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Pritzker, Stratton, Think Big, Giannoulias respond to national election results
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. Pritzker…
* Lt. Gov. Stratton…
* Christina Amestoy at the governor’s Think Big America, which was active in 10 states where abortion rights were on the ballot. They won in 7. Click here for background…
* Secretary Giannoulias…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WICS…
* Tribune | With 17 races up for election, Illinois Democrats keep a lock on majority of state’s congressional seats: With Republicans winning back the White House and the U.S. Senate on Tuesday and the final balance of power in the House still unclear, Illinois Democrats successfully defended their 14-3 dominance over the GOP in the state’s congressional delegation. In the state’s most closely watched race, first-term Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen fended off a challenge from Republican Joe McGraw in the 17th Congressional District, a sprawling territory that spans 14 counties and melds Democratic-leaning areas such as Rockford, the Illinois half of the Quad Cities, Peoria and Bloomington-Normal by running through vast expanses of farmland and ruby-red rural communities. * Tribune | Illinois advisory questions on ‘millionaire’s tax,’ IVF coverage pass easily: Illinois voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved three advisory questions put on the ballot by Democrats, including one asking whether the highest earners should be taxed to fund property tax relief, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press. Former Gov. Pat Quinn, chair of the committee that backs a so-called millionaires’ tax, in a statement Tuesday said the provisions proposed in the referendum question would provide “the largest property tax relief measure in state history.” * The Telegraph | Amy Elik secures third term in Illinois District 111 race: Unofficial results from Madison County show that Elik received 29,840 votes (61.58%), while Raftopoulos received 18,621 votes (38.42%). “I am incredibly honored and grateful to the people of the 111th district for placing their trust in me once again,” Elik said in a statement. “To every supporter, volunteer, friend, and family member who stood by us — thank you. I’m excited to keep fighting to lower the cost of living, bring fiscal responsibility to state government, and hold the majority accountable. Let’s get to work!” * Tribune | Niles won’t separate into districts, its trustees will continue to represent the whole town after voters appear to reject districts referendum: Niles voters said “no” to the referendum question that asked, “Shall the Village of Niles be divided into 6 districts with one Trustee elected from each district…?” As of late-evening on election night, 70% of voters responded “No” to the binding referendum, according to unofficial results by the Cook County Clerk’s office from the election Tuesday night. * Beacon-News | Kane County Forest Preserve District in ‘growth phase’ after voters appear to approve tax hike: Unofficial results on Wednesday showed that 58.59% voted in favor of the tax increase while 41.41% voted against it. Numbers are expected to change somewhat as vote-by-mail and provisional ballots are counted. The property tax increase is expected to be around $10 per $100,000 of home value, which comes to about $3 per month for the average Kane County property owner, according to the district’s webpage on the referendum. From that increase, the district would receive around $6.9 million next year, district staff previously said. * WCIA | Mahomet-Seymour rejects school district bond proposal: The Mahomet-Seymour community has voted to reject a $112,800,000 bond proposition to pay for the cost of school improvements. It failed with 54% of the community voting to reject the measure. If the measure had passed, the money would have been used to build an elementary school building, to replace the existing Mahomet-Seymour Junior High School building, to repair the Lincoln Trail Elementary School building and to improve school sites. * Block Club | Voters Say Yes To Free Mental Health Clinics In Englewood, Chatham And Southwest Side: Neighbors in these areas voted on a two-part binding referendum, which, unlike non-binding referendums, requires action. The first question asked if a taxpayer-funded program should be created to offer free mental health services in the Englewood and Greater Chatham area or on the Near Southwest Side. That question asked if neighbors would support funding the programs by raising property taxes up to .025 percent for properties within the area. * Tribune | ‘Don’t put anything in writing’: Jury views undercover videos in Madigan corruption trial: The videos, taken by then-ComEd Vice President Fidel Marquez over a period of weeks in early 2019, go to the heart of the corruption charges against Madigan and Michael McClain, a former lobbyist who allegedly acted as a conduit between Madigan and ComEd, helping funnel a total of $1.3 million to a handful of the speaker’s loyalists from 2011 to 2019 for little or no work. * Sun-Times | Felon charged with killing Chicago Police Officer Enrique Martinez: Darion McMillian, 23, from Harvey, faces felony charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder in the shooting Monday night in the 8000 block of South Ingleside Avenue, Police Supt. Larry Snelling announced Wednesday. McMillian also faces felony counts of burglary, possessing a machine gun and possessing a gun as a felon. * Crain’s | New UIC center will explore how climate change is hurting Chicago’s neighborhoods: UIC’s Center for Climate & Health Equity will receive $4 million over three years from the National Institutes of Health for the work. The center is one of 21 centers nationwide being funded by NIH’s Climate Change & Health Initiative, UIC said in a press release. * Laura Washington | Washington Park is a palette of Black life in Chicago. I’ll see you there: It’s a good day for a stroll in Washington Park. That is my park, or so I thought and dreamed when I was just a tyke. You can take that walk in a new book by South Side photographer Rose Blouin, “To Washington Park, With Love.” Released recently by Haymarket Books, it presents Blouin’s massive body of work from the summer of 1987, when she visited the park on Chicago’s South Side every weekend to shoot powerful black-and-white images of its people, places and events. * Crain’s | Metra announces schedule for holiday trains: Metra’s special holiday-themed trains will return beginning on Nov. 30 across six lines. The $5 tickets for the experience go on sale beginning at noon on Nov. 11. The special holiday trains will run on Saturdays. All trains will be decorated for the holidays and feature holiday characters on board. * Crain’s | Lifeway Foods rejects takeover worth over $280 million: Lifeway Foods, maker of kefir and fermented probiotic products, rejected a takeover offer by the multinational food-products company Danone. The Morton Grove-based company announced that its board of directors rejected the “unsolicited offer” to acquire all remaining shares of the company for $25 per share in a deal worth around $283 million. Danone, a longtime shareholder in Lifeway, owns around 23% of its shares. * BND | Belleville strengthens ordinance that prohibits homeless people from camping in public: Such camping was formerly prohibited by a one-paragraph section of an ordinance that governs “offenses against public peace and safety.” On Monday night, aldermen voted 16-0 to amend and expand it. The ordinance now includes a more detailed, four-page policy, including a formal process by which officials can remove tents, sleeping bags and other personal property from illegal camps. * WSIL | Judge found dead with apparent gunshot wound in southern Illinois: According to the coroner, Judge Valentine was found dead at his home in Albion, Illinois, with an apparent gunshot wound. No other details are available right now, and the incident remains under investigation by Illinois State Police. * Tribune | ‘Join or Die’ review: A documentary about why you should join a club — and why these social bonds are essential to democracy: If you’ve been feeling depleted and disconnected from a world of diminished meaningful in-person interactions, “Join or Die” explores one reason why, as laid out by social scientist Robert Putnam. Collectively, we’re less involved in organized gatherings. There are all kinds of reasons for that, but it’s a fundamental shift that’s affected our quality of life, because the social bonds that result when you join a club or organization are not just a matter of “warm, cuddly feelings,” Putnam says in the film. “In area after area of our community life, our communities don’t work as well when we’re not connected.” And that, he says, has far-reaching effects not only on us as individuals, but on democracy itself. * Crain’s | Cannabis stocks wilt as Florida legalization fails: Shares in Green Thumb Industries, generally the industry’s best-performing stock, opened at a 52-week low before recovering slightly. The stock was down about 18% in mid-morning trading at $8.64. Verano Holdings and Cresco Labs were hit even harder. Verano shares plunged 24% to $2.44, and Cresco’s stock was down 23% to $1.17 per share. * AP | Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has surgery to repair labrum tear in shoulder after World Series injury: The Dodgers say the Japanese two-way player is expected to be ready for spring training in February. Ohtani injured his nonthrowing shoulder while sliding into second base on a stolen base attempt, which resulted in a shoulder dislocation. He returned to play the next three games, helping the Dodgers beat the Yankees in five games to win the championship.
