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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign stuff (Updated)
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Economic Alliance of Kankakee County responds to continued complaints about the Gotion EV battery plant…
But only a single community member showed up to complain…
* Thinking big at UIUC…
* Politico…
* Common sense finally arrives after way too much disruption was allowed (some of it contrived and maybe even paid for)…
* Already?…
* From Isabel… * VOX | No Quiet in the Library: When she offered a toast at April’s Time 100 Gala in New York City, Tracie D. Hall, selected for Time magazine’s list of influential people, drew attention to librarians who have faced bomb threats, firings, and even jail time for resisting a growing effort to ban books. Hall, the first Black woman to head the Chicago-based American Library Association, received a standing ovation for her passionate declaration: “Free people read freely.” * WICS | Central Illinois organizations spearhead campaign that relived $3.5 million in medical debt: MBCR partnered with First Baptist Church of Bloomington and created a campaign to relieve medical debt, it was through their collaboration with a national non-profit that made this possible. “We reach out to the provider, and then anyone that is 400% of poverty or below or if the debt is a large burden onto them so that means 5% or more of someone’s income, we will relieve that debt,” said Allison Sesso, CEO of RIP Medical Debt. * WGLT | Laborers call for drivers to slow down after fatal crash near Bloomington I-74 construction zone: In a Facebook post, Laborers Local 362 called the crash “totally preventable” if the semitrailer truck involved had been “going the speed limit and paying attention in the construction zone.” “He wasn’t. So he slammed into the Crash Truck sending the Teamster in the cab to the hospital. He will live, but the semi driver was not as fortunate. Thank Goodness there were Crash Trucks protecting Laborers who were in the middle of the interstate doing the final touches to open a stretch of interstate that has been shut down all summer. Without the Crash Truck, the Laborers would have been exposed to the semi barreling through a construction zone. We are Thankful this wasn’t worse!” the Laborers said on Facebook. * WBBM | Local coalition calls on CPD to ban pretextual traffic stops: Members of the Free2Move coalition are calling on Chicago Police to ban pretextual traffic stops. Members of the coalition spoke at a City Council committee hearing. A member who did not identify herself stated that “Pre-textual stops are the legal loophole that allows police to stop people for minor reasons to fish for other signs of criminal activity, even when they have no suspicion in the first place.” * Crain’s | Zion fears loss of cancer hospital’s tax revenue will devastate city finances: McKinney said after the Zion Nuclear Power Station ceased operation in 1998, the cost to the city in lost property taxes resulted in a 135% increase in the city’s tax rate. He said the city’s been trying to dig out of that hole ever since. And while it was finally able to balance its budget recently after several years, if City of Hope gets a tax break, the city will be “back to square one.” * WGN | The push to protect nursing home residents: Delores Brown died nearly three years ago, after suffering a fall in a nursing home. The Illinois Department of Public Health later determined the facility was fault. But holding anyone accountable has been a challenge, WGN Investigates has found. “I’m very angry,” said Delores’ daughter, Chereese Brown. “Because you trust the facility to take care of your mom.” * ABC Chicago | Libertyville parents sue Volkswagen over tracking of carjacked vehicle with child inside: Last February, Taylor Shepherd was outside her home in Libertyville, about to get her son from the car, when police said two men pulled up, knocked her to the ground, and stole her car with her two-year-old son inside. That toddler was later found in a Waukegan parking lot unharmed. But Volkswagen allegedly refused to give law enforcement the GPS tracking location data from the car because the free trial period had expired. * Sun-Times | Howard Brown health care workers kick off two-day strike, seek better pay and benefits: The union’s demands include a raise of the minimum hourly wage of $21 from $16.07, affordable health insurance, layoff protections and notices, overtime pay for shifts longer than eight hours, remote work options and negotiations before the changes of job duties. * WCIA | ISBE clerical workers picket outside board meeting: Many clerical workers picketed outside of the Springfield ISBE building Monday evening. The group, which is represented by the AFSCME Local 2811, is demanding a higher wage increase in their collective bargaining. Shelley Hamlin, the president of Local 2811, said their salaries have been behind the market average for decades. * SJ-R | Man accused of shooting ISP trooper pleads not guilty to attempted murder: Santana is accused of shooting Chapman-Green more than 10 times, striking him twice in the leg, then hitting the trooper with his firearm, causing a brain bleed and skull and facial fractures. He then fled with law enforcement beginning a nearly three-hour search for him. He was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. * Daily Herald | McHenry County Judge Michael Coppedge dead after falling ill at courthouse Monday: McHenry County Associate Judge Micheal Coppedge, described by colleagues as courteous, brilliant and honorable, died Monday morning after falling ill in his chambers at the courthouse in Woodstock. * AP | Wisconsin Senate approves plan for more than half a billion dollars of public funds to help Milwaukee Brewers repair stadium: The Brewers say 22-year-old American Family Field needs extensive repairs. The stadium’s glass outfield doors, seats and concourses need replacing, the stadium’s luxury suites and video scoreboard need upgrades and the stadium’s signature retractable roof, fire suppression systems, parking lots, elevators and escalators need work, according to the team. Brewers officials initially said the team might leave Milwaukee if they didn’t get public dollars for repairs. Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers’ president of business operations, softened the team’s stance last month, saying the Brewers want to remain in the city “for the next generation.” But the prospect of the team leaving looms. * AP | The Biden administration is slow to act as millions are booted off Medicaid, advocates say: Up to 30 million of the poorest Americans could be purged from the Medicaid program, many the result of error-ridden state reviews that poverty experts say the Biden administration is not doing enough to stop. The projections from the health consulting firm Avalere come as states undertake a sweeping reevaluation of the 94 million people enrolled in Medicaid, government’s health insurance for the neediest Americans. A host of problems have surfaced across the country, including hourslong phone wait times in Florida, confusing government forms in Arkansas, and children wrongly dropped from coverage in Texas.
