Welch tempers earlier remarks about state funding for Bears’ Michael Reese site: ‘The only ones talking about a Bears stadium are the folks in the media’
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Fran Spielman…
…Adding… More from the interview…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* WTTW…
* WJBD | Illinois Department of Revenue announces start of 2025 income tax season: Illinois will participate in the IRS Direct File program this year. Eligible taxpayers will be able to use the program to electronically complete their 2024 federal tax returns for free. Eligibility can be confirmed by visiting, directfile.irs.gov. After filing a federal return using Direct File, the program will connect taxpayers to Illinois Free State income filing system, MyTax Illinois, allowing them to file and complete their Illinois state returns. * USA Today | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week: New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 13,341 in the week ending January 3, down from 16,722 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 201,000 last week, down 10,000 claims from 211,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis. * Unraveled | STRIPPED: The Chicago cops who lost their badges in 2024: At least 80 Chicago police officers were relieved of their police powers for some period of time between January 1 and November 17, 2024. Most officers were benched as a result of drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence, making false statements, or other criminal charges. […] Most of the officers are currently collecting a paycheck in the Alternate Response Section (ARS), a unit primarily staffed by officers with disciplinary and medical issues who answer non-emergency phone calls. Officers slated to be fired may spend years in ARS as they await final court decisions in the FOP’s fight to allow officers to have their cases heard in secret arbitration proceedings. * Tribune | Chicago Housing Authority ordered to pay $24 million in lead poisoning lawsuit brought by two residents: The case, filed in January 2022, focused on Shanna Jordan, the mother of Jah’mir Collins, now 10, and Morgan Collins, the mother of Amiah Collins, now 6, who sued CHA, the Habitat Company, East Lake Management Group and Environmental Design International, alleging that the defendants knew their unit had lead-based paint and that their children suffered “severe lead poisoning” while living in the unit. The unit was owned by CHA and is located at 7715 North Marshfield in Rogers Park. * Tribune | Downtown bike- and bus-lane ticketing program generates more than 3,500 warnings and violations in its first weeks: Even so, the city issued at least 3,564 warnings in the first weeks of the program. Of the tickets issued, eight were for bus lane infractions and five were for bike lane violations, the data show. […] Schroeder said the city Transportation and Finance departments have for years been collecting information about vehicles blocking bike and bus lanes via the city’s 311 service, and enforcement vehicles are using that data to focus on locations where parking violations have been persistent issues. * Crain’s | On day after city credit downgrade, Johnson seeks to float up to $830M in debt: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants to sell as much as $830 million in general obligation bonds, filing an ordinance to approve the borrowing one day after S&P Global Ratings cut the city’s credit rating. The proceeds of the proposed sale would help finance “improvements to public rights-of-way, infrastructure and transportation, loans and grants, acquisition of property, construction and maintenance of public buildings, economic programs, lead service line replacements, and funding of judgments, settlements and escrow accounts payable by the city,” according to city documents. * Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s campaign fund returns $1,000 to O’Hare concessions executive: The mayor has faced repeated questions since he was elected in April 2023 about his acceptance of campaign money from contractors that work for City Hall, as well as unions that rely on his administration’s decision making and contractors for the so-called “sister agencies” such as Chicago Public Schools that he also oversees. He’s previously returned some of the other money from City Hall contractors, but not all. * Chicago Reader | Former chief of policy Umi Grigsby talks candidly about what’s been accomplished and what’s still ahead: In early January, S. Mayumi “Umi” Grigsby stepped down as chief of policy for the City of Chicago. In this exclusive interview with the Reader, Grigsby reflects on her time in the mayor’s office and shares her thoughts on the challenges the city faces with the incoming Trump administration. Born in Liberia, Grigsby and her family fled the country’s first civil war and eventually resettled in Houston, Texas. She graduated from Georgetown University and explored a number of career paths, including acting and diplomacy, before graduating from Northeastern law school in 2015. * Crain’s | Proposed zoning changes could bring more density to Far North Side corridor: The Chicago Department of Planning & Development, in conjunction with neighborhood alderpeople and community groups, is putting together a collection of zoning changes and guidelines for a 2.6-mile stretch of Broadway that aims to create more consistency in the area’s zoning, making it easier to develop there, as well as support the