* Subscribers know more. Sun-Times…

A new poll shows Illinoisans support merging Chicago area’s four transit agencies by a two-to-one ratio.

The poll is one of the first indications of public support for the pending Metropolitan Mobility Act, a state bill that could combine the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, Pace and Regional Transit Authority into one agency.

The poll of 600 likely voters shows broad support is shared between the city of Chicago and collar counties.

The poll found 54% of Chicago residents support the merger versus 27% against it. In suburban Cook County, 53% of those surveyed support a merger versus 19% against it.

* Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…

Simply asking voters if they support unifying the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra, Pace, and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) into one agency is not only supported by a 2-1 margin statewide, according to a new poll; a solid majority of voters in the Chicago area also support it.

By margins of 54-27% (+27) in Chicago, 49-21% (+28) in Suburban Cook County, and 53-19% (+34) in the Collar Counties, data show that efforts to pit the City of Chicago against the Cook County suburbs and Collar Counties are not working.

State legislation called the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act (MMA) creates one integrated regional transit system, unifying four agencies and four separate boards into one agency and one board. Unifying the agencies saves up to $250 million in duplicated efforts, can win dramatically higher investment from the State of Illinois, and delivers transit that is safer, more frequent, and better coordinated. The MMA replaces a hodgepodge of apps, fares, and schedules with one seamless system and fare to get riders to work, school, events, attractions and home again.

“When you hear that an overwhelming majority of voters in Chicago, Cook County and the Collar Counties support unifying these four agencies into one, it means voters aren’t buying the cynical arguments trying to pit those three regions against each other. Making transit cleaner, safer, and more frequent is what riders and taxpayers want, not the present system that stands in the way of regional connectivity,” said State Rep. Mary Beth Canty, who represents Arlington Heights and Northwest Cook County, and is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).

“The status quo isn’t working. Not only do our transit agencies face a $730 million transit funding cliff in 2026 when federal pandemic funds run out, but nearly half of Chicago voters give CTA a negative rating,” said W. Robert Schultz III, transit rider and Campaign Organizer at Active Transportation Alliance. “We have a responsibility to do better.”

When provided with simple context that merging these agencies into one organization “to improve service, safety and frequency of trains and buses, thus attracting more riders,” total support for the legislation grows by 6 points statewide and is especially powerful with Transit Riders (+11 net support, to 64% total support), Chicago voters (+10 net support, to 61% total support), and voters in the Cook County suburbs (+14 net support, to 59% total support).

The polling memo is here.

…Adding… Leanne Redden, RTA Executive Director…

“Our region’s transit system – and the double-digit ridership growth we have achieved this year - is at risk if a funding solution is not identified during the 2025 spring session of the Illinois General Assembly. Independent analysis has determined we must invest $1.5 billion in new funding on an annual basis for CTA, Metra, and Pace to collectively deliver a 40% increase in service for riders across the region. Failing to find a funding solution in the first half of 2025 will mean a 40% cut in service across the three agencies. We do not believe and have never seen data to support a $250 million annual savings from consolidation of agencies.

We stand ready to work with the General Assembly to identify funding and reform proposals to improve the system and contribute to the region’s economy and quality of life.”

* Crain’s…

The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled that assisted living communities and other health care facilities were given broad immunity during the state’s COVID-19 response, protecting them from ordinary negligence claims.

The 6-1 majority opinion, filed Oct. 18, found that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s April 2020 executive order meant providers should face civil suits only for willful misconduct during the proclaimed COVID disaster era.

“In analyzing the plain language, it is clear the Governor chose to limit immunity to ordinary negligence claims where the language explicitly excluded willful misconduct,” wrote Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White.

The opinion is related to five lawsuits filed in the Circuit Court of Kane County by the executors and administrators of estates of individuals who died in April and May 2020, while residing at Bria Health Services of Geneva, a nursing home also known as Geneva Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Click here for the opinion.

* WIFR…

Paul Logli had no idea when he woke up Tuesday morning that he would be hounded by the national media about a story from 17 years ago concerning a major party candidate for president just two weeks before the general election.

