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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WAND…
* Chalkbeat Chicago | Illinois approves numeracy plan to improve math education: Kirsten Parr, director of Standards & Instruction, presented changes that were made to the plan as a result of the public feedback during an ISBE meeting Wednesday. She said the state added more “examples and non-examples” of strong math instruction, added best practices and tips for supporting students with dyscalculia, a learning disability that affects how a person learns, understands, and retains math concepts, and included more high school level data. “This is not just an elementary plan,” she noted. “This is really to increase the numeracy skills of students across all of our ages and stages.” * Capitol News Illinois | Raoul suggests underfunding of his office could make winning legal battles against Trump harder: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul says his office was underfunded by $10 million in the latest budget, and that could make it more difficult to fight legal battles against the Trump administration while still fulfilling its enforcement duties in the state. Raoul spoke at a Tuesday event at the City Club of Chicago about the challenges of working with a federal government that has been hostile at times to Illinois. He also touted some of the state’s legal victories against the Trump administration and his efforts to work with the federal government on other issues. * Rock River Current | Darren Bailey visits local manufacturers ahead of fundraising stop in Rockford: Bailey said he’s trying to set up a meeting with the McCaskey family so he can negotiate a deal that keeps the team in Illinois while still benefiting taxpayers. “I’d love to be able to meet with the owners and just have a conversation business person to business person,” Bailey said. “If I could have the moment to speak with the owners and bring legislators like John (Cabello) and others to the table, we have the answers because we’re business people.” [Rich: Cabello is a police officer.] * Tribune | Former CHA director indicted for collecting $420K in kickbacks: Ryan Ross — CHA’s former senior director of asset management — and Vanessa Rhodes have each been indicted on eight counts of honest services fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois announced in a news release. Each fraud charge is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. The 22-page indictment was returned in federal court in Chicago on Tuesday, the U.S. attorney’s office said. Ross, 50, is accused of receiving kickbacks between May 2023 and September 2024 from 47-year-old Rhodes, the president of Bell’s Better Buildings, a Chicago company that did business as Twenty Eleven Construction, per federal prosecutors. * Tribune | CTA offers explanation for shortening some weekend trains: In response to questions from the Tribune, the agency said cutting train lengths will reduce the wear and tear on train cars that can cause service delays and enable better deep cleaning of train cars. The practice will also save money on energy costs because of the reduced power needs of the shorter trains, the agency said. It’s not entirely clear how much money the shorter trains will save the CTA. * WTTW | CTA Leaders Tout Ridership Gains, Lower Crime Rates on System: The Chicago Transit Authority’s acting president said Wednesday that a long-elusive goal is in sight, telling board members that ridership on the agency’s buses has reached 90% of its pre-COVID levels. Calling the gains a “really exciting milestone,” CTA leader Nora Leerhsen also told directors that weekend ridership has surpassed the levels seen before the onset of the pandemic. Leerhsen chalked up some of CTA’s recent successes to increased investment in service, including its frequent network of routes with buses scheduled to come every 10 minutes. Four more routes are slated to be added to the network later this year, with later night and more weekend service set to come online to capitalize on summer ridership. * Chalkbeat Chicago | After delay, Chicago school board renews charters amid revamped oversight: The vote was delayed last week after many board members pushed district officials for more information on how they planned to tighten charter oversight. Those board members, who are aligned with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union, a sharp critic of charters, raised concerns that a network like Acero would earn one of the longest contract terms after several of its schools closed last year. * Block Club | The City Spent Millions On A Flailing Domestic Violence Program No One Asked For, Advocates Say: Mike Milstein, deputy director of the Office of Victim Services, said last year’s $3.9 million funding increase was intended to help reverse the city’s spike in domestic violence. […] For several years, advocates have urged city officials to boost funding for resources survivors urgently need, such as emergency housing and attorneys to help them file orders of protection. At the same time, long-standing community service providers say they are struggling to provide basic services to survivors due to funding constraints and the spike in domestic violence cases. What’s more, the expanded police unit has touched a nerve because it’s produced few documented results. * Crain’s | Baker Tilly moving headquarters out of Chicago with acquisition of New York’s Anchin: The move is part of its acquisition of Anchin, Block & Anchin, a New York-based accounting, tax and advisory firm, according to today’s announcement. The firm did not immediately respond to questions about potential job losses in Chicago. Baker Tilly recently cut the size of its local office space in half when it moved its headquarters to Fulton Market from Michigan Avenue. * Block Club | Ex-Loretto Hospital Exec Pushes For Charges To Be Dropped In $300 Million Fraud Case: A motion filed in late May on behalf of Khan argues that a federal prosecutor who has been accused of misconduct during grand jury proceedings in the Broadview protesters’ case also committed misconduct before the same grand jury to secure an indictment against them. His attorneys have asked that the charges against him be dismissed in light of that. Chaudhry quickly moved to join the motion, and Ahmed made the same request Tuesday. * WGN | First Rainbow PUSH Coalition Conference since death of Rev. Jesse Jackson underway on Chicago’s South Side: The opening day Wednesday is Youth Day, with hundreds of people gathering inside the building at 930 East 50th Street to focus on this year’s theme, “Fulfilling the American Promise,” including a defining moment for civil rights, democracy and social justice in America. The annual conference has certainly taken on a bittersweet tone this year after the death of Jackson, the civil rights icon, in February at age 84. Students from across Chicago and speakers from far beyond the city are participating Wednesday, as attendees focus on the future while also