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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Dec 6, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: US retail lobbyists retract key claim on ‘organized’ retail crime. Reuters…
-The research previously stated that “nearly half” of the $94.5 billion in inventory losses reported by retailers in a 2021 survey “was attributable” to organized retail crime. -The NRF’s claim of inventory losses was repeated in multiple media reports on the issue. The NRF has cited growing rates of crime in calls for Congress to pass new laws. * Related stories… ∙ The Street: What Target and Walmart just learned about retail theft ∙ NYT: Is Shoplifting Really Surging? * Isabel’s top picks… * WTTW | Pritzker Pulls State Funding From Migrant Base Camp in Brighton Park, Citing Environmental Concerns: Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for Pritzker, told WTTW News that the city chose not to follow the standards set by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and was “unable to explain the lesser standards the did choose to use and how they arrived at those standards.” “While the city might be comfortable placing asylum seekers on a site where toxins are present without a full understanding of whether it is safe, the state is not,” Abudayyeh said. * WGLT | Pritzker’s rail comments foreshadow transit debate in spring legislative session: Gov. JB Pritzker recently voiced support for the Chicago Hub Improvement Program [CHIP], a plan that also holds promise for Amtrak service through Bloomington-Normal. The investment in transportation infrastructure would fix several problems at Union Station and connect it to two potential passenger-focused main lines. * Sun-Times | Illinois in the middle of the road nationally on traffic safety: Illinois fell short for its lack of a motorcycle helmet requirement, child passenger safety rules and teen driving regulations, according to the report released Tuesday. The state drew good marks for having comprehensive distracted-driving laws and automated speed enforcement. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * Scott Holland | Primary filing math points toward continued Democratic majorities: As of 10 p.m. Monday, four current Republican districts have no announced Democratic candidate. Of the 19 districts Democrats currently hold, only 11 have a GOP primary contender. Of the 118 House seats, only 52 appear set for a contested election. Of those, Democrats hold 36 and Republicans have 16. That leaves 42 Democratic and 24 Republican districts without a clear November opponent. With 60 seats needed for a majority, Democrats are bidding for 94 and Republicans 76. * SJ-R | Former Madigan, Welch chief of staff hired as Springfield’s statehouse lobbyist: Jessica Basham, a former chief of staff to Illinois House Speakers Michael Madigan and Emanuel “Chris” Welch, was approved by the city council Tuesday. The Sherman resident started Basham Government Solutions, LLC, after leaving Welch’s office in 2021. The contract with the city is for $75,000. * SJ-R | State, Dolly Parton Imagination Library partner for free books to children five and under: Already more than 30,000 children are registered statewide in the program. In Sangamon and Menard counties, United Way of Central Illinois is the local partner overseeing the distribution of books to nearly 1,000 children. To expand the program to all children from birth to age five, the Pritzker administration is imploring more organizations to partner with the Dollywood Foundation and those already in practice to increase their capacity. The state’s current population for that age range is about 745,000. * Sun-Times | Feds play recording of Burke seeming to link approval of Burger King permit with business for his law firm: “We were going to talk about the real estate tax representation, and you were going to have somebody get in touch with me so we can expedite your permits,” Burke was recorded saying during a call with an executive. * Tribune | Family members of incarcerated people call on State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to investigate convictions related to former CPD detective: The family members, who were joined by activists and attorneys at the Leighton Criminal Court Building, called for justice for incarcerated family members whose cases were investigated by Sgt. Brian Forberg. A Chicago Police Department spokesperson said Forberg retired effective Oct. 10. “We’re tired,” said Lakisha Jackson, whose brother Kevin is serving a 45-year murder sentence. “We want all this put behind us today.” * Sun-Times | Chicago taxpayers have paid nearly $700 million since 2000 in lawsuits by people who claimed they were framed by police: Multimillion dollar payouts come before the Chicago City Council on an almost monthly basis, with the largest sums typically going to victims of police misconduct. Since 2000, the city has paid out nearly $700 million in 300 cases where people claimed they were framed by Chicago police. Of that, $138 million went to outside lawyers who defended the city. * Crain’s | Meet two of the lawyers on the front lines of Chicago’s migrant crisis: Most of the attorneys are working on an unpaid, pro bono basis. They are people like Kimball Anderson, 71, a commercial trial lawyer and partner at the Loop firm Winston & Strawn who encountered his first migrant camp by accident as he approached the 12th District police station on the Near West Side a few months ago. “I was dressed like a lawyer, and the migrants recognized that and crowded around me looking for assistance,” Anderson, who does not speak Spanish, says. “It became obvious to me they were living on the street and were truly desperate for help.” * Daily Herald | Mount Prospect asks court to shut down factory amid ongoing odor complaints: Fed up with odors that have been drawing complaints from neighbors for years, Mount Prospect is moving to shut down a local animal feed producer until it resolves its olfactory issues. Mount Prospect and Prestige Feed Products have been involved in months of litigation, with the company attempting to prevent the village from shuttering its operations at 431 Lakeview Court. * Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove approves plan for Tesla, apartments on Rohrman site, leaving some unhappy: In addition to the Tesla sales and service center, the Shorewood Development Group and Double Eagle Development plans a 224-unit apartment building and 30,000 to 40,000 square feet of retail space on the 16-acre site at 915-945 Dundee Road. Residents who live south of the property told the village board Monday they support the development, but the apartment building, proposed to sit 79 feet from their property lines, is too close to their homes and would cost them their privacy.
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- Larry Bowa Jr. - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 8:47 am:
“The NRF’s claim of inventory losses was repeated in multiple media reports on the issue. The NRF has cited growing rates of crime in calls for Congress to pass new laws.”
