* Subscribers were told about this last week…

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the Elm City Roastery coffee station is returning to the Capitol’s second floor for the General Assembly’s 2024 session.

Now in its second year, the station will now offer grab-and-go sandwiches in addition to coffee and other beverages.

“I can’t tell you the number of people we heard from who enjoyed the offerings at the Elm City Roastery station over the course of the 2023 session,” Giannoulias said. “The expanded food offerings this session make the Elm City Roastery station an essential stop for anyone working at or visiting the Capitol.”

The station is located on the second floor near Giannoulias’ office and Hearing Room 212. It will be open from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on session days.

* Press release…

Members of the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force had its first meeting where they selected State Senator Dave Koehler and State Representative Debbie Meyers-Martin as co-chairs, and outlined its findings from the first meeting and goals for the coming months.

“This task force will bring a better understanding of how the Underground Railroad operated, as slaves escaped the south for freedom and a better life in Illinois,” said Koehler (D-Peoria). “By giving Illinoisans a clear understanding of the past, we are creating a greater future.”

The Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force was created through legislation championed by Koehler last year – Senate Bill 1623. The task force will create a statewide plan to connect existing local projects and new projects to create a cohesive statewide history of the Underground Railroad in Illinois, while establishing new educational and tourism opportunities.

“The history of Underground Railroad is one of freedom, bravery and community. Because of its geographical location, Illinois has a robust history of sites, communities and individuals who helped on or used the Underground Railroad for a network of freedom,” said Jenn Edginton, interim director of the Illinois State Museum. “This task force will help explore more ways to bring this history to light.”

The task force – which held its first meeting Tuesday – is comprised of people from a number of organizations and agencies – like the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois State Historical Society.

Following its introductory meeting, members of the task force held the press conference to highlight how it will determine historical sites, connections they have to one another, and create a picture to recognize the history of the Underground Railroad.

“It’s time we bring to light our history that led us to where we are today,” said State Senator Doris Turner (D-Springfield). “Illinois played a crucial role in freeing slaves and we need to recognize the pioneers who fought for the rights of African Americans, giving them the freedom and justice they deserved.”

The task force will continue to meet throughout the next few months and will submit a report and recommendations to the General Assembly and governor by July 1.

* Here’s the rest…

* Chicago Mag | The 10 Pols Who Could Replace Dick Durbin: The senator will be 82 when his fifth term expires in 2027. He will have tied Shelby Moore Cullom’s record of 30 years as Illinois’s longest-serving senator. Durbin’s seatmate, Tammy Duckworth, is just 55, so his retirement would create a once-in-a-generation opportunity for an ambitious politician to move up. Durbin has not yet announced whether he will run again — he has said only that it depends on his “physical and mental abilities” — but there’s already a shadow primary to replace him. “It’s going to be a free-for-all,” predicts political consultant Don Rose. When U.S. senator Peter Fitzgerald announced his retirement in 2004, 16 candidates ran to succeed him. “Don’t you think it would be cool to be a senator?” one remarked. (Barack Obama, a state senator at the time, won — you might have heard of him.)

* Starved Rock Media | No Vote Yet On Declaring La Salle County A “Non-Sanctuary” County: La Salle County on Thursday could have become the latest entity to declare itself a non-sanctuary location. But the measure presented to members of the La Salle County Board hadn’t come through a proper committee. So, down it goes until the Committee on Appointment, Legislative and Rules can iron out certain elements.

* Crain’s | Rovner steps into semi-retirement, opening a 7th Circuit seat for Biden: “Today, I am delighted to say, I am one of five women in active service on our court (one of six in total),” Rovner said in her Jan. 12 letter to Biden. “I know that, in choosing my successor, you will consider candidates whose life experiences, professional background, and worldview equip them to think critically, to give respectful hearing to points of view that may be unpopular or go unheard, and to pursue justice with an open heart and mind.”

* WGN | Suburban politician’s cancer charity fails to file financial records: Tiffany Henyard holds two elected offices and runs a charity for cancer patients. However, the Illinois Attorney General’s office says her namesake foundation has failed to file basic information about how it collects and spends money. WGN Investigates found the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation also benefited from money, manpower and promotion from the village of Dolton and Thorntown Township, two municipalities led by Henyard.

