💰 Happy Tuesday! On this day in 2016, former Illinois U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock was indicted on charges of misusing government funds, including decorating his congressional office. He reached a deal with prosecutors in 2019.

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🚧 Situational awareness: The inbound Dan Ryan Expressway ramp to Roosevelt Road and Taylor Street is closed for two weeks due to work by Peoples Gas.

🎖️ Programming note: We're off tomorrow in observance of Veterans Day. To all veterans, thank you for your service.

Today’s newsletter is 1,122 words — a 4-minute read.

Chicago parents concerned about AI will join activists across the nation tomorrow to protest "Big Tech bullies in our schools."

What happened: Google set off a firestorm — and then partially backtracked — last week when it announced it would take away Google search from any school that opts out of its AI products like Gemini.

Why it matters: CPS, like many districts, has integrated Google technology deeply into its infrastructure. And the move appeared aimed at leveraging that dependence.

The upshot: Google quickly retreated on the Gemini part, but it still won't shut off generative AI Overviews on its school version of Google search.

What they're saying: "It's fundamentally problematic that a for-profit company is dictating the terms of how technology is operating in our schools," Cassie Creswell of Illinois Families for Public Schools (IFPS) tells Axios. 

State of play: At least 11 people who just won school board seats have signed a pledge to support a three-year generative AI moratorium in CPS. The pledge cites a 2026 Brookings report that concluded, "the [current] risks of utilizing generative AI in children's education overshadow its benefits."

Points of concern: 2026 data shows that students are increasingly using AI and its overviews to do their homework, write their essays and jump to answers that have been found to be inaccurate about 10% of the time.

The other side: Google representatives didn't answer questions about the protest or why the company won't offer AI-free search to schools. Instead, it referred Axios to a blog post that fails to address the question.

What's next: IFPS activists will rally at Mary Bartelme Park at 3pm tomorrow and protest outside Google's Fulton Market office at 4pm.

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Northwestern spent roughly $870 million building a football stadium with luxury amenities, gourmet food, spectacular views and a design intended to keep the noise inside.

• But does it all live up to the hype?

The big picture: We headed to Evanston Saturday night for the Wildcats' game against Iowa to put the new Ryan Field through a stress test.

🏈 The view

Northwestern has gone to great lengths to ensure fans sitting in the upper deck have an experience comparable to those in the luxurious "Living Room" section at the 50-yard line.

What we found: Even from the highest seats in the 200 level, the views are impressive. The stadium's intimate design keeps fans close to the action without the nosebleed experience common at larger stadiums.

🔊 The noise test

Ryan Field was designed with a canopy intended to contain the roar of 35,000 football fans and minimize disruptions to the surrounding neighborhood.

Reality check: The stadium isn't soundproof. It is, after all, a football stadium. The rhythmic stomping from the Wildcat Wall student section (pretty cool) could be heard blocks away during Saturday night's game.

• Neighbors have raised concerns about noise since the stadium opened, including complaints about amplified sound and recent fire-alarm testing.
• Northwestern continues to work with acoustical engineers and argues that the smaller stadium means fewer fans and cars than its predecessor.

More on food, technology

NBC 5 beat longtime ratings rival ABC 7 among adults ages 25–54 on election night, marking what the station says was its first victory in the key demographic in nearly a decade.

Why it matters: ABC 7 has long dominated local news, but NBC's election-night performance underscores the competition for younger viewers.

By the numbers: NBC 5 averaged 79,043 viewers ages 25–54 during primetime election coverage from 7–10pm, compared with ABC 7's 73,002.

• NBC 5 also led the demographic at 10pm, averaging 71,642 viewers compared with ABC's 68,217.

Yes, but: ABC 7 led in total households during primetime election coverage.

Meanwhile: ABC 7's election-night coverage came amid a shakeup at the station. Longtime anchor Ravi Baichwal was absent from the coverage, and the station confirmed his departure after 20 years.

• His exit came shortly after a social media influencer publicly accused him of inappropriate behavior at a River North bar.

The other side: Baichwal did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

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🧑‍⚖️ Illinois' ban on hemp-derived THC products, set to take effect Thursday, has been put on hold pending a legal challenge. A federal judge will hear arguments next week. (CBS 2)

⚖️ A Cook County grand jury indicted a Palatine teen accused of making a terrorist threat at a Hindu temple in Aurora last month. (Tribune)

🩺 Gov. JB Pritzker is resting at home after successfully undergoing a routine outpatient urological procedure, according to his office. (NBC 5)

🫸 Despite their best efforts, hundreds of people did not, in fact, move The Bean. (Block Club)

Illinois has one of the smallest veteran populations per capita in the U.S., according to the latest census data.

• Veterans make up 4.5% of people 18 and over living in the state.

The big picture: Veterans make up 5.9% of U.S. adults overall.

What's next: Chicago hosts its annual Veterans Day Commemoration Ceremony tomorrow at 11am at Soldier Field's United Club, including performances, speakers and a resource fair.

• Check out what's open and closed for the holiday.

The Bears (7-2) are now in first place in the NFC North after the Vikings lost to the Bills last night.

State of play: Sunday night's victory inspired some great entries in this week's caption contest. The winner? Alena A., who gave us this gem:

• "We still got 99 problems but this win ain't one."

What's next: The Bears head into their bye week with plenty to celebrate and a few problems to clean up.

• Let's start with those penalties ...

Edited by Larry W. Graham.

🖼️ Carrie loves that Chicago's own Kerry James Marshall has a very popular exhibition at the Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris. Unfortunately, it was sold out, but maybe KJM will have an exhibition in Chicago soon?

💪 Monica is starting intense training to try to do at least one unassisted pull-up before Christmas.

🏈 Justin wants to remind you that today is the NFL trade deadline. That's all.

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