* ICYMI: Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino accused of violating judge’s order by throwing tear gas at crowd in Little Village Thursday. Tribune…

- Bovino was captured on video appearing to lob a canister while standing in a parking lot next to federal agents.
- A still image from the recording was included in a two-page court document filed in federal court by journalism advocacy organizations.
- They also accused federal agents of using pepper spray and throwing at least one protester to the ground at a similar incident in Little Village on Wednesday.

* Related stories…

• Block Club: ICE Arrest Of Teen Cancer Patient’s Dad ‘Unconscionable,’ Officials Say While Demanding His Release
• WGN: Chicago Public Schools students detained, allegedly assaulted by federal agents
• WTTW: Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino, Other Agents Fired Tear Gas at Little Village Crowd ‘Without Justification,’ Lawyers Say

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The summer of 2025 has been a tough one for residents and businesses in the Ameren Illinois service territory. Supply constraints, extreme hot and humid conditions, and increased energy usage have led to a significant spike in electricity prices and higher-than-normal monthly bills for residential, commercial and industrial energy users. We appreciate and thank legislators, regulators and stakeholders who are working hard to address the energy challenge in Illinois. Energy policy is complex, and we’re encouraged that there are some creative ideas being proposed and a willingness to work together to find answers.   

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If you know of someone who is struggling to pay their energy bill, please encourage them to visit www.AmerenIllinois.com/PathToSavings for information on available financial assistance and energy saving programs. 

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Fate of Illinois’ first-in-the-nation credit card ‘swipe fee’ ban awaits judge’s ruling: A law that would make Illinois the first jurisdiction in the world to ban financial institutions from charging “interchange fees” on the tax and tip portions of debit and credit card transactions finally got its day in court this week nearly 18 months after its passage. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall’s ruling — expected in the coming weeks — will determine the legality of the “Interchange Fee Prohibition Act,” which was folded into Illinois’ Fiscal Year 2025 budget package in May 2024 by Democrats who control the General Assembly.

* Tribune | States worry about how to fill the gap in food aid ahead of a federal benefits halt: Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged Thursday to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled next month because of the government shutdown. The fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries, is becoming a deep concern as it gets closer to Nov. 1, when the benefits could dry up without either a resolution of the federal government shutdown or other action.

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | New teachers union leaders in Illinois call for tax shift to fund K-12, higher education: “We believe that we should be taxing billionaires so they can pay their fair share,” Stacy Davis Gates said in an interview with Capitol News Illinois. “We believe that wealthy corporations that are receiving a benefit from the Trump administration should see that benefit manifest and put in a little more in Illinois.” Davis Gates, who has served as president of the Chicago Teachers Union since 2022, was elected president of CTU’s parent organization, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, last weekend. She succeeds Dan Montgomery, who led the union for 15 years.

* Tribune | President Trump issues disaster declarations for several Republican-led states but denies Illinois and Maryland: President Donald Trump approved major disaster declarations for Alaska, Nebraska, North Dakota and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe late Wednesday, while denying requests from Vermont, Illinois and Maryland and leaving other states still waiting for answers. The decisions fell mostly along party lines, with Trump touting on social media Wednesday that he had “won BIG” in Alaska in the last three presidential elections and that it was his “honor” to deliver for the “incredible Patriots” of Missouri, a state he also won three times.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WSIL | Local Illinois elected officials react to deaths of Darren Bailey’s family members: Illinois lawmakers are reacting to the deaths of four close family members related to Republican Governor Candidate Darren Bailey. According to Darren Bailey’s campaign team, Bailey’s son Zachary, his wife Kelsey, and their two young children, died in a helicopter accident in Montana on Wednesday.

