Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times…
* WICS | Senator urges residents to ‘hog’ all the bacon on new Illinois Bacon Day celebration: On May 1st, the Illinois Pork Producers Association will gather at the Illinois State Capitol to celebrate the commemoration of Senate Joint Resolution 50, sponsored by Senator Tom Bennett (R-53), designating May 1st as Illinois Bacon Day. Illinois pig farmers, IPPA staff, and FFA state officers will be handing out BLT sandwiches to legislators at the Illinois State Capital to discuss the role that pork production plays in Illinois. * Center Square | Measure to provide freed prisoners with naloxone advancing in Springfield: The Illinois House recently passed House Bill 5527 that would provide naloxone to people leaving incarceration if they were behind bars for drug-related charges or have a substance abuse problem. The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, said studies have shown overdose is the leading cause of death for people recently released from incarceration. He said funds from Illinois’ share of the nationwide opioid settlement will cover the cost. * Center Square | Illinois federal judges rescind ‘discriminatory’ policies after complaint: The rules that gave newer, Black female attorneys more time in oral arguments were discriminatory and illegal, he said. “Oral argument is not something the court has to give somebody, but the standing orders of the judges said that they will give oral argument to litigants that have either a female or minority lawyer, pretty much illegal,” said Shestokas. * Tribune | Lawyers for indicted Ald. Carrie Austin say she’s medically unfit for trial, plans to retire in March: In a motion Friday afternoon, Austin’s attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin, asked that her case be severed from Wilson’s and that she be declared medically unfit for trial due to chronic and worsening heart failure, as well as a breathing condition “that makes her feel like she is drowning when she lays down, so she can only sleep in a recliner.” Durkin wrote that the request was made “out of an abundance of concern that Ms. Austin simply will not make it through the stress of trial or the difficult pretrial preparation.” * Tribune | April Perry nominated for federal judge, nixing bid to be Chicago’s first female U.S. attorney: Perry is being nominated to fill a seat being vacated by U.S. District Judge Nancy Maldonaldo, who has been nominated to the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago, the White House announced Wednesday. Meanwhile, the search for Lausch’s replacement will likely have to begin anew and almost certainly won’t be decided until after the 2024 presidential election in November. * Sun-Times | Family of Dexter Reed files federal civil rights lawsuit over his killing by Chicago police: The lawsuit accuses Chicago police of promoting “brutally violent, militarized policing tactics,” and argues that the five officers who stopped Reed “created an environment that directly resulted in his death.” Reed, 26, was driving in the 3800 block of West Ferdinand Street in Humboldt Park on March 21 when tactical officers in an unmarked car stopped his GMC Terrain. Video footage released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows the officers drawing their guns as they yelled for Reed to lower his window and open his door. * Crain’s | Foxtrot, Dom’s facing lawsuit one day after shuttering stores: The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed this morning in federal court in Chicago. It alleges that Foxtrot, Dom’s and parent company Outfox Hospitality violated the federal and state Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification acts. The WARN acts, as they are commonly called, require companies to give employees 60 days’ notice of a mass layoff or plant closure, and provide compensation during that notice period. * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan’s mayor says invitation to Bears was worth a shot: ‘We have to explore every opportunity for economic development’: As the Chicago Bears embark on a plan to build a new stadium near their current Soldier Field home, Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor said she has no regrets about having invited the team to relocate 50 miles north to her city’s lakefront. Taylor said she knew when she invited the Bears to explore putting a stadium on undeveloped lakefront property in June it was a longshot, but the team responded and she also heard from other developers who wanted to be part of any such project. * ABC Chicago | Des Plaines’ St. Zachary School closing after more than 60 years: St. Zachary School in Des Plaines reportedly had only 20 students enrolled for next year, and the school will be closing at the end of this year. A spokesperson from the Office of Catholic Schools called the news “heartbreaking,” saying the decision “only came after thoughtful exploration of multiple options to keep the school sustainable.” * Daily Herald | Judge: Accused Highland Park shooter gets some phone privileges restored: Rossetti ordered Robert Crimo III be allowed to speak by phone with his parents and siblings. The defendant’s phone privileges were suspended last year after authorities say he violated jail rules by using another inmate’s PIN number to call his mother, after his phone privileges were suspended for threatening corrections officers. * Daily Herald | With new campaign contributions in tow, Elk Grove mayor announces reelection bid: Already Elk Grove Village’s longest-serving mayor, Craig Johnson announced Tuesday he will seek an unprecedented eighth term in next year’s election. At the same time, longtime Trustee Chris Prochno — who has been Johnson’s right hand on the village board as long as he’s been mayor — announced she won’t seek another term, wrapping up a 28-year tenure a year from now. * Crain’s | Tech entrepreneur Tom Siebel gives U of I another $50M to fund data science: Tom Siebel, one of the most famous tech entrepreneurs to graduate from the University of Illinois, is doubling down on his support of the school’s computer science program as it gears up to handle the next big thing: artificial intelligence. Siebel, 71, is giving another $50 million to the school, bringing his total donations to $110 million, the university says. The U of I is naming its computer science department the Siebel School of Computing & Data Science. * Tribune | 2024 NFL draft: Everything you need to know, including when the Chicago Bears pick and how you can watch: It’s all happening in downtown Detroit, where top prospects will walk the red carpet at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza before Round 1 — and the traditional booing of Commissioner Roger Goodell — starts at 7 p.m. Thursday CDT. Rounds 2 and 3 will happen Friday beginning at 6 p.m., with Rounds 4-7 kicking off at noon Saturday. * Business Insider | Threads just dethroned X, according to this key metric: Meta’s newest app, launched last summer on the back of Instagram’s tech, has seen daily active users grow consistently since November, according to usage estimates from Apptopia. Threads is a direct rival of X, formerly Twitter, which has struggled to maintain its user base since Elon Musk acquired the platform about 18 months ago. * Missouri Independent | Bill ending Medicaid reimbursements to Planned Parenthood clears Missouri Senate: A bill that would make Planned Parenthood ineligible to receive reimbursements from the state’s Medicaid program passed out of the Missouri Senate early Wednesday morning after an 11-hour Democratic filibuster. The bill now returns to the House, where it can be sent to Gov. Mike Parson to sign into law. * AP | Airlines will now be required to give automatic cash refunds for canceled and delayed flights: The Transportation Department said airlines will be required to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. Under current regulations, airlines decide how long a delay must last before triggering refunds. The administration is removing that wiggle room by defining a significant delay as lasting at least three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international ones.
