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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (updated)
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller …Adding… John Kim announced his retirement to his staff more than two weeks ago…
* The team at Capitol News Illinois will be posting live updates from the RNC. Click here for those updates. They spoke with ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy this afternoon…
* WTTW’s RNC live blog is here. * Let the countdown begin…  * RNC updates…
* Tribune | ‘We’re not intimidated’: Chicago protesters head to Milwaukee for RNC: David Phelps, an abortion rights advocate from the Chicago area who works in tech, said he boarded an early morning train to Milwaukee because he felt the upcoming presidential election in November could be “very depressing” for the future of reproductive rights in the United States. […] “My way of dealing with it is doing something about it,” Phelps said. * Daily Herald | ‘We can’t stay divided’: Rally shooting on minds of RNC delegates: Trump’s close call “got people riled up,” former state senator and gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey said. “So I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement at the convention.” Delegate Richard Lawrence, a former Aurora alderman, said the shooting at a Pennsylvania rally will probably inject “a lot more emotion into the convention,” for the former president, his family and attendees. * Sun-Times | Energetic Illinois Republicans thank ‘an angel’ for Trump’s survival, push for unity: Illinois Republicans roundly celebrated the dismissal of the classified documents case, viewing it as a sign of the former president’s innocence — despite the federal judge not taking up the legality of the actions. The case was dismissed because U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the appointment of Jack Smith as special counsel was unconstitutional. State Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, said he was not surprised to hear about the classified documents case dismissal — and claimed “this is all because they don’t like the president.” * Borderless | Illinois Law Makes Housing Discrimination Based On Immigration Status A Civil Rights Violation: The law prohibits housing providers from discriminating against a person based on actual or perceived “immigration status” during a real estate transaction, including when renting an apartment, buying a home, applying for a mortgage, or receiving housing-related services. Diana Mendoza Pacheco, a real estate attorney based in Naperville, Illinois, has focused her work around the intersection of immigration and real estate. “There are not a lot of Spanish-speaking attorneys who can explain everything to our community and then individually explain to them how certain immigration consequences can affect their real estate transactions,” she said. * Press Release | Rep. Barbara Hernandez-Backed Firearms Restraining Order Enforcement Grants Issued to Local Police Departments: The Illinois State Police (ISP) is issuing a third round of firearm restraining order enforcement grants-totaling $1.5 million-to law enforcement agencies across the state following a law state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, fought for. “Further funding to ensure law enforcement professionals have the tools they need to enforce firearms laws is a step forward for our community,” Hernandez said. “Following the events of the 2019 Henry Pratt shootings, Aurorans personally know the tragic consequences of guns being in the wrong hands. Our system of firearms restraining orders serve a vital role in Illinois’ public safety system, and it must be strong, or else we’re inviting further tragedy.” * Tribune | Johnson hopes to tap progressive Southwest Side alderman as next Zoning chair: Johnson and his administration recently began calling around to see whether aldermen would be on board with Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, chairing the Zoning Committee, and vice mayor Ald. Walter Burnett, 27th, leading the Housing Committee, the Tribune has learned from sources familiar with deliberations. Johnson spokesman Ronnie Reese declined comment Monday. […] Sigcho-Lopez said “conversations are ongoing” Monday morning and added that he did not want to “get ahead” of his potential appointment by discussing it further, while Burnett told the Tribune the administration is “still working on that” and “looking at votes” regarding his potential leadership post. * Chalkbeat | Amid anxiety about Chicago charters’ fate, CPS proposes a slight overall budget boost: But in a $9.9 billion proposed budget for next year released this week, Chicago Public Schools has avoided this approach. The district increased funding at charter schools by about 2.5% — even as some charters with shrinking enrollments are in line for steep cuts in the new budget blueprint. This year, CPS overhauled budgeting for traditional campuses to deemphasize enrollment size and prioritize student needs. But for now, the district is sticking with so-called student-based budgeting for charters, which is more closely tied to enrollment; CPS says state requirements make it trickier to change budgeting for charter campuses. Yet as the district prepares a strategic plan to revitalize neighborhood schools, anxiety about how that vision will impact charters persists. * Sun-Times | Chicago faith leaders react after Donald Trump assassination attempt: Chicago-area faith leaders called for prayers and action following a suspected assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The Rev. Michael Pfleger, of St. Sabina Church in the city’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, told congregants Sunday they were waking up to an America where “nobody is safe.” “We’re in a country where hate and violence