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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* IDES | Jobs Up in Most Metro Areas in August: Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eleven metropolitan areas, decreased in two and was unchanged in one for the year ending August 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one.
* WICS | ACLU meets with Springfield Police Department about Pre-Trial Fairness Act: The meeting also gave the police department a chance to explain what new training was involved and how paperwork would be filled out when it comes to citations. […] “People were afraid that the doors to the jail were going to be open and all kinds of violent offenders were going to be released. That’s not the case at all. If a violent offender is arrested we’ll be in contact with the state’s attorney’s office to let them know why we feel the subject needs detained,” Commander Sara Pickford said.
* ABC | Illinois man pleads guilty to trying to burn down planned abortion clinic: Philip J. Buyno of Prophetstown, Illinois, entered the plea Tuesday to a federal charge of attempting to use fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce. Buyno admitted that, on May 20, he brought several containers filled with gasoline with him and used his car to breach the front entrance to a commercial building in Danville to burn it down before it could be used as a reproductive health clinic, prosecutors said.
* Capitol News Illinois | Former Illinois State Police trooper who pleaded guilty in relation to deadly crash postpones hearing: Henry Haupt, a spokesperson for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, said in an email that the hearing had been postponed until Nov. 1 at Mitchell’s request. Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated reckless driving in connection with a crash the day after Thanksgiving in 2007 on Interstate 64 east in St. Clair County. That conviction triggered the revocation of his driver’s license. He has tried five times in the past to have his license reinstated.
* WAND | IDHA grant provides millions in neighborhood revitalization: The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board approved $19 million to support affordable housing and community revitalization efforts across Illinois. The grants are being awarded under the Strong Communities Program (SCP), the initiative will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation, and demolition of abandoned residential properties in their communities.
* WSIL | Perry County Steelworkers could go on strike soon if good faith negotiations don’t resume: Eaton’s final offer consisted of a 4 percent increase in wages over the first year and a 3 1/2 percent increase each of the next two years. It was rather appalling to the membership for what they were asking for,” said Dodds.
* WTTW | Chicago Sues Monsanto for Polluting City’s Air, Water, Soil with Toxic Chemicals: “Monsanto knew for decades that its commercial PCB formulations were highly toxic and would inevitably produce precisely the contamination and human health risks that have occurred, perpetuating the environmental abuse and stark inequities so many of Chicago’s neighborhoods have long suffered from,” Johnson said in a statement.
* Sun-Times | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team will scrap INVEST South/West name, but not its aims: While Johnson’s team is still evaluating the program, they may take “a very different path” toward investing in the South and West sides, and a forthcoming approach won’t be dubbed INVEST South/West, according to Johnson’s Deputy Mayor of Business and Neighborhood Development, Kenya Merritt. […] But Merritt would not say what exactly Johnson’s new approach will look like. When asked what needs to change about the program, Merritt said Johnson wants to see results.
* Crain’s | Chicago-area home prices growing at twice the speed of the nation’s: The median price of homes sold in the nine-county Chicago metro area rose to $339,900 in August, up 9.6% from the same time a year ago, according to data released this morning by Illinois Realtors. Nationally, the median price increased 3.9% to $407,100, according to a separate report from the National Association of Realtors.
* CBS Chicago | No threat found after Chicago area school evacuated over bomb threat: North Shore School District 112 said Red Oak Elementary School was evacuated Thursday morning and students were safely relocated to Sherwood Elementary School, after a call of a bomb threat. Shortly before 10:30 a.m., police and school district officials confirmed a thorough search of the building found no credible threat. The school was set to resume normal operations at 11:30 a.m., with all bus routes running at 11 a.m.
* AP | Biden uses executive power to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps: In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ more than 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires.
* Tribune | Rupert Murdoch, whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down: Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old Australian media magnate whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down as leader of both Fox’s parent company and his News Corp. media holdings. Fox said Thursday that Murdoch would become chairman emeritus of both companies, effective at board meetings in November. His son, Lachlan, will become News Corp. chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp.
