* Sun-Times…

Planned Parenthood of Illinois is partnering with a telemedicine abortion provider to expand access to the procedure in Illinois.

The organization is working with Hey Jane, a national virtual abortion provider that has mailed abortion medications since 2021.

The partnership provides Hey Jane patients access to Planned Parenthood’s procedural abortion care, and Planned Parenthood patients can now connect with Hey Jane for medication abortions.

The two organizations hope the arrangement helps more people in Illinois access reproductive health care. Demand for abortion pills spiked in the state and nationwide after Donald Trump’s reelection in November.

* NBC Chicago…

Just moments after being sworn in as Cook County’s new state’s attorney, Eileen O’Neill Burke announced a change to the county’s policy involving the controversial SAFE-T Act.

O’Neill Burke announced that prosecutors must now seek pre-trial detention for anyone accused of certain crimes, particularly violent offenses, domestic violence cases and sex offenses or crimes against children.

“Under the SAFE-T Act, the state must file a petition to detain an offender before the court can consider it. A judge can no longer hold someone pretrial absent a prosecutor requesting it,” O’Neill Burke said in a release.

Because of that, O’Neill Burke said beginning immediately Monday, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office will seek detention for anyone accused of the following:

- every detainable felony offense where an offender used or possessed a firearm equipped with an extended magazine, drum magazine, automatic switch, or used a ghost gun or defaced firearm;
- any domestic violence-related, stalking or sex offense where the offender used or possessed a weapon;
- any detainable felony offense that is committed on public transportation;
- all Murder or Class X felony offenses (e.g., First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Arson, Aggravated Battery of a Child, Aggravated Kidnapping, Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking, Armed Robbery, Home Invasion, Solicitation of Murder)
- all sex offenses where the victim was under the age of 13 and the offender was an adult throughout the duration of the offense or when the offense was committed during the commission of another felony; and
- all cases involving the manufacture, dissemination, or possession of child pornography

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a new online licensing system this fall, the first phase in a plan to modernize the management and licensing process for service providers across the state. The system improvements are part of efforts to make doing business easier and more efficient for Illinois service providers, the department said in a statement. […] The first professions to be licensed under the new system are clinical psychologists, music therapists and nail technicians.

* WTTW | Watchdog Uncovers at Least $7.2M in PPP Loan Fraud by Illinois State Employees: Employees from 13 different state agencies are involved in the fraud and have illegally taken these federal public funds, according to the OEIG, which is charged with investigating allegations of misconduct within state government. As of April, more than 60% of those implicated to date worked for the Illinois Department of Human Services, which operates mental health hospitals and developmental centers across the state.

* Mike Matejka | Pritzker not the first Illinois governor to defy the president’s wishes: In 1894, Democratic Gov. John Peter Altgeld (1847-1902) challenged Democratic President Grover Cleveland. Altgeld served from 1893-1897 and was a national figure in the Progressive reform movement. […] In 1892, he defeated Bloomington Republican Gov. Joseph Fifer. Altgeld initiated reforms that included public education funding, prison reform, child labor and factory inspection laws. He supported public education, and each university received a new building, the Gothic Revival “castles.” Cook Hall at Illinois State University is one of those.

*** Statewide ***

* University of Illinois System | November Illinois Flash Index fell slightly from previous months: The Illinois Flash Index for November fell marginally to 102 from its reading last month of 102.2, remaining in a narrow range over the previous five months. However, any index reading above 100 indicates growth. “It is still too early for the index to register the impacts, if any, of the November election,” said Fred Giertz, Professor Emeritus, Institute of Government and Public Affairs, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | Former Chicago Mayor’s Office staffers are removed from the city’s do-not-hire list amid press office fallout: Both Meza and Rodriguez were placed on the list as of their termination in August 2023 after staffers in the mayor’s press office raised issues of diminishing job responsibilities under former Communications Director Ronnie Reese and hostility for previously working under former Mayor Lori Lightfoot that contributed to “a very sexist attitude.” Former staffers also recounted being yelled at by senior leadership. “I am relieved that my colleagues and I are removed from the ineligible for rehire list. My hope is that the city moves forward with a more just and clear procedure when placing individuals on the list,” Meza, the former deputy director of digital strategy under Lightfoot and Johnson, said Monday.

