* WTVO…

Damera, a Canadian distributor of electric buses, is expanding into the United States, with its first assembly plant to be built in Illinois.

The news was announced Tuesday by Gov. JB Pritzker while meeting with Damera leadership during a business development trip to Washington D.C. […]

Damera is the North American distributor of the Turkey-based company Karsan’s eJEST minibus, which can hold 19 passengers and travel 130 miles on a single charge.

Damera plans to open a facility in the greater Peoria region to sell and service the eJEST and establish the first U.S. assembly plant.

The announcement represents an investment of $31.5 million in the Illinois economy over four years.

* Block Club Chicago…

The immigration crackdown was widely publicized and at least partly televised, but federal officials still haven’t revealed how many people they rounded up during sweeps in Chicago in January.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have never released a list or even a summary of who its agents arrested here in the raids ordered by President Donald Trump after his inauguration. ICE has also concealed what those people were charged with and where federal agents took them.

ICE has continued to withhold the information even after a formal records request and multiple follow-up inquiries.

So Block Club Chicago is suing ICE and its parent department, Homeland Security, for violating the federal Freedom of Information Act, a law the protects citizens’ right to information about their government.

*** Statewide ***

* Brownfield Ag News | Illinois Ag looking to build Mexico partnership: Jerry Costello says agriculture relies on strong trading partnerships. “We exported a little over $1.5 billion in corn to Mexico last year, so they are a major major trading partner.” He says, “We have close to $3 billion of agricultural trade that we do with Mexico.” He tells Brownfield that an April trade mission to the country by the state’s top officials was aimed at strengthening that relationship, and it seems to be paying off. “Reassuring the Mexican people, the Mexican government, that we appreciate their business.” He says, “We appreciate the bilateral trade and have already had Zoom meetings and what have you with some of the Mexican companies as far as follow up. So, it was a great trade mission.”

* Press Release | Illinois Blue PAC Launches in Support of Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton’s Senate Campaign: Formed to support a candidate whose story, record, and leadership have sparked early enthusiasm across Illinois, Illinois Blue PAC aims to help elevate Stratton’s message and ensure voters across the state hear from a leader who brings both lived experience and statewide impact to the race.

* WGN | Krishnamoorthi launches 1st digital ad in campaign for US Senate: The advertisement highlights Krishnamoorthi’s first day on the campaign trail, including a stop at his childhood home in Peoria. Efforts to underscore his ties to downstate could prove important, as multiple Chicago-based Democrats compete for support in new areas. The video will run on YouTube and other social media platforms. Krishnamoorthi says in the ad that he’s running to fight for “everyday people.” It also features the five-term Congressman’s signature tagline, urging voters to forgo his lengthy last name and simply refer to him as “Raja.”

* WIFR | Travelers invited to take survey on Illinois’ transportation system: The Traveler Opinion Survey is available now through May 30. Any Illinois resident over the age of 18 is invited to take the survey. In 2024, more than 1,700 responses were received and previous survey results are available here.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Tribune | It can be difficult to find therapists who take health insurance in Illinois. Lawmakers are considering a bill to change that: The bill would require private insurers to pay in-network therapists at least 141% of the rate Medicare pays for the same behavioral health or substance use disorder service. It also aims to cut red tape for therapists. The bill would prohibit insurers from requiring therapists to submit more documentation to get reimbursed for 60-minute sessions as compared with shorter sessions, and prohibit insurers from denying coverage for multiple behavioral health services or substance use disorder services for the same patient in one day.

* Donovan Griffith, Jack Lavin and Lou Sandoval | Illinois needs more housing. Here’s how we build it.: Collectively, we represent over 5,000 private businesses across Illinois of every size and sector in urban, suburban and rural communities. We know how business works. We also know how investment works, and more importantly, how it pays off. Businesses are ready to invest, grow, and create jobs in Illinois, and having a robust and accessible housing stock is essential. The Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit is the smartest, most fiscally responsible way to drive investment in affordable housing.

* NBC | Big change coming to Illinois hotels this summer thanks to new law: According to the text of the “Small Single-Use Plastic Bottle Act,” hotels in Illinois with 50 or more rooms will no longer be permitted to provide small single-use plastic bottles containing personal care products like shampoo or body wash. That same requirement will go into effect for all other Illinois hotels beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, according to the text of the bill.

