* Sun-Times…

Big dollars also figure to flow into the Democratic race to replace outgoing state Rep. Kelly Burke in the 36th House district, which touches Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood but mostly encompasses the southwest suburbs from south suburban Evergreen Park to Palos Hills. Burke, who is also the mayor of Evergreen Park, opted against running for an eighth term in the House after recovering from colon cancer.

In another contest pitting establishment Democrats against a drive from the party’s left flank, Burke has endorsed attorney and Palos Township Democratic Organization founder Rick Ryan over Sonia Khalil, a Markham city worker and board member of the Arab American Democratic Club, which was founded by her father.

Both candidates said protecting women’s reproductive rights is the top issue in the race, though Ryan was against abortion rights when he ran unsuccessfully for state Senate in 2000.

Ryan, 57, said his view on the issue changed shortly after that race. But Khalil, 34, has hammered Ryan over his previous stance, declaring herself “the only candidate who is pro-choice” in the reliably blue district.

* Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker and Innovate Illinois announced $680 million in combined cash match and strategic investments from public and private partners for the Illinois Fermentation and Agriculture Biomanufacturing (iFAB) Tech Hub. iFAB was designated as one of 31 Economic Development Administration (EDA) Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs nationally and recently applied for Phase 2 Implementation Grants that would propel regional growth in technology and solidify Illinois’ position as a leader in biomanufacturing and precision fermentation. The significant cash match indicates a strong backing by stakeholders reflecting the incredible potential for expanding this industry in the region.

“Home to world-class institutions, modernized infrastructure, and first-rate research centers, Illinois is transforming technology, biomanufacturing, and innovation at every turn,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “This designation positions Central Illinois to become a global leader in biomanufacturing and precision fermentation over the next decade — bringing economic development and good-paying jobs along with it. I want to congratulate everyone who took the iFab vision and turned it into a world-class, federally designated Tech Hub—you are helping create a better Illinois for all.”

iFAB exemplifies Illinois’ biomanufacturing prowess, with a strategic focus on fermentation as a biomanufacturing tool. iFAB, led by the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory (IBRL) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 30 other key partners. The project’s ambition is to drive economic growth and innovation for a sustainable future by capitalizing on Illinois’ strength in agricultural production. […]

The project supports a wide range of applications in biomanufacturing, from novel ingredients to sustainable materials, addressing emerging market demand for sustainable products. iFAB’s integrated “lab-to-line” approach will catalyze economic development by positioning Central Illinois as a premier destination for biomanufacturing companies—moving bio-innovation from R&D to full-scale manufacturing.

* Does this mean Mayor Johnson’s finally getting a communications team?…

* KSDK…

Hundreds of shots were fired Saturday in Cahokia Heights, Illinois, and Camp Jackson Fire Station was caught in the middle of it, once again.

Assistant Fire Chief Sharon Davis said she was shaken and frustrated.

“Once or twice is an accident, but after that, they have to know what they’re doing,” she said. […]

“It was literally probably 300 rounds, cars were stopping. There were people that were walking, and they were looking around trying to figure out where to go. The business across the street, they were shutting their bay doors,” she said. […]

St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department has been contacted and has not responded with a statement.

* Meanwhile… at McKinley Park Library in the 12th Ward…

* Here’s the rest…

* Daily Herald | Suburbs lead in fatal bike, pedestrian collisions as Wheaton crashes prompt school to fundraise for light: The Illinois Department of Transportation reported 249 deadly vehicle collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians statewide in 2023. Of those, 104 occurred in the suburbs, about 42%, compared to 63 in Chicago, about 25%.

* WTTW | 5 Years After Chicago’s Consent Decree Took Effect, Little Urgency Surrounds Reform Push: CPD has fully met just 6% of the court order’s requirements, according to the most recent report by the team monitoring the city’s compliance with the consent decree released in November. Since the consent decree took effect on March 1, 2019, the monitoring team has billed Chicago taxpayers for more than $15 million through Aug. 31, according to bills analyzed by WTTW News. That team has unrestricted access to CPD officials, facilities and data as the team keeps tabs on efforts to remake the department.

* Center Square | Convicted ex-utility boss wants to pause SEC civil case: Former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore was convicted in May 2023 of bribery-related charges as part of a multi-year scheme to corruptly influence longtime former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation in Springfield. Prosecutors said that the utility paid out $1.3 million in jobs, contracts and payments to associates of Madigan over eight years. […] In the SEC case, Pramaggiore wants to put everything on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court decides a case focused on the federal bribery statute.

