* WCIA…

Sangamon County has come to an agreement for a settlement with the family of Sonya Massey.

In a memo obtained by WCIA, county officials said they have negotiated with the family’s lawyers for the past week. Both sides came to an agreement for $10 million. […]

In the memo, Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter said no taxes will be raised, no additional debt will be taken on, and no county services will be cut due to the settlement.

“No price paid can take back the actions of a rogue former deputy, but this agreement is an effort to provide some measure of recompense to the Massey family for their unimaginable loss,” Van Meter said. “The county remains committed to working with the community to strengthen policies to try to ensure tragedies like this never happen again.”

* WBEZ…

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago is pausing gender care surgeries for patients younger than 19 as Republican President Donald Trump threatens to cut federal funding from providers who offer this type of care.

Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 28 that said the U.S. “will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.” […]

“As part of our comprehensive review of the Executive Order, we have made the difficult decision to pause gender care surgeries within the gender care program for all patients under the age of 19 as we work to understand the rapidly evolving environment,” [Lurie spokeswoman Julianne Bardele said in a statement]. “We are continuing to provide other care and treatment plans for the program’s patients, as we monitor further developments on this issue.”

That includes hormone therapy and puberty blockers to delay changes to a person’s body, for example. Lurie also is helping patients find other hospitals where they can have their surgeries performed.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Heh…

Dude has plenty of money to hire a good comedy writer and he comes up with this lame-o dud https://t.co/WV8VmzJg6J

— Capitol Fax (@capitolfax) February 7, 2025

* Crain’s | Illinois revs up more EV incentives amid uncertain fate of federal rebates: While Donald Trump is trying to figure out a way to unplug the $7,500 federal electric-vehicle tax credits, Illinois is motoring ahead with a new round of its own incentives of $4,000 per vehicle. Incentives are important in getting traditional car buyers to make the switch to EVs, especially as the pool of customers moves beyond early adopters. EV sales increased 7% nationwide last year, after a 49% jump the previous year, according to Cox Automotive.

* Crain’s | Pritzker takes aim at Trump, Bondi over immigration lawsuit: Pritzker said he found out about the lawsuit from media reports and took another shot at the White House. “They come and try to attack the state of Illinois, and that’s what they’re doing. . . .The lawsuits are against laws on the books in Illinois,” Pritzker said this morning during a press conference to announce an expansion at a West Side manufacturer, Freedman Seating.

*** Statewide ***

* Robert Vargas and Tony Christiano | What rolling back Medicaid expansion would do to Illinoisans: Imagine standing at the pharmacy counter, knowing you need an inhaler to breathe and being forced to choose between spending the rest of your paycheck on an inhaler or rent. Thousands of uninsured Chicagoans have been in this position before, and Medicaid expansion — passed in January 2014 through the Affordable Care Act — provided much needed relief to thousands of Chicagoans. If Congress follows through on the plan by President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back Medicaid expansion, 900,000 Illinoisans could lose their health insurance, and millions more would lose coverage across the country.

* Crain’s | Illinois sees gains in tax revenue generated through casinos and sports betting: State and local governments earned more than $1.7 billion in tax revenue (excluding December sports wagering numbers) from Illinois’ 16 licensed casinos, about 8,700 video gaming terminals and 14 operating sportsbooks in 2024, the board announced today. The state brought in $1.5 billion while localities accounted for $270 million.

* NPR | Illinois AG warns residents to be careful when placing Super Bowl wagers this weekend: According to a news release, Kwame Raoul tells residents if they choose to bet on the Super Bowl or any other sporting event, they should use a licensed operator authorized by the Illinois Gaming Board. He warns that betting with an unlicensed service can put personal information and money at risk. Even with a licensed site or app, he says it’s important to read the terms of any promotional offers to avoid unexpected costs or conditions.

* WTTW | Illinois Farm Workers, Consumers on Alert Amid Mass Deportation Threats: “Immigrants are critical to the farming industry,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO at the American Business Immigration Coalition. “I mean, I’m having a hard time finding eggs right now, and I’m sure a lot of viewers are as well. We appreciate having avocados and milk, and if you were to just remove a significant part of our farm workforce, we’re going to start seeing $20 lettuce, $16 cartons of eggs, or no milk. Because nearly all of the dairy farmers and farm workers here in our nation, including in Illinois and the Midwest, are immigrants.”

*** Chicago ***

* Press Release | Gov. Pritzker Announces Investments in Freedman Seating Company’s Chicago Manufacturing Facility: Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Freedman Seating Company and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to announce new investments in the company’s Chicago manufacturing facility that will create 50 new full-time jobs and retain 676 full-time jobs. Freedman Seating Company’s $4 million investment in capital expenditures, bolstered by an Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) agreement, will enable the company to make site improvements to accommodate new manufacturing equipment at its nearly 100-year-old facility in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood.