Yeah but it’s not fair to expect journalists to have caught that this was all nonsense. It was a really well sourced story, they had the unsupported Congressional testimony of one guy from a law enforcement trade group and literally nothing else. Good enough for 2 years of hysteria.
- That Guy - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 9:18 am:
“Yeah but it’s not fair to expect journalists to have caught that this was all nonsense. It was a really well sourced story, they had the unsupported Congressional testimony of one guy from a law enforcement trade group and literally nothing else.”
Oh how it irritates me knowing that this redaction will not be covered. I’m sure I’ll be hearing about this over the holidays, and I am also sure that those espousing the lies will not take any other answer than total acceptance.
I wish these companies would just say “they want infinite money, for no additional ingenuity,” and use that to cut costs. At least it would be honest.
- H-W - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 9:21 am:
RE: Isabel’s story on Retail Crime
It seems that too many people today are simply waiting for soundbites that help them continue their anger and judgement. In this case, fear of crime has been growing through incomplete stories that misrepresent actual reality. Lay Illinoisans then feast on these stories.
I have a friend who wrote a book. In it, he discussed the word, “representation.” Schwartz suggests we need to put a hypen in that word. When people “re-present” ideas, their “re-presentations” need to be seriously critiqued and analyzed, rather than accepted carte-blanche.
The role of the media is so much more important in times like these, especially in places like Illinois that have divided into two hostile camps. The re-presentation of news must be managed carefully, and fully. Unfortunately, local media is being bought up and carved out by national interests (e.g., Sinclair, Gannett, etc.). Well intended or not, these purveyors of “news” have no connection to the communities of Illinois, and in their haste to carve out profit models, re-present news events in ways that are less newsworthy, and more about cheap profiteering.
I miss local news in small town Illinois. It is as if communities no longer exist - only the nation-state.
- Homebody - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 9:24 am:
Oh gee, another narrative that was pushed solely by a motivated party and never actually verified with any sort of statistics or independent reporting? Quelle suprise.
- Nick - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 9:41 am:
“While the city might be comfortable placing asylum seekers on a site where toxins are present without a full understanding of whether it is safe, the state is not”
I can’t think of an instance where Pritzker’s office was this cutting with Lightfoot.
- Rabid - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 9:47 am:
Burke ; Sorry Charlie, only the best tuna gets permits
- Big Dipper - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 9:50 am:
The same people who gleefully repeated the lies re shoplifting also did so re population loss. Then when they are disproved it’s either can’t trust the corrected “fake news” (the earlier “fake news” was fine) or crickets.
- Stephanie Kollmann - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 10:17 am:
==Burke ; Sorry Charlie, only the best tuna gets permits ==
Love this since Charlie the Tuna was in fact born in Chicago
It’s very good that people are seeing through the industry spin on “organized retail theft” but it’s much, much more important that we all learn the lesson about crime scare coverage and legislative “responses” before the next time on the next issue (which is now).
- Lurker - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 10:22 am:
I have ridden motorcycles for over 50 years and was fortunate that neither me nor my bike touched the street. But two things are certain to me. 1) wearing a helmet was never a problem and always a good idea (plus I always thought it added to the cool factor) 2) there are more distracted drivers and people less tolerant of people on two wheels
ABATE has always fought helmet laws and I always thought they were doing a disservice to riders. Isn’t there any legislature that thinks this law needs to be changed?
- Change Agent - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 10:38 am:
I think Cap Fax should have a regular Stephanie Kollmann advice column based on some of her comments here and on Twitter. She could be #twill’s own Dear Abby!
- Change Agent - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 10:43 am:
Apologies for the banned punctuation. But if anyone deserves a complimentary exclamation mark, it’s Stephanie.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 10:47 am:
=much more important that we all learn the lesson about crime scare coverage and legislative “responses” before the next time on the next issue (which is now).=
Amen. Just go back to the battle to legalize marijuana.
- H-W - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 10:49 am:
@ Lurker
Do insurance companies doing business in Illinois have provisions regarding injuries while not wearing helmets? Just curious. I am sure some bikers would not hesitate to lie if they were told the cost of insurance were higher for people not routinely wearing helmets. But with modern technology (think: satellite technologies currently used to monitor drivers), it might be possible to give discounts to those wearing helmets with sensors.
- Pot calling kettle - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 11:43 am:
==Yeah but it’s not fair to expect journalists to have caught that this was all nonsense.==
That’s what journalists do when their employers allow them the time to dig.
NPR was reporting on this back in September, including this bit in a planet Money report: “External theft is the biggest cause of shrink - 37%. But it’s not the only cause. If you add in the other causes of shrink, which is theft of inventory by employees and loss of inventory by corporate mismanagement, those two internal problems actually add up to a lot more than external theft - 54%.”
(https://www.npr.org/2023/09/11/1197953024/is-retail-theft-getting-worse)
There were multiple stories and most (if not all) called into question the retailer’s framing.
- Grandson of Man - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 12:28 pm:
EV sales are reportedly up dramatically this year and surpassed one million sold for the year. Global EV demand/sales is also expected to continue growing. That is very good news for Illinois, who is trying to be at the forefront of clean energy.
- Lurker - Wednesday, Dec 6, 23 @ 4:03 pm:
@H-W: that is interesting thought. I do know motorcycle insurance for bodily injury is much more expensive in Illinois compared to helmet states, and many will not offer it above the minimum. But, collision insurance for motorcycles is relatively cheap otherwise. I have never heard of a device to prove you are a helmet wearer but I like your thinking.
Of course, I still prefer my thinking of make it a requirement.