* AP | 4 free COVID-19 tests per household will be available Monday — how to get them: Orders can be placed online starting Monday via COVIDtests.gov — and the tests will be delivered for free by the U.S. Postal Service, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
* USA Today | Paying for X? Elon Musk considers charging all users a monthly fee to combat ‘armies of bots’: Musk said X will come out with a “lower-tier pricing” than the existing cost for current X premium subscribers. He did not specify what the pricing could be. “We want it to be a small amount of money,” Musk said. “This is a longer discussion, but in my view, this is actually the only defense against the vast armies of bots.”
* NYT | Mexico Feels Pressure of Relentless Migration From South America: In Mexico, people coming from South America are outpacing those from Central America for the first time since data has been collected. Mexican officials recorded 140,671 migrants from South American countries the first seven months of the year, compared to 102,106 from Central America, with record numbers coming from Venezuela and Ecuador.
* MediaIte | Project Veritas Suspends All Operations Amid Devastating Layoffs and Fundraising Struggles: Six staffers were laid off from the embattled organization this week, sources said, including all remaining journalists and one development associate. One former Project Veritas staffer said just 11 people remain on the non-profit’s payroll, including CEO Hannah Giles. Kiyak wrote in the letter that the group cannot “carry the present staff count any longer” and reminded those being laid off of their nondisclosure agreements.
* Tribune | ‘I’m a little bit of everything’: Margarito Flores opens up in exclusive interview about twins’ rise to top of Chicago drug trade, new law enforcement seminar: Chicago-born Margarito Flores Jr. was around eight years old when his father started taking him and his twin brother Pedro on car rides to Mexico. It was mostly business for his father, a hard-scrapping immigrant making ends meet by hauling drugs across the border.
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Rep. Dan Ugaste…
On Tuesday, State Representative Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) introduced a resolution urging a vote in the House of Representatives and Senate on legislation to make the Invest in Kids Program in Illinois permanent. House Resolution 412 urges the General Assembly to take a vote on removing the sunset provision currently in the Invest in Kids Act during the 2023 fall veto session.
“It’s common knowledge that when we invest in children and education, we reap the rewards for generations, and we need to take action when we are falling behind on these key statistics,” said Rep. Ugaste. “Currently, we are last in the nation for state economies with the most racial equality and we need to address and fix this problem. We need to make certain that we are providing equal opportunity for everybody in Illinois and that begins with action in the General Assembly. We need a straight up and down vote, not an amendment to another bill, on this critical issue. This sunset needs to be removed so we can provide more opportunities for education in Illinois.”
Rep. Ugaste referenced a 2023 study from WalletHub of the state economies with the most racial equality, where Illinois was ranked 50th out of 50 states. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, in 2021-2022, student reading proficiency rates were 30% and student math proficiency rates were 26%. Illinois public school enrollment made a nearly 7.5% drop from the 2018-2019 school year.
The Invest in Kids Scholarship Tax Credit Program was enacted in 2017. It offers a 75% income tax credit to individuals and businesses that contribute to qualified Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs). These SGOs then provide scholarships for families meeting income requirements to attend non-public schools and technical academies in Illinois. The Invest in Kids Act is scheduled to be repealed on January 1st, 2025.
Rep. Ugaste is a co-sponsor of two bills to extend the Invest in Kids repeal date or remove it altogether to make the program permanent. Rep. Ugaste is a member of the Opportunity Caucus, which is focused on multiple bills to enact real education reform, among other issues.
* Here’s the House Resolution from Rep. Ugaste…
Urges the General Assembly to take a vote on removing the sunset from the Invest in Kids Act during the upcoming Veto Session and make it possible for these students to continue their educations.
* WAND…
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois continues to advertise and sell health plans that fail to meet network adequacy standards in Central Illinois. Local lawmakers are furious that thousands of people still can’t see their Springfield Clinic doctors and specialists.
Eighteen months have gone by and patients are still facing the same issue. The Blue Cross directory continues to show 98 Springfield Clinic providers as in-network when they are not. […]
[Rep. Sue Scherer] has filed a bill to create transparency and harsher penalties for any insurance companies violating network adequacy standards. Her plan could require insurance groups to report any changes to their approved network plans within 15 days. Companies would face a $1,000 each day they fail to submit updated network plans.