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Voters in Harmon’s and Welch’s townships say they want a statewide independent redistricting commission
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Senate President Don Harmon is the Democratic committeeperson for Oak Park Township, and House Speaker Chris Welch is the Democratic committeeperson for Proviso Township, so this is kinda interesting…
Thoughts?
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More election results: Rep. Schmidt declares victory over Greenwood, HD97 called for Rep. Benton (Updated x2)
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. Daily Line legislative reporter Ben Szalinski…
* Results as of 11:20…
Speaker Welch pointed to this district as flippable in August. * HD 97…
I’ll be updating this post throughout the day as races are called. …Adding… Leader McCombie…
* …Adding… More… * Capitol News Illinois | Early results show Democrats likely to maintain supermajorities in Illinois General Assembly: Preliminary, unofficial election results show no seats in the state House or Senate have changed party hands, although a few races remained too close to call according to the Associated Press. That means Democrats will maintain supermajorities in each chamber of the General Assembly even as President Donald Trump appears to have vastly outperformed his previous two showings in the state in 2016 and 2020. * WBEZ | Jennifer Custer wins in Far Northwest Side District 1 Chicago School Board race: Stay-at-home mom and former educator Jennifer Custer beat veteran educator Michelle N. Pierre by just under 2,000 votes in the race to represent District 1 on the elected school board with 98% of precincts reporting, according to the Associated Press. Pierre conceded on Wednesday. Custer, a former assistant principal and suburban union leader was endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, which strongly supports a neighborhood school focus. * News-Gazette | Election ‘24:’I can’t believe that we have this issue’: The one thing a combustible election didn’t need got a heaping helping of it just as the first wave of voters showed up to cast their ballots Tuesday morning in Champaign County. Polling place problems — and not the kind involving Trump supporters in MAGA hats that led County Clerk Aaron Ammons to hire outside security to patrol precincts — dominated the discussion of the day, drawing unwelcome attention from USA Today, The Associated Press and other media outlets near and far. It started bright and early, at 6 a.m. That’s when Colleen and Mark Ruebke of rural Urbana went to vote at the Somer Township Building, one of 65 polling places due to open at that time around Champaign County. Only when they showed up, they found it closed, along with the three St. Joseph’s Sterling Frye tried on his way to work in Champaign. * BND | Schmidt holds onto 114th State House District. What does that mean for southwest Illinois?: Schmidt has said he thinks voters in District 114 support him not because he’s a Republican but because he represents their interests. “I’ll continue to work hard in Springfield and give the people what they need,” Schmidt said Wednesday. “I’m definitely gonna work on funding for infrastructure as far as the sewage/drainage problem — yesterday we all saw how bad it was in Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis — and fight tax increases.” * KHQA | 2024 Illinois Election Results: Reproductive Health Ballot Question: With 73% of the vote, Illinois voters said YES to the ballot question: “Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?” * Block Club | Trump Attracted More Voters Than Ever In Chicago Amid Overall Victory: While Kamala Harris won Chicago with about 77 percent of the vote, support for Donald Trump went up by up 6 percentage points in the city compared to 2020. In Chicago, Harris received 652,919 votes, or about 77 percent of the vote, while Trump received 187,137 votes, or about 22 percent of the vote, according to early results. * WICS | Planned Parenthood of Illinois respond to 2024 presidential results: “This is a devastating loss. I want to reassure the public that the full spectrum of reproductive health care is still safe and legal in Illinois including abortion, gender-affirming care and birth control. However, we will take our rage, sadness, loss and fear to fuel the next phase of our fight. The fight for reproductive freedom does not end here. The majority of Americans believe that sexual and reproductive health decisions — including abortion — should be made by patients, not politicians. PPIA and our supporters will turn our anger into action and work closely with elected officials at both the state and federal levels to continue making Illinois the strongest haven state for reproductive care possible.” * News-Gazette | Danos celebrates likely reelection, failed referendum to eliminate office: Democratic county Auditor George Danos appears headed for re-election to an office that will continue to exist, as a referendum asking voters to eliminate it was losing by a margin of 60 to 40 percent and Danos was ahead of his Republican challenger, Alan Anderson, by 54 to 46 percent. “I was gratified to enjoy the loyalty of rank-and-file Democrats, who also agreed with me on the referenda,” Danos said. “The Champaign County Democratic Central Committee, led by Mike Ingram, has egg on its face: when all the votes are counted I’ll have a sound 55-45 victory, despite their treachery. Their pet referenda went down 2-1 (the tax) and 3-2 (the power grab to eliminate the Auditor).” * PJ Star | Ranked choice voting referendum passes in Peoria Township: An advisory referendum asking Peoria Township voters if the state of Illinois should implement ranked-choice voting in statewide elections garnered strong support. According to the Peoria County Election Commission, with 100% of precincts reporting, “Yes” leads “No” by more than 11,000 votes, with 22,536 voting in the affirmative (66.98%) and 11,108 voting to reject it (33.02%). * Daily Herald | Mosser wins second term as Kane County state’s attorney: Jamie Mosser defeated her Republican rival Tuesday to secure a second term as Kane County’s top prosecutor. Mosser, a Democrat, had 112,962 votes compared to 99,081 for Andrew Sosnowski, her challenger in the race for state’s attorney, according to unofficial totals. * Daily Herald | ‘I’m humbled’: Rinehart wins in race for Lake’s top prosecutor: Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart emerged victorious after a tough election against Republican challenger Mary Cole late Tuesday in his bid for another term as the county’s top lawyer. Democrat Rinehart had about 54% of the vote to Cole’s nearly 46%, according to unofficial tallies. * SJ-R | All incumbents on Sangamon County Board returned by voters; Milhiser, Roesch other winners: All seven incumbent Sangamon County Board members in contested races prevailed on Tuesday, including one cliffhanger. State’s Attorney John Milhiser and Circuit Clerk Joe Roesch both easily held on to their seats, while Recorder Josh Langfelder, the only Democrat to hold county-wide office, trails challenger Frank Lesko by 68 votes. Eight county board seats up Tuesday were uncontested. * WCIA | Champaign County votes ‘no’ to public safety tax: A proposition to increase the sales tax for safety purposes has been rejected in Champaign County. WCIA previously reported that voters were asked if the tax should be raised a quarter cent for every $100 spent in the county. It failed with 66% of the community voting to reject the measure.
