* Crain’s…

As Chicago’s downtown business district struggles under a post-pandemic malaise, President Joe Biden announced a slate of federal resources this week for developers and cities to speed up commercial-to-residential conversions.

The White House initiative will open up funding from the Department of Transportation to finance residential development near public transit and facilitate transit agencies’ ability to transfer their properties to local governments or developers of affordable housing, according to a release. The administration’s guidance also encourages cities, states and developers to tap into billions of dollars of existing federal grants from the Transportation Department and the Department of Housing & Urban Development.

The president’s push to save ailing downtown business districts comes at a crucial time for Chicago. The city’s office vacancy rate hit another all-time high in early October, climbing up to 23.7%, according to data from brokerage CBRE. Public transit is feeling the pain, too. While Chicago Transit Authority ridership increased this year, the rates are nowhere near 2019 numbers since workers aren’t returning to the office five days a week, CTA spokesman Brian Steele said this month. Whether Mayor Brandon Johnson will prioritize transforming downtown districts is still unclear. With the fate of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s LaSalle Street initiative up in the air, federal help could fill in funding gaps left by the city.

* Good point. Be careful…

Happy Halloween!

Remember the biggest threat to kids this day isn't razor blades in candy, weed edibles or clowns in sewers. It's cars pic.twitter.com/BosBsIwyqu

— Fenit Nirappil (@FenitN) October 31, 2023

* ISP…

The Illinois State Police (ISP) today provided an update on the condition of Trooper Dakotah Chapman-Green and the investigation into his shooting. On Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 10:47 p.m., ISP Trooper Chapman-Green stopped 37-year-old Cristobal Santana from Chicago in the 1600 block of Toronto Road in Springfield. During the traffic stop, the suspect fired at least 10 gunshots hitting Trooper Chapman-Green several times, and struck him repeatedly causing facial fractures, a skull fracture, and a brain bleed. The suspect fled the scene, but was taken into custody at 1:58 a.m. on October 25, 2023. Trooper Chapman-Green remains hospitalized. The suspect was taken to the hospital for injuries sustained during the apprehension and remains in the hospital.

“By the Grace of God, Trooper Chapman-Green survived this brutal attack,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Police officers across the state take an oath to protect the lives of Illinois citizens and too often that means facing diabolical, hateful, vicious evil that no innocent human being should ever have to face. We live in a free country, but there is no freedom without the law, there is no law without law enforcement, and there is no law enforcement without brave souls like Trooper Chapman-Green and those standing here with me today willing to do this noble, but dangerous work.”

On Friday, the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office filed two counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, one count of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm to a Police Officer, one count of Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer, and one count Aggravated Unlawful Use of a Weapon against Santana.

ISP continues to investigate this shooting and will work with the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office to provide more information as it becomes available.

Video of the traffic stop can be found here: https://youtu.be/LSvCYf0_WkM. Video of the news conference will be available on the Illinois State Police Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/ILStatePolice

* Illinois House Women’s Caucus…

“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the recent gun violence that has again struck our state and our nation. How many people must die before addressing the deadly intersection between domestic violence and firearms? This fatal combination was again painfully evident in the recent murder of Adrianna Lopez, who was shot and killed allegedly by an abusive ex-boyfriend who also shot an Illinois State Trooper. These incidents are grim reminders that the ripple effects of trauma echo far beyond the intimate relationship - affecting children who live with and witness it, and the family members, and law enforcement who respond to it.

“The tragic events that unfolded in Maine are all too common, and we cannot relent in our mission to get weapons of war off our streets and out of our communities. Though details are still emerging, early news reports have suggested the suspect, Robert Card may have a history of domestic violence. A recent study showed that in more than two-thirds of mass shootings, the perpetrator either killed family or intimate partners or the shooter had a history of domestic violence.

“While we have made progress in recent years to combat the gun violence epidemic, our work is far from over. We have one more week of the veto session upcoming, and collectively, we urge the General Assembly to pass additional legislation like Karina’s Bill to combat gun violence and get guns out of the hands of domestic abusers.”

* From yesterday…

Today, Representative Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D-Glenview, and Senator Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, joined President Biden at the White House for an event on Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence following the President’s Executive Order regarding AI.

This marks the second time that Rep. Gong-Gershowitz and Senator Edly-Allen have attended events at the White House to discuss their work protecting constituents from emerging digital threats stemming from applications of artificial intelligence.

