* ICYMI: Illinois officials say the state is mostly insulated from Trump’s election threats. Capitol News Illinois…

- Illinois election officials and community leaders say they are confident the state is mostly insulated from the Trump administration’s aggressive moves and heated rhetoric on election administration as Illinois’ March 17 primary approaches.
- Republican county clerks said that while they weren’t fazed by President Donald Trump’s messaging or proposed changes to voting laws, they are concerned about how federal cuts to cybersecurity initiatives could affect future elections in the state.
- Late last month, the FBI led a call with state election officials from across the country, including Illinois, to discuss the upcoming election. During the call, federal officials reportedly tried to assuage concerns of the prospect of a federal presence at voting locations.

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* At 2:15 pm, Governor Pritzker will join local officials to assesses storm damage in Kankakee County. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* ABC Chicago | Governor JB Pritzker to visit Kankakee Co. as tornado damage cleanup continues: There’s been an overwhelming show of support for people impacted by the storm with a Red Cross shelter stationed at the Kankakee Community College. Resources are also available at Grace Baptist Church, which will open at 8 a.m., according to their Facebook page, for people in need of food, water and other supplies for cleanup

* Daily Herald | Developer withdraws application for controversial Lisle data center: Berry, who lives in a subdivision near the Lockformer property, helped organize residents opposed to the data center proposal. “Our stance was we’re not against data centers, we just don’t want them 150 feet from our homes,” she said. Berry said she plans to work with residents to ask the village board to impose a moratorium on any new data centers until the state provides further guidance and more research can be done.

* Tribune | Gargantuan hail, destructive tornadoes: Climate change making Illinois storms more severe: “I told somebody yesterday that I had the record-breaking hail for about five minutes until somebody else broke it,” said the Northern Illinois University professor, who has been researching hail for over a decade. “Once it gets that big, we call it gargantuan. And that’s, like, a scientific term: gargantuan hail.” […] “It is exceptional to get that large of hail (this) far east,” Gensini said. “We do see a lot of hail like that every year, in Texas and Oklahoma and Kansas. To get it in Illinois, you have to have a perfect setup. And we definitely had that yesterday.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Michael Frerichs and Harold Pollack | More Illinoisans with disabilities can now save and invest: In 2014, President Barack Obama signed the landmark Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE). The law allowed people with disabilities and their families to save without running afoul of a $2,000 federal asset limit. They can accumulate up to $100,000 in an ABLE account, contributing up to $20,000 a year, without endangering their Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. The accounts, however, were only available to people who became disabled before age 26. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act that took effect this year could help an estimated 6 million Americans who acquired their disability before turning 46. About 250,000 disabled Illinois residents are now eligible for ABLE accounts, allowing them to save and invest to increase independence and improve quality of life.

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker administration launches new down payment assistance program: The Illinois Housing Development Authority program, dubbed Access Home, would combine a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage with up to $15,000 in assistance for existing and new-construction homes. The assistance is provided as a zero-interest silent second mortgage with repayment deferred for up to 30 years unless the home is sold or refinanced earlier.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Ald. Nugent pushes to freeze the phase-out of Chicago’s subminimum wage for tipped workers: At next week’s City Council meeting, Far Northwest Side Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th) plans to use a parliamentary maneuver to resurrect a stalled proposal that would freeze the subminimum wage at 24% of the $16.60 minimum wage paid to hourly Chicago workers who do not receive tips. Without the freeze, tipped workers now paid $12.62 an hour would receive a raise to 16% of Chicago’s minimum wage. That amount is re-set every July 1.

* WTTW | Protesters Disrupt Park District Board Meeting as Tensions Flare Over Looming Encampment Closure: The Legion Park encampment, primarily centered in North Park on the channel’s west side, has become a flash point for several reasons including numerous fires caused by propane tanks in tents. The park’s configuration has also caused tents to be wedged in a narrow strip between the channel’s banks and a residential street. For months, people who live near the encampment have raised safety concerns at Park District board meetings and requested housing for the people living in tents. Meanwhile, advocates for the unhoused have lobbied the Park District for expanded encampment services within parks, including access to electricity, showers and restrooms, as well as an area for cooking.

* Block Club Chicago | What To Know Before Sunday’s 48th South Side Irish Parade: Leading the march will be this year’s grand marshal, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and the parade honoree, St. Christina Parish in Mount Greenwood. The grand marshal and parade honoree are chosen each year by the parade committee to highlight and honor two organizations making an impact on the community.