* Sun-Times | In Englewood’s Illinois House 6th District, its incumbent Sonya Harper vs. Joseph Williams: Williams was elected last year to the 7th District Police Council as part of the new community oversight system for the Chicago Police Department. The 34-year-old previously founded Mr. Dad’s Father’s Club providing mentors to students in schools across the South Side. Harper reported raising about $15,000 for her campaign in the last quarter of 2023, with a third of that coming from the CTU PAC. Williams has raised about $7,300.

* Daily Herald | Elgin to provide AI chatbot for residents to engage via text, web chat: The city council gave preliminary approval Wednesday to a contract with Citibot.io to provide web and text-based chat services that use the city’s source information. While the information from the chatbot is sourced from the city’s website, Elgin’s chief technology officer Aaron Cosentino acknowledged the site can be difficult to navigate and contains a lot of jargon with which residents might not be familiar.

* Crain’s | Walgreens, in need of a reset, plans a strategic review of its entire operation: Wentworth said Walgreens will evaluate the role of its more than 8,000 retail locations. The company has already embarked on shrinking that footprint as it seeks to optimize the retail segment’s performance. But at the TD Cowen health care conference, Wentworth said while the footprint may shrink, retail remains central to the company’s core strategy, whether it be a traditional pharmacy location or one that also offers health services through something like primary care provider VillageMD, in which Walgreens holds a majority share.

* Sun-Times | Early voting kicks off in all 50 wards; Chicago election officials optimistic about surge in numbers: As of Monday morning, 2,700 residents had voted early for the March 19 presidential primary, Chicago Board of Elections Chairwoman Marisel Hernandez said during a news conference Monday at the city’s downtown supersite. At this point in 2020, only 1,900 Chicago residents had voted in the presidential primary.

* Injustice Watch | A notorious Chicago cop wants to become a Cook County judge: Poulos’ tarnished track record includes two fatal shootings, omitting previous arrests on his application to become a police officer, inappropriate business dealings while he was on an extended leave of absence from the police department, and blocking undocumented domestic violence victims from applying for legal status.

* Crain’s | Johnson to carry on Lightfoot-era plan to revamp LaSalle Street canyon: The mayor has been trying to appease the business community after a rocky start. Just last week he announced plans to boost the Loop that include a Chicago Board of Trade museum. He also gave more than $1 million in grants to six downtown restaurants including the storied Ceres Cafe, where dealers used to flock in the heydays of the city’s trading floors.

* Tribune | UIC to open ‘Arch Madness’ vs. Southern Illinois in Missouri Valley men’s tournament: The Flames (11-20, 4-16) are seeded 11th in “Arch Madness” in their second season as a Valley member and their fourth season under coach Luke Yaklich. Coach Bryan Mullins’ Salukis (19-12, 11-9) are seeded sixth. Tipoff is approximately 8:30 p.m.

* AP | What to know about Super Tuesday and why it matters: This Tuesday, voters in 16 different states and one territory (Get it? “Super” Tuesday.) will be choosing who they want to run for president. Some states are also choosing who should run for governor or senator for their state, and some district attorneys, too.

* ABC Chicago | Nearly 4K women of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority meet in Chicago for central regional conference: Nearly 4,000 members of the organization are expected to attend the conference. The theme is “Soaring in the Chi: Culture. Opulence. Excellence.” The four-day event will include sessions and workshops that “enhance the sorority’s rich legacy of service and sisterhood, including several community events. It’s estimated that the conference will generate approximately $4 million for the local economy.”

* NYT | JetBlue and Spirit Call Off Their $3.8 Billion Merger: A federal judge in Boston blocked the proposed merger on Jan. 16, siding with the Justice Department in determining that the merger would reduce competition and give airlines more leeway to raise ticket prices. The judge, William G. Young of U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, noted that Spirit played a vital role in the market as a low-cost carrier and that travelers would have fewer options if JetBlue absorbed it.

* Fox 2 Now | Centralia, Illinois community college aims to diversify demographic of future welders: “A 300% increase in student welders here at Kaskaskia Community College is something they only hope to expand,” welding student Zoey Cook said. “Starting off in it, you feel intimidated because it is a male-dominated industry.” […] “When I came in, we had about one female welder per class,” Cory Wellen, associate professor of welding at Kaskaskia, shared. “It jumped up to where you’d have about five or six females through the program at the same time.”

* Vox | America has a good model for how to handle immigration: America: Since the Refugee Act of 1980, the United States has resettled more than 3 million refugees. That’s more than any other country, making America’s refugee resettlement program the largest of its kind in the world. That doesn’t mean it’s big enough, and the annual number of people admitted through the program — people fleeing war, persecution, or violence — has fluctuated over the years, especially recently. The Trump administration slashed the annual cap on refugee admissions to a historic low of 15,000, while the Biden administration raised it to 125,000. That’s just a small fraction of the world’s total refugee population of 36.4 million, according to the United Nations.