* ICYMI: Mayor Brandon Johnson, Gov. JB Pritzker in phone call compare notes, brace for the Trump era ahead. Sun-Times…

- As for meeting with Trump, Johnson told the Sun-Times, “We’re going to work hard to make sure that that happens.”
- The mayor said he “had a great conversation with the governor this morning … about a number of things, but more specifically around holding our firm position on being a sanctuary as a state and as a city.
- On Sunday, the governor said in a post, “Let there be no doubt we will stand up for all of our children and families. We will follow our state laws that protect the immigrant communities that live, work and thrive in Illinois.”

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | DCFS has made small steps in improving child placement but troubling issues persist: Last week, DCFS Director Heidi Mueller said the agency has done better in placing children in proper settings and shared new findings showing fewer kids are sleeping in government offices, a key subject of complaints from watchdogs. But data released at the end of last year indicates that while there were pockets of improvement during her initial months in office, troubling issues persist and the agency is far from solving its child placement problem.

* Center Square | Judge to confer with attorneys ahead of closing arguments at Madigan trial: Judge John Robert “Jack” Blakey said he planned to work on jury instructions over the weekend before meeting with prosecutors and defense attorneys. With jurors not scheduled to return until Wednesday, the judge told attorneys he would review the instructions with them Tuesday afternoon at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.

* Sun-Times | Undercover sting exposes rampant housing discrimination across Chicago area, watchdog group says: The Housing Rights Initiative filed a slew of complaints with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, claiming that real estate agents, brokerage firms and landlords discriminated against prospective renters who sought to use vouchers provided through the federal rental assistance program known as Section 8.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | Sen. Rose refiles bill to keep carbon storage projects away from the Mahomet Aquifer: The senators worry carbon dioxide storage projects can contaminate the source of water for hundreds of thousands. “Clean water is not negotiable,” Rose said. “The Mahomet Aquifer is a lifeline for central Illinois, and we cannot keep ignoring the risks posed by CO2 storage beneath it.”

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Illinois affected by a record number of billion-dollar climate disasters in 2024, mostly severe storms: In 2024, Illinois was affected by the most billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the state since recordkeeping began in 1980, making it the fourth-costliest year after 2012, 1993 and 2023, according to an annual report released last week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Twelve events that touched multiple states cost Illinois a total of nearly $4 billion in damages — nine of those were severe storms with tornadoes, hail and high winds.

* Illinois News Bureau | Schools need to boost entry-level salaries to better compete for novice teachers, study says: In the study, published in the Labor Studies Journal, Bruno found that when teacher salaries in districts increased by 1%, adjacent districts increased their own pay scales by just .15% to .25%. And the ratios of increases were no bigger for novice teachers’ salaries than for more experienced educators.

* Peter Steinmeyer | New laws Illinois employers need to know in 2025: The Illinois Personnel Record Review Act, which applies to Illinois employers with five or more employees, requires employers to permit employees, including former employees terminated within the preceding year, to review, copy or obtain copies of records twice per calendar year. The law was amended to not only expand the list of documents employers must provide but also clarify which documents need not be disclosed and revise the procedures for requesting and obtaining the records.

* Judith Ruiz-Branch | How IL’s grid plans will focus on underserved communities: Illinois plans to spend $1.5 billion through 2027 in significant grid investments to help meet the state’s ambitious clean-energy goals, with nearly half of funds going toward addressing environmental disparities. The Climate and Equity Jobs Act requires at least 40% of state grid investments to benefit underserved and low-income communities. Brad Klein, managing attorney with the Environmental Law and Policy Center, said fulfilling it means first learning more about existing issues.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Man banned from Chicago Park District jobs after scandal now working for alderman: A November 2021 investigation cited Alonzo Williams, then the Park District’s chief programs officer, and other district executives for mishandling allegations of abuse and sexual harassment in the lifeguard program. Williams resigned when the report came out and was designated “do not rehire” by the agency. But Williams quickly found contracting work in the City Council. And now, despite the still-in-place label from the sister city agency, South Side Ald. Greg Mitchell has hired Williams, city payroll records show.

