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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* KWQC

Every law enforcement agency in Illinois must have body cameras by Jan. 1, 2025, but with less than 80 days until the deadline, Illinois State Police say they’re in a pilot phase.

Both the Governor JB Pritzker’s Office and State Police confirm the agency is in a pilot phase with 982 officers outfitted out of 1800 troopers. Pritzker’s office and State Police said all troopers will be properly outfitted before the deadline.

In 2021, the Illinois General Assembly passed the SAFE-T Act which included a mandate for all law enforcement agencies with different enforcement dates depending on how many people the department serves.

    January 1, 2022 - +500,000 people
    January 1, 2023 - 100,000-500,000 people
    January 1, 2024 - 50,000-100,000 people
    January 1, 2025 - -50,000 people & state agencies

[…]

What happens if State Police don‘t have their body cameras on time? As TV6 Investigates dug into the issue, it turns out there’s virtually no punishment for violating the mandate.

* WTTW

After a week of questioning, a dozen people have been seated as jurors in ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan’s landmark corruption trial, but opening statements are not expected until next week as jury selection remains ongoing.

One additional juror was seated Thursday after none were selected following full days of questioning Tuesday and Wednesday at the Dirksen Federal Building, where Madigan and his longtime confidant Michael McClain stand accused of racketeering, bribery and wire fraud.

That brings the total number of jurors to 12 — enough for a full jury. One alternate was also seated Thursday morning, but five more are still needed before opening statements and the evidence phase of the trial can begin.

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | Illinois Deer Donation Program returns for 3rd donation season as ‘Hunters Feeding Illinois’: Hunters Feeding Illinois connects hunters, meat processors, and food pantries to support access to lean protein for Illinois residents and families. The expanded partnership covers 16 counties in east-central Illinois and 16 counties in southern Illinois. […] Hunters can donate whole harvested deer at no cost. Partnering meat processors are prepared to accept donated deer with the start of deer hunting season in October. Because processing volume increases throughout the season, hunters are encouraged to call processors in advance to confirm they have slots to accept deer. Processors have a select number of slots for donated deer, which becomes more limited as the season continues.

*** Chicago ***

* CBS Chicago | Mom wants Chicago Public Schools to stop sending kids to New York special ed boarding school, claims abuse: The CBS News Chicago Investigators have discovered that the school, Shrub Oak, has been investigated for reports of abuse and neglect. Yet, the Chicago Public Schools continue sending kids there. “There are kids that are nonverbal, that can’t speak for themselves, and that is very upsetting,” said Joanna Grenrock, the mother of a former Shrub Oak student.

* Block Club | Rogers Park Alderwoman Rejects Plan To Build 6-Story Apartment Building On Vacant Lot: Hadden decided against signing off on the proposal after hearing “major concerns” from neighbors, she said in a statement. Among neighbors’ top complaints were the density of the building, the inclusion of only nine parking spaces and the possibility of further traffic congestion in the neighborhood, Hadden said.

* Sun-Times | Host committee for Chicago’s DNC spent $89 million on convention, raised $97 million: The report from the Development Now for Chicago, the host committee’s official name, also states the committee has about $14 million cash-on-hand with some $6.3 million in bills still outstanding from the August presidential convention nominating Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

* WBEZ | New pilot project to create retirement support for Chicago musicians: Freelance musicians don’t have the benefits many 9-to-5 jobs offer, like retirement accounts or health benefits. A group called Golden Egg, in partnership with the Experimental Sound Studio, is trying to change that through a matching grant program funded through the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. It will select 16 artists to receive a share of $50,000 to put into a retirement fund.

* Crain’s | Ken Griffin puts another unfinished penthouse up for sale, this one at $9 million: Griffin is asking $9 million for the 7,500-square-foot 37th floor at No. 9 Walton. He put it on the market yesterday evening, two days after his real estate agents changed the listing for his $11 million 38th floor to show that a buyer has it under contract with a contingency.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Public beaches in Lake in the Hills? Board cool to proposal: Lake in the Hills mulled the idea of opening up its beaches to nonresidents for a fee, but the proposal got a lukewarm response from the village board. Currently, people who don’t live in Lake in the Hills can access its beaches only if they’re accompanied by someone who lives in town. And that is anticipated to remain the case, despite village staff suggesting a fee for nonresidents.

