* Crain’s Chicago on the UAW deal with Stellantis and reopening and expanding the Belvidere plant…

The company’s decision to reopen the plant is the result of a two-year effort by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and local officials, which ultimately enlisted the state’s congressional delegation and the White House to come up with a package of incentives to keep the Belvidere operation alive.

Pritzker and his staff served as a conduit between the company and the White House as they worked on ways to keep the plant going, including a federal grant program that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which focused on climate change and ways to move away from fossil fuels.

“This is exactly what the Biden administration created this grant for: converting existing (internal combustion engine) facilities to EV capability,” the governor said. […]

Pritzker says he was getting text messages from Stellantis and White House staffers as negotiations went into overdrive and talks went into the wee hours Thursday morning.

* Crain’s Detroit on Michigan’s big spending…

When it comes to landing electric vehicle-related projects, Michigan is known to be the highest bidder.

That’s because the state that put the world on wheels risked being squeezed out of the electric vehicle investment boom in North America. At least that’s how Michigan — and other states — have justified mammoth incentives packages for automakers reshaping their manufacturing footprints. […]

“Michigan is a great competitor. They have a deep pocketbook and a large auto workforce,” said Dan Seals, CEO of Intersect Illinois, the state’s public-private business attraction arm. “There is absolutely a bidding war component to this. The state does engage in that competition, but not to the extent Michigan does. I don’t know anybody that goes as far as Michigan does in that regard.”

Yet, Illinois took a page from the Michigan playbook when it created a $400 million “deal-closing fund” targeted at EV projects. A $125 million check will be cut from that fund for Chinese battery maker Gotion Inc. to build a pack assembly plant 50 miles south of Chicago, the company announced Sept. 8.

Illinois offered an incentive package totaling $536 million for the plant, expected to create 2,600 jobs. For Gotion’s cathodes/anodes plant near Big Rapids, which is expected to employ 2,350 and supply the newly announced Illinois factory, Michigan approved a package worth $715 million — including a $125 million cash grant. Michigan paid $304,255 per job, factoring in all the incentives, whereas Illinois paid $206,153.

* Let’s go back to the UAW contract victory. UAW President Shawn Fain was in Chicago a few weeks ago to speak at a rally…

Fain and the other speakers also focused on the importance of the Chicago Teachers Union — where Johnson was once an organizer — and how they have fueled the labor movement nationally.

“The CTU revived the strike and sparked a movement that spread across this country. By reforming their union and taking on the boss, the CTU inspired educators across the country to mount the biggest strike ever for decades,” Fain said. ​“And that’s exactly the kind of action and leadership we need. We need to inspire the working class of this country.”

The gains from the wider strike were impressive…

Details of the deal with Ford are emerging, and it includes a big increase in company contributions to 401(k) retirement plans. Workers also won the right to strike over plant closures, a victory that gives employees significant leverage. Two electric battery plants under construction also have a clear path to join the UAW.

Then there’s what happens if Ford closes a factory: The company will provide two years of “transition assistance” to laid-off workers. Anyone at the company at least three months will qualify — a major expansion. Those laid off will get health care plus about 95 percent of after-tax pay in the first year and about 50 percent of their wages in the second year. That’s a substantial cushion to help workers, and it would come mainly from the company.

* The Southern…

The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) announced on Tuesday that the Du Quoin State Fair had more than 166,000 people attending this year’s annual event showcasing Illinois agriculture. The IDOA says that the fair continues to be an economic engine for the Southern Illinois economy.

Overall attendance for the 11-day fair this year was down a little more than 4,300 people in comparison to the 2022 attendance, but attendance topped the 2022 daily numbers on three days this year: Monday, Aug. 28; Thursday, Aug. 31; and Saturday, Sept. 2.

* Illinois Supreme Court…

The Illinois Supreme Court announced today amendments to Supreme Court Rule 299 regarding compensation for attorneys appointed to represent indigent parties.