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Pushes to override Pritzker vetoes faded during veto session
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Capitol News Illinois on August 11…
Subsequent press release from Sen. Rezin…
Sen. Rezin eventually introduced a proposal that only allowed small-scale reactors. Capitol News Illinois…
* Capitol News Illinois back in August…
Two months later in Capitol News Illinois…
No action was taken during session either way on that particular bill. The House passed a bill without the nursing home exemption, but it stalled in the Senate. * Both chambers of the General Assembly voted to accept the governor’s amendatory veto of our next bill, HB2878. WGN in August…
* The governor’s veto stands on this bill as well. From WGEM in October…
The Senate passed a compromise bill, but it was never taken up in the House.
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Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, please
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * WBEZ headline…
* From the story…
* Last graf…
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‘Rare’ solution heralded
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * As we discussed in September, Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield) held a hearing to discuss “ongoing delays in licensure processing by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.” Morgan noted at the time that “The delays have led to many professionals, including nurses and other health care workers, as well as their employers, having to worry about their ability to keep working should their licenses lapse.” IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr. dropped a bombshell at the hearing, saying that after several months of attempting to purchase licensing software through a joint purchase master contract, the agency had given up…
Treto promised he’d keep working on it. * More from that September hearing from Hannah Meisel…
* Well, a legislative solution may have been found. From the synopsis of HB2394 as amended…
* From the NASW-IL…
* From Rep. Bob Morgan…
* Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton…
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Major Chicago news outlet finally notices decline in migrant influx
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * As we’ve been discussing, on October 20th, the City of Chicago reported that 28 buses carrying migrants had arrived in the previous seven days. That was down from 53 during the week ending October 6. On October 27, that weekly number had fallen to 16, and was reported as 15 a week later. This past week, the number remained at 15 buses. The Sun-Times has finally noticed the trend…
The number of new arrivals in staging areas dropped about 22 percent, from 3,228 the previous week to 2,529 by last Friday. This is a trend we’ve noticed for a while now. The number of new leases signed jumped to 640 in October, from 125 in July. Again, same upward trend that’s been happening for months. Fox 32 picked up the Sun-Times story, so maybe the word will finally spread. * Meanwhile…
* At that same press conference, a reporter asked this…
And how would the city do that? Surround the buses with armed police officers and force people to go where they don’t want to go? I can think of a few laws off the top of my head that this would be violating. Also, are they going to put armed officers on buses full of people here legally until they reach city limits? Do reporters even stop to think for one second before they pop off like that? That person sounded like George Wallace at the school house door, for crying out loud. Not to mention that the phrase “no more room at the inn” was uttered at a Christian church, of all places. * From Isabel… * Fox Chicago | Chicago law firm steps up to assist migrants free of charge: Compelled to help, Anderson teamed up with his law firm’s pro bono attorneys and other agencies, like the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), to host a series of free legal clinics. Those sessions served to educate new arrivals on their rights, and guide them on what to do next. “To apply for work permits, to apply for a change of venue – to move their hearings from, let’s say, Denver to Chicago. And fundamentally, just to register their whereabouts with the Department of Homeland Security. So they needed to go online basically,” said Anderson. Meanwhile, city officials have launched a pilot program for a one-stop work authorization clinic that aims to serve at least 150 migrants per day. It’s being done in partnership with the White House and The Resurrection Project (TRP). * Pioneer Press | Oak Park taking the lead on ‘coordinated western suburban response’ to migrant crisis, looking for others to partner, officials say: Oak Park resident Derek Eder also voiced his support for the the village rendering aid. “Let’s show them that love wins over fear, and let’s show them that diversity is strength. Let’s show them that this crisis is actually an opportunity to enrich the lives of our new arrivals and to enrich the lives of our own village,” Eder said. “Let’s show them what Oak Park really stands for.” * WGN | CPD officers helps migrant kids write new stories with donated books: Officer Jesus Magallon began his mission to hand out books to the children, newly arrived in Chicago over the summer. He saw the children of those newly arrived migrants and noticed they didn’t have any books. He set out to change that. […] He has given away hundreds so far. Many of them came from Bernie’s Book Bank on the North Shore. * Sun-Times Editorial Board | Catholic Charities of San Antonio does Chicago no favors by failing to give a heads-up when migrants are on the way: Catholic Charities of San Antonio said in a statement: “Catholic Charities does not direct or suggest travel to any specific location, and migrants have been advised at times not to travel to certain areas due to a possible lack of services. However, Catholic Charities cannot prevent migrants from traveling to their preferred locale.” But parts of those statements are hard to square with migrants who have told the Sun-Times they chose Chicago based on a recommendation by Catholic Charities of San Antonio. San Antonio is among the first stops for many migrants. Its local Catholic Charities operates the Migrant Resource Center. When migrants insist that Chicago is their choice, at least give city officials or Catholic Charities in Chicago some notice. A phone call will do.
