* ICYMI: Pritzker signs law to prioritize placing foster children with family members. Capitol News Illinois…

- The new law puts an obligation on the Department of Children and Family Services to use a “kin-first approach” when placing children in foster care.

- DCFS will develop a certification policy for family members, which will allow them more access to financial resources for caregiving.

- Relatives will also have different criminal background criteria than other foster parents. The federal government allows DCFS to waive “non-safety-related licensing” for relative caregivers on a case-by-case basis.

* Related stories…

∙ WCIS: Governor Pritzker signs Kind Act, allowing extended family to foster youth relatives
∙ WTVO: Illinois KIND Act makes relatives eligible for DCFS benefits for child care

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WBEZ | Amid deportation fears, hundreds of patients skip appointments at one Chicago health clinic: CommunityHealth treats more than 4,000 people a year, with around 50 employees and 1,000 volunteers helping take care of patients. Like a lot of hospitals and health centers, CommunityHealth doesn’t ask a person’s legal status. Still, in the first two weeks after Trump took office, nearly 30% of patients didn’t show up or canceled their primary care or specialty appointments or lab tests without rescheduling, translating to more than 300 missed visits, Willding said.

* Tribune | Jury concludes sixth day of deliberations in Madigan corruption trial without verdict: Jurors in the trial of Michael Madigan left the courthouse Wednesday, their sixth day of deliberations, without having reached a verdict – and without having sent any notes or asked any questions. The complete radio silence was somewhat unusual: Jurors have sent at least one communication every day since they began their discussions the afternoon of Jan. 29. So far they have deliberated for roughly 36 ½ hours. They are slated to return Thursday morning.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WTVO | Illinois bill would remove student performance from teacher reviews: Currently, Illinois requires up to 30% of a teacher’s evaluation to be based on student growth. In 2024, the Illinois State Board of Education commissioned a study from the American Institutes for Research that found other factors impacted a student’s learning “outside of teacher’s control such as family issues, health, or access to resources.”

*** Statewide ***

* 25News Now | Illinois corn growers respond to tariffs on largest trading partners: Illinois Corn Growers Association President and Waterloo, IL farmer Garrett Hawkins said each of these countries is an important market for U.S. corn farmers, especially Canada and Mexico, who are the largest market for ethanol and corn. “The farm economy is in a really tough spot right now with low commodity prices and high input costs. Export demand for corn products has been about the only positive in the market recently. Mexico, Canada and China are major buyers of our AG products, and any retaliation from these countries on our exports will likely target farmers. I know that President Trump supports farmers and the rural economies they’re a part of, so we’ll look for a quick resolution that protects our relationships and benefits both farmers and our end customers.”

* Bloomberg | Pritzker Warns Federal Workers in Illinois Against Musk Buyout: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is warning federal employees in his state about risks related to the buyouts President Donald Trump and his advisor Elon Musk are offering to shrink the US government’s workforce. More than 40,000 federal civilian employees are based in Illinois. They must decide by Thursday whether to accept or turn down an offer to leave their jobs immediately, with pay and benefits through September. More than 20,000 workers countrywide have taken the buyout, and the Trump administration expects around 10% of the 2 million civil servants across the US to accept it.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson to testify at congressional probe of sanctuary cities: The mayor’s office confirmed Johnson will attend the hearing of the Republican-led House Oversight Committee on March 5 in the nation’s capital. “We thank Committee members for the upcoming conversation on this important issue, and for the opportunity for Mayor Johnson to represent Chicago alongside Mayors from Boston, Denver, and New York,” the mayor’s office said in a press release.

* Tribune | Illinois mother says her teenager’s chest surgery was canceled after Trump executive order on gender-affirming care: But the Illinois mother said her son has already been caught up in fallout from the order. The woman, who is named as Jane Doe 2 in court documents, says that her 17-year-old son was referred to UI Health for chest surgery and had his surgical consult there in October, but the surgery was canceled a day after the executive order was issued. She wrote about her family’s experience in a declaration that was filed Wednesday as an exhibit attached to a motion for a temporary restraining order, in a lawsuit in federal court in Maryland challenging Trump’s executive order. The lawsuit was filed by PFLAG, GLMA and transgender young adults and their families, and alleges that Trump’s executive order usurps congressional authority and violates federal laws that prohibit discrimination based on sex in health care programs receiving federal dollars.

* Tribune | Cultural commissioner criticized for leaving ‘void,’ faces bullying allegations: After canceling a quarterly meeting with some of Chicago’s top cultural minds for a second time, Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events Commissioner Clinée Hedspeth is facing criticism from appointees of past administrations who say she is leaving a “void” in the struggling arts industry. Hedspeth postponed until late February the Cultural Advisory Council’s meeting just days before it was set to occur last week. The decision “continues a pattern” of noncommunication with arts leaders left in the dark about her vision for Chicago culture, advisory council member Amina Dickerson said. “I think a city is defined by its cultural vibrancy,” said Dickerson, an arts activist long involved in leading local cultural institutions. “That needs support, that needs counsel, that needs careful tending for that to be maintained. And I’m just not sure that is a priority.”

