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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * This song popped up on a music feed the other night and, man, I almost forgot how much I love this stuff… Drink some mellow wine
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Friday news dump! Pritzker releases tax returns
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Nothing like a Friday news dump during crazy times. From the Pritzker campaign…
Will be a fun weekend going through all this. Click here for the federal return and click here for the state return.
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Attorney general files lawsuit against CWLP over massive 2021 coal ash release
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The lawsuit is here. From Sierra Club Illinois…
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Afternoon roundup
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * More back and forth…
* Speaking of Congress…
* Press release…
* I asked Mark Denzler with the IMA if he rode the bus for this entire 8-day, 2,000-mile trip. Yep, he said. Mad props to him and everyone else…
* Hope this doesn’t happen in Illinois with the dreaded Copi…
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* WTWO | How a rural Illinois town is growing through diversity: “When we moved in years ago from Mexico, [it was for] only one reason, to bring family and get a better life and we make it, we [made] it happen,” Jesus Garza, Mayor of Arcola, said. Garza has been the Mayor of Arcola for 2 1/2 years and is the first immigrant to lead the city. * Daily Herald | How Kane County is helping the public track cashless bail: The circuit court this month debuted a daily updated dashboard, showing how many cases police departments have sent to first-appearance court, the charges involved, how many petitions for pretrial detention prosecutors have filed, and whether those petitions were granted or denied. * WCBU | ‘How can I tell if these books are good or bad?’: New Moms for Liberty chapter starts in Tazewell County: Virg Cihla, Dee Fogal and Suzette Swift make up the board of the new chapter in Central Illinois. […] None of them have children currently in school, though Cihla does have a granddaughter in a Tazewell County district and Fogal grew up in Pekin. * WTVO | Illinois State Police releases response to homelessness guidebook: “Law enforcement officers respond to all types of emergencies and social-service related calls among all populations, including people experiencing homelessness,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “Because of these interactions, officers are in a position to provide information about resources and programs available in communities, and help connect individuals to longer-term solutions to prevent and end homelessness.” * Shaw Local | La Salle County Jail to house Cook County inmates for $70 per inmate per day: Thursday, the La Salle County Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with Cook County that permits inmate transfers (no more than 50) from Chicago to be housed at the jail in Ottawa. Cook County will pay $70 per inmate per day. Worried about the county taking high-risk transfers from Chicago? Sheriff Adam Diss said there is no cause for concern. * WCIA | Flex-N-Gate workers stunned as Effingham plant lays off employees: The company announced it is shutting its doors in Effingham because of the United Auto Workers strike in Kentucky. Nearly 9,000 employees left their jobs at Ford’s Kentucky truck plant in Louisville Wednesday night. The news came nearly four weeks after the union began walkouts against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis on Sept. 15. * WTTW | Chicago Police Officer Who Threatened to Kill Romantic Partner and Their Family Won’t Be Fired: Watchdog: Instead, the officer, who was not identified in the report released by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg in keeping with the city’s rules, was suspended for two months, according to the watchdog’s quarterly report. * Tribune | Chicago Fire Department’s 2nd-ranking official gets mild punishment after sexual harassment violations: In addition to violating sexual harassment policies, Sheridan failed to cooperate with the investigation, according to the memo. It stated that Sheridan refused to sign a document prepared by human resources summarizing their interview and instead submitted her own statement. She also left a second interview with her lawyer and declined to answer more questions. * Les Winkeler | IDNR deserves increased funding: As a young adult, I was vaguely aware of what was then the Illinois Department of Conservation. I knew the agency had game wardens to enforce hunting and fishing regulations. I knew the department was responsible for the operation of state parks. However, until I assumed the role as the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan in the late 1980s, I was woefully under-informed about the breadth and scope of the agency. * NBC Chicago | Synagogues, schools, daycares increase security Friday in Chicago area as precautions: Synagogues, schools and daycares in parts of the Chicago area increased security measures Friday amid reports of “increased threats of violence,” and though officials said no credible threats have been identified, authorities are paying “special attention.” * Daily Herald | Two years after public uproar, Mount Prospect police choose new patch: The village board voted 4-3 in August 2021 the remove the previous patch over its “thin blue line” imagery. During several board meetings and hours of public comment, along with protests and counter-protests outside village hall, critics of the patch said the imagery had been co-opted by extremist groups and its use was intimidating to