* The Madigan trial has rolled into its 9th day of jury deliberations…

Good morning. Jury deliberations are expected to resume today in the trial of ex-IL House Speaker Michael Madigan.

But the day has already begun with a request from defense attorneys. They're pushing for an extra jury instruction following Friday's episode with Judge Chang: pic.twitter.com/wqKHQAgNLH

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) February 10, 2025

Prosecutors have filed their response to the jury instruction request by Madigan’s attorneys this morning. Not surprisingly, the feds object, saying “nothing has changed” due to the jury’s question, which had nothing to do with the 666 bribery counts: pic.twitter.com/2×3E4Xyas9

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) February 10, 2025

* CBS Chicago…

CBS News Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller said the question the jury asked about their instructions goes to the heart of the prosecution’s case.

“They needed substantial qualifications as to what constitutes having these no-show guys working, and getting paid, and determine whether or not that was done with intent – the magic word intent – to influence a public official to do some type of official action, which could be considered bribery,” Miller said.

Miller said, while it’s not unusual for jurors to seek clarifications in jury instructions, he has never seen a change in jury instructions after deliberations have started. […]

“In all my years as a prosecutor and as a criminal defense attorney, doing this for a long time, I’ve never seen that happen,” he said. “What you don’t want to do is have a technicality like this end up going to the appellate court and having the case reversed because they made a mistake in trying to re-issue jury instructions. That’s why the government is saying they don’t want to do it. They want a clean record. They don’t want to leave another potential issue up for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals if there is a conviction in this case.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* A quick reminder! This is the last week to vote for your favorite Illinois flag design. The Under Rocks podcast recently sat down with “wanna-be state symbologist” John Kokoris to chat about the flag commission. Click here to listen.

* Center Square | Del Mar teases run for ‘higher office,’ sparking 2026 Illinois governor speculation: “I’m strongly considering a statewide run for governor. That’s not something that’s been a big secret. We’re evaluating all the different opportunities and putting together a team statewide,” Del Mar told The Center Square. “We’re going to each of the 102 counties in Illinois and listening to see what the issues are. One of the biggest challenges with our current governor is he only governs Chicago. He doesn’t govern the rest of the state.”

* Ralph Martire | Illinois should tax consumer services to fix its fiscal problems: Taxing consumer services would generate roughly $2.6 billion in new General Fund revenue. That nearly eliminates the projected deficit for next year. And because it aligns Illinois tax policy with today’s economy, it would also help sustain investments on core public services into the future.

*** Statewide ***

* SJ-R | How much snow will Illinois see this week? Here’s the forecast: A snowstorm this week is predicted to bring at least four inches of snow to a sizable part of Illinois. Most places near and west of Illinois 55 are expected to receive at least four inches of snow Wednesday, according to latest predictions from the National Weather Service.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | $1.25M settlement to family of Dexter Reed stalls in City Council committee amid heavy opposition: Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) said he, too, is “hearing” the settlement was pulled for lack of votes. Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) has condemned the settlement for the “dangerous” message it sends to Chicago Police Department officers, His Far South Side ward is home to scores of Chicago Police officers, and O’Shea, too, is “guessing” that the settlement was held because the Johnson administration was uncertain it had the votes to pass it.

* Block Club | Months After Axing ShotSpotter, City Seeks Proposals For ‘Gun Violence’ Detection System: “Through this RFI process, the City of Chicago will be able to aggressively look at equitable alternatives to help first responders acquire the absolute best community safety resources to aid them in reaching and responding to emergency scenes,” Johnson said in a statement. That announcement came shortly after Johnson likened ShotSpotter services to “walkie-talkies on a stick.” Last week, he again expressed skepticism about the technology during a WTTW town hall event.

* Block Club | West Side Manufacturer Announces $4 Million Investment To Spur Growth, Add 50 Jobs: Freedman Seating Company is making a $4 million capital investment as part of a state tax credit program to upgrade its nearly 100-year-old West Side facility and add 50 full-time jobs, the company’s leaders and Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday. The longtime West Side manufacturer has committed to getting new equipment, preserving its existing 676 full-time jobs and adding 50 full-time positions as part of an agreement through the state’s Economic Development for a Growing Economy program, which provides annual tax credits to qualifying businesses.

* Crain’s | West Side community center sees its economic impact in real time: The $40 million North Austin Center, or NAC, is bringing new economic vitality to an area that has long needed it. At least $9 million in new consumer spending has come into the community, according to an analysis of credit card data within a half-mile radius of the facility, which offers sports, education and wellness activities.