recognizing the past. * Sun-Times | Chicago gets $22.1 million to replace lead pipes in Austin neighborhood: The announcement comes just weeks after Duckworth and Durbin announced more than $316 million in federal funding for clean water projects across Illinois. The funding included $295,551,000 for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and $21,335,000 through the EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities grant program to help communities address PFAS and other emerging contaminants in their water systems. * Block Club | Ald. Andre Vasquez Reviving Rap Career With Set At Andersonville’s Midsommarfest: Vasquez is a former battle rapper who spent part of the ’90s as a member of storied underground hip-hop collective the Molemen, the face of underground hip-hop in Chicago at the time, according to a Reader profile of Vasquez. Hip-hop was how Vasquez found his voice and built community growing up in Chicago, he said. * Daily Southtown | ‘Wasteful spending cannot do this to a budget’: Calumet City seeks $8 million loan to pay backlog of bills: The city’s financial consultant, John Kasperek, said taking out a loan, either through a bank or public offering, is the only viable option to quickly reimburse vendors that have in some cases waited for two years to receive payment for provided services. “These vendors are constantly threatening the city with legal action,” Kasperek said. Kasperek said he hopes to convince Fifth Third Bank or other investors to allow the city to use revenues from its 1% grocery tax as collateral. Otherwise, the city will agree to raise property taxes as needed to pay off the debt. * Daily Southtown | Blue Island Beer company pours final beer after 11 years: “We made great beer for people to enjoy while we made friends, celebrated family milestones and brought entertainment to the area they didn’t have to drive to the city for,” he said. The brewery held a closing garage sale over the weekend, where people could purchase brewery memorabilia, vintage signage, branded glassware, tap handles, decor, equipment, merch, oddities and pieces of Blue Island Beer Co. history, according to a company’s Facebook post. * Daily Herald | Northwest suburban minister charged in $2 million fraud scheme: Federal prosecutors said he defrauded roughly 40 victims, most of them members of a church identified as “Church A,” over a more than five-year period. According to court documents, Batino’s scheme ran from February 2020 through May 2025. Prosecutors allege he told victims their money would be invested in non-existent luxury rehabilitation facilities and signed agreements promising to repay investors in full. * Illinois Times | Area data center updates: Project proposed for Christian County; Sangamon plan moves forward while Logan stalls: Some details have emerged about what would be a multibillion-dollar data center two miles west of Taylorville during June 2 listening sessions held by Eagle Rock, a privately held company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Critics have alleged that the Christian County Board and Eagle Rock have been less than forthcoming about their private discussions and the potential impact of the project, which hasn’t been formally proposed to the county but which the developer says would create 500 permanent jobs. * Capitol City Now | Activist: Springfield is positioning itself to sneak a data center into town: Lori McKiernan, who frequently speaks to the council on utility matters, says she has enough information to be skeptical of Springfield’s ability to, and / or interest in, reining in the growth of large-scale data centers. “I’ve heard too many stories from around the state where townspeople and county and city residents have been deceived by these elected officials and data center developers.” * Times Tribune | Maintaining 100% staffing level priority for Madison County State’s Attorney’s office: Efforts to stay fully staffed in the office of Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine, a high priority for him, are supported by a new one-year subscription agreement with an area marketing business administering a recruitment campaign for this purpose. As approved by the county board judiciary committee recently, this $20,000 agreement with The Fource Group, LLC of O’Fallon, Illinois represents the second year in succession that this approach is being implemented because, according to Haine, his office was short by six (or about 20% of the total of 32 needed) qualified legal professionals to help handle the heavy case load there. * WAND | Internet provider hosts groundbreaking ceremony for Urbana project: Internet service provider Volo hosted a groundbreaking celebration on Tuesday for its rural fiber internet project in Urbana. One farmer said the faster, more reliable internet will serve people like him in more ways than one. […] Volo said the five-year project will have three phases and bring fiber internet to nearly 3,000 homes in Champaign County. * STLPR | Cahokia Mounds museum reopens to the public after 4 years of repairs: The gift shop, site model, canoe exhibit and a new temporary exhibit are all open and will be available Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., according to a Facebook post by the organization. Remaining work to finish renovations to the gallery will be completed and will open to the public in late summer. […] The site’s interpretive center shut down in March 2022 for what was expected to be $5.5 million worth of renovations that would take 12 to 18 months to complete. However, replacing the roof and updating the site’s mechanical and electrical systems cost roughly $12.8 million, which had ballooned thanks to delays and inflation, according to KMOV. * AP | US households, businesses stung by higher energy prices that have pushed inflation above 4%: Outside energy costs, price increases last month were not as dramatic, a sign that sharply higher inflation hasn’t yet spread throughout the economy. Should the Iran war end and oil and gas prices decline, headline inflation could begin to cool. Gas prices have fallen this month, though they remain elevated. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose at a more modest pace. On a monthly basis, they climbed just 0.2%, down from a 0.4% gain in April. Compared with a year ago, they have rise 2.9%, up from 2.8% in April. * 404 Media | FCC Wants to Kill Burner Phones By Forcing Telecoms to Get All Customers’ IDs: The proposed change would drastically shake up how people obtain phone plans in the U.S., and have all sorts of privacy and cybersecurity knock-on effects. The FCC is proposing the data collection partly as a way to combat scammers, with telecoms being required to collect other information on business and foreign customers like the intended use case of their bulk phone plan purchase and their IP address. But the changes would mean telecoms collect data on all new and renewing customers, and the FCC provides a long list of other things that the collected data could help authorities with.
