, but: If things are tough across the nation, why is the surcharge a Chicago thing that disappears at sister restaurants in other states?

The reasons: Illinois is one of the few states that allows surcharges on restaurant bills as long as they're disclosed.

• But Chicago differs in another big way: "Our tipped wage is $12.96, which I think is very fair," Toia says. "But it's $5.12 nationally, and the tip credit in Texas is just $2.13."
• Some Chicago restaurateurs told Axios the same thing off the record, claiming our wage hike pushed by Mayor Brandon Johnson has contributed to their price increases and surcharges.

The other side: "It's important to note that there is no evidence that fair wages for tipped workers have led to increased menu prices, and no restaurant group has come forward to corroborate these claims," Johnson's press office tells Axios.

Go deeper

President Trump's decisions to deny federal disaster relief to Democratic-led states are creating political complications for members of his own party.

The latest: Illinois U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood sent a letter last Friday urging Trump to reconsider his administration's decision to deny FEMA assistance after powerful storms ripped through parts of Illinois in August.

What they're saying: "I was on the ground in counties throughout the 16th District following these devastating storms, where I witnessed firsthand the damage that was done to our communities," LaHood wrote.

• "I support reconsideration of this decision as additional assessments move forward."

The intrigue: LaHood served as an honorary co-chair of Trump's Illinois campaign in 2020 and endorsed his reelection in 2024.

• Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey also called on the administration to reverse the decision.

The big picture: A Politico analysis earlier this year found the Trump administration was approving disaster requests from Republican-led states at a substantially higher rate than those from Democratic-led states.

By the numbers: Illinois reported $27.6 million in eligible damage from the August storms, surpassing FEMA's $24.9 million statewide benchmark for disaster assistance, according to documents obtained by Capitol News Illinois.

Reality check: Meeting FEMA's damage benchmarks doesn't automatically guarantee federal assistance.

What's next: Gov. JB Pritzker is appealing the denial, so Trump may listen to his own party's push to reconsider.

Keep reading

Two familiar faces from TV news wars are being honored for their decades in broadcasting.

The latest: NBC 5's Allison Rosati and former ABC 7 anchor Kathy Brock headline the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Chicago Silver Circle Class of 2027.

• The honor recognizes television professionals who have worked in the industry for at least 25 years and made significant contributions.

Flashback: Both joined their respective Chicago stations in 1990 and eventually rose to the coveted 10pm anchor chair.

Other members of the 2027 class include CBS 2 traffic reporter Kris Habermehl, CBS 2 and WTTW producer Harvey Moshman, WGN reporter Paul Lisnek, Fox 32 anchor Corey McPherrin and the late Jim Avila.

• ABC 7 photojournalist Ken Bedford is being inducted into the Gold Circle for professionals with at least 50 years in the industry.

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🏠 The CHA unveiled a plan to build 4,100 homes on the former Cabrini-Green site on the Near North Side. The city still owns 43 acres of the site. (YIMBY)

🏟️ Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill released renderings of a proposed Bears stadium on the current site of Rate Field. (ABC 7)

⚾️ Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong was named Player of the Year in the MLB Players Choice Awards. (Sun-Times)

👋 Hey, it's Carrie.

A new "arts destination" will open in North Lawndale and I got a sneak peek.

The big picture: Plans for West Edge Arts at 3216 W. Ogden Ave. include a cafe, classrooms and a performance stage, all surrounded by a mural park. It's free for visitors.

Zoom in: One of the most defining features of West Edge Arts will be the 30 murals surrounding the center. One has already been installed.

• Chicago muralist Dorian Sylvain's "Bring It With You" wraps a 50-foot-high pillar in colorful imagery inspired by arts-and-crafts traditions of various cultures.
• "What do we bring with us when we leave our place of origin and we come to a new place? What do we bring that helps us to create a new space, a new home, but one that is still grounded in memory, grounded in tradition, grounded in aesthetic?" Sylvain explained.

What's next: The arts center is expected to open next summer.

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You've voted all week; now it's time to pick the spookiest place in all of Chicagoland!

State of play: Yesterday's matchups were much closer than previous showdowns.

• The old Joliet Prison took down Lower Wacker Drive, while the old Cook County Hospital edged out Graceland Cemetery.

The finals: A creepy prison versus a spooky hospital. Seems about right.

Vote here. We'll keep the polls open until 4pm.

Edited by Larry Graham.

🎃 Justin is psyched that the Axios Chicago Weekender is moving to a new time: 2:30pm instead of 6:30pm, starting today. Keep an eye out for our special Halloween edition!

🪄 Carrie experienced The Hand & The Eye for the first time last night! The magic parlour has a special Halloween show that you can read more about in Weekender.

🎥 Monica wants to see the banned documentary "Chicago First Impression of a Great American City" at the Block Museum on Nov. 5.

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