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It’s not as simple as they’re making it look
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * CBS 2 in May…
* Shaw Local in July…
* Shaw Local in September…
* Sun-Times in late September…
* Shaw Local in late October…
* Shaw Local yesterday…
* From an Illinois Families for Public Schools report shared with legislators last month…
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Open thread
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Most juvenile detention centers in Illinois are failing to meet state standards. Injustice Watch…
- In Knox County’s Mary Davis Home, young people are confined to their cells for 24 hours as a disciplinary measure. - Last year, just four of the 16 county-run detention centers throughout the state were in full compliance with state standards. So far this year, two out of eight inspected juvenile jails have been found compliant. * Related stories… ∙ AP: Children face solitary confinement in cells at Illinois juvenile detention facility, ACLU says ∙ Reason Mag: Illinois Youth Lockup Is ‘No Place for Children,’ According to ACLU Lawsuit ∙ ProPublica: Inside Illinois’ Youth Lockups, Children Go Without Basic Services and Face “Excessive” Punishments * Isabel’s top picks… * Jim Salma | This is a powerful solution for climate change: “Common Ground” offers a simple message: Let’s grow nutrient-dense food in a manner that sequesters vast amounts of carbon in our soil. According to the Rodale Institute, if we converted all global croplands and pastures to regenerative and organic, we could sequester more than 100% of current annual CO2 emissions. Farmers using these practices grow organically, using crop rotations, cover crops and, in many cases, rotational grazing of livestock and/or poultry. The result is incredibly healthy, carbon-rich soil and food loaded with nutrients, minerals and vitality. * Tribune | Staffer recommends Illinois regulators deny approval for Wolf CO2 pipeline, one of 2 under consideration by state: The staff member, gas engineer Brett Seagle, also said that the pipeline, a project of Denver-based Wolf Carbon Solutions U.S., should not be approved until new federal safety regulations are completed. “The lives and safety of Illinois citizens must come before business concerns,” Seagle said in Oct. 24 testimony filed with the Illinois Commerce Commission. * Windy City Times | IDHS head Dulce Quintero reflects on making history, being an advocate: Dulce Quintero has always believed in helping people—and decades of doing so has resulted in an especially noteworthy achievement. Recently, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker appointed Quintero, a member of the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame, as secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), making them the first nonbinary individual to helm a state agency. On Nov. 30, the Association of Latinos/as/xs Motivating Action (ALMA) will present Quintero with the inaugural ALMA del Líder (Soul of A Leader) award to celebrate this development. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * Forbes | Illinois Becomes First State To Roll Back School Voucher Program: Tax credit scholarships create the illusion that taxpayers are not footing the voucher bill. But the Invest In Kids tax credits created a hole in the budget as large as $75 million; taxpayers can either fill the gap by paying more, or accept cuts in services. Directly or indirectly, taxpayers pay the price for tax credit scholarships. That’s why Kentucky’s supreme court rejected that states tax credit scholarship program. “The money at issue cannot be characterized as simply private funds,” the court wrote, “rather it represents the tax liability that the taxpayer would otherwise owe.” * Capitol News Illinois | Lawmakers pass bill aimed at modernizing professional licensing in Illinois: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation has failed to meet its goals to speed up both initial licensing and renewals in key industries as applications to the agency grew by 15 percent between 2019 and 2022. IDFPR’s director called the situation a “crisis” earlier this fall when testifying before lawmakers at a committee hearing on the issues facing the agency. * Patch | Elmhurst State Lawmaker Bowing Out: Elmhurst’s state representative has decided against running for a second two-year term. Meanwhile, an Elmhurst alderwoman is planning to run for the seat. On Oct, 30, Ward 1 Elmhurst Alderwoman Marti Deuter set up an account with the state Board of Elections to run in March as a Democrat in District 45. * WTTW | Following Sluggish Start and COVID Delay, Trial of Former Ald. Ed Burke to Resume This Week: Proceedings were slow going last week, which was marked by the extensive questioning of dozens of potential jurors and at least one confirmed COVID-19 case that brought the case to a halt before it could truly get going. * WBEZ | Right turn on red? With pedestrian deaths rising, US cities are considering bans: The United States is one of few major countries that generally allow right turns on red. Concerned that cars idling at stop lights could compound an energy crisis, the U.S. government warned states in the 1970s that they could risk some federal funding should cities prohibit right on red, except in specific, clearly marked areas. Although another energy-conscious provision capping speed limits at 55 mph has long been abandoned, right on red has endured. “It’s an example of bad policy,” said Bill Schultheiss, director of engineering at Toole Design Group, which consults with public