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Lawsuit: WGN, others presented ‘vetted wealth expert’ who had criminal history and turned out to be alleged fraudster
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
* From the lawsuit…
* WGN and others platformed the guy despite his back story…
* Crain’s…
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‘You have to go’
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * CNI…
Transcripts are here, here and here. * Sun-Times…
* CBS 2…
* Tribune…
* WTTW…
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More like this, please
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I think this could be a boon for Peoria…
 The Peoria riverfront has such untapped potential. It’s a great town and I think the Dee Hengst Amphitheater could spark a major revival. So, my hat’s off to Peoria leaders and my fingers are crossed for the future. * But the state needs to step up…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: ‘Crock of sh*t’: Transcripts show grand jurors dismissed for disagreeing with government’s case against ‘Broadview Six’. Capitol News Illinois…
- The transcripts detail how former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Mecklenburg, who, at the time was the lead prosecutor on the case, dismissed grand jurors for disagreeing with the government’s case. - Mecklenburg’s portions of the transcripts also reveal what the judge in the case had previously called “putting her personal credibility and trustworthiness on the line in support of the charges” — also known as improper prosecutorial vouching. The prosecutor also admitted to speaking to two grand jurors outside of the grand jury room, which she acknowledged she’s “not supposed to do.” * Related stories… * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * Tribune | More than 92,000 Illinois consumers lost or dropped Obamacare health insurance in recent months: Initially, 448,568 Illinois residents enrolled in health insurance plans sold on the state’s exchange, Get Covered Illinois, during the state’s open enrollment window, which ran from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31. But in the months that followed — when many consumers started receiving their new, higher bills — 92,571 consumers disenrolled, according to data from Get Covered Illinois. Morgan Winters, director of Get Covered Illinois, said it’s the “largest drop we’ve seen in the state for almost a decade, so that is certainly alarming,” during a meeting Monday of the Illinois Health Benefits Exchange Advisory Committee. * Capitol News Illinois | Early Intervention therapies help kids — but Illinois pays providers less than other states, stalling access: In recent years, the percentage of Illinois families waiting for Early Intervention has doubled. The Illinois Answers Project identified dozens of families who have waited long periods for services — some as many as six to 17 months. The U.S. Department of Education has found the state has failed to meet its targets for providing timely therapies. * WAND | ACT Now sues Department of Education over funding cuts affecting thousands of students: onprofit ACT Now Illinois received $94 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Education in 2024. But nearly two years into the grant agreement, the Department of Education cut the funding. “This is affecting 19,000 kids throughout the state. This is not just one small grant program,” ACT Now Executive Director Susan Stanton said. A lawsuit filed by ACT Now alleges the Department of Education did not follow proper procedures when it canceled the grants. Now, the fate of multiple after-school programs and jobs is in the hands of a judge. * Sun-Times | Gov. JB Pritzker ‘happy to call a special session’ if Illinois lawmakers reach Bears stadium deal: “They haven’t decided even on a location in Indiana,” the Democratic governor said at a South Side news conference. “And the one principal location they’ve been focused on is one that has a lot of toxic waste and other things that they’ve got to remediate, so none of that is going to happen quickly. “And I’m not suggesting that we want to wait. I’m just saying they’ve got to figure out how they can get the legislature, both sides, around the same bill, and I would be happy to call a special session,” Pritzker said. “By the way, so too can the leaders of the legislature call a special session.” * The Southern | Committee to appoint Fowler Senate successor: The 59th Legislative District Committee announced Tuesday that it will meet June 17 to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of Fowler’s term in the 104th General Assembly. Illinois law requires vacancies in the General Assembly to be filled within 30 days. The committee will convene at 7 p.m. at the Herrin Civic Center, 101 S. Civic St. The meeting is open to the public. Fowler, a Republican from Harrisburg, announced in May that he would leave the Senate after nearly a decade representing the 59th District. First elected in 2016, he took office in 2017. * WGLT | State Sen. Koehler on the end-of-session crunch and push for data center, insurance industry regulation: He said there was a lot of compromise with the home insurance bill to make sure it protected consumers, while doing the least harm to insurance companies. “I don’t think the insurance companies are jumping up and down about [the home insurance bill], but it was a much better compromise. On the car insurance, everybody has gone through this, where their car insurance is up. I know they had a little bit more heartburn with that,” Koehler said. * Chalkbeat | Illinois lawmakers define play-based learning as full-day kindergarten requirement rolls out statewide: Now, kindergarten teachers in Illinois have a clearer understanding of how to implement play-based learning in their classrooms after state lawmakers passed an official definition for the practice last month. School districts were already required to incorporate play-based learning — though originally left undefined — into classrooms as part of a state law passed in 2023 requiring all districts to offer full-day kindergarten by the 2027-28 school year. * Center Square | Changes made to Illinois public transport plan sends money downstate: Of the changes presented in the trailer bill that passed near the end of the spring session was an update to what share of the transportation funds will be allocated to downstate transportation. The bill changes the percentage from 15% of the money to 10%. The change in the percentages, according to Assistant Majority House Leader Eva-Dina Delgado, is technical in nature. […] Delgado also noted the state budget includes $500 million directed to downstate transportation as a “down payment” to solve the issue of access in getting from “point A to point B.” * WCIA | From the Farm: Soil, water advocates review recent push for funding: The Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts was confident going into the budget session the last week of May, but Executive Director Eliot Clay said not enough lawmakers recognize conservation issues as being a priority. “It was a tough session,” Clay said. “We had two different initiatives really in there: one to raise appropriations to $10 million for operations for soil and water conservation districts, and the other to create a sustainable revenue source to keep that going through a fee on ag land conversion. We had a lot of interest, but unfortunately, in the waning hours, it just didn’t make it across the finish line.” * Springfield Business Journal | New owner for historic office building: The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Foundation acquired the property at 625 S. Second St., known