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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* Semafor | How a profane anti-Trump ad helped Stratton break through: “The wording was our way of capturing voter sentiment. Our opponent had been on air for eight and a half months before we were about to go up for the first time. How are you going to break through quickly? There is this large, empty lane for where the energy is in the Democratic Party.” * Press release | Former IEA President Reginald “Reg” Weaver, trailblazer for collective bargaining rights in Illinois, passes away at 86: Reginald “Reg” Weaver died Tuesday at age 86. Weaver was a lifelong educator and organizer who served as president of the Illinois Education Association from 1981 to 1987 and led the battle to ensure collective bargaining rights for Illinois educators. Weaver, who also spent 30 years as a teacher in the Harvey school system, was the first Black person to be elected president of the IEA. After his tenure at IEA, he went on to become the president of the National Education Association, from 2002 to 2008, and later went on to serve in the leadership of Education International, an organization representing 29 million teachers and education workers in 169 countries. * Tribune | Frankfort man charged with threatening Gov. JB Pritzker pleads to misdemeanor charge: A 71-year-old Frankfort man pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor phone harassment charges stemming from an Illinois State Police investigation of numerous voicemail threats to Gov. JB Pritzker’s office March 3. Timothy Shemitis was sentenced to 24 months of court supervision, fees and fines totaling to $525 and an anger management program, meaning a conviction will not be entered if he completes the supervision successfully, according to Will County court records. * WSIL | Illinois Flags to Fly at Half-Staff Honoring Fallen Chicago Firefighter: In a proclamation issued by Gov. JB Pritzker, the state will lower flags from sunrise Wednesday, March 25, through sunset Friday, March 27, 2026, to remember Firefighter/EMT Michael Altman of the Chicago Fire Department. Altman, 32, died on Tuesday, March 17, while serving his community. According to the proclamation, he had been with the department for nearly two years and was recognized as a dedicated and passionate public servant. * Sun-Times | Human Relations Commissioner Andrade resigns after concerns antisemitism report draft was ‘whitewashed’: Human Relations Commission member Dan Goldwin said the report triggered by a 58% rise in reported anti-Jewish hate crimes from 2023 to 2024 was completed and focused solely on the surge in incidents of antisemitism in Chicago — and what to do about it. But when the report was forwarded to the mayor’s office in November, a consultant was hired to alter the report and turn it into a broader document on all hate incidents, Goldwin said. “The mayor’s office sent back an edit of it that completely whitewashed it… They had just crossed off anything that had to do with anti-Jewish hate crime and just made it an all-lives matter” report, said Goldwin, who also serves as chief public affairs officer for the Jewish United Fund. * Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson vetoes plan to freeze subminimum wage for tipped workers: Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday used his third veto to bury an ordinance that would have frozen the hourly pay of Chicago’s tipped workers at 76% of the minimum wage, and he’s likely to make it stick unless there’s a compromise to give struggling restaurants a short break. […] Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia is targeting nine alderpersons who voted against the freeze despite having heavy concentrations of restaurants in their wards, in hopes of convincing at least four of them to change their votes and override the mayor’s veto. * Block Club | An AI School, With No Teachers, To Open in Chicago This Fall: Alpha Schools will open this fall at 350 E. South Water St. The school will serve 100 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, with plans to expand in the future, Price said in an interview. With tuition of $55,000 a year, it will be one of the most expensive private schools in Chicago. * Sun-Times | Cook County state’s attorney’s office training new prosecutor task force to focus on CTA crimes: A new internal transit crime task force will train more than 30 prosecutors and provide guidance on seeking court orders to restrict defendants from accessing parts of the CTA, according to State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office. The prosecutors will receive enhanced training on CTA video evidence, serve as liaisons with Chicago police and CTA on transit-related cases, and track data on transit crimes. * Crain’s | Chicago Fire buys land for new stadium at the 78 for $69 million: An affiliate of the team paid $69.3 million to buy a parcel of land at 1331 S. Wells St. from developer Related Midwest, according to Illinois property records. The planned 22,000-seat venue will anchor the 78, Related’s 62-acre mega-development in the South Loop. The Fire and Related formally broke ground on the stadium earlier this month, after winning City Council approval for the project in September. The sale of the land to the team was part of the arrangement between the Fire and Related, and the developer will continue to own and develop ancillary uses and buildings around it. * WGN | Route 66 is getting a new starting point in Chicago: On Wednesday, city officials will formally designate Navy Pier as the new symbolic starting point of historic Route 66. Often called the “Mother Road,” Route 66 was one of the first major highways in the United States. Established on Nov. 11, 1926, the highway runs from Chicago to Santa Monica, California, crossing eight states in between.