local business environment and improve housing affordability, according to DPD. * NBC Chicago | 30-degree temperature drop in 2 days: What to expect and when in Chicago area: Temperatures continue their free fall on Sunday, dropping into the low teens and possibly even single digits for some. Overnight Sunday and into Monday, temperatures could drop to minus-5 degrees, with wind chills dropping 15-to-25 degrees below zero across the area, according to forecast models. * Daily Herald | Massive cryogenic device will help Fermilab explore mysteries of the universe: As the massive 95-metric ton coldbox completed its cross-ocean journey, the crowd at Fermilab braving frigid winter temperatures on Wednesday could imagine what the particle accelerator being chilled to minus 456 F by the device must feel like. The coldbox is part of Fermilab’s Proton Improvement Plan II (PIP-II) project, a new 215-meter linear accelerator. When completed in 2029, it will fire a high-energy beam 800 miles to a repurposed mineshaft one mile beneath Lead, South Dakota. The accelerator will be the most powerful continuous-wave proton accelerator in the world. The beam will contain neutrinos — the most mysterious fundamental particles known in the universe. * Daily Herald | Noted civil rights attorney to headline ‘I Have A Dream’ Unity Breakfast in DuPage County: Collaboration has been the underlying quality of his career, renowned civil rights attorney Fred Gray says. […] Gray is widely known for representing Rosa Parks after she famously refused to give up her seat on a Greyhound bus, as well as the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and the victims of the Tuskegee syphilis study. He played a vital role in Alabama’s pursuit of school integration and was honored by President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022, the nation’s highest civilian award. * Daily Herald | Plan to open first marijuana dispensary in Batavia nears approval: The city council will vote on a request for a conditional use permit Tuesday for Dutchess Cannabis to open in the building at 144 S. Randall Road. Boston-based Rubino Ventures, LLC is the applicant. The council’s committee of the whole voted 11-1 in favor of it Tuesday night, with one alderman abstaining and one absent. Alderman Nick Cerone cast the lone “no” vote. * Sun-Times | Amber Alert issued for missing 4-year-old girl in Rock Island: Authorities in Rock Island are urgently searching for a missing 4-year-old girl, Blessing, after the vehicle she was in was stolen early Thursday morning. As of 1 p.m. Blessing had still not been located, Rock Island Police Chief Tim McCloud told the Sun-Times. “We’re calling in every able body at this point — we’re working with the FBI, the state police and every local agency, McCloud said. “We’re doing everything that can be done.” * Mahomet Daily | Champaign County League of Women Voters Launches “Protect the Mahomet Aquifer” Series: Recent legislative efforts, including the passage of Senate Bill 1289, known as the Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act, have sparked a debate. The bill regulates the injection of CO2 into underground storage but has been criticized for its inadequacies, particularly after leaks from an existing project by Archer Daniels Midland in Decatur highlighted the potential risks to water safety. Speakers at the event include Andrew Rehn, Climate Policy Director at Prairie Rivers Network, and Pam Richart, Co-Director of the Eco-Justice Collaborative. Both experts will discuss the implications of carbon sequestration on the aquifer and the necessity of proactive measures to safeguard this irreplaceable resource. * Tribune | ‘Mr. Baseball’ Bob Uecker, the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers, dies at 90: The team announced Uecker died Thursday morning, calling it “one of the most difficult days in Milwaukee Brewers history.” In a statement released by the club, Uecker’s family said he had battled small cell lung cancer since early 2023. “Even in the face of this challenge, his enthusiasm for life was always present, never allowing his spirit to falter,” the family said.
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Roundup: Defense rests case in trial of ex-Speaker Madigan
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* Tribune…
* Wednesday marked the final witness testimony from Springfield lobbyist Heather Wier Vaught. Capitol News Illinois…
* Sun-Times Federal Courts Reporter Jon Seidel…
* Also from Wesnesday. The Tribune…
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Judge’s SAFE-T Act tantrum overturned by appellate court
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * For whatever reason, Will County Circuit Judge Dave Carlson decided to blame the SAFE-T Act for forcing him to release a full-time member of the notorious Outlaws motorcycle gang from jail who was accused of murder and concealing the body. From April…
* About a week later…
Judge Carlson retired the following day. * Fast-forward to early May…
* The new judge agreed with prosecutors…
* And an Illinois appellate court has since upheld the detention order…
More details about the crime are in the appellate ruling, so click here. Ugh. That is one dangerous defendant, and that was a very dangerous judicial temper tantrum. Also, the county state’s attorney sued to block the SAFE-T Act from taking effect. And now, that same state’s attorney has successfully used the new law to keep a dangerous person behind bars. Funny how life works.