people of color. * Sun-Times | More than 1,000 COVID relief loans went to city of Chicago employees — and many look fraudulent, watchdog says: Deborah Witzburg, inspector general for the city, said her office examined more than 350,000 federal COVID loans approved in the Chicago area. Of them, she found more than 1,000 loans that city employees got from the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. * Daily Southtown | Spiders get some love and a temporary zoo at Will County program designed to demystify arachnids: A group of youngsters ages 3 to 5 used headlamps and flashlights one evening last week during a free Nature Play Day After Hours to spot the reflections from spiders’ eyes on the grounds outside of the nature center in Crete Township. Occasionally, a parent offered a caution not to get so close, but most simply embraced the excitement instilled by Heather Van Zyl, an interpretive naturalist for the Forest Preserve District of Will County, who enjoyed the outing just as much as the kids. * WCIA | A brief history of Champaign on its birthday: Champaign was founded in 1855 when the Illinois Central Railroad placed its tracks two miles west of downtown Urbana. The town was initially named “West Urbana” before adopting its permanent name five years later with the acquisition of a city charter. The document provided rights and privileges to create a new governance system. * Crain’s | Professional cricket has come to the U.S. and Chicago is ready to host a team: “There are definitely some really strong markets for cricket in the U.S. that we don’t currently have a team for, and Chicago is certainly high on that list given the size of the market and the demographics,” said Tom Dunmore, MLC’s vice president of marketing. “Chicago certainly has a lot of the strong characteristics for a major-league cricket team in the future. It’s a really good potential market; all the metrics support it.” * Block Club | Could The Douglas Neighborhood Get A New Name — Douglass?: The area is named for Democratic senator Stephen Douglas, who had a complicated stance on slavery. Ald. Lamont Robinson wants to rename it in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass.
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Illinois a ‘key player’ in $1 billion federal project to develop hydrogen energy hubs
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* From the Biden administration…
* Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen…
* Sen. Sue Rezin…
* Sen. Dave Koehler…
* US Rep. Nikki Budzinski…
Thoughts?
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Republicans, Democrats, And Independents Agree – NO ROFR In House Bill 3445
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] A statewide survey in Illinois shows that voters are overwhelmingly against the higher electricity costs that would result from “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation. Opposed to ROFR:
• 81% Democrats • 75% Independents Voters know that ROFR leads to higher electricity costs. As one woman told her representative on Facebook: “Kindly vote no for higher prices on electricity. We already are paying high prices on everything else!” ROFR is widely referred to as “crony capitalism” that kills competition, leading to rate hikes for consumers. ROFR has been found to be unconstitutional in some states – one reason why Illinois voters also believe passage would lead to wasteful spending on lawyers and lawsuits. The Illinois Commerce Commission explains the benefits of competition: “…competition among transmission developers spurs innovative results and helps control costs.” Transmission construction projects cost billions of dollars, and competition can deliver savings of 20-30%. Illinois ratepayers deserve affordable and reliable electricity. A vote for ROFR is a vote for higher electricity prices for consumers and a weaker grid. Vote NO on ROFR! See the survey results: https://www.fairenergyprices.org/il-rofr-survey
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Man charged with making bomb threats in Cook County now charged with bomb threats in Kane County
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Wednesday…
* This morning…
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*** UPDATED x2 *** No way to run a railroad
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
1) Their “assignment”? That’s an interesting choice of words, particularly after what we discussed here yesterday. 2) CPZ, who I had great respect for when she was in the Senate, basically acknowledged that the city is reducing its appropriation by $50 million to put pressure on the state. I just don’t see how that’s gonna do anything but backfire. I went through some other aspects of the Trib story with subscribers earlier today, so I’ll just leave it at that. *** UPDATE 1 *** It’s actually worse than we thought…
*** UPDATE 2 *** At least they finally got the message. Maybe they can figure out an actual ask by next May… 
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Sorry, not buying it
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Wisconsin-based PAC referenced here, McHenry County Citizens for Lower Taxes, was funded solely by Republican congressional candidate Catalina Lauf…
* School board president Andy Bittman received the most money from the PAC. From the Northwest Herald story…
Wait. Let’s stop right there. According to a spokesperson for Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, the grant “has nothing to do with the internet.” * Back to the story…
Sure. Also, according to the secretary of state’s office, this round of grants is exempt from the state’s new law. Hey, they’re free to turn down the state money. But they do need to be called out on their “reasoning.” [Isabel Miller contributed to this post.]