* Daily Southtown | Ford Heights appoints 2 new trustees, 1 with family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin: The Ford Heights Village Board voted Wednesday to appoint a longtime friend of interim Mayor Freddie Wilson as village trustee, as well as a man with a family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin. Wilson was named interim mayor last month following Griffin’s conviction for embezzlement.

*** Downstate ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Questions remain over whether Sangamon County followed policy in deadly pursuit: As the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office led a multi-county pursuit last month that ended in the death of a 43-year-old Kansas man, Illinois State Police directed troopers not to participate. A Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office news release issued a week after Kirtis Shane Davenport’s death stated “various other law enforcement agencies” assisted, but ISP confirmed they did not participate, citing the agency’s pursuit policy.

* WAND | Champaign City Council accepts over $700,000 grant for asylum-seekers: Following the designation of a Certified Welcoming Place nearly a year ago, Champaign City Council accepted a grant to provide services for asylum-seeking migrant refugees. A portion of the grant — about $709,705 — will be awarded to the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA. […] Akua Forkuo-Sekyere, the Director at New American, said that the grant will allow them to continue funding their program. “It truly is exciting to be able to have funding to support new arrivals in our community,” said Forkuo-Sekyere.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. woman serves in her fifth presidential election: The nation is gearing up to see who will be next in line for the White House. On the local level, people like Ann Prisland are making sure every vote is accounted for. […] This will be her fifth presidential election working as an election judge. She and others in the role are responsible for checking in voters, verifying their identities and providing them with ballots.

* WCIA | ‘I was doing everything right’: Douglas Co. Animal Shelter manager speaks out on board’s decision to fire her: Last week, the Douglas County Board suspended Douglas County Animal Shelter Manager Spencer Hall with pay. Now, as of a hearing on Tuesday morning, she was told she is officially fired from her position. Hall said there are multiple reasons why, including the incident earlier this month where the county resolved a cruel treatment investigation with a Murdoch dog owner. The resolution gave the owner four of his original 11 dogs back after the shelter seized them during the case.

* NPR Illinois | Illinois Symphony Orchestra season opens with ‘Festive Fanfare’: The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) begins its 2024-2025 season with “Festive Fanfare.” The concert, conducted by ISO music director Taichi Fukumura, will feature Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto with violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8.

* BND | It used to be a convent, now this Belleville house is a do-it-yourself punk venue: “As soon as we moved we were like, ‘this is too much house to do nothing with,” said Gabe Kimme, who bought the house with his partner, Jackie Eberle, and turned it into “The Nunnery,” a DIY music space that is simultaneously secretive and non-exclusive.

*** National ***

* Texas Monthly | The Border Crisis Won’t Be Solved at the Border: Whenever Texas politicians threaten to pass laws that would make it harder for businesses to employ undocumented workers, phones in the Capitol start ringing. Stuck with the need to show their base that they’re cracking down on migrants, politicians, including Abbott, have instead found a middle ground: They keep up their bombast regarding the border, but they avoid stringing any razor wire between undocumented immigrants and jobs in the state’s interior.

* NYT | This Is Post-Roe America: Even when the consequences haven’t been that dire, the day-to-day reality of abortion in America’s left-behind places now involves navigating constant undercurrents of confusion and fear: Is this pill I found on the internet safe? If I miscarry, is anyone going to help me? Or, in the cases of some doctors: How can I help this patient without getting arrested?

* WSJ | The Old-School Spy Tactics Helping to Set Your Grocery Prices: Grocery-store operators scrutinize the websites and promotions of rivals and send managers to walk through competitors’ stores to help establish what shoppers will pay for items. Companies commonly use rivals’ prices as a benchmark in setting their own, but these tactics have gained attention from government antitrust lawyers seeking to block a $20 billion merger between Kroger KR -0.57% and Albertsons ACI 0.05%, the respective largest and second-largest U.S. supermarket chains by sales.

