* New York Times…

Stellantis, the company that owns Chrysler and Jeep, said on Wednesday it planned to reopen a factory in Illinois and increase production elsewhere in the United States, a move that is likely to resolve several simmering disputes with the United Automobile Workers union.

The reopening is also likely to help the company in its relations with the Trump administration, and is among the first big changes made by an interim management team that has been running the company since its chief executive, Carlos Tavares, resigned in December.

“These actions are part of our commitment to invest in our U.S. operations to grow our auto production and manufacturing here,” Antonio Filosa, the company’s chief operating officer in North America, said in a statement.

The announcement follows a recent meeting between Stellantis’s chairman, John Elkann, and President Trump, the company said. Mr. Elkann told the president that Stellantis, whose headquarters are in Amsterdam, aimed to strengthen its U.S. manufacturing base and was committed to safeguarding American jobs and to the broader U.S. economy.

* Governor JB Pritzker…

“We commend Stellantis on its investment in Belvidere that will put 1,500 Illinoisans back to work in good-paying union jobs and grow the automotive industry in Illinois. This would not be possible without proactive collaboration and coordination between the State of Illinois, Stellantis, UAW, the Biden-Harris Administration, and our champions in Congress, including Senator Durbin, Senator Duckworth, Representative Bill Foster, and Representative Eric Sorensen,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “My administration has worked tirelessly with our partners to secure this investment and we are excited to see it come to fruition. We know there is more work to be done to see this project through and remain committed to expanding economic opportunities for Illinois workers, businesses, and communities to thrive.”

“Growing up in Rockford, just down the road from the Belvidere Assembly Plant, I’ve seen firsthand how layoffs impact our communities. That’s why this announcement of 1,500 jobs coming back is so personal—and so important,” said Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL). “I’m proud to have fought alongside UAW workers to hold the big auto companies accountable and make this happen. This isn’t just about bringing manufacturing home; It’s about giving Rockford-area families the good-paying jobs they deserve to support their families and thrive.”

* Sun-Times…

Prosecutors kicked off closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, the final opportunity for attorneys to make their case to jurors who will soon begin considering the historic case against the Southwest Side Democrat.

U.S. District Judge John Blakey promised not to put any time limits on the arguments. The lawyers have predicted they’ll last three days, but the trial’s timeline has been difficult to predict since it began in early October.

Jurors will hear first from prosecutors, then from attorneys for Madigan, and then from the team representing his co-defendant, Michael McClain. But prosecutors carry the burden of proof, so they will also make a rebuttal argument, giving them the last word.

The closing arguments follow 11 weeks of testimony, in which jurors heard from more than 60 witnesses. Most notable among them was Madigan himself. He testified for nearly 12 hours over four days earlier this month. McClain opted not to testify.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Reforming Tier 2 pensions could cost the state $30 billion, actuary says: A new Illinois pension reform bill would increase contributions to the state’s three largest retirement systems by a total of nearly $30 billion through fiscal year 2045, according to an actuarial impact study by Segal Group. The study was commissioned by the state Legislature’s Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability as a result of the introduction of a bill in November to close the gap between the pensionable salary cap of state Tier 2 employees and the Social Security wage base.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Allstate to raise Illinois homeowners insurance rates by 14.3%: Allstate is increasing homeowners insurance rates in Illinois by 14.3% beginning Feb. 24, according to a filing with the state last month. The rate hike applies to a “portion” of Illinois customers, with some seeing lesser increases or no changes, an Allstate spokesperson said Monday. “While more frequent, severe weather and higher repair prices have increased insurance claim costs, customers continue to get competitive prices with Allstate and can save money by bundling home and auto,” Allstate said in a statement.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Lathrop Homes Redevelopment Gets TIF Boost From City Council: The TIF amendment will add almost 13 acres to the district, which is expected to increase its budget from $17.5 million to $60 million to “support planned improvements within the southern portion of the complex” below Diversey Avenue, according to a press release from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office. The new funding is the latest update in the ongoing redevelopment of the Lathrop Homes, which the Chicago Housing Authority has been converting in recent years from solely public housing into a mix of public, affordable and market-rate units.