* Tribune | Judge bans Cook County prosecutors’ new Conviction Review Unit boss from courtroom, alleging conflict of interest: The order stemmed from a spat over Mbekeani’s connection to a business venture that connects defendants seeking to overturn their convictions with lawyers while serving as a prosecutor handling post-conviction cases for the state’s attorney’s office.

* WTTW | E-Learning or a Snow Day? Here’s How Illinois School Districts Decide: “It’s locally determined,” said Jackie Matthews, spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Education. “No one is required to have one. Some may feel it’s a good fit, and some may not.” ISBE did not immediately have an accounting of how many of Illinois’ approximately 850 districts have e-learning policies.

* NBC Chicago | Chicago Bears stadium updates: What Kevin Warren has said about Arlington Heights, downtown sites: The timeline for the Bears to break ground on a new stadium site is still unclear. Hell, they still haven’t officially announced where the new stadium will be. During the Bears end-of-season press conference, president and CEO Kevin Warren said that finalizing the location for the team’s next home is one of the most pressing steps for the Bears to take in the short term as they continue to work on their long term plans. But there’s more to it than just picking a spot.

* Tribune | CPS to buy green buses with federal grant, but driver shortage remains a challenge for worn-out parents: Since August, CPS has provided transportation only for students with disabilities who have Individual Education Plans or 504 Plans requiring transportation, and students in temporary living situations, for whom the district is federally mandated to provide transportation services. Parents advocating for busing recognized the importance of electric buses but questioned how the district would provide support to families currently without any busing.

* WICS | Federal court date set for Terrence Shannon Jr.’s motion for a temporary restraining order: Shannon is expected to plead not guilty to the charges on January 18th. But with the trial not expected to be resolved until this summer — after the college basketball season and NBA draft — Shannon’s legal team is looking to the federal court to pause the University’s suspension.

* ABC Chicago | Kankakee River ice jam causes floodwaters to surround homes in Wilmington: Chunks of ice built up along the Kankakee River banks in Wilmington on Monday night, giving rise to flood waters and concerns for neighbors. “About a foot off of this pipe right here is our seawall, so then the water is usually about 2 feet below that,” said Chris Krall.

* WBEZ | EPA to decide if foul-smelling, toxic Southwest Side waterway needs cleanup — and who would do it: The source of the odors is the collateral channel, about a quarter-mile stretch of water that connects West 31st Street, just east of Kedzie Avenue, to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The channel is not only foul-smelling but also toxic and a threat to human health, community members say.

* Tribune | ‘Grandmothering While Black’ takes a deep dive into how parents’ parents are coping with raising the next generation: The Northwestern University alumna collected data from nearly 100 women on Chicago’s South Side for four years through in-depth interviews with the women and ethnographic research via doctor’s visits, welfare offices, school and day care center appointments, and caseworker meetings.

* AP | Ground collision of two Boeing planes at O’Hare sparks investigation: Delta spokesperson Emma Johnson said Monday afternoon by phone that an All Nippon Airways aircraft clipped a Delta plane while it was parking at a gate after arriving at O’Hare from Detroit. “Customers deplaned normally at the gate and the aircraft is being evaluated by Delta’s maintenance technicians,” the company said in an emailed statement.

* Baltimore Sun | The Baltimore Sun purchased by Sinclair’s David D. Smith: Smith would not disclose how much he paid for Baltimore Sun Media. He purchased the newspaper group independently of Sinclair, which is known for its ownership of television stations and local news programming across the U.S. and a recent failed foray into regional sports network ownership. The Sinclair empire started with Baltimore’s WBFF Fox 45 television station.

* WBEZ | M&M’s guru mulls chocolate all day at Mars Wrigley headquarters on Goose Island: “I actually talk very little about what I do, I’m not big on going on about myself,” [Matthew Kradenpoth] said in an interview next to a wall of M&M’s dispensers in the cafeteria of the Mars Wrigley global headquarters on Goose Island. “I don’t know why because I have, like, the greatest job.”

* NBC Chicago | What should you do if your pipes freeze? Here are several steps you can take: It will likely take around 30 minutes for pipes to thaw. However, this may vary depending on how cold it is, how long the pipe has been frozen and its location. If you’re not successful with any of the above steps, you’ll want to call a plumber for help.