Last session, Rep. Gong-Gershowitz and Sen. Edly-Allen worked together to pass groundbreaking legislation to combat deepfake pornography, which falsely depicts individuals in sexually-explicit acts without their consent. They are now taking steps in Illinois to mirror President Biden’s federal strategy to address the risks that AI poses to individual safety and security as well as its potential as a tool for malicious disinformation.

“I applaud the sense of urgency displayed by President Biden regarding artificial intelligence and thank him for his much-needed leadership on this critical issue,” said Gong-Gershowitz. “AI is a rapidly-developing tool that fundamentally impacts every sector of our society, including individual safety and civil rights. We must ensure that appropriate legal protections and standards are in place to properly address the complex set of dangers and opportunities that AI introduces in order to effectively safeguard individual consumers and the public against the inherent risks to safety, security and truth it can pose.”

President Biden’s Executive Order can be found at https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/30/fact-sheet-president-biden-issues-executive-order-on-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-artificial-intelligence/

“We need to balance rapidly progressing technology that maximizes artificial intelligence possibilities, while also protecting against the potential harms it can cause,” Edly-Allen said. “We are starting to see how unrestricted technology can do harm without practical safeguards in place. I applaud the Biden administration for taking urgent action to work toward ending the exploitation, humiliation and harassment that AI has caused.”

Also attending…

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid, a Democrat from Bridgeview, visited the White House on Monday for President Joe Biden’s signing ceremony of an executive order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. Rashid is a member of a multi-state legislative working group on AI and the co-chair of Illinois’ AI task force.

I asked Rep. Rashid’s spokesperson if that Illinois task force has ever met, but he hasn’t responded.

* Isabel’s roundup…

* WICS | New SAFE-T-Act enhances protection for domestic violence victims in Illinois: Christine Raffaele with Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ILCADV) said suspects being able to bail their way out of jail under the old cash system — didn’t help protect the victims of domestic violence. “Someone would appear, they make their plea, the judge sets their bond then the case is over,” Raffaele said. “And very rarely was any consideration given to the safety and security for the victim.”

* Sun-Times | Gov. Pritzker, Illinois universities make aggressive bid for federal semiconductor hub: With Chicago in the running for the $11 billion National Semiconductor Technology Center, a multi-university network of researchers and scientists are optimistic Illinois’ advances in engineering and manufacturing — and especially quantum research — will help them seal the deal. So is Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

* Rockford Register Star | Stellantis, UAW agreement pledges new life for Belvidere plant. Here’s what’s next: United Auto Workers Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen is trying not to get overly excited about a tentative agreement reached with Stellantis that could mean thousands of jobs, a new battery plant, parts distribution center and a vehicle to produce at the Belvidere Assembly Plant. Frantzen said he got the call from national union officials on Saturday about the tentative deal during a local membership meeting with about 100 workers filling the Belvidere UAW hall. A raucous cheer erupted when he shared the news.

* WGN | ‘Skip the Line’ service issues draw ire of Illinois seniors: ‘Very frustrating’: Until this year, she could drive to her hometown of Naperville Secretary of State facility and take the test. But now, an appointment is required. McQuaid said she tried unsuccessfully for weeks to get an appointment to no avail. Locations that still accept walk-in services, in Bridgeview and Evanston, are simply too far, she added. The next best option is Aurora but as McQuaid explained, the drive is out of her comfort zone. “Very frustrating,” McQuaid said. On the WGN Midday news Monday, Giannoulias said they’ve come a long way but hearing of Helen’s plight, more is needed.

* WCIA | Family of State Trooper shot in Springfield shares update on recovery: Chapman-Green’s mother, Kris, said that her son is going through occupational therapy and physical therapy. He is also able to hold conversations while staying awake. Chapman-Green was shot in both legs while performing a traffic stop on Toronto Road in Springfield Tuesday night. He was also beaten with the gun, suffering a brain bleed and skull fracture.

