* ICYMI: Illinois voters head to the polls. WGEM…

- Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
- To find your voting location, visit the Illinois election locator.

* Related stories…

∙ Daily Herald: Guide to voting in the suburbs Tuesday: Polling places, ID rules, write-ins and more
∙ Intelligencer: It’s Election Day. Here’s what to know.
∙ NBC Chicago: What time do polls open in Illinois? Last-minute voter guide for big elections in Chicago suburbs

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Illinois secretary of state’s office opens larger ‘flagship’ DMV in the Loop: The new 24,000-square-foot facility at 125 W. Monroe St. is nearly five times the size of downtown’s former office at the corner of Randolph and LaSalle streets, which closed on Friday “and often experienced long lines and wait times because of its small size,” Giannoulias’ office said.

* WBEZ | CTU bargainers approve tentative contract deal. Here’s what you need to know: The proposed settlement cleared the hurdle of the union’s “big bargaining team,” a group of 65 educators that has negotiated with the school district for almost a year. A meeting of the CTU’s 730-member House of Delegates is Wednesday, with a ratification vote by all 30,000 members expected in the next week or two.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Students, women in trades advocate for more career and technical education: The resolution, introduced by state Rep. Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernández, D-Cicero, who serves as chair of the Democratic Party of Illinois, also takes shots at President Donald Trump. It cites recent executive orders that “aim to reverse hard-won progress to diversity the workforce and will further entrench systemic occupational segregation, robbing women of economic security.” […] The resolution, which is awaiting a hearing in the House Labor and Commerce committee, is sponsored exclusively by Democrats, including House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, who signed on as a chief co-sponsor last month.

* WAND | Illinois House Democrat, university leaders raise concerns over Trump cuts to higher education: Rep. La Shawn Ford (D-Chicago) said any cuts to federal financial aid will have a serious negative impact on students and their ability to access college education. Ford noted that many Illinois families rely on Pell grants and student loans to make college affordable.

*** Statewide ***

* WGLT | Libraries and museums in Illinois are hit by Trump executive order: Children’s Discovery Museum Director Beth Whisman said they’ve been told the government will not honor reimbursement for the third year of a $250,000 grant. Whisman estimated the museum is on the hook for about $40,000 already spent. The program serves 1,900 children in both major school districts, the YWCA, and Heartland Head Start early childhood STEAM education.

* Tribune | Illinois becomes first state to mandate halal, kosher meals be available in public institutions such as schools: Muslim students who eat halal usually only have a few options in the school cafeteria line once they’ve passed the hamburgers, chicken nuggets and deli sandwiches: a slice of cheese pizza, maybe a salad, fruit, yogurt, a carton of milk. “Just not a lot of healthy, filling choices to pick from,” said Khadija Basith, whose children attend Forest Glen Elementary School in Glen Ellyn. “Even if there aren’t halal options, I want to at least see them offering a good veggie burger or a good fish wrap.”

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Chicago Public Media reorganizes newsroom leadership in wake of buyouts: Chicago Public Media is naming Jennifer Kho its interim editor-in-chief, along with other leadership changes, as the nonprofit moves forward with integrating the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ-FM/91.5. Kho, who joined the Sun-Times as executive editor in 2022, will be leading the reorganization of a unified Chicago Public Media newsroom as the company searches for a permanent editor-in-chief, the organization confirmed. She will oversee journalists from both publications, according to a news release.

* Sun-Times | Bally’s gets credit downgrade for ‘execution risk’ on Chicago casino: Potentially lowering Bally’s odds of maxing out its River West jackpot are “a saturated Chicago gaming market, the higher-than-average gaming tax rate, and the typical ramp-up of a new casino development,” according to Fitch Ratings.

* WTTW | CTA Austin Green Line Station Begins $25M Reconstruction Aimed at Accessibility Amid Broader Funding Questions: Funding for the $25.6 million project is through the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Transportation program and the state’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan. Federal funds provided $20.3 million and Rebuild Illinois picked up $5.3 million, according to transit officials. “This is an innovative approach to utilizing funds traditionally spent on roads to invest and modernize our transit system, so we remain a competitive and reliable alternative to driving,” CTA Acting President Nora Leerhsen said.

