* ICYMI: Intellectual and developmental disability services brace for potential Medicaid cuts. Illinois Times…

- About 3.9 million Illinoisans are enrolled in Medicaid. Of that total, 44% of Medicaid recipients are children, 9% are seniors and 7% are adults with disabilities, according to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

- “We’re very concerned. We don’t see what the path is right now,” Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities CEO Josh Evans CEO said. “And so our mission is to continue to educate our members of Congress that this is not just a program that is ripe with payments, it’s serving people.”

- “I’m going to do whatever it is that I can do, but I can’t come up with $8 billion to keep a federal program going in my state,” Gov. JB Pritzker said in an interview with The Contrarian last week. “I can spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try to provide free healthcare for people who are most acute, but people are going to die because of what they’re doing.”

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WCIA | Crime Stoppers seeking tips on Wyndham vandalism; hotel expected to be closed for 90 days: Scott Dahl of Springfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau said at the city council meeting Tuesday evening they have been successful at working with groups for moving conventions up to 120 days out. Wyndham management expects the hotel to be closed for three months, Dahl said.

* Crain’s | Judge extends pause on firing federal probationary employees in Illinois: The new order from U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland stipulates that 20 federal agencies must continue their efforts to reinstate unlawfully terminated probationary employees in the states that filed suit while the court case proceeds, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office said in a press release. The injunction also requires those agencies to follow lawful procedures in conducting any future reductions in force, the release said.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Biden gave Illinois schools another year to spend $77 million in COVID relief. Trump wants the money back.: The move impacts 27 school districts, two Regional Offices of Education, and three grantees, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The programs now at risk served students experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities, teachers who work with English learners, and after-school tutoring programs, the state board said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Pritzker tries to bolster Illinois ties with Mexico, even as country prepares for Trump tariffs: Pritzker said he’s calling for economic cooperation with Illinois, even amid ongoing tariff threats. But he said the tariffs are a “deep concern” for Mexican companies. “Tariffs are really a tax on working families. They’re not good for the economy, and these broad-based tariffs are very challenging and may lead to a recession in the United States,” Pritzker said. “The uncertainty that we’ve heard over and over again in the discussions with our Mexican counterparts is going to lead to them pulling back on making investments, and potentially pulling back on providing the supply items that our U.S. businesses need. So I would say there is a great deal of concern.”

* Streetsblog Chicago | When the levy breaks: Taxpert Maurice Scholten says updating IL sales tax could help fund transit, but not soon enough to avert fiscal cliff: The day “Modernizing Illinois’ Sales Tax” dropped, the federation released its own press release. “We appreciate the research teams for their recommendations and share their belief that funding education, mass transit, and public pension systems are vital to economic growth,” Scholten stated. “Expanding Illinois’ historically narrow sales tax base could be one part of a long-term solution, but it is important to remember new sales tax revenues would take a significant amount of time before they are available to address these critical services.” Talk about a reality check!

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | Illinois officers undergo training through interactive simulator: The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) recently acquired a new VirTra Simulator system. It consists of five screens, cameras, speakers, and an immersive environment where officers can practice a variety of interactions. Departments can choose a specific training topic, such as de-escalation, traffic stops, or active shooter scenarios for their officers to take part in. The operator watches the officer’s interactions and chooses what the subject of the simulation does based on their actions. If they are calm and direct, the subject will comply. If they are nervous or aggressive, the subject may escalate the situation.

* WCIS | Domestic violence data shows increase need in Illinois shelter beds: I dug into the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s last report to see how many Illinoisans were affected. In the 2024 fiscal year, the coalition had to turn away nearly 5,000 adults and 3,800 children seeking emergency shelter. This is a 22% increase from the prior year. In the 2024 fiscal year, nearly 8,000 Illinois children witnessed domestic violence.

*** Chicago ***

* Bloomberg | Chicago’s revenue surpasses estimate on cloud tax, home sales: Chicago’s revenue exceeded estimates by 7.2% in the first two months of this year thanks to taxes on cloud storage and home sales, collections that will help a city that’s struggling with annual deficits. The city collected $365.7 million in revenue during this period, according to a report on its website. That represents a turnaround from January, which showed revenue 4.2% below forecast.

* Crain’s | Talk of a leadership shake-up opens a rift between key progressives and Johnson: Alds. Andre Vasquez, 40th; Maria Hadden, 49th; and Ald. Matt Martin, 47th, are demanding assurances that Johnson is not considering stripping them of the City Council committees they chair. Despite the unlikelihood Johnson would actually follow through on the move that would require City Council approval, the three believe a conversation that included senior mayoral adviser Jason Lee and Kennedy Bartley, who oversees Johnson’s legislative agenda, took place in which they discussed purging the trio from Johnson’s leadership team.

* Bloomberg | Microsoft pulls back on data centers from Chicago to Jakarta: The software company has recently halted talks for, or delayed development of, sites in Indonesia, the UK, Australia, Illinois, North Dakota and Wisconsin, according to people familiar with the situation. […] It’s hard to know how much of the company’s data center pullback reflects expectations of diminished demand versus temporary construction challenges, such as shortages of power and building materials. Some investors have interpreted signs of retrenchment as an indication that projected purchases of AI services don’t justify Microsoft’s massive outlays on server farms.

* Sun-Times | Charges dropped against Chicago activist accused of violently shaking Rep. Mace’s hand: McIntyre said Wednesday he was “pleased but not surprised” the charges were dropped, adding that the case was meant “to criminalize anyone who advocates for the needs of our trans youth,” according to a statement. “This experience has been traumatic, but the outpouring of support from my community, colleagues and friends has meant everything,” he said.