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The bookies who cried ‘Wolf’
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Remember when FanDuel and DraftKings were threatening to pull out of Illinois? This is from June…
* Well, they didn’t leave and they’re thriving…
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How the heck do these things even happen?
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Two or three others sent me pretty much this same screenshot last night…
* It was a mistake…
What is the level of incompetency for the mayor of one of the largest cities in the United States to file a campaign finance report like that? The campaign committee has already filed six amended reports since the summer. * Perhaps more importantly, the campaign did not file a single A-1 report during the quarter. Unless all of that $200K raised was in small contributions, where are the A-1 reports?…
Hmm. * Also, Johnson’s third quarter report showed his campaign fund only raised $3,465.77 between July 1 and September 30. So, you’re telling us that the mayor of the Democratic National Convention’s host city raised less than $4K during those festivities? Seriously? I’ve reached out to the mayor’s political director for a response. I’ll let you know. * Back to Politico…
Discuss.
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WBBM…
* WAND…
* Rep. Jed Davis…
* NBC Chicago Investigates found an uninsured school bus company using expired plates to transport CPS students. Rep. Marcus Evans…
* Rep. Bob Rita introduced HB1389 yesterday…
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Open thread
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois launches portal to simplify searching for youth mental health resources. Crain’s…
- The centralized resource for Illinois youth and families who are seeking youth mental health services and care, can be found at beacon.illinois.gov and is now available for all Illinoisans. - Pritzker said the portal is part of the work being done in Illinois to fight stigmas about behavioral health, break down barriers to finding and affording care, and eliminate silos of services among individual state agencies. * Related stories…
∙ WCIA: Pritzker launches behavioral health resource for IL families * Capitol News Illinois | State Board of Education seeks $11.4 billion for PreK-12 spending: The request includes a $350 million increase in “Evidence-Based Funding,” the minimum annual increase called for under the 2017 law that focuses new education spending on the neediest districts. It also includes a $142 million increase in what’s called “mandatory categorical” aid for expenses such as transportation and special education, and $75 million in new funding for early childhood education. * NBC Chicago | Amtrak cancels Chicago-area trains ahead of cold blast of Arctic air: With the coldest air of the season expected to blanket the Chicago area in coming days, Amtrak has preemptively canceled multiple trains. According to the agency, the Empire Builder train set to run between Chicago and Seattle on Monday, Jan. 20 will not operate due to expected frigid conditions. * QC News | Deere responds to Illinois attorney general right-to-repair lawsuit: “This lawsuit, filed on the eve of a change in Administration, ignores the Company’s long-standing commitment to customer self-repair and the consistent progress and innovation we have made over time, including the launch of Equipment Mobile in 2023 and the previously announced launch of new capabilities for John Deere Operations Center later this year,” the response says. “The complaint is based on flagrant misrepresentations of the facts and fatally flawed legal theories, and it punishes innovation and pro-competitive product design. * Sun-Times | Campaign contributions surge amid debate over hemp regulation in Illinois: While those figures pale in comparison to political donations from the cannabis industry in recent years, the hemp lobby’s contributions came as the long-running delta-8 debate reached a fever pitch in Springfield. * QC Times | Quad-Cities area Republican tapped to lead veterans committee in Illinois statehouse: “As a veteran, Rep. Swanson has served our country with honor and distinction, and I know he will bring the same solemn sense of duty to leading a bipartisan Veterans Affairs Committee,” Welch said in a statement. Swanson, in an interview with Lee Enterprises, said he “dropped the phone” and was “speechless” when Welch called this weekend to inform him of the assignment. * Chalkbeat | While the state faces a tighter budget, Illinois’ schools chief ask for a boost in education funding: The board unanimously approved Illinois Superintendent Tony Sanders’ budget proposal at a Wednesday board meeting without any pushback from members. Sanders proposed an additional $350 million for the state’s evidence-based funding formula for K-12 schools, which distributes new state education funding to schools based on need, sending more to under-resourced schools and those that serve a majority of students from low-income households, English learners, and students with disabilities. * Covers * Chalkbeat | Chicago Teachers Union alleges paycheck errors, asks new school board to help reach contract deal: The grievance claims at least five unnamed staffers have not been paid according to their seniority with the district. In all five cases, the union alleges, employees have reached out to the district for help in correcting the issue, but CPS has not fixed their pay. * Tribune | New Chicago school board sworn in as CTU president pushes to reach deal over contentious contract: The hybrid board — currently composed of 10 members who won their seats during the city’s first school board elections and 10 