* Daily Southtown…

Police were called to disperse a large crowd Tuesday night at an Orland Township political caucus after several would-be attendees were told to leave.

The caucus was called by the Orland Township Together political organization, headed by township Supervisor Paul O’Grady. He and others on the ticket are seeking election in April.

But a crowd of some 40 township residents were told by Orland Park police to leave the Orland Chateau banquet hall, 14500 S. La Grange Road, Orland Park, saying they were not invited to attend.

Ushered outside in freezing temperature, the group had intended to take part in the caucus, meant to select candidates to run.

State Sen. Michael Hastings, who said he is assisting some candidates, told the crowd outside that O’Grady and the Orland Township Together group were “circumventing the election law.”

*** Madigan Trial ***

* Sun-Times | U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski could be called to testify in Madigan corruption trial: Prosecutors have previously said they plan to call members of Pritzker’s staff to show that Madigan “routinely sought to make recommendations to the governor and his administration concerning appointments” to state boards. One staffer is expected to testify that, after Pritzker took office, he had weekly meetings with Madigan, in which Madigan would take out a list of recommended board appointments and “methodically” work his way through the list. “Certain individuals were not hired despite Madigan’s recommendation for a variety of reasons, including … their dubious backgrounds; others who were recommended by Madigan were hired, but at times someone else had also recommended such individuals,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Also on Madigan's list, by the way, just a few names under Cross, was Carol Sente, who was recommended as for a "position at DCEO (not Director)."
Sente testified for the prosecution earlier in Madigan's trial.
Collins skipped over that one with Basham, though.

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) December 4, 2024

* ABC Chicago | Former chief of staff takes stand in ex-Speaker Mike Madigan trial: Jessica Basham worked for the speaker from January 2003 - August 2021. As an analyst for the research and appropriations unit, Basham prepared memos and other documents detailing personnel recommendations, appointments to boards and commissions to Gov. JB Pritzker’s administrations and others.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | McLaughlin retains 52nd District House seat by 47 votes over challenger Peterson: Republican state Rep. Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills has retained his 52nd District seat by a 47-vote margin, according to results certified Monday by the Illinois State Board of Elections. While Democratic challenger Maria Peterson of North Barrington has until Dec. 9 to file for a discovery recount, McLaughlin said he’s received a congratulatory voicemail from her.

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | How RFK Jr.’s health proposals could affect Illinois: Another of Kennedy’s priorities is establishing healthy diets to combat obesity and chronic diseases. He has called for more regulation of food ingredients in a pledge to crack down on ultra-processed foods and ingredients linked to health problems. “Given the current nominee’s interest, it’s likely something like this could be on the docket on the federal level,” University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health Senior Associate Dean and Professor Jamie Chriqui told Capitol News Illinois. “Usually what we see is it gets tested first at the state and local level before it becomes a federal push, unless there is a champion at the federal level who is interested in making changes.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Embattled CPS CEO Pedro Martinez gets buyout offer from law firm tied to Board of Education amid union and mayoral tensions: An attorney representing the Chicago Board of Education offered to buy out Pedro Martinez, the embattled chief of Chicago Public Schools, according to sources close to the conversations. The offer, made over the phone earlier this week, came after Martinez retained attorney William J. Quinlan to represent him in an ongoing power struggle with Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Teachers Union and the district.

* Hyde Park Herald | For Chicago therapists, offering mental health care services in-network doesn’t always pay: According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Illinois ranks 35th among U.S. states and territories at meeting its residents’ mental health care needs, with only about 21% of needs being met. Jason Best, a mental health professional who runs Best Therapies, which is one of the largest practices in Chicago with a Hyde Park branch at 5113 S. Harper Ave., told the Herald that’s not because of a shortage of practicing therapists in Illinois, a claim advanced by health insurance companies.

* Sun-Times | McCormick Place manager took kickbacks from snowplow firm that racked up bogus charges, feds say: Charges unsealed Wednesday allege McCormick Place operations manager Dominick Gironda, 54, and contractor James Sansone, 38, arranged for other contractors to overcharge for snow removal, with Gironda signing off on the bogus invoices and Sansone serving as an intermediary for kickbacks from the plowing companies.