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News coverage roundup: Chicago school board election results (Updated)
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * [Note from Rich: I would disagree that CTU picked up four seats. District 1’s apparent winner Jennifer Custer was, indeed, endorsed by CTU, but she criticized the mayor numerous times and, by extension, the union. She won’t be an automatic CTU vote.] Tribune…
Districts 1, 9, and 10 have yet to be called. Click here for the up-to-date totals. …Adding… Jennifer Custer wins in Far Northwest Side District 1 * Sun-Times…
* Sun-Times…
* More…
* WBEZ | Che “Rhymefest” Smith leads in South Side District 10 Chicago School Board race: Smith was gracious when reached Tuesday night. He said all the candidates in District 10 were solid and he learned a lot from his competitors. At more than $500,000, Norington-Reaves had, by far, the most in financial support. Some of it was spent on behalf of her campaign and not coordinated with it, and some was given to her campaign fund. She was supported by two anti-Chicago Teachers Union, pro-charter school super PACs — the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and Urban Center Action. * Axios | Results: Chicago’s first elected school board: he board is only partially elected for now. Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint the other 10 members, one from each district, and the board president. The 21-member board will start in January and faces a looming budget gap, a CEO at odds with the mayor and an unsettled teachers union contract. …Adding… INCS Action…
* CPS Parents for Buses…
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Ex-ComEd VP testifies about no-work contracts for Madigan allies
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Tribune…
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Open thread
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Take a deep breath before commenting folks…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Democrats poised to keep supermajorities intact in Illinois legislature. Tribune…
- Republican Rep. Amy Grant, who is vying for a fourth term, was in a 50-50 dead heat with Democrat Jackie Williamson of Wheaton with about 99% of the estimated vote total counted, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press. - Republican Rep. Martin McLaughlin held a slight edge over Democratic challenger Maria Peterson, a former labor attorney from North Barrington, with 91% of the estimated vote total reporting. * Block Club Chicago | Man Awaiting Trial For Jan. 6 Attack On Capitol Worked As Portage Park Election Judge: Sen. Robert Martwick, who represents District 10 and is up for reelection, said he recognized Ligas when he went to drop off pizzas at the Shabbona Park polling location about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday. “I walked into the polling place, and he was there holding a clipboard, but he wasn’t wearing any credentials,” said Martwick, who faces Republican challenger Jon Luers. “I thought, ‘Who is that guy? Wait a minute, that’s Larry Ligas — isn’t he under an indictment for January 6th?’” * WTTW | Barbara Taylor Bowman, Founding Mother of Early Childhood Education, Dies at 96: Bowman is known not only for her lifelong work in the field and for co-founding the Erikson Institute, but also as the mother of Valerie Jarrett, an advisor to former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. “Her legacy is one of transformation, not only of Erikson but of the entire early childhood education landscape,” said Erikson President Mariana Souto-Manning in a statement. “She didn’t just shape an institution — she helped shape the very foundation of the field. Barbara’s commitment to justice, equity, and the well-being of all children will continue to animate our mission, inspire our work, and guide the field for generations to come.” * Eye On Illinois | As this election ends, another campaign cycle is already spinning: In two years we’ll be choosing a U.S. Senator, governor, attorney general, secretary of state, comptroller and treasurer. Only six members of the Senate are older than Dick Durbin, who turns 80 this month. Illinoisans only once elected any governor three times. If Durbin and/or Gov. JB Pritzker opt not to seek reelection – or if Pritzker pursues Durbin’s Senate seat – that shakes up the entire Democratic ballot. * WGLT | Sharon Chung defeats Desi Anderson; fellow incumbents win in Illinois House: Democrat Sharon Chung won reelection to a second term in the Illinois General Assembly with a victory over Republican Desi Anderson. Chung, a Democrat from Bloomington, won 53% of the vote. She defeated Anderson by around 3,500 votes, according to unofficial totals compiled by WGLT and WCBU. * Daily Southtown | Hastings, Joyce lead state Senate races as incumbents lead in House: * KWQC | Bradley Fritts wins Illinois 74th District: Republican Bradley Fritts will serve his second two-year term in the Illinois House of Representatives. Fritts won with a total of 31,350 votes over Democrat challenger David Simpson with 16,934 votes. * Crain’s | ‘Millionaire tax’ advisory ballot measure appears headed for a win: With ballots still being counted late Tuesday evening, Illinois voters appeared to be overwhelmingly backing an advisory question that could give state lawmakers a tool to push for higher taxes on wealthy residents — a tax that supporters argued would clear the way for property tax relief. With 71% of votes counted as of 11 p.m., the referendum was leading 60.5% to 39.5%, based on 4.2 million total votes cast. Supporters are calling the result a mandate to enact legislation. * Daily Northwestern | Illinois voters approve advisory measure expanding coverage for IVF treatments: The ballot measure, one of three advisory referenda voters considered in Illinois, won with 72.5% in support and 27.5% in opposition. The Associated Press called the race at 11:39 p.m. The referendum does not have any direct legal effect. However, legislators could consider support for the referendum indexed by tonight’s results when making decisions about assisted reproductive treatments. * The Daily Northwestern | Election worker protection referendum overwhelmingly favored by voters: Illinois voters voted in overwhelming support of a non-binding advisory referendum to impose civil penalties on candidates who interfere or attempt to interfere with election workers’ duties. With 68% of the votes counted as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, 88.9% of voters were in favor of the referendum, according to data from The Associated Press. The New York Times called the race at about 9 p.m. * WBEZ | Illinois voters approve an advisory referendum calling for higher taxes on income over $1 million: The tax measure called for imposition of a 3% levy on individual income over $1 million, which state revenue officials say could pump at least $4.5 billion more each year into the state’s treasury to then divert to property tax reduction. […] The measure carried 60% of the vote, with 83% of the estimated vote counted, the Associated Press reported, and the agency called it a win Tuesday night. * NBC Chicago | 7 Illinois counties vote to explore seceding from state: Iroquois County: With all 37 of the county’s precincts reporting, 72.85% of votes were in favor of the advisory question, with more than 9,000 “yes” votes counted. * Eater Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Floats a Liquor Tax Increase in His 2025 Budget: The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a national lobbying group, has come out against the budget. The council sent out a news release. “The hospitality industry has been relentlessly hit with economic challenges over the last four years starting with the pandemic and followed by supply chain disruptions, staffing shortages, and record inflation,” says Andy Deloney, Distilled Spirits Council’s vice president and head of state public policy. * Block Club | South Shore Neighbors Vote In Favor Of Housing Protections: About 89 percent of voters in four South Shore precincts showed support for housing protections like property tax relief and affordable housing developments in a non-binding referendum. * Chicago Mag | In a new exhibition, photographer Mark Ballogg lets us into local artists’ workspaces.: Ballogg brought what he considered an outsider’s eye to the project, despite his own history as a collector of local art and a nearly four-decade career as an architectural photographer. “I have always struggled with calling myself an artist,” he says. “So the project started to become a way for me to suss out my path for myself with my own practice, seeing into the lives of artists and the