* Sun-Times…

The gloves are off in one of the most competitive Senate primary races Illinois has seen in decades.

Expect Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Lauren Underwood to launch bids within hours and days of Sen. Dick Durbin’s announcement that he will not seek reelection in the Senate, a seat he has held since winning his first term in 1996.

In an Illinois exclusive interview with WBEZ on Tuesday, Durbin said more than a dozen people have expressed interest in his seat.

“There are at least a dozen names that I think are serious,” Durbin said. “There is a larger number that has approached me and said they might be interested in it, so I don’t want to rule anyone in or out at this point.”

* WAND…

Some are calling for Illinois to create a new tax credit worth $1.50 per hour per employee for restaurant owners who do not take the tip credit before it is eliminated in 2027.

Advocates working with the national One Fair Wage organization told reporters in Springfield Tuesday that Black tipped workers are forced to rely on tips from customers instead of guaranteed wages from their employers. They argue raising the wage from $9 to $15 could help roughly 65,000 Black tipped workers across the state. […]

The Illinois One Fair Wage plan passed out of the House Executive Committee on a 8-4 vote on March 20. However, House Bill 2982 was kicked back to the House Rules Committee after representatives failed to move the bill on third reading by April 11. The legislation could be brought back to the floor if Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) receives a deadline extension or tosses the language into a shell bill. Although, statehouse insiders have told WAND News that the bill is dead for the spring session.

Advocates are determined the get the legislation across the finish line, even if it takes several more years.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | IL House committee approves bill banning police from ticketing students for breaking school rules: This proposal could also require police officers to be trained on how to handle students with disabilities if they enforce the law on school grounds. Lawmakers and advocates filed this plan after ProPublica found 11,800 tickets were handed to students from 2019 to 2022.

*** Statewide ***

* 217 Today | Armadillos aren’t just in Texas anymore, they are expanding territory in Illinois: When you think of armadillos, you may associate them with Texas. But scientists tell us they have found a permanent home in Illinois. On farmland near Carbondale, F. Agustin Jimenèz walks past acres of soybeans into a wooded area. Jimenèz is a Zoology professor at Southern Illinois University. He’s setting up camera traps to catch images of an elusive animal coming in and out of a burrow.

* WCIA | How basalt could help farmers with carbon capture, mitigate climate change: A relatively new practice is allowing some farmers to capture carbon, leaving the door open for them to profit through carbon credits. A small percentage of farms are using basalt — or crushed rock — in their soil. Crushed basalt in soil absorbs carbon dioxide indirectly, trapping the carbon. Andrew Margenot, a professor of crop sciences at the University of Illinois, said it traps CO2 by speeding up a natural process called rock weathering.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Judge Holds Off on Dismissing Indictment of Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin, as Feds Insist She Is Healthy Enough to Stand Trial: A federal judge said Wednesday he will not dismiss the indictment against ex-Ald. Carrie Austin (34th Ward), even after a court-appointed expert found she is too ill to help craft a defense to the charges she took bribes from a developer and lied to FBI agents. U.S. District Court Judge John F. Kness granted federal prosecutors’ request to hold an evidentiary hearing to question the expert “about her analysis and conclusion” before dismissing the charges that Austin, 75, took bribes in the form of home improvements including new kitchen cabinets and granite countertops from a developer and lied to federal agents.

* WTTW | 2 Months After Mayor Johnson Formed Task Force to Rid CPD of Extremist Groups, No Public Sign of Progress: Two months after Mayor Brandon Johnson formed a task force to examine how to rid the Chicago Police Department of officers with ties to extremist and anti-government groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, the effort has yet to show any sign of public progress. Johnson launched the effort in February, nearly eight months after Inspector General Deborah Witzburg urged him to take that step as part of an effort to “implement a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to preventing, identifying and eliminating extremist and anti-government activities and associations within CPD.”

* Block Club | Chicago Landlords Are Charging Hundreds In Move-In Fees. Renters Want To Know Why: “I think a typical move-in fee for a one-bedroom apartment ranges from $500 to more than $1,000,” DeVon said. “I think it should probably be closer to $150 to $500, depending on actual costs tied to the move-in. There just aren’t enough expenses directly related to the tenant moving in to justify the higher numbers.”

