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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Shaw Local…
* Press release | Gov. Pritzker Cuts Ribbon at Voortman’s Grand Opening Facility: Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Voortman Steel Machinery leadership to commemorate the grand opening of the company’s $51 million expansion project. Illinois is home to Voortman Steel Machinery’s U.S. headquarters, and Governor Pritzker broke ground on the project in October 2024 when it was first announced. Voortman’s expansion is another example of Illinois’ position as a growing hub for advanced manufacturing and supply chain and adds to a growing list of companies expanding or establishing their business in the state, including Ability Engineering Technology, Combe, Hyundai Translead, and more. * Crain’s | Labor backs Amtrak project near Rate Field as City Hall fights it: The Chicago Federation of Labor today threw its weight behind the $900 million facility proposed on an existing rail yard between 33rd and 35th streets. The project — just steps from the White Sox’s ballpark on the eastern edge of Bridgeport — is the first of a two-step process that would allow billionaire Sox owner-in-waiting Justin Ishbia to take control of Amtrak’s 14th Street Coach Yard along the Chicago River south of Roosevelt Road, where he aims to build an 80-plus acre mixed-use district anchored by a new stadium for the team. * NBC Chicago’s Paris Schutz…
* Sun-Times | Chicago Public Schools enrollment drops by more than 11,000, accelerating long-term downward trend: CPS enrollment has been on the decline for more than two declines. This year’s drop of 11,500 students, one of the largest one-year drops in more than a decade, amid the federal immigrant deportation campaign. Most of the biggest enrollment drops came in predominately Latino neighborhoods. * Sun-Times | Finance Committee backs $2.5 billion sale of Chicago parking meters after sweetening lopsided deal: The committee passed the measure, with only two Council members, Budget Committee Chair Jason Ervin (28th) and Ald. William Hall (6th) voting against it. The full City Council must still approve the proposed deal. “Today is a historic day,” Dowell said. “Today, we have the opportunity to not only apologize” to taxpayers who got the short end of the deal, “but back it up with real tangible benefits for the first time.” * WTTW | Chicago Launches Street Psychiatry Pilot Program to Bring Care to Unhoused Patients: The program, which began its work about a month ago, is administered by teams of specialized healthcare workers who engage with people at shelters, parks, encampments, CTA transit areas and other community locations. The program specifically aims to engage with people who may cycle between hospitals, jails and shelters, according to program administrators. * Injustice Watch | Your guide to the November 2026 Cook County judicial elections: Injustice Watch does not make recommendations or endorsements. Our team of investigative journalists researched all 61 appellate and circuit court judges running for retention so you can make your own decision about who you want to keep on the bench. * Aurora Beacon-News | East Aurora School District 131 board approves $272.4 million 2026-27 budget: The district’s projected expenses total around $272.4 million, which is up nearly $10 million from last year. Expected revenues are projected to come in at around $265.6 million this year, according to numbers provided by the district on Monday. This fiscal year began on July 1, 2026, and extends through June 30, 2027. * Daily Herald | DuPage suspends early voting due to technical problems: Adam Johnson, chief deputy clerk for the county clerk, said the voter registration database was not pulling up the correct dates of birth for some voters. Instead, it used the individual’s registration dates. In addition, an issue caused a candidate for the Kane County Regional Office of Education, which covers part of western DuPage, to be excluded from ballots. The candidate’s filing petition was challenged. But the challenge was denied, and the person’s name was allowed to appear on ballots. * WTTW | Northwestern’s Non-Tenure, Adjunct Faculty Launch New Unionization Bid: Wednesday marked the launch of a new union organizing drive by non-tenure eligible and adjunct faculty at the Evanston-based university after two years of organizing conversations. “Again and again, we have heard that our colleagues want a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect our work and our students,” Averill Curdy, a Northwestern faculty member said in a statement. “Forming a union will strengthen and amplify the voice of the teaching faculty. In a union, we can help ensure fair and gender-equitable raises, protect academic freedom, and make Northwestern an institution where outstanding educators want to build their careers.” * Pioneer Press | An AI school without teachers looks to move into Evanston’s former Roycemore building: Originally founded in Austin, Texas, in 2014, Alpha School currently operates nearly two dozen campuses across the U.S, with grades ranging from pre-K to high school. Its recently-opened pre-K-8 location in downtown Chicago charges $55,000 in annual tuition, according to the school’s website. Now, the AI-based school network has its sights set on Evanston, according to a zoning application filed by Alpha School to occupy the former Roycemore School site at 1200 Davis Street. * Daily Herald | Deer Park Town Center sold in reported $125 million deal: The announcement comes a day after officials in Mount Prospect confirmed the $95 million sale of the Randhurst Village shopping center to a Nevada-based real estate firm. The reported $125 million price tag for Deer Park tops the $122 million sale of the Village Crossing shopping center in Skokie that was announced earlier this month. That was the largest retail property sale in the region since $147 million was paid in 2016 for the retail portion of the Sullivan Center on State Street in Chicago. * Naperville Sun | ‘It was an insane feeling’: Naperville-based, all-girls robotics team headed to international competition: When the Naperville-based team Robot Penguin took 4th place in the World Robot Olympiad Americas Open Championship in Panama last year, the newly formed all-girls team had been working out of a three-car garage that could feel a bit cramped at times. “In the garage, I remember we’d have like a bunch of fans for the robots and for the humans just like completely set up all around,” Hamsini Chennupati, 14, said. “It would be extremely cold in the winter or when it rained, we could hear the garage door getting pelted with rain.” * BND | Cahokia teachers reach tentative contract agreement ahead of strike deadline: In a video posted to Facebook, union members said teachers have postponed a strike that was set to begin Friday. They say the deal also means students will be able to hold their homecoming events Friday, a key point that led students to stage a walkout earlier this week. The terms of the agreement between the union and the district still need to be finalized and involve what the union calls some “give and take” on both sides. A union member vote is planned for next week. * WAND | Teutopolis receives $1M in EPA funding for water main replacement projects: The funding will replace about 21,000 feet of cast iron water lines installed in the 1940s. According to Bost’s office, the village’s existing water system has left some homes with discolored water, “unpleasant” odors and low water pressure. * WCBU | Peoria to offer city workers a paid day off to serve as election judges: The Peoria City Council on Tuesday approved an administrative policy that provides eight hours of normal wages for workers appointed to serve as an election judge for any primary, general, consolidated or special election. “We’re not anticipating we’re going to see 50, 60 or 70 employees take this up. We might get two or three, or four, or five,” said City Manager Patrick Urich. “But that’s really just looking at this as another opportunity to encourage civic participation.” * WGLT | McLean County safety agencies say new emergency dispatching system is one step forward, two steps back: The Metro Mclean County Centralized Communication Center [Metcom] Board and the county signed the contract to buy the system in late 2024. ProPhoenix had promised to have it up and running in less than a year. Nearly two years later, Normal Police Chief Steve Petrilli said it’s still not working as advertised. “We’re still undergoing several large projects within the county, and it’s just frustrating when they have projects that cost this much to the taxpayers. They require hours upon hours of staff time and to not get them across the finish line and an end product that we feel is making us more efficient, more effective at what we do, that’s the frustrating part,” said Petrilli. * AP | ICE is wasting tens of millions of dollars on ‘uninformed’ detention projects, report finds: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies have wasted tens of millions of dollars pursuing ill-conceived plans to rapidly increase detention capacity, and the total will likely rise due to ongoing mismanagement, congressional investigators warned Thursday. The U.S. Government Accountability Office documented costly problems in several initiatives ICE has pursued since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 and ordered the mass arrest and deportation of people who are in the country illegally. * Bloomberg | Ken Griffin runs into Miami resistance over personal helipad: The leaders of eight luxury condominiums lining Biscayne Bay are urging local officials to reject Griffin’s plan to land his helicopter at a marina he is building for his yachts near the city’s port. The proposal is expected to be reviewed by the Miami Beach land-use committee at a public hearing on Thursday scheduled for 1 p.m. local time before being considered by other city officials later this year.
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Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments on secret Chicago police disciplinary hearings
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * CBS Chicago…
Click here to watch today’s arguments. * The Chicago Tribune…
* More… * WTTW | Fate of Chicago Police Reform Push at Stake Ahead of Illinois Supreme Court Arguments: Attorney General: A ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court siding with the city’s largest police union — which would allow an arbitrator to determine behind closed doors whether officers accused of the most egregious misconduct should be terminated — would result in a “loss of public trust in CPD,” [Attorney General Kwame Raoul] wrote in a friend of the court brief filed June 2. […] “Moving hearings in serious police disciplinary matters outside of public view would undermine the consent decree,” Raoul wrote. “It is the attorney general’s goal to ensure — consistent with the consent decree — that CPD acts in as transparent and accountable a manner as is practicable. The arbitration award in this case, if affirmed, would represent a profound step backward in that mission. It would decrease transparency in the most serious disciplinary cases — those most likely to attract the public’s interest and to shape its perception of CPD. Moving those proceedings behind closed doors would undermine the public’s faith in the disciplinary process and in CPD generally.”
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ABC Chicago…
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When RETAIL Succeeds, Illinois Succeeds
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Good American Barber Company offers quality haircuts and traditional shaves while making every customer feel like family. The shop specializes in short hair cuts for men and women alike, giving customers a classic barbershop experience. Rooted in owner Maira Soto’s Mexican American heritage and her lifelong connection to Grayslake, Good American Barber Company is built on care, personal service, and community. Findings of a recent economic study are clear: the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product. Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Maira from Grayslake are better equipped to meet local needs. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work. Please visit https://WeAreRetail.IRMA.org/.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Cook County, state officials warn of crisis months before Medicaid changes. Crain’s…
- The state has already notified those who could lose coverage. Of those 700,000, a recent report estimates up to 400,000 people could end up losing coverage. Half of those 400,000 come from Cook County, county officials said yesterday. - The task of warning people is daunting, said Dr. Erik Mikaitis, CEO of Cook County Health, because a recent survey indicates half of Medicaid enrollees in Illinois do not know Medicaid work requirements are soon to be in place and some 80% do not know they need to re-enroll in the program every six months. * At 12 pm, Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver remarks at the Illinois Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Luncheon. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s Illinois Supreme Court coverage can be found here. * Daily Herald | Idaho authorities say they have a new lead on the Tylenol murders. Illinois investigators are skeptical: “The reliance on psychological profiles to prove a crime is no more reliable than the reliance of tarot cards or seeing how chicken bones line up in the dirt,” said former federal prosecutor Jeremy Margolis, who was a key player in the original task force in 1982. […] Tim Cooper, a detective with the Ada County sheriff’s office, said he reopened the “Unknown Wanderer” case in 2019 after a member of the Sacred Heart church approached him. He combed through 17,000 missing person records but it was an engraved key located with the man’s belongings that finally helped crack the case, he said. * WBEZ | Great Lakes senators call on Trump to stop delaying invasive carp barrier: Five senators from Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin are calling for a meeting to discuss the repeated pauses around the Brandon Road Interbasin Project and “steps the administration will take to ensure the project is completed as quickly as possible,” according to a new letter addressed to D. Lee Forsgren, acting assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works. […] While that most recent stop-work order was lifted this month, legislators wrote that the delays are increasing the already hefty price tag of the project. Illinois and Michigan are contributing $50 million and $64 million respectively. * WTTW | Judge Sets Hearing Date as ‘Broadview Six’ Want Further Investigation Into Prosecutors’ Misconduct Allegations: A federal judge will hear oral arguments and could rule as early as next week on a request from the former “Broadview Six” defendants as they seek a special prosecutor to investigate potential wrongdoing that led to the collapse of the high-profile case against them earlier this year. U.S. District Judge April Perry set a hearing for Oct. 1 to hear arguments both from attorneys for the six former defendants, as well as federal prosecutors within Chicago’s U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros’ office. * Center Square | AG candidates differ over Court’s mail-in ballot ruling: Raoul said after the Supreme Court ruling that the decision was a victory for voters and the rule of law. He argued that states did not have time to completely change their mail-ballot procedures and described the Postal Service rule as unlawful. “The courts have recognized that states do not have the time to completely overhaul their mail-in ballot procedures to comply with a Postal Service rule that is unlawful in the first place,” Raoul said. Fioretti said he disagrees with Raoul’s position and believes federal standards could provide greater consistency among states. * Politico | The Bailey-Dabrowski divide deepens: Dabrowski’s launched a nonprofit called, which he described in an email to followers as being “dedicated to championing grassroots pressure against the failed policies” of Illinois. A “donate” button directs contributions to his home address. […] In an interview, Dabrowski, the former president of research nonprofit Wirepoints, defended the move, saying his website has information that can be helpful to any voter ahead of the election and that he hasn’t decided what to do in 2030. “Darren Bailey and any other reform campaign in Illinois can use this app for free immediately,” he said, referring to a feature on the site that shares his data and research. “It’s the best contribution I can make to those looking to bring change in time for November.” * Crain’s | Pressure builds on Amtrak, Ishbia as aldermen call for hearing on Bridgeport plans: A resolution introduced today at City Council by Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th, and 36 of her 50 colleagues opposes the proposal “in its current form and location” and calls for a hearing in the Committee on Transportation & the Public Way. The call for a hearing comes after weeks of pushback to the proposal from Lee, Cook County Commissioner John Daley, other local politicians and Bridgeport residents. But Amtrak does not appear to need zoning or other approval from City Council and has stated its intent to invoke federal exemptions to build a new $900 million maintenance facility between 33rd and 35th streets near Rate Field. * Sun-Times | Mayoral allies stall measure that would make it harder for city to take on more debt: Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), the Council’s most senior member, proposed a reduced starting salary of $120,000 for newly elected alderpersons. Right now, 29 alderpersons get salaries of $155,688 a year, while those who opted out of cost-of-living raises are paid $142,776 a year. * Crain’s | Civic Committee sounds alarm on city finances ahead of budget: The Civic Committee, an arm of the civic group the Commercial Club of Chicago, says in a new report the city is drowning in pension debt and needs to reduce borrowing and cut payroll and pension costs. […] “Between 2019 and 2025, Chicago’s budget grew 40%, at an annualized rate of 5.8%, more than twice the growth rate of peer cities nationwide. That growth has been driven almost entirely by fixed legacy obligations and personnel costs: Pensions and debt service now consume 37% of the fiscal year 2026 non-grant budget, and personnel costs account for 42%, crowding out investment in housing, transportation, public health and public safety.” * Chalkbeat Chicago, WBEZ | Chicago School Board member Jessica Biggs faces scrutiny over 2018 firing as she runs for president’s seat: A close Chalkbeat and WBEZ review of the 2018 district inspector general’s report, CPS data, and all available court records, including transcripts, and interviews with at least a dozen district officials, educators, experts, and others show a more nuanced picture: At Biggs’ direction, Burke staff improperly marked students tardy when they arrived late enough that they should have been flagged as absent for half the day. An uptick in the school’s attendance rate under Biggs helped improve a high-stakes rating given to the school at the time. But the inspector general’s report does not lay out a full-blown conspiracy to cheat, and it’s hard to say how much of the attendance bump came from mislabeling students versus a concerted effort to get kids to school. The watchdog recommended that Biggs be disciplined, but did not suggest she be fired. * WGN | Chicago Teachers Union admits they’re targeting billionaire donor Michael Sacks with paid social media posts: In an interview with WGN Political Editor Tahman Bradley, CTU Vice President Jackson Potter acknowledged the union is paying influencers to advance their political message. “This is the new media system,” Potter said. “This is how people are communicating nowadays.” A spokeswoman for Michael Sacks says he doesn’t use influencers. In response to Potter’s comments, the spokeswoman said, “A lie is halfway around the world before the truth can put its pants on in the morning. The tactics of CTU leaders may explain why SEIU and the Chicago Federation of Labor are with Jessica Biggs, not CTU political director Hilario Dominguez.” * Block Club | Chicago School Board Election 2026 Voter Guide: Chicago’s first-ever citywide race for school board president has all the makings of a political drama: millions in campaign contributions, special-interest group endorsements, and a candidate bowing out midstream. As 30 years of mayoral control ends, the person elected to this powerful position will work with 20 other members to set a vision and goals for CPS for the next four years. * AP | US citizen injured in Illinois after ICE agents mistook him for fugitive and tried to arrest him: Ryan Garton, 56, told The Associated Press that he saw the agents pinning down the man, who was Black, on the side of the road as he was driving home. He pulled over to document what was happening on video. One agent had his knee on the man’s back and was “beating up on him,” Garton told the AP. “I’m a citizen, leave me alone,” Garton said the man screamed as the agent pinned him down. Around five people stood nearby, and yelled at the agent to stop. […] The man told Garton that he had been walking to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription when the agents stopped him. […] Lipson said the agents checked cards and papers from the man’s wallet before