House Bill 4126 also states that the agency’s director may prohibit network plans from being used or renewed within a county until the department determines the insurance network is adequate again. Insurers failing to update their network plan directories could face civil penalties of $5,000 per month. Scherer also believes insurance companies should audit their print and online directories for accuracy and make necessary corrections at least once every 90 days. […]
She explained the Pritzker administration and Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s Chief of Staff agree that the ghost networks must be stopped as soon as possible. Scherer would like to see her bill moved during veto session this fall rather than shelving the plan for the 2024 spring session.
* WAND…
Illinois Senate Republicans are pushing for new regulations to protect minors from harmful consequences of social media addiction. […]
“Repeated research demonstrates how social media platforms are intentionally crafted to foster addiction, promote detrimental habits, and aggravate issues such as anxiety, depression, eating disorders and feelings of inadequacy,” said Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris). […]
Although, some are worried the plan could lead to unintended consequences for any business operating on the internet. TechNet, which represents nearly 100 innovative companies, argues that this bill contains vague requirements that provide little or no clarity on compliance with a broad impact.
“The bill does not define what a business or business entity is,” said Tyler Diers, Midwest Executive Director for TechNet. “So, think for a second about all of the websites that are likely to be accessed by a child and then think about how these websites must have the best interest of the child in mind. That would include all major news outlets, the websites of every major sports league, most online magazines and podcast channels.”
* Rep Nabeela Syed filed HB4142…
Amends the Genetic Information Privacy Act. Provides that an insurer may not seek information derived from genetic testing for use in connection with a policy of life insurance. Provides that an insurer may consider the results of genetic testing in connection with a policy of life insurance if the individual voluntarily submits the results and the results are favorable to the individual. Amends the Illinois Insurance Code. Provides that an insurer must comply with the provisions of the Genetic Information Privacy Act in connection with the amendment, delivery, issuance, or renewal of a life insurance policy; claims for or denial of coverage under a life insurance policy; or the determination of premiums or rates under a life insurance policy.
* WTTW…
A new ordinance introduced to the Chicago City Council by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) last Thursday would restrict sales of hemp products. Under Hopkins’ proposal, hemp products, like delta-8, could only be sold in licensed marijuana dispensaries.[…]
State Rep. LaShawn Ford, D-Chicago, is drafting alternate legislation that would create a regulatory structure similar to cannabis. It would limit sales to 21 and over, create rigorous testing and labeling requirements and impose a new tax on hemp products.
Unlike Hopkins’ ordinance, the state legislation would not mandate hemp products be sold in licensed marijuana dispensaries. Ford prefers that the state create a separate hemp permit for businesses who want to sell hemp products, in addition to allowing hemp to be sold in marijuana dispensaries. […]
Ford doesn’t think banning delta-8 makes sense.
“We want to regulate it so it’s safe, clean and revenue can be generated from it. Baffles me that we would want to ban something we can’t get rid of, during a time when we need revenue,” Ford said. “Let’s put this under control of the government so our streets are safe and it’s taxed.”
* Rep. Dave Vella filed HB4143 yesterday…
Amends the Unemployment Insurance Act. Provides that an individual shall be ineligible for benefits for a period totaling and not to exceed 2 weeks (rather than an individual shall be ineligible for benefits for any week) with respect to which it is found that his total or partial unemployment is due to a stoppage of work which exists because of a labor dispute at the factory, establishment, or other premises at which he is or was last employed. Provides that, after the 2 week period, the individual will be eligible for benefits.
* HR409…
Mourns the passing of former Illinois State Representative and Assistant Minority Leader William B. “Bill” Black of Danville.
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Bears in disarray
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The full Fields quote is here. Patrick Finley at the Sun-Times…
After months spent running an updated version of the Bears’ offense, Justin Fields pushed back against it Wednesday, saying he wanted to play less “robotic” and more like “myself,” starting with the game at the Chiefs on Sunday.