A story released Tuesday by CNN says an internal review suggests that Vice President Kamala Harris “lifted language” from former [Republican] Winnebago County State’s Attorney Paul Logli when she spoke before Congress. […]

Logli expresses his understanding of the similarities. “I don’t think it’s a case of plagiarism. I think it’s two people appearing before separate committees of Congress with opening statements prepared by staff. And I think the reason for that is we wanted to have a consistent position,”

When asked by Garrigan if Kamala testified first and he spoke testified later what would the outcome be, Logli says, “I probably would have been accused of plagiarism – except for the fact that I’m not running for president.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* WLPO | Current, Former Sheriffs Condemn Remarks Made by State Rep. Candidate Murri Briel: In response, Briel tells 103.9 WLPO that she “approached my podcast appearances as an opportunity to have a deeper discussion on different ideas that we might otherwise only hear about in soundbytes, not as my own platform”. She went on to accuse Bishop and political insiders backing her of feeding voters a false narrative because they can’t run on their own platform.

Photo of sheriffs in uniform at the campaign press conference…

*** Statewide ***

* Press Release | Honoring Illinois’ Fallen: The Department of Central Management Services has received notice from Governor JB Pritzker that all person or entities covered by the Illinois Flag Display Act are to fly the flags at half-staff in honor of: United States Army Corporal Eriverto Ortiz served with distinction as a member of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division during the Korean War. Corporal Ortiz was killed in action at the age of 27 in September of 1950. His body could not be recovered due to the intense fighting in Pusan, South Korea, and was declared nonrecoverable by the US Army in 1956. Through the relentless efforts of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency, using dental, anthropological and mitochondrial DNA analysis. Corporal Ortiz will be returned to his family on October 28, 2024, and will be buried with full military funeral and honors in Elgin, IL.

*** Madigan Trial ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Feds ‘turned over heaven and earth’ in Madigan probe but found no real bribes, co-defendant says: Defense attorney John Mitchell claimed McClain did everything “with intent to maintain and increase his access to Mike Madigan,” explaining that building and maintaining relationships with elected officials lobbying is essential to lobbying. And for McClain, that relationship maintenance included “100% legal favors for Mike Madigan,” Mitchell said. “Every time there’s a legal favor, the government’s view is that it must be a bribe,” Mitchell said. The argument mirrored opening statements made by his colleague at the outset of the ComEd trial last spring in which McClain attorney Patrick Cotter said the feds’ yearslong investigation gave them tunnel vision such that “everything begins to look like a crime.”

* ABC Chicago | Former Majority Leader Lou Lang expected to take stand in former IL Speaker Mike Madigan trial: Lang has testified in both the ComEd case and the trial of Madigan’s former chief of staff last summer. Both testimonies delved into how Madigan sent Mike McClain to urge Lang to retire from the General Assembly after the speaker’s office was warned of a woman who had threatened to go public with sexual harassment allegations if Lang did not step down.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s communications director exiting: Ronnie Reese, who led Johnson’s press office since the transition in May 2023, will exit the role after a tumultuous year-and-a-half that’s seen the administration struggle at times with media strategy. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the mayor said Johnson press secretary Erin Connelly has been appointed acting communications director and will run the mayor’s press office moving forward. The departure was not a voluntary decision by Reese, sources with direct knowledge of the situation told the Tribune.

* Crain’s | Another wrinkle in Johnson’s budget dilemma: Public health: More than 80 public health advocacy groups, clinics and nonprofits are urging Mayor Brandon Johnson to allocate an extra $25 million to Chicago’s Public Health Department next year, a demand that comes as he stares down a $1 billion shortfall across the city’s entire budget. The advocacy group, led by the Health & Medicine Policy Research Group, argues the CDPH has long been given an insufficient amount of money each year to tackle the many issues on its agenda — responding to pandemics, conducting restaurant inspections, launching mental health services and more.

* Illinois Answers | A New City Tree Trim Strategy Produces Big Results. Not Everyone Is On Board.: Directing crews to work tree-by-tree and block-by-block instead of crisscrossing the city to chase complaints has unlocked efficiencies few thought possible, officials said. Trees that had become dangerous over more than a decade of neglect are now getting attention from arborists. The overhaul has set the city’s tree canopy on pace for a potential top-to-bottom refresh by 2030. Department leaders hope that will mean less damage to cars and homes, fewer trees felled by disease and damage — and a sharp drop in complaints to ward offices. The switch to area-based trimming has not come easily. While more trees are getting trimmed, some alderpeople have balked at the new system because they have less influence on which jobs get done when. They complain that the department does little to communicate with them and even when crews do show up, they sometimes do a poor job. It’s also unclear whether city-employed trimmers will be able to finish a pass around the city in time for the strategy to pay off.