Johnson blames a “process” that he “inherited” for how his chief of staff responded to complaints about Reese: “I can tell you this, that there is a process that has been established long before I got here that we inherited. And you know, in this particular instance …”

— Alice Yin (@byaliceyin) December 2, 2024

* WTTW | How Mayor Brandon Johnson Lost Control of the Debate Over Chicago’s 2025 Budget: As City Council members return to City Hall on Monday to wrap up budget hearings after a weeklong Thanksgiving break, there is no clear path to a deal with just 29 days left before the deadline to avoid an unprecedented shutdown of city government. […] Fifteen alderpeople, who frequently oppose the mayor’s initiatives, sent him a letter identifying $568 million in cuts designed to roll back spending to 2020 levels, adjusted for inflation. None of those cuts would come from the Chicago Police Department, which accounts for nearly 46% of Chicago’s discretionary spending.

* Crain’s | New delay, rewrite for renters’ right of first refusal in gentrification zones: The aldermanic sponsors of a new anti-gentrification ordinance are calling for a delay until March for their plan to give renters in fast-gentrifying neighborhoods the right to buy their building instead of letting it get sold to outside investors. The delay, which Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) will introduce at a City Council meeting today, comes along with a proposal to insert language into the ordinance with the aim of “continuing to promote homeownership for tenants while at the same time being fair to sellers,” he told Crain’s.

* Sun-Times | Art Institute steps up efforts to learn the origins of everything in its collection: Schuhmacher’s hiring comes at a time when the museum has been embroiled in a legal dispute over the ownership of “Russian War Prisoner,” a 1916 watercolor by celebrated Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele. The Manhattan district attorney’s office has accused the museum of demonstrating “willful blindness” to evidence showing the work was snatched by the Nazis before World War II. But in a court filing earlier this year, the Art Institute defended its purchase, saying prosecutors’ allegations were “factually unsupported and wrong.”

*** The Bears ***

* Sun-Times | Heat is on Bears GM Ryan Poles to get this hire right: Even then, Eberflus seemed like an unusual, suspicious choice. No. 1, he was one of the coaches the Bears had initially interviewed before hiring Poles. No. 2, he was hired less than 48 hours after Poles himself was hired. It seemed odd that a first-time GM with the opportunity of a lifetime would find such a critical hire not only so quickly but at Halas Hall of all places.

* WBBM | Bears President Kevin Warren: Head coach position ‘will be the most coveted job in the NFL’: If so, the Bears will have a lot of names to sort through to replace the departed Matt Eberflus. And yes, interim coach Thomas Brown will be on that list. Warren says the Bears are looking for someone who is tough, who is bright, who is demanding, who is creative, who has high standards, and who is ‘decisive’. He also says that Poles, the GM, will be the ‘point person’ on the search. Though, Warren says he and Poles will be working closely together.

* Sun-Times | Bears president Kevin Warren admits Matt Eberflus’ Friday news conference was regrettable: “When Coach Eberflus had his press conference, we had not made a final decision,” he said. “If there’s one thing we stand for is family and integrity and doing it the right way. “In retrospect, could we have done it better? Absolutely. I’ll be the first one to raise my hand. Yes. But during his press conference and even a couple hours later, we had not reached a decision.

* Tribune | Chicago Bears have had 18 head coaches. Here’s a look at how past coaches fared — and when they left the franchise: The Chicago Bears have had 18 head coaches in the franchise’s 100-plus-year history. Some of the previous 17 were significantly more successful than others, but either way, the Bears had not ever fired a coach mid-season — until Matt Eberflus. Here’s a look at how Bears coaches fared and what the circumstances were when they left the franchise.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele attends meeting remotely after DUI arrest: Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele phoned it in Monday for her first meeting following her arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol, joining the proceedings remotely “due to illness.” She did not address the incident during the meeting, only congratulating fellow commissioner Larry Rogers on his re-election shortly after he was sworn in. Steele, one of three members of the quasi-judicial body that hears property tax appeals, has not commented on her Nov. 10 arrest. A Democrat who has also worked on assessments in Indiana, Steele was first elected to the board in 2022.