and, most of all, guns have become a norm,” Pfleger told the Sun-Times. * Sun-Times | Chicago Air and Water Show full lineup for 2024 lakefront event revealed: This year’s show runs 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 10-11, one week earlier than usual, due to the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22 at the United Center. More than 1 million people attend the free lakefront show each year. (Less crowded and also exciting is the practice run held on Aug. 9.) The show is centered at North Avenue beach. * Sun-Times | Mayor’s grooming bill grows: Johnson’s campaign spends another $8,200 on makeup artist: That brings the total amount paid by Johnson’s campaign to the business — based in a South Side home and run by makeup artist and self-described “skincare enthusiast” Denise Milloy — to more than $36,000 in 2023 and 2024, records show. […] Asked about the overall expenses, [Johnson campaign spokesman Bill Neidhardt] said, “I know you are very interested in the mayor’s personal hygiene, but there isn’t much to say beyond that the mayor’s campaign expenditures — not taxpayer funds — are used in a similar manner to other high-profile elected officials who pay people at a fair rate for their services in preparation for frequent public appearances.” * Daily Herald | Former suburban police chief wounded protecting Reagan expects ‘deep dive’ into security failures: Former Orland Park police Chief Tim McCarthy said he expects a “deep dive” investigation into the handling of former President Donald Trump’s security Saturday, when he was shot and another person killed during a rally in Pennsylvania. “I expect it to be no holds barred,” said McCarthy, who retired from the south suburb’s police department in 2020 and now is president of a security firm. “If the protectee is injured, it’s a failure. So you have to look and find out why.” * WGN | Dolton meetings devolve into chaos while residents decry village hall lockdowns: It’s become more difficult for residents of south suburban Dolton to attend village board meetings. They now face roadblocks, barricades, long lines, capacity limits, metal detectors and a heavy police presence that some say is being deployed to discourage opposition to Mayor Tiffany Henyard. Dolton’s acting police chief has said the steps are necessary to protect Henyard from “countless” threats she’s faced. However, the police department’s own records show only four threats resulted in police reports from February 1 through April 7, around the time the extra security was put in place. Two of the alleged threats were sent to Mayor Henyard via social media, the others came in the form of an email and phone call. None appear to have resulted in an arrest or charges, according to the police reports. * Daily-Journal | Sheriff’s department estimates a $634K cost for river patrol: Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey agrees that the recent drowning on the Kankakee River was an unspeakable tragedy. He also said having a sheriff’s department river patrol, as in the past, would not have prevented it. […] For the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department to patrol the Kankakee River like it did more than a decade ago, Downey said it would cost the county $634,000 for four deputies, two jet skis, life vests, boat safety equipment and training. * SJ-R | Springfield hotel found not in compliance with ADA, will have to make renovations: In addition to the renovations, Driftwood Hospitality will also create an ADA policy and provide ADA training for all hotels it owns, operations, and manages, including the Crowne Plaza. Without admitting to violating the ADA, the hotel also agreed to a monetary payment to the complainant to fully resolve the matter. * AP | Scientists have confirmed a cave on the moon that could be used to shelter future explorers: The pit, like the more than 200 others discovered up there, was created by the collapse of a lava tube. […] Most of the pits seem to be located in the moon’s ancient lava plains, according to the scientists. There also could be some at the moon’s south pole, the planned location of NASA’s astronaut landings later this decade. Permanently shadowed craters there are believed to hold frozen water that could provide drinking water and rocket fuel.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Feds approve Medicaid coverage for state violence prevention pilot project
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Coming a bit late to this, but Rep. Justin Slaughter (D-Chicago) mentioned the July 3rd announcement during an anti-violence press conference last week, and a prominent Statehouse lobbyist mentioned it in her client newsletter today. From a press release…
* More from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services…
* This match should help augment the state’s existing efforts. From the FY25 budget…
The R3 program is funded by adult-use cannabis state tax revenue. * During that press conference last week, civic leaders announced they had raised $100 million in private funds for violence prevention…
That Medicaid match could help. The private effort was announced last year by Jim Crown, who has since died. Background on that effort is here and here. * Related…
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Question of the day
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I have not been to a White Sox game this year, and I’m betting that I’m not the only one…
The first All-Star game was played in 1933. Heckuva job, Jerry. My Sox hat is starting to look rather tatty of late, but I refuse to buy another one. Between the team’s losses and the owner’s stadium drama, I’m just beyond reluctant to give them any money. * Lately, the team has been sending me increasingly desperate emails. The latest…  * The Question: How should I respond?