  7 Comments      


On Wisconsin and hailing rides to Michigan

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Politico

Gov. JB Pritzker will campaign in Nevada on Saturday for Kamala Harris, then head to Lake County on Sunday for Illinois Democrats’ “Weekend of Action.”

Illinois Atty. Gen Kwame Raoul has been enlisted by the Harris campaign to travel to Miami and its Little Haiti neighborhood to campaign. Raoul is Haitian American and is working to dispel misinformation that’s been amplified by Donald Trump’s campaign about Haitian immigrants.

The Illinois Harris-Walz campaign team is organizing a thousand volunteers to canvas over the weekend in Michigan and Wisconsin, two of the swing states that the presidential candidates are hoping to win. […]

Other Dems on the stump: Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton will campaign in Michigan. Comptroller Susana Mendoza is set to lead a bus tour to Grand Rapids, Mich., along with state Reps. Kam Buckner and Camille Lilly and state Sen. Natalie Toro. And state Rep. Bob Morgan will also join a group of volunteers in Michigan.

* From Operation Swing State…

Operation Swing State, a grassroots coalition of 64 Democratic, labor, and allied organizations, will launch a field organizing canvass operation, sending Illinois volunteers to Michigan to knock doors and mobilize voters for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on Saturday.

Operation Swing State is launching canvasses to Michigan and Wisconsin from staging locations in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs every weekend through Election Day, and has already led 2,500+ volunteer shifts with 60,000 doors knocked.

Operation Swing State also hosts virtual phone banks every week.

More info about upcoming Wisconsin and Michigan canvasses can be found here. Senate President Don Harmon’s township committee is helping send folks to Michigan, as are Personal PAC and the 40th and 45th Ward Democrats. House Speaker Chris Welch’s township committee is helping get people up to Wisconsin, as are Rep. Theresa Mah and the 47th Ward Democrats. Upcoming phone banks include one on the city’s South Side and another in Champaign sponsored by College Democrats of Illinois. A list of partners is here.

* More stops for Rep. Buckner…


* Illinoisans from both parties are involved in Wisconsin politics

[Wisconsin] Republicans engineered the [2015 campaign finance law] rewrite that allowed donations of any size to political parties and legislative caucuses, plus unlimited transfers to candidates.

That paved the way for donations such as the $6.3 million that Diane Hendricks and Liz Uihlein combined to give the Assembly and Senate GOP caucuses over the past two months.

Hendricks also gave the state GOP $1.1 million over that period, while the state Dem Party’s own megadonors came through again with LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman giving $2.25 million over the past month and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker chipping in $2 million.

  9 Comments      


It’s just a bill

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* SJ-R

The Safe Firearm Storage Act, filed under Senate Bill 3971 and House Bill 5891, would prohibit the possession of a firearm outside its owner’s “immediate possession or control” and increases the age to 18 from 13 where safe storage in homes are required.

In the case of a lost or stolen firearm, Senate Bill 3973 and House Bill 5888 would require the owner to report it with local law enforcement within 48 hours instead of the original 72. It comes after reports show that approximately 380,000 guns are stolen per year nationwide.

They could also be subject to losing their Firearm Owner Identification Card on a second violation of failing to report a lost or stolen firearm within the new 48-hour window.

* React from Center Square

“The Safe At Home legislation will address the sobering realities that today, there are more guns in our country than people, and every one in three children lives in a home with a gun,” a statement from G-PAC President and CEO Kathleen Sances says. “There is mounting evidence that the risk of unintentional shootings, mass shootings and suicide can be significantly reduced if we make simple changes in our laws to keep us all Safe At Home.” […]

Illinois State Rifle Association lobbyist Ed Sullivan said the proposal also requires firearms be locked up if there are any “prohibited persons” in the residence.