*** Chicago ***

* Bloomberg | Chicago taps Loop Capital founder to fix $1 billion budget hole: Reynolds, who began his muni career as a short-term bond trader in 1981 and founded Chicago-based Loop in 1997, will serve as co-chair of the group with Chicago Urban League CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson, the former mayor of Gary, Indiana. Johnson, who confirmed the appointments in an interview at City Hall, said the group will meet for the first time on Saturday. Reynolds and Freeman-Wilson didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. The group, expected to include civic, labor, business and elected leaders, will convene to help the nation’s third-largest city address its massive fiscal challenges. Chicago’s budget shortfalls are growing, its pension debt has ballooned to about $37 billion, and spending is outpacing revenue.

* Tribune | As Johnson administration touts ‘Cut the Tape,’ affordable housing developers want faster progress: While she understands that shifting organizational culture takes time and appreciates the Johnson administration’s focus on this issue, Gonzalez said developers like her signed up for an “Army haircut” when it comes to changes in the building process, not a light trim. As Cut the Tape efforts take shape, another Johnson housing initiative aimed at spurring affordable development was passed by the City Council Wednesday after weeks of debate. These endeavors come as Chicago, like other cities across the country, faces serious housing shortages, especially for affordable units.

* Crain’s | Where are all the granny flats Chicago was promised 4 years ago?: In the spring of 2021, when Chicago was getting ready to start a test run of allowing accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, on residential lots, architect Jim Hall decided, he says, “I wanted to be the guy doing this new typology of building.” […] In the four years since the ordinance took effect in May 2021, “I’ve built zero ADUs,” Hall says. Two of Hall’s ADU designs for clients advanced to the permitting stage, but when contractors estimated what construction would cost—$275,000 to $300,000—Hall says “the homeowners decided it was a little too much of an investment” and didn’t build.

* Block Club Chicago | As CPS Tries To Sell Closed Schools, Wadsworth Available, South Shore High Off Market: “These schools are no longer in great condition,” district property manager Jason Powell said. “Over time, they’ve been broken into, vandalized, stripped; people take electric, people take plumbing, break windows, any number of things.” The former Wadsworth site at 6420 S. University Ave. in Woodlawn has the highest minimum bid of any of the sites at $3 million. Powell described the 120,000-square-foot building as being “in very good shape.”

* WTTW | ‘Very Sick’ Ex-Ald. Carrie Austin Could Endure Trial With Additional Medical Care, Expert Testifies: Dr. Susan Russell, a pulmonologist with the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, had determined that Austin was too ill with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder too ill to help craft a defense to the charges she took bribes from a developer and lied to FBI agents. But under questioning by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Peabody, Russell said that while Austin would face an “increased” risk of her disease worsening during a trial where she was provided with necessary medical care, it would not be “substantial,” the legal standard for calling off the trial now set for Nov. 3.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Naperville Sun | DuPage County Board District 5 incumbents Sadia Covert, Dawn DeSart to seek reelection: Sadia Covert and Dawn DeSart have confirmed that they will be running for reelection in District 5. Covert will be seeking a four-year term while DeSart will be running for a two-year term. District 5 comprises most of Naperville and sections of Aurora in DuPage. Covert’s and DeSart’s intentions to run come in the wake of Naperville City Councilman Ian Holzhauer announcing last week that he will be challenging Covert for the four-year District 5 seat as a Democrat.

* Daily Southtown | Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman’s arrest fuels pushback against decorum rules, Mayor Christopher Clark clears council room: Chapman was arrested April 28 and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer, according to court records. Her next court appearance is June 4. She said her mother was also arrested during the meeting. “My passion for the issues facing our residents sometimes pushes me beyond procedural boundaries, but my intent has always been to speak for those who are voiceless,” Chapman said. The alderwoman said she was trying to ask questions about a redevelopment agreement for a blighted property at 60 E.155th St., which she said is owned by one of her constituents, 89-year-old Betty Allen.

* Daily Herald | A ‘generational project’: Naperville ready to revisit 5th Avenue redevelopment potential: The area was previously targeted for an ambitious mix of housing, offices, parking garages, retail as well as health and wellness space and a public plaza. But the project never got off the drawing board amid pandemic uncertainty and neighborhood concerns, despite many iterations. Now, Naperville officials are set to revisit the issue with the help of the Urban Land Institute. The organization ULI Chicago is assembling a panel of real estate professionals who will offer a fresh look at the city-owned properties around the 5th Avenue train station and the redevelopment possibilities.