transportation agencies. “It made sense in the context of the gas crisis, but it was way oversold on what it would achieve. It’s a mandate that doesn’t consider the full consequences.” * WTTW | Ethics Board Dismisses Complaint Prompted by Lori Lightfoot’s Campaign Cash Pleas to City Employees: Ethics Board Chair William Conlon did not explain the board’s decision, which reverses an earlier unanimous decision by the board to find there was probable cause Lightfoot had violated the city’s ethics ordinance, upholding Witzburg’s determination. The board’s decision to dismiss the complaint against the former mayor came after attorneys for the former mayor vigorously fought any finding of wrongdoing for nearly six months. Lightfoot, who left office in May, appointed all of the current members of the Chicago Board of Ethics, as well as Witzburg. * Tribune | Aldermen move to establish quiet zone around downtown abortion clinic: The City Council’s Public Safety Committee voted to bar protesters from using a bullhorn, loudspeaker or hitting a drum or other object “to produce a sharp percussive noise so as to interfere with the functions” of Family Planning Associates clinic. * WGN | Faith leaders join Johnson in call for patience amid Chicago’s migrant relief efforts: Addressing the latest concerns at the Indiana Avenue Pentecostal Church of God in Bronzeville, Johnson was joined by Bishop Simon Gordon with the Triedstone Church of Chicago. Gordon asked Chicagoans to stand with their mayor as the city navigates their plans for the unhoused. “We have to be good citizens and be able to accept and deal with those who come in to be a part of the process,” Gordon said. * Evanston Review | Evanston council postpones final vote on Northwestern’s Ryan Field rebuild till Nov. 20: The vote to table was 6-2. Council members Krissie Harris and Devon Reid voted against tabling. The pair, along with Councilmember Bobby Burns, held a town hall meeting Thursday to get further comment from residents. Reid said he felt he and other council members who put in the effort to negotiate with the university were being overpowered by those who hadn’t come to the table. * Tribune | R. Kelly sues YouTuber and federal employee alleging ’chaos and discord’ over leaked jail conversations: In all, more than 60 federal employees illegally accessed R. Kelly’s emails and phone calls, and some of them leaked or sold the information to the outside world — including YouTuber “Tasha K” and a Washington Post reporter, according to the suit filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. * Tribune | Bankruptcy at Friendship Village retirement community in Schaumburg has financial impact on residents and families too: Her dispute is over Friendship Village’s policy of only paying back entry fees upon the resale of a resident’s unit. The facility — the largest not-for-profit retirement community in Illinois, with 815 units — didn’t resell Kroll’s one-bedroom unit, so hadn’t paid his family back. Now that Friendship Village has entered bankruptcy, families of former residents are unlikely to ever receive full repayment, which Barnes and other families see as a betrayal of what they were promised. * Daily Herald | Is your Nicor bill going up by $9 a month? The ICC decides Thursday: Residents across 37 counties that include the suburbs will learn Thursday if Nicor Gas rates will spike by an average of $111 annually. The Illinois Commerce Commission is set to vote on Nicor’s controversial request for a $321 million increase, which the utility says will help modernize its system and meet rising energy prices. * Tribune | The federal government wants to demolish 2 historic State Street skyscrapers. Preservationists are mobilizing in opposition.: Advocates and neighborhood residents lined up at a public hearing Monday to plead for the survival and renovation of the vacant Century and Consumers Buildings, at 202 and 220 S. State St. The federal government owns the pair, and for several years has sought to raze the structures, claiming that if they were redeveloped and occupied it could pose an unacceptable security risk to employees in the modernist federal courthouse just to the west at 219 S. Dearborn St. * AP | Supreme Court’s New Ethics Code Does Not Appear to Impose Any Significant New Requirements: The code leaves compliance to the justices themselves and does not create any other means of enforcement. The issue has vexed the court for several months, over a series of stories questioning the ethical practices of the justices. Many of those stories focused on Justice Clarence Thomas and his failure to disclose travel and other financial ties with wealthy conservative donors including Harlan Crow and the Koch brothers. But Justices Samuel Alito and Sonia Sotomayor also have been under scrutiny. * NBC Chicago | Suburban middle school teacher sets remarkable world record: Guinness World Records has named Paul the longest working social studies teacher in the world, with 53 years on the job. The honor took him by surprise. “In fact, I didn’t believe it at first,” he said. * Tribune | Chicago Bears want to see Justin Fields do full-team work in practice before deciding on status vs. Detroit Lions: Eberflus said the Bears want to see how Fields looks in full-team work before determining whether he can play for the first time since Oct. 15. The Bears will hold a full practice Wednesday. “Once we see him in the game of football in terms of going against the scout team and taking snaps and playing full speed, then we’ll make a determination,” Eberflus told reporters after practice. “But it’s not there today.”