* Sun-Times | CTA employee assaulted on bus over payment dispute in Greater Grand Crossing in ’senseless act of violence’: CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. said in a statement the agency was “outraged by this senseless act of violence.” “Such attacks are not only unacceptable, they are also a felony,” Carter wrote. “We will utilize all the resources at our disposal to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. CTA’s transit workers are dedicated public servants and deserve our respect and protection.”

* Sun-Times | Activists push for youth-led violence prevention program: Activists in the youth group GoodKids MadCity and two City Council allies — Ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) and Ald. Lamont Robinson (4h) — gathered Tuesday in City Hall to call for the passage of the Peace Book Ordinance in this year’s budget negotiations. The ordinance, originally proposed in 2022, seeks to invest in youth-led violence prevention programs. It proposes employing youth peacekeepers, creating neighborhood-based and citywide peace commissions and creating a physical “Peace Book” guide with resources for deescalation and violence prevention.

* WTTW | Police Misconduct Agency Identified Troubling Pattern of Stops in 11th District Months Before Fatal Dexter Reed Shooting, Letter Shows: A letter sent to police officials from COPA on March 27, six days after Reed’s death, shows that the agency had evidence that officers were routinely engaging in misconduct that violated Chicago Police Department rules and put Chicagoans at risk of a violent encounter with officers for at least a year. COPA Chief Andrea Kersten told WTTW News her agency took no action to inform Superintendent Larry Snelling or his command staff about the alleged misconduct until that March 27 letter was sent.

* Block Club | In Horner Park’s Natural Area, ‘No Dogs’ Signs Ignored, Vandalized: ‘People Don’t Really Care’: In mid-August, someone attached a “Thanks, Karen” sticker to one of the signs. A month later, that sign and 10 others were “ripped down,” said John Friedmann, vice president of stewardship for Horner Park Advisory Council, which installed the signs this summer. As recently as Sunday, a reporter saw a metal “No Dogs Allowed” sign off its post and sitting in the grass. “They are even breaking off metal signs,” Friedmann said in a text message. “Not easy to do. Someone has a lot of rage to support his/her sense of entitlement out there.”

* Sun-Times | Leila Rahimi weighs in on departure from NBC 5 Chicago: Leila Rahimi told the Sun-Times that she’s no longer at NBC 5 Chicago. “At this time, NBC and I have parted ways,” Rahimi said Tuesday via text. “I value my experience, time and relationships there, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds!” NBC 5 didn’t return a request for comment. Rahimi will continue to appear on The Score’s midday show with Dan Bernstein and Marshall Harris twice a week.

* Crain’s | University of Chicago Crime Lab adds to leadership team: Katie Hill, who has previous experience as a policy adviser to former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and as a top official in Chicago’s law department, is taking over as executive director of the crime lab, replacing Roseanna Ander, who is transitioning to a new leadership role in the organization.

* Tribune | In memoriam: Celebrating the life of ‘Lost Chicago’ author David Garrard Lowe and his love affair with Chicago: Its pages well-thumbed and portions underlined in ink, the book “Lost Chicago” sits on bookshelves across Chicago and continues to amaze and inspire. It is a poetic photographic essay about our bygone public buildings and private residences. It is harshly critical of the city’s once cavalier attitude toward architecture, filled with 200-some photos and prints, written in elegant, passionate prose. I picked up my copy again after hearing the news that its author, David Garrard Lowe, had died in New York City on Sept. 21. He had been in hospice care. He was 91 but remains alive in this book. And so I read, “Perhaps, by showing the splendor which has been lost, I might, in some small way, help to preserve that splendor not yet departed.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Thornton Township meeting canceled as trustees, Tiffany Henyard dispute where to meet: A standoff between Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard and one trustee led to the second scheduled meeting in a row being canceled due to lack of quorum. While enough of the board had showed up to the Thornton Township Hall in South Holland to call the meeting to order, Trustee Chris Gonzalez refused to go to the upstairs meeting room, saying there was too little space for the number of attendees present. Meeting locations have frequently switched between two rooms of the building, with Henyard preferring the upstairs and Trustees Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle saying they prefer the larger basement space.