way they work, and starting to realize that the sky’s the limit and that I can do whatever I decide I want to do.” * Tribune | Chicago Bears Q&A: What will it take for Matt Eberflus to keep his job? Why wasn’t Shane Waldron demoted?: I don’t believe Eberflus was under a playoffs-or-else mandate when the season began. At 4-4 and coming off consecutive dispiriting road losses, things are trending in the wrong direction. That’s fair to say. But Eberflus’ removal at the end of the season isn’t a fait accompli. A lot of football remains to be played with nine regular-season games, including the entire division slate. * WTTW | O’Neill Burke Declared Winner in Race to Replace Kim Foxx as Cook County’s Top Prosecutor: The AP declared Burke the winner just before 9 p.m. in one of the most closely watched races on Election Day in Chicago. Burke, a former circuit and appellate level judge who also served as both an assistant state’s attorney and defense attorney, received 65% of votes to defeat Republican former alderperson Bob Fioretti (31%) and Libertarian Andrew Charles Kopinski (4%) with 59% of votes counted, according to unofficial results. * Daily Herald | Krishnamoorthi declared winner in 8th District reelection bid: AP declared Krishnamoorthi the winner at 8:35 p.m., when an estimated 72% of the vote had been counted. By the time the count reached 91%, Krishnamoorthi was ahead 162,522 votes to 126,448 votes, unofficial results showed. That gave Krishnamoorthi about 56.2% of the total. * Daily Southtown | Will County incumbent Democrats in countywide races lead with 84% votes counted: Incumbent Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, a Shorewood Democrat seeking a second term as county executive, had 53% of the unofficial vote while Republican candidate Charles “Chuck” Maher of Naperville had 46% with about 84% of the votes reported. Bertino-Tarrant said she was wanted to continue her work to improve public safety, ensure the county remains the best in the state for job creation and collaborate with the Veterans Assistance Commission to bring a new veterans-centric campus to Joliet. * WBEZ | Democrat Monica Gordon clinches Cook County clerk seat: In a county where Democratic voters dominate, Monica Gordon easily defeated her GOP and Libertarian rivals Tuesday to become the next Cook County clerk. With more than half of the estimated vote counted, Gordon was headed for a landslide victory, with more than 65% * Daily Herald | ‘I’m humbled’: Rinehart wins in race for Lake’s top prosecutor: Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart emerged victorious after a tough election against Republican challenger Mary Cole late Tuesday in his bid for another term as the county’s top lawyer. Democrat Rinehart had about 54% of the vote to Cole’s nearly 46%, according to unofficial tallies. * Crain’s | How this Chicago suburb is riding a retail renaissance: “Schaumburg is lucky because every retailer wants to be there,” said John Melaniphy, president of Melaniphy & Associates, which tallies local retail sales using Illinois Department of Revenue sales tax data. Schaumburg has the third-most retail space of any suburb at 10.7 million square feet and raked in more than $4.2 billion in retail sales in 2023, coming in second behind Naperville, according to data from real estate information company CoStar Group and Melaniphy & Associates. * PJ Star | Illinois 2024 election results: Ranked choice voting referendum in Peoria Township: According to the Peoria County Election Commission, with over half of all precincts reporting, “Yes” leads “No” by just over 9,000 votes, with 18,449 voting in the affirmative (66%) and 9,397 voting to reject it (34%). * WSIL | “No Drink Water” order no longer in effect in Vienna: The “No Drink Water” order in the City of Vienna is no longer in effect. The Vienna Police Department posted the update, stating multiple water samples have shown the water is safe to drink. The Illinois EPA sampled the water and approved lifting the order, city officials stated.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/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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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Nov 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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*Live* election night coverage - Election results
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Our live coverage app has been glitching hard tonight, which has distracted me from posting stuff. Rather than delve even further into the intricacies, I’ve decided we will combine the coverage with the election results in one post. * Election Results: Sun-Times - Tribune - Daily Herald - NYT - Capitol News Illinois - Block Club Chicago * Live news updates: Sun-Times/WBEZ - Daily Herald - Tribune - NBC 5 - Block Club Chicago - WTTW - 25News Now - Rockford Register Star - Peoria Journal Star * Our live coverage and results…
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Late afternoon, early evening precinct reports
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Our final check-in opportunity of the day. We’ll have live coverage close to 7 pm. Let us all know what’s going on by you. Thanks!
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CTU president Stacy Davis Gates scolds Gov. Pritzker for expressing opinions on a ‘hyper local issue’
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
Thoughts?
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WAND…
* Naperville Sun | Naperville voters turn out in large numbers to cast ballots in Tuesday’s election: Nearly 60% of registered voters in DuPage County had voted early, mailed in their ballots or visited their precinct polling place as of noon Tuesday to make their selections for president, judges, DuPage County offices and other races, reflecting the trend seen all over the country on Election Day.
* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County residents flock to polls on Election Day; ‘Democracy is in the air’: Tens of Thousands of voters cast their ballots within less than six hours of the polls opening Tuesday across Lake County marking their choice for president, Congress, the Illinois General Assembly, a variety of county offices and nine referendums. “Democracy is in the air,” Lake County Clerk Anthony Vega said just after 10 a.m. “We had a big morning rush, and things are now steady. It will pick up again after work.” * WCIA | Sangamon County Democrats call on voters to double check after some complain of getting incorrect ballots: Sangamon County Democrats want voters to double check their ballots before they cast their vote. The party said they’ve received multiple reports of voters receiving the wrong ballot. “One time, in my opinion, is too much,” Sangamon County Democratic Party Chair Bill Houlihan said. “I mean, if someone gets the wrong ballot that shouldn’t have happened.” * WJBD | Marion County Clerk sees steady lines at polling places: Marion County Clerk Steve Fox is reporting steady lines at many polling places, but so far no issues, in Tuesday’s general election. He feels confident his 65-percent voter turnout projection will stand. In addition to the Presidential race, there are contested races in Marion County for State’s Attorney and Coroner, County Board seats in District Two and Four, as well as Congressman. * WSIL | Law enforcement and election officials share plans for voting safety concerns: Robin Harper-Whitehead is busy running the election process for Johnson County. Like many election officials, she is concerned about safety. […] Harper-Whitehead says they have security at the courthouse, and on call for their polling places. She says they also gave their election judges extra training to help mitigate any problems they might have. * Bloomberg | Experts Worry Election-Betting Markets Are Skewed Ahead of Vote: Economists have long loved prediction markets. Even niche platforms such as the Iowa Electronic Markets and betting pools inside companies like Ford Motor Co. have been praised for their fortune-telling prowess. And now, the online emporiums have entered the big leagues with the 2024 presidential election. * Press Release | FBI Statement on Bomb Threats to Polling Locations: The FBI is aware of bomb threats to polling locations in several states, many of which appear to originate from Russian email domains. None of the threats have been determined to be credible thus far. Election integrity is among the FBI’s highest priorities. We will continue to work closely with our state and local law enforcement partners to respond to any threats to our elections and to protect our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote.