* House Speaker Chris Welch takes a jab at House Republican Leader Tony McCombie…

We already know Leader McCombie lacks ethics and the courage to do what’s right. It’s easy to condemn political violence for everyone except McCombie and the caucus she leads. There was nothing to talk about it here. Condemn this nonsense Tony! https://t.co/pHfRMEIXO9

— Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch (@SpeakerWelchIL) October 23, 2025

* Fox News | JB Pritzker accuses ICE of ‘racial profiling,’ defends comparing agents to Nazis: “They’re literally going after Black and Brown people because of the color of their skin,” the governor told “Special Report.” Pritzker, who created the Illinois Accountability Commission to track ICE agents’ conduct, insisted there are instances of misconduct “all the time.” The vocal Trump critic has compared the president’s ICE crackdown to Nazi Germany and called ICE agents Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s “thugs.”

* Center Square | Battery storage financials remain in question as lawmakers consider energy omnibus: Earlier this month, state Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, told The Center Square that he was a “hard no” on the energy omnibus if it included another line item on consumers’ utility bills, saying it “could just crush working-class people.” State Sen. Li Arellano, R-Dixon, noted that Preston offered a way to keep utility customers from having to pick up the tab for battery storage. “So in the case of Sen. Preston, I know he’s been talking about some language on the energy bill that would have developers pay for their own battery storage if they want to develop that out instead of putting it on consumers,” Arellano told The Center Square.

* Evanston Now | Tick tock on the fiscal cliff clock: With half of the two-week-long veto session already finished in the Illinois General Assembly, and no resolution yet to the multi-million-dollar mass transit fiscal cliff, board member Nora Cay Ryan told her colleagues on Thursday “this is a six-alarm fire. Do we need to hop on an Amtrak and go down there [to Springfield]” as a body, and lobby the legislators in person?

* WGN | Family of former Gov. George Ryan holding estate sale: One of marquee items is a framed photos of Michael Jordan’s final shot with the Bulls. The last photo is signed by Jordan. The estate sale began Thursday from 9 to 4 p.m. at runs through Sunday with the same time.

*** Chicago ***

* CBS Chicago | City tourism organization worries about the impact of President Trump’s negative narrative on Chicago’s economy and jobs: “Chicago’s always had a challenge with our reputation nationally … but right now that’s amplified,” said Choose Chicago’s President and CEO Kristen Reynolds. […] Reynolds said this is what she hears from first-time visitors, “People have a mindset and then they come here and they go, ‘Wow, the city is beautiful. It’s amazing. It’s clean. I love it. I had no idea.’”

* Tribune | Amid ICE surge, Board of Education urges CPS to offer remote learning: Parents are afraid to send their children to school while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers lurk nearby. Students are sharing live updates on ICE agent locations. And whistles blow, alerting neighbors to federal activity. Those daily occurrences prompted school board members at their monthly meeting Thursday to urge CPS to take more action, including implementing remote learning options for students unable to attend school due to immigration enforcement fears.

* ABC Chicago | CTA riders brace for weekend work halting of trains on elevated Loop tracks: The CTA says the Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines will be out of services at all elevated Loop stations to replace critical track switching equipment at Tower 18. That’s at Wells and Lake and is considered one of the busiest sections of track in the entire CTA system. The CTA says line closures are expected to go into effect at 4 a.m. Saturday morning.

* Sun-Times | Chicago buildings falling through fire safety inspection cracks: Only 17% of buildings in a Chicago Fire Department bureau database for fire code violations have received required annual inspections in the last year, city’s inspector general says.

* Crain’s | Hazy details on potential slot machines in Chicago airports frustrate City Council: Bally’s was given first dibs to place slots at O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport in 2022, when the gaming company was awarded Chicago’s sole casino license. The company is permitted 4,000 total slot positions, to be divided between its city casino and the airports. Council members have complained the Johnson administration is leaving money on the table by not forcing Bally’s to either take the opportunity or pass so the city could explore handing over airport slots to other companies.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | ICE will pursue charges at federal level over Bolingbrook incident, police say: The ICE agents reported “two unknown females” struck them in the head while they were attempting to arrest a 46-year-old man in the parking lot, police said. […] The agents declined medical attention, police said.