Amended Rule 299 doubles compensation for an attorney appointed by a court in this state to represent an indigent party to $150 per hour (from its previous minimum of $75 per hour) and $150 per hour for time reasonably expended out of court (from its previous minimum of $50 per hour). […]

Amended Rule 299 also raises the maximum compensation amount for representation of an indigent defendant to $10,000, from its previous maximum of $5,000. […]

The amended rules are effective January 1, 2024. The Illinois Supreme Court Rules can be found here.

* AP…

The mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles and New York are pressing to meet with President Joe Biden about getting federal help in managing the surge of migrants they say are arriving in their cities with little to no coordination, support or resources from his administration.

The Democratic leaders say in a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday that while they appreciate Biden’s efforts so far, much more needs to be done to ease the burden on their cities. […]

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, who is leading the coalition, said nearly every conversation he has had with arriving migrants is the same: Can he help them find a job, they ask.

“The crisis is we have folks here who desperately want to work. And we have employers here who desperately want to hire them. And we have a federal government that’s standing in the way of employers who want to hire employees who want to work,” Johnston said.

* But of course…

Not at all surprised to see the "but what about our homeless" anti-migrant crowd also vote against funding a program to help the homeless. pic.twitter.com/p29KNee6X1

— The People’s Fabric (@peoplesfabric) November 1, 2023

* And, finally, I once again agree with Kennedy…

The 2023 White Sox set an almost impossibly high standard, but I don't think we're giving the Bears enough credit for the effort they've made to reach that standard. It's truly impressive and I salute them.

— Scott Kennedy (@ScottTKennedy) November 1, 2023

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Sierra Club | Majority of Illinoisans Regularly Breathe Unsafe Air, According to New Report: Roughly 9 million Illinois residents, comprising 71% of the state’s entire population, live in areas that regularly experience air that the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined is unsafe to breathe, according to a report released by the Sierra Club. The report indicates that light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-duty vehicles massively contribute to the state’s ozone pollution.

* Block Club | McCormick Place Lakeside Center Will Close Blinds Every Night To Protect Migrating Birds: Instead of turning the lights off when the building is occupied, leaders at Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority plan to consistently close the blinds and are considering other bird-safety adjustments, according to a news release. […] To further protect birds, leaders are considering installing bird-safe film and barriers on the outside of the glass as well as adding additional decals inside windows, more shades and drapery inside and motorized controls for existing shades, according to the news release.

* Journal and Topics | State Rep. Gong-Gershowitz Attends Biden Executive Order Signing On Artificial Intelligence: State Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D-17th) of Glenview sat in the front row of a signing ceremony for President Joe Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence (AI) Monday (Oct. 30) in the White House, before coming back to chair hearings on improving AI protections in Illinois. President Biden’s executive order “establishes new standards for AI safety and security, protects Americans’ privacy, advances equity and civil rights, stands up for consumers and workers, promotes innovation and competition, advances American leadership around the world, and more,” a White House fact sheet released on the order says.

* WICS | Resident who helped ISP trooper who was shot speaks out: A local resident says he ran outside to offer lifesaving help after hearing gunshots outside of his bedroom window to the Illinois State Police Trooper who was shot. Travis Rebbe ran outside his home on the 1600 block of Toronto Road and helped the injured trooper until EMS and police arrived. He said once he heard the gunshots, he knew he needed to help.

* WSIL | Construction officially underway on new Mississippi River bridge at Chester: This is a project made possible with the help of Governor JB Pritzker’s Rebuild Illinois capital program. According to MoDOT, “the current Chester Bridge has two 11-foot lanes and carries 7,000 vehicles per day. It connects the cities of Chester, Illinois and Perryville, Missouri across the Mississippi River via Route 51.

* Chalkbeat | Chicago charter schools face potential crossroads with new mayor, dozens of renewals: The high-stakes renewal process, which scrutinizes charter schools’ academic performance, financial practices, and operational compliance among other factors, comes at a pivotal time, as Chicago’s political landscape is shifting under a new mayor and looming school board elections. Charter communities wonder what it could all mean for their schools.