“My goal this week is just to say ‘eff it’ and go out there and play football how I know to play football,” he said. “That includes thinking less and just going out there and playing off of instincts rather than so much, say, info in my head, data in my head. Just literally going out there and playing football. Going back to, ‘It’s a game,’ and that’s it.”
Asked why he was overthinking things, Fields pointed toward the coaching staff.
“You know, could be coaching, I think,” he said. “They are doing their job when they are giving me what to look at, but at the end of the day, I can’t be thinking about that when the game comes. I prepare myself throughout the week, and then when the game comes, it’s time to play free at that point. Thinking less and playing more.”
A player trying to publicly distance himself from the way he’s coached is a line rarely crossed. It was a major development at Halas Hall on a day that had plenty of competition.
Fields then walked it back, but he was right the first time. The coaching is awful. The Bears have ruined countless quarterbacks. It’s been fashionable to express dreams about what could’ve happened if the Bears had taken Patrick Mahomes in the draft, but the Bears probably would’ve ruined him, too.
* Speaking of coaches, here’s Mark Potash at the Sun-Times…
After a week of vague details surrounding his absence last week, defensive coordinator Alan Williams suddenly resigned Wednesday, citing health and family reasons. […]
Williams, who was in his second season as defensive coordinator, left the team last week after a 38-20 loss to the Packers on Sept. 10. His absence and the lack of clarity regarding it led to internet and social-media speculation, including a report that Williams’ home and Halas Hall were “raided” as part of an investigation into presumed wrongdoing.
It was enough to compel Williams’ Chicago-based attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, to address the reports and innuendo, saying there “was no raid on Halas Hall” and “no raid on his home.”
“There’s no criminal or any type of action against coach Williams,” Stroth said.
A Bears spokesman said there was no police activity Wednesday or any other day related to Williams.
Still, the circumstances surrounding Williams’ exit remain murky. Most notably, the Bears’ only comment on Williams’ departure was a terse statement in a press release — “Alan Williams submitted his resignation as the team’s defensive coordinator this afternoon” — that lacked well-wishes for Williams and appreciation for his contribution to the organization. The White Sox’ statement about the firing of Rick Hahn and Ken Williams was effusive by comparison.
Attorney Andrew Stroth’s full comment…
“Given the false rumors and what seems to be out there on social media, I just want to set the record straight that Coach Williams has some health challenges and some family issues he’s dealing with and he thought it was the right time to take a step back and deal with those issues. He has tremendous respect for the Bears organization and he just though it was the time to handle this health issue and his personal matters.”
* SB Nation’s James Dator…
We’re not going to amplify the accounts that started the most disgusting rumors about Williams, but there were several small accounts, with no history of ever breaking news, who suddenly had detailed information about alleged criminal investigations.
These went so far as to allege that former Bears player Charles Tillman, who became an FBI agent prior his retirement from football, was part of the investigating team that raided Williams’ home and the Bears facilities.
If this happened 10 years ago people would look for a verified account to substantiate a piece of news. It wasn’t an infaillible process, and rumors still spread — but there was at least one small safeguard to tell users that someone might not be legitimate.
Now, with verification being tied to an $8 monthly payment it’s become impossible to discern real reporters from any rando with a YouTube channel, which is where these rumors began. This is now compounded with Twitter’s “revenue sharing” model, which incentivizes paid accounts to gain as many interactions as possible in a month in order to get a cash payout. Real or fake, the name of the game is getting as many eyeballs as possible on your tweets — and the best way to do this is breaking news, even if it’s fake.
* Ugh…
* Leaving this here…
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A little context, please
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* This WBBM Radio story is completely devoid of context…
McHenry County’s top prosecutor said he witnessed “absurd and incoherent” results in court Monday, as the state ended cash bail in Illinois.
State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally offered two examples of people he would like to have seen put in jail, pending trial, but who instead were freed because judges had no choice.
