* From a subscriber…

About a quarter mile south of where the pavement is burned to a crisp on 55, a bunch of cars and trucks were pulled off as another dust storm kicked up and made for bad visibility.

Once it settled, we had a bunch of dust clouds out to the west.

Pic from about 1 o’clock this afternoon…

…Adding… Crain’s…

Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has thrown a haymaker punch at the Chicago Bears as they ponder whether to proceed with plans to build a stadium complex in Arlington Heights, moving to raise six-fold the property tax value of the land involved even before any construction occurs.

The move is being appealed to the Cook County Board of Review, a three-person panel that can overrule Kaegi’s decisions. But if the assessment is upheld, it would cost the team roughly an additional $15 million a year in property taxes — a very steep price the NFL franchise would have to pay while it decides whether to develop the former Arlington International Racecourse property.

* Daily Herald…

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is giving the city of Naperville until next Monday to provide further information regarding its local ordinance prohibiting the sale of certain high-powered weapons.

Barrett’s request comes after a Naperville gun shop owner asked her to temporarily halt enforcement of Naperville’s gun ban and Illinois’ similar ban while both are being challenged in lower courts. […]

The National Association for Gun Rights claims in a statement Barrett’s request “indicates interest from the Supreme Court in granting the request for relief.”

“We’re thankful the Supreme Court is taking the Second Amendment rights of Illinoisans seriously,” said Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights. “Any ban on so-called ‘Assault Weapons’ is plainly unconstitutional, and now it is on the city of Naperville to explain the legal justification for their ban. Of course, there isn’t any. The bans were ludicrous from the start, and if Illinois had any sense, they would wave the white flag now and save us all some time.”

* G-PAC…

Today, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC (G-PAC) released the following statement from its CEO and President, Kathleen Sances, in response to reports of gun shops experiencing surges in sales following a judge’s recent decision to place an injunction on Illinois’ assault weapons ban.

“As our country continues to reel from a slew of mass shootings, gun dealers in our state are using a recent court decision to continue to push the gun industry’s agenda of guns everywhere for anyone. Once again, we’re reminded that the gun lobby’s primary goal is to make a profit at every turn – and they’re willing to sacrifice the safety of our communities and families to make it happen.

“Make no mistake, assault weapons only serve one purpose, and that is to kill and injure as many people as possible as quickly as possible. They have no legitimate civilian use, and their accessibility to the public only increases the risk of mass shootings, homicides, and other violent crimes.

“While the gun lobby remains hellbent on turning back the hands of time on Illinois and doing away with critical laws, our people-powered movement of lawmakers, survivors and gun safety advocates is prepared to fight for the future of our state. We have a right to be safe, and we are determined to protect it.”

* Still growing, but a tiny bit slower…

The University of Illinois Flash Index for April 2023 continued to decline from 103.1 in March to 102.9 in April. This suggests growth is slowing, but still positive. Any index value above 100 indicates expansion.

“In the ongoing recession watch, the needle has moved more toward a recession later this year according to many observers.”

GDP for the first quarter slowed to 1.1% accompanied by many reports of layoffs in the formerly hot tech sector. However, the unemployment rate continues its robust performance with both the Illinois and national rates falling one-tenth of a percentage point. These rates remain near the post-WWII low.

The three main components of the Index (individual income, corporate, and sales tax receipts) were all down in inflation-adjusted terms from April 2022. Individual income tax revenues fell the most compared to the strong receipts in the April 2022 filing period.

* Gov. Pritzker has been doing this same thing a lot lately…

President Biden is flipping the script on Republicans by casting himself as the protector of “freedom,” going on offense by using a word and concept conservatives have frequently cited to push back on the president and his party.

Biden’s campaign launch video was titled “Freedom,” and he referenced “freedom” or “freedoms” six times over the course of the clip. The campaign’s first official ad used those words seven times.

* No news yet today…

ComEd Bribery Trial Update⤵️

We are at Dirksen for day 5 of ComEd jury deliberations

We haven’t heard a question from the jury since yesterday morning@cbschicago pic.twitter.com/QClu6E0eo6

— Tara Molina (@TaraMolinaTV) May 2, 2023

Keep an eye on the live coverage post for quick updates.