as the Dewitt Wickliffe Smith Mansion, as of June 1. It was purchased for $245,000, according to Sangamon County tax records. The historic house, built in 1865, had been used as offices for CHG since the company purchased the mansion and adjacent Vinegar Hill complex in October 2021. Both properties were put up for auction in mid-April but, according to owner Karen Conn, did not sell at that time. * WBEZ | What to know as CPS CEO prepares to testify before Congress under subpoena: The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. Central time, and will be livestreamed. King is slated to appear alongside school leaders from San Francisco and Loudoun County, Virginia, a district in suburban Washington, D.C., A representative from the National Center for Youth Law, a nonprofit that has defended school districts with policies like CPS, is also listed as a witness. * Crain’s | Foundry Park wins key panel’s OK for $202M TIF subsidy: The developers planning the Foundry Park megaproject on the city’s North Side are a step closer to winning $202 million in tax-increment financing help for new infrastructure and park space, a subsidy set to jumpstart the project despite lingering concerns about its impact on an area already grappling with traffic congestion. The Chicago Community Development Commission today approved a proposal to use future property tax gains created by the 6 million-square-foot-plus mixed-use district to boost open space at the project and build new roadways to support it. * Sun-Times | Save A Lot operator’s death triggers default with Chicago — jeopardizing food access, city deal: The default, or breaking of the legal agreement, means city officials could force the beleaguered company to pay back the millions it received to open stores in neighborhoods traditional grocers had abandoned. And the succession plan required in case of a key death has yet to be submitted to the city by Yellow Banana. * CBS Chicago | ICE agents crash into car, detain man in Dunning on Chicago’s Northwest Side, witnesses say: The crash happened in the 3800 block of N. Olcott Ave. around 11 a.m. A witness said he saw unmarked black Ford Explorers driven by ICE agents chasing a red car that looked like it already had damage to its bumper down Grace Street toward Olcott. The witness said one of the SUVs struck the back of the red car causing it to swerve and go up the block on Olcott. The car crashed into a tree a short time later. * Sun-Times | City Council committee backs crackdown on selling weed near schools, parks: ne week after Mayor Brandon Johnson’s progressive allies used a parliamentary maneuver to recess the Committee on Public Safety, 36th Ward Ald. Gilbert Villegas pushed a watered-down version of his stalled crackdown through on a voice vote, setting the stage for final Council approval next week. Villegas cut the distance for his enhanced penalties in half — to within 1,000 feet of schools and parks — and offered a sliding scale of penalties to soften opposition from colleagues who feared a return to the days when African Americans were disproportionately harmed by marijuana laws. * Chicago Reader | Celebrate Pride with these Reader-recommended events: Each Thursday through Sunday, from 9 to 9:30 PM all summer long, Art on the Mart projects a site-specific installation on the facade of the Merchandise Mart. For June, global design firm HDR has put together a rainbow-colored celebration, meant to “advance how we perceive and think about light, design, and the built environment.” The projection can be best enjoyed on the riverwalk between Wells and Franklin streets, where speakers have been installed to broadcast audio. * Chicago Reader | Experience Juneteenth with these celebrations of Black life through space and time in Chicago: But, in 2026, Chicago artists and producers across genres still see Juneteenth for what it is—a celebration of Black life, fellowship, and tenacity through space and time. We’ve got a fighting chance to maintain its relevance in an era marked by fascism. I am so excited to shake ass with friends old and new, knowing my ancestors survived the wretched American experiment of the domestic slave trade and are (for better or worse) the culture makers and originators of where they landed. * CBS Chicago | Desk from “The Late Show” arrives at Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago’s West Loop: “Unmarked truck coming from New York City. They have no idea what’s coming to the museum here,” said Dave Plier, president and CEO of the museum. […] “It’s part of history. It’s part of television history, but it’s part of American history,” Plier said. […] The museum hopes to have the Late Show set on display sometime this summer. * Daily Herald | ‘Taking this issue extremely seriously’: Lake County pursues data center moratorium: As that review and approval process can take time, the action is coupled with an “administrative deferral” of up to 120 days on data center applications to bridge the gap and make the pause immediate. Given the complexity and potential long-term implications of data centers, county staff says it needs time to evaluate and develop definitions, zoning classifications, performance standards and review procedures before data center proposals move ahead. * CBS Chicago | CARE team in Evanston, Illinois, sees growing success in crisis response: They’re not police officers, firefighters, or paramedics, but they’ve been dispatched to more than 3,500 calls across Evanston in less than two years. In fact, there are only four of them. They came to the job from the fields of social work, victims’ services, and one is even a former CPS teacher. The Crisis Alternative Response Evanston, or CARE, team responds to calls that, before July 2024, would have been lumped into police calls. * Daily Southtown | Will County marks 1,000th graduate of ‘transformational’ problem-solving court: The program has grown substantially, expanding beyond a drug court to include a mental health and veterans court and the Redeploy Illinois program. Together, the units make up the problem-solving courts, designed to reduce incarceration rates, treat addiction and help residents integrate back into the community. “They treat you like a person,” said Fabiola Findlay, 48, of Joliet, a member of the 2026 class through the mental health court program. “They connect you with resources that you didn’t know were around in Joliet and the Will County area.” * WTTW | Second Installment of 2025 Cook County Property Tax Bills Will Be 2 Months Late, Officials Say: “The long-term answer is a property tax system with clearer responsibility, fewer handoffs and greater accountability,” said Preckwinkle, who will face Libertarian Michael Murphy in November’s general election. “Structural reform is how we prevent this from becoming normal.” Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas is unopposed in her bid for reelection, and is weighing a bid for Chicago mayor in 2027. * WICS | CWLP requests change to large load rates amidst area data center speculation: Scott Rogers, the chief utility engineer with CWLP, says the rate was first put in to incentivize bitcoin miners and credit card transaction merchants but now wants the rate gone. Rogers says, “There’s no way we could provide power to a large center like that or to the 200 megawatts in excess today at that rate.” He continues, “If a data center is going to come in, we would have to have negotiations with them on how we’re going to serve them and what the costs are going to be.” * WICS | Urbana approves lease for new community engagement center in Sunnycrest Plaza: The center will house two Urbana police officers, but city leaders say its primary focus will be community outreach. Plans include a community liaison who will work directly with residents and help connect young people and families with resources and opportunities. “The idea is to provide resources and opportunities to young folks, right? Young individuals, young men that we just seen. It’s very, very, very necessary for us to know and for them to see that they are being seen, that they are being supported,” Williams said. * WTVO | Rockford motion does pass to fund a mobile grocery store to serve low-income neighborhoods: The Rockford City Planning and Development Committee did not pass a funding agreement for a proposed mobile grocery store, allocating nearly $830,000. This funding would help to launch the store, which will bring fresh foods to residents on the city’s West Side. The mobile grocery store project was a partnership between Farmers Rising and City Center Market. The initiative sought to provide a choice of fresh foods to neighborhoods that currently rely on convenience stores or must travel significant distances to purchase groceries. * WCIA | Decatur homeless shelter over capacity: Arianna Fane, the shelter’s executive director, said she is surprised at the amount of people who need the help this time of year. “We would have expected like more in the winter versus summer. Like, this is kind of when we see a trend downwards. But, as far as next steps, housing indicator kind of is locked. A lot of our women are on waiting lists for apartments for subsidized housing, section eight… they’re on waiting list, senior living facilities. And we just kind of have to wait until they can get placed into permanent housing,” Fane said. * WCBU | Peoria Mayor Ali thinks riverfront amphitheater will arrive sooner, cost a little more: While the project is primarily funded by an $11 million donation to the city from the Hengst Foundation, Ali said it’s looking like the cost may go slightly above that amount. “I think there’s going to have to be some local fundraising done with the foundation to get the job completely done,” said Ali. The initial contracts approved by the Peoria City Council at its May 26 meeting called for the city to pay for preliminary infrastructure that may be needed before construction starts. At the time, city attorney Patrick Hayes said the city would not “have any exposure” to any costs above the Hengst donation, but potentially could seek future council approval if the project expanded. * Illinois Times | Springfield Memorial Hospital CEO to resign: ay Roszhart, 41, who was promoted to lead 500-bed Springfield Memorial Hospital on July 1, 2024, will leave on June 12, according to a statement June 9 from Drew Early, senior vice president and chief operating officer of parent organization Memorial Health. Early didn’t cite a reason for Roszhart’s resignation in a statement to Illinois Times, and Roszhart declined comment when contacted by phone. * Portland Press Herald | Extremely close Maine Democratic governor primary headed to ranked-choice runoff: Maine’s Democratic primary for governor remained unsettled Tuesday night, but former health official Nirav Shah appeared to be the candidate to beat in the five-way race after about half of the votes were counted. Shah had about 27% of the vote as of 11:20 p.m.; former Maine House Speaker Hannah Pingree had 23%; former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson had 22%; and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows had 21% * Cook County Record | Motorola targeted with class action over license plate reader cameras: Motorola has improperly shared data from its license plate reading cameras with federal immigration agents and other federal law enforcement offices, allegedly in violation of California state privacy law, according to a new class action lawsuit. On May 27, attorney and Democratic former Illinois state lawmaker Scott Drury filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against Chicago-based Motorola Solutions. Drury and his firm, Drury Legal, of HIghwood, was joined in the action by attorney Joshua D. Arisohn, of Litchfield, Connecticut.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * If you want to see what sort of friends I made in Springfield after I first moved there, watch this long-ago tribute video to the late, great Raoul Brotherman… Goodnight, Louise Here’s another one, but it has some naughty lyrics in the second half. This is an Illinois open thread.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Jun 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WAND | Giannoulias announces first-ever statewide digital library resource program: Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced the expansion of access to information and educational resources statewide by awarding a first-of-its-kind contract for a comprehensive digital library resource program. Through their local library, or through the Illinois State Library’s website, every Illinois resident now has free access to a vast collection of online resources, including e-books, journals, magazines, newspapers and research databases. Content is provided through an annual contract with EBSCO Information Services. * Governing | Can States Hold Nursing Home Owners More Accountable?: Illinois lawmakers sent two measures to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker that aim to strengthen oversight and transparency requirements of healthcare mergers or acquisitions, and place new restrictions on private equity ownership of disability service providers. The first bill was Democratic-sponsored, while the second had both Democratic and Republican sponsors. * IPM Newsroom | Family advocates praise Illinois bill that gives parents more transparency in child abuse investigations: Novick said the bill would change that “by causing the pediatrician to indicate what they’re really doing there” and tell the parents about their right to a second opinion. Sometimes kids have a vitamin D deficiency, he said, that is most of the time a genetic condition, or other genetic conditions that can lead to broken bones, which a child abuse pediatrician might not have a specialty in. Novick said a second opinion from a doctor can reveal more about a child’s current medical situation that a child abuse pediatrician might not have complete knowledge about. * Sun-Times | As CPS CEO departs for DC, backers hope for strong defense of policies supporting trans and Black students: Republicans on the U.S. House education committee are expected to grill CPS Superintendent/CEO Macquline King at a hearing Wednesday. She will likely be questioned about the district’s Black Student Success Plan and policies affirming transgender students’ rights at school, both of which are under investigation by the Trump administration. * Windy City Times | Chicago History Museum honors activist and philanthropist Fred Eychaner: LGBTQ+ rights advocate, philanthropist and arts patron Fred Eychaner used a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago History Museum to warn that many of the freedoms and institutions he spent decades defending are under renewed attack. Accepting the museum’s Making History Award for Distinction in Visionary Leadership on June 3, Eychaner reflected on his experiences during the AIDS epidemic and drew parallels between the political climate of the 1980s and what he described as growing threats to science, public health, civil rights and democracy today. * Tribune | Chicago White Sox call up outfielder Braden Montgomery, their No. 2 prospect: The Sox announced they selected Montgomery’s contract from Triple-A Charlotte and recalled left-hander Joe Rock from Charlotte. Outfielder Rikuu Nishida and right-hander David Sandlin were optioned to