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Pritzker says he ‘remains skeptical’ about Bears proposal: ‘I’m not sure that this is among the highest priorities for taxpayers’ (Updated)
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about his thoughts on the Bears’ domed stadium proposal…
Please pardon any transcription errors. You can watch the team’s press conference today on the Bears’ homepage. …Adding… Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren was introduced as the man who shepherded Minnesota Vikings’ new stadium project. From a recent local newspaper story…
…Adding… Mayor Johnson is going all-in with effusive praise, and claimed: “This project will result in no new taxes on the residents of Chicago.” Except, nobody has yet said how that new capital spending will be paid for. …Adding… The mayor just said the new venue would host several events. What he doesn’t say is that the plan allows the Bears to keep the revenues from those events. …Adding… Is it weird that they’re doing a splashy news media briefing before briefing the governor? …Adding… This is the capital plan. The Bears claim they’ve worked “closely with the state” on funding sources, but the governor’s office says they haven’t talked to them about it… ![]() That’s $1.5 billion in capital longterm. Also note the fine print at the bottom. “Financial forecasts subject to change.” …Adding… $15 million for the state ain’t much. Just sayin… ![]() …Adding… Click here for the full press release. Renderings are here. Economic impact study is here. …Adding… Gov. Pritzker just pointed out during another press conference that three professional sports teams are hoping to build new stadiums, but the Bears plan uses all the available bonding authority for this project, leaving nothing for the other two. …Adding… Isabel just asked how the capital plan will be funded. “There are dollars that we believe exist at the state level, at the potentially federal level, [and] at the city level,” CEO Williams said. So, he didn’t answer the question. Isabel asked a follow-up about specific funding from the state, but Williams would only say “We do look forward to having some detailed conversations with the state here in the near future.” …Adding… Senate President Harmon react…
…Adding… House Speaker Chris Welch…
Welch also told reporters today that if he put this plan on the big board today it would fail miserably. …Adding… Asked if he thought the plan could run this spring or if they would wait until the veto session, Warren said…
…Adding… Mayor Johnson was asked: “You have a host of progressive priorities in the capital such as more education and migrant funding. How are you going to make a progressive case for a publicly funded sports stadium?” The response…
…Adding… A top Pritzker administration official says the Bears “have no risk under this scenario. The risk is 100% on the state.” …Adding… Asked about the White Sox plan, Warren admitted the Bears’ plan “doesn’t include any money for what they want. But it doesn’t mean that money does not exist for what they want. So that’s why we’re continuing conversations.” Um. OK. Magic money? …Adding… Gov. Pritzker went from saying he remained skeptical this morning, to saying he is “highly skeptical of the proposal that’s been made” this afternoon. He continued: “I believe strongly that this is not a high priority for legislators and certainly not for me, when I compare it to all the other things when we’re talking about health care here, even when you talk about capital for health care as they’re asking for capital for a stadium.” …Adding… Gov. Pritzker said he could eventually support a plan, but this plan “can be a lot better for taxpayers than what they put forward.” …Adding… Speaker Welch told reporters today what he said he told the Bears privately last week: “If we were to put this issue on the board for a vote right now, it would fail and it would fail miserably. There’s no environment for something like this today. Now in Springfield environments change. Will that environment change within the next 30 days? I think that’s highly unlikely.” …Adding… More from Welch today…
…Adding… Sen. Peters…
And Sen. Lewis…
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Bloomberg…
* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Illinois Restaurant Association and more…
* WAND…
* WCIA…
* SJ-R…
SB2209 has not made it out of Senate Appropriations. * Rep. Harry Benton…
* Rep. Laura Faver Dias…
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It sure looks like lawmakers were right to be worried
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * WTTW last week…
That bill passed 92-8. * Well, Sarah Karp and Nader Issa crunched the numbers and found that CPS - which also appears to be playing a game of “Hide the ball” - is indeed cutting budgets for selective enrollment and magnet schools…
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Flashback: Candidate Johnson opposed Bears stadium subsidies (Updated x2)
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Mayor Johnson will attend the Bears’ press conference today unveiling plans for its new domed stadium. From a media advisory…
* From a mayoral runoff debate in early March of 2023…
…Adding… From the Chicago Public Schools’ 2024 capital plan document…
And yet the mayor is supporting hundreds of millions of dollars in capital spending to build a domed stadium for a wealthy NFL franchise on Lake Michigan. …Adding… SDG supports using state capital money for sports stadiums? Unreal… ![]()
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$117.7B Economic Impact: More Than Healthcare Providers, Hospitals Are Economic Engines
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois hospitals and health systems are essential to economic growth across the state. A new report illustrates the hospital community’s role as strong economic contributors who fuel $117.7 billion in economic activity every year, resulting in good-paying jobs and more vibrant communities. While hospitals are first and foremost providers of life-saving care, their role stretches farther. They are innovators; community partners in addressing challenges of food insecurity, homelessness, health disparities and more; and major employers serving as the hub of economic activity in their communities. Illinois hospitals and health systems create 445,000 direct and indirect jobs, and they support working families through over $50 billion in direct and indirect payroll annually. What’s more:
• Illinois hospitals directly employ 190,000 Illinoisans; and • Every $1 in hospital spending leads to another $1.40 in spending. As larger purchasers of supplies and services, Illinois hospitals and health systems spend nearly $62 billion to have on hand for every patient the medical equipment and supplies needed to care for patients in any circumstance. In addition, the hospital community spends over $5.5 billion in capital projects yearly that benefit patients, and provide good jobs to Illinois workers. Learn more about the hospital community’s economic impact.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Bears want taxpayers to help pay for their new stadium, experts say city unlikely to get revenue. ABC Chicago…
* Related stories…
∙ Sun-Times: Bears to reveal how they want to pay for a domed lakefront stadium — and what it will look like ∙ Crain’s: Bears will unveil $3.2B domed stadium, with a potential final price of $4.7B Governor Pritzker will be at Silver Cross Hospital Conference Center in New Lenox at 10 am and Loyola University’s Stritch School of Medicine at 12:15 pm promoting the Healthcare Protection Act. Click here to watch. Bear’s Lakeshore Redevelopment press conference at noon in Soldier Field. You can watch here. Mayor Brandon Johnson will attend the news conference. * Press release…
* From Sean Tenner…
* Illinois Answers | For Many Illinoisans in Flood-Prone Areas, Buyouts Are the Only Way Out: In Illinois, there are two buyout programs: one run by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and funded through state legislative allocation, and another run by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Buyouts offer people in distress significant help, but they often come with long wait times and bureaucratic complications. And they often don’t prevent people from moving into other flood-prone areas, experts who evaluate these programs told the Illinois Answers Project. * ABC Chicago | Recycle plastic bags? New information about where they really end up: ABC News and the I-Team first glued trackers to plastic bags in May 2023 and dropped them off at Target and Walmart stores with plastic bag recycling. Out of the 46 trackers deployed by ABC News and ABC stations, a majority of the bags ended up at landfills or incinerators. * Sun-Times Editorial Board | Time for a leadership change at CTA: Show Dorval Carter the exit door: Everyone agrees, it seems, except Mayor Brandon Johnson, who so far has resisted the idea of replacing Carter despite the overwhelming hue and cry from aldermen, CTA riders, transit advocates and now the governor to do so. But with the CTA, Metra and Pace together facing a $730 million shortfall once federal COVID-19 funding runs out in 2026, a Carter-run CTA is a potential liability to the city’s efforts to seek state funding to shore up the agency’s finances. * SJ-R | Top general for Illinois National Guard retiring after joining military nearly 40 years ago: On May 4, Neely, the adjutant general for Illinois and commander of the Illinois National Guard, will be giving the flag back, marking his retirement from the military after nearly 40 years of service. “It’s the symbology of one leader giving the flag up and one leader taking the flag,” Neely said, referring to his successor, Maj. Gen. Rodney Boyd, the assistant adjutant general. “One…of my priorities was to ensure the continuity of leadership. * WTVO | Pritzker touts Healthcare Protection Act as ‘lifesaving’ bill in Rockford visit: Pritzker was at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center on Tuesday to explain what the bill, which has been passed in the House, could mean for patients, doctors, and insurance companies. “With this bill, we’re putting power back in the hands of doctors and patients,” Pritzer said. * Illinois Farmer today | Farmland values increase at slower rate with tighter profits: While farmland remains a stable long-term investment with a long track record of growing in value, tight profit margins could mean a few years of stepping back in land values, Purdue University ag economist Michael Langemeier says. “Farmers are just more cautious for obvious reasons when they start seeing signs the margins are tighter,” he says. * WBEZ | Most of Chicago’s mass shootings involve young victims: More than half – 53% – of mass shootings in Chicago involved at least one victim younger than 20. Mass shootings have occurred in 56 of the city’s 77 community areas, but nearly three-fourths of them have happened in just 16 communities on the city’s South and West sides. * Tribune | Police Department rules Officer Luis Huesca died in line of duty: The designation was announced Tuesday, on what would have been Huesca’s 31st birthday, and it entitles his family to survivor’s death benefits. In a message to all CPD members, Superintendent Larry Snelling said he’s recently spent time with those closest to Huesca. * WBEZ | CPS’s selective and magnet schools appear to take a hit under new equity funding formula: So with no clear sources of new revenue, it appears CPS is redistributing existing funding from some schools to others, based on a WBEZ/Sun-Times analysis and interviews with school leaders. The district has so far refused to publicly release the budgets for broader analysis. Jen Johnson, the deputy mayor for education, told WBEZ that the mayor’s office instructed the district to protect programming at all schools, even as it looks to prioritize high-poverty schools. * Tribune | Chicago-based Dutch Farms makes bid to buy bankrupt Oberweis Dairy: Brian Boomsma, owner of Chicago-based Dutch Farms, made a stalking horse bid for nearly all of the operating assets of the company, with plans to “operate and grow the business” when it emerges from bankruptcy, Adam Kraber, president of Oberweis, said in a news release. * Tribune | Water quality has improved dramatically in the Chicago River. But how safe is swimming?: “A lot of people think about the Chicago River as being super gross, super polluted,” Elsa Anderson, an assistant professor of environmental science at Northwestern University, said. “And at one point in time, that