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Best. Meteorologist. Ever.
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Not only has Tom Skilling been perhaps the nation’s most influential TV meteorologist (he’s a god to Chicago’s agriculture exchange markets), he also comes across as a truly nice and decent man. I don’t think I speak only for myself when I say that while I’ve never met him, I feel like I know him and I really like him. Block Club Chicago…
* Tribune…
* Watch his announcement…
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Do The Right Thing – Extend The Tax Credit Scholarship
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] If the General Assembly fails to take action to save the Tax Credit Scholarship Program, then over 9,500 students from low-income families will lose their scholarships, causing many to leave their best-fit schools. The kids who stand to lose opportunities are 20% Black and 30% Hispanic – proportions considerably higher than demographic populations in Illinois — and 100% of these students are from families with demonstrated financial need. Additionally, 26,000 more students from low-income and working-class families sit anxiously on the waitlist hoping to receive the same opportunities as some of their peers. This program is an investment in poverty reduction and economic acceleration, so lawmakers should do the right thing: Extend the Tax Credit Scholarship Program.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * It’s Friday! How are y’all doing today?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois’ shortage of teachers have improved, John O’Connor from the AP writes…
- The report also revealed there are enough teachers in the state who could become principals. But those teachers are not distributed equally. - However, special education teachers and bilingual education are still declining. * Related stories… ∙ Capitol News Illinois: Illinois’ educator workforce weathered pandemic, but persistent issues remain ∙ Fox 32: Chicago-based nonprofit addresses Illinois teacher shortage with policy report * Isabel’s top picks… * Tribune | Illinois leaders tepid about more quick funding for Chicago’s migrant crisis: During an appearance with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said Chicago will not see a state grant for asylum-seekers in the fall veto session, when Springfield will have the option of designating additional funding for the fiscal year that ends June 30. That means the state might not provide more substantial financial help on migrants until legislators reconvene in the spring. * Tribune | Stuck in red tape: A Venezuelan migrant’s labyrinthine pursuit of the American dream for her US-born son: She had just received her son’s Social Security card, and was hoping to use it to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. But, after waiting all day with her newborn, she was told she was at the wrong office. She needed to go somewhere else. Meanwhile, authorities still haven’t released her son’s birth certificate to her because she doesn’t have the right documents. “I’m really sad because if I want to bring Derick home, he needs a passport. And in order to get a passport, he needs his birth certificate,” she said in Spanish. “It’s all impossible.” * Sun-Times | ‘Karina’s Bill’ advocates aim to take guns from those accused of domestic violence : “I’m here today because two of my constituents, Karina Gonzalez and her daughter, were shot and killed just a few blocks away from my district office,” state Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, said at a press conference Thursday. […] Currently, an order of protection revokes a person’s FOID card but “does nothing to get guns out of the hands of those causing harm,” said Amanda Pyron, executive director of the Network, a collection of domestic violence prevention groups. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WREX | Governor Pritzker announces paid trainee program for state’s tech workforces: Trainees will receive a minimum yearly salary of $54,000 from DoIT while learning in one of five high-need concentration areas. * Sun-Times | Crooked Bridgeport bank used these people’s CDs to fuel embezzlement scheme — ‘We were all victims,’ says woman, 83: Most depositors have gotten back all of their money from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which paid $140 million to cover as much as $250,000 for each person on an account. But four dozen customers — including several who since have died — lost as much as $312,525 each because their accounts exceeded the FDIC’s insurance guarantee limit. * Shaw Local | A library grant tied to Illinois’ anti-book-ban law raises red flags for Huntley District 158 school board: Board President Andy Bittman, who called the law “political popcorn” at a Thursday evening board meeting, said he was concerned about the strings attached to the funding, particularly whether they would limit the district’s ability to restrict what students can access on the internet. * Illinois Times | Marijuana money mistakes: A member of the city’s staff called a few months ago to say a $40,000 grant that would have helped L&M Gymnastics & Kids Inc. expand would be withdrawn, she said. The reason given for the withdrawal, she said, was that the gymnastics school she and her husband, Leroy, have operated for 46 years – currently in rented space at 2717 S. 11th St. – hadn’t yet moved into the part of Springfield’s east side designated to benefit from the business grant program. * Sun-Times | What do recent Illinois corruption trials have in common? State Rep. Bob Rita as a witness.: Rita, D-Blue Island, hasn’t found out yet whether he’ll be asked to testify in a fourth trial — that of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, who Rita said in one court appearance ruled through “fear and intimidation.” Unlike some witnesses in the trials, Rita has neither been charged with any crime nor compelled to testify under a grant of immunity from prosecution. He has been subpoenaed to testify at the request of federal prosecutors about the Illinois General Assembly’s inner workings and Madigan’s inner circle. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson and nearly every alderman will see pay hikes next year: At 2.24%, the across-the-board hike is a more modest bump than the 9.6% raise aldermen were able to accept at this time last year just before facing voters at the ballot box. Still, it also comes as the mayor and the council dig into a budget that attempts to close an estimated $538 million gap. * Crain’s | Johnson budget raises concern over fate of LaSalle Street plan: In total, the five selected projects requested $307 million in TIF money from the LaSalle Central TIF district, with one project, from Chicago-based Riverside Investment & Development at 135 S. LaSalle St., requesting a $115 million subsidy to deliver 430 apartments. But Johnson has not committed to LaSalle Street Reimagined. * WBEZ | Chicago is moving to an elected school board but half of voters aren’t aware, poll finds: About a half of eligible voters do not know Chicago Public Schools is on the precipice of electing school board members for the first time, according to a poll of eligible voters commissioned by Kids First Chicago, a nonprofit education advocacy organization. “Awareness is not extremely high, even among parents who had kids in public schools,” said José Pacas, chief of data science and research for Kids First. * Crain’s | Stellantis chooses Indiana over Michigan for EV battery plant — again: The companies announced Wednesday that their joint venture StarPlus Energy would invest $3.2 billion to co-locate a new battery plant with one under construction. Combined, the plants come with $6.3 billion in investment, 2,800 new jobs and 67 gigawatt hours of capacity. * Tribune | A suburban Chicago insurance agent won a contest 40 years ago to make the first commercial cellular call. He’s still on the phone: “This was part of my 15 minutes of fame,” said Meilahn, 74. “Everybody thought it was really a neat novelty that I became the first cellular phone call. But it wasn’t as important the first year as it is today. It’s just part of every person’s life.” * Sun-Times | Tom Skilling, longtime WGN weather forecaster, to retire in February: “If you had told young Tom Skilling that he would go on to have a career in weather spanning seven decades, working in Chicago, with some truly wonderful people, I think he would be overjoyed,” Skilling said in a statement. “And that’s how I feel today. Overjoyed at the colleagues I’ve worked with, the viewers I’ve met, the stories I’ve covered. Overjoyed and grateful. I wouldn’t trade a single minute of it for anything.” * Block Club | Open House Chicago Returns This Weekend With 33 New Sites: This year’s festival spans over 20 neighborhoods across the city. More than 30 newly added sites include the family home and birthplace of Walt Disney, a cottage in Hermosa built by the entertainment tycoon’s father in 1893. * Tribune | 26 marathon runner couples tie the knot: Runner couples get married at the Wrigley Building in River North on Oct. 7, 2023, the day before the 2023 Chicago Marathon. The 26 couples who wed agreed that at least one person of each pair would run the Chicago Marathon. * Sun-Times | Jeannine M. Baker, matriarch of Chicago blues dynasty, longtime IRS manager, dies at 82: “She was the glue. She held it down when my dad was on the road. She was sweet, but tough, and pushed all of us to be better,” Ronnie Baker Brooks said. * The Petersburg Observer | The shoebox saga lives on: October 10 marked the anniversary of the sudden passing of Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell, which sparked one of the biggest scandals in state political history. Three days after his death on Oct. 10, 1970, over $800,000 in cash was discovered in his Springfield hotel room and office, some of it stuffed in a shoebox. The infamous shoebox has since become symbolic of the sordid political history of Illinois, and begs the question of where the money came from – which has never been completely answered.