* Sun-Times | 15 trapped passengers rescued from CTA Green Line train after derailment in Englewood; 3 hurt: Some service has been restored but delays persist after a CTA Green Line train derailment, which happened at a “high elevation” about 2:40 a.m. near 63rd and Halsted streets, where one of the train’s wheels left the track, according to the transit agency and Chicago fire officials.

* Tribune | Two major winter storms expected to hit Chicago area this week: Two major winter storms are expected to hit the Midwest this week, with moderate to heavy snowfall in the Chicago area. Between the two storms, residents could see close to a foot of snow from Wednesday through Saturday. The first storm could begin as early as Wednesday morning, although the brunt of the storm is expected to come later Wednesday while people are on their commutes home, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Doom. Chicago could see up to 7 inches of snow Wednesday, with much of that snowfall in the evening.

* WBEZ | Chicago will be home of global COVID-19 monument to honor victims, front-line workers: The 25-foot stainless steel monument, titled “COVID-19 Memorial Monument of Honor, Remembrance & Resilience,” will be built at 2023 W. Ogden Ave., on the one-acre triangle at West Polk Street, South Damen Avenue and West Ogden Avenue and nestled between Stroger Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. Its unveiling is planned for the fall.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WGN | Nearly all catalytic converters stolen from suburban district’s bus fleet: “Early this morning, during routine preparations by our dedicated transportation team, it was discovered that over 90% of our bus fleet had fallen victim to vandalism, resulting in the theft of catalytic converters. This unfortunate act has rendered the majority of our buses inoperative, despite the implementation of robust security measures, including surveillance cameras, enhanced lighting, and secure fencing,” the district said in a press release.

* Daily Southtown | Landmarks: Potential church closure could put Park Forest history at risk: Situated in two of Park Forest’s signature rental townhomes just north of the old Park Forest Plaza, the property would soon change hands and the owners “didn’t want to have to get someone to grandfather us in,” Nicoll said. The kitchen, looking much the same as when the rental units were erected in the late 1940s with the exception of a ’70s-era countertop, was loaded onto a platform, affixed to a freestanding wall and delivered to an unused classroom at the former St. Mary Catholic School at the southern outskirts of the village.

* Daily Herald | ‘We get no relief’: Why is neighborhood miles from O’Hare enduring jet noise?: For years, communities near the south airfield have typically taken the brunt of jet noise from O’Hare while a runway modernization project unfolded. The parallel runways were intended to spread jet noise evenly around the region when completed in late 2021 but it’s been a slow, complex evolution. “I have made constant complaints over the years via the various complaint portals and nothing has ever been addressed,” Lubas said, adding his home isn’t eligible for soundproofing aid.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Central Illinois school administrator breaks down role of U.S. Education Department facing potential elimination: Superintendent Mark Jontry, who oversees schools in McLean, Livingston, Logan, and DeWitt Counties, said the federal government is responsible for several grant-funded programs and protections, including gender discrimination, low-income services, and special needs education. […] “We are subject to the federal laws around students with special needs, and elimination of the department isn’t going to make those laws go away,” said Jonty. “It kind of comes down to where that oversight is going to be administered at the federal level absent change in the [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act].”

* SJ-R | Massey family, Sangamon County reach agreement to $10M settlement: The settlement, in the amount of $10 million, would need final approval from the county board at its Tuesday meeting. The agreement followed extensive confidential discussions involving legal representatives for the county and the Massey family.

*** National ***

* Bloomberg | Rivian broadens sales of plug-in van once exclusive to Amazon: The EV maker’s commercial vehicle can now be purchased by fleets of any size, the company said in a statement on Monday. Rivian has primarily produced the van for Amazon under an exclusivity deal that expired in late 2023. It has also deployed the van to a number of unnamed pilot customers to prepare for the mass market, Rivian said.

* ABC Chicago | Trader Joe’s limits egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day: In a statement, the grocery store chain said it’s limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, at all locations across the country. […] More than 150 million poultry birds have been killed in an attempt to combat the virus, known as H5N1, which has caused egg prices to soar and supply to be limited.

* Tribune | USAID staffers turned away from offices even after court suspends leave order: A front desk officer told a steady stream of agency staffers — dressed in business clothes or USAID sweatshirts or T-shirts — that he had a list of no more than 10 names of people allowed to enter the building. Tarps hung over USAID’s interior signs. A man who earlier identified himself as a USAID official took a harsher tone, telling staffers “just go” and “why are you here?”