* Crain’s | What to know about the lawyer leading Jenner’s battle with Trump: WilmerHale hired Kirkland & Ellis alum Paul Clement, a former U.S. solicitor general considered a — if not the — top appellate lawyer in the country, whom a legal industry blog aptly said needs no introduction. Perkins Coie selected Williams & Connolly, a premier inside-the-Beltway operator. Jenner & Block, meanwhile, looked, of all places, to San Diego in choosing . . . Michael Attanasio.

* Block Club | Neighbors Call For Kenwood Homeless Shelter To Close — And Demand More Transparency From City: “The city never engaged with our community prior to opening the temporary migrant shelter, nor committing to a permanent shelter,” meeting co-organizer Cathy Perry said. “We are giving the community a platform to express their concerns about the city shifting the landscape of our neighborhood and quality of life overnight. “We want to tell the city we are not OK with a 24-hour, seven-day-per-week, permanent shelter that is literally 30 feet from our residents.”

* Tribune | As Trump dismantles EPA, Great Lakes states with a history of pollution likely will suffer: Dirty air remains a chronic problem in the Chicago area. Shortly before President Joe Biden left office, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reclassified the region from “moderate” to “serious” violations of federal regulations limiting lung-damaging smog, also known as ground-level ozone. Better understanding about the dangers of particulate matter, commonly known as soot, prompted the Biden EPA to tighten federal standards, effectively requiring cleaner factories, power plants and vehicles.

* Tribune | As environmental justice ordinance nears City Council introduction, activists express hopes and frustrations: The ordinance would be the next step after the 2023 release of a cumulative impact assessment that analyzed how exposure to toxins, socioeconomic factors and health conditions vary throughout Chicago. That report was part of a voluntary compliance agreement negotiated with the federal government following a two-year federal investigation that found the city culpable of steering heavy industry away from white communities and into Black and Latino communities. The report is also a tool that will be used to inform future policies, officials have said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Back to the ‘burbs? Bears say Arlington Heights again in the mix for stadium site: Chicago Bears brass Wednesday made another public shift in where their new stadium could go, confirming that the team’s land in Arlington Heights is back in the mix. “The focus now is both downtown (Chicago) and Arlington Heights,” Bears President/CEO Kevin Warren told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Florida. “The pace will definitely pick up, and we’re fortunate to have optionality.”

* Daily Herald | Kane County Cougars introduce new ownership: The new and former owners of the Kane County Cougars invited press, stakeholders and season ticket holders to Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva on Wednesday to officially introduce the new ownership group REV Entertainment. About 40 people attended, notably Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, Kane County Treasurer Chris Lauzen, and Cougars mascots Ozzie and Annie.

* Tribune | Voters reelect numerous suburban mayors, despite a few upsets of incumbents: While mayors in Aurora, Orland Park and Waukegan lost in unofficial vote counts, incumbents in Evanston, Elmhurst, Oak Park, Park Ridge, North Chicago and Tinley Park appeared to have held onto their seats. Just 17% of registered voters went to the polls in Cook County, a slight uptick from local elections in recent years, but well below the participation rate for presidential and statewide elections.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Emergency Management Agencies reporting storm damage in Illinois counties: The Cumberland County EMA said several different areas around Cumberland County are reporting damage. In Jewett, there have been reports of trees and powerlines down. The Cumberland County EMA said the area was hit with strong winds. In Greenup, a tree feel on top of a home. Luckily, the Cumberland County EMA said the owner was not home at the time, and was unharmed. There have been reports of trees and powerlines throughout the entire county as well, according to the Cumberland County EMA.

* WCIA | Tolono could have first African American Village President: Village Trustee Terrence Stuber could become the first African American Village President in Tolono. He said it’d be an honor to go down in history but that isn’t his goal. Stuber wants to be remembered for creating a welcoming community, building economic success and more. “I recognize the impact that that can have, especially on people who look like us,” Stuber said. “They can’t just see a dark-skinned man and say, ‘I want to be that.’ The skin color is not what matters. Do you have the heart to serve people?”

* WGLT | Developer tries again for Essex apartments and townhomes project near Shelbourne Drive in Normal: A plan to build over 250 apartment and townhome units near Shelbourne Drive and Beech Street in the heart of Normal has been revived, this time with changes that could make the development more palatable to neighbors. The Essex complex would be built on the northeast corner of Shelbourne and Beech, on what’s currently undeveloped infill land next to the Collie Ridge subdivision. There would be 19 three-story apartment buildings (228 units) and six four-unit townhomes (24 units) across 19.5 acres. There would be 504 parking spaces.

*** National ***

* NYT | E.P.A. Hunt for Shady Deals and ‘Gold Bars’ Comes Up Empty: Mr. Zeldin has said that the program, which Congress approved as part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, was vulnerable to “waste, fraud, and abuse.” If that claim was substantiated, it would allow the E.P.A. to take back the $20 billion, which was awarded to eight nonprofit groups. The money was to be used to finance projects across the country such as solar panels on community centers and geothermal systems to heat and cool subsidized housing.

* Nieman Lab | How to leak to a journalist: I spoke with eight journalists about how to leak in a safe, smart way. Disclaimer you probably knew was coming: No method of leaking is 100% secure, and the tips here reduce risk but cannot eliminate it completely. “I know it’s appealing to be instrumental in helping a reporter break a story, and god knows reporters love breaking stories,” says Marisa Kabas, an independent reporter and writer of The Handbasket who’s been breaking one scoop after another about DOGE and the Trump administration. “But in almost all cases, your safety and physical and mental health should come first.”

* The Hill | HHS fires entire staff of program that helps low-income people afford heat and air conditioning: “Every single federal staff member that worked on LIHEAP was let go, so there are no federal staff members left to work on the program,” Germain told The Hill. He said that prior to both probationary cuts and the latest round of firings, there had been about 15 people working on LIHEAP.