* Tribune | Former high-level assessor’s office employee under Berrios charged with taking bribes from lawyer: A former high-ranking director in then-Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios’ office has been charged with accepting sports tickets, restaurant meals and other bribes from a lawyer in exchange for help with property assessments. Francisco Perez, 50, of Chicago, was charged with one count of bribery conspiracy in a criminal information made public Friday. A court date has not been set, but defendants charged by way of information, rather than by grand jury indictment, typically intend to plead guilty.

* Block Club Chicago | Some Chicagoans Are Afraid To Go To The South And West Sides. In ‘Don’t Go’ Book, Authors Examine Why: In 2018, Johnson founded the acclaimed Folded Map project to connect residents at corresponding addresses on opposite sides of the city and examine how segregation impacts people socially. As part of an expansion of the Folded Map Project, Johnson and Krysan interviewed people to further investigate how they confronted and combatted harmful narratives about the city’s South and West sides. Those interviews, some of which Block Club published in 2021, would eventually lead to “Don’t Go.”

* Sun-Times | Bean There, Plowed That: City announces winning names in third annual snowplow contest: Scoop, There It Is! The nod to the 1993 hit and jock jam staple “(Whoomp!) There It Is” is among the six winning names in Chicago’s third annual snowplow-naming contest. The other winning names, announced by the city’s Department of Streets and Sanitation, include Bozo the Plown, Lollaplowlooza, My Kind of Plow, Snower Wacker and Bean There, Plowed That.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | After successful pilot, Aurora plans to update business registration process: Almost all businesses within Aurora are required to register with the city annually, but city staff said at meetings recently that the old registration process, which began in 2019, had low participation because it was frustrating and inconvenient. The ongoing pilot approved last April, which lowered the number of questions required to register from over 60 to just 15, along with other changes, brought in more applications last year than ever before, even without a large marketing push, according to Aurora Chief Development Services Officer John Curley.

* Crain’s | Fortune Brands bringing 400 jobs to Deerfield: The home and security company today announced it will expand its presence in Deerfield by consolidating other U.S. offices there and has inked an incentive agreement with the state of Illinois to bring new jobs to the area. FBIN will move its main office to the former Horizon Therapeutics headquarters property at 1 Horizon Way along Interstate 294 from its existing headquarters at the nearby Corporate 500 complex along Lake Cook Road.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | The Pasfield House enters partnership with business expanding cultural engagement: The Culture Experience LLC, or TCE, is focused on spreading Black and Brown culture through the city by hosting events featuring music, dishes and entertainment to help people learn more about underrepresented cultures. As two separately operating businesses under the same roof, the partnership will renew semi-annually with TCE providing online marketing, campaign running and organizing two events per six months for The Pasfield. In return, the LLC is given residency and access to the on-site professional chef and all ties to the LLC will change branding to add the Pasfield name.

* WCIA | City council approves $10,000 Champaign mayoral raise in 2027: An ordinance raising the salary of the Champaign mayor from $35,000 to $45,000 passed Tuesday night. In addition, the ordinance also raises the pay of each of the eight council members from $5,000 to $7,000. The City Council Compensation Task Force recommended the raises in August. Every member voted for it.

* KFVS | Illinois agencies asking for volunteers to help residents affected by ice storm: The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS)-Serve Illinois is launching a program to help residents needing help in clearing tree limbs downed by the storm. They are asking for volunteers to help with cleanup efforts in Saline, Jackson and Williamson Counties from Friday, Jan. 24 through Friday, February 7. IDHS-Serve Illinois is looking for volunteers 18 years and older who have chainsaws, chainsaw operators and those willing to carry tree limbs and debris.