* Tribune | Ex-ComEd VP, crucial witness against Madigan, takes stand in corruption trial: The former ComEd vice president who secretly recorded his colleagues as part of a federal corruption probe began testifying against ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan on Tuesday, the first of what is expected to be multiple days on the stand. One of the prosecution’s star witnesses, Fidel Marquez’s cooperation with federal investigators provided the backbone of prosecutors’ allegations that Madigan and his co-defendant Michael McClain supported ComEd-friendly legislation in exchange for benefits from the utility, such as do-nothing contracts for their associates. * Sun-Times | Former ComEd exec who wore a wire for the FBI takes the stand in Michael Madigan’s trial: Meanwhile, Marquez is likely to revisit much of his testimony from last year’s case about an alleged bribery conspiracy at ComEd. He took the stand around noon Tuesday, after a later than usual start to the trial day. U.S. District Judge John Blakey gave the jury an extra two hours to vote in the morning. The judge appeared on the bench with an “I Voted” sticker on his robe. At least two jurors could also be seen wearing their own “I Voted” stickers, and at one point Madigan defense attorney Tom Breen waved his around the courtroom. * NPR | Farmers in Illinois could be surveyed by USDA before spring: The USDA will be tapping farmers across the U.S. to participate in a conservation survey. The statistics and conservation branches of the agency are reaching out to farmers, ranchers, and agricultural landowners to gather in-depth information about the conservation practices they use. Nearly 12,000 operators will receive the 2024 Conservation Effects Assessment Project survey. The 2024 Conservation Effects Assessment Project survey will collect data that paints a picture of conservation practices across the agriculture landscape. * Crain’s | Kaegi sizes up the Loop, completing city reassessment: Loop office buildings are worth less than they were three years ago, but the plight isn’t as bad as recent deals suggest, according to Fritz Kaegi. Releasing his final batch of data in a reassessment of all city property, the Cook County assessor last week illustrated his relatively rosy view of the vacancy-plagued downtown office market. * Block Club | CTA Says Rail Service Restored To Pre-Pandemic Levels, But Some Experts Remain Skeptical: But the new schedules — which went into effect Sunday — are unlikely to match the reality for riders on the system, at least at first, said Brandon McFadden, a cybersecurity analyst who independently tracks CTA reliability. On the first two days of the new schedules, Sunday saw 81 percent delivered service while Monday had 88 percent delivered service, according to McFadden’s data. That’s a dip from a 90 percent or better mark the CTA was delivering regularly under its previous schedule, McFadden said. * ABC Chicago | Chicago police officer killed in East Chatham shooting ID’d; 2 in custody: Superintendent Snelling said one of the suspects was under electronic monitoring, but may have cut off his ankle monitor. “We have to do everything that we can to keep violent offenders off the street, especially those who are repeating these acts,” Snelling said. “If we don’t do that, then we’re failing our citizens. We’re failing our children. We’re failing their futures. We have to keep violent offenders off the street.” * Crain’s | Tempus buying genetics lab company for $600 million: Tempus AI announced today it is acquiring genetic testing and laboratory service provider Ambry Genetics in a $600 million deal that the Chicago-based oncology biotech says will broaden its offerings and move the startup closer to breaking even. Tempus will pay $375 million in cash and $225 million in shares at closing. The deal is expected to be financed in part through a $300 million increase in short- and long-term debt provided by Ares Management, Tempus’ current lender, the company said in a release. Tempus noted $100 million of the price will be locked up for one year. * Crain’s | Stefani group to close Bar Cargo, citing changes in River North: Anthony Stefani attributed the closure in part to what he sees as broader changes to the River North neighborhood’s dining scene. “It’s just not what it was pre-COVID,” he said, citing other recent restaurant closures nearby, including Boka Restaurant Group shifting gears on Le Select and closing GT Fish & Oyster. He thinks much of Bar Cargo’s target clientele now gravitates toward Fulton Market. * Crain’s | Why Revolution is closing its beloved Logan Square brewpub: “Sometimes when you hear about a restaurant closing, it’s because the lease was up, or they’re raising the rent, or the bank is foreclosing on them,” said Revolution founder and CEO Josh Deth. “It’s none of that with this.” Rather, the 15-year-old institution is closing up shop simply because the brewpub is bleeding money. Sales have been declining for years, and Deth cannot justify staying open. “It’s like throwing in the towel in the later rounds to avoid injury (to the rest of the business),” he said. “We ran out of options.” * Block Club | You Can Rent A Private Sauna At North Avenue Beach This Winter: The Fire and Ice Sauna Experience, 1600 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, is a collaboration between Thunder Domes and the Park District that aims to provide visitors with a wellness-focused winter escape. The private sauna experience is available 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays and can be booked in 25-minute or 60-minute sessions. * Daily Herald | Mount Prospect mayoral hopeful says town’s new ethics rules target her: Mount Prospect mayoral hopeful Trisha Chokshi said she was singled out by changes in the village’s ethics rules that resulted in her departure from the town’s finance commission. Chokshi had been serving as chair of the commission, which helps oversee the village’s financial decisions and provides input during the budget process. But in September, the village made changes in its code to prohibit spouses of village trustees from serving on commissions. Choskshi’s husband, Trustee Augie Filippone, recently announced he is not running for another term. * Daily Herald | Why you can’t ditch old pumpkins in forest preserves: The leftover seeds will sprout in the spring and hurt conservation efforts, according to a forest preserve district video posted on social media. “Pumpkin dumping represents a disconnect between our daily habits and the long-term health of our natural areas,” said Scott Kobal, a district ecologist, in a statement. “When we introduce foreign organic matter, like pumpkins, we inadvertently tip the scales, impacting not just wildlife but also the soil. These changes to the forest floor might take years to reverse.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora church to hold early Thanksgiving dinner to help those in need: Wesley United Methodist Church in Aurora will host an early Thanksgiving dinner for people in need this weekend. The Rev. Tammy Scott, Wesley lead pastor, said the “Feast of Hope” event will be held from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the church, 14 N. May St. in Aurora. * Crain’s | Walgreens agrees to pay $100 million to settle drug overcharging claims: Walgreens Boots Alliance has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a proposed class-action lawsuit claiming the Deerfield-based pharmacy giant fraudulently overcharged customers when they purchased generic drugs through private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid plans. A lawsuit, first filed in 2017 by a consortium of individuals and unions, accused Walgreens of wrongly requiring insured customers to pay more for drugs than members of its Prescription Savings Club. The program allowed Walgreens customers to buy prescribed generic drugs at discounts without insurance. * ABC Chicago | Misspelled name caused man to sit in Cook County morgue for 6 weeks, family says: The family said they started calling the medical examiner’s office weeks after Davis went missing. “I gave description that he’s very tall, 6′4″ with freckles, very distinctive looking,” sister Deborah Smith said. “She said, ‘We don’t have anyone by that name here.’” * WCIA | Urbana High School students ‘Walk to the Polls’ for first votes: Five local organizations and the City or Urbana are sponsoring a “Walk to the Polls” for UHS students and the community on Election Day. This will take place at 10:30 a.m. Mayor Diane Marlin, as well as the Urbana High School Tiger Marching Band Drumline, plan on attending the walk as well. It will take place on the south side of the Urbana Free Library. * WMBD | CI Hero: Tremont historical secretary finds 13 lost veterans: Secretary Kay Sommer researched and uncovered 13 new veterans who have gone unrecognized dating back to the Civil War. “During my research, I discovered in 1918, we lost some from Tremont and they died from the Spanish Flu because it was a major epidemic at that time,” said Sommer. * TEXT:
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Fioretti claims shenanigans, but it doesn’t check out
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I posted this earlier today…
* From a Fioretti press release…
OK, let’s take this one point at a time. * 1) I called the US Attorney’s office and was told the hotline number is basically just an intake complaint hotline. People are referred to the proper authorities. However, I was told, most of the calls they get are mostly like “Where can I park at my polling place?” and “What time does my polling place close?” Prompted by the US Attorney, I asked the Fioretti campaign what question(s) Fioretti asked when he called. I have not heard back. If Fioretti did have a valid voter fraud complaint (which he has never actually disclosed), this press release explains what would happen next. On the rare instance when things like voter/worker intimidation is an issue, people are advised to call 911 and notify the police. * 2) On to the Cook County Clerk…
From the county sheriff…
* 3) I called the Chicago Board of Elections’ hotline number (312.269.7870) at about 1:30 and somebody picked up on the first ring. Easy peasey. * 4) That “Protect the Vote” hotline in Fioretti’s release was set up by the Illinois Republican Party. When you call it, you get a recorded message from Lara Trump that asks you for further info. The state Democratic Party also has a hotline number, (855) 458-6837, as does the attorney general…
Also…
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Some midday campaign updates (Updated)
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * From a subscriber in the 66th House District, currently held by Rep. Suzanne Ness (D-Bennington)…
Rep. Ness has reported raising $697,700 since July 1. * Chicago…
* Cook County…
* DuPage County…
* WCIA…
More…
* WCIA…
The third-party vendor is Platinum Technology Resource. * This was a problem in several places…
…Adding… No extended hours…
* Sun-Times…
* From a pal on the Southwest Side…
More…
* Democratic Party of Illinois…
From Manny’s…
* Live updates from various news organizations…
- Tribune - NBC 5 - Block Club Chicago - WTTW - 25News Now - Rockford Register Star - Peoria Journal Star * More from Isabel… * Fox 32 | Gov. J.B. Pritzker among Illinois politicians visiting Manny’s Deli for Election Day: It’s an Election Day tradition for local politicians to head to Manny’s Deli while voters hit polling places. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago high schoolers get a crash course on the city’s first school board election: Inside Room 105, Odeth and 20 of her peers dug into the day’s civics lesson: Chicago’s historic school board elections. They would learn that the board has immense power, including to change school policies and curriculum and adopt the district’s budget. “I feel like the fact that they’re being elected in the first place is really cool, because I feel like we should have a say in deciding, like, how we’re going to learn,” she said. “It was interesting to learn how much they actually control.” * USA Today | Georgia secretary of state blames polling place bomb threat on Russians: Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger confirmed Tuesday a bomb threat was made against a polling place, but he said it was of Russian origin and not credible. Raffensperger later clarified in a subsequent press conference that the threat affected between five and seven precincts in multiple Georgia counties. “In the interest of public safety, you always check that out,” Raffensperger said. “They’re up to mischief it seems,” he added, about the Russians. “They don’t want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election.” * CNN | A pro-Trump influencer says a Russian agent paid him $100 to post a fake voter fraud video. It wasn’t the first time: The pro-Trump influencer, who uses the @AlphaFox78 handle on X, is an American man living in Massachusetts, CNN has learned. He agreed to speak to CNN about the posts on condition of anonymity. […] “I don’t have any idea where it came from or anything - I’m just the guy who shared it,” he said. The man said Simeon Boikov, a Russian propagandist podcaster known online as “AussieCossack,” offered him $100 to post the video, which he agreed to. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to CNN that multiple payments were sent from Boikov to the Massachusetts man. * NYT | What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night: Like in 2020, the vote count will still feature “blue mirages” or “red mirages,” in which one candidate builds a fleeting lead simply because mail or Election Day ballots are counted first. (Mail ballots have tended to be more Democratic, and Election Day ballots more Republican.) But this year, these mirages won’t be as extreme. * Forbes | These Key Swing States Don’t Count Mail Ballots In Advance—Results May Take Days: Pennsylvania: The state will be one of the slowest to release results from mail-in ballots because officials can’t start processing absentee ballots—taking steps like removing ballots from envelopes and verifying voter signatures—until the morning of Election Day, and cannot record any vote totals until after polls close at 8 p.m. * USA Today | Sign of the times in front yard political wars: A campaign to make America laugh again: In the thicket of political campaign signs at a busy intersection in Goffstown, New Hampshire, Andy Brown decided to plant a message of his own: “Andy Brown: Not running for anything. Just wanted a sign.” Soon a friend of a friend surprised Brown by adding another sign “paid for by friends of Andy Brown.” So, Brown doubled down on the joke and headed back to the sign store for a 3-foot-by-5-foot custom banner with a new campaign slogan. “I like big signs, I cannot lie” − a creative riff on the Sir Mix-A-Lot lyrics − struck a nerve on social media where one local person responded: “And G-town can’t deny…”
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Mid-day precinct reports
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * What do you see? What do you know? Make sure to tell us where you are. Thanks.
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Energy Storage Can Minimize Price Spikes
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Each month, families and businesses pay a capacity charge through their energy bill. It’s essentially an insurance policy that pays energy resources (or “capacity”) to be available for when the grid needs them most. Grid operators project a possible shortage of capacity in the coming years, which means the charge for this insurance policy will rise next year for many Illinoisans. Batteries, or energy storage, are currently the best solution to minimize this price spike—but building them at the pace we need will require legislation. The added benefit is the ability to store cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day—lowering energy bills and making the grid more reliable. Learn more about legislation that builds urgently needed energy storage here. Paid for by Counterspark.
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Mid-morning precinct reports
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * What’s happening by you? Give us a flavor of what’s going on and remember to tell us where you are. Thanks.
