* ICYMI: Domestic violence law named in memory of Karina Gonzalez takes effect on Mother’s Day. Sun-Times…

- Law enforcement must now confiscate guns from alleged abusers within 96 hours of a judge issuing a protection order, and judges can issue a search-and-seizure warrant for firearms.
- The law is named for Karina Gonzalez, who authorities say was fatally shot by her husband, Jose Alvarez, in July 2023. Her 15-year-old daughter Daniela was also killed, and her son Manny was injured.
- “An immigrant woman from Mexico, who worked dead-end jobs and survived an abusive husband, will now go on to save the lives of other domestic violence victims,” Manny said in a tribute to his mom.

* Related stories…

∙
∙ ABC Chicago: ‘Karina’s Law’ goes into effect in Illinois, son of domestic violence victim speaks out
∙ CBS Chicago: Karina’s Law protecting domestic violence victims now in effect in Illinois
∙ WAND: Law protecting domestic violence survivors from gun violence takes effect Sunday

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s second year found him fighting unexpected battles: The mayor’s permanent selection to helm the Chicago Transit Authority after embattled President Dorval Carter stepped down in January has also lagged for months, even as the mayor’s office quietly conducted a nationwide search for candidates but appeared to come up short. State Rep. Kam Buckner, a 2023 mayoral candidate who hitched much of his platform to the idea of improving public transit, was offered the job but turned it down, according to sources familiar with his decision.

* Tribune | Feds say funding freed up for Great Lakes invasive carp project, though President Donald Trump and Gov. JB Pritzker still snipe at each other: President Donald Trump issued an executive order late Friday supporting an important Great Lakes project in Illinois to contain invasive carp, but the president still found a way to call out Gov. JB Pritzker, who responded by saying he was glad the White House “heard our calls about the importance of delivering federal funds.” Trump’s order and Pritzker’s response mark a rare point of policy agreement between the governor and a president whose administration Pritzker has compared to Nazi Germany. Pritzker has harshly criticized Trump on an array of broad issues and has also noted that the Trump administration has held back some $2 billion in federal funds meant for Illinois.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | State Senator initiates audit into Discovery Partners Institute after project objective change: In Springfield, State Senator Chapin Rose is leading a full audit of the Discovery Partners Institute at the University of Illinois. There was supposed to be a tech hub built in Chicago, but that project was cancelled and shifted to focusing on quantum computing. U of I System President Timothy Killeen has been heading the institute for the past eight years. […] The state audit commission unanimously approved the Mahomet Senator’s request late last month. Rose said the process will most likely take months to complete.

* Capitol News Illinois | Capitol News Illinois reporters win prestigious Peter Lisagor awards: Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit news service, is proud to announce three of its reporters were nominated in four categories for the prestigious Lisagor Awards. These awards celebrate journalistic excellence across Illinois and northwest Indiana, spanning print, digital and broadcast media. CNI’s Beth Hundsdorfer was selected as winner in the Best Public Service category for her investigative reporting on funeral home licensing in Illinois.

*** Statewide ***

* Press release | Congresswoman Robin Kelly announces endorsement of 18 members of the Congressional Black Caucus: Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly announced that 18 Members of Congress of the Congressional Black Caucus have endorsed her campaign to succeed Senator Dick Durbin in the United States Senate. The members include Representatives Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Gwen Moore (WI-04), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Andre Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jennifer McClellan (VA-04), Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), and Jahana Hayes (CT-05).

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson at the two-year mark: I’ll stack my business record against any mayor’s: When pushed on why business leaders don’t agree with his self-assessment, Johnson took another opportunity to hit what’s become one of his favorite punching bags: former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “Their pro-business person had raised property taxes for three years and left out of here with junk status,” he said. “Of course they might feel a certain way, because who wants to believe that a middle-school teacher can demonstrate a stronger business agenda than someone who has made millions of dollars in the market? It goes against their norm.”