* ABC Chicago | Fact-finder report released for Chicago Public Schools, teachers; union contract negotiations: The Chicago Teachers Union said it’s rejecting an “unprecedented” fact-finding report and is returning to negotiations with Chicago Public Schools as the union prepares to expand the bargaining table. The CTU said the report only included recommendations for two of the 15 issues it submitted. But, the union said it was surprised that some of the findings in the report actually sided with what they are asking for, like increasing pay for veteran teachers, increasing the number of school librarians and hiring more family engagement coordinators.

* Sun-Times | CTU praises arbitrator’s report on contract talks but rejects recommendations as falling short: CPS noted that the report commends the district for academic progress and “underscores the financial obstacles faced by the District, a sentiment that was corroborated by an independent review by the Civic Federation.” But CPS’ statement does not mention the areas where the arbitrator sides with CTU. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez said last week that he hoped the report would provide a “mutual set of facts to move forward in a productive way” that would to help settle the contract. Martinez also has said that the two sides are close to a deal and he can’t “imagine a need for a strike.”

* Sun-Times | Some Chicago restaurants are charging extra for eggs to cope with soaring costs: Joel Nickson, Wishbone’s chef and co-owner, added the surcharge on Jan. 25 “knowing this was not going to be a one-month problem.” The restaurant at 161 N. Jefferson St. tries to avoid raising menu prices, but egg costs are the highest he’s seen in 35 years of running Wishbone. “At first people were making fun of me for doing it,” Nickson said of the surcharge.

* NBC Chicago | Multiple Chicago area schools closed, delayed due to icy conditions: Full List: More than a dozen schools across the Chicago area were on delayed starts or closed Thursday due to icy conditions on roads, streets and sidewalks. The closures and delays come hours after sleet, freezing rain, freezing drizzle and snow fell across the region Wednesday night and overnight, leading to cars spinning off highways and treacherous walking conditions.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark drops out of race for Thornton Township supervisor: Christopher Clark announced Tuesday he withdrew his candidacy for Thornton Township supervisor to prioritize his work as mayor of Harvey. Clark said the challenges facing Harvey, including $165 million of debt, demand his full attention, leading him to drop out of the township race. “I want people in the city of Harvey to know and understand that even in this particular case, I am willing to make that sacrifice for them,” Clark said Tuesday.

* Daily Herald | Operator of Lutheran Home in Arlington Heights files for bankruptcy protection: Lutheran Life Communities “has been investigating strategic alternatives for addressing the financial needs of the company and its affiliates, reorganizing their business, maximizing the value of the assets of the company and its affiliates; and protecting the company’s affiliates from the appointment of a receiver,” according to a resolution approved Monday by the nonprofit’s board of directors. The resolution was included Tuesday in a 19-page Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago. Officials couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | Illinois protestors among those nationwide against actions of President Trump, Elon Musk: A nationwide protest at state capitols consequently drew about 200 people to Springfield, Illinois by Wednesday afternoon. Organized by the 50501 Movement and apparently taken up by volunteers in each state, the Springfield protest saw people from throughout Illinois that sought to push back on actions being taken by President Donald Trump and his administration.

* Illinois Times | The impossible task of providing child care: Heather and Stephen Casner sat across from the loan officer in the fall of 2022, a stack of papers between them. The building they were trying to buy – a 21-room, one-story motel in rural Anna, Illinois – was overflowing with trash and would need a complete overhaul before they could reopen it as a child care center in a region where there were almost no such facilities. But after a long search, it was the best option they could find. The Casners were about to sign the papers for a $600,000 loan, using their house as collateral and setting aside $200,000 from Stephen’s retirement to cover what the loan wouldn’t. It was a staggering sum in a southern Illinois town where the per capita income is about $25,000 – 40% below the national level. “I’ve never even seen that much money,” Heather said. “I wasn’t raised that way.”

*** National ***

* NYT | Harry Stewart Jr. Dies at 100; One of Last Tuskegee Airmen to See Combat: Mr. Stewart was one of a tiny handful of still-living Tuskegee pilots who saw combat in the war. He flew 43 missions — almost one every other day — from late winter 1944 into the spring of 1945. On one mission, to attack a Luftwaffe base in Germany, Lieutenant Stewart and six other American pilots were baited into a dogfight with at least 16 German fighter planes. Firing his machine guns and performing risky aerial maneuvers, he downed three enemy aircraft in succession, fending off a potential rout. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, cited for having “gallantly engaged, fought and defeated the enemy” with no regard for his personal safety.