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Jury hears tape of Madigan being informed of plan to pay aide ousted for sexual harassment
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* Sun-Times…
* ABC Chicago…
* More… * WGN | Prosecutors focus on sexual harassment, no-show jobs in ongoing Madigan corruption trial: FBI agents took the stand to testify about the 2019 raid of former Madigan staffer Kevin Quinn’s home in 2019. Quinn was fired over sexual harassment allegations from fellow Madigan staffer Alaina Hampton. “We were looking for proof of residence, financial records, and documents,” said Supervising Special Agent Prince Prempeh about the search of Quinn’s Beverly home. According to prosecutors, the search warrant also uncovered a plot to send money to Quinn. Madigan’s fixer, Michael McClain, allegedly orchestrated a series of little-to-no-work jobs to funnel money to the former associate. * Sun-Times | Judge in Madigan corruption trial urges jurors to vote, calling the U.S. a ‘bright moment in human history’: Eighteen jurors headed home from Chicago’s latest public corruption trial Monday for what would likely be their final opportunity to cast a ballot in Tuesday’s election — but before they left, they got a reminder that “freedom is not a spectator sport.” “If anyone knows that, that’s you guys,” U.S. District Judge John Blakey told them.
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Roundup: Election security updates
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for background if you need it. WCIA…
FYI: News Gazette: System failures that led to inoperable voting machines at polling places throughout Champaign County Tuesday morning have been resolved, Clerk Aaron Ammons said shortly after 8 a.m. * CBS Chicago…
* ABC Chicago…
* 25News Now…
* Meanwhile, KWQC…
* More…
* WSJ | The Proud Boys Have Regrouped and Are Signaling Election Plans: While it isn’t clear what the far-right group is planning or how coordinated its plans are, many chapters are amplifying election-cheating claims made by Trump or his allies and discussing potential responses, according to a review by The Wall Street Journal of dozens of accounts on Telegram, the messaging app, and Trump’s Truth Social platform. Chapters have gathered across state lines, talked about watching polls and have been boasting about attending Trump rallies to protect the former president. * The Guardian | Republican mega-donors asked their employees who they will vote for in survey: The Republican mega-donors Dick and Liz Uihlein, who are the third largest donors in this year’s US presidential election, have sought information about who employees at their company Uline will be voting for in Tuesday’s ballot. A screenshot seen by the Guardian shows how employees at the private Wisconsin paper and office products distributor were asked to take part in what was called an anonymous survey to track who the employees were voting for on 5 November. * Reuters | US states worried about election unrest take security precautions: A defense official said on Monday that Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, North Carolina, New Mexico, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington state have current National Guard missions while Washington DC, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia have troops on standby. * Press Release | U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Telephone Hotline To Report Voting Rights Complaints on Election Day: Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff will monitor the hotline. The hotline numbers, staffed on Election Day only, are (312) 469-6157 and (312) 469-6158. The Office’s Election Day Program will be supervised by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois Election 2024: Live results Axios…
- Results will begin populating in the first half-hour after polls close and be updated live as counted votes roll in. * Related stories… ∙ Injustice Watch: Your guide to the November 2024 Cook County judicial elections ∙ Daily Herald: Nearly 30% of all Illinois voters have already cast their ballot ∙ Pantagraph: McLean County’s early voting exceeds expectations of election authorities ∙ Daily Herald: What to expect on Election Day throughout the suburbs * Sun-Times | Illinois to receive $40 million in opioid settlement with Kroger: Under the agreement, Illinois will receive more than $40 million of the $1.37 billion that the grocery chain agreed to pay in the deal, Raoul’s office said. The majority of Illinois’ money will go to the Illinois Remediation Fund to be used for drug abatement programs throughout the state. * Tribune | Long lines and a blustery Election Day greeting Chicago-area voters — weather befitting the end of a turbulent campaign season: “Very windy yet mild and only sporadically showery weather is due Election Day,” iconic Chicago meteorologist Tom Skilling predicted. “It’s kind of fitting, isn‘t it, that strong winds are to buffet the area? Kind of fitting a tumultuous election would fall on a day with strong winds.” * Press Release | Government Alliance for Safe Communities Announces $100 Million in Grant Opportunities for Violence Prevention and Community Violence Intervention Initiatives: The 2025 GASC funding initiative includes two grant opportunities for programmatic CVI funding totaling approximately $57 million, with additional funding opportunities to follow. These grant opportunities are available through the Reimagine Violence Prevention Services Program, sponsored by the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Lead Organization for Expanding Capacity for Community Violence Interventions - Street Outreach Services sponsored by the City of Chicago. * WCIA | Attorney General reminds IL voters of their rights ahead of Election Day: The Illinois Attorney General has got extra staff working on Election Day to keep the election as free from interference as possible. More than 200 investigators and assistant attorney generals will be working on the day to monitor the election and polling places for illegal activities and to ensure all polling places remain accessible. * Block Club | If You Block A Bike Lane Downtown, You’ll Now Get An Automatic Ticket Or Warning: During the first 30 days of the program, the city will only be issuing warnings via mail to registered car owners found parking in bike and bus lanes. Starting Dec. 5, drivers found in violation will receive a mailed notice for the first offense and then will be fined for subsequent violations, according to a press release. * Tribune | The issues facing school board candidates at a contentious time for CPS: Off-year elections in Chicago, such as mayoral and aldermanic races, typically favor traditional Democratic and progressive activists, according to Wayne Steger, a political science professor at DePaul University. This year’s school board race coinciding with the presidential election means voter turnout will be higher, but unpredictable — as former President Donald Trump’s supporters may bring differing opinions to the polls, Steger said. * Block Club | City’s Largest Migrant Shelter Closing Next Week: The largest city-run migrant shelter is slated to close next week as Chicago continues to scale down its new arrivals mission by the end of the year. Inn of Chicago — steps away from the Magnificent Mile at 162 E. Ohio St. — has housed more than 1,500 migrants since opening as a shelter more than two years ago, when some of the first buses of asylum seekers began arriving in Chicago. The shelter will close Nov. 15, ending two-plus years of contention between the shelter and the area’s aldermen, city officials confirmed to Block Club on Monday. * Cook County Record | ‘Palpable injustice:’ Appeals panel says Cook Co. judge wrongly allowed ‘one-sided’ trial vs restaurant owner: A state appeals panel says a Cook County judge wrongly allowed Loyola University to move forward with a “one-sided” trial, in which the court ultimately ordered a Chicago restaurant owner to pay more than $500,000 in allegedly past due rent and court costs, even though the restaurant owner’s lawyer was hospitalized, amid a fight over whether Loyola legally evicted his new fine dining restaurant from a Loyola-owned building after preventing the restaurant from reopening during the Covid pandemic. The decision from a three-justice panel of the Illinois First District Appellate Court reversed the decision of Cook County Judge Robert F. Harris. * Sun-Times | Young Chicago police officer who ‘courageously protected this city’ shot to death in Chatham, 2 in custody: The slain 6th District officer would have marked three years on the job in December. The attack unfolded after officers stopped a vehicle with three occupants about 8 p.m. in the 8000 block of South Ingleside, Snelling said. As officers approached the vehicle one of the occupants opened fire on Martinez, Snelling said, adding that “it sounded like rapid fire.” The officer was struck multiple times. One of the occupants of the vehicle was also struck and killed by the gunfire. * Sun-Times | Hotel tax could increase to boost tourism budget: Chicago’s hotel tax — already the highest among