“Anybody in the state of Illinois that does not have a [Firearm Owner’s ID] card is a prohibited person,” Sullivan told The Center Square. “And so there’s over 10 million people that are prohibited persons [in Illinois]. There’s no criminal damage. They’re not criminals. They’re not mentally challenged. They just don’t have a FOID card.” […]

“I can think of two separate legislators who have introduced language who make it cheaper to buy a safe or do some type of tax credit to buy safes and they’ve never moved forward,” Sullivan said. “So, here are the Democrats that want you to buy safes to have safe storage and yet they do nothing to make it easier to buy them.”

* WAND

A separate bill [HB5065] could ban people from storing or leaving a gun outside an owner’s possession or control unless it is unloaded and secured in a lock box. The legislation specifically notes that minors, at-risk people and those prohibited from using guns should not be able to access firearms in the home.

“It is clear that we must address child access to firearms and safe storage,” said Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia). “Guns have surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death of our children ages one to 17 years old.”

Gun owners could face a fine of $500 to $1,000 if someone prohibited from accessing guns obtains their weapon. The bill would also create a $10,000 penalty if a minor or at-risk person uses someone else’s gun to injure or kill people.

“We need to ensure that all of our gun owners are responsible and they know what they need to do to keep everybody safe, including our youth,” Villivalam said. “I have a six-year-old. I have a three-year-old. I want them to be safe. I want every youth regardless of the community they live in, but especially those communities that have been disinvested in, to feel safe.”

Click here for a fact sheet.

* Midwest Renewable Energy Association Senior Regional Director John Delurey

Illinois is facing a critical moment in its clean energy transition. The recent price spike in PJM’s capacity market — the tool designed to ensure power availability during peak demand — is drawing attention to the growing need for policy that moves Illinois towards an affordable clean energy future. Though the current capacity crunch is largely beyond the control of state policy, Illinois does not have to resign itself to this fate. Illinois lawmakers must act now to pass legislation that will help us boost energy supply and reduce and shape energy demand. […]

While Illinois cannot single-handedly overhaul PJM, there are state policies that can help Illinois prepare for what lies ahead. The Clean and Reliable Grid Act (SB 3637), currently under consideration in Springfield, is a critical piece of legislation that would help strengthen the state’s power grid. It includes policies that would reduce and shape demand by updating energy efficiency standards and paying residential customers to shift their energy use to off-peak hours. It also includes policies that would accelerate clean energy supply by inviting the state to directly procure more renewable energy on behalf of certain utility customers. In doing so, the Clean and Reliable Grid Act would reduce strain on the grid while keeping energy bills affordable.

The urgency of this moment calls for a full menu of legislative solutions, so Vote Solar and our partners in the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition have outlined a comprehensive set of priorities for Illinois’ clean energy future. This includes reforms to the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard to ensure large solar and wind projects can move forward. Illinois cannot afford to fall behind in its journey to 100% clean energy, and the RPS is key to driving the next wave of clean energy development.

Energy storage is another critical piece of the puzzle. By storing excess renewable energy for use during peak demand, batteries help lower capacity costs and meet PJM’s need for dispatchable resources. On a smaller scale, residential and community storage systems provide added resilience, especially for those who are medically or financially vulnerable. This past summer, expanded battery storage was pivotal in stabilizing California’s grid during an extreme heat wave and delivered vital energy support across the Western grid.

SB3637 sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham never made it out of Senate Assignments.

* HB5887 from House Minority Leader Tony McCombie

Amends the Election Code. Provides that the election authority shall reject any application for registration that is not accompanied by satisfactory evidence of United States citizenship. Specifies the documents that provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship. Provides that any person who is registered in the State on the effective date of the amendatory Act is deemed to have provided satisfactory evidence of citizenship and shall not be required to resubmit evidence of citizenship unless the person is changing voter registration from one county to another. Sets forth additional requirements.

  5 Comments      


Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.

We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Linda, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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CPS CEO claims CTU contract would cost $10 billion over four years

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez as quoted in the Tribune

And he predicted that the [Chicago Teachers Union’s] next contract — for raises, additional staffing, help for migrant and homeless students and sports — would cost CPS more than $10 billion over the next four years.