* Daily Herald | O’Hare and Midway so far avoiding TSA delays plaguing airports elsewhere: Flyers at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport spent hours in checkpoint lines over the weekend with U.S. Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages. “Passengers should arrive four to five hours before their flight to allow for extra time for TSA screening,” Hobby officials announced on X Sunday amid lines that snaked outside the airport building. “TSA wait times could exceed 180 minutes.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Crete Village Board annexes property for construction of 2,400-acre solar farm: The Crete Village Board voted Monday on approvals to allow the construction of a 2,400-acre solar farm that will span parts of the village and unincorporated Will County, despite strong backlash from residents. Earthrise Energy, based in Arlington, Virginia, operates a natural gas plant in Crete and plans to use that infrastructure to connect to the electric grid and provide solar power to an estimated 50,000 households in Illinois. Following approvals at the county level, the company expects to begin construction in the Plum Valley area later this year and connect to the power grid in 2028.

* Daily Herald | Elk Grove Village tightens short-term rental rules: Elk Grove Village has tightened its restrictions on short-term rentals, extending its required minimum length of stay at a residence from 30 to 90 days. […] “We thought by getting 90, you get a more stability factor,” Mayor Craig Johnson said Wednesday. “It’s not kids renting it for parties. It’s truly some serious renters there.”

* The Hill | Former embattled Democratic mayor in Illinois running as GOP candidate in Georgia: [Tiffany Henyard] lost reelection bids in Illinois for mayor and township supervisor. Two days after losing her mayoral bid in 2025, she registered to vote in Georgia, according to WGN 9. Her campaign in Georgia may be short-lived, as county records show she hasn’t lived in the area for more than a year, which is a requirement for candidacy.

* Daily Herald | Kane sheriff GOP candidates differ on need for laboratory, accreditation: Russell worked for the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 20 years, then was coroner from 2012 to 2024. He works for Harper College police and the Hampshire Police Department. Russell said the office should seek accreditation from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. The work to be accredited could improve the office and provide proof to the county board why the sheriff’s office needs the money it requests, he said.

*** Downstate ***

* ABC Chicago | Kankakee County cleans up damage left by EF-3 tornado, record-breaking hail; several injured: One tornado lasted nearly 90 minutes, starting at 6:18 pm. and ending around 7:39 p.m. It tracked nearly 40 miles, starting near Aroma Park and ending near De Motte, Indiana. The tornado that ripped through Aroma Park had 115 mile-per-hour winds, making it an EF-3, the National Weather Service said.

* IPM News | The primary election is during U of I’s spring break. Some students are working to increase turnout: U of I junior Carter Wood, who chairs the Illini Democrats “Get Out the Vote” effort, said that while it’s unfortunate timing, they’re doing what they can to increase voter turnout among students. “It is frustrating because normally Election Day is the most kind of glamorous time to go out and vote — you get your sticker, everyone’s talking about it and whatnot,” Wood said. “We want to make sure a lot of students know they could go home and vote as well.”

* WAND | Candidate for Macon Co. Sheriff files lawsuit against current sheriff: Beck filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in the Central District of Illinois, which claims that Root and Chief Deputy Matthew Jedlicka began treating him differently after he told Root that he would run against him in this year’s election. Beck claims in the lawsuit that Root and Jedlicka prevented him from earning a promotion to assistant shift commander in February 2025 and removed him as a field training officer two months later, a position he had served in for over four years.

* WGLT | Economic Development Council head departs, opening door to dialogue on EDC’s future: The head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council has submitted his resignation. Patrick Hoban, who has led the EDC for six years, said on his LinkedIn page that he is transitioning to a job as an economic development manager at Ameren. Hoban cited achievements of the EDC and its team in helping to secure more than $3.6 billion in private investment in the community and thousands of new jobs. He said the EDC advocated for stronger enterprise zone incentives, more housing, and site readiness “that will power McLean County for decades.”

* SJ-R | Hotel near Illinois State Capitol Complex listed for more than $5M : The State House Inn, a trademark collection by Wyndham at 101 E. Adams St., has been on the market since November 2025. The listing on Century 21 Commercial sets the starting price for the 125-room hotel at $5.3 million, or roughly $42,400 per room.