One involved a 36-year old McHenry man who was charged with criminal damage to property for allegedly trying to break in the door of his ex-girlfriend’s house, Kenneally said. […]
A second example, Kenneally said, was a 23-year-old Cary man arrested for a second time after allegedly driving under the influence. Kenneally said the man should have been detained because he poses a threat to the public.
“There’s other people that I could point to where there’s a legitimate argument to be made that a judge should have discretion to detain these people, but they just no longer have discretion,” the prosecutor said. […]
“The party of unchecked power has succeeded in turning the criminal justice system into a farce,” Kenneally said.
Nobody remembers cash bail? It was the law of the land until the end of this past weekend. But that long history is already being shoved down the memory hole. People were released after posting bond and then quite often committed other crimes. The cash just didn’t matter.
* A quick Google search would find this June story about McHenry County…
A man out on bond for attempted murder for allegedly shooting at sheriff’s deputies near Harvard has been arrested for an attack on his wife, court records show.
Randall B. Little, 59, of Harvard, was charged with two counts of domestic battery, both Class A misdemeanors. […]
Little was out on bond in connection with a prior incident where he was charged in April 2022 with armed violence, aggravated intimidation of a peace officer, two counts of felon in possession of a firearm, intimidation, threatening a public official, unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of aggravated assault and unauthorized possession of cannabis sativa plants.
He was later additionally charged with attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony.
* Here’s one from May…
While out on pre-trial bond for three separate pending felony drug cases, a Woodstock woman was arrested and charged with the manufacturing and delivery of fentanyl and cocaine, according to the complaint filed in the McHenry County courthouse and the jail log.
* Last month…
A McHenry County man, who is a serial window peeper, has been sentenced to three years in prison for peeping into the homes of multiple women in Woodstock. […]
McHenry County Assistant State’s Attorney Ashur Youash said Hanabarger committed the offense while out on bond in three window peeping cases in McHenry County. […]
Hanabarger is still facing separate McHenry County cases for violating an order of protection, driving under the influence and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
I could go on, but you get the gist.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The last time I posted something like this, one of my readers applied and accepted a legislative staff position. So, even though it’s late notice, let’s try it again…
House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch is encouraging jobseekers interested in working in state government to learn about career opportunities with his office at virtual and in-person career fairs being held on Thursday, Sept. 21.
The in-person event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Room 114 of the State Capitol in Springfield. A virtual event will also be held via Zoom from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Applicants can register for the in-person event here, and the virtual event here. Attendees can access the same information at either event.
“Every day in the Legislature, we have the chance to change people’s lives for the better. But I truly believe legislators are only as effective as the staff who are doing the work behind them,” Welch said. “That’s why I’m committed to building a team in the Speaker’s Office that looks like Illinois, that fights for Illinois, and that delivers for Illinois. There are exciting times ahead, so if you are looking to make a difference, then the Speaker’s office is looking for you.”
The career fairs offer an opportunity for interested candidates to get more information about a variety of careers with Office of the Speaker, talk with experienced staff, and apply for current openings. Welch’s office is actively recruiting for a number of full-time, part-time, and temporary positions, including:
• Assistant Legal Counsel to the Speaker
• Committee Clerk
• Doorkeeper (temporary)
• Enrolling and Engrossing Input Operator
• Human Resources Generalist
• Leadership Page (full-time and part time)
• Legislative Coordinator
• Research & Appropriations Director
• Research Analyst
Interested applicants can find out more about these positions at the career fairs, at ILHouseDems.com/Employment, or on the office’s LinkedIn page.
To apply prior to the event, please send a resume and cover letter to jobs@hds.ilga.gov.
It’s obviously not going to be easy to recruit a new Research & Appropriations Director because a majority of the staff is trying to form a union.
Anyway…
* The Question: Did you or a family member ever work on legislative staff? Tell us about it.
…Adding… Senate Democratic job openings are here.
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Trib wrings hands over zombie threat
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Leigh Giangreco at Crain’s has a solid story today on the hunt for revenues to fund the upcoming Chicago budget…
The Johnson administration also has nixed the idea of instituting a service tax, at least for the 2024 budget. In 2019, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot floated a tax on professional services like attorneys and accountants as a way to shore up the city’s pension payments, but the measure requires approval from the Illinois General Assembly, which is now entering its fall veto session.