* Sun-Times | Ex-prosecutor charged with mishandling high-profile murder case had son wipe phone after being fired: Joseph Trutenko recalled the exchange Tuesday during the last day of testimony in his father’s trial on charges tied to the troubled prosecution of Jackie Wilson, whose case was integral in revealing systemic torture within the Chicago Police Department. Jackie Wilson and his brother, Andrew Wilson, were convicted in the 1982 murder of Chicago police officers Richard O’Brien and William Fahey, but they had their convictions overturned based on allegations of torture by detectives working under the notorious Cmdr. Jon Burge. The pair were later convicted again, and Andrew Wilson died in prison in 2007.

* Crain’s | Chicago cannabis giant shuts down Michigan grow operation as workers unionize, prices slump: Chicago-based PharmaCann told employees Monday it would shutter its 207,000-square-foot LivWell Michigan cultivation site in Warren, laying off at least 170. […] “They told us they just can’t be competitive in Michigan …” Lince said. “We knew they were having financial troubles. But this doesn’t have anything to do with us organizing; we didn’t even have a contract yet.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WBEZ | Property taxes in Chicago’s south suburbs soar: The median increase in property bills was 20%, but in the majority Black southern suburbs, bills went up by 30% or more. This left some residents paying more than homeowners in northern suburbs whose homes are valued higher. Reset learns about the factors leading to the increase and what could be done to lower these bills

* Daily Herald | Wheeling’s proposed budget includes funds to finish flood-prevention project: Wheeling’s proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year includes cash for an already-underway flood-prevention project in the South Dunhurst neighborhood and erosion prevention in Buffalo Creek, among other efforts. The estimated $116.5 million spending plan is about $6 million greater than the $110.5 million budget for the current fiscal year, which ends Dec. 31. That’s a roughly 5% increase.

* Tribune | Evanston’s Central Street added 18 businesses, preps for holiday shopping: Holiday shoppers will see many new facades in Evanston’s Central Street Business district, an eclectic mix of local businesses stocked with seasonal items. According to a nonprofit group that manages the area, the business corridor, which runs east and west of the intersection of Central Street and Green Bay Road, saw 18 storefronts open in 2024. According to Central Street Evanston’s Community Director Angela Shaffer, approximately 90% of businesses between the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum, formerly the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, and the Evanston Arts Center on Central Street are independently owned. Shaffer said many of those businesses’ owners live in Evanston.

*** Downstate ***

* Capitol CIty Now | Milhiser seeks Illinois Supreme Court review to keep Grayson detained: Milhiser has filed a petition for leave with the Illinois Supreme Court, asking it to review a November appellate court ruling that ordered a pretrial release hearing for Grayson. The appellate court found the circuit court’s decision to detain Grayson was improper. Grayson’s pretrial release hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, but the appellate court issued a 35-day delay Tuesday providing time for the state’s attorney to pursue a further stay of the mandate directly from the Supreme Court. The hearing is now set for Jan. 2.

* NPR Illinois | Illinois Product Holiday Market returns to downtown Springfield: The Illinois Department of Agriculture has announced the Illinois Product Holiday Market will be held on December 6, 7 and 8 at the “Y Block,” located north of the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield. The market features a wide array of Illinois products. “The Illinois Product Holiday Market gives local entrepreneurs a platform to showcase their goods and helps them grow their business” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello. “This initiative not only helps small businesses thrive but also allows shoppers a way to support local agri-businesses, fostering a stronger, more sustainable community.”

* WCIA | Former DACC president’s wife asks city council to investigate mayor amid ongoing dispute: The controversy between Danville Community College President Stephen Nacco and Mayor Ricky Williams continues. Williams previously accused Nacco of using abusive language toward him, and now Nacco is sharing his side of the story. “I’m tired of being harassed and bullied by the mayor. I’m tired of watching him do it to other people as well. And I needed to speak out,” said Stephen Nacco’s wife, Cindy Nacco.

* News-Gazette | Danville Council approves grocery tax, postpones gas tax vote; bickering continues between Naccos, mayor: One tax won’t start until Jan. 1, 2026, and a vote on a proposed incremental gas tax increase in the city starting next year was postponed by the Danville City Council Tuesday night. The council voted 10-4 to approve a Municipal Grocery Retailers’ Occupation Tax and a Municipal Grocery Service Occupation Tax to replace a 1 percent sales tax on groceries the state will no longer collect on municipalities’ behalf as of Jan. 1, 2026. Those voting against it were aldermen Tricia Teague, Jon Cooper, Ed Butler and Bob Iverson.