* Crain’s | South Loop developer lands $83 million construction loan for long-planned Riverline project: The loan is notable in a downtown market where high interest rates, rising construction costs and difficulty attracting institutional investors have stalled many large projects, though a New York developer broke that dry spell last May with a $151 million construction loan for its high-rise project at 370 N. Morgan St. The total costs of CMK’s apartment project at 1010 S. Wells St., or whether the firm has received additional equity to back the development, wasn’t immediately clear. CMK didn’t respond to requests for comment. * ABC Chicago | Chicago weather: Drastic drop in temperatures Thursday; strong storms to bring hail, damaging winds: There could be a shower or thunderstorm overnight, but most areas will stay dry with temperatures dropping into the 50s. On Thursday, the forecast shows the storms will likely arrive to the Chicago area between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. Some storms could be severe with large hail and wind as the main concerns. * Sun-Times | The last man at the shoeshine stand: Forty-dollar shoes. Thousand-dollar shoes. And everything in between. Steve Fullerton has cared for them all, the snap of his buffing rags echoing beneath the vaulted marble ceiling of the Cook County Building for the past 20 years. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat their shoes, says the 57-year-old West Sider. “If you don’t care for your shoes, what other parts of your life aren’t you taking care of?” Fullerton says. “You only live once. God gave you two feet. Be good to them. They take you all over. They walk for you. They help you dance.” * Sun-Times | West Suburban Medical Center closing temporarily as it runs out of cash to pay employees: The hospital’s owner blamed the electronic medical record system for failing to bill for the hospital’s work. The closure comes months after West Suburban’s sister hospital, Weiss Memorial, shuttered in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. * Shaw Local | Will County prosecutors release termination letter on staffer after Illinois Attorney General weighs in: The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office released a termination letter regarding one of its employees after they were found to have violated a state transparency law. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s Office issued a rare binding opinion on Feb. 10 that found State’s Attorney James Glasgow’s Office violated the Freedom of Information Act by improperly withholding the termination letter for Amy Burgett-Masse, 44, of Elwood. Burgett-Masse was a legal secretary for Glasgow’s office who was fired May 23, 2025. She faces charges of official misconduct and aggravated computer tampering. Her daughter, Ryane Burgett-Masse, 20, is also charged with aggravated computer tampering. * Evanston Roundtable | District 65 discusses report projecting $598 million in facilities spending over next 49 years: Board members posed questions to firm co-founder and project executive Patrick Callahan, and Marisa Urbina, the project manager, asking how they should interpret the report’s findings. “This is a tool. This is not a death knell,” Callahan explained. “… This is a set of variables that allows you to make decisions as you look at how students are educated and where they’re educated.” * CBS Chciago | Berwyn homeowners concerned about more flooding with severe storm risk this week: Repeated basement flooding and property damage is leading homeowners in Berwyn to fear every time it rains, with another severe weather threat on the way. Trucks pumping out sewers and catch basins are a necessary sight in the City of Berwyn. Resident Dave Levy said his basement continues to be ravaged by floods on and off over the past five years. He said that he and other homeowners were frightened to learn that there would be more rain in the forecast this week. * Illinois Times | New police chief for Leland Grove: The six members of the City Council unanimously voted to terminate the previous police chief, Dan Ryan, retroactively effective Feb. 24. Ryan, whose license was suspended on March 23, is awaiting trial for DUI. He has also been charged with violating open container laws and improper lane usage along with failure to use a turn signal. Mayor Mary Jo