* The Chicago Tribune…

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott don’t have much in common, but one shared policy may soon take effect in Illinois: a crackdown on intoxicating hemp products.

Just as Abbott recently did in his state, Pritzker is threatening to use his executive authority to reign in the unregulated sales of hemp products containing delta-8, -9 and -10 THC, the cannabis component that gets users high. […]

Last week, Pritzker said hemp products were making children sick, adding, “we may need to impose executive authority to try to shut those sales of intoxicating hemp down.”

Tuesday, he tempered his comments, saying, “We should have a regulated environment for hemp, and I am pushing that. If the legislature and if the advocates for the hemp industry are unwilling to do it, then we will take executive action.”

* Capitol News Illinois’ Ben Szalinski…

Illinois will release a new round of federal funding to build electric vehicle charging stations after the Trump administration initially sought to withhold it. […]

The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by former President Joe Biden contained $148 million for Illinois to build more EV charging stations. The state received $25.3 million to build charging stations at 37 locations in 2024 as part of the first round of grant funding.

But the Federal Highway Administration withheld the second round earlier this year after President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to pause funding for clean energy projects appropriated in the Biden-era law.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 16 other attorneys general sued the Trump administration in May seeking the release of the funds. The lawsuit argued it is illegal for the president to withhold funding that has already been approved by Congress. A judge ruled in June that the federal government must release the funds to Illinois and other states that joined the lawsuit. […]

Pritzker’s office announced on Wednesday that Illinois will receive $18.4 million this year as part of the second round of grant funding for EV chargers. The money will fund 167 charging stations at 25 locations. With the release and allocation of the federal funding, Illinois will have received $43.8 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build 349 charging ports in 62 locations.

* Tribune…

After trying repeatedly to find a safe person to tell about her alleged a sexual assault by a correctional officer, a woman who was detained at Logan Correctional Center intercepted a female staff member while she was in the unit. […]

The woman, who is now living in southern Illinois, is among seven current or former inmates who have filed separate lawsuits against correctional officers, prison staff and leadership in federal court in Springfield, alleging a widespread pattern of sexual abuse, followed by retaliation when they rebuffed the guards or tried to report the abuse. […]

All together, the complaints paint a grim portrait of the experience at Logan, which has been dogged by abuse complaints in the past. The women reported that correctional officers raped them and coerced them into sexual acts by threatening punishments or withholding favors.

When the women resisted or reported the abuse, they were often retaliated against, the lawsuits say.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WMBD | Illinois lawmaker suggests estate tax reform for farmers: State Representative Sharon Chung said in a town hall Tuesday she hopes to change the estate tax to help Illinois farmers. “Farmers tend to really take the brunt of the estate tax more than your everyday people,” she said. An estate is taxed a percentage of all the properties, investments and all other belongings when the owner dies.

* Capitol City Now | Sally Turner named Legislator of the Year by organization: Sen. Sally Turner was named the 2025 Legislator of the Year by the Illinois Association of County Veterans Assistance Commissions Monday night. […] IACVAC cited Turner’s legislative work, particularly Senate Bill 39 which made veteran housing more affordable, that improves the lives of veterans statewide, according to the release.

* Lutheran Social Services of Illinois | 2025 “Paul Simon Courage in Public Service” Award Honors Gov. JB Pritzker: Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) and Lutherans Unite for Illinois today honored Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker with the Paul Simon Courage in Public Service Award for exemplifying Sen. Simon’s lifelong commitment to developing just, compassionate, and responsible public policy, especially in defense of Medicaid and social services. The award was established in 2004 by several Lutheran organizations to honor the late Sen. Simon’s extraordinary legacy of public service.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Trump, ICE target police in Chicago, other cities for recