* ICYMI: JB and MK Pritzker gave $5.6 million to put on DNC. Crain’s…

- Gov. JB Pritzker and his wife, MK, were the largest individual contributors to the Democratic National Convention, giving a combined $5.6 million to the DNC.
- The Chicago Host Committee raised over $97 million and spent $82 million to put on the weeklong party in August as Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination.
- The largest union contribution came from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who provided $5.2 million. The Laborers International Union of North America gave $3 million.

* Related stories…

∙ Sun-Times: Host committee for Chicago’s DNC spent $89 million on convention, raised $97 million
∙ Choose Chicago: 2024 Democratic National Convention generated $371.4 million in economic impact
∙ Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker and wife gave big for DNC, which raised $97M in all

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Michael Madigan’s 12 jurors are chosen and openings are on the horizon — but what took so long?: U.S. District Judge John Blakey seemed to blame the amount of time lawyers spent questioning the many candidates over the last two weeks. In fact, the judge said Thursday he’d no longer take the lawyers at their word when it comes to estimating the trial’s length. He asked them to predict how long they expect each witness to testify once the trial gets rolling, and he told them to deliver their conclusions to him Friday. For now, each side is calling it an “11-week trial,” putting it on track to end in mid-December.

"Illinois is on the rise and there has never been a better time to live, work and do business here — in the Middle of Everything," writes @GovPritzker for @ConwayGlobal's Illinois 2024-25 Investment Guide.

Check out the Governor's letter here: https://t.co/XtdXWKrYTE

— Intersect Illinois (@Intersect_IL) October 15, 2024

* Daily Southtown | District 80 candidates say criminal justice reform among top issue: Both candidates running for the 80th District Illinois House seat say there is need for reform in the criminal justice system, and that voters in this district, which encompasses several south and southwest suburbs, are looking for a representative who prioritizes their needs over party alignment. Incumbent Democrat Anthony DeLuca, 54, of Chicago Heights has held the seat since 2009, and faces Republican Adam Beaty, a Braidwood police officer. Both ran unopposed in the March primaries.

*** Statewide ***

* News Channel 20 | Illinois domestic violence organization report shows significant increase in homicides: The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence released its annual homicide report for 2023, and it shows a 110% increase in domestic homicides from the previous year. The coalition’s Policy Consultant, Vickie Smith, told NewsChannel 20 the issues of domestic violence rose during the pandemic, when people in need were isolated in their homes.

* WICS | Prison employees across Illinois protest for better working conditions: From 1 to 5 in Lincoln on Thursday afternoon, employees from the Logan Correctional Center protested for safer working conditions. […] The Illinois Department of Corrections said, “Ensuring the safety of our staff, individuals in custody, and everyone entering our facilities remains our top priority. While we are actively exploring options to enhance safety, measures are in place to address potential risks associated with mail handling.”

* Sun-Times | Freshman demographics at Northwestern and U of I show little change following ban on race-conscious admissions: New numbers from two major Illinois universities show little change in enrollment demographics since the Supreme Court effectively banned the consideration of race in college admissions last year. Nationally, many had worried the decision in the case, brought by conservative legal activist Ed Blum and his group Students for Fair Admissions, could cause a precipitous drop in the representation of Black and Latino students at highly selective colleges.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Johnson must break two campaign promises to get budget passed, City Council critic warns: To solve the budget crisis, Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) said Johnson needs to break two campaign promises — raise property taxes he promised to freeze and then renew the ShotSpotter contract to win the votes he needs to get the tax hike through the City Council.

* ABC Chicago | Crime, including violent crime, is trending down in one of Chicago’s most dangerous districts: hicago’s 11th police district is one of the most dangerous in the city for violent crimes, but new Chicago police data shows both violent and property crimes are trending down. The district is comprised of parts of Humboldt Park, Lawndale, and East and West Garfield Park. […] In the past 12 months there have been 48 homicides, a 45% decrease compared to the last three-year average; 285 shootings, down 39% compared to the three-year average; 100 carjackings, a nearly 34% reduction; and a 9% reduction in motor vehicle theft.

* Crain’s | Mansueto eyes Lincoln Yards, 78, Michael Reese sites for new soccer stadium: Chicago Fire FC owner Joe Mansueto said he is “actively pursuing” development of a new soccer-specific stadium in the city and is targeting three proposed megaprojects as potential sites. Calling a new team-controlled stadium the “last piece of the puzzle” to put the Major League Soccer club on a more solid foundation for its future, the billionaire Morningstar founder and team chairman today said he has toured Lincoln Yards on the city’s North Side, The 78 in the South Loop and the former Michael Reese Hospital site south of McCormick Place as possible destinations for a new venue.

* WGN | Chicago Police Board recommends officer involved in fatal shooting be separated from the department: The board claims the officer violated two CPD policies during the shooting, but the officer involved in the case still has options on how he wants to move forward to fight for his job. Family members of 24-year-old Reginald Clay Jr., the man who was killed in the shooting, were present at Thursday night’s meeting and they said their fight is not over.

* Sun-Times | Ex-boyfriend sought in shooting death of mother of 3 on Southwest Side: Every year, Maria Lazaro-Castillo planned a Halloween-themed birthday party for her 12-year-old daughter. But this year, just days before the celebration, Lazaro-Castillo, 41, was fatally shot while sitting in her car Sunday morning in McKinley Park, and a manhunt is underway for the person police say is responsible: her ex-boyfriend. “[Her kids] meant the world,” Miguel Valenzuela, Lazaro-Castillo’s brother-in-law told the Sun-Times. “She’ll make it to their events, field trips, graduations. … She made sure she was there.”