* Block Club | With Chicago Reader At ‘Imminent Risk Of Closure,’ Alt-Weekly Staff Works To Cut Costs, Find Donors: Six non-union staffers were laid off, the paper announced Tuesday. To stay afloat, the Reader is trying to increase donor outreach and crowdfunding, and some staff have offered pay cuts or deferred compensation.

* ABC Chicago | Amtrak announces cancellations, delays amid extremely cold temps: Amtrak announced dozens of cancellations and delays as an arctic blast plunged temperatures to subfreezing. ABC7 Accuweather meteorologist Tracy Butler said wind chills are forecast to get between -15 to -35 Tuesday. Wednesday morning is also forecast to have below-zero wind chills.

* Sun-Times | Bears to hire Lions OC Ben Johnson as coach; next step is assembling staff: Johnson is widely regarded as one of the smartest offensive minds in football and has turned down multiple NFL teams over the last three hiring cycles while waiting for an ideal situation to become a head coach. He saw that at Halas Hall, where the Bears have a promising quarterback in Caleb Williams, along with other young talent, a bevy of salary-cap space and draft capital.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Park Forest Mayor Joe Woods, businessman won’t seek criminal charges for August confrontation: Both Park Forest Mayor Joe Woods and local businessman Antiwone Hardy have agreed not to seek criminal charges against each other in the wake of a confrontation between the two men and Hardy’s wife, Shalonda, in August. […] Woods told police Oct. 18 that he wondered aloud why the daughter was treating that way, using a vile name for how he thought he was being treated. Woods said the Hardys misconstrued his words and that Shalonda became irate, believing Woods was calling the daughter that vile name, the report states. But the Hardys insist Woods called their 15-year-old daughter the name, according to the report.

* Daily Herald | Huntley District 158 to buy electric buses, but switches supplier after company suspends Joliet operations: District 158 officials worked with the school district’s attorney and requested the cancellation of the Lion Electric contract. The district cited Lion’s “inability” to meet district needs, “which includes meeting the initial promised delivery date” of July 31, according to district documents. The district instead is getting four buses manufactured by Blue Bird through a contract with Central States Bus Sales, Inc. The school district has previously purchased four Blue Bird electric buses and is pleased with their performance, officials stated on Thursday.

* Daily Herald | League of Women Voters to host mayor and city council candidate forums for Tri-Cities: All three forums will be live, in-person, and open to the public. They also will be livestreamed and available for later viewing on the websites of the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County (lwvckcil.com) and the Illinois Voter Guide (illinoisvoterguide.org).

*** Downstate ***

* WSIL | Ameren Illinois line workers finish repairs on large power line in Jackson County: One particular major power line was damaged in Jackson County. Electric crews temporarily redirected power with a different line to turn the lights back on in the area. In the meantime, crews have finished rebuilding the major power line to get customers permanently switched back from the temporary line.

* WICS | More brutal cold gripping central Illinois: Frigid Arctic air continues to grip central Illinois creating dangerously cold wind chills. Through Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning, wind chills will range from 10 BELOW TO 20 BELOW ZERO, AND AT TIMES, APPROACH 25 BELOW ZERO.

* WCIA | Central Illinois warming centers open this season: Winter weather is here and warming centers in Central Illinois are available to ensure that no one is left out in the cold. The City of Champaign has a list of resources available on their website. They have shelters for adults and for families and children.

*** National ***

* AP | Ohio State defeats Notre Dame 34-23 in college football championship game: When that teardrop of a throw from Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard on third-and-11 finally landed, light as a feather, in the hands of receiver Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter Monday, Ohio State had locked up what would be a 34-23 victory over Notre Dame for its sixth national title and first in a decade. It was that 56-yard gain that snuffed out a feverish Notre Dame comeback and made the Buckeyes the champion of the sport’s first 12-team playoff, just as they were champions of its first four-team tournament a decade ago.

* DOL Study | Registered Apprenticeships Expand Access to Living Wages for Millions of U.S. Workers : A new study commissioned by the United States Department of Labor has revealed that registered apprenticeship programs—career training alternatives to college in which enrollment has doubled over the past decade—dramatically increases the ability of participants to afford basic needs in their communities, with union-affiliated programs delivering the biggest gains across all occupational sectors. The research was performed by Economist Frank Manzo IV of the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI) and Professor Robert Bruno of the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.