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Nov 14, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Bailey wants to defund FBI, Bost pledges to impeach DHS Secretary
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * It’s also the same agency that busted Mike Madigan, but whatevs…
* Meanwhile…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WBEZ | Chicago’s model for providing mental health care is riddled with access barriers, a study shows: Those barriers include long wait times, health centers that are unreachable by public transit, a lack of availability during non-business hours, and inability to reach centers to schedule an appointment altogether. The assessment was conducted by the Collaborative for Community Wellness — a group of community organizations and licensed health care clinicians that has been advocating for the reopening of the city’s mental health clinics shuttered under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. * Illinois Public Media | Impacts of the climate crisis on communities of color: Illinois is one of 33 states with a climate action plan. It includes goals like taking most coal plants offline by 2030 and natural gas plants by 2045, environmental equity, and putting 1-million electric vehicles on the road by the end of the decade. But Akinsanola says Illinois cannot do alone. * CNN | US Supreme Court rejects appeal of Illinois prisoner kept in solitary confinement for 3 years: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by her liberal colleagues Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, dissented from the court’s decision not to take up Johnson’s appeal, highlighting the dismal conditions. “For three years,” Jackson wrote, “Johnson had no opportunity at all to stretch his limbs or breathe fresh air.” She noted that without the ability to exercise, Johnson’s “mental state deteriorated rapidly.” * Rockford Register Star | Reopening Belvidere plant could jolt economy across Rockford region and beyond: Belvidere native Ron Byers, now a Roscoe resident and 30-year veteran of the Belvidere Assembly Plant said three generations starting with his father and uncle worked at the plant. “This thing is life-changing for the community,” Byers said. “What this does is give another boost to this community. It puts the eyes of other manufacturing facilities that’s looking for places to go, right here in the Midwest.” * Daily Herald | How students connecting with trusted adults on campus is raising high school graduation rates: An emphasis on building relationships between students and adults in school is among the approaches shared by the three schools. “These personal connections are what inspires students to make an effort to finish,” Palatine High School Principal Tony Medina said. “They’re making a strong connection, knowing that people are here going out of their way to support them.” * Hyde Park Herald | State Sen. Robert Peters recaps year’s final legislative session, looks ahead: “I am not a fan of Invest in Kids,” Peters said. “I am a believer that public schools need to be fully publicly funded and that it is the public’s responsibility to do so.” […] “If donors or rich people really care about this, they can just give the kids the money to go to these schools. It doesn’t need to be a tax write-off for them,” Peters said. * Crain’s | Johnson picks Chicago’s next public health chief: Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige, a public health expert with nearly two decades of experience, is Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick for the next commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, a role that’s been vacant for three months. Ige, 44, comes to CDPH from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a New Jersey-based health care and equity-focused nonprofit, where she has been the managing director of programs since January. Prior to that, Ige was the assistant commissioner of the New York City Department of Health & Mental Hygiene from 2020 to 2023, where she oversaw a team of 500 people and an annual budget that topped $1 billion in some years. * Streetsblog | Study: 12 Ft. Lanes Are Deadlier Than 10 Ft. Ones — So Why Do Many DOTs Build Them Anyway?: Roomy roads are proven to encourage faster, deadlier driving regardless of the speed limit, but previous research based on more limited data found less correlation between gargantuan lanes and high crash rates — with some researchers and engineers even arguing that narrow roads are more dangerous because they increase the possibility of “side friction” between cars. Unlike the 129-page Hopkins paper, though, those studies didn’t go street-by-street on Google Maps and use advanced machine learning to identify and control for all the other traffic-calming features that might be cutting crashes besides paint, including the number of lanes, the curvature of the road, and the presence of bike lanes, street trees and generous sidewalks. * The Pantagraph | Inside the Stonington facility that processes 38 billion soybean seeds a year: The Stonington processing plant is fed by about 2,400 trucks a year delivering 27 separate varieties of soybeans, grown by 72 seed growers on 550 fields, Rohrer said. About 75% of the beans processed are Asgrow, with the balance being Channel and other regional brands. * Crain’s | In the balancing act between development and gentrification, Humboldt Park is at a tipping point: In the quest to bring new life to the neighborhood, local developers Tim Swanson and Bill Williams are acquiring city and county lots and adding modular homes. Their formula is designed to enable families to buy and own their homes affordably and build generational wealth. “We’re trying to kick-start and stabilize the neighborhood,” Williams says, “and get the market going with some moderately priced, well-built, energy-efficient homes.” It’s hoped that restaurants, supermarkets and other retailers will follow. * Daily Herald | Former Lake in the Hills woman pleads guilty to Jan. 6 charges: Four charges were brought in September against Mai Le: entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building or grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Mai Le, whom court documents now list as living in Montgomery, originally pleaded not guilty to all four charges, court documents show. She entered a plea agreement Oct. 20 with federal prosecutors, who dropped the other charges, according to court records filed Wednesday. * Sun-Times | Chicago firefighter Andrew ‘Drew’ Price dies after battling Lincoln Park blaze: “He was a lovely man,” his battalion chief Michael McCormack said. “He was as sweet as can be. He took extremely good care of himself and his family. He was extremely healthy. He was a light of sunshine.” Price is the fourth Chicago Fire Department member to die in the line of duty this year. * NYT | Vermont May Be the Face of a Long-Term U.S. Labor Shortage: Vermont offers an early look at where the rest of the country could be headed. The baby boom population is aging out of the work force, and subsequent generations aren’t large enough to fully replace it. Immigration slumped during the pandemic, and though it has since rebounded, it is unclear how long that will last, given a lack of broad political support for higher immigration. Birthrates are falling. * Nieman Lab | “Arguments on a daily basis”: How couples