* ICYMI: Jim Edgar hopes to beat pancreatic cancer: ‘But to be very truthful, if it ended tomorrow, I’ve had a great life.’ Sun-Times…

- Former two-term Illinois governor Jim Edgar on Monday revealed he is battling pancreatic cancer — but told the Sun-Times he’s fighting the deadly disease because he’s “got a lot to hold out for.”
- Edgar, 78, has been undergoing chemotherapy for three weeks after a diagnosis last month, the downstate Republican told the Sun-Times Monday night.
- Edgar, who also served as Illinois secretary of state, and leads the Edgar Fellows program at the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs, wrote in an email to the program’s fellows that he and his wife, Brenda, are “facing a new, significant challenge.”

* Related stories…

∙ Tribune: Former two-term Gov. Jim Edgar diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
∙ WGN: Former Illinois governor reveals cancer diagnosis

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* KSDK | ‘I just want to promote this program that changed my grandson’s life’: Illinois apprenticeship program helps students with disabilities: A southern Illinois county is changing lives, one job opportunity at a time. It’s all through a registered apprenticeship program specifically for students with disabilities. The program gives high school students, who are often overlooked, an opportunity for real-world job experience. The goal at the end is to ultimately lead to full-time employment.

* Elizabeth Whitehorn | More uninsured Illinoisans would be ruinous for the state: Imagine being cut off from your prenatal doctor’s visits halfway through your pregnancy. Imagine having to choose between your child continuing therapy or buying groceries. Imagine forgoing a critical procedure to avoid out-of-pocket expenses that could become medical debt. These are the choices that millions of Americans will have to make if the Trump administration and congressional Republicans succeed in passing any Medicaid cuts.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WHBF | Gov. Pritzker’s proposal to fund resources for the homeless in Illinois: Advocates for the homeless in Illinois worry about the resources coming from the state and federal governments, as cuts to the federal workforce hit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development hard.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Illinois schools chief tells districts to follow state law, not Trump threats: In his weekly message sent Wednesday, Sanders said Illinois law prohibits discrimination against marginalized groups. “Black history is American history,” wrote Sanders, who noted that these and other topics are required by Illinois mandates for classroom instruction. “The study of events related to the forceful removal and illegal deportation of Mexican-American U.S. citizens during the Great Depression is American history. The study of the role and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people is American history.”

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | Medical schools enroll fewer Blacks, Latinos from Illinois after Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban: While other factors are also at play since the ruling, the number of Hispanic medical students from Illinois plummeted by 42.6% between the 2023-24 school year and this year, data shows. The number of Black students decreased by 6.5%, and mixed race students decreased by 8.3%.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson pressured to amend $830M borrowing plan before City Council vote: Johnson and his senior aides spent the weekend listening to what changes may be needed to avoid a loss at Wednesday’s City Council meeting after a vote on the plan was blocked last week. Further negotiations are expected to carry on through the week. The borrowing proposal has been criticized for its payment structure — which pushes off paying down the principal until 2045 — and a lack of trust among some in the council who say they want assurances that the funds go towards capital projects as intended.

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s office intensifies push for CPS borrowing to avoid leaving city in the red: City Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski tells WBEZ the city will have to reach into reserves to cover the shortfall, which would likely be concerning to credit rating agencies. The city’s rating was recently downgraded to two notches above junk rating, which will result in city taxpayers being forced to pay higher interest rates on loans. Meanwhile, dipping into reserves would face scrutiny from a wary City Council that fiercely butted heads with Johnson during a drawn-out budget fight last year. Alderpersons, depending on where they stand politically, would likely blame both the city and the school district for the financial quagmire.

* Tribune | Chicago craft brewers expect Trump’s aluminum tariffs to raise the price of a six-pack: “Imagine something that you’re buying every day goes up 25% overnight,” said Jason Klein, 42, co-founder of Spiteful Brewing. “We would have no choice but to raise prices — there’s no way we can absorb that.” A niche segment of the beer industry, craft brewing has become big business in Illinois, with hundreds of mostly small manufacturers generating $3.1 billion in economic impact in the state in 2023, according to the Brewers Association, a Colorado-based trade group. But after years of explosive growth, craft brewers have struggled in the post-pandemic landscape amid a glut of competitors, with a number of high-profile brewery and taproom closings in the Chicago area. Tariffs may be another blow.

* Sun-Times | Passengers at O’Hare know flying is safe, but some have concerns after plane crashes: The 43-year-old said she reconsidered her flight “for about a second” before remembering that flying is still the safest way to travel. She brushed the momentary worry aside and boarded a plane with her daughter and her daughter’s best friend last week for a birthday celebration. “I just feel like you pray and you pack your bags. You don’t let [doubt] stop you from doing anything that you want to do,” Katrina said after landing Thursday at O’Hare from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* CBS Chicago | Dolton, Cicero, Aurora are among Illinois communities holding contentious primaries Tuesday: Tuesday is primary election day in Illinois. Chicago does not have any races this cycle, but dozens of suburbs do. Among the cities, villages and townships with primary elections on Tuesday, few races will be watched as closely as Dolton — as their embattled mayor is up for re-election.

* Sun-Times | Highland Park massacre suspect skips court half way through first day of jury selection: Seven of the jurors who will decide the fate of the Highland Park parade shooting suspect were chosen Monday — but the defendant in one of the worst massacres in Illinois history declined to return to the courtroom after the day’s lunch break. Among those initially selected for the panel in the murder trial of Robert Crimo III are a business analyst, a hospice nurse, a nursing home chef, a summer camp counselor and an accountant.

* Daily Herald | Nine-term incumbent and library trustee vie for office of Streamwood village president: The April 1 election for Streamwood village president sees Poplar Creek Library Trustee Asad Khan challenging nine-term incumbent Billie Roth for the opportunity to lead the village through the spring of 2029. Khan said he’s concerned about a declining population in the village, which he believes hurts revenues. “Shocking information is that in 2015 we were 40,000 people,” he said. “The new numbers are 36,000 and some change. That’s a 10% drop, which is unbelievable. People are leaving. Why? Why are people leaving, and what are we doing to address that?”

* Evanston Round Table | Chow, Suffredin trade blows as Sixth Ward race stays tense: No City Council race has made noise this campaign season quite like the heated competition for the Sixth Ward seat between incumbent Tom Suffredin and challenger Candance Chow. The two candidates have been trading blows for the last three weeks, since Chow suddenly called for a ban on elected officials acting as lobbyists on behalf of other municipalities. The move took direct aim at Suffredin, who is a lobbyist by day and represents clients like the Chicago Teachers Union and Amazon at the state house in Springfield.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | St. Clair County fired HR director for investigating official’s relative, he alleges: As human resources director, Bergman states that he also investigated inappropriate actions by Austin Thomas, who the complaint identifies as Jordin Simmons’ friend. Both men were dispatchers for the St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, according to county salary information compiled by the Illinois Answers Project. Bergman filed the lawsuit late last year in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the county, Herb Simmons, County Board Chairman Mark Kern and Bob Jones, an attorney who represented Jordin Simmons and Thomas during Bergman’s investigation.

* WJBD | Salem Police no longer responding to non-violent mental calls: Deputy Police Chief Tyler Rose says the department is participating in a pilot program ahead of a new law that prohibits initial response to mental calls that takes effect in July. “If it is non-violent, there are no weapons, there no threat to another individual, it’s someone simply having a mental health crisis, the legislation forbids us from dispatching officers right away,” Rose said. “That will have to be referred to these mobile crisis units. For Salem, it’s going to be members of the Community Resource Center that come out and make contact with that that individual.”

* WIFR | Former Jackson Charter School executive director accused of stealing thousands: Emily Wallen, 39, of Rockford is accused of one count of theft ($10,000-$100,000) and one count of official misconduct. ISP reports its investigation began in September 2024 after the agency received a tip alleging theft and official misconduct against Wallen. Wallen was previously the executive director for Jackson Charter School, 315 Summit St. in Rockford.

* WTVO | No property tax on new homes? Rockford considers extending 3-year program: The Three-Year Property Tax Rebate Program for Newly-Built Residential Construction went into effect in 2023 and is coming up for renewal. “If you pulled a permit to build that home in 2024, you get a three-year tax rebate. So for the next three years, you don’t pay property taxes [and then] year four, year five, you start to pay property taxes,” said Mayor Tom McNamara.

* WREX | Rockford City Council Committee votes to keep “All People Are Welcome” sign: Alderwoman Torina responded by highlighting the city’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity, referencing the guiding principles that were written two years ago. The guiding principle was then read aloud in the meeting: “Rockford provides a welcoming, nurturing, inclusive community that values diversity, where community members feel safe and respected…” said Todd Cagnoni, City Administrator.

* News-Gazette | All 6 taxing districts OK agreement to bring $750 million plant to Douglas County: Six taxing districts have voted, and not one “no” was cast. In question was an agreement that will clear the way for the siting of a $750 million corn wet-milling plant west of Tuscola. All that’s left is for company officials to decide where the plant will be located.

*** National ***

* The Hill | EPA to make higher-ethanol gas available year round beginning in April: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will proceed with Biden-era plans to allow the year-round sale of higher-ethanol E15 fuel, a longtime ask of midwestern lawmakers and the biofuels industry. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency would maintain the agreed-upon date of April 28 to make the fuel available in eight states. The governors of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin had requested waivers to sell the fuel throughout the year rather than only the high-demand summer months.

* WaPo | Firings of some federal workers should be halted, watchdog recommends: Hampton Dellinger, the head of the independent Office of Special Counsel whom President Donald Trump has tried to oust but a judge has temporarily kept in place, said the firings are likely illegal

* Forbes | mRNA Vaccine Shows Promise In Pancreatic Cancer Trial: “The latest data from the phase 1 trial are encouraging,” said Vinod Balachandran, MD, surgeon-scientist from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and principal investigator of the trial. “They suggest this investigational therapeutic mRNA vaccine can mobilize anti-tumor T cells that may recognize pancreatic cancers as foreign, potentially years after vaccination,” said Balachandran, also senior author of the new publication.