* Tribune | The school board president is trying to nix the superintendent requirement. Why does it matter?: The city clerk and 30 aldermen signed a letter Thursday urging the school board to uphold a resolution it passed in late March requiring the incoming Chicago Public Schools chief executive officer to hold a valid Illinois professional educator license with a superintendent endorsement. A day earlier, the Tribune reported that school board President Sean Harden was whipping votes to go back on that resolution, which passed unanimously about two months earlier. The goal, board members said, was to let Mayor Brandon Johnson’s second-in-command, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, fill in for the role while the district and city conduct a wider search for a permanent superintendent. Pacione-Zayas does not have a superintendent endorsement.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | For sale: 20 old Chicago school properties: The buildings have sat empty for 12 years. Several are architecturally significant with striking details and character taking up multiple city blocks. But many are in rough shape, with copper stripped from the pipes, broken windows, and graffiti covering walls. One had to be torn down after an extra-alarm fire last year. Now, Chicago Public Schools aims to sell the former schools, putting 20 properties out to bid once again, with the hopes of seeing them repurposed and the possibility of bringing in around $8.2 million and avoiding spending more on future upkeep.

* Block Club | Transit Advocates Push Mayor, Board For Nationwide Search For Next CTA Boss: Irvine, an avid public transit rider who sits on the board of directors for advocacy group Active Transportation Alliance, said the CTA board should consider candidates who have “deep experience” running a large transit agency, an understanding on how to secure federal funding, a history of transit use and a commitment to transparency. […] “Please do a gut check and ask yourself this question: Are you confident there is no one else available in the world who can do this critically important job better?” Irvine said. “Is this really the best person for the job?”

* Tribune | After weekslong wait, piping plover Searocket returns to Chicago and partner Imani for the summer: “We’re just so excited that Searocket is back. Happy Mother’s Day to her,” said Tamima Itani, lead volunteer coordinator for Chicago Piping Plovers. “We’re so glad to have a mother back in our midst.” The female plover comes home to competitive piping plover dating scene: In addition to Imani, Montrose has welcomed 2-year-old Pippin, a returning male from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and two other males, originally from Michigan, that were passing by.

* NBC Chicago | Migration alerts issued for Chicago area, with thousands of birds taking flight: According to experts, the highest traffic times for migrating birds typically occur between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., with hundreds of thousands of birds crossing over the Chicago area on highly trafficked evenings. During “Migration Alerts,” homeowners and building managers are asked to turn off lights and to take other precautions to help protect migrating birds. Owners of tall buildings are asked to turn off or dim decorative lights during migration season. Residents and building owners are also asked to close blinds when possible so that birds don’t become disoriented by bright lights.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | East Aurora District 131 to turn two elementary school classrooms into center for students new to the United States: The goal is for students in the program, set to begin next fall, to get a crash course in English skills and knowledge of how the school district operates before joining their grade-level peers at their assigned district school. […] This sort of program is new to East Aurora, according to a district spokesperson, but it’s not a new idea, Guzman noted. As they designed their proposal, district officials looked to examples in Illinois and beyond.

* Tribune | Featuring Black-owned and wellness businesses, the Aux opens in Evanston: Named The Aux, the hub will be able to house up to 12 businesses at its building when fully occupied. The Aux so far hosts a Wintrust Bank kiosk, a community kitchen, a gym, a laundromat/cafe, a podcast studio, a hair salon, a doula office, a startup office and open spaces for socializing and community. Co-developer Tiffini Holmes said that while people might assume wellness only adheres to physical exercise, the businesses at The Aux are meant to focus on health and wellness holistically, including mental health and more.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton hopes ties to Pope Leo XIV will burnish town’s image and spur growth: Dan Lee, a longtime Dolton resident, said Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, brings a newfound pride. Lee has lived in the community since 1989. “This is a 180-degree turn from what we’re used to,” Lee said Friday. “I’m looking forward to some positive scrutiny that this can bring.” The village has suffered after years of alleged corruption among village mayors past and more recently Tiffany Henyard, who was tossed out of office with the most recent election.