was true. But with the Clean Water Act in the early 1970s, it’s not.” Anderson said scientists have been able to measure the river’s improvement by looking at the vast increase in fish and plant species. The river has become a thriving wetland, according to Anderson. * Shaw Local | McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally calls his surprise decision to step down ‘agonizing’: He also said that there is someone who is going to take his place, although he declined to identify whom. Who would replace him on the November ballot will also be a decision involving the county’s Republican Party. : * Daily Southtown | Will County Board Republicans sue county executive over 143rd Street project veto: Bertino-Tarrant inadvertently signed the resolution that stopped the widening Feb. 16, realized her mistake and then vetoed it the next day. The County Board did not have enough votes to override the veto. The lawsuit, filed April 18 by attorneys Steven Laduzinsky, John Partelow and Jeff Tomczak, said there is no authority in Illinois law that allows a county executive to sign and approve a resolution and then subsequently veto it. The lawsuit cites the Illinois Counties Code that says when the executive approved the resolution on Feb. 16 it became law. * AP | College students, inmates and a nun: Unique book club meets at Cook County Jail: For college senior Nana Ampofo, an unconventional book club inside one of the nation’s largest jails has transformed her career ambitions. Each week, the 22-year-old drives a van of her DePaul University peers to Cook County Jail to discuss books with inmates and recently, the well-known activist Sister Helen Prejean. Ampofo comes prepared with thought-provoking questions to launch the conversations at the Chicago jail about the most recent books they’ve been reading together. * WCIA | State senator weighs in on Champaign School Board ‘chaos’: It’s not very often a state senator gets involved with a school board’s inner workings, but Rose had been reading about frustrations within the district. He decided to reach out to the State Board of Education’s Superintendent Tony Sanders about a month ago. “You maybe just pick up the phone and suggest mediation for this board, maybe organize some facilitators to come down and have a sit-down, and try to put Humpty-Dumpty back together again,” Rose said. * Sun-Times | Ken ‘Hawk’ Harrelson on White Sox: ‘It’s been ugly, and I feel bad for our fans’: No one lived and breathed the White Sox more than Ken Harrelson, the retired Hall of Fame broadcaster. There is no bigger fan. Maybe it’s a good thing he and his wife, Aris, had been at their Florida home until they returned to Granger, Indiana, two days ago. Until watching the 7-0 loss to the Twins on Monday, Harrelson had followed his beloved online, reading box scores and reports and communicating via other channels as his South Side nine crumbled to an embarrassing 3-19 start. * Daily Herald | Illinois PGA tournament season to feature team play: Team play will make its debut on May 13 at the first stroke play event at Schaumburg Golf Club. This is real team play, not best ball or foursome competitions. With nine six-player teams and a seven-tournament schedule, it more closely resembles what the LIV Golf League started doing three years ago at its tournaments. * WaPo | Bird flu virus found in grocery milk as officials say supply still safe: Viral fragments of bird flu have been identified in samples of milk taken from grocery store shelves in the United States, a finding that does not necessarily suggest a threat to human health but indicates the avian flu virus is more widespread among dairy herds than previously thought, according to two public health officials and a public health expert who was briefed on the issue. * WaPo Op Ed | You don’t want immigrants? Then tell grandma she can never retire: To put a finer point on it, there’s so much demand for workers now that even the most marginal American workers, such as teenagers and people with disabilities, are doing unusually well in the labor market. Ironically, some parts of the country complaining loudest about immigration today are the same places trying to loosen limits on child labor because their worker shortages are so acute. * AP | Cicadas are so noisy in a South Carolina county that residents are calling the police: Some people have even flagged down deputies to ask what the noise is all about, Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said. The nosiest cicadas were moving around the county of about 38,000 people, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Columbia, prompting calls from different locations as Tuesday wore on, Foster said.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Apr 24, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Shaw Local…
* HuffPost…
* Shaw Local | Debate on IHSA transfer policies seems likely to intensify: It has been in the Rules Committee since March 2023. State Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, became the chief sponsor on April 15, 2024, the day the committee approved it for consideration and sent it to the Elementary & Secondary Education Committee. Lilly filed the floor amendment that has the IHSA on high alert: “An association or other entity that has as one of its purposes promoting, sponsoring, regulating, or in any manner providing for interscholastic athletics or any form of athletic competition among schools and students within this state may not adopt any policy restricting a student from participating in interscholastic athletics when the student transfers from one school to another school.” * KWQC | Illinois ranks 2nd highest in number of tornadoes so far this year in the US: Iowa has had 15 tornadoes so far this season, all of which occurred during the severe weather outbreak on April 16. Illinois, on the other hand, has had 40 preliminary reports of tornadoes so far this year, trough April 22. * NBC Chicago | Multiple Chicago, Illinois high schools land on new ranking of ‘Best High Schools’ for 2024: While suburban schools didn’t rank as high on the national list, many topped the report’s list of best high schools for 2024 in the state of Illinois, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills New Trier Township High School in Winnetka and Hinsdale