“That’s an idea that has long been mentioned as a potential revenue generator,” Jason Lee, the mayor’s senior adviser, said of the service tax.
The tax could make fiscal sense given that consumer patterns have shifted away from buying goods and toward services, Lee said. He added that the mayor’s office is keeping the tax on its radar.
“It’s unlikely we’ll be able to make any progress legislatively prior to this budget,” he said. “It’s not being currently anticipated as a revenue generator for the (2024) budget.”
The mayor’s office is examining other revenue streams that wouldn’t require a stamp of approval from state lawmakers. Lee did not elaborate on what those potential sources would look like but did note that “efficiencies within government” would play a role in the budget.
Emphasis added for obvious reasons. Notice that nowhere did Giangreco’s story mention a financial transaction tax, which would also require legislative approval. As you have known for months, the governor and the two Democratic legislative leaders flatly oppose a financial transaction tax.
* And that brings us to today’s Tribune editorial…
Ed Tilly started as a trader at the Chicago Board Options Exchange in 1987 and worked his way up to chief executive officer. Under his decadelong stewardship, the exchange grew dramatically, and it was having a banner year until Tuesday, when Tilly’s Chicago success story ended abruptly.
Knowledgeable, popular among trading professionals and one of the most recognizable faces of his industry, Tilly resigned under pressure after an internal investigation found he had undisclosed personal relationships with colleagues.
And just like that, Chicago lost one of the anchors keeping a bobbling industry in place. […]
Against this backdrop — a perilous moment for an iconic employer born and bred in Chicago — Mayor Brandon Johnson continues his hunt for deep pockets to pick.
A much-discussed “transaction tax” may prove irresistible to a political neophyte staring at a budget hole and looking ahead to whatever sweetheart deal his pals at the Chicago Teachers Union will be demanding from him soon.
And then it goes on and on about the threat of a transaction tax without mentioning the formidable current and longtime Statehouse opposition, which was reported by the board’s own newspaper. I mean, the editorial didn’t even mention that the state government would have to approve such a tax.
Also, too, wasn’t that kind of an abrupt dismissal by the board of the scandal that led to Tilly’s ouster?…
The Chicago-based group said in a statement on Tuesday that the failure by Edward Tilly to disclose the ties “violated Cboe’s policies and stands in stark contrast to the company’s values”.
Seems kind of important.
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Open thread
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Sun-Times | Biden administration offers migrant crisis help: Speeds work visas for Venezuelans looking for jobs in Chicago, other cities: The Biden Administration announcement will accelerate the processing of work authorizations and designate and extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans for 18 months for those who were in the U.S. on or before July 31. The department said the decision will impact “approximately hundreds of thousands [of] Venezuelan nationals across the country,” who will now be immediately eligible to apply for work authorization.
* Crain’s | Contractor that moved migrants from Florida wins contract to build their tents here: The city of Chicago partnered with the state of Illinois last week to quietly award an up to $29 million contract to erect large tents to serve as “base camps” in an effort to “expeditiously” move migrants from the city’s police stations before winter. The contract was awarded just a few days after Mayor Brandon Johnson announced plans to “move with expediency” to transfer the nearly 1,600 migrants currently living in the city’s police stations and airports to base camps before winter.
* Oak Park Journal | Libraries on edge as bomb threats grow: “We’re all really relieved that these threats have turned out to be false, but, at the end of the day, they’re still threats and those aren’t designed to make people feel comfortable or safe,” said Vicki Rakowski, director of the Forest Park Public Library.
* Daily Herald | Murphy honored for support of people with various disabilities: State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Laura Murphy (Des Plaines) was presented the 2023 Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities’ Champion Award by Josh Evans, president and CEO, during the association’s 2023 IARF Educational Conference & Expo at the East Peoria Embassy Suites.