* Press release…

Following the news that Dr. Cristina Pacione-Zayas will leave the Illinois State Senate to join the administration of mayor-elect Brandon Johnson as his First Deputy Chief of Staff, six northwest-side grassroots, independent political organizations have come together to host a “People’s Appointment” process for the pending vacancy in the 20th State Senate District.

The People’s Appointment process will ensure that 20th State Senate District residents vet applicants for the Senate vacancy in an open, transparent, and democratic process. Upon Senator Pacione-Zayas’s resignation, 20th State Senate District Ward Democratic committeepeople will have 30 days to fill the vacancy via a weighted vote. 1st Ward Democratic Committeeman Daniel La Spata and 35th Ward Democratic Committeeman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa have already committed to participate in the People’s Appointment process and abide by the results.

“Illinois’ 20th State Senate District is one of the most progressive districts in the nation,” said Cesareo Moreno, a leader with United Neighbors of the 35th Ward, “our community will not accept an insider selected behind closed doors. The People’s Appointment process will democratically identify a candidate our community and our Democratic committeepeople can proudly support.”

The community groups convening and supporting the People’s Appointment are United Neighbors of the 35th Ward, 1st Ward United, 33rd Ward Working Families, United Northwest Side, 30th United, and 39th Ward Neighbors United. 20th State Senate residents interested in the process can sign up at: https://www.tinyurl.com/20thAppointment. All Democratic committeepeople in the district are invited to participate in this open and democratic process.

…Adding… DPI…

On Saturday, members of the Democratic State Central Committee voted to approve the Democratic Party of Illinois’ Delegate Selection Plan for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Illinois will use a proportional representation system based on the results of the March 19, 2024 Primary Election for apportioning district level delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Participation in the state’s delegate selection process is open to all voters who wish to participate as Democrats.

Prior to its passage, the plan was publicized and open for public comment for 30 days and was reviewed during a convening of the appointed Affirmative Action and Inclusion Committee where members discussed strategies for achieving outreach and inclusion goals. The plan includes educational and informational materials and programming that will commence in September to ensure the delegation is representative of the demographic diversity across Illinois. Diversity is a high priority of the Democratic Party of Illinois, and for this reason, DPI has increased delegate representation goals across historically underrepresented constituencies by 15% over National Party recommendations. To achieve those goals, DPI will hold educational workshops in each delegate district beginning September 2023 open to all Democratic voters. […]

The approved Illinois Delegate Selection Plan is being submitted to the Democratic National Committee for review by the Rules and Bylaws Committee for final adoption.

* Perhaps the dumbest “both sides” argument I’ve seen in a while…

I’m 100 percent certain that Colonel McCormick loved paid advertising…

Under his direction the Chicago Tribune achieved the largest circulation among American standard-sized newspapers and led the world in newspaper advertising revenue.

* I texted Jim Edgar yesterday to “inform” the former governor that a hair style had been named after him…

Picture a bowl cut but with the bangs straight across — and the sides shaved clean.

It’s called The Edgar, and it has gained widespread popularity among Gen-Z Latinos in recent years.

The owner of a barbershop on the Southwest Side says kids request the somewhat divisive haircut with Mexican and Indigenous roots on a near-daily basis.

First popularized in border states such as California, New Mexico and Texas, the haircut has become a viral meme on social media during the pandemic.

In classic Edgar style, he wondered how much the haircut costs.

* Isabel’s roundup…

* WGN | 6 deaths in Illinois dust storm, police need help identifying 2 victims: Of the victims who died, ISP is working to identify two other adults. Police have not disclosed the genders or possible ages of those victims. However, one victim was found inside a blue Chrysler 300, while the other was found inside an unknown-colored Hyundai.

* Sun-Times | Authorities ask for public’s help identifying 2 of the 6 people who died in massive pile-up on I-55 during blinding windstorm: One victim has been positively identified, 88-year-old Shirley Harper of Franklin, Wis. Three others have been tentatively identified and their names have not been released yet.

* Tribune | Fred Waller, a former chief in CPD, expected to be named interim superintendent this week: Waller, 61, retired in August 2020 after spending 34 years in CPD, climbing the ranks from patrol officer to district commander to, ultimately, chief of patrol, the third-highest rank in the department. Waller’s return could be announced as soon as Wednesday, according to the source. The terms of Waller’s agreement with the city were not immediately known and police did not immediately comment.