who disagree politically navigate news: For one couple studied, that meant sharing control over what TV news channel was playing during the day: the conservative woman would decide in the morning, and her liberal boyfriend took charge in the afternoon. For others, that meant finding shared news rituals they could both agree on — like watching the evening news on ABC while preparing dinner each night — while allowing space for individual podcast or social media consumption that tailored to each other’s interests. And, for others, it meant a pulling away from news and politics altogether. * Sun-Times | Pandas are leaving U.S. zoos. They made their American debut in Chicago.: The first live panda seen in the United States arrived at Brookfield Zoo in February 1937, according to the Chicago Zoological Society. The panda, named Su-Lin, quickly became a sensation. Su-Lin was brought to Chicago by Pennsylvania-born author and adventurer Ruth Harkness. Harkness had set out on a search for pandas after her husband left to hunt for them in the mountainous border region between China and Tibet and never returned. * PJ Star | Beloved central Illinois potato chip reviving recipe ‘you know and love’: The Nov. 9 Facebook announcement has garnered over 1,500 reactions and more than 800 comments. Many expressed excitement for the updated recipe − with one comment even likening the change to “a Christmas miracle.” Multiple commenters noted that the previous recipe had departed from the original taste customers had come to love. * Herald-Review | Serval captured and in custody of Macon County Animal Control: The Macon County Animal Control and Care Center posted on Facebook on Saturday that the serval, which had been running loose in Macon County since escaping his northside Decatur home in October, had been captured between Forsyth and Maroa. The post said the cat will remain in the custody of animal control while the legal issues surrounding ownership are sorted out, but that the cat will not be euthanized.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Today’s quotable
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From comments on our earlier post about Invest in Kids…
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Raw sewage, floods have plagued Cahokia Heights for years, will take years to fix, leaving residents to deal with health issues, damage
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Back in 2021, the Belleville News-Democrat wrote a story questioning why Cahokia Heights hadn’t fixed floods of raw sewage…
* KSDK in March…
Click here to see the lawsuit. * In May, Cahokia Heights signed a deal with the Army Corps of Engineers to fix the sewer lines…
* Last month, Fox 2…
* The Belleville News-Democrat published a trio of stories today about the lack of action from local government and statewide agencies. Let’s start off with their breakdown…
* More from the BND…
You can read how local officials dodged BND’s questions and interview requests here. Click here for a detailed timeline.
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Catholic Charities San Antonio actually believes sending migrants to Chicago with zero Chicago coordination provides ‘the most dignified care possible’
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
It never ceases to amaze me that Catholic Charities of San Antonio does zero coordination with Catholic Charities of Chicago. The Cardinal might wanna pick up a phone. * More…
* Meanwhile, from the Sun-Times…
No mention in the story of who organized the event, but protestors’ signs were clearly printed by a professional. Not saying that’s bad, just saying that maybe the organizers should be identified. * From Isabel… * Tribune | Migrant family journeys back to Venezuela, more leaving Chicago as winter looms: ‘The American Dream doesn’t exist anymore’: Over the past five months since arriving in Chicago, Andrea Carolina Sevilla’s parents have been unable to enroll her in school even though the reason they left everything behind in their native Venezuela was for her to have access to better education. In Venezuela, she said, she was lucky she could even attend school. Many other teenagers start working at an early age to help out their families, who often face extreme poverty. * Tribune | City ID card event cancellations frustrate migrants desperate for official identification: But the morning of the event, it was abruptly canceled as city staffers struggled to keep the crowd that had grown to 1,000 under control. “I started to cry,” said Olachea, her voice cracking. “We had been awake for almost two days straight, making sure that we kept our place in line, and then all of a sudden it was canceled. … I’m angry and frustrated, but I’m more than anything sad because we are trying to make this work.” * ABC Chicago | Brighton Park residents protest, march Friday against plans for migrant camp: The city says the lot in Brighton Park that it’s leasing, is still under an environmental review, but work crews proceed to move forward. Friday morning, however, there was no work being done on the lot. […] In a statement the city acknowledged plans for the Morgan Park lot to be converted to an affordable housing complex next year, writing, “The commitments from the Johnson Administration are expansive — a base camp deadline, community contracts, capital improvements, support for housing, health and safety, and breaking ground on Morgan Park Commons in 2024.” * NBC Chicago | Project allowing Chicago migrants to acquire work permits begins this week: Organizers expect that 150 migrants will start the process on Thursday, while aiming to have double that amount per day by Thanksgiving. TRP estimates that approximately 11,000 migrants in Chicago are eligible for work permits, though it excludes a large portion of Chicago’s migrant community. * WTTW | As Backlash Against Chicago’s Sanctuary City Status Gains Steam, Supporters Warn of Consequences: Despite the fact that the city’s sanctuary city status has nothing legally to do with the migrants, Ald. Anthony Beale (9th Ward) and Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th Ward) have demanded a nonbinding referendum on the city’s sanctuary city status, which they both have long opposed, on the March primary election ballot. … “We have to draw the line somewhere,” Beale said, falsely accusing the migrants of committing crimes in Chicago. * Sun-Times Editorial Board | Migrant crisis won’t be solved by repealing Welcoming City ordinance: And critically, a repeal will not stop the tide of migrants being bused here courtesy of Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s political grandstanding. * STLPR | St. Charles County Council to consider resolution decrying bringing Latin Americans to region: The St. Charles County Council will consider a resolution Monday that opposes the International Institute of St. Louis’ plan to bring Latin American immigrants from Chicago to the region to boost the population and workforce. Some council members say publicity about the program prompted them to propose the resolution. “The St. Charles County Council is strongly opposed to the importation of illegal immigrants into the region based on current federal and state statutes that make their unlawful entry into the United States a criminal offense,” wrote resolution sponsors Matt Swanson, Joe Brazil, Dave Hammond and Tim Baker.
