* Here you go…

* Crain’s | Midwest economy shows signs of tough times ahead, says Chicago Fed: Answers to a questionnaire sent to key leaders in the Chicago Fed’s five-state area found the overall index of economic activity increased from -41 in December to -27 in January. But, with a score of 0 representing normal economic growth, that latest figure suggests economic growth is “well below trend,” the Fed said.

* CBS Chicago | Illinois workers who filed wage theft claims are still waiting for millions: Wage theft can happen in a lot of ways – including missing tips or overtime - or in the case of one worker we talked to, a company not mailing a paycheck altogether. CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reports.

* Sun-Times | Bringing in the big guns? NRA, lawyers who helped win U.S. Supreme Court case train sights on Illinois’ assault weapons ban: Although the National Rifle Association is not listed as a plaintiff, a spokesperson told the Sun-Times it joined the National Sports Shooting Foundation to bring forth the suit, similar to what it did in a New York case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court.

* Herald and Review | Pritzker on gun lawsuits: ‘They’ll lose in the end’: During an unrelated news conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday spoke about various legal challenges to the state’s new semiautomatic weapons ban.

* Daily Herald | As several support DuPage sheriff, county chair says she’ll seek censure over weapons ban remarks: Saying words matter, DuPage County Board Chair Deborah Conroy Tuesday said she will seek to censure Sheriff James Mendrick. Conroy’s announcement came after more than 200 people gathered at the board meeting on Tuesday to express support or outrage over Mendrick’s refusal to fully enforce the state’s new ban on high-powered weapons and high-capacity magazines.

* Tribune | Doctors: A firearm-related injury is a chronic and expensive condition, but many victims are forgotten: Surviving a firearm injury is a chronic condition, “post-firearm injury disease,” which results in ongoing medical needs, mental health challenges and social disruption. As a result of continual improvements in emergency medical services, more firearm victims are surviving but are left with some type of chronic condition.

* Shaw Local | New tax ideas just rumblings before hearing budget speech: State Sen. Robert Martwick, D-Chicago, has suggested taking another run at changing the flat tax system after voters soundly rejected Pritzker’s first such effort in 2020. State Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, told WTTW-TV his colleagues should consider a wealth tax, which would apply to people with assets exceeding $1 billion.

* Brownfield | IFCA anticipating Illinois legislation banning important pesticides : The Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association is keeping a close eye out for any pesticide related legislation being introduced in the new General Assembly. President KJ Johnson tells Brownfield he expects there to be debates about atrazine, chlorpyrifos and Round-Up, but based on congressional action last year, he thinks a ban on dicamba and neonicotinoids could move quickly this year.

* Alfred Ronan Obituary: At 31, Al was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives representing the northwest side of Chicago. In the Illinois House, Al championed important issues such as a statewide seat belt mandate and consistently pushed for increased funding for K-12 education.

* Crain’s | Durbin, Jam Productions CEO slam Live Nation at Senate hearing over Taylor Swift ticket fiasco: “The ticketing and live entertainment markets lack competition and they are dominated by a single entity: Live Nation,” Durbin said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing sparked by the recent problems with Ticketmaster’s handling of sales for a Taylor Swift tour that left fans disappointed and anguished.

* Herald & Review | Pritzker on wind, solar zoning rules: During an unrelated news conference, Gov. J.B. Pritzker answers a question about legislation that would set statewide zoning standards for wind and solar projects.

* Capitol News Illinois | Replacing Illinois institution as secretary of state, Giannoulias makes modernization push: “Modernization and bringing new technology is going to be at the forefront of everything we do,” Giannoulias said in an interview with Capitol News Illinois at the end of his second week in office. “This office is rooted in customer service, and my goal is to provide the best customer service possible.”

* Tribune | FBI’s new Chicago boss says he considers job the ‘pinnacle’ of his career: Wheeler, 52, sat down with the Tribune on Tuesday to talk about his new job leading the Chicago FBI, the bureau’s fourth-largest field office with more than 1,000 agents, support staff and other personnel responsible for investigating everything from domestic and international terrorism to public corruption, gang racketeering, bank robberies and white-collar crime.