“Long-term, that’s not sustainable. That’s not stable for taxpayers,” he said.

* Related…

    * CPS CEO Pedro Martinez defends his school budget plans in City Council hearing: Ald. Nicole Lee (11th) asked whether Martinez had a plan once federal pandemic relief funding runs out. The school district spent most of the COVID relief money on staff, which it now wants to keep. Martinez defended spending the federal COVID relief money on staff. Post-pandemic, he said, staff was drowning in work and needed more support. And he said he wanted to show people, using that money, that it was possible for the public school system to more robustly support its students.

    * WTTW | Effort by City Council to Put CPS Board Members, CEO on the Hot Seat Fizzles: Ald. Angela Clay (46th Ward) pressed Martinez, who has led the district since 2021, on why he used those grant funds to cover the district’s ongoing operations while knowing that they would run out by 2025, leaving programs in jeopardy of being cut and employees at risk of layoffs. “We all knew this day would come,” Clay said. “What’s the plan?” Martinez did not directly answer Clay’s question, but spoke at length on the need for additional aid from the state and his commitment to investing in Chicago schools and students.

    * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez asks City Council for additional $325 million in funding: Ald. Angela Clay asked Martinez how the district would cover costs next year, when it is expected to face another $500 million deficit, if the city bailed CPS out this year. Martinez said he hopes TIF districts will expire under Johnson, potentially freeing up more money for CPS. He added that he will ask for City Council “and the mayor’s help” to advocate for more state funding.

    * NBC 5 | CPS CEO Pedro Martinez appears at City Council hearing as budget battle continues: “We know we have at least 100 schools, between high schools and elementary schools, that are probably at least, you know, at least 100 that are under 200 students enrollment.”

    * Fox32 | Chicago City Council questions CPS CEO on budget crisis, tensions with Mayor Johnson: Some aldermen also question why CPS is keeping open schools that are virtually empty, including Douglass High School, which right now has only 39 students. Ald. Anthony Beale: “Walgreens is closing 1200 stores because those stores are either underperforming, and so they had to make a business decision that if they’re going to stay afloat, that they have to restructure.” CEO Martinez: “Yes, class sizes are very small. But again, for me, I would, I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.”

    * Block Club Chicago | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: Alderpeople did use the hearing to ask Martinez about CPS funding decisions, potential cuts, school closures and other issues. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) questioned the school chief’s decision to continuing operating Douglass High School in Austin, which only has a few dozen students enrolled. Last year, the school was spending just over $68,000 per student compared to the district average of $18,287, according to Illinois State Board of Education statistics. Martinez on Wednesday defended keeping the school open, saying he supports further investments in schools like Douglass, not less, especially as many students in Austin currently leave their neighborhood to go to school. “We have to make the investments,” he said. “I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.”

    * Mayor Johnson’s chief of staff says school CEO and board kept 5th Floor in the dark: Was Pedro Martinez influencing – did he take he take over the board essentially? Cristina Pacione-Zayas: “I can’t say – again, I’m not privy to what his interaction was with the board.”

  35 Comments      


A dream come true for White Sox fans, or yet another leverage ploy against the state?

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Brittany Ghiroli at the Athletic

Longtime majority owner Jerry Reinsdorf is open to selling the Chicago White Sox, sources briefed on the matter but not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Athletic. The 88-year-old Reinsdorf is in active discussions with a group led by former big leaguer Dave Stewart. […]

The news represents a significant change of stance for Reinsdorf. The oldest majority owner in baseball, Reinsdorf has shown no previous public interest in selling the team — at least, not as long as he was around as majority owner. Reinsdorf has said several times that he has advised his heirs upon his death to sell the White Sox and keep the Chicago Bulls, where his son, Michael, is COO and team president. […]

Stewart’s group, Smoke34, previously tried to purchase Oakland’s stake in the Oakland Coliseum. He has been actively involved in trying to get an expansion baseball team to Nashville. Stewart and partner Lonnie Murray are leading a group pushing for an NWSL team in Nashville. The city is one of the league’s finalists, with a decision expected to be announced next month.