Central High School in Hinsdale. * Chalkbeat | Chicago’s low-income families of students with disabilities eligible for new $500 grants: The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities is partnering with Ada S. McKinley Community Services to distribute $5 million through the new Diverse Learners Recovery Fund, supported by American Rescue Plan dollars, which the federal government distributed to help cities and states recover from the pandemic. Chicago received nearly $1.9 billion in those funds, which must be allocated for spending by December 2024, according to the city. * Block Club | Only Half Of Black Seniors Approved For Home Repair Or Refinance Loans To Age In Place: Between 2018 and 2022, Black neighbors 62 and older were twice as likely to be denied home loans as their white counterparts in Chicago, an analysis of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data by the Investigative Project on Race and Equity shows. Over that time, 48 percent of older Black residents across the city were denied a mortgage loan compared to 23 percent of white applicants, the data shows. * Crain’s | With precious few existing homes for sale, buyers shift to new construction: When they bought a Wicker Park site a year ago with a plan to build 10 condos there, one of the development principals expected that when the units were ready to go up for sale, they would take about six months to sell. Wrong. It took three months to get buyers under contract for all 10 units of the Crystal Street condos, at asking prices of $650,000 to $1.25 million. * Sun-Times | Loop’s weekend foot traffic exceeds level before pandemic, but retail vacancies still at record high: The average weekend pedestrian activity on State Street was 107% of 2019 levels. During the work week from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., foot traffic was about 91% of pre-pandemic activity. Total pedestrian activity on State Street was up 7% compared to the first quarter of 2023, representing 1.5 million “impressions” per week, and 94% of 2019 levels. The impressions are counted by analytics firm Springboard MRI, which collects data daily from counters on top of buildings along State Street, from Ida B. Wells to Wacker Drive, that track silhouettes of people but not any identifying features. * Crain’s | Paris Schutz to join Fox 32 Chicago after departing WTTW: He will help fill the void left by recently retired political editor Mike Flannery. “I’m really excited about the opportunity at FOX to do creative and unique things . . . like long-form interviews, roundtables and enterprise stories,” said Schutz. “I was really excited by the management at FOX, talking about how they wanted to be really entrepreneurial, and they really wanted to move into the future of local TV news.” * WBEZ | Here’s how some Chicagoans are taking an eco-friendly approach to funerals: Green burial is a catchall term for many new far-out interment options, including human composting and aquamation, also called water cremation or alkaline hydrolysis. But for many, green burial simply means placing a body directly into the ground, according to Sam Perry, a mortuary science professor at Southern Illinois University. He is also president of the Green Burial Council, a nonprofit that sets burial standards. * Chicago Daily Law Bulletin | Suspend attorney over baseless lawsuits, ARDC board says: An attorney who filed frivolous lawsuits against the village of Tinley Park and one its attorneys after being denied employment should be suspended for six months, according to the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission hearing board.Stephen E. Eberhardt was charged with filing frivolous claims and engaging in conduct that had no substantial purpose other than to embarrass and burden the village of Tinley Park and several of its officials, in violation of the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct. * Daily Herald | Controversial Downers Grove library trustee removed from board: Bill Nienburg’s controversial tenure as a Downers Grove Library Board trustee ended last week when the village council voted 4-3 to remove him from the board. The April 16 vote came roughly six weeks after library trustees censured Nienburg and recommended his removal from the board. * Sun-Times | Finding early morel mushrooms is underway: Ryan Leonard found morels in the past week, noting, “I think they were the earliest I have found them. Found four tiny ones Thursday. This morning I found about 20 on my Sunday morning walk in Park Ridge. They were fresh and I think with more rain this week they should really come out. I’m hoping for a good season.” * Daily Herald | ‘A transformative force’: Lurie Children’s Hospital breaks ground on outpatient center in Schaumburg: The project is an expansion for Lurie in the Northwest suburbs as well as a replacement for its smaller facilities in Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Huntley, which will close upon its completion. In a letter outlining the project last year, Lurie officials cited a 150% increase over the past decade in patient visits to their satellite locations, which have limited access and extended wait lists. * WICS | Generation X nostalgia exhibition earns top honors at Illinois State Museum: “Growing Up X” won an Award of Superior Achievement, the highest award given in the exhibits category, and the Innovation Award for the interactive rec room component of the exhibit. The exhibit explored the toys, technology, and cultural touchstones familiar to those born between 1965 and 1980 in their youth. It was the first museum exhibition in the country to focus on Generation X. * SJ-R | Springfield-area man who is part-time police officer slams Jeep into school, leaves scene: McIntire insisted he was sober at the time of the crash. McIntire, who was driving westbound on Temple Street and crossed North Miller Street, said he swerved to avoid a collision with “a bunch of deer and dogs” in the road. McIntire stated he had a case of beer in the trunk of the jeep and started drinking on his way home. He told deputies that he had drunk around 10 beers and consumed “a large amount of vodka” before deputies arrived at his home. * SJ-R | Springfield school district employees to have choice of insurance plans as costs rise: School District 