convention cities — may soon rise to 18.9% at downtown hotels to generate more than $50 million in annual revenue to help market the city. One year after the Illinois General Assembly authorized the concept, Choose Chicago is laying the groundwork to create a so-called Tourism Improvement District that would more than double the marketing agency’s annual budget by increasing the tax from the current 17.4%. * ABC Chicago | PepsiCo facing union lawsuit after abrupt closure of Chicago plant: Teamsters Local 727 filed the suit in federal court, claiming the company unlawfully shut down the facility by violating the WARN act, or the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. Teamsters Local 727 filed the suit in federal court, claiming the company unlawfully shut down the facility by violating the WARN act, or the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. […] Some workers said they have been with the company for more than 45 years. The workers said they came to work as normal, and were told the plant was closing and to go home. * Sun-Times | New manager Will Venable lays out plan on how he will manage White Sox: He also will try to impress upon suffering Sox fans that he doesn’t think the organizational picture is hopelessly bleak and that he accepted this job because he’s unbowed — and invigorated — by the sheer size and scope of the task at hand. ‘‘I understand the challenges and the adversity clearly,’’ he said, ‘‘and am looking forward to all of it.’’ * Daily Herald | CTA shrugging off pandemic service lows; how about Metra and Pace?: As of Monday, Metra is running at nearly 100% of pre-pandemic trips overall, and in 2025 those numbers could increase a bit, officials said. Breaking it down, the commuter railroad is running 96% of the trains it provided before COVID-19 on weekdays, or 665 currently compared to 692, spokesman Michael Gillis said. On weekends, Metra is surpassing its 2019 levels. * Tribune | Melrose Park police remove Trump campaign flag from building: Posting a campaign sign on public property, such as a police department, is illegal under Illinois law. Melrose Park Police Department representative Andrew Mack said the department did not know who had put the flag there and said it was taken down around 9:30 a.m., after State Rep. Norma Hernandez’s office alerted the department. Neither Hernandez’s office nor the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office, which enforces campaign signage laws, immediately returned requests for comment Monday evening. * Patch | Video Gaming In Downers Grove? Voters To Weigh In With Referendum: When Downers Grove voters head to the polls on Election Day, they’ll weigh in on some important issues, including whether to allow video gaming within the village. In October 2023, village officials opted to present the referendum during the 2024 General Election. The move came in the wake of a unanimous vote to amend an ordinance that would have permitted video gaming as of Jan. 1, 2024. * Patch | Cappel, Deane-Schlottman Vie For 49th District Seat: IL Election 2024: The voters in the State Senate 49th District will decide in Tuesday’s election whether to keep incumbent Shorewood Democrat Meg Loughran Cappel in office or replace her with Katie Deane-Schlottman, the Republican challenger from Joliet. According to the incumbent’s website, “A mother of three and caregiver to her elderly father, Meg knows what it’s like living paycheck to paycheck. Meg knows firsthand how important pensions are to working families, as she and her husband, Jason—who is also a public school teacher—have paid into Illinois’ pension system their whole professional careers.” * Patch | Larry Walsh Jr., Jim Lanham Eye 86th District Seat: IL 2024 Election: State Representative Lawrence “Larry” Walsh, Jr., a prominent Democrat in Will County politics, faces competition in Tuesday’s general election from Republican challenger Jim Lanham in the race to represent the people of the 86th District. The 86th District includes parts of Joliet, and other towns such as Elwood, Channahon and Shorewood. Larry Walsh Jr. is seeking re-election. …Adding… News Gazette: System failures that led to inoperable voting machines at polling places throughout Champaign County Tuesday morning have been resolved, Clerk Aaron Ammons said shortly after 8 a.m. * WCIA | Champaign County Polling Places Down: Many voters in Champaign County are not able to vote this morning after an issue that has brought most polling locations down. The Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons confirmed to WCIA this morning that there are network issues that are preventing people from voting. He told us there is no timeline to be resolved. He states it is all polling locations. Ammons also told us he got a call from Sangamon County that there are issues in that area as well. …Adding…
* WCIA | Schools, government offices across Illinois closed for Election Day: The public school systems in Decatur, Springfield, Urbana, Champaign, Effingham and Danville are all listed as closed, according to the district websites. Private schools have the choice in Illinois to stay open or close. * Herald-Whig | Amazon distribution center coming to Quincy: Quincy Mayor Mike Troup and Great River Economic Development Foundation President Kyle Moore announced plans Monday morning for the 59,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center on the north side of Wismann Lane between 42nd and 43rd Streets. Troup expects construction to begin “in coming weeks” at the site and take nine months to a year to complete. * SJ-R | Cafe Moxo won’t return to East Adams Street following summer fire: A City of Springfield Building and Zoning Department permit for demolition has been issued to bring down the remnants of 413 E. Adams St. after a fire on June 19. Nickell said the demolition could begin as early as Nov. 11, but may be delayed due to the current stabilizers being installed on the adjacent building which once housed Cafe Moxo. * Daily Journal | Farm community rallies around injured friend, shares message of road safety: “We’ve been through a lot,” said his wife, Lisa, who remains by his side and uses Facebook to keep friends and family posted each step of the way. “We have a huge community helping us,” she said of friends, family and neighbors doing hog chores, moving hay, selling pork and raising money to help with hospital expenses. […] VanWassenhove, who also works with the Illinois Department of Ag, hopes to eventually be fitted for a prosthetic leg but will also have a very long road to recovery. He has started physical therapy to strengthen his upper body. When ready, he will move to the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, she said. * Seattle Times | Boeing Machinists approve new contract, ending strike: The Boeing strike is over after 53 days. Machinists union members voted Monday to approve the company’s most recent contract offer, enabling Boeing to restart work at assembly plants in Everett and Renton and at parts plants throughout the region. * WaPo | Fencing, boarded-up windows and prayers: D.C. readies for Election Day: For weeks, D.C. officials have sought to reassure residents anxious about the possibility of unrest. With polls showing the race deadlocked, officials said they are bracing for the possibility of days of uncertainty as states tally ballots but know of no credible threats. * WGEM | Missouri Secretary of State sues DOJ for monitoring voting rights compliance: Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft announced his office, along with that of Attorney General Andrew Bailey, filed a lawsuit intending to block the U.S. Department of Justice from monitoring a polling place in the St. Louis area for compliance with federal voting rights laws. The Department of Justice is the federal government’s law enforcement arm, and performs these compliance checks every election cycle. Until 2022, no Missouri polling place was on the list of those to be monitored by the DOJ. * WGN | The median age of US homebuyers has risen to an all-time high, Realtor report says: The median age of a first-time homebuyer in the United States has risen from 35 to 38 over the last year, according to the highlights of an annual report from the National Association of Realtors. When it comes the average U.S. homebuyer overall (i.e., people who purchased first homes, second homes, or had owned homes in the past), the median age rose even more drastically, from 49 in the 2023 report to 56 in 2024, the data suggests. This is the highest median age recorded since 1981, when the National Association of Realtors began keeping track.
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Early morning precinct reports
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * What are you seeing out there today? How’s the weather? How’s the turnout? How’s the mood? Remember to give us an idea of where you are. Thanks.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/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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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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