members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson — will have a decisive hand in shaping the future of Chicago Public Schools amid immediate financial challenges at the district and contentious negotiations on a new four-year Chicago Teachers Union contract that has devolved into a prolonged power struggle. Johnson has yet to select his final appointment to the board, which will ultimately bring total membership to 21. * Block Club | 25 MPH Speed Limit Reduction Proposal Hits The Brakes In City Council: While the measure passed the necessary council committee in October, La Spata ultimately did not bring it up for a vote last year. On Wednesday, he again withheld it from facing a final vote after failing to secure enough support to ensure its passage. Alderpeople did approve a resolution also backed by La Spata to create a working group that would examine Chicago’s traffic laws and design a “more equitable enforcement system, including fines and fees reform.” That measure passed by a 49-1 vote, with only Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) voting against it. * Sun-Times | Flamingo, seal die of bird flu at Lincoln Park Zoo: How the animals were exposed to H5N1 avian influenza remains unknown, but the zoo said it was “near certain” that it derived from contact with a waterfowl that was infected with the virus. “This is sad news for wildlife and for the zoo team. Not only are we facing the first known cases of HPAI in animals in our care, but we’ve lost two amazing animals,” said Dr. Kathryn Gamble, Lincoln Park Zoo director of veterinary services, referring to highly pathogenic avian influenza. * Sun-Times | Chicago’s bond rating dropped to BBB — one step above lowest investment grade: Now it has followed through, dropping the city to just two notches above “junk bond” status. Standard & Poor’s last year had cited Chicago’s “heavy reliance on one-time” revenue and a “politically-charged standoff” between Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City Council in warning of the likely reduction. * Chicago Reader | Chicago Reader Announces Restructuring and Layoffs: n addition to the layoffs, RICJ CEO Solomon Lieberman submitted his resignation to the RICJ board of directors on Monday, January 13. “We are deeply grateful for Sol’s hard work and dedication during his tenure, and wish him the very best in his future endeavors,” says Chicago Reader publisher Amber Nettles. * Block Club | Late Chicago Folk Legend Steve Goodman’s Guitars, Lyric Sheets Feared Lost In L.A. Fires: The beloved Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Goodman recorded his final album “Santa Ana Winds” in 1984. They are the same winds that spread the Los Angeles wild fires that killed at least 25 people this week and destroyed thousands of homes. Two of those homes belonged to Goodman’s daughters, and they now fear some of their father’s prized keepsakes — including guitars and the original handwritten lyrics to his legendary hit “City of New Orleans” — were lost to the fires. * WBEZ | A former Cook County agency employee will get $180,000 in a legal settlement: A former employee of Cook County’s property-tax appeal agency will get a big payout to end a legal case, just months after he was fired and sued a Democratic elected official. A county board subcommittee on Wednesday approved a $180,000 settlement to end the federal whistleblower case filed last year by Frank Calabrese against the county’s Board of Review, Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele and her top aide. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights, Rolling Meadows clash before state Supreme Court over sales tax from Cooper’s Hawk: Appearing before the Illinois Supreme Court Wednesday, attorneys for Rolling Meadows and Arlington Heights argued whether the former should pay the latter more than $1 million in misallocated sales taxes from Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant. …Adding… The Southern | Altercation after Carbondale council meeting under investigation: During the altercation, at least one citizen yelled in the face of Councilwoman Clare Killman, before city staff and police intervened and separated them. This came after a tense three-hour meeting during which Killman and Councilwoman Ginger Rye-Sanders criticized each other during the public portion of the meeting. * WSIL | Carbondale police intervene verbal situation between city council members and public at meeting, city government reports: A member with the City of Carbondale Government stated on January 14, 2025, at roughly 9:05 p.m., Carbondale police officers intervened a verbal situation which involved two city council members and some members of the public. This happened at the conclusion of an executive session meeting at a Carbondale City Council meeting. * WTVO | U of I system guarantees admission for Illinois high school grads looking to transfer: The policy takes effect for the 2025 fall semester and the only requirements are that students graduated from an Illinois high school, working toward their first bachelor’s degree, satisfy the system’s English language proficiency requirement and have at least 36 semester credit hours. * AP | What products contain Red 3 dye? Checking ingredient labels is the best way to find out: The Food and Drug Administration is ordering food and drug makers to remove a dye called Red 3 from the products U.S. consumers eat and drink. The colorant was banned from cosmetics and non-oral medications decades ago because a study showed it caused cancer when eaten by rats. But it kept appearing on the ingredient lists of popular snack foods and other grocery products because it remained approved for use until now.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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