* Block Club | Lincoln Square Neighbors Can Take Walking History Lesson With Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas: The Walking Hour, a walking series organized by Pamiya Opoku, is partnering with Thomas for an event that will start 2:30 p.m. April 13 at Winnemac Park and continue to western Andersonville. Ald. Andre Vasquez (40th) will also attend the 2.5-mile walk. […] Opoku began taking walks with her friends at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, she launched The Walking Hour in the Evanston area as an expansion of those initial walks, according to the Evanston Roundtable.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago street sweeping starts Tuesday, April 1: Signs about upcoming sweeps are posted in orange two days in advance. Mechanical street sweepers remove debris and litter from Chicago’s streets. Street sweeping continues through the fall.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Elgin City Council rejects delay of ban on synthetic THC product sales: The council approved a ban on the advertisement, display, sale and delivery of Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, products without a state license in late February. On Wednesday, a proposal to push back the ban to begin in late August, allowing stores to sell their current inventory, failed by a 5-4 margin. The same council members who approved the ban rejected the delay.

* WTTW | Illinois, Cook County Public Health Officials Say Federal Funding Cuts Came With Little Notice: The Illinois Department of Public Health announced this week the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking back $125 million allocated to IDPH and 97 local health departments for infectious disease prevention. Another $324 million appropriated by Congress for “future use” in preventing and treating infectious disease also is being blocked.

* Crain’s | Northwestern details progress in combating antisemitism on campus: In its report, NU says that reports of antisemitism on campus have decreased significantly since last year, thanks in part to the efforts the school has made, which include: updated demonstration and student conduct policies, mandatory antisemitism training, enhanced Title VI enforcement tools, and the creation of a Jewish advisory group.

* Fox Chicago | Orland Park mayoral candidates differ on handling of ceasefire resolution, public safety: Dodge said he offers a more moderate and civil approach to governing and differs with Pekau on issues like public safety, where he says police are asking for a change in work hours. “Our cops would like to go to three days on 12-hour shifts and then have a little bit bigger break than the current shift structure. Almost all the towns around us are doing that, so we’re starting to lose young police officers to other towns,” he said.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | City of Hoopeston to begin voting for new Mayor: Current mayor Jeff Wise said he’s the man for the job. Wise has been in office for three years. He believes the city has seen a lot of success, like the demolition of nine downtown buildings and bringing in a tractor supply to the area. […] His opponent Tracy Carter decided to run for mayor after friends and family believed he’d be the one to make a difference in the city. Carter said he currently works for a manufacturing company in town and has experience managing a yearly budget. He also did various other village jobs, like working for the water department when he lived in Rankin.

* 25News Now | Mayor-led group forms to advocate for towns and cities along the Illinois River: Those fifteen, including Peoria Mayor Rita Ali and East Peoria Mayor John Kahl, form the first Illinois River Cities and Towns Initiative and advocate for their homes along the river. In the group’s first meeting today in Peoria at the Illinois Waterway Ports Commission, members outlined their plans to increase development, sustain the economy, and protect the environment along the waterway.

* SJ-R | Online newspaper supporting LGBTQA+ closes Springfield brick-and-mortar office: Editor and owner of the Illinois eagle Tom Wray said initially he wanted an open forum and way to communicate with the public who could walk in but chose to close the chapter for the office and end his lease due to financial struggles. “We’re still putting content out and we’re still reporting what’s going on in the community,” Wray said. “I mean a lot of people still want the news we provide, it’s just reality that set in … I kind of need to pay my mortgage.”

* First Alert 4 | Fairmount Park to become racino: The venue will have 271 slot machines, including 40 premium games. The casino’s temporary placement in the grandstand is Phase 1 of a broader redevelopment effort, with the full-size casino coming in Phase 2. “Soon, folks will be able to come in and enjoy the casino as well as racing here at the track,” said Vince Gabbert, Sr. VP of US Gaming and General Manager at Fairmount Park Casino & Racing. “We’ve brought in the best slot machines and electronic table games on the market. Every game on the floor is either brand-new or a fan favorite, making for an exciting selection.”

*** National ***

* STAT | HHS starts layoffs of thousands of workers across its agencies: Layoff notices began arriving early Tuesday for thousands of employees of the sprawling Department of Health and Human Services and its subsidiary agencies, with as many 10,000 workers potentially expected to be hit by the cuts. “I regret to inform you that you have been affected by a reduction in force (RIF) action,” an email to affected employees said. It went on to tell the recipients that they were placed on immediate administrative leave, offering no details of the length of that leave. The email also stated that their firing was not a reflection of their work.