* Tribune | A first Chicago snow for many of the migrants sleeping outside: ‘The cold passes through everything’: Anticipating colder temperatures Monday night, the city released a statement Sunday: “To protect new arrivals and unhoused Chicagoans from falling temperatures, the City is collaborating with external partners, volunteers and mutual aid groups to provide blankets, coats and other much-needed items. Warming buses will be provided by the CTA at the landing location and 16 police district locations.” But Annie Gomberg, who leads volunteer efforts at the police station in Austin,said she didn’t know about any effort by the city to provide blankets, jackets or outerwear. She said 16 buses was not enough. And many migrants who she interacts with tell her they are hesitant to get on another bus, after riding a bus for hours to get to Chicago.

* Tribune | Chicago police officer under investigation for striking 8th grader while off duty: The Cook County state’s attorney’s office began looking into Officer Craig Lancaster’s off-duty conduct after a surveillance recording emerged showing him hitting a 14-year-old student near his throat as the boy walked into school. The video does not show the teen interacting with Lancaster before the physical contact or doing anything obvious to provoke it.

* Shaw Local | Police training facility in Cary to open next week: The McHenry County Regional Training Center will have three training areas: two classrooms and a tactical training room. One classroom will fit 100 students, and a second 40-person classroom will be in the lower level, which used to be the Village Board room. The MAT room will be for defensive tactics and scenario-based training. Tactical training usually covers handcuffing and handling people resisting arrest or being violent.

* Sun-Times | Evanston teen Natalie Raanan back in Chicago after being held hostage by Hamas: The north suburban mother and daughter were the first hostages released from among at least 200 people Israeli military leaders have said were held by Hamas. The two were in Israel to visit Judith Raanan’s mother and Natalie’s grandmother to celebrate her 85th birthday and Simchat Torah, the Jewish holiday marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of Torah readings. They were staying in Nahal Oz, a kibbutz near the Gaza border.

* Tribune | ‘Priscilla’ review: The starry road to Lonely Street — and the Presley movie we needed: Coppola, who has known more first- and second-hand celebrity than the average contemporary filmmaker, seems especially well-attuned to Priscilla’s experiences, and to slowly (sometimes suddenly) dawning realizations of what her life has become. Now and then “Priscilla” settles for standard-issue biopic shorthand, as when Elvis shuts down his woman’s desire to work with: “It’s either me or career, baby.” But in this context, without the usual emphasis or underlining, the line feels honest, and authentic, even in the midst of the dream of desire, love and eventual departure we’re watching.

* The Street | Tesla hits 5-month low, down 20% from Q3 earnings, amid fading EV demand: Tesla’s key supply chain partner, Panasonic Holdings, warned yesterday that its battery production facilities are running well below capacity amid a glut in global supplies and a pullback in demand. Panasonic Holdings posted a third quarter loss, and lowered its full-year profit outlook, citing muted sales of Tesla’s high-end Model S and Model X cars even amid the multi-level price cuts put in place in order to stoke demand and maintain market share.

* Semafor | An up to $1 billion fine may end the scandal that has captivated Wall Street: Authorities have spent more than four years investigating whether Morgan Stanley improperly tipped off favored hedge-fund clients to big blocks of stock coming on the market. The bank fired several employees and pulled back from the block trading business, losing market share to rivals.

* WTTW | McCormick Place Says It Will Do Better by Birds After 1,000 Killed in Mass Casualty Event. Conservationists Want Proof: Prince was joined by Judy Pollock and Edward Warden, presidents of Chicago Bird Alliance and Chicago Ornithological Society, respectively, who urged the board to take action in the wake of a mass casualty event that occurred at the beginning of October, in which 1,000 birds fatally collided with McCormick’s lakefront Lakeside Center during a wave of migration activity.

* 21st Show | Halloween legends at the University of Illinois: Today is Halloween… a holiday with a lot of history, going back centuries, even millenia. Nowadays, of course, it’s basically a celebration of all things scary and spooky. We talked about some of the spooky stories, myths and legends that make the rounds at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

* First and Pen | Justin Fields Deserves Better: To suggest that Fields needs to learn from Bagent, who is the Bears’ version of Brock Purdy, is ridiculous. It’s something Score midday host Dan Bernstein called a “back-stabbing whisper campaign” by the Bears. “The story is this stuff, the whispers, the, ‘Hey, it’d be nice if Justin could do that.’ They’re telling you who they would prefer to coach,” said Bernstein. “They would much rather have somebody (Bagent) who could run their stuff, get the ball out, make their reads rather than have to figure out how to best use the talents of a unicorn (in Fields).”