Charlotte, while outfielder Austin Hays was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Montgomery on the 40-man roster. Montgomery, a 23-year-old outfielder, will be available for the opener of the three-game series at Rate Field. * Sun-Times | Cooling centers open as hot, humid weather hits Chicago this week: Tuesday’s high is forecast to hit 86 degrees, while Wednesday is expected to be the hottest day this week, with a high near 92 degrees and a heat index reaching 98 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to remain near 90 degrees Thursday, with an 80% chance of rain, the weather service said. * Tribune | ‘Broadview Six’ grand jury transcripts to be released showing alleged misconduct by prosecutors: Grand jury transcripts are expected to be released Tuesday detailing alleged misconduct by federal prosecutors in the “Broadview Six” case against Operation Midway Blitz protesters, which collapsed in dramatic fashion in court last month. U.S. District Judge April Perry said in a court hearing Tuesday morning she will issue an order later in the day making most of the transcripts public, though she’s holding off on certain testimony from an FBI agent that is essentially a one-sided account supporting allegations that no longer exist. “These charges have been dismissed. They aren’t coming back,” Perry said. “The FBI agent is laying out the government’s case against you… if that is released it will be out in the world forever.” * Daily Herald | TIF case against Winfield ends after state supreme court declines to hear school districts’ appeal: * Sun-Times | Brother of ex-Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg gets six months in sweeping FBI corruption case: On Tuesday, Kellogg’s older brother, 78-year-old Derrick Muhammad, was sentenced to six months in federal prison for shaking down towing companies while serving as a Harvey police officer. U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall also ordered him to pay $75,000 to the government. Muhammad was accused of pocketing more than $134,000 in bribes between 2011 and 2019 in exchange for steering city towing work to favored companies. * Aurora Beacon-News | David Petschke appointed to fill vacancy on St. Charles City Council: St. Charles has a new City Council member: David Petschke, a resident who works as the Kane County Forest Preserve District’s chief financial and administrative officer. As of May 1, St. Charles had a vacant Ward 3 seat on its City Council, left by Bob Gehm, who stepped down last month. Gehm had served on the council since 2023 — first being appointed, and then being elected to the seat in 2025. * Press release | Demolition Begins on Building 29 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds: The Illinois Capital Development Board (CDB) will oversee the demolition of Building 29 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds as part of the State’s ongoing revitalization efforts at the property. Managed on behalf of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the $2.1 million project will remove the long-abandoned and condemned building. “I’m proud to support the transformation of our beloved Illinois State Fairgrounds, and the demolition of Building 29 represents a crucial step in that process,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When I cut the ribbon at last year’s State Fair, I was pleased to announce the demolition’s official approval — and now, we’re taking action to turn an eyesore into opportunity.” * WGLT | Bloomington establishes conditions for continued funding of EDC: Bloomington will continue making annual funding contributions to the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council, but with a series of conditions attached. The Bloomington City Council on Monday authorized three installment payments totaling $100,000 for the next year. “One of the primary benefits we get from them is the operation of the enterprise zone, but there are many other things that they do that we benefit from,” said City Manager Jeff Jurgens. “Staff does believe that this is an investment that does yield a great deal of return for the city.” * WCIA | Central IL senior living facility employees say they’re getting paid late — again: Last month, WCIA covered how Shepherd’s Premier — which has locations in Monticello and Charleston — was consistently paying employees late. Now, workers say it’s happening again — and they’re fed up. WCIA talked to four different employees at Shepherd’s. Three of them said they’re still waiting on a check the company said would come in last Friday. The fourth said overdraft fees they got waiting on previous checks haven’t been paid out like they promised, leaving them frustrated and worried about making ends meet. * Daily Egyptian | Cannons, muskets and more for Logan’s 200th birthday: Murphysboro prepares to celebrate General John A. Logan’s 200th birthday along with America’s 250th anniversary this weekend, Friday, June 5 – Sunday, June 7. Cricket matches, a parade, cannon and musket demonstrations, candle dipping, music, food and book readings will populate this historical celebration. * NPR Illinois | Visitors to the Illinois State Museum’s new Route 66 exhibit will get free State Fair admission: The promotion begins today and runs for the next 66 days. Each visitor to the Illinois State Museum’s “Miles of Memories: Stories of Route 66” exhibit can receive a voucher for one adult weekday admission to the Illinois State Fair. Vouchers will be collected at the fair entrance gates. Children ages 12 and under already receive free admission to the fair. * WCIA | Springfield Fire Dept. responds to driver stuck in floodwater: The department said at 8:15 p.m. on June 8, firefighters responded to the report of a driver stranded in floodwater near the intersection of Capitol Avenue and 3rd Street. Upon arrival, units located a vehicle partially submerged in chest-high water with one person inside. Firefighters assisted this person in safely exiting vehicle. The driver was evaluated on scene and was not injured during the incident.
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AG Raoul says legislature cut his funding by $10 million
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Attorney General Kwame Raoul at the City Club today…
* Capitol News Illinois last year…
This year, the AG’s office was appropriated $184.47 million. * Back to today…
Thoughts?
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Illinois again operates from its familiar regulatory playbook
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * One of the overlooked aspects of the cannabis/hemp omnibus bill is the easing of some restrictions on the heavily regulated cannabis industry. Tribune…
Illinois is infamous for this sort of thing. It happened with medical cannabis as well. The playbook is always the same: Include a ton of regulations to make sure it can pass, then spend years loosening those regulations because so many are overly burdensome or simply unworkable. * CNI…
* MJ Biz Daily…
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That site is just ridiculous
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * The ILGA.gov website has many flaws. My main irritant is too many clicks are required to get to information that used to be accessible from the front page. And speaking of clicking, why does this overlay have to appear every time I use the site? If they’re using cookies, why can’t their cookies tell them that I already accepted cookies like two seconds ago? It just makes no sense and is a major irritant…  It’s not “better with cookies” if the cookies are that dumb. C’mon, people. Also, that’s a cropped image. The full cookie message isn’t shown.