leaving them scattered on the road. Lipson laid out his sweatshirt for the man to rest on while Garton inspected his injuries. * Daily Herald | Naperville police officer used Flock technology to stalk people, records show: According to the documents obtained in the FOIA request, Maldonado began using Flock to track the woman and her ex-fiance shortly after entering into a relationship with the woman. […] Kalkanis disputes the claim that Maldonado’s actions rise to the level of official misconduct due to a lack of state legislative clarity regarding Flock misuse. “This is Illinois case law, and it is very clear that it is not breaking the law using Flock right now. … There is no law to have been broken. Maybe a violation of an employee manual but I think that’s about as far as it can go,” Kalkanis said. * Daily Herald | $710 million DuPage County budget proposal includes money for first-time homebuyers, rental assistance: Conroy on Tuesday presented her $710.7 million spending plan, which calls for DuPage’s property tax levy to be $71.9 million. The levy would capture new construction without raising the property tax rate. The owner of a home valued at $350,000 would pay roughly $131 in property taxes to the county government. * KFVS | State’s Attorney: IDHS delays Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center closure plans: Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp shared the Illinois Department of Human Services’ update on their plan to close psychiatric hospital beds at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center. Tripp said IDHS extended the planned removal date of services from March 2027 to June 2027. IDHS gave the notice on September 22. * WCIA | Springfield School District facing tough decisions amid nearly $11M deficit: Illinois has gradually cut reimbursement money for transportation and special education transportation, so the district also has about $3 million less than what they hoped for. According to the Director of Business Services, Steve Miller, the district had believed transportation would be reimbursed at 80% from the state. Miller said that has been prorated for the last couple of years, and instead of an 80% reimbursement, the district will get 68% back for the cost of general education and 54% back for the cost of special education transportation. * Illinois Times | Sangamon County Mental Health Board picks executive director: Dr. Tatyana Gardner grew up on the city’s east side and currently serves as the director of health initiatives for the Springfield Urban League. In that role, she managed several programs including those focused on addressing mental health, substance abuse prevention and mobile health, according to a written statement. […] Gardner told Illinois Times one of her strengths she brings to the board is her experience providing “fiscal oversight, transparency and accountability” in overseeing grants and budgets. * WGLT | Water Reclamation District OKs police drone docking at Bloomington treatment plants: “They have been absolutely great,” he said. “I didn’t really realize this, but it makes perfect sense, that they already use drones to inspect their sites.” The goal is to fully implement dock drones as part of BPD operations sometime this year. * AP | OpenAI flags concerning new AI behavior and vows to track it more closely: The AI company also said Wednesday it was introducing a new framework for tracking, probing and disclosing instances of what it called “misalignment,” including cases where AI models acted without authorization, coordinated with other models or evaded oversight. OpenAI’s latest announcement came as U.S. AI bosses, including the leaders of OpenAI and Anthropic, are calling for a slowdown in the technology’s development over safety concerns. * Votebeat Texas | Unknown number of Texas voter registrations went unprocessed due to DPS error: DPS failed to send the applications, which were submitted by voters through its online driver’s license portal, to county voter registrars for processing, according to an email sent to county officials and provided to Votebeat. The state confirmed to Votebeat that it would begin delivering the unsent registrations to county officials overnight. * MediaIte | JD Vance Outed as Anonymous Source Behind Story Trump Used to Justify Banning Politico: Report: Among the stories highlighted was a June report on negotiations to end the war in Iran, which relied on comments from an unnamed “senior administration official” who estimated the chances of reaching a preliminary agreement at between 80 and 85 percent. But according to the Post, the comments did not come from an unauthorized leak. They were made during an official press call, hosted by the White House itself, in which the administration required participating journalists to identify the speaker only as a “senior administration official.” Now, Status has identified that official as Vance. * AP | Iowa judge dismisses Trump’s lawsuit against Des Moines Register and pollster: Calling the case extraordinary, Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie said that allowing the lawsuit and its “faulty” claims to proceed could have a chilling effect that “can discourage others from reporting on and debating public affairs.” He sided with pollster J. Ann Selzer and the newspaper, who described the lawsuit as a conspiracy theory and an affront to free speech protections.
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Good morning!
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Hot Tuna, Bobby Weir and Maria Muldaur cover Bob… Well, I try my best to be just like I am This is an Illinois politics open thread.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (live updates)
Thursday, Sep 24, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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