* CNN | Google has a solution for those ‘unpaid toll’ text scams: The next time you’re about to tap a text message to resolve an unpaid toll balance, your Android phone may warn you to think twice. Google is updating its scam text detection technology to spot hoaxes like these, which are among the most common types of text-related schemes according to the Federal Trade Commission.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Indian Prairie District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley named Educator of the Year by DuPage education group: In recent years, the district has secured a $1.25 million grant from Endeavor Health for school-based counseling services, along with a $500,000 state grant for counseling for high school students and a $500,000 grant from Edward Elmhurst Health for mental health assistance for students in lower grades. The district also recently held its third annual mental health symposium, which now includes participation from nearby school districts.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Federal Dept. of Transportation commits to funding Springfield Rail project: After some uncertainty following the Trump Administration’s freeze on federal funding, lawmakers announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has fully obligated $157,126,494 in federal funding for the final part of the Springfield Rail Improvements Project. “Securing funding for the Springfield Rail Improvements Project has been a top priority of mine, and with the funding now finalized, we’re one step closer to transforming our downtown, reducing rail noise, and making our streets safer. This project is also creating good-paying union jobs, benefiting families across our community,” said Congresswoman Budzinski. “I’m incredibly proud to have worked alongside Senators Durbin and Duckworth to bring this vital funding home. Together, we’re not only connecting communities but also building a stronger, more efficient, and reliable transportation system for the future!”

* WSIL | Fallen firefighter remembered; Pope County emergency personnel and others recognized in firefighter ceremony: The Illinois Fire Service gathered to remember a fallen firefighter and to honor distinguished services for other firefighters at the 32nd Annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial and Medal of Honor Ceremony. “Today, we gather with gratitude in our hearts as we honor the brave firefighters of Illinois—those who are serving every day and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, said Governor JB Pritzker. “To the families who have lost loved ones, your sacrifice is not forgotten. We hold their memories close and vow to carry their legacies forward with dignity and respect as we support, invest in, and stand beside the fire service.”

* WAND | Jake Owen coming to perform at the Illinois State Fair: With 10 No. 1 singles and more than 2.5 billion U.S. on-demand streams, Owen is a standout performer in the country music scene. His laid-back style and chart-topping songs like “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Beachin’,” and “The One That Got Away” have made him a household name.

* WGLT | Illinois Wesleyan adds permanent provost, dean of faculty: Miles replaces interim provost Dave Marvin, a business professor who is retiring after more than three decades at the university. Marvin stepped into the role when interim provost Abigail Kerr left the university a year ago. Kerr had stepped in for then-provost Mark Brodl, who stepped down and to return to teaching.

* JG-TC | No damage reported in Coles County following earthquake: No damage has been reported in Coles County following a magnitude 3.3 earthquake that occurred here late Monday evening. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the epicenter of the quake at 11:43 p.m. was approximately four miles south of Lerna in southern Coles County and it occurred about 6 miles below the surface

*** National ***

* AP | Harvard loses another $450 million in grants in escalating battle with Trump administration: In a letter to Harvard on Tuesday, a federal antisemitism task force said Harvard will lose grants from eight federal agencies in addition to $2.2 billion that was previously frozen by the Trump administration. The letter said Harvard has become a “breeding ground for virtue signaling and discrimination” and faces a “steep, uphill battle” to reclaim its legacy as a place of academic excellence.

* SF Chronicle | Gas stoves nearly double children’s cancer risk, Stanford study finds: The study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, is the first to evaluate cancer risks from benzene generated during gas stove combustion and to estimate leukemia cases attributable to these emissions. […] Benzene, a known carcinogen also found in gasoline and cigarette smoke, is released during the use of natural gas or propane stoves. The findings showed that children’s lifetime cancer risk from this exposure is 1.85 times higher than that of adults.

* The Verge | Don’t delete that ‘Lopez Voice Assistant’ email — it’s about Apple’s Siri settlement: The settlement is related to Lopez v. Apple Inc, a 2019 class action lawsuit that alleged that Apple violated user privacy by recording their conversations and forwarding them to third-party contractors. Apple agreed to the settlement earlier this year but denied the allegations. Several of us at The Verge received emails about the settlement in recent days, sent from info@lopezvoiceassistantsettlement.com. Mine included my name, claimant identification code, confirmation code, and a description of the settlement.