Happy Friday, Chicago.

This week, tanks rumbled through Tiananmen Square as Chinese President Xi Jinping put on a display of strength in front of a “who’s who” of authoritarians, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Masoud Pezeshkian and Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Columnist Elizabeth Shackelford writes that Xi is taking advantage of an opening created by American chaos.

Our editorial board takes on McDonald’s for quietly shrinking the value of its combo meals — while CEO Chris Kempczinski touts a 15% “discount” as reform.

As Chicago braces for federal agents to descend upon the region, the board also is also taking a stand: Federal officers should not wear masks while conducting operations.

Ever wonder what the smog we all breathed in this summer will do to our health? Lahari Vuppaladhadiam, a medical student at the University of Chicago, tackles that question in an opinion piece today, noting the serious long-term damage our bodies can face, and calls on leaders to tackle climate reforms that keep people safe.

Everybody knows Illinois has a transit problem — our agencies are broke, and so is our service. Lou Sandoval, president and CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, argues that any transit bailout must come with transparency, safety and service benchmarks, plus cross-agency collaboration.

Don’t forget to check out reader letters.

— Hilary Gowins, editorial board member

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