* Tribune | Environmentalists to file lawsuit over Rockford’s Bell Bowl Prairie, home to the endangered rusty patched bumblebee: “Notwithstanding this conclusion, USFWS is now — incomprehensibly — authorizing the type of development and construction on Bell Bowl Prairie (including road construction) that will lead to the extinction of the Bee,” says the letter from the Natural Land Institute’s attorneys.

* WGN | Garcia’s police ad appears to violate police rules: The commercial features images of Congressman Garcia walking down a street flanked by two uniformed officers whose faces are fully visible. While it’s not uncommon for candidates to use imagery of police – or even show a politician speaking with unidentified officers – the police participation in this ad is notable because the officers appear to fully participate in the filming and staged walking shots.

* Sun-Times | Garcia punching back after weeks of getting pummeled by Lightfoot: A new 30-second spot TV spot, the congressman’s first of the mayoral campaign, focuses on crime.

* WBEZ | From downtown Chicago to the neighborhoods, here’s how the mayoral candidates are vowing to strengthen the city’s economy: State Rep. Kam Buckner laid blame directly on the mayor for North Michigan Avenue’s troubles. “I represent the Magnificent Mile in the General Assembly, and the mayor told the shop owners there that it was their fault that what happened to them in 2020 happened,” he said at Thursday night’s debate. “Listen, many of us thought that this administration would raise the bar. But all we’ve seen is raised bridges, an attempt to raise taxes and raise the murder rate. We have to do better.”

* Tribune | Embattled Ald. Jim Gardiner’s fitness is key issue in race for 45th Ward: His time in public office has been marked by allegations he used his power as alderman to target political opponents, including a reported federal investigation into whether he sought to withhold ward services from some residents who opposed his agenda.

* WTTW | Chicago Ethics Board Asks Watchdog to Probe Ald. Gardiner For Harassing Opponent’s Volunteers: The incident represents the second time the Chicago Board of Ethics has asked the city’s watchdog to probe Gardiner’s conduct. In November 2021, the board asked the inspector general to determine whether Gardiner violated the city’s Governmental Ethics Ordinance twice by using his office to retaliate against his political foes. Mayor Lori Lightfoot also called for Gardiner to be probed after those complaints. WTTW News reported in September 2021 that federal agents are probing whether Gardiner took bribes and demanded payments before taking official actions. He has not been charged. Gardiner apologized [last year] for sending profane and misogynistic texts to a former aide about Ald. Tom Tunney (44th Ward) and two women who work at City Hall.

* ABC Chicago | Willie Wilson defends cash giveaways as fellow mayoral candidates raise ethical concerns: “We always done that,” Wilson said. “I’d rather lose the election versus see somebody starving to death.” In fact, Wilson came under scrutiny in 2018 for giving out cash at a church where he campaigned with Governor Bruce Rauner. The State Board of Elections investigated, but cleared Wilson of any wrongdoing.

* Block Club | At Jefferson Park Transit Center, CTA Security Teams Give Unhoused Chicagoans The Boot: CTA officials said the people were kicked out because they were loitering on agency property. Witnesses say guards threw away belongings in an attempt to make people move. “It’s disgusting [and] dehumanizing,” one advocate said.

* CBS Chicago | Dr. Ngozi Ezike reflects, three years after first official Illinois COVID-19 case: The first major COVID challenge for Dr. Ezike came three years ago Tuesday - as a patient fresh from Wuhan, China entered a Hoffman Estates hospital and became just the second official COVID patient in the U.S.

* Politico | The improbability of George Santos’ $199 expenses: The vast majority of congressional campaigns never recorded a single disbursement of $199, just below the level requiring preservation of receipts.

* Sun-Times | Construction begins on new FlyOver ride at Navy Pier: The ride uses a moving platform with six degrees of motion and a 65-foot wraparound screen to simulate the feeling of flight as guests sit suspended above the ground.

* Capitol News Illinois | Veteran Statehouse reporter Hannah Meisel joins Capitol News Illinois reporting team: Throughout her career she’s been a frequent guest on TV and radio programs throughout Illinois and beyond, including hosting a weekly public television roundtable show and being tapped as a featured speaker and panelist for live events. Meisel has excelled in both print news and broadcast formats, and she has developed a wide-ranging knowledge of state government and extensive sources.