* Sun-Times | Veteran Chicago fire captain dies after garage collapse in Austin blaze: ‘A hero, courageous, brave, bold’: “He spent most of his career on the West Side of Chicago in busy firehouses doing what he loved to do,” Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt told reporters Wednesday morning at Stroger Hospital. Chicago Fire Fighters Union Local 2 said Meyer, 54, joined the department in October 1996. “He was a loyal member doing his job. It’s a dangerous job,” Patrick Cleary, president of Local 2, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Our condolences to his family and co-workers.”

* Sun-Times | Hall of Famer Steve McMichael entering hospice care: Former Bears defensive lineman Steve McMichael, who fought against the ravages of ALS long enough to see himself chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, will soon enter hospice care, a source confirmed Wednesday. McMichael had been on a ventilator in intensive care.

* WBEZ | Green Day, Blink-182, Weezer to headline Riot Fest in Chicago in September: On the nostalgia front, the Sex Pistols will perform at the fest just after kicking off their first tour in 20 years. The fest is also bringing the Beach Boys back to Chicago. The lineup also features Chicago band Dehd as well as Dropkick Murphys, The Linda Lindas, All Time Low, Hanson, Rico Nasty, The Front Bottoms, Cobra Starship and Alkaline Trio.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Highland Park parade shooter skips sentencing as prosecutors lay out evidence of attack for first time: Sighs could be heard from the courtroom gallery as Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart displayed graphic photos of the July 4, 2022 attack that left seven dead and 48 wounded. Testimony began with a recently retired Highland Park police commander who witnessed the first moments of the attack and personally transported three victims to the hospital.

* Naperville Sun | Gun arrest No. 9 made by Naperville police at Topgolf parking lot: With Rogers’ arrest, there have been nine firearm-related busts in or near the Naperville Topgolf parking lot this year, Krakow confirmed. After a nearly four-month break, gun-related arrests outside the Naperville Topgolf started up again in early February. […] Ahead of this year, Naperville police made 25 arrests on gun-related offenses in the Topgolf lot between August 2023 and October 2024.

* Tribune | How Northwestern and its business school are helping coaches take on college sports’ new challenges: Analytics, the transfer portal, name, image and likeness (NIL) and now potentially revenue sharing with athletes have forced coaches to frequently adapt to new rules and norms. “It’s changed a lot just because of the growth of our respective sports, the growth of college athletics, the opportunities we have and the opportunities the student-athletes have,” Drohan said. “It’s a lot more than teaching the X’s and O’s of the sport. It’s about how we can build programs that are going to have really impactful results on our student-athletes.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Murder trial date for Sean Grayson announced: A judge has announced the trial start date for the former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy accused of the murder of Sonya Massey. Sean Grayson’s murder trial is set to start Oct. 20. It will take place in Peoria County.

* WSIL | John A. Logan College extends president’s term through 2029: “We believe Dr. Overstreet has the College moving in the right direction,” Smith said. “Enrollment is trending up, we have grant-funded construction projects underway or soon will be underway, and we wanted to ensure we have continuity throughout this important phase for the College.” Dr. Overstreet has been leading the college since January 2021, focusing on student success and institutional growth.

*** National ***

* WSJ | In a First, Scientists Sent Quantum Messages a Record Distance Over a Traditional Network: Scientists have sent quantum information across a record-breaking 158 miles using ordinary computers and fiber-optic cables. It is the first time coherent quantum communication—an ultrasecure means of transmitting data—has been achieved using existing telecommunications infrastructure, without the expensive cryogenic cooling that is typically required.

* WaPo | World’s largest bleaching event on record has harmed 84 percent of coral reefs: The massive blow to marine habitats reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — the highest share ever recorded — comes as the planet experiences its fourth global coral bleaching event, which occurs when bleaching is confirmed in every one of the oceans’ basins at once. It raises new concerns about the precarious nature of a living network that sustains vibrant fisheries worldwide and helps protect vulnerable coastal communities from flooding.