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Bost and Bailey set aside feud as Illinois Republicans tout unity at RNC delegate breakfast
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * It’s opening day at the RNC in Milwaukee…
Bailey and Bost had a turbulent primary, click here to get a taste. * Ben Szalinski followed up…
Bailey said in March he was putting his campaign signs in storage. * More from reporters in the room…
* Tribune…
* Related… * ABC Chicago | No changes made to RNC security plan after Trump assassination attempt, Secret Service says: The RNC Secret Service Coordinator Audrey Gibson-Cicchino said they’ve made no change to their security plan and officials remain confident in the plan they’ve put forth. “This event is designated as a national special security event, which is the highest level of security for an event that can be designated by the government. So this is a whole of government approach. We’ve had an extensive planning process, to include many organizations,” Gibson-Cicchino said. * Daily Herald | Former suburban police chief wounded protecting Reagan expects ‘deep dive’ into security failures: “I expect it to be no holds barred,” said McCarthy, who retired from the south suburb’s police department in 2020 and now is president of a security firm. “If the protectee is injured, it’s a failure. So you have to look and find out why.” McCarthy was shot in the abdomen on March 30, 1981, when John Hinckley Jr. attempted to kill Reagan outside a Washington, D.C. hotel. […] “It doesn’t take a security expert to ask the question why wasn’t that building better covered. And there will be an investigation to determine that,” he said. * Daily Herald | GOP convention opens Monday; meet the suburban delegates: Trump’s popularity among GOP voters aside, it’s still up to the more than 2,400 delegates expected to attend the convention, which opens Monday, to make his nomination official. The delegates from Northeast Illinois are a diverse bunch: political operatives; restaurateurs; attorneys; local elected officials; congressional candidates. * Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | A list of all politicians and celebrities speaking at the Republican National Convention: Over 50 individuals are expected to speak at the RNC over the course of the four days. These include Republican politicians and candidates from across the country, high-ranking business leaders, members of the Trump family and administration, and conservative personalities and celebrities. * Variety | ‘Daily Show’ Cancels On-The-Ground RNC Plans After Trump Assassination Attempt: The “Daily Show” decision may raise pressure on several late-night programs to recalibrate their tone this week. CBS’ “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” plans to broadcast live — in New York — on Thursday. And Fox News Channel had planned a week of live-in-Milwaukee broadcasts of the satirical roundtable program “Gutfeld” each evening during the RNC. “The Late Show” also had plans to broadcast live from Chicago, the site of the Democratic National Convention, later in the summer. “The Daily Show” also has plans to visit Chicago for tapings during the event.
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State pre-pays $422 million in pension payments
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Comptroller Susana Mendoza…
Discuss.
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Dillard’s gambit
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois pharmacists, State Medical Society split over new test and treat practice. WAND…
- The Illinois State Medical Society argues that pharmacists do not have proper training to provide certain exams or diagnose illnesses. - Advocates said the new law will help pharmacists fill a critical gap in care. * Crain’s | Sidewalk plaques will memorialize 1919 race riot victims: The plaques will highlight victims of a horrific episode in Chicago’s history that “we need to know about because it literally explains why we’re so segregated,” said Peter Cole, a professor of history at Western Illinois University in Macomb and a part-time Chicago resident who heads the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 Commemoration Project. The anger and mistrust that followed the riots contributed heavily to the patterns of segregation that became entrenched in the 20th century, Cole said. Until now, the only monument to the event has been a bronze plaque on a knee-high boulder near the beach where the riots started. * Tribune | Alderman wants explanation for low arrest rates on cyberstalking, electronic harassment complaints: Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th, who heads the City Council’s women’s caucus, raised the issue this week in response to a Tribune investigation that found Chicago police made arrests in only 2% of the domestic-related electronic harassment and cyberstalking complaints received in the past 10 years. The arrest rate last year was about 1%. “I certainly want to have a conversation with CPD about it, to just better understand what their processes are and what the challenges are,” Lee said. “I know that we’ve got challenges across the city. … I think there’s a lot that needs to be done to better understand how we can support the police in providing more resources to address these issues. It seems like we’ve got the right laws on the books, but enforcement is key in terms of the actions that are taken.” * WaPo | ‘Everyone is drinking it’: Why this type of ‘forever chemical’ seems to be everywhere: A growing body of research has raised concerns about a forever chemical known as TFA, which is short for trifluoroacetic acid and has been found in increasing amounts in rainwater, groundwater and drinking water. […] Recently released research by the Pesticide Action Network Europe, an organization that advocates against the use of pesticides, found strikingly high levels of TFA contamination in 23 surface and six groundwater samples from 10 European Union countries. The researchers found that the TFA levels were 70 times higher than those of other, better-known forever chemicals in the water. * WSIU | A Deep Dive Into This Years Illinois Fiscal Budget and Beyond: A little more than a week into the new Illinois fiscal year, CNI Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Center for Tax and Budget Accountability Executive Director Ralph Martire. The