* Mark Ishaug | Make mental health a priority, and fulfill a promise from 60 years ago: While we have made a lot of progress in 60 years, it is important to focus on the parts of the Act that still need to be achieved and the gaps in mental health care that remain. The pandemic created an opportunity for a more public dialogue around mental health and wellness for everyone, with a focus on those who are often overlooked, particularly people dealing with long-term or disabling mental health conditions. During my time leading Thresholds, I have seen first-hand the importance of connecting with individuals in their own spaces and neighborhood settings, outside the traditional clinic experience.

* Sun-Times | President Joe Biden will visit Illinois Nov. 9 to tout White House agenda: President Joe Biden hits the Chicago area on Nov. 9 for a swing touting his White House agenda, with a likely fundraising event also on the schedule. The details of the visit, confirmed by the White House, are still in the works. Members of the Illinois congressional delegation have been notified by the White House the president will be making a visit Nov. 9 to the Chicago area, without adding any other information.

* NYT | Why pharmacy workers at CVS and Walgreens are protesting: Bled Tanoe, a pharmacist in Oklahoma City who used to work for Walgreens and now works for a hospital, said she was helping to spread the word about the walkouts because she was concerned that pharmacy chains had been telling workers for years to “work faster and work with less help.”

* Tribune | After retired Chicago-area priest loses life savings in scam common among seniors, friends and parishioners step up: Banzin said the ordeal started on Aug. 17 when he received an email from what he thought was PayPal, telling him there was a $699 charge on his account from eBay. Knowing this charge was “ridiculous,” Banzin contacted a PayPal support phone number he found online. Instead of the online payment company, he said he accidentally contacted a group of fraudsters.

* The Atlantic | Political Analysis Needs More Witchcraft: When trying to understand a political culture, you have to examine the society as it exists, irrational warts and all. And yet, most of us prefer to look at the world through a reverse fun-house mirror, in which the complex and sometimes-wacky beliefs of our fellow citizens are reflected back at us with the straight, clear-cut lines of reason and logic. We attribute voter behavior to policy proposals and economic data, rather than to the knock-on effects of widely held conspiracy theories or other nonrational beliefs.

* NYT | Five Minutes That Will Make You Love Thelonious Monk: Where other pianists played light chords with their left hand and quicker notes with the right, Monk played equally complicated notes with both hands, leading to complex arrangements that traversed the entire scale. But he never overplayed; his use of space between the notes elicited peace and tension equally.

* Chicago Mag | Dad’s Old Records: It’s easy to assume you know Jeff Tweedy. From his early days in Uncle Tupelo to 29 years at the helm of Wilco, the Grammy winner has crafted alt-country gems with heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics that offer his perspectives on love and life. But World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life That Changed My Music, his third book, offers bet-you-didn’t-expect-that turns, including: When Tweedy tries out a new guitar, he plays “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive — “one of the most important” songs in his life.

* Tribune | Shedd Aquarium researchers report mass bleaching of coral reefs in warming Florida oceans: ‘Like a forest without trees’: Between 90% and 95% of corals they surveyed at 76 sites across the Keys and Dry Tortugas over the span of a week showed signs of extreme bleaching, said Shedd research biologist Ross Cunning. Some coral species, such as endangered branching corals like staghorn and elkhorn, were nearly all dead.

* Illinois Newsroom | Student filmmaker sheds light on influential Illinois politician in new documentary: “Uncle Joe Cannon” is a student-produced documentary that revisits the life of a prominent 19th-century Illinois politician. Joseph Cannon spent 46 years in the U.S. House of Representatives representing Illinois — including eight years as Speaker of the House. Even when he led the Republican Party for years, he made it a point to always remember his constituents.

* Block Club | Nonstop Christmas Music Starts Thursday On 93.9 LITE FM: This is the 23rd year the station has celebrated its holiday music tradition. Last year was the earliest LITE FM started playing round-the-clock Christmas music — on Nov. 1. The light rock station will start its holiday programming one day later this year than last year.

* Lake County News-Sun | Tweaks made to Lake County’s Toys for Tots program; ‘It’s the greatest feeling in the world’: Participants in this year’s U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program will have a true holiday shopping experience on a selected day in mid-December where they will browse at a pop-up shop to select gifts for their children.