Bangert told Illinois Times after the meeting that she could not comment on the decision to terminate Ryan, due to his pending court case. * WCIA | Is it safe to track your period? U of I law expert collaborating with Cancer Center to establish ‘privacy safe guards’ for users: “From your period, from menopause management, it could be sexual health information, location data, etc. Here, it really depends on where you are living in the US. Unfortunately, so far, fewer than 20 states have comprehensive privacy laws,” Gerke explained. Illinois doesn’t have one yet. However, six bills were recently introduced and are now in committee. Gerke feels there is “some hope” if these are greenlit moving forward. * WAND | No injuries after small fire in Springfield IDFPR building: The Springfield Fire Department responded to a fire in the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation building Wednesday morning. The department told WAND News that firefighters responded to the building around 9:30 a.m. According to the department, there was a small fire in a storage closet on the 7th floor of the building. The fire is out and nobody was hurt. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. * AP | EPA approves sale of higher ethanol fuel to try to lower gas prices: The sale of E15 is typically discontinued in the summer because it can contribute to harmful air pollution. “President Trump is unleashing American Energy Dominance, and today’s action will directly lower prices at the pump and gives a clear demand signal to our domestic biofuels producers,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. The summer waiver for E15 has become commonplace in recent years, and both Republicans and Democrats have called for it to become year-round and permanent to lower prices at the pump. In some states it’s already allowed. * Axios | Mysterious trading patterns follow Trump into war: On Monday, $580 million in oil futures flooded the market in a sudden spike — with no public news to explain it — roughly 16 minutes before Trump announced a pause in strikes on Iranian power plants. On the Friday before the war began, an unusual surge of more than 150 Polymarket accounts placed hundreds of bets predicting a U.S. strike on Iran by the next day, according to a New York Times analysis. On Jan. 2, a trader turned roughly $32,000 into more than $400,000 by betting on the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro before it was announced the next morning.
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Community college baccalaureate bill finally starts moving
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Some context from a column I wrote last year…
A retooled bill was sent to the House Executive Committee this year and it passed on a unanimous roll call this morning. Isabel wrote about the bill for subscribers earlier today. * From Illinois Community College Board Executive Director Brian Durham…
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Economic Security Illinois Action…
* Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl’s HB5236 passed through committee yesterday…
* ACT Now Illinois…
* Rep. Murri Briel…
* The American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois…
* Sen. Linda Holmes…
* More…
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I need a favor
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * A very long time ago, I took a hard look at my miserable life and realized that I had to somehow, finally find a way forward. I knew I could write, so I came up with a two-part plan. Part One was writing freelance stories for the Illinois Times in Springfield, where I had contributed a few pieces before. Part Two? Well, I was hoping for the best. Thankfully, it all somehow worked out in the end, but not before I wound up sleeping in a friend’s abandoned basement coal bin while living on $50 a week from the paper. My work has appeared in the IT off and on since 1986, with a string of stories in 1989-90 and then mostly “on” since 1999 via my weekly column and reports from Kosovo and Iraq. Springfield’s alt-weekly newspaper is close to my heart…
Many, many thanks to Bud Farrar (publisher) and Bill Furry (my long-ago editor). Without them, I wouldn’t be writing this today for you. * Please do me and the entire state a favor and click here to contribute. Thanks!
