* ICYMI: The Illinois Supreme Court ruled FOID records are exempt from public disclosure. Capitol News Illinois…

- The case revolved around a 2011 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act that exempts from public disclosure the names and information of people who have applied for or received FOID cards or concealed carry permits.
- In a 7-0 ruling, the court said the Illinois State Police acted properly when it denied FOIA requests from individuals who sought copies of letters explaining why their FOID cards had been denied or revoked.
- The court also said those individuals could have obtained those records through other means.

* Related stories…

∙ Center Square: Illinois Supreme Court rules FOIA of FOID information not allowed

* Isabel’s top picks…

* Sun-Times | Lawyer hails ‘big win’ as Illinois Supreme Court rules insurers must provide coverage to pedestrians, cyclists hit by uninsured drivers: The court said auto insurance companies whose policies include language requiring a person to be in an insured motor vehicle to qualify for uninsured motorist coverage are violating the Illinois Insurance Code and public policy.

* Sun-Times | Chicago City Hall is owed billions of dollars it hasn’t managed to collect: That raises the question of why the perennially cash-strapped city hasn’t gone after late-paying scofflaws harder over the past three decades. The eye-popping unpaid tab — which could have covered almost 40% of the mayor’s $16.77 billion budget — include outstanding payments from thousands of people, companies and other entities.

* Here’s the rest of your morning roundup…

* Capitol News Illinois | State high court finds medical personnel exemption to biometric information privacy law: In a unanimous opinion, the justices ruled against a pair of nurses who sued their employers over their use of fingerprint-enabled medication storage – a technology many hospitals have adopted to curb abuse or theft of certain drugs.

* ABC Chicago | Father of 6-year-old killed in Will County stabbing, apparent hate crime files wrongful death suit: Odai Al-Fayoume filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week in Will County against Czuba for the incident, which took place in unincorporated Plainfield. The next court date is in March.

* Crain’s | United, American on collision course with Johnson administration over O’Hare rebuild: The airlines say the cost of a rebuild of Terminal 2 and the addition of two satellite concourses, as well as some related projects, now is pushing $7.6 billion, up from an estimated $7.1 billion last year. United and American have been warning airport officials for months that the cost of the expansion is at risk of running over a budget that’s already risen by $1 billion from its original $6.1 billion price tag.

* WGLT | Democrat files in mostly rural Illinois House 105th District race: An artist and former political campaign manager is running for office in a mostly rural, conservative Illinois House district. Democrat Morgan Phillips of Lostant has filed in the 105th House District that includes parts of McLean and eight other central Illinois counties. At age 24, Phillips said she would bring youth and a fresh perspective to the state legislature.

* WBEZ | Corruption in Illinois breeds voter cynicism, but what about voter apathy?: Plenty of forces enable corruption to thrive in Illinois — loophole-ridden ethics laws, policymakers unwilling to confront the problem head-on and a drastically shrunken nonpartisan press corps that once kept a close eye on political chicanery. Perhaps the more consequential question, though, centers on the effect Illinois’ corruption carousel is having on the health and well-being of the state’s democracy.

* Center Square | Illinois Republicans criticize Chicago mayor’s rhetoric over border crisis: Johnson continued by questioning the sanctity of the party.
“That’s what this particular party has been about,” Johnson said. “This is the same Republican right-wing extremism that stormed the Capitol. It’s the same right-wing extremism that refuses to accept the results of the Civil War. It’s raggedy, it’s disrespectful,” Johnson said. “It’s disrespectful, it’s mean spirited, it’s an unclean spirit.”

* Daily Southtown | South Suburban College to get $13 million grant for nursing education center; expects to break ground next year: The money, from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, comes on top of about $51 million previously approved by state legislators for the project, which is expected to break ground next summer. The building will house classrooms and labs for the school’s programs in areas such as nursing, pharmacy and occupational therapy and will “benefit generations to come,” said Terry Wells, chairman of the college’s board.

* WTTW | ‘This Is an Anomaly’: Part-Time Columbia College Faculty’s Record-Long Work Stoppage Continues Into Second Month: Issues arose amid ongoing contract negotiations, which began earlier this year. But tensions increased weeks before the academic year began when Columbia College eliminated more than 50 class sections for the current fall semester and 317 class sections for the upcoming spring semester — courses typically taught by part-time faculty.

* BGA | Unwritten Rules Limit City Council Gallery Seating; Reserve Prime Spots for “Invitation Only”: The written rules for public attendance posted on the City Clerk’s website have not been updated, and still state, “The public is admitted to the Gallery’s non-reserved seats on a first-come, first-served basis.” Media reports and verbal responses from the Sergeant-at-Arms have indicated that second-floor seating is now invitation only, with no clear process or policy for how those invitations occur.

* WBEZ | Opponents sue the city of Evanston for approving Northwestern’s stadium plans: The complaint in Cook County Circuit Court seeks to overturn last month’s narrow vote in favor of allowing concerts and other commercial events at the rebuilt Ryan Field, near single-family homes in the northern suburb and neighboring Wilmette.

* Daily Herald | Police officer caught child thrown from burning apartment building in West Chicago: A police officer caught a child thrown from the 24-unit building in the Main Park Apartments complex, West Chicago Fire Protection District Chief Patrick Tanner said. One woman jumped from a third-floor window, Tanner said. She was one of five people injured after the fire broke out in the three-story building on the 800 block of Burr Oaks Drive.

* AP | Corey Perry news: Former Chicago Blackhawks player says he’s seeking help for alcohol abuse: Corey Perry said Thursday he has begun working with mental health and substance abuse experts to discuss his struggles with alcohol after the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his contract for engaging “in conduct that is unacceptable” and violated his contract and team policies.

* WCIA | Teacher surprised with new car, part of Wheels to Prosper program organized by Teutopolis classmate: “My husband and I have been sharing a car for about a year-and-a-half,” Coffin said. “We had wanted to buy a house, so we sold my car so that way, we could make that a successful dream.”Unfortunately, that dream was cut short when Coffin’s husband suffered a stroke in 2022. Between three different jobs, Coffin takes care of her husband. And the tragic loss of her son, who died of cancer in 2018, is another burden she’s carrying.

* Chicago Reader | Hometown hero Mavis Staples provides inspiration at Cahn Auditorium: On Friday, December 1, Ms. Staples brings her unmistakable voice, gruff and heartfelt, along with her incredible catalog to Evanston’s Cahn Auditorium. Respect yourself and grab tickets to see a homegrown powerhouse with a message that transcends trend and genre.

* The Atlantic | The Murky Shoplifting Narrative: Despite inconclusive evidence, some retailers have seized on the narrative that theft is a major issue, pressuring lawmakers to crack down and changing the shopping experience as a result. The specter of shoplifting is haunting America. Viral videos show frightening scenes: people in masks smashing windows, groups swarming stores, thieves attacking workers. Retail executives have referred to theft as a serious threat, suggesting that their companies are victims of a national crime wave. Already, they have made a number of decisions—including locking up items, closing stores, and advocating for harsher larceny laws—under the auspices of trying to deter theft.