It’s unknown what Stewart’s potential involvement would mean for the White Sox staying in Chicago long-term.

* Tribune

According to a report Wednesday in The Athletic, Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has changed his stance about keeping the team he has owned since 1981 and is in “active discussions” with a group led by Dave Stewart, the former major-league pitcher who starred under manager Tony La Russa in Oakland. […]

A Sox spokesman told the Tribune’s LaMond Pope “we don’t comment on rumors and speculation.”

* Forbes

Stewart won 20-plus games four years in a row with Oakland in the Mark McGwire/Jose Canseco Bash Brothers era. He put together an investment group that unsuccessfully tried to purchase the Oakland Coliseum and is currently pursuing an MLB expansion team in Nashville. He and Murray are also leading a group pushing for an NWSL team in Nashville.

* Sox Machine

Stewart makes all the sense in the world at this particular time, although not for the most encouraging of reasons.

For one, he’s the closest of friends with Tony La Russa. If you didn’t recall it from the two running the Arizona Diamondbacks in a confusion fashion — La Russa as Chief Baseball Officer, Stewart as GM — then you’d recall it from La Russa traveling to Oakland for Stewart’s jersey retirement ceremony in September 2022, when he was on leave from White Sox managerial duties due to health issues.

Then there’s the part where Stewart has been involved in bringing a Major League Baseball team to Nashville. He could be seen holding court around the Gaylord Opryland during the winter meetings, and he’d been working with Music City Baseball, an investment group that has been championing the prospect of landing an expansion team it would call the Nashville Stars, until last November, when he left the group citing “philosophical differences.” […]

Stewart had previously tried to buy the Miami Marlins before turning his attention to an expansion team in Nashville. Whether his group would be fine owning any team in any place, his ties to Nashville would certainly help Reinsdorf’s goals of seeking leverage for public funds to build a new White Sox ballpark in the South Loop.

* All City Network

Stewart is close friends with Tony La Russa, who managed Stewart with the A’s and currently works as a senior adviser with the White Sox. La Russa and Reinsdorf are close friends, as well.

Reinsdorf met with the mayor of Nashville during last year’s Winter Meetings, held in the city, sparking much worry throughout the fan base that the White Sox would be moved if Reinsdorf’s wishes for stadium funding were not granted. Reinsdorf’s ties to La Russa and therefore Stewart, who was attempting to bring a team to the city, seemed a more likely reason for the meeting. But Reinsdorf’s history of suggesting the White Sox would depart — and his stated intention to move the team from its current home at Guaranteed Rate Field by the time its lease ends in 2029 — have made for a new round of speculation, with The Athletic report saying it’s unknown what Stewart’s involvement in these discussions means for the team’s long-term future in Chicago.

  40 Comments      


Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2.

The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider.

CTA: See how it works.

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Open thread

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep in Illinois-centric please!…

  7 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois installs supermarket kiosks for license renewals, other DMV transactions. Tribune

    - The Illinois secretary of state’s office this week said it installed more than a dozen kiosks in supermarkets to give residents an opportunity to renew their driver’s licenses or other state IDs and obtain vehicle stickers while grocery shopping or running errands.
    - The 15 kiosks, most in the Chicago area, puts Illinois in line with about 17 other states that use self-service kiosks to conduct similar state business.
    - SoS Alexi Giannoulias said the kiosks are intended as a convenience for working people and parents who don’t have time to wait in line at a driver’s services facility.

* Related stories…

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | The politics of picking a Madigan jury: Prospects asked how they view ‘politicians for life’: For several days over the past few weeks, dozens of people have been led into a room in Chicago’s Loop, where they’ve been asked whether they opposed people being “politicians for life.” Many of them did. They either raised their hands or argued that career politicians “lose touch with reality” and lack fresh perspectives demanded by changing times. Occasionally, their answers seemed to reference President Joe Biden. At others, the U.S. Supreme Court.

* Tribune | Jury selection for Madigan trial slows further with no one chosen for second straight day: Two days of intensive questioning this week have yielded no new jurors in the corruption trial of Michael Madigan, as the already sluggish pace of jury selection slowed to a crawl Wednesday. Although U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey has been insistent he would not rush the parties though the important process, the judge for the first time suggested time limits for questioning — which he referred to as a “shot clock” — if things don’t improve.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WMBD | Hauter vs. Gill: 87th District State Rep. candidates share why they should win the candidacy: Independent candidate Dr. David Gill is challenging State Representative Bill Hauter, a Republican. Gill wants to increase ballot access for third-party candidates. “I spent 90 days knocking on 12,000 doors in 30 communities throughout the district, gathering signatures to get myself put onto the ballot so that we could at least have a battle,” Gill said. “I think that most Americans have had enough of these two major parties that make life so difficult.”

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | Pritzker administration improving statewide youth behavioral healthcare services: Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law last year calling for a clear, consistent and comprehensive way for families to find mental and behavioral healthcare options for young children and teens. The law created an inter-agency team to improve service coordination, implement new technology to refer families to resources and increase capacity to meet demand for care.

* SJ-R | Wet soil, dryer pockets: How climate change is impacting Illinois pumpkin farms: As a farmer carrying on a family legacy of over a century on the farm, Jefferies has been facing insecurities about her abilities as a farmer like never before because of climate change. “When you have year after year of crop failure or reduced crop production you start to question your own ability,” Jefferies said. “It’s pretty mentally challenging, the weather is hard on people. Not just financial hardship, but a mental hardship. You feel like a failure even though there was nothing you can do, and that you’ve let people down.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Pedro Martinez defends CPS work to aldermen in contentious hearing: Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez had the stage to himself Wednesday at City Hall, and used it to go on the offensive in his ongoing fight with Mayor Brandon Johnson over control of the city’s schools. As expected, only Martinez — and none of the Chicago Board of Education nominees Johnson tapped in an apparent bid to get Martinez fired for refusing to borrow money to balance the school budget — showed up to the Education Committee meeting aldermen called to vet the mayor’s picks.

* Block Club | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: A focal point of that tension has been Martinez’s refusal to take out a $300 million high-interest loan to cover pension payments for non-teaching staff and upcoming contract costs. The back-and-forth came to a head Oct. 4, when the entire seven-member school board — six of whom were appointed by Johnson last year — resigned en masse. The school board has the final authority to fire the school district’s chief executive.

* Tribune | CPS marks second consecutive year of increased enrollment and ‘exponential progress’ in staffing: CPS has enrolled more than 325,300 students this school year, officials announced Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year that the district marginally reversed a long-term trend of declining enrollment, common among public schools across the country. As of the fourth week of school, CPS said more than 2,000 students were attending the district than at the same time last school year, an increase of .64%.

* Crain’s | Civic Federation calls on mayor to avoid raising property taxes: Mayor Brandon Johnson should consider every option to avoid raising property taxes to close a $982 million budget gap for 2025, including hiking sin taxes, raising fees on garbage collection, implementing employee furloughs and putting a pause on making an advanced pension payment, according to the Civic Federation.

* Block Club | Chicagoans Can Get Help After July Floods With New FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: Two newly opened disaster recovery centers in the Chicago area are helping neighbors affected by flooding in July. Homeowners, renters and small business owners can get face-to-face support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration at the disaster recovery centers, which opened Wednesday in Chicago Lawn, 6120 S. Kedzie Ave., and suburban Homewood, 2010 Chestnut Road.

* WTTW | As Chicago clears away its biggest tent city, a former gang leader says he won’t settle for a homeless shelter: City officials say most of the roughly 100 unhoused people in the park will be offered one of those rent-free apartments. Those who don’t get a unit will be given a shelter bed. “The park is being cleared because people are moving into housing,” said Sendy Soto, chief homelessness officer under Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Apartment or not, everyone will have to leave the park by Dec. 1, officials say.