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Credit Unions: A Model Built For People, Not Profit
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] When you visit a credit union, you will see firsthand what makes our model fundamentally different from traditional banks. As Audrey Holocker, Branch Manager at Financial Plus Credit Union in Mendota, IL, often explains to new members, “I don’t know if you know the difference between a credit union and a bank…” — but that difference has a real impact. Banks operate with paid boards and profit-driven goals. Credit unions do not. “Credit unions are nonprofit. We’re here to serve you,” Audrey explains. When someone joins, they’re not just opening an account — “you become an owner of the credit union, and this is part of you.” That ownership structure means every dollar earned is reinvested into member value: lower loan rates, higher returns on savings, and fewer fees. As Audrey states, “What we make, we put back into the credit union to save you money.” This model supports financial stability, expands access to fair credit, and strengthens local economies. It’s why so many credit union employees like Audrey feel deeply connected to this mission. “I’m part of the movement… and I’m very proud to be a credit union member and employee.” Learn more at https://betterforillinois.org/ Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
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Thread! (Updated)
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. The Tribune editorial board allowed a person who would not answer a Tribune reporter’s legitimate questions an opportunity to write his own op-ed, and that’s not sitting well with said Tribune reporter…
* More from the thread…
Discuss. …Adding… To Jake’s claim that the crypto-backed Fairshake spent just $3.3 million is rightly challenged by a commenter…
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340B Hospitals Support Transparency Requirements – Pass HB 2371 SA 2 To Support Patients
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Legislation to protect 340B, House Bill 2371 SA 2, contains NEW transparency requirements that Illinois hospitals agree with. Reporting and audits—from patient data to charity care—are normal activities in hospitals. Ensuring 340B program integrity is no exception. Illinois hospitals consider the federal 340B program a critical resource that helps provide lifesaving medications and critical healthcare services to low-income and uninsured patients. Hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) invest savings from 340B discounted drugs into health services benefiting underserved communities. Many patients in Illinois need 340B to survive. The hospitals need it too, as they expect to lose up to $57 billion in federal Medicaid funding over the next decade. The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regularly audits 340B providers to verify program eligibility, internal controls and compliance. HRSA audits apply to drug manufacturers as well. They include determining “that the manufacturer provided 340B drugs at or below the 340B ceiling price to participating covered entities.” Yet drugmakers have been arbitrarily limiting hospitals and FQHCs to just one contract pharmacy. HB 2371 SA 2 strengthens transparency and accountability while protecting the care communities rely on, proving that Illinois hospitals support oversight and stand firmly behind supporting their patients so they can live healthier lives. Stand with patients, hospitals and FQHCs—Pass HB 2371 at NO cost to taxpayers and with NO needed budget appropriation. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Estate tax reform ‘something that I could support,’ Pritzker says. Capitol News Illinois…
- “And so if we can put together a package that makes sense… then I do think it’s something that I could support as long as it includes the kind of tax break that I think is appropriate to preserving small farms and small businesses,” he said. - State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, the House sponsor, told us she’s “not quite sure the future of it,” considering the state’s tight revenue picture. She also said talk of a larger estate tax reform in the Senate could complicate things. * At 11:30, Gov. Pritzker will be in Bloomington for a roundtable discussion on advancing his Building Up Illinois Developments initiative. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Sun-Times | Judge orders federal government to unfreeze CTA funding for Red Line extension: U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin granted the CTA’s temporary restraining order against the Department of Transportation, which had frozen the funds since last October while the federal government said it was reviewing CTA contracting practices for race- and sex-based discrimination. The CTA sued the Department of Transportation last week, arguing the funding freeze would soon halt the long-planned Red Line extension to 130th Street, as well as the almost-completed Red-Purple Line Modernization program. The CTA had secured a legal obligation for $2 billion in federal Red Line extension funds shortly before former President Joe Biden left office. * Daily Herald | ‘People are being evicted’: TSA union says shutdown is pushing workers to economic brink: O’Hare International Airport screening times have been relatively normal so far. “You’ve got to remember, O’Hare is a huge airport so there’s tons of employees and tons of checkpoints,” said Christine Vitel, a TSA officer and AFGE executive for Local 777. Also, “officers are coming in because of the fear getting put on us about disciplinary actions,” for absenteeism, she noted. * WAND | Pritzker says Bears megaproject bill is in hands of state legislature: “It is a pretty good deal that’s been put on the table that I think seems to have support broadly by the Bears ownership,” Pritzker said. “So, it really now is in the hands of the House of Representatives and then the Senate to get something done in a timely fashion.” * WAND | Farmers, students celebrate Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day: Over 650 FFA members gathered under the Capitol dome to meet with lawmakers and advocate for state investments. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello said support for the industry continues to grow across the state. However, Costello said everyone must advocate for the year-round sale of E15 and expanding international markets for Illinois soybeans. * WTTW | Johnson Defends Proposal to Give Area Around United Center $55M Tax Break: “This is a project that is going to create thousands of jobs and opportunities for the people across the city, but particularly for development on the West Side,” Johnson said at a City Hall news conference. “This is a clear indication that the city of Chicago remains open for business, but we’re just not for sale.” With the support of 27th Ward Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett, Johnson asked the City Council to make the project eligible for $54.7 million in property tax incentives under Cook County’s Class 7b special assessment. Commercial properties in Cook County are typically taxed based on officials’ calculation of 25% of their value, records show. * WGN | WGN Investigates: ICE’s ‘security theater’ at airports: The armed federal agents lack an airport identification badge required of all other airport personnel, including law enforcement. The photo ID’s are meant, in part, to ensure imposters can’t defeat security measures by simply wearing a police uniform and walking with a gun through a checkpoint. The ICE agents seen at O’Hare don’t wear uniforms beyond a badge on their belt and bulletproof vest with a Velcro patch, signifying their agency. * Sun-Times | Finalist for CPS CEO courted controversy in past jobs, but defenders praise his bold vision: The other is Sito Narcisse, a former leader of Louisiana’s second-largest school district who has been linked to controversies in his previous roles, leading some to question how he made it to be a finalist to lead the third-largest school district in the country with many red flags. His work at times has been polarizing. In Baton Rouge, families sued him and the district over a controversial event he promoted. Early in his career in Boston, Narcisse was criticized for making sweeping changes at the school he led with little or no community input, a concern that would follow him. * WBEZ | CHA Commissioner Debra Parker accused of defrauding the public housing agency: Parker, who has participated in the government’s Housing Choice Voucher housing subsidy program since 2007, currently receives a subsidy to rent a four-bedroom home on the South Side, according to the records. But the decision indicates that Parker and her son — both who are supposed to be living at the South Side home — have actually been living with the commissioner’s fiancé, Charles Bell, in a luxury high-rise in River North. Parker was being picked up from Bell’s residence, and her board materials were being sent there, the hearing officer wrote. * Fox Chicago | Chicago mayor pushes back on claims from fired officials as City Hall shakeup continues: “I can’t speak to why someone makes a claim,” Johnson said. “As I’ve said repeatedly, the women and men who serve the city on the frontline deserve the ultimate respect, which is why I appreciate the work Superintendent [Larry] Snelling as well as [Fire Commissioner Annette] Nance-Holt have done to begin to restore relationships within community around our first responders. There’s no secret there has been some strain in the community, and it’s clear indication we’re moving in the right direction.” * Tribune | Chicago’s human rights commissioner resigns as Mayor Brandon Johnson defends public safety leaders’ firings: Human Relations Commissioner Nancy Andrade will resign effective Wednesday from her role overseeing enforcement of the city’s human rights and fair housing laws, Johnson spokesperson Erin Connelly confirmed Tuesday. Connelly did not offer a reason for the resignation. But Andrade said in a statement that she resigned to uphold the Chicago Commission on Human Relations’ efforts to give hope to those who have experienced hate and justice to people who experienced “the humiliation and trauma of discrimination.” She also said the CCHR is the “civil rights agency for ALL of Chicago. It is my sincere hope that the CCHR and its Board continue to focus on addressing the impact of antisemitism as well as all other forms of discrimination in our city.” * Sun-Times | Johnson says he wasn’t aware Gatewood filed IG complaint against top mayoral aides before firing him: Last week, he was summoned into a meeting with Johnson’s chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas and senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee, and told the Johnson administration