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Live coverage
Friday, Oct 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to previous editions
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * From the Democratic Party of Wisconsin…
* WTAX…
* More… * Crain’s | Chinese EV battery maker Gotion inks real estate deal for Manteno plant: Gotion High Tech Co. said its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary has signed agreements to purchase real estate assets including land and factories for an EV battery assembly project it intends to build in Manteno. The Chinese electric-vehicle battery maker disclosed the information in a statement posted on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Thursday. * Illinois Times | Springfield jury awards $19 million to former inmate: Nicole Schult, a lawyer for the Uptown People’s Law Center in Chicago, which represented Doe, said this may be a record judgment against the Illinois Department of Corrections. “We had heard rumors of this kind of rampant sexual abuse happening at Logan since it became a women’s facility,” she told Illinois Times. “We also knew that these kinds of things were happening all over the state. … It is really difficult for women in custody to report sexual assault because of the retaliation, and oftentimes, even actual punishment with segregation.” * Center Square | After vagueness hearing, federal judge could strike down Illinois’ gun ban: Judge Stephen McGlynn said the crux is whether the law infringes on a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. After the hearing Wednesday in East St. Louis, Maag said a summary judgment would have teeth. * SJ-R | Illinois taxpayers help fund Pritzker administration’s global trade missions: According to a public records request made by The State Journal-Register, the administration has embarked on six trips since 2021. These trips included several to Japan and the United Kingdom along with South Korea, Switzerland and Taiwan. Travel expenses, including hotel and airfare plus a per diem were mostly covered by the state for a total just shy of $93,250 per data from the governor’s office. * WREX | Governor Pritzker announces paid trainee program for state’s tech workforces: Governor Pritzker announced Thursday that the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT) is starting a paid trainee program to build a pipeline of tech talent to meet the growing demand. Trainees will receive a minimum yearly salary of $54,000 from DoIT while learning in one of five high-need concentration areas. * WCIA | Frerichs announces $10 million state investment in Israel Bonds: This investment is the latest of several Frerich’s office has made since he became Treasurer of Illinois in 2015, totaling over $100 million. He explained that the investments diversify the state’s portfolio, draw attention to the partnership between the state’s economy and Israel and achieve a good return from what is described as a safe investment – Israel Bonds have never defaulted in their 70 years as an investment. * Block Club | Impacted By Summer Flooding? You Have Until Monday To Apply For Federal Relief : Anyone who was affected by the June 29-July 2 storms — which caused severe flooding, particularly on the West Side and western suburbs — is eligible to apply for support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The deadline is Oct. 16. * Crain’s | Suburban office vacancy nears 30% as workspace cutbacks continue: Fueled by big blocks of sublease space that hit the market, the share of available office space in the suburbs increased to 29.7% at the end of September from 28.9% midway through the year, according to real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The new vacancy rate is up from 27.3% a year ago and 22.1% when the COVID-19 pandemic began. * Crain’s | TransUnion agrees to pay $23 million in fines in 2 settlements: TransUnion Rental Screening Solutions and its Chicago-based parent, TransUnion, will be required to pay $11 million, which will be used to compensate consumers, and a $4 million civil penalty. The settlement, which must still be approved by a federal court in Colorado, is the largest amount ever recovered in an FTC tenant-screening matter. * Daily Southtown | Homer Glen to ask voters in March whether to discontinue Homer Township government: “When the village incorporated (in 2001), and was going through the incorporation effort, a lot of residents of the township questioned another layer of government,” said Trustee Sue Steilen, who voted in favor of the referendum. “I think the village has run efficiently, and now it’s time to question whether we need the extra layer of government of a township.” * Chalkbeat | Rising share of Chicago Public Schools graduates are pursuing college, study finds: The study’s findings run counter to national trends of sagging college enrollment during the pandemic; nationwide enrollment in two- and four-year colleges fell by .6% from 2021 to 2022, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Many young people across the nation are questioning whether higher education is worth the cost, said Jenny Nagaoka, one of the study’s authors and deputy director of the Consortium on School Research. * Effingham Daily News | Flex-N-Gate employees told not to report to work for rest of week: A Flex-N-Gate employee at the Effingham plant confirmed Thursday that workers have been told not to come in for the rest of the week. The local development comes after 8,700 members of the United Autoworkers union struck the Ford truck plant in Louisville, Ky. on Wednesday night. The Kentucky strike comes nearly four weeks after the union began its walkouts