* Block Club | Lightfoot Plans To Turn Old South Shore High School Into Migrant Shelter As More Buses Arrive: The plan comes after the city’s short-notice rollout of a migrant shelter in neighboring Woodlawn sparked months of outrage. Officials will host a meeting on the plan Thursday.

* Press release | Gov. Pritzker Announces Ten Appointments to Boards and Commissions: James Connolly will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.* Connolly has a long history working in organized labor. […] Jacqueline Gomez will continue to serve as a Member of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority.* Gomez currently serves as the Director of Supplier and Workforce Diversity at the Obama Foundation, where she is responsible for the implementation and management of the Foundation’s diversity and inclusion programming.

* Sun-Times | Gun possession arrests doubled in Chicago, but shootings remained high — and unsolved: The Marshall Project’s year-long investigation found that arrests for gun possession — the vast majority involving young Black men — have grown to their highest level in decades. But violent crimes involving guns continued to jump, with few arrests in those cases.

* Block Club | South Side Group Wants To Beef Up Teen Programs After Youth Gatherings Downtown Turned Violent: The Support Group has helped thousands of Chicago teens through entrepreneur camps, basketball clinics and work opportunities. “More funding needs to come to our communities for programs like this,” its founder said.

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan, Shields townships approve cooperation pact; ‘This is an unprecedented agreement’: The Waukegan Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved an agreement with Shields Township Thursday in Waukegan, a day after the Shields Township trustees approved the same pact, making services available to Shields residents in Waukegan.

* Crain’s | Uihleins spread their money beyond Illinois: In all, the Uihleins gave nearly $7 million in total during the first quarter of 2023, with $5.5 million of that going to the Club for Growth Action PAC which supports Republican candidates in U.S. Congress.

* WAND | Gun sellers deal with whiplash from Illinois gun ban rulings: Raymond McAfee, owner of The Piggy Bank Pawn and Guns, said within minutes of the injunction, customers were calling with questions about the new ruling. Many wanted to pawn guns they were holding on to or purchase guns that were regulated after the law was passed in January.

* Crain’s | Chicago’s $1 billion water deal shows Great Lakes wealth: Chicago has just signed a contract valued at $1 billion to sell its water elsewhere — the first such deal in 40 years — and the city expects more to come. Illinois is also launching a federally funded plan to expand its $17 billion “Blue Economy” to lure companies from water-intensive chip manufacturers to climate-tech startups.

* Block Club | Dying Oak Tree Older Than City Of Chicago Removed From Lincoln Park Zoo: ‘It’s Emotional’: The bur oak tree is estimated to be 250-300 years old, but a more accurate estimate will be available once arborists have a chance to count its rings.

* WBEZ | Note to NYC: Chicago already has a rat czar, and her name is Josie Cruz: Orkin, a pest control company based in Atlanta, has named Chicago the “rattiest” city in the country eight years running in an annual list based on the number of service calls it receives.

* My Radio Link | Illinois State Fair to Host 100 Days Out Kickoff Party: The event will feature some of your favorite fair foods and drinks. State Fair favorites such as Mr. Ribeye, Coleman Concessions, Wafflelicious, and Illinois Wine will be on hand to sell fairgoers their favorite fair-food concoctions.

* The Marshall Project | Why Inflation Price Hikes Are Even Worse Behind Bars: A jar of peanut butter, for example, now costs between 25% and 35% more across the state prisons. In the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, the price of peanut butter increased 61 cents, even though the portion size decreased by 2 ounces. Soap is more expensive, too. Incarcerated people could be paying between 4% and 80% more per bar, depending on where they’re imprisoned. In Illinois state prisons, the cost of a pack of instant ramen now costs 32 cents — a 68% increase from the year before.

* Sun-Times | Linda Lenz, kept generations of Chicago Public Schools parents informed through her nonprofit publication Catalyst, dead at 77: “What she really emphasized was that education reporting should be about school improvement and the interests of students with a focus on the nitty-gritty, like principal turnover and curriculum development,” said WBEZ education reporter Sarah Karp, who formerly worked at Catalyst.

* Sun-Times | White Sox calling up Billy Hamilton from Charlotte: The struggling White Sox will welcome the return of shortstop Tim Anderson, as well as infielder Hanser Alberto, from the injured list before they open a three-game series against the American League Central leading Minnesota Twins Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.