* Daily Herald | McHenry County Board proposes tax levy increase while also looking for spending cuts: The so-called “lookback” option comes as county leaders have worked to close a projected $3.7 million budget gap for next year. On Tuesday, county board member Eric Hendricks proposed sending the budget and levy back to the county’s finance committee. County board Chair Mike Buehler declined to take up Hendricks’ proposal, but Hendricks pressed the point. After some procedural back-and-forth, Hendricks’ effort failed.

* Daily Herald | DuPage judge refuses to force county to pay two election vendors: DuPage County Judge Bryan Chapman this week denied the county clerk’s request for a temporary restraining order to force the payment of the two bills, totaling more than $230,000. In his ruling Wednesday, Chapman said granting the TRO would require him to rule on the underlying case that DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek brought against the county. In that case, Kaczmarek argues the county cannot prevent her from procuring services or equipment needed to run her office.

* Shaw Local | Ex-cop, ex-elected official both plead not guilty to PPP fraud in DeKalb County: A former DeKalb County Board member and an ex-corrections deputy pleaded not guilty on Thursday to multiple charges related to defrauding the federal COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program. Cortland married couple Savannah Ilenikhena, 33, and Bartholomew Ilenikhena, 37, each was charged on July 11 with loan fraud and theft between $10,000 and $100,00.

* Daily Herald | Elgin could allow DACA recipients to be hired as firefighters and paramedics: The city already employs people with DACA status, including three police officers. Elgin does not have a requirement that any city employees be U.S. citizens, only that the person be legally authorized to work in the United States under federal law. Illinois passed legislation in 2023 to allow DACA recipients to become police officers, but efforts to extend the policy to firefighters had stalled, said council member Anthony Ortiz, who brought the initiative forward with the help of fellow council member Dustin Good.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Google announces carbon capture project with Broadwing Energy at ADM: Google is entering a carbon capture partnership with Broadwing Energy at ADM’s facility in Decatur, according to an announcement by the tech giant on Thursday. According to Michael Terrell, Google Head of Advanced Energy, the project in Decatur supplements Google’s desire to find enhanced geothermal, advanced nuclear and long-duration energy storage. Terrell said natural gas with carbon capture and storage, known as CCS, is a critical source of clean firm power.

* WGLT | EV maker Rivian to cut 4.5% of its workforce: The electric automaker Rivian confirmed Thursday it’s cutting hundreds of positions – about 4.5% of its companywide workforce. That would be about 600 jobs. It’s unclear how many of those jobs are in Normal; a Rivian spokesperson said no manufacturing operations employees are impacted.

* WCIA | Domestic violence investigator coming to Macon County State’s Attorney’s Office: Macon County State’s Attorney Diane Couri added a new position to her office this year: an investigator solely dedicated to domestic violence cases. Couri said these cases impact people from all walks of life, and are particularly delicate. […] The Decatur Police Department has received 3,732 domestic violence calls from Jan. 1 of this year through Thursday.

* WSIL | West Frankfort teachers avert strike with tentative agreement: “Our union team is excited to announce that we have reached a three-year agreement this evening after several hours of intense bargaining with the school board,” said AFT Local 817 President Tim Aldridge. “While this TA does not give either side everything they wanted, it addresses issues that were important to our members while providing costs savings to the district. It also acknowledges the dedication and contributions of our incredible teachers and helps to keep West Frankfort schools strong.

* WCIA | Danville School Board unanimously approves administrator’s dismissal: Narcissus Rankin previously held the position of Director of Business for the Danville School District. But, during the meeting, the Board of Education uniformly agreed to remove her from her position, dismiss her as a tenured teacher in the district and place her on unpaid administrative leave, pending her dismissal as a tenured teacher. […] Rankin listed several issues that were cited in the letter she received from the district, among those, included “mismanagement of the business office.” But Rankin said before she received the letter there were no documented conversations about “excessive breaks, personal business conducted during work hours or general mismanagement of the department.”