* WBEZ | Model UN is helping these Chicago-area teens feel hopeful about the future: Roughly two dozen teens wearing business attire packed a conference room at Hinsdale Central High School in the southwest suburbs on a recent weekend. They were debating the best way to revive Sudan’s collapsing health care system. This United Nations simulation for teens is part of a growing program in DuPage County that participants say helps them feel connected and optimistic about the world. That’s especially notable at a time when the United States is withdrawing from its traditional place in global affairs.

*** Downstate ***

* Sun-Times | Car dealer took 84-year-old consumer for a ride with ‘unscrupulous’ prize promotion, lawsuit says: Bakken — who’s being represented by the nonprofit Prairie State Legal Services, which filed the lawsuit in Kankakee County circuit court — says it started with a scratch-off ticket he received in the mail in December. Excited about winning, he called the phone number on the prize mailer. “The guy that answered said, ‘Those are good numbers. Come on down,’ ” Bakken says. When he got there, a woman at the dealership told him he didn’t actually win $10,000 but that she’d like him to stay and chat.

* WQAD | Rock Island’s Christian Care receives multi-thousand-dollar grant from Illinois’ treasurer: Nine other small non-profits throughout the state are being awarded funds by the Charitable Trust Stabilization Program, which exists to assist organizations like Christian Care with achieving their missions of serving people. Frerichs in a recent local press conference cited the federal government’s cuts to programs which previously supported Christian Care as a reason the state chose to offer monetary reservations in the Quad Cities.

* WGLT | Non-union ISU workers demand raise; RISE initiative update given at ISU Board of Trustees meeting: University workers such as office administrators, student advisors, IT and administrative aides do not currently have a contract guaranteeing raises. Several other ISU employee groups have unionized, most recently tenured and tenure-track faculty. Their contract locks in raises. Organizers presented a petition at Friday’s ISU Board of Trustees meeting, with 204 signatures. It requests the board “allocate appropriate funds to ensure a fair and equitable raise of at least 4% by July 1.”

* BND | This metro-east Girl Scout camp was almost closed. Now it’s bigger: The Pines were built with money from the contributions of Ameren Illinois and Ralph and Donna Korte, Higgins said. The new trail was built by the Agency for Community Transit, which manages transit in Madison County. Fundraising has been ongoing for weeks prior to the event. The Girl Scouts raised $10,000 total additional funds, with Ameren Illinois contributing $3,000 and Gillihan Concrete contributing $7,000. Amy Truitt, the organization’s development manager, said they were hoping for $55,000 by the end of the night.

* WAND | Carle to lay off over 600 employees starting in July: The data listed on the Illinois workNet Center website says that the Carle Health located at 3310 Fields South Dr. in Champaign is scheduled to lay off 612 employees starting on July 8. This is due to Carle subsidiaries Health Alliance and FirstCarolinaCare ending all insurance plans other than Medicare Advantage by January 1, 2026.

*** National ***

* NPR | USDA, DOGE demand states hand over personal data about food stamp recipients: The sweeping and unprecedented request comes as the Trump administration ramps up the collection and consolidation of Americans’ sensitive data, and as that data has been used to make misleading claims about people in the U.S. illegally accessing public benefits and committing fraud, and to build a greater capacity to deport them.

* NYT | U.S. v. Google: What Both Sides Argued in a Hearing to Fix Its Search Monopoly: In August, Judge Mehta ruled that Google had broken antitrust law when it paid companies like Apple, Samsung and Mozilla billions of dollars to automatically appear as the search engine in browsers and on smartphones. He also ruled that Google’s monopoly allowed it to inflate the prices for some search ads, adding to its unfair advantage.

* AP | Judge pauses much of Trump administration’s massive downsizing of federal agencies: The order, which expires in 14 days, does not require departments to rehire people. Plaintiffs asked that the effective date of any agency action be postponed and that departments stop implementing or enforcing the executive order, including taking any further action. They limited their request to departments where dismantlement is already underway or poised to be underway, including at the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which announced in March it will lay off 10,000 workers and centralize divisions.