186 Superintendent Jennifer Gill insisted it wasn’t the district that was responsible for increased health insurance rates for employees who take the plan. That came from the carrier, Cigna, because of high claimants in the district and the overall spiraling costs of health care in the country, she said. * WICS | Jacksonville hospital hosts flag-raising to emphasize organ donation importance: According to Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, which serves Illinois and northwest Indiana, nearly 5,000 Illinoisans are currently waiting for an organ transplant. “April is National Donate Life Month,” said Carrie Carls, chief nursing officer at JMH. “We hold the flag-raising ceremony each year as a way to honor organ and tissue donors for giving the gift of life to others.” * Tribune | Navy Pier announces summer 2024 music, fireworks and sports events: Chicago: Home of House Exhibit (May 1 to Oct. 31): Commemorating the 40th anniversary of house music, an exhibit devoted to the artists from Chicago’s South and West Sides who helped create the style. Presented in partnership with the Design Museum of Chicago and Vintage House Show Collective. * STL Today | Busch Stadium food: Which menu items score and which strike out?: Farmtruk chef and owner Samantha Mitchell knows how to feed a stadium. Her food truck has already established a presence at Enterprise Center for the Blues and Citypark for City SC. And beginning this season, you can find Farmtruk in the right-field upper deck at Busch (429). Yes, you’ll need to make a pilgrimage there if you’re sitting elsewhere, but Farmtruk will repay the effort with the best food in the ballpark — by far. * AP | US government agrees to $138.7M settlement over FBI’s botching of Larry Nassar assault allegations: The U.S. Justice Department announced a $138.7 million settlement Tuesday with more than 100 people who accused the FBI of grossly mishandling allegations of sexual assault against Larry Nassar in 2015 and 2016, a critical time gap that allowed the sports doctor to continue to prey on victims before his arrest. When combined with other settlements, $1 billion now has been set aside by various organizations to compensate hundreds of women who said Nassar assaulted them under the guise of treatment for sports injuries. * Capitol B | Flint’s Warning to America: The federal Environmental Protection Agency and officials with Flint’s mayor’s and city attorney’s offices did not respond to multiple requests from Capital B for comment. Residents argue that even though they’ve brought the country’s water woes to the forefront, they’re in a worse position today despite hundreds of millions of dollars of investment — and they want you to know that your city can be next. * WaPo | Why this summer may be especially hot in the United States: The hot summer forecast is linked to the probable switch from the El Niño to La Niña climate pattern by the summer’s second half. While La Niña has a small cooling effect on the planet overall, it has boosted summer heat in the United States, especially in recent years when human-caused climate change has also fueled higher temperatures. * Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi | Countering Chinese cyber threats of tomorrow demands we prepare today: Recent reports revealed that the Justice Department and FBI were authorized to disable hundreds of U.S.-based routers hijacked by Volt Typhoon. This operation protected everyday citizens from malicious PRC-sponsored cyber actors and is exactly the type of action necessary to counter cyber threats before they escalate. Second, we must deter our adversaries. As the “father of information theory” Claude Shannon once said: “assume the enemy knows the system.” Although malicious Chinese code has yet to disrupt our networks, any cyberattack leading to physical harm or loss of life would invoke our inherent right to self-defense.
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McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally abruptly aborts reelection bid without explanation
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Shaw Local…
* Here’s a February, 2023 op-ed by State’s Attorney Kenneally…
* That’s… not how he has always behaved. From a CBS2 story on November 30, 2020…
* I also don’t recall him speaking out about this…
Except to say this…
* And then there was this 2023 op-ed by State’s Attorney Kenneally that undercut state cannabis laws…
Gov. Pritzker’s office released a statement in part saying that the governor, “is disappointed to learn that the McHenry County State’s Attorney prefers focusing on spreading disinformation instead of tackling the issues that keep actually keep residents safe.” * He has, however, filed his share of lawsuits. 2022…
* ABC 7…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I still call it “pop.” You?… ![]()
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* KSDK…
* SJ-R…
* Riverbender…
* Rep. Sharon Chung…
* WSPY…
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Protect Illinois Hospitality – Vote No On House Bill 5345
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] “Making the Southland a destination for people visiting Chicago is a top priority for the groups we represent. We are building a new casino that will employ hundreds, bring in millions in local revenues, and increase employment opportunities for our community in the hospitality industry. This is why we need to find ways to help support these businesses – the restaurants, hotels, and now casinos, but eliminating the tip credit is not the answer. Instead of passing unnecessary solutions for a problem that doesn’t exist, let’s work together to find better options that will benefit our local businesses, help reduce the possibility of empty storefronts, and support our neighboring communities.” Cornel Darden, Jr. ![]() Tell your state legislators to VOTE NO on House Bill 5345 and Protect Illinois Hospitality
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You gotta be kidding me
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s back in February…
Hilarious. He’s doing neither right now. * More from that February story…
* Three wins and 19 losses later, here’s Crain’s again…
Wait, what happened to the $2 billion in total public funding that Reinsdorf himself talked about?