* Shaw Local | Former Lauzen employee slams his expertise, treatment of her: Candida Cain, formerly the Director of Financial Operations, began working for Lauzen in May 2023, after a 17-year employee in the same position, Carrollyn Brady, resigned. […] On May 9, Cain said, “Treasurer Lauzen’s lack of computer skills was evident when he could not approve a $24 million online transfer to Byline Bank.” “He could not log on to a computer or download apps to his phone, which led to the bank allowing me to handle the approval in his place,” Cain said.

* Crain’s | Chicago developer buys revamped Motorola Mobility campus: A joint venture of the Chicago developer and Chicago-based JDI Realty paid $35 million last week for the 1 million-square-foot Innovation Park Lake County campus at 1910 Innovation Way in Libertyville, according to sources familiar with the deal. The venture acquired the 83-acre property from an affiliate of Rockville, Md.-based Beco Management, which bought the former cell phone plant from Motorola Mobility a decade ago for $9.5 million and spent close to $40 million revamping it as a multi-tenant office and research hub.

* Daily Herald | After legal fight over odors, Prestige Feed Products plans to move out of Mount Prospect within 6 months: Neighbors in both Mount Prospect and Des Plaines have complained of a “burnt cheese” smell emanating from the plant during operational hours. Those complaints spawned protests outside the facility by neighbors and ultimately a lawsuit. There’s no word yet where Prestige is planning to relocate.

* Shaw Local | Future Joliet residential recovery complex would allow spouses of women: “We are targeting women and their children,” Marco Murillo, senior director of real estate development for VOA Illinois told the Plan Commission at its Nov. 21 meeting. “In certain instances when the mother is married, we are allowing them to live with their partners.” […] The complex will include 48 apartments divided between two buildings, one of which will include offices for support services for residents.

* Daily Herald | DuPage County moves closer toward transportation complex plan on fairground site: The project, estimated to cost between $73 million and $82 million, includes 4.5 acres of green space and a new public restroom facility on the fairgrounds. County board member Mary FitzGerald Ozog, who also heads the board’s transportation committee, stressed a good road system is critical to the county’s economic success. She noted the county’s division of transportation takes care of 220 miles of county highways and 92 miles of multiuse trails. It also maintains 650 vehicles in the countywide fleet and is responsible for snow removal on county roads.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | City fixes made flooding, sewage problems worse for some, Cahokia Heights residents say: Work by the city of Cahokia Heights to address floodwater and sewage that regularly spills into homes from failing infrastructure has not solved the problems and in some cases has made them worse, residents argue in their latest court filing in the ongoing fight with officials over repairs. Heavy rain infiltrates the sewers and forces them to overflow. “Every time it rains, we brace ourselves for disaster,” resident Yvette Lyles stated in a news release about the court filing Wednesday. “It’s not just water — it’s sewage. It’s sickness. It’s hopelessness.”

* WGLT | New members sworn in as Democrats take majority control of McLean County Board: Previously Republicans and Democrats each held 10 seats on the board. Now, Democrats have a 12-to-8 majority. Democrats now occupy both the chair and vice-chair roles on the board. The vice chair will be Jim Rogal, who will also head up the Legislative and Justice committees. As expected, the board chair will be longest-serving Democrat Elizabeth Johnston. Both were nominated unopposed and voted in unanimously.

* KFVS | Sheriff’s patrol units using “cruise mode lighting” to deter crime, better visibility: According to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, patrol units will be using “cruise mode lighting” from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. to help deter crime and to be more visible. […] “Cruise mode lighting” makes it possible for our Deputies to be more visible and increase the likelihood that we will deter crime before it occurs”, stated Williamson County Sheriff Jeff Diederich in a Facebook post.

