The Onion weighs in: In a governor’s race packed with millions of dollars in campaign advertising, breathless tweet threads and aggressive emails, the satirical Onion weighed in Tuesday.

“Obama Endorses Not Doing Goddamn Thing To Fix Illinois In Midterms,” it posted — with a photo of Democratic governor hopeful J.B. Pritzker.

What exactly was the famously biting publication trying to say? No fake story accompanied the fake headline. The former president cut a web video for Pritzker that was released Monday to help his campaign against Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner. (Mike Riopell)

What we’re writing

• New Emanuel attack ad ties Garry McCarthy to Trump and Rudy Giuliani, but it takes liberties.

• NBC/Marist poll: Pritzker up by 16, Rauner 2-to-1 unfavorable rating.

• Trump throws coal plants a lifeline, but Illinois among states showing no signs of turning back.

• Hadiya Pendleton trial updates: Prosecutors play defendant’s video-recorded confession.

• Semaj Crosby’s father sues her mother and nonprofit agency, alleging negligence in child’s 2017 death.

• American Airlines cutting nonstop flights from Chicago to China and Japan.

• What tornado warning? Monday’s Metra delays blamed on mechanical failure, weather alerts.

• State police are looking into credit card use of Lake County Board’s Aaron Lawlor.

• Democratic nominee to state legislature to open microbrewery in Homewood.

What we’re reading

• Cubs starter Yu Darvish out for season with stress reaction in elbow.

• Barbara Harris, co-founder of Second City who became a movie star, dies.

• Roquan Smith leaves Bears practice with hamstring tightness.

• MTV VMAs was a shocking event, for the wrong reasons.

• Researchers identify the most sexist places in America.

• U.S. deports 95-year-old former Nazi concentration camp guard to Germany.

Follow the money

• Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

Beyond Chicago

• Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen pleads guilty in hush-money scheme, campaign finance violations.

• Jury finds Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, guilty on 8 of 18 counts.

• Net neutrality activists, state officials are taking the FCC to court. Here’s how they’ll argue the case.

• Trump adviser Larry Kudlow hosted publisher of white nationalists at his home.

• Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sees Roe v. Wade as “settled law.”