discussion includes a look at the high points, the low points, and what Martire and others are keeping an eye on for future budget negotiations. * Tribune | Advocates criticize bid by Illinois power grid operator to skip some federal reforms: Last year federal regulators approved a long-awaited set of reforms designed to ease waitlists for new power sources seeking to come online and deliver electricity to homes and businesses. Such waitlists have emerged as one of the leading barriers to clean energy — including wind and solar power — and the federal reforms were widely viewed as an important step forward. But now PJM Interconnection, the powerful but little-known company that runs the waitlist in northern Illinois, is pushing back, with requests for exemptions from aspects of the reforms, including a new timeline for key studies. * WTTW | From the Uihleins to Prominent Business Owners, Who Are Illinois’ Biggest Republican Donors?: Craig Duchossois, whose billionaire family previously owned the Arlington Park horse racing track, has given more than $9 million to an array of candidates and committees this cycle. According to federal records, Duchossois gave $3 million to the Congressional Leadership Fund, which backs GOP House candidates; $2 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which supports Republican Senate candidates; and $1 million to the PAC associated with the Koch Brothers-founded group Americans for Prosperity. He also gave $13,200 to Ricketts’ campaign and an associated fund. * Sun-Times | Johnson rejected by Board of Education on CPS loan, pension payment: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appointed Board of Education has refused to take on a pension payment that the mayor had insisted be paid by the school district. And the board and Chicago Public Schools leaders are strongly opposing a City Hall request that they take out a loan to cover the payment and a new Chicago Teachers Union contract, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ. The stunning rejections from Johnson’s own school board and district leaders come as discussions continue on the short-term, high-interest loan CPS officials and board members fear could impact the district’s financial health. * Block Club | Loretto Hospital Executive At Center Of COVID Scandal Charged With $15 Million In Fraud: The federal charges came after a Block Club Chicago investigation that began with allegations Ahmed funneled hard-to-get vaccines early in the pandemic to his neighbors at Trump Tower and to workers at high-end businesses he frequented. The vaccines were meant for the city’s poorest people but ended up in areas where Chicago’s wealthiest lived and played. * Sun-Times | 3rd piping plover chick dies in 5 days at Montrose Beach: Late Saturday, the chick was seen “lethargic and struggling” by observers near Montrose Beach after “feeding and moving normally” throughout the day, according to the statement. After being cleared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the chick was collected and taken to Lincoln Park Zoo for observation. Despite no signs of external or internal injuries, the chick died overnight after being given warmth, fluids and oxygen. * Block Club | Dogs And Cats Scared Of Fireworks Overcrowded Chicago’s Animal Shelter. Now They Need Your Help: Armando Tejeda, the public information officer for the [Chicago Animal Care and Control Department], said there were 251 dogs and 234 cats staying in the shelter as of Thursday. That’s 21 percent more than average, and the highest number of animals in their care in five years. * Daily Herald | ‘A big win for the community’: How $6 million project aims to end decades of flooding in Wheeling: “There are no pipes in the neighborhood,” Wheeling Public Works Director Dan Kaup said. “The water has nowhere to go.” As a result, water accumulates on streets and in yards during every heavy rainstorm, typically two or three times a year, Village Manager Jon Sfondilis said. Houses rarely take on water, but cars driving down flooded streets can create wakes that splash up to front doors and into garages. The new project should change that. * Shaw Local | Storm damages downtown Joliet buildings, knocked down several trees: An exterior section of the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 was damaged in a freakish development during a storm that blew through downtown Joliet on Sunday morning. The storm intensified when it reached the near West Side of the city, blowing down trees that blocked at least one section of Broadway Street, which also serves as Route 53, before doing more damage downtown. * WCIA | ‘She was like a fresh breath of air’: Springfield community remembers Emma Shafer one year after her death: “Everywhere we went, Emma was there,” said Pastor Susan Philips from First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. “This last year has been really hard for many of us because we go to those same places and her absence is so profound. And it’s also inspired so many people to get more involved and to show up in deeper ways, and to make sure the things that have been part of Emma’s vision continue to be part of our future, too.” * The Atlantic | AI Has Become a Technology of Faith: An important thing to realize about the grandest conversations surrounding AI is that, most of the time, everyone is making things up. This isn’t to say that people have no idea what they’re talking about or that leaders are lying. But the bulk of the conversation about AI’s greatest capabilities is premised on a vision of a theoretical future. It is a sales pitch, one in which the problems of today are brushed aside or softened as issues of now, which surely, leaders in the field insist, will be solved as the technology gets better. What we see today is merely a shadow of what is coming. We just have to trust them.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Jul 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Illinois react (Updated and comments opened)
Sunday, Jul 14, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller [Comments are now open, but please take a deep breath.] * Presented in no particular order. Gov. Pritzker…
* Sun-Times…
* NPR Illinois…
* Leader McCombie…
* US Rep. Darin LaHood…
* Sen. Chesney…
* Rep. Ugaste…
* Daily Herald…
* More…
…Adding… More…
* US Rep. LaHood…
* Rep. Niemerg…
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