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Boutros to former federal prosecutors: There’s now more work for everyone
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * You’ve probably seen this story already…
As background, former assistant federal prosecutors who are now in private defense practice have quietly complained for years that the Northern District of Illinois hasn’t charged enough people with crimes. That’s just bad for business. More indictments and charges means more clients; and that means more money. It is the way the system is designed to work. You put in your time as a prosecutor and then switch sides and rake it in. People in the system get upset when things don’t work out like they’re supposed to. North Shore houses and Land Rovers ain’t free, after all. * Addressing those gripes was at the very heart of Boutros’ response this week. The ethical complaints raised by the 111 former feds weren’t even mentioned…
Emphasis added because criminal defense attorneys absolutely love headline-grabbing cases. They provide free publicity, which makes the lawyers even more money down the road. That highlighted line is what made me realize what was actually happening here. This wasn’t a letter to the public. His response was aimed directly at former AUSA’s. * Boutros then went on to bemoan the problems that many former AUSA’s so bitterly complained under their breath about during the reigns of his predecessors…
Translation: After years of lean times, Boutros, a former prosecutor turned white collar criminal defense attorney, is good for the business they’ve all chosen. So shut up and go make some money.
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Rate the idea
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * From Rep. Marty McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills)…
That infrastructure money is a significantly higher commitment than Democrats were willing to make. Anyway, I won’t go on because I’m interested in your thoughts about this.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago Bears considering second Hammond, Indiana stadium site. NBC Chicago…
- Ahern’s sources indicate the second site is located near Wolf Lake, but did not offer specific details about the areas the Bears are eyeing up for a potential stadium project. - Indiana officials have been riding high in recent days after the Bears announced they were making a northwestern Indiana site a priority for their stadium negotiations. That news came just days after the Illinois General Assembly failed to pass legislation aimed at keeping the Bears in the state, though there is still a chance the project could be revisited down the road. * Related stories… * At 3:30 pm, Gov. JB Pritzker will give remarks at the 130th anniversary of La Rabida Children’s Hospital. Click here to watch. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois seeks two Crest Hill prisons, leaving Lincoln out of Logan Correctional Center rebuild plan: The announcement drew criticism from local and state Republican leaders who say the choice to move Logan instead of rehabbing the facility could cause further economic harm to the city of Lincoln and Logan County, after the closure of two private colleges in the area. IDOC said it will provide transfer opportunities for Logan employees — but current employees and union representatives say packing up and moving presents a hardship for families. * WICS | Area school district talks combatting educator shortage: Jey Owens, the human resource director for Champaign Unit 4, says, “Recruitment has really turned into an all-year thing. There’s never a recruitment season. Those days are long gone.” […] “When individuals decide to exit the profession, it’s not the profession and it’s not the students that they’re leaving. Lots of time it’s the workload. Lots of times teachers and staff members have very long days and they feel that they’re missing out on family,” says Owens. * NBC Chicago | Illinois lawmaker to reveal new plan in effort to keep Bears out of Indiana: “This entire debacle has exposed the serious flaws in our property tax system….My legislation will help keep the Bears in Illinois while lowering property taxes for everyone,” said Rep. Dan Ugaste from Geneva. Details on the new plan are expected to be released later Tuesday morning, but Ugaste said it will give both the Bears and homeowners and businesses in Illinois property tax relief. * Sun-Times | 22 alderpersons say they’ll reject parking meters sale, accuse Johnson of holding back info about the deal: In a sharply worded letter to the mayor delivered Monday, the coalition of alderpersons said their decision to block the transfer of city parking meters from Chicago Parking Meters LLC to Stonepeak Partners is not based on the merits of the deal, but “on the fact that your administration has systematically withheld the information necessary for proper evaluation.” […] The letter was signed by many of the same Council members responsible for rejecting Johnson’s proposed corporate head tax before approving an alternative 2026 budget that includes replacement revenues opposed by the mayor. Stonepeak declined to comment on the Council members’ letter. * Crain’s | Lawsuit targets Chicago broadcasters over ads for financial planner accused of fraud: The secretary of state barred Ellington from offering or selling securities in Illinois on May 13. The state action came following a WLS-TV (ABC 7) news investigation. Before the temporary order, lawyers representing the plaintiffs said in a press release, Ellington marketed himself “relentlessly” on Chicago TV and radio, billboards and social media. The complaint says the media outlets went beyond running paid advertising for Ellington by producing “Mr. Finance” segments in their own studios, with their own news anchors interviewing and personally vouching for him as an expert. * Block Club | Michelada Fest Canceled Again, But Will Return As Free Street Fest This Fall: It’s “a return to our roots,” the Michelada Fest team said. “No tickets. No barriers. Solo nuestra comunidad.” There will be a suggested donation to La Casa Norte, which serves Chicagoans facing housing insecurity. Vendors who were part of the 2026 festival will also have space at Windy City Margarita Fest, which takes place in Pilsen Aug. 6-8. That event is also being produced by Windy City Events Management. * Tribune | The perfect spot for a farm? Vacant office buildings in downtown Chicago: Steinberg is the founder of Farm Zero, one of a few vertical farming companies around Chicago. Nearly a decade ago, vertical farming became part of an agricultural technology craze, introducing a new way of growing crops indoors using stacked trays set up under artificial lighting, hydroponics and tightly controlled environments. But since then, the industry has seen mixed success. A handful of companies have shuttered because of unsustainable business models amid high energy and infrastructure costs, urban agriculture experts say. Despite that, Steinberg believes Farm Zero has one major advantage: the location of his farm. * Daily Herald | Despite village approvals, legal action expected against Grayslake data center: In the pending suit, opponents want approvals declared invalid and vacated, arguing they are inconsistent with the village’s own adopted policies and were issued through an apparently deficient process. Opposition emerged this spring. As of Monday afternoon, for example, a Facebook group created in March had 3,396 members and thousands of posts and comments. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights mayor urges Pritzker to ‘coach’ legislators on Bears stadium deal: “He is the one who needs to coach his whole group of elected officials,” Tinaglia said of Pritzker. “If you’ve got one guy trying to run a football down this way, another one running the football down that way, we’re going nowhere. And that’s what it kind of feels like.” * Harvey World Herald | ‘This is now home’: S2 Express Grill revives local dining in Ford Heights: Wilson was persuasive in courting the elevated soul food and American fanfare eater, working with the couple to deliver “a nice sit-down restaurant and a nice place that hires people from the village that are there to pay taxes,” he said. “S2 is a win-win all the way around.” […] Customer turnout has been consistent, a hit with the older crowd, and has also attracted customers looking for an event space, including birthday bashes. S2 is “where you can go and watch the game, or just sit down and eat and relax,” Robinson beamed. * Aurora Beacon-News | With a new location on the way, Hollywood Casino in downtown Aurora to close on June 10: The new land-based Hollywood Casino in Aurora, set to open on June 24, is located along Farnsworth Avenue and Bilter Road, across the street from Chicago Premium Outlets mall and near the Interstate 88 interchange. Not only will the new location offer a casino floor fit for around 1,200 people actively engaged in slot machines or table games, but it also will have a hotel, several restaurants, an event space and a spa. * Crain’s | Developer and bank warned to ‘stop playing games’ while River Forest condo site sits empty: Targeted by village officials for redevelopment in 2016, the site was approved two years later for developer Marty Paris’ proposal to build a five-story, 30-unit condo building called RF. The units, priced at $600,000 to about $1.4 million, and the building’s first-floor retail spaces would “be a statement building for Lake Street and River Forest,” Paris told Crain’s at the time. Move-ins were slated for 2019. But five years went by and in 2023, with only a small portion of the structure completed, village officials revoked the developer’s building permit. Paris told Crain’s at the time that he’d been having trouble lining up capital in the poor market of the early 2020s but that he expected to arrange financing soon. * Southtown | Documentary covers two decades of Peotone airport fight to open with free screening June 13: Director Tom Desch has worked on the movie since 2003. He said the first time he ever heard about Barack Obama, before he was elected to national office, was in the context of working on the documentary. “It has not been a straight line process by any means. We’d film, we’d let it sit on a shelf, we’d go film more, numerous edits over the years,” Desch said. * WCIA | Urbana City Council expected to discuss controversial apartment building during Monday’s meeting: The proposed building would have 32 units and would be located at 413-419 West Main Street. At a previous meeting, some community members argued that this project would bring much-needed housing to the area. Those against the project think it’s the wrong type of building — in the wrong part of the city. * NBC Chicago | Dozens to be laid off as Illinois auto parts manufacturing plant closes: Dana Incorporated announced in April it would cut 81 positions beginning June 15 due to the closure of its plant in Robinson, the notice stated. Robinson is located roughly 110 miles southeast of Champaign. Mayor Mike Shimer called the layoffs “a huge loss and very disappointing for the City of Robinson,” telling NBC affiliate WTWO the city is looking at ways to help employees in the short term. * 25News Now | North Pekin residents told old AMC theaters will not be data center: Although a vote on rezoning the now abandoned AMC theaters in North Pekin from retail to light industrial won’t be taken until Tuesday night, residents in the area are concerned that rezoning could open the possibility of a future data center. North Pekin leaders assured the public Monday night that won’t happen. Residents showed up in “NO Data Center” t-shirts to fill the room where usually just a small gathering of residents attend. According to North Pekin residents, this was the first meeting they’ve attended, and it was because of data center rumors. * Sun-Times | Kankakee basketball star Lincoln Williams picks Illinois: Lincoln Williams, who has been the top uncommitted prospect in the state for months, graduated May 21 from Kankakee. The All-Area guard followed that up with a commitment Monday to Illinois. ‘‘I chose to stay home,’’ Williams said of choosing Illinois over his other two finalists, Virginia Tech and UNLV. ‘‘There is a bond I have with the assistant coaches and coach Underwood, so I decided to stay home.’’ * WAND | 6,000 cars anticipated at HOT ROD Power Tour in Rantoul: The world’s largest traveling car show will draw more than 6,000 classic cars, hot rods, and performance vehicles, from across the country. This tour will cruise along Route 66, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, starting in Joliet and ending in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Hot rodders will be coming into Rantoul off US-136 and working through the Village to reach the former Chanute Air Force Base. The show will be free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. * WIRED | Threats Against Politicians Skyrocketed After Meta Changed Its Speech Rules: The researchers analyzed about 8 million Facebook comments and found that abusive and racist comments targeting both Republican and Democrat lawmakers tripled in the six months after the new rules were put in place. Some categories of abusive comments documented by the researchers saw even sharper rises, with violent threats and hate speech quadrupling during the same period. * Cook County Record | Tariff refund class actions lodged vs Ikea, Mondelez, Abercrombie & Fitch: The lawsuits represented the latest in a growing raft of litigation filed in courts in Chicago and elsewhere in the U.S. accusing retailers and other companies of allegedly attempting to claim “windfall profits” from consumers following the end of the tariff regimes established by President Donald Trump in 2025 under the federal International Emergency Economics Act. […] The lawsuits all rest on similar allegations: That the companies hiked consumer prices in response to cover their increased costs from the tariffs, but, after the tariffs were rescinded, have not lowered their prices or offered consumers a refund, even as they pursue legal action to obtain refunds from the government for the illegal tariffs they paid throughout much of 2025.
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Good morning!
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * YouTube’s algorithm kept insisting on feeding me Tuba Skinny last night. So here you go… ‘Cause I’m a many miles from your lovin’ home This is an Illinois open thread.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Jun 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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