against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis on Sept. 15, the Associated Press reported. * Shaw Local | New DeKalb solar developments powered by Illinois’ clean energy law:Solar energy developer SunVest Solar unveiled two community solar installations Tuesday along 24 acres off Gurler Road and South First Street. Officials said the solar developments were made possible due to Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in September 2021. * Daily Herald | District 25 to pay at least $1.3 million to hire new kindergarten and gym teachers: At least a dozen teachers will be hired to staff Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 classrooms when expanded kindergarten programming begins next school year, the school board decided this week. * Sun-Times | Man pleads guilty to weapons charges in fatal shooting of Chicago police officer Ella French: Morgan’s brother, Emonte Morgan, is accused of fatally shooting the officer during a Aug. 7, 2021 traffic stop and faces a first-degree murder charge. Emonte Morgan’s trial has been set for early next year, but could still be pushed back. * Crain’s | Walgreens outlines $1 billion cost-cutting plan: The cost savings, expected to be realized in the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, include reducing nonessential spending, cutting back on contracted and project work, and optimizing its transportation network, Walgreens leaders told investors Thursday morning. Other cost-cutting strategies include closing unprofitable stores or reducing store hours in locations that can accommodate it. * SJ-R | Springfield Clinic preparing to open two new facilities: The new pediatric center, located along Old Jacksonville Road, is one of two new facilities that the clinic plans to open in the next month. A new lab facility at the corner of 7th Street and South Grand Avenue East will be fully operational at the end of the month, providing a newer, better facility for lab operations that were shunted into the basement of their main campus on South 6th Street. * Tribune | New Louis Armstrong musical ‘A Wonderful World’ sounds its trumpet in Chicago: Armstrong’s years in Chicago also explains the presence this week in a Randolph Street coffee shop of James Monroe Iglehart, a much loved Broadway star best known for his Tony Award-winning performance as the Genie in the original 2014 Broadway production of Disney’s “Aladdin,” a tour de force piece of acting that somehow managed to pay homage to Robin Williams’ vocal performance in the animated movie while physicalizing it entirely as his own. * Sun-Times | Aerial waterfowl survey shows more ducks than usual on IRV: But… strong winds and colder temperatures on the prairies have moved birds into our region, especially the IRV. I estimated 83,580 ducks in the IRV on Monday, 41% more than the 10-year average of ~59,000 ducks. However, early duck abundance along the MS river continues to trend below the LTA. I observed 37,785 ducks along that river this week, 37% below the 10-year average.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Wut…  * From the link…
* The Question: Your predictions of Rodney’s questions and RRB’s answers?
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Report shows teacher shortage ’showed signs of stability and even improvement,’ but other problems worsen
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The full report is here. From Advance Illinois…
The report notes that the state did lower the age requirement for some paraprofessionals and now allows for short-term (3 years) approval before fulfilling the licensing requirement, so that may help. But the supply had dropped and demand soared before the changes were implemented in July of 2022.
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Durbin and the rest of the delegation need to stop this
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Michael Loria at the Sun-Times…
So, they’re using most of their federal funding to send people to Chicago, while Chicago receives a pittance out of that same federal pot. That’s gotta be the dumbest thing I’ve yet seen about this entire mess. …Adding… To be clear here, since some of y’all are getting off on tangents in comments, the federal government needs to stop funding the uncoordinated shipping of asylum-seekers to other states.
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*** UPDATED x1 - Speaker Welch: ‘Not expecting to do a supplemental budget in veto session’ *** I really doubt the mayor’s proposal to cut spending on new arrivals is gonna put pressure on the state
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Normally, I would praise something like this. Crain’s…
But here’s Fox 32…
That’s it? * More from Crain’s…
Um, the city cuts its anticipated new arrivals spending, which was woefully inadequate to begin with, while spending $307 million on advance pension payments? And that’s supposed to somehow put pressure on the state? Sure, Jan. *** UPDATE *** House Speaker Chris Welch was asked about his meeting with Mayor Johnson last week. Speaker Welch said they talked about the migrant situation and how the federal government needed to step up. Asked about whether he was asked about a supplemental budget to help the city, Welch said…
…Adding… Yes, he’s reading it right. The mayor proposes cutting the budget to the committee overseeing this issue…
You gotta wonder what signal he’s trying to send here. …Adding… From Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa…
…Adding… Ald. Andre Vasquez just called. He said he caught that budget number the night before the budget was released and was told the appropriation was in error and he’s now in talks with the city on a revised number that isn’t a cut.