was “moving in a different direction.” Gatewood said Tuesday he filed a formal complaint with the inspector general’s office in October that is under investigation. He refused to discuss the nature of those allegations, but sources said the complaint accuses Lee and Pacione-Zayas of improper interference in City Hall’s contracting process. The sources also said Johnson was made aware of those contract interference concerns. * Press release | Gov. Pritzker and Mars Snacking Announce 600 New Jobs, Expansion of Global Headquarters in Chicago: Mars Snacking will open a new North America regional office hub in Chicago’s Fulton Market district, with capacity for more than 1,000 Associates. The Accelerator division will also establish a new global office hub in downtown Chicago, taking over the former Kellanova global and North America headquarters. Together, these moves reinforce Mars Snacking’s long-standing commitment to the Chicago region, where the company supports more than 4,000 Mars Snacking jobs, produces more than 20 iconic brands and anchors the company’s Global Innovation Center – a groundbreaking R&D hub. * WTTW | System Designed to Flag Officers With Multiple Complaints Won’t Be Ready Until 2027, Officials Say: Chicago police brass did not update Mayor Brandon Johnson and three City Council committee chairs about their progress in crafting the system until Feb. 18, two days after WTTW News reported they had failed to comply with a provision in the ordinance that implemented the city’s 2026 budget that requires monthly updates on the long-delayed efforts to craft and implement that system, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request. * CBS Chicago…
* Shaw Local | Ex-prosecutor sues Kane County, state’s attorney; claims firing was whistleblower retaliation: A former Kane County prosecutor is suing State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser and the county, alleging he was fired after exposing what the suit claimed was a common and longstanding practice of “backdating” criminal complaint filings. The whistleblower complaint, filed March 16 by former Kane County prosecutor Eric Walliser, asserts that he was trained by more senior prosecutors “to leave petitions or motions on the clerk’s desk … and the deputy clerk would process and file-stamp the document on the following business day using the prior business day’s date.” * ABC Chicago | 2 charged with vandalizing Arlington Heights Republican office, defacing Charlie Kirk’s image: Officers took Arlington Heights residents 72-year-old Brock McNerney and 69-year-old Moisette McNerney into custody on Monday. […] Arlington Heights police said the vandalism took place at about 11 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 25 with a suspected marker at the Republicans of Wheeling Township Office. Surveillance video from the late evening hours of Jan. 25 shows a couple, a man in glasses and a woman, both dressed in black, drawing explicit words and what ABC7 Chicago has been told were several Nazi symbols over the face of Charlie Kirk on the windows in Arlington Heights. * Landmark | Hernandez takes narrow win in race for Cook County board: Riverside resident Miranda Hernandez has apparently won a tightly contested three-way Democratic primary race for a seat on the Cook County board. Since no Republican or Libertarian has filed to run in the 16th District the 34-year-old Hernandez appears set to join the county board after the November general election. The 16th District includes Riverside and Brookfield and runs from Cicero to Franklin Park and includes a very small slice of the city of Chicago. * Daily Herald | DuPage County approves $4.8 million to help food pantries, ‘Farm to Pantry’ program: DuPage County Board members have approved $4.8 million in funding to continue a fresh produce program for food pantries, to boost a farm-to-pantry pipeline of vegetables and to help the largest of them expand a food distribution hub. The county will provide $2.5 million to support the Loaves & Fishes “Hub 2.0” project. The county will also provide $2 million to the Northern Illinois Food Bank over the next two fiscal years for the purchase and delivery of produce and other commodities to its member pantries. In addition, the board approved the Conservation Foundation’s request for $322,000 over two years for the growth of a “Farm to Pantry” initiative. * Daily Herald | Family of early Schaumburg mayor applauds use of his name for updated municipal campus: The family of Schaumburg’s influential second mayor, Bob Atcher, have expressed their appreciation for the village board’s Tuesday decision to rename the 60-acre municipal campus after him. The unanimous vote of the trustees comes about a year after the demolition of the 52-year-old village hall he had once used, which was renamed the Robert O. Atcher Municipal Center around the time of his 1993 death. * PJ Star | Pekin reviewing real estate contract after scrapping data center: During Monday’s meeting, the council approved a resolution instructing city attorney James Vasselli to review the contract and present a memorandum on the city’s obligations, rights and contingencies by April 8. Vasselli noted that closing on the property sale was contingent on the developer obtaining zoning and site plan approvals, as well as a redevelopment agreement. “No one can site a data center at the property as currently zoned,” he said. “It is not permitted under county