* Tribune | CPS announces record-breaking graduation rate: Chicago Public Schools has announced a record-breaking graduation rate, with 84.1% of students graduating in four years and 86.5% graduating in five. This comes in addition to the district’s second-lowest dropout rates in years. The district credits its most recent feat to investment in additional support for teachers and increased resources in schools, such as tutors and career-connected learning.

* Crain’s | Former United exec opening outdoor social sauna on Goose Island: Longtime Chicagoan Scott Garner has visited Europe a half dozen times this year to prepare for the launch of Ambique, his new outdoor sauna studio opening on Goose Island this December. Garner is pitching Ambique as a one-of-a-kind European sauna experience with Nordic saunas and cold therapy in a social settings. The space, located at 930 W. Evergreen Ave., spans about 9,000 square feet, roughly half of which is outside. It boasts three saunas of varying sizes and styles, plus fire pits, culinary services and areas for special events.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Press release | Comptroller Mendoza suspends payments to the village of Orland Park for failure to file documents: Starting today, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza is suspending “offset” payments to the Village of Orland Park. “Offsets” refers to money collected from state payments our office withholds from people who owe traffic tickets or other money to municipalities such as Orland Park. These payments are worth about $120,000 a year to the village.

* Injustice Watch | Bar groups reconsider ratings of Cook County judge who claimed homeowner exemption in Will County: Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. faced criticism after an Injustice Watch investigation revealed Wright took a homeowner exemption on a house in Will County, claiming it as his principal residence, despite state law requiring him to live in Cook County. After the report, Wright moved to rescind the tax breaks.

* Daily Herald | Pinball wizards flock to Schaumburg for 40th annual expo: Billed as the first, biggest and longest-running pinball show in the nation, the event also features vendor booths, tournaments, educational displays, exhibits, tours, seminars, autograph sessions and “a video game summit.”

*** Downstate ***

* Rockford Register Star | Gov. Pritzker: Rockford region, Illinois play ‘leading role’ in aerospace industry: Companies in Rockford and across Illinois are charting a new course for the aerospace industry into a high-tech future, Illinois Gov. JB Prtizker said at a celebration of all things aerospace. Pritzker was featured at the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Midwest Aerospace Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in downtown Rockford. More than 240 leaders from the aerospace and manufacturing industries attended.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. proposes sales tax increase: Champaign County voters are being asked on their ballots to increase the sales tax a quarter of a cent for safety purposes. It would raise $7 million dollars a year. Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said it would pay for new ways to respond to a scene — including mental health professionals.

* WAND | Rep. Ammons against Champaign Co. sales tax hike: “Someone making $30,000 per year will pay the same amount of taxes on diapers and other necessities as a wealthy person who makes $300,000 per year,” Ammons stated outside of her Urbana office. Ammons contends the county has plenty of money in reserve and doesn’t need the extra funds.

* News Channel 20 | Springfield brings in the most gambling revenue for 2024 fiscal year: A recent report released by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shows that Illinois gambling revenue has grown to $2 billion. Springfield was ranked number one for bringing in the most revenue for the fiscal 2024 year. City officials told NewsChannel 20 that they plan to put the money towards projects that have been neglected for far too long.

* WICS | Attorneys for Slover family back in court, seeking to reopen case: In 2002, a jury convicted her ex-husband, Michael Slover Jr., and his parents Michael Slover Sr. and Jeanette Slover of murder. Now more than 20 years later, the Illinois Innocence Project is working to get the case reopened and try to prove the Slovers are innocent. […] Lawyers for the Illinois Innocence Project claims the Slovers didn’t kill Karyn, and said evidence used to convict them in 2002 needs to be retested.

*** National ***

* AP | Oregon Elections Division shuts down phone lines after barrage of calls prompted by false claims: The Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division on Thursday shut down its phone lines following a barrage of calls from people responding to false claims that the state’s voters pamphlet does not include Republican nominee Donald Trump. The voter’s pamphlet does list the former president as a candidate and notes that he declined to provide a statement about why people should vote for him. Trump will appear on the state’s ballot.

* WaPo | The Putin-backed strongman who threw the Paris Games into chaos: Virgets, who later became the association’s executive director, said the dead delegate was found with thousands of dollars of mysterious origin. Mali embassy officials didn’t rule out foul play, the Associated Press reported at the time, but nobody was charged in the death. A spokesman for the Santo Domingo police recently declined to comment.

* Inside Higher Ed | A new lawsuit accuses 40 universities and the College Board of colluding to inflate tuition: The complaint, filed by a current Boston University student and a Cornell University alumnus, alleges that the private institutions named in the suit all illegally agreed to require noncustodial parents of students applying for institutional aid to submit their financial information, even if that parent did not plan to contribute to the student’s education. The move served to artificially raise tuition and lower aid eligibility.

* Tribune | Whooping cough hits decade-high level in US: Whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. There have been 18,506 cases of whooping cough reported so far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. That’s the most at this point in the year since 2014, when cases topped 21,800. The increase is not unexpected — whooping cough peaks every three to five years, health experts said. And the numbers indicate a return to levels before the coronavirus pandemic, when whooping cough and other contagious illnesses plummeted.