* Block Club | Fallen Beam At Radius Was Missing Bolts, Showed ‘Deterioration’ As Patrons Slam Venue’s ‘Hostile’ Security: It’s unclear when the venue’s infrastructure was last inspected. After initially saying someone would reach out to a Block Club reporter, Radius operators did not respond to multiple requests for comment and did not return calls made to the venue. Owner Nick Karounos couldn’t be reached for comment.

* Click here for some background…

* ABC Chicago | Rivian at Chicago Auto Show for 1st time, along with new Overlanding exhibit: The 117th edition of the Chicago Auto Show is here with hundreds of vehicles for all types of drivers and a fan favorite! The Subaru puppies are back! New to the show this year is made in Illinois Rivian. Enjoy a spin in one around two EV tracks this year!

* WTTW | Photo Essay: Exploring Ida B. Wells’ Memory in Chicago: In 1893, Ida B. Wells first traveled to Chicago for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Standing at the entrance to the Haitian Pavilion, Wells handed out pamphlets to fairgoers that described “a clear, plain statement of facts concerning the oppression put upon the colored people in this land of the free and home of the brave.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Wednesday Journal undergoes leadership changes as nonprofit faces financial difficulties: The nonprofit made money in its first three years but posted a $345,875 loss for the year ending June 2023, according to its most recent tax filings. Growing Community Media reported revenue of $1.6 million in 2023, a decline compared with the previous two years, and also had higher expenses than in prior years. The organization is aiming to increase its donor contributions, which represent 24% of its overall funding. In earlier years, donations comprised nearly 40% of its revenue, according to Reinsdorf.

* Daily Southtown | Will County election disputes may be decided in court: Candidates Kevin “Kollins” Hedemark, who was running for Lockport Township highway commissioner, and Cesar Guerrero, who was running for Joliet Township supervisor, said their township’s Democratic precinct committee persons voted this week to nominate them to fill vacancies created when they were removed from the ballot for being in violation of the Illinois Campaign Disclosure Act. Both candidates filed paperwork with their respective township offices to get back on the ballot, however it may be up to a Will County judge to reinstate them.

* Daily Southtown | Thornton Township trustees fire 2 employees, Tiffany Henyard allies at first meeting since brawl: Neither Henyard nor Trustee Darlene Gray-Everett showed up to vote on the short agenda, and trustees spent much of the time in closed session discussing two members of Henyard’s administration, Kamal Woods and William Moore. The board voted unanimously to fire the two employees, who were previously put on paid administrative leave. Wiedeman said Woods’ participation in the prior meeting’s brawl warranted his termination.

*** Downstate ***

* IPM News | U of I aims to clarify protocols on campus amid federal policy changes: The group will be looking at federal updates on immigration, representation, research and impacts on the U of I workforce. The school has also created a website to host official guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions. If a new executive order affects work on campus, community members should continue as normal until the university offers updated guidance, the website stated.

* IPM News | Danville Election Commission repeats meeting to retain city council candidate on April 1 ballot: The Danville Election Commission voted Wednesday to keep city council candidate Jaleel Jones on the April 1st ballot, in a repeat of the group’s decision in December. […] This time around, the three-member panel — including new member Catherine Osterbur — once again rejected York’s argument, on the grounds that the Ward Seven alderman doesn’t live in Ward One, where Jones is running, and thus has no standing to raise an objection.

* WGLT | Faculty file unfair labor charge against Illinois State University: Amid nearly a year of ongoing contract negotiations with Illinois State University, the union representing tenure and tenure-track faculty filed a charge against ISU on Thursday with the state Educational Labor Relations Board [IELRB], alleging ISU has violated the Illinois Labor Disputes Act. The charge comes after a demonstration United Faculty of ISU [UFISU] members held nearly a month ago, ahead of the first day of contract negotiations held in the presence of a federal mediator.

*** National ***

* The Guardian | Prince estate blocks release of Netflix documentary by Oscar-winning director Ezra Edelman: Netflix said in a statement to the Minnesota Star Tribune: “The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive. As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.”

* BBC | Member of Musk’s Doge resigns after reports of racist posts: Musk himself acknowledged the departure, posting a poll on X, the social media platform he owns, asking followers whether he should bring back the Doge staffer who made “inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym”. […] So far, 78% have voted in favour of his return. Responding to one user who said Musk should have a talk with Mr Elez “about the racist stuff. Not cool”, the billionaire replied: “True.”