law, state law or local law.” * The Southern | Carbondale council discusses homeless meeting aftermath: During public comment, Beth Libby asked whether the city has a plan to address homelessness and whether there was interest in developing a forum to find solutions She suggested getting in touch with representatives from other cities in Illinois to determine what they have found to be effective in addressing the issue “It seems to me that that might be something we could take a look at,” Libby said. “To invite the mayors of some of these communities to see if we could have a joint meeting with the public, the council and our city manager, to see if some of these solutions could be useful in our community.” * IPM News | All top Champaign Unit 4 administrators asked to reapply for their jobs: Even interim superintendent Dan Casillas, who Board President Tony Bruno thanked for “righting the ship” between administrations, will return to the classroom unless he succeeds in winning a spot on the new cabinet. In an interview with the News-Gazette, Ponce said that he wants to create a smaller, more focused cabinet. “Dr. Ponce is the superintendent we have chosen to be here, and we are supporting his experience and his knowledge,” said Board Member Grace Kang. “He brings a wealth of that to the district. We’re supporting his vision, and this is part of his vision.” * WMBD | Free food truck licenses for Downtown Peoria approved by council: Mayor Rita Ali said she received messages from Caterpillar and the U.S. Postal Service to support bringing food trucks back to downtown. “They want these food trucks and I think whatever we can do to incentivize them to return to downtown is going to be good,” she said. 4th District Councilman Andre Allen said when he started working downtown in 2022, he would buy hot dogs from a hot dog cart. The business owner needed to sell 54 hot dogs to make a profit, reported Allen. * WCIA | Fighting-Illini-themed Hilton Hotel in Champaign one step closer to reality: Originally expected to be completed in 2027, “The Graduate” hotel will now be required to be completed by March of 2028. It is set to be built at the intersection of Neil and Hill Streets in downtown Champaign. “We did bump those completion dates to a more realistic timeframe,” said T.J. Blakeman, economic development coordinator. “It’ll continue to add to the vibrancy and the activity that we see in our downtown.” * WMBD | WIRL going off the air at the end of the month: On March 31 at noon, WIRL 1290 AM will no longer be broadcasting a radio frequency, nearly 78 years after it first went on the air. Mike Wild, vice president and general manager of Midwest Communications, the company that oversees the station, said the station just doesn’t have a sustainable following anymore. * WCIA | U of I assisting in IL Soybean Association challenge: The challenge has several state universities making proposals for new products made from soybean oil and soy protein. Helping with the process is the University of Illinois’ Associate Chancellor Kim Kidwell. * Reuters | Meta ordered to pay $375 million in New Mexico trial over child exploitation, user safety claims: In a second phase of the trial in May, Torrez said his office will ask the court to order Meta to make changes to its platforms to protect children and to impose additional financial penalties. […] The jury’s decision capped a six-week trial in Santa Fe. Torrez had accused the company of allowing predators unfettered access to underage users and connecting them with victims, often leading to real-world abuse and human trafficking. * NYT | Gregory Bovino reflects on final days with Border Patrol: ‘I wish I’d caught even more illegal aliens’: Over the past year, Bovino was caught on camera denigrating protesters and encouraging force. At one point, he told agents in Los Angeles to “arrest as many people that touch you as you want.” By the end of his national tour, one official said, Bovino was deliberately seeking out confrontations to get content for social media. Bovino said he had a master plan that was in motion before his exile back to El Centro. It would have neutralized protesters, he said, and made it possible to deport 100 million people. * Road Track | Your Tire Pressure Monitors Are Vulnerable to Easy Tracking, Study Finds: “Most vehicle tracking today uses cameras that need clear visibility and line-of-sight to a car. TPMS tracking is different: tire sensors automatically send radio signals that pass through walls and vehicles, allowing small hidden wireless receivers to capture them without being seen. Because each sensor broadcasts a fixed unique ID, the same car can be recognized repeatedly without reading a license plate,” the study reads. * AP | OpenAI pulls the plug on Sora, the viral AI video app that sparked deepfake concerns: OpenAI was forced to crack down on AI creations of public figures — among them, Michael Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Mister Rogers — doing outlandish things, but only after an outcry from family estates and an actors’ union. Disney, which made a deal with OpenAI last year to bring its characters to Sora, said in a statement Tuesday that it respects “OpenAI’s decision to exit the video generation business and to shift its priorities elsewhere.”
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Mar 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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