$200 million in private funding for a publicly owned stadium is not “significant.” It’s an insult. * Frankly, I’ve begun to believe that the White Sox are only floating this South Loop idea to prevent the Bears from tapping into the excess bonding authority at the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. All we’ve seen so far from the team is a couple of quickie AI renderings (complete with misspellings). And then a few hours after the Bears announced that they’ll lay out an actual stadium plan on Wednesday, supposedly with $2 billion in private money, the Sox come up with this little press pop. Makes you wonder.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Beth, who serve their communities with dedication and pride. For more information, click here Happy Dog Barkery - We Are RetaIL (irma.org)
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Moody’s revises Illinois outlook from stable to positive (Updated)
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
…Adding… Comptroller Mendoza…
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Open thread
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago Bears to announce plans Wednesday for new domed stadium on lakefront. Tribune…
- The team said it plans to present a “state-of-the-art, publicly owned enclosed stadium, along with additional green and open space with access to the lakefront for families and fans, on the Museum Campus.” -The team has pledged to spend $2 billion in private money for the project. The cost of the stadium is estimated at $2.5 billion to $3 billion, plus $1 billion for associated roads and other infrastructure. * Related stories…
∙ Daily Herald: Bears to unveil plans for domed stadium on lakefront Wednesday ∙ Crain’s: Reinsdorf offers to open wallet for new Sox stadium ∙ WGN: Illinois: We like our sports teams more than our jobs, study shows At 11:45 am, Governor Pritzker will be at the Rockford OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center on his state-wide tour to promote the Healthcare Protection Act. Click here to watch. * Sierra Club Chicago calls for new CTA leadership… ![]() * Tribune | Illinois residents encouraged to destroy the eggs of invasive insects to slow spread: The spongy moth, formerly known as the gypsy moth, has been in Illinois for decades and can strip leaves and kill trees, sometimes defoliating large swaths of land. Kathryn Bronsky, a national policy manager with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said while it’s important to stop spongy moths from killing trees in the 20 states in which they are currently established, it’s even more important to limit the insect’s expansion across the United States. * STLPR | Pritzker, local lawmakers tout health insurance reform in Belleville hospital visit: Dr. Jennifer Neville, an internal medicine specialist based at BJC’s location in Shiloh, treats women with osteoporosis who have an increased risk of fracturing their bones. Often Neville prescribes a higher-tier medication to her patients, but it’s usually denied right away, she said. “Unfortunately, this process is the norm,” Neville said. “I spend an inordinate amount of time and resources fighting with the insurers to get the patients the care they need.” * SJ-R | As Illinois weighs carbon dioxide pipeline moratorium, feds recommend technology: Following visits to Archer Daniels Midland facilities in Decatur and Springfield, U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary Brad Crabtree touched down in the Illinois State Capitol on April 16. The state, he said, plays a major role in helping the Biden administration’s goal of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Carbon capture can help in its aim, Crabtree added, while not hindering manufacturing. * Capitol Connection | Keicher gives update on Republican priorities heading into final month of session: Lawmakers are preparing to head into their last month of the Spring Legislative Session. The budget will take center stage, as the state deals with a tight fiscal year. Representative Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) joined Capitol Connection to talk about the rest of session, the role Republicans will play in the final days, and a couple of his own legislative priorities. * Center Square | Bill enhancing penalties for threats against librarians stalls: Long pauses were taken by state Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Downers Grove, when she was questioned by a fellow Democratic representative on the House floor Friday. The bill would enhance penalties for those who transmit lewd or offensive behavior against a librarian in any manner. State Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, said Murray didn’t have a clear definition for lewd and offensive behavior. * High Times | Illinois Governor Cites Cannabis Reform While Campaigning for Biden: At a campaign stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday, Pritzker said that cannabis policy reform can have significant economic benefits in states that legalize marijuana for adults. “I wanted to come up here on 4/20, because we, too, legalized cannabis in the state of Illinois, and I know that’s been a boon to not only state revenues but also to business and job creation in the state of Michigan,” said Pritzker, according to a report from Michigan Advance. * Daily Herald | Congressional primary winners vastly outraised and outspent their opponents: The fundraising front-runner of the group, Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster of Naperville, already has raked in more than $2 million and spent more than $1 million to retain his 11th District seat. Foster’s primary challenger, fellow Naperville resident Qasim Rashid, was the only defeated candidate in either district to spend in the six-figure range. Even so, he lagged far behind Foster. * Capitol Connection | Rape Crisis Centers in dire need of life raft from the state: The Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault is asking the state for $20 million dollars, which is more than double what they get from the state currently. They need additional money because the federal government cut down the amount of money going to a fund for victims of crimes. Several facilities have already closed their doors because of the shortfall. * Austin Weekly News | Rep. La Shawn Ford spotlights opioid crisis with Harm Reduction Solidarity Week: At a news conference in Springfield April 17, Ford was joined by the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, Sameer Vohra, and the Illinois Harm Reduction and Recovery Coalition, along with other advocates, to spotlight the crisis and efforts to stop it and to save lives. “We were educating the Springfield members, and all those that listen, about how important it is to have what you call harm reduction tools in our community,” Ford said. * Tribune | Senators show confidence in Johnson’s O’Hare rebuild plan: Johnson wants to change the sequencing of construction on the long-awaited Global Terminal and two new satellite concourses. That idea had initially drawn pushback from the congressional leaders when first reported earlier this month. But Durbin and Duckworth rallied behind the plan Monday. “We’re in a better place. There’s been an effort to increase the conversation,” Durbin said at a groundbreaking for a separate O’Hare redevelopment project. “I think we have a proposal that will reach our goal of 25% increased capacity.” * Sun-Times | Makeover of O’Hare’s Terminal 3 takes off as airlines mull deal on expansion, Global Terminal: The project calls for wider concourses, renovated restrooms, a revamped baggage claim area, more concession space and a host of other passenger amenities. Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints will also be reconfigured into a single screening area. * Sun-Times | Chicago police union files notice of appeal in case that would open serious discipline cases to the public: At the Police Board’s meeting Thursday, President Kyle Cooper announced that the board would hold off on making final decisions on disciplinary matters in anticipation of an appeal. Cooper noted that 16 officers with pending disciplinary cases have filed motions to transfer their cases to arbitration. * Sun-Times | Chicago police release photos, video of person of interest sought in probe of Officer Luis Huesca slaying: A community alert asks for help in identifying the male “subject,” noting that he “should be considered armed and dangerous.” Meanwhile, those who knew Huesca have been left reeling. Rocio Lasso said she leaned on Huesca after her own son, Andres Vásquez Lasso, was killed in the line of duty last year. * Illinois Review | Steve Boulton Says he’s not Running for Chicago GOP Chairman After IR Exposes his Past Comments Comparing Trump to Hitler, Blames “Far Right” for his Downfall: The embattled chairman lost his election to save his 27th Ward Committeeman seat this past March after he was originally knocked off the primary ballot for submitting an “insufficient number of valid signatures.” Boulton then tried to run as a write-in candidate, but only received 24 votes – falling far short of the 111 required to remain a committeeman. * Sun-Times | Judge OKs $12.25 million class-action settlement over Hilco’s Little Village dust storm: One resident, Elizabeth Rodriguez, told U.S. District Judge Young B. Kim that her husband still has difficulties breathing four years after the event. She and her family were left out of the agreement because she was just outside of the agreed boundaries for payouts. Rodriguez said she lives directly across the street from residents eligible for payments for either property damage or personal injury. Kim told Rodriguez that although she cannot benefit from the agreement, she is not bound by its restrictions, meaning that she can individually sue the companies because she’s not part of the class action. * Crain’s | Raising Cane’s in talks to lease Fulton Market space: The Baton Rouge, La.-based fast-casual restaurant chain is in talks to lease the space at 820 W. Randolph St., formerly home to the Little Goat diner, according to people familiar with the negotiations. A Raising Cane’s spokesperson confirmed that the chain has “a deal moving through out process, but it is still very early to share timeline or anything involving the lease.” * NBC Chicago | Are cicadas already emerging? Images, videos show large sightings in Chicago area: Sightings of cicadas, many still in the ground, have already been reported in numerous parts of the city and suburbs. A wall of what may be cicadas was spotted over the weekend on Wisconsin Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and Old Town Triangle neighborhoods. In Downers Grove, gardeners reported seeing several just underneath the surface in the soil. * WBEZ | Toni Preckwinkle is unanimously re-elected head of the Cook County Democratic Party: In a brief victory speech, Preckwinkle touted how well Democratic Party-backed candidates did in the March primary, winning 21 out of 23 races — the best “win ratio” for the party in at least 25 years, she said. She acknowledged some narrowly defeated candidates, including Clayton Harris, III, whom she and the party backed for State’s Attorney. He lost to retired judge Eileen O’Neill Burke. Preckwinkle also made a nod to the preparation the party will take on for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, and November’s general election. * Daily Herald | DuPage County clerk won’t attend board meeting to discuss no-bid contracts: DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek says she will not attend a Tuesday meeting to answer questions from county board members about two no-bid contracts, totaling more than $250,000, for materials related to the April primary. In a letter sent Monday to DuPage County Board Chairwoman Deborah Conroy, Kaczmarek said she is not an employee of the county board and that she has the authority to make decisions about how she spends her budget. She also suggested that a courtroom, not the county board room, is the proper venue to discuss the issue. * Tribune | Logistics Campus at former Allstate headquarters off to slow start, with plans for lab-grown meat plant on hold: The slower-than-expected start for the $500 million project, one of the largest urban logistics developments in the U.S., may reflect both waning post-pandemic demand for warehouse space and perhaps an overly optimistic bet on when lab-grown chicken would be ready to land on your kitchen table. In October 2022, Allstate sold its longtime north suburban corporate campus for $232 million to Dermody Properties. The Nevada-based developer is turning the 232-acre property, which was annexed by Glenview, into a 10-building, 3.2 million-square-foot industrial park dubbed The Logistics Campus. * Route Fifty | Justices debate whether cities can make sleeping outside a crime: But much of Monday’s hearing centered on whether the city’s law punished people for who they are or for what they did. That’s because in 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that people could be punished for a discrete act, but not for their “status.” The 1962 case involved a California law that punished both drug use and drug addiction. The Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment prohibited people from being punished for their addiction because it was a status. * USA Today | Contact restored with NASA’s Voyager 1 space probe: For the first time since November, the spacecraft is now returning usable data about the health and status of its onboard engineering systems, NASA said in a news release. The 46-year-old pioneering probe, now some 15.1 billion miles from Earth, has continually defied expectations for its lifespan as it ventures further into the uncharted territory of the cosmos. * Illinois Humanities | Can the Public Humanities Help Prepare Us for Global Warming?: For many, Katrina was the first large-scale extreme weather event clearly borne of global warming. It also highlighted the trademark points that so many had predicted: the vulnerability of low-lying coastal communities; the heaviest burden falling on the poor; the economic disruption; the displacement that results and in many cases becomes permanent. But also the powerful role of grassroots groups and organic networks in response.
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Apr 23, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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