* WBBM | Suburban prosecutor says end of cash bail in Illinois is already backfiring on public safety: State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally offered two examples of people he would like to have seen put in jail, pending trial, but who instead were freed because judges had no choice.
* WMBD | Washington mayor running for state senate: Washington Mayor Gary Manier announced Wednesday that he will seek to become an Illinois state senator as a Republican in the next election. According to Manier, he will be running for the 53rd district seat which is currently held by Tom Bennett, a Morris Republican.
* Herald-Whig | Frese announces he will not seek reelection: “It has been both an honor and a privilege to represent the fine people of West-Central Illinois for the past eight and a half years,” Frese said. “The job I have been elected to is both quite challenging and very rewarding.”
* NBC Chicago | Chicago takes another step toward raising subminimum wage for tipped workers: The move isn’t complete just yet, however. The proposal now heads to the full City Council for a vote, which is expected in two weeks. The change would mean raising the minimum wage for tipped workers from $9 to $15.80 per hour, though such employees could still get tips. Under the guidelines, the $9 hourly wage would rise by 8% for five years until it reaches the $15.80 total.
* Crain’s | City Council has its own budget wish list for Johnson: The Johnson administration also has nixed the idea of instituting a service tax, at least for the 2024 budget. In 2019, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot floated a tax on professional services like attorneys and accountants as a way to shore up the city’s pension payments, but the measure requires approval from the Illinois General Assembly, which is now entering its fall veto session.
* WBEZ | Midwives could help prevent more deaths. Why don’t more Chicago-area hospitals have them?: Despite research that shows midwives tend to have low C-section rates and better outcomes for both parent and child, WBEZ found many hospitals across the Chicago area are not investing in midwives — or, they’re cutting back. The latest example is Swedish Hospital on the North Side, which has been a training ground for other midwives and a destination for pregnant people who sought out the hands-on care the midwives were known for.
* Tribune | Without busing, CPS parents tell board of ed, they’re commuting for hours and risking their jobs: Jha was among the scores of Chicago Public Schools parents who received a three-week notice that their children wouldn’t have bus transportation to and from school this year. For Jha, not only will winter affect the long stretches of walking and waiting outdoors for buses during their daily travel, but costs are adding up, totaling about $400 a month.
* Week 25 | Group forms to stop CO2 pipeline project in Central Illinois: Berg and more than 1,900 other people have joined the Tazewell County: Stop the CO2 Pipeline Facebook group. Their main concerns were the safety and property values of their homes. Group spokesman Elton Rocke says many people they speak with don’t initially know about the pipeline proposal.
* NBC | White House told U.S. ambassador to Japan to stop taunting China on social media: Officials at the National Security Council told Emanuel’s staff in recent days that his comments risk undermining the administration’s efforts to mend deeply strained relations with China, including with a possible meeting this fall between Biden and Xi, according to the officials.
* Sun-Times | Bears coordinator Alan Williams resigns after bizarre day at Halas Hall: Williams, who was in his second season as defensive coordinator, left the team last week after a 38-20 loss to the Packers on Sept. 10. His absence and the lack of clarity regarding it led to internet and social-media speculation, including a report that Williams’ home and Halas Hall were “raided” as part of an investigation into presumed wrongdoing.
* IEA | Former president of Illinois Education Association dies, fondly remembered: Bob Haisman, who served as president of the Illinois Education Association, from 1993 to 1999 and who was an ardent supporter of public education in Illinois, passed away at age 77 on Sat., Sept. 2 at his home.
* Daily Herald | Metra dubious about idea of merging with Pace and CTA: “The cost of action is greater than the cost of inaction,” CMAP’s Laura Wilkison told the board. The key is “not only to go back to where we were (before COVID-19), but to make it better.”
* Sun-Times | James Hoge, Sun-Times editor who oversaw era of audacious investigations and 6 Pulitzers, dies at 87: Former Sun-Times Editor James Hoge helped usher in a golden age of Chicago journalism by hiring young talent and signing off on audacious investigative projects, including the Mirage Tavern undercover sting. The newspaper would win six Pulitzer Prizes under his watch.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news.
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