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Drivers Sign Up To Drive With Uber As A Flexible Way To Manage Rising Costs
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] In a recent survey, nearly 90% of new rideshare drivers cite flexibility and financial need as key factors in their decision to sign up. And over 70% of drivers joined Uber to help fill financial gaps caused by inflation. Whether it’s to supplement earnings or tackle unexpected expenses, Uber offers a flexible way to achieve financial goals. Watch and learn how drivers earn what they need to make ends meet.
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Two Black state legislators publicly vow to oppose migrant funding bill
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sen. Preston and Rep. Nichols are both relative newbies (Preston much more so than Nichols), and are both standing before voters next year, and we’re only a month or so into the three-month petition-gathering season. Just an FYI as you read this BlockClub Chicago story…
The veto session is scheduled during petition season as well. As we saw earlier this week, Gov. JB Pritzker is lukewarm (at best) to a supplemental appropriation for the city. And the mayor has not even yet named a director of intergovernmental affairs. Lovely. Mayor Brandon Johnson is not responsible for the crush of asylum-seekers coming to Chicago. His city doesn’t have adequate resources, either. But he is responsible for his repeated failures to address the problem. He has, for instance, been repeatedly rebuffed when he’s attempted to open new shelters without first consulting with local stakeholders, including alderpersons. Instead of realizing his mistake, he has repeated it over and over and over again. * Ald. Villegas said the other day that the city had kept him in the dark about a proposed shelter site. Here’s the Tribune…
Most politicians learn pretty fast how to judge the playing field. Mayor Johnson clearly does little to no advance work on the ground, then abruptly backtracks when locals object. And then the push-back grows as people see that the best way to stop a shelter is to yell loudly enough. So, the ugly and mean-spirited situation snowballs further. And this particular snowball is the size of McCormick Place. Again, this is a horrible national and international problem and the mayor is not at fault for the deluge and nobody expects him to solve everything. But his repeated failures have to stop because he is making things so much worse than they need to be. The Pritzker administration absolutely must start taking more control there.
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * This week is flying by. What’s goin’ on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released his first city budget. Crain’s…
- Johnson kept his campaign pledge not to raise property taxes. - The mayor proposed a $307 million advance to pension payments on top of the required amount. * Related stories… ∙ Sun-Times: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first city budget offers down payment on campaign promises ∙ Tribune: Digging into the numbers in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget ∙ BGA: 2024 Chicago Budget Overview * Isabel’s top picks… * Sun-Times | Businessman James T. Weiss gets 5 1/2 years in prison for bribing 2 state lawmakers, lying to the FBI: “Mr. Weiss, you added another star to Chicago’s walk of shame on the sidewalk of corruption,” U.S. District Judge Steven Seeger said at the end of a nearly five-hour hearing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. * Automotive News | UAW expands strike to Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant, adding 8,700 to picket lines: The union announced the walkout on social media, effective immediately, saying Ford “refuses to make further movement in bargaining.” The union telegraphed the move about 45 minutes before the official announcement with a post that it quickly deleted. * Daily Herald | New transit plan clears first hurdle. Next stop, Springfield: Members of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning and the MPO Policy Committee on Wednesday approved a sweeping proposal aimed at improving the transit system and ensuring stable revenues. […] At the behest of the General Assembly, CMAP prepared the Plan of Action for Regional Transit (PART) report that includes a controversial recommendation to integrate Metra, Pace and the CTA into one supersized agency. * Here are some photos by Rich of Senate President Don Harmon’s special session at FitzGerald’s…
* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WAND | Pritzker, University of Chicago students discuss major political issues: “State’s attorneys are not used to having to go in and make a case for keeping somebody in jail who is a flight risk or danger to the community,” Pritzker said. “They’re not used to having to make that case. They would just go in and say ‘we want this much bail.’ Right? Now they have to actually make a case about why somebody has to be kept in jail.” * ABC | Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tries to turn Biden’s age into an asset: Last week, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker drew national headlines when he wrote a strongly worded letter to President Joe Biden saying his White House needed to step up action on the migrant surge in Chicago. But this week, Pritzker rose to Biden’s defense on one of the most fraught issues of the president’s re-election: age. * Capitol News Illinois | Controversial carbon dioxide pipeline paused following regulatory setbacks: The move came two weeks after regulators in South Dakota rejected the company’s application to build a portion of the pipeline in that state. Among other reasons, officials at that state’s Public Utilities Commission said the company failed to demonstrate that the project was safe, and that it could negatively impact the region’s development. * Times-Republic | Wynn Bence seeking nomination for 53rd Illinois Senate seat: According to a news release, Wynn Bence served as Bennett’s Chief of Staff before accepting a position as the downstate/Springfield director and legislative liaison for then Illinois Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, where she was appointed the principal staffer for the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council and led working groups on policy in the areas of workforce development, economic development, rural health and education. * Sun-Times | Catholic Charities flights lead to surging number of migrants at O’Hare: Since a phone call with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration in early September about the strain put on the city by the arrival of more migrants, Fernandez said the charity has been encouraging migrants to pick a destination other than Chicago if they don’t have a sponsor. […] In the week after that phone call, the number of arrivals from San Antonio, the vast majority of whom are sent by Catholic Charities, still grew by 33%, according to city data. * Tribune | Metra proposes new set of fares in 2024 budget: The proposal includes no planned substantial changes to schedules, as Metra faces continued low ridership and a looming fiscal cliff once federal pandemic aid runs out, but the agency is eyeing service additions or changes as needed. * Sun-Times | Evanston commission rejects Northwestern plan for Ryan Field concerts: But the school has insisted concert revenue is essential to make the $800 million project viable. During the meeting, Dave Davis, senior executive director of neighborhood and community relations for NU, pressed that point. “This project cannot and will not move forward without this approval,” Davis said. * Shaw Local | New trustee appointed to embattled Joliet Township board: On Tuesday, Antione Edwards was unanimously appointed as a trustee to the board. His appointment followed three hours of public comment where township officials such as Township Supervisor Angel Contreras were heavily criticized by residents over a grant for asylum-seekers. * Tribune | Cook County prosecutors drop charges against man accused in rapper’s slaying amid allegations of prosecutorial misconduct: But in the years since, the case has come under scrutiny, with defense attorneys publicly accusing Rolling Meadows police and Cook County prosecutors of hiding “tubs” of evidence. An Illinois appellate court also reversed the convictions and ordered a new trial in 2016, finding that a judge should have allowed Taylor’s lawyers to present testimony from an expert about the potential pitfalls of eyewitness identification. * Sun-Times | Duckworth touts Illinois clean energy advancements in trip to Romania, U.K., tries to reassure allies about Ukraine funding: The Illinois senator is in Europe on a multi-leg trade trip promoting the state’s clean energy advancements. But Duckworth is also reassuring foreign allies that aid to Ukraine remains a top priority for Democrats — no matter what drama ensues among House Republicans. * NYT | As Red States Curb Social Media, Did Montana’s TikTok Ban Go Too Far?: The popular video-sharing app is suing Montana to halt a first-of-its-kind state law that would ban TikTok in the state on Jan. 1. The law was drafted by Montana’s Republican attorney general and signed by its governor in May. TikTok is asking the court to block the ban through a preliminary injunction. * AP | Grand National to reduce number of horses to 34 and soften fences in bid to make famous race safer: The race will also start earlier in the day, so the course stays as soft as possible, and the horses will set off from a standing start. The Grand National has had a field of 40 horses since 1984, which has often been cited — along with the size of the fences — as a key reason why 16 horses have died in the race since the turn of the century. * NBC Chicago | Rolling Stones, MLB partner up for limited edition White Sox-Cubs vinyl records for new album: The rare collector’s item will be available exclusively on The Rolling Stones’ website. Fans have the option to choose a vinyl record with a custom design for all 30 MLB teams. You can preorder the vinyl album now, or wait until the album’s release to purchase the item on their website.
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Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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