* QC Times | How many tobacco shops is too many? Moline rejects license request: Beyond just requiring a license for tobacco products, Moline’s ordinance includes “tobacco accessories,” which includes things such as pipes and cigarette rolling papers. The ordinance also caps the number of tobacco dealers’ licenses at 48, which can be raised or lowered by the city council. In practice this means that new stores seeking a license are approved or denied by the city council on a case-by-case basis.

* WCIA | Champaign offers free downtown parking to support local businesses this month: According to the Public Works Department, from now through Dec. 31, up to two hours of free parking will be available in the Hill Street Parking Deck. For people needing longer than two hours of parking, hourly visitors will receive a two-hour discount off their parking fee.

* WICS | No evidence of Venezuelan gang activity, say Springfield police amid social media rumors: The Springfield Police Department has released a statement regarding Venezuelan gang rumors in Springfield. “We are aware of recent social media rumors circulating concerning potential threats involving Venezuelan gangs. The Springfield Police Department did not generate this information and has no evidence to support claims of gang-related activity involving Venezuelan migrants. The Springfield Police Department has recently made arrests of individuals in a retail theft incident and is working with law enforcement partners on two ATM thefts in Springfield. There is no information indicating these incidents are related.”

* WPSD | I-24 ‘Ohio River’ Bridge inspection causes lane closures: The Illinois Department of Transportation plans to restrict the Interstate 24 “Ohio River” Bridge starting Monday, Dec. 2, to inspect it. The project takes over two weeks, weather permitting, to facilitate the inspection. According to IDOT, the lane closure starts at 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 2, and ends at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6. The second closure is the following week, beginning at 8 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, and ending at 5 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13.

* Daily Journal | Bradley to buy mall: $6.5M sale within 60 days: At Monday’s Bradley Village Board meeting, the board approved a resolution authorizing the $6.5-million purchase of 43 acres on nine parcels which make up the struggling mall property currently owned by Namdar Realty Group of Great Neck, N.Y. If all goes as planned during the next 30 to 60 days, Bradley will go over the parcel in detail to make sure there are no major issues. The property could be in possession of the village by mid to late January, at the latest.

* Daily Journal | Pizza in Pembroke? New biz seeks trend reversal: “We are used to our people leaving town for something like this,” said Hopkins Park Mayor Mark Hodge. “Now people are coming here. People are coming to Pembroke for this product. … It’s been a long time coming to reverse the tide.” While Hodge cannot be certain, he is confident enough to state this is more than likely the first pizza restaurant to ever have called Pembroke Township home.

*** National ***

* Nieman Lab | Core copyright violation claim moves ahead in The Intercept’s lawsuit against OpenAI: Judge Jed Rakoff said he’d hear the claim that OpenAI removed authorship information when it allegedly fed The Intercept’s articles into the training data sets it used to build ChatGPT. Doing so could be a violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), a 1998 law that, among other protections, makes it illegal to remove the author name, usage terms, or title from a digital work.

* Daily Energy Insider | U.S. needs massive transmission roll-out, but Trump administration support is uncertain, experts say: Newly released estimates projecting a need for 35 GW of new interregional transmission capacity across North America likely underestimate just how much transmission the U.S. needs to build, experts said Monday during a panel hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy and Americans for a Clean Energy Grid. But the Trump administration’s position on transmission expansion remains unclear. […] “I think the thing to reinforce is the numbers we are talking about here for the data centers are bigger than anything we have seen,” Robert Taylor, vice president for transmission new markets at Invenergy, agreed. “The processes we have, have not answered questions that big before.”

* WaPo | X is Elon’s world. Threads is a mess. Is Bluesky any better?: That similarity to pre-Musk Twitter is what seems to have given it the edge over other competitors. Mastodon is too complicated. Threads, owned by Meta, throttles political speech and seems to boost strange tales of woe, leading Substacker Max Read to call it “The gas-leak social network” because “Everyone on the platform, including you, seems to be suffering some kind of minor brain damage.” (Posts that popped up on this reporter’s recent log-in to Threads included a post from a total stranger commemorating the 14th anniversary of their leg amputation, and another stranger inquiring what the human equivalent of dog food would be, because they were sick of cooking every single day.)