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Invest in Kids Act coverage roundup
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background from Capitol News Illinois…
* I told subscribers about this more than a month ago, but it was completely lost in the news media coverage here. Buried in today’s Tribune story…
* Also from the Tribune…
The massive public relations effort by Invest in Kids supporters did a marvelous job of tamping down information like that. * But they should’ve been pushing people like this to the forefront…
“Unclear.” Sure. Right. A special session will totally happen. * NBC 5…
I’ve been telling subscribers for weeks that the extension proponents needed a solution which would save the scholarships of kids already in the program, but nobody listened. * Also NBC 5…
* Effingham Radio…
* A couple more from Isabel… * WGLT | Illinois’ controversial private school scholarship program is ending: Teachers unions and other opponents are celebrating. Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery issued a statement Thursday, saying the law’s sunset is a significant stride in prioritizing the needs of the state’s public education system. “There is a nationwide push to divert public dollars from our public schools through vouchers or voucher-like programs like tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts,” Montgomery said in the statement. “Today, Illinois lawmakers chose to put our public schools first and end the state program that subsidized private, mostly religious schools, many of which have discriminatory policies.” * WICS | IL Freedom Caucus calls out Speaker Chris Welch for blocking Invest in Kids legislation:” Speaker Welch has let down tens of thousands of kids by blocking legislation to extend the Invest in Kids program. There were as many as 35 House Democrats ready to vote for the program (more than enough to pass the bill) had Speaker Welch called the legislation for a vote. The program has handed out nearly 50,000 scholarships since the program launched in the 2018-2019 school year. It has been an effective tool in helping kids – especially low-income kids – escape failing schools. Illinois spends more than $8 billion on education and the greedy, self-serving teachers’ unions went to war to stop a program that at most would provide $75 million in scholarships. The Invest in Kids program did not utilize public taxpayer money. The money came from private donors who received a 75 percent tax credit for their donations.”
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Caption contest!
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From yesterday’s Giants vs. Cowboys game TV coverage… 
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Why did CTU reject a change it had requested for years?
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
I have a hunch something else is going on here. The CTU is backing a candidate against appointed Sen. Natalie Toro (D-Chicago), for instance, and that race is gonna get negative as all heck. Also, I think there might possibly be something in the CTU-backed House bill that could have turned Harmon against it. Either way, I ran into CTU President Stacy Davis Gates at an event Friday night and she said the fact that Harmon didn’t tell her he was moving a bill caused her to be suspicious. But, as noted above, the CTU’s own lobbyist requested the changes that Harmon made, and the union has an experienced staff that can read bills on their own.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * I hope y’all had a relaxing weekend! What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: A family seeking asylum leaves Chicago, heading back to the country they once fled. Tribune…
- Migrants said they’re realizing the city is at a breaking point. Not only is there no more space in shelters, they also acknowledge that some residents in Chicago oppose the opening of more shelters for them. - Castejon said that despite the dangerous trek to get here — often begging for money and sleeping in the streets to cross several borders — the journey had not been worth it. * Related stories… ∙ Sun-Times: Hundreds gather in Brighton Park to oppose proposed migrant camp ∙ Tribune | Migrants flown to Chicago by Catholic Charities in San Antonio, even with winter approaching and no place to sleep ∙ Tribune:City ID card event cancellations frustrate migrants desperate for official identification ∙ Sun-Times: Despite internal police alerts, scant evidence of violent gang members among Venezuelan migrants in Chicago * Isabel’s top picks… * Tribune | Midwest pollution spiked dramatically this summer because of Canadian wildfires. Now officials may erase those days from the books.: Dozens of states and the EPA are so concerned they may exclude the smokiest days from the legally binding score cards that determine whether they’re doing enough to fight pollution, according to a joint collaboration between the Tribune and the nonprofit news site MuckRock. They could do so by invoking the so-called exceptional events exclusion for pollution humans don’t cause and can’t control. If they do, it could lead to the largest such exclusion in the history of the federal Clean Air Act. * Chicago Mag | Pro-life or Pro-lie?: It’s warranted, argues Brigid Leahy, vice president of public policy at Planned Parenthood Illinois Action, who collaborated on the bill with Raoul. She has seen what she views as deceptive tactics employed by such centers and their supporters. In Flossmoor, Aid for Women opened a crisis pregnancy center across the street from a Planned Parenthood site. Activists set up a “Check in Here” sign outside Planned Parenthood’s door, then directed women to the Aid for Women center, Leahy says. In another instance she cites, a woman received an ultrasound at a pregnancy center, but was told to come back in a week, when a doctor could give her the results. By the time she learned how far along the fetus was, it was too late to get an abortion. * Daily Herald | Why Wheeling is banning unlicensed sale of synthetic pot: “A lot is unknown about the chemicals that go into these synthetically derived THC products,” Village Attorney James Ferolo said during Monday’s board meeting. “It’s kind of the Wild West, quite frankly.” Trustee Ray Lang called the products “unlicensed garbage.” Wheeling’s new ordinance outlaws the unlicensed sale, advertisement, display or delivery of such products. Fines will start at $500, and business licenses could be revoked. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WBEZ | Illinois could see more nuclear reactors by 2026: The idea is the smaller reactors will be produced at factory scale, which will lower costs over time and bring them online faster than previous generations of reactors. Currently, there are no SMRs in operation or even production anywhere in the U.S. * Tribune | Families lament, public school advocates celebrate end of controversial scholarship tax credit: During the 2022-23 school year, no Black students received the scholarships at more than half of the schools participating in the program, and there were no Latino recipients at about a third of the schools, according to data compiled by the Illinois Department of Revenue. Only about a quarter of the money in the program went to low-income students, and roughly the same percentage went to students from areas with at least one low-performing public school, according to the Department of Revenue data. * The Telegraph | Madison County Democrats outline plans at annual JFK Dinner: So far the Democrats have been relatively quiet. Locally, the only declared candidate is Nick Raftopoulos, who is running for the 111th Illinois House seat now held by Amy Elik. He has already received the Democratic Party’s endorsement. “We’re still recruiting candidates,” Harris said. “We’ve had a lot of interest, but we haven’t had anybody ready to take that leap.” * CBS Chicago | “They tortured him”; police used Taser on special needs teen for breaking window before shooting him: As her son got away from the Taser, he started to sprint. At that point, his encounter with police became nearly fatal. The other officer, Sergeant Scott Langan, drew his gun from his holster, aimed it, and fired - shooting the teen just below his belt on his hip. Fearing he might get shot again, he hid in a nearby yard, bleeding. * Tribune | Illinois judge who reversed sexual assault ruling awaits fate after disciplinary hearing: The Illinois Judicial Inquiry Board, which investigates grievances against sitting judges, accused [Judge Robert Adrian] of circumventing the state’s mandatory sentencing law when he vacated his decision during Clinton’s Jan. 3, 2022, sentencing hearing. The board also accused Adrian of lying about his motives during sworn testimony last April as part of its investigation, and of ejecting from his courtroom a prosecutor who “liked” a social media post critical of Adrian. * Sun-Times | Peoples Gas rate hike would hurt Chicagoans struggling to pay utility bills, advocates say: Peoples Gas petitioned the commission in January for a record increase of $402 million. If approved, that would translate to customers seeing an average monthly increase of $11.83 — or $141.96 a year — in their bills. Glennon Dolan, an administrative law judge for the commission, recommended the hike total $350 million instead, which would mean customers would pay an additional $10 a month. * Tribune | Clout-heavy contractor linked to federal investigations at City Hall and in the suburbs: The businesses have garnered government contracts from across Cook County worth up to $250 million for demolition services, equipment rental and materials. At the same time, Bracken and the businesses themselves have contributed nearly $375,000 over the past two decades to a wide array of local elected officials, including a half-dozen who have been charged or come under federal investigation. * Daily Southtown | Orland Park pastor accused with Trump in Georgia election tampering says he will not ‘cooperate with evil’ and take plea deal: “I am not going to plead out to a lie,” he told a crowd of about 70 supporters. “I’m not going to cooperate with evil. This is bigger than me.” His legal team includes Chicago-area attorney David Shestokas, who spoke at the fundraiser and said that Lee’s expenses, not including legal fees, could be in the neighborhood of $150,000 if he has to spend several months in Georgia during the trial. That cost could be less if his case is severed. * Crain’s | Federal government putting Rush Street offices up for sale: It’s unclear whether the agency would continue to occupy the building after it is sold, though the GSA has sought to consolidate its office footprint in recent years. In one recent example, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is vacating its roughly 170,000-square-foot office at 233 N. Michigan Ave. and moving downtown employees into available space in federally owned buildings at 230 S. Dearborn St. and 77 W. Jackson Blvd. * SJ-R | Worth the wait: Springfield World War II veteran receives Congressional Gold medal: “We waited 77 years for recognition and now we have it,” said Kolis, who turns 99 next month. Kolis’ time in service included the delivery of materials onto the beach of Southern France, during the Invasion of Southern France also known as Little D-Day. There, his boat beached itself and was stuck for three days. He would later transport German prisoners of war to North Africa. * Illinois Times | The future of community journalism:Two foundations announced Nov. 6 that they are setting aside $2 million toward improving news coverage in Springfield and surrounding communities. “I don’t know if we’re what they call a news desert, but it’s gotten awfully dry,” said John Stremsterfer, president and CEO of the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln during a grant announcement held at University of Illinois Springfield’s Student Union. * Daily Southtown | South suburban casino on pace for summer opening, interior work to begin in coming weeks: Wind Creek previously estimated the casino would be ready for customers by late summer or early fall of this year, but Kuehn said Friday construction is on track for an opening sometime from July to September 2024. * WJBC | Mercury opens in Springfield: A new consultancy/public relations/lobbying firm is open in downtown Springfield, and the people behind it know their way around politics and government. Springfield native and former U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos and former State Sen. Toi Hutchinson are among the people at Mercury, whose local office is in the former cigar shop at Sixth and Monroe. The space was more recently the district office for Congressmen Darin LaHood and Aaron Schock.
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Live coverage
Monday, Nov 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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