* Block Club | Chicago’s Biggest Halloween Parade Turns 10 Saturday With Its Hugest Event Yet: The free Arts in the Dark celebration — annually pegged to the season of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, channeling the vibe of Carnivale and Mardi Gras — unfurls its 10th iteration at 6 p.m. Saturday, stepping off at the corner of State and Lake. Performers march south for about two hours, wrapping up their procession at State and Van Buren.

* Block Club | See The Year’s Brightest Supermoon Thursday In Chicago: A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA. It can look up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth. Thursday’s supermoon will be the closest full moon of the year, approximately 222,056 miles from Earth, according to AstroPixels.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Under federal scrutiny, Tiffany Henyard announces reelection bid for Dolton mayor: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, the focus of an investigation by federal authorities, said she will seek reelection next year, starting with the February Democratic Primary, and plans to back a slate of Village Board candidates. Elected to her first term in April 2021 as Dolton’s first Black female mayor, Henyard has been the subject of federal subpoenas targeting her and a supposedly philanthropic organization bearing her name meant to help cancer survivors. An attorney representing Henyard has declared she’s done nothing wrong.

* Daily Herald | Commissioner faces ethics violation over leaked Bears tax appeal info: Cook County’s inspector general has recommended that a county board of review member take ethics training over the leaking of confidential information about the Chicago Bears’ property tax appeal at Arlington Park to the Daily Herald and other media outlets. Inspector General Tirrell Paxton’s report doesn’t mention Commissioner Samantha Steele by name, but the facts of the case match previously reported details about the internal squabble at the quasi-judicial county agency, which oversees appeals of property assessments.

* Daily Herald | ‘New, improved, evolved’: Revised plan would keep remainder of Hawthorn mall intact: The next step in a comprehensive transformation of the Hawthorn mall property in Vernon Hills aims to build on the success of initial work and keep what remains of the existing 1970s-era shopping center intact. The revised concept would keep 130,000 square feet of existing space in the mall core that was to have been demolished in previous plans.

* Daily Herald | Officials: Anti-Semitic messages on billboard near Northbrook were ‘unauthorized : A preliminary investigation by officers determined the messages were “unauthorized” and not displayed by the billboard company, Interim Chief John Ustich said in the release. “This disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District, or anywhere in America,” Rep. Brad Schneider, a Highland Park Democrat, said in a tweet. “It is notable that this sign is located in a community with a large Jewish population, in close proximity to a Jewish day school, at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Sangamon County Recorder candidates split over future of office: A candidate for Sangamon County Recorder announced Wednesday he’s campaigning to allow voters to decide if his job should be dissolved. The official’s job is to “record all documents transferring land in order to establish legal ownership,” according to a fact sheet from the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners.

* SJ-R | Who is on the Massey Commission? A closer look at the 14 members: The commission, an outgrowth of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey by a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy on July 6, recently seated its members and named two new co-chairs, JoAnn Johnson and Shadia Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin, replacing the Rev. T. Ray McJunkins and Nina Harris after an initial listening session.

* WCIA | U of I professors and students searching for rare comet passing over: Professor Tony Wong said the comet has been so deep in the solar system for so long that it still has ice surrounding it. As it gets closer to the sun it’ll warm and then start to evaporate its gasses. This means it’ll create a bright light to where people can view it. “We are just starting to get a good show now because the comet has already passed the sun. And as it’s moving away from the sun, it’s becoming visible in our night sky. And so that’s why everyone’s looking at it this week, is because it’s becoming visible to our night sky,” U of I Professor Tony Wong said.

*** National ***

* AP | US agency adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions: The “click-to-cancel” rule will prohibit retailers and other businesses from misleading people about subscriptions and require them to obtain consumers’ consent before charging for memberships, auto-renewals and programs linked to free trial offers. The FTC said businesses must also disclose when free trials or other promotional offers will end and let customers end recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them. Most of the provisions take effect effect 180 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register, the agency said.

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