* IPM Newsroom | Danville’s ousted school finance director: “This decision is retaliatory”: “What is most troubling about this process is the complete absence of any direct communication regarding my performance. At no time was I approached with concerns, offered feedback, or given the opportunity to improve or respond,” Rankin said. Rankin was hired in 2015 as an assistant director of bussines and finance, right before Alicia Geddis was hired as superintendent. The school board dismissed Geddis earlier this year for working remotely long-term after receiving a racist threat.

* WCIA | From the Farm: Artificial Intelligence Farms: CropWizard: Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere — even in the fields. And the University of Illinois is ahead of the pack when it comes to applying AI technology to the farm. […] Most — if not all — farmers know about the Agronomy Handbook that has been published annually for decades. But CropWizard is updated every nanosecond, and fits on your phone or electronic note pad.

* WSIU | Carol Moseley Braun talks about her historic career: The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute hosted a talk with former US Senator Carol Moseley Braun about her career and new book. Ann Marie Shepherd was first in line to welcome Carol Moseley Braun to the Varsity Theater on Wednesday. She was excited to hear about Moseley Braun’s visit, “So I campaigned for her, voted for her all of the above, and when I heard that she was coming to come in there, I couldn’t resist coming.”

*** National ***

* The Hill | Trump defends tariffs to cattle ranchers, calls for lower prices: “The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years — Terrible!”

* Reason | ICE Is Mounting a Mass Surveillance Campaign on American Citizens: While a federal judge scrutinizes the constitutionality of tactics used by federal immigration authorities during ongoing protests in Chicago, these same agencies are quietly amassing behind-the-scenes surveillance technology. Originally slated to target undocumented immigrants, the technology is now being used to investigate protesters of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

* KRON | Trump calling off plans for federal deployment to SF, mayor says: “Late last night, I received a phone call from the President of the United States. I told him the same thing I told our residents: San Francisco is on the rise,” Lurie said in a statement Thursday. “Visitors are coming back, buildings are getting leased and purchased, and workers are coming back to the office. We have work to do, and we would welcome continued partnerships with the FBI, DEA, ATF, and U.S. Attorney to get drugs and drug dealers off our streets, but having the military and militarized immigration enforcement in our city will hinder our recovery.”

* NYT | Google’s Quantum Computer Makes a Big Technical Leap: On Wednesday, Dr. Devoret and his colleagues at a Google lab near Santa Barbara, Calif., said their quantum computer had successfully run a new algorithm capable of accelerating advances in drug discovery, the design of new building materials and other fields. Leveraging the counterintuitive powers of quantum mechanics, Google’s machine ran this algorithm 13,000 times as fast as a top supercomputer executing similar code in the realm of classical physics, according to a paper written by the Google researchers in the scientific journal Nature.

* AP | Trump allies, undeterred by setbacks in courts and Congress, push anew for citizenship proof to vote: By a deadline earlier this week, the independent U.S. Election Assistance Commission had received more than 380,000 public comments reacting to a petition to add the requirement. The proposal is being pushed by America First Legal, a conservative group co-founded by Stephen Miller, the Republican president’s deputy chief of staff.

* The Atlantic | Trump’s Partisan Redistribution of Wealth: As much of America stalls and sputters, President Donald Trump is forging ahead on a plan to remake the government’s budget without Congress’s assent. His administration has used the shutdown as a pretext to withhold billions of dollars from scores of projects: a subway line in Manhattan, a utility microgrid in Oahu. The White House has diverted anti-terrorism money to red states and canceled clean-energy projects in blue states. Trump’s goal is not only to make the government smaller again but also to alter the country’s economic geography, pushing Democratic regions to falter and Republican ones to flourish.