* WSIL | SIU launches partnership with Aisin: In the new partnership, AISIN will pay SIUC students to work at the facility while they’re also working on their degree. The students will have the opportunity to train in a variety of fields while there, including industrial management and engineering. The program allows students to get paid for their 5-day work week, while also covering tuition, books, fees, transportation and parking. The students get to work part-time, while getting hands-on experience in their field, and work on their degree. The students are expected to maintain good academic standing while in the program. They’re also asked to commit to work for the company 2 years following graduation.

* WAND | Land Bank working with Macon County to demolish blighted properties: The process is starting with a $337,000 Strong Communities Program grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority. The land bank wrote the grant application and is working with Macon County to administer the grant for Macon County. This is one of three Strong Communities Round 2 IHDA grants, totaling over $1 million, that the land bank is administering.

* WQAD | Local farmers banding together to help victims of Hurricane Helene: Northwestern Illinois farmers and community members sent feed to livestock owners impacted by Hurricane Helen. On Saturday, Nov. 30, 20 producers from six counties dropped of hay bales at the Ogle and Stephenson County Fairgrounds. The six semi-loads of hay arrived at two locations in western North Carolina on Monday, Dec. 3.

* The Daily Egyptian | Southern Illinois charities fight food insecurity: In southern Illinois, Feeding America estimates that 16%, or around 8,520 people, experience food insecurity in Jackson County, and 14%, or around 9,400 in Williamson County. With more than one out of ten people in these two counties experiencing food insecurity, the need for access to food for everyone grows. But for the people in the front lines of this work, things aren’t always easy. Amy Simpson has been working in the field for over 15 years.

* WCIA | WATCH: Mastodon dig in Illinois: Long before there was a Great River Road, about 27,000-and-a-half years ago, a mastodon once stood atop the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. Faculty and students at Principia College have discovered the specimen. “It was also smaller than the skull would be,” says Andrew Martin, chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Principia College, pointing to parts of a mastodon skull. “What you have is here one set and another tooth on this side and two teeth on this side. And each tooth weighs about a pound.”

* Smile Politely | Krannert Art Museum promotes the art of slowing down: On a damp, windy day in early November, I stopped by Krannert Art Museum (KAM) on the University of Illinois campus to visit the Rest Lab. This innovative space is designed to provide a respite for students and community members. It is a “pop-up experience” that occupies the spaces between exhibitions, promoting intentional rest — something often overlooked or undervalued in our culture. Rest Lab is the creation of Ishita Dharap and Kamila Glowacki, KAM education coordinators.

*** National ***

* The Atlantic | The Coming Democratic Revolution: Over the past several months, a small coterie of wonks and lawyers—and a few farsighted Democratic governors—have been working in anticipation of this moment. They have prepared measures to insulate states from the Trump administration’s most aggressive impositions. They have constructed plans to preserve abortion protections within blue-state borders and to protect environmental regulations enshrined in their books; they have formulated legal strategies for at least slowing Trump’s intended mass deportations.

* Tribune | ‘Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary’ review: More than an ironic musical pleasure: HBO’s “Yacht Rock: The Dockumentary” isn’t about that low-rent, intentionally amateur-looking web series (with its absurdly funny origin story for the 1978 single “What a Fool Believes”), but its creators are featured prominently, thanks to their thoroughly unironic and thoughtful appreciation for the music itself. The taxonomy of yacht rock, which spans 1976-1984, includes McDonald (with and without The Doobie Brothers), Steely Dan, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross and Toto.

* Reuters | Internal transactions at food giant ADM spark a sprawling criminal probe: Late on Nov 4, American agribusiness giant Archer-Daniels-Midland cut its profit forecast for 2024, delayed a quarterly earnings report and said it would restate other recent financial results, too. The announcement, the second time this year ADM said accounting “issues” were forcing it to restate past earnings, sent shares tumbling. The company’s stock lost $1.6 billion in market value the next day. ADM’s rattled shareholders are asking questions about the mounting accounting troubles – and they aren’t the only ones.