* NBC Chicago | Full list: Suburban Chicago referendums in the 2024 election: For the most part, these include bond issues to help pay for new infrastructure or rehabilitating existing infrastructure, or changing the way certain governmental entities function, such as adding or eliminating elected positions. The second type of question is an “advisory question,” where voters are asked a question to help reveal their feelings on a particular issue. In this year’s election, those primarily involve asking generic questions about taxation or specific types of electoral reform.

* Daily Herald | Crystal Lake District 47, teachers approve contract with ‘new money’ for salaries at 19.5% over four years: The contract will run until the end of the school year in 2029 and includes what the district called “new money added to the salary schedule totaling at least 19.5% over the next four years.” Other changes include up to 3% to Teachers’ Retirement System contributions starting at 1% with 10 years of seniority, increased benefits, and increased plan time, according to a District 47 press release.

* Crain’s | Google opening store in Oakbrook Center — its first in the Midwest: Shoppers will be able to browse Google products such as Pixel phones, watches and tablets, Nest cameras, Fitbit trackers, and branded merchandise, as well as pick up online orders. They’ll also be able to try out products and AI experiences with help from experts who can also help with troubleshooting and repairs.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Lake Land College sees English Language Acquisition program numbers rising: Lake Land College in Mattoon said numbers for their English Language Acquisition program are booming. They started off with a class of about 40 students in 2022, and Adult Education Director Dustyn Fatheree said last year they welcomed about 150 students. Now, nearly 200 students are in the program.

* PJ Star | He gave life to the Supreme Court through his sketches. He’ll share his story in Peoria: “I was painting houses and tarring roofs when our governor in Maryland (Marvin Mandel) was going on trial,” Lien said. “A local station was looking for somebody, and I tried out by sketching people around their newsroom. I got the job, and that’s really how it started.” That start has led to Lien’s 50-year career as a courtroom artist, sketching the Supreme Court from 1977 until his retirement in 2022. During that time, Lien has covered such court cases as the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. In 2011, he joined the staff of SCOTUSblog, for which he covered nearly every case argued in the nation’s highest court.

*** Sports ***

* Sun-Times | Red Stars get new name: Chicago Stars FC: The Red Stars announced the club will be known as Chicago Stars FC. […] Chicago Stars FC will continue to wear the Red Stars name and crest for the remainder of the season and into playoffs. The club will transition to the new crest for the 2025 season.

* LA Times | Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela, who changed MLB by sparking Fernandomania, dies at 63: His journey from a small town in Mexico to rousing success in Major League Baseball inspired generations of fans and created a seismic shift in the demographics of the Dodgers fan base. His unorthodox pitching motion, distinct physique and seemingly mysterious aura left an indelible mark on people from all walks of life, whether it was Los Angeles’ Latino community grappling with the displacement created when the Dodgers built their stadium, Mexican immigrants and their families or artists inspired by his wizardry on the mound.

*** National ***

* Sun-Times | Breast cancer striking more young women — earlier screenings urged for those most at risk: Over the past two decades, more and more women under the age of 50 are being diagnosed with breast cancer. But researchers have yet to figure out why this spike is happening. Because most women don’t begin regular breast cancer screening until they’re 40, younger women are also being diagnosed with later-stage tumors when the disease is more aggressive and harder to treat, according to a study published this year from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

* Bloomberg | McDonald’s stock plummets after deadly E. Coli outbreak tied to Quarter Pounders: Ten people have been hospitalized, including a child with complications from HUS, a syndrome that damages small blood vessels and can lead to deadly clots, the agency said. Of the people who have been interviewed, all reported eating at McDonald’s before falling ill between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, the CDC said, with most specifying a Quarter Pounder.

* WaPo | A young teen gives birth. Idaho’s parental consent law snags her care.: The patient, 36 weeks pregnant, was having mild but frequent contractions. She had come to the emergency room in this small lakeside town because she was new to the area and had no doctor. In most cases, physician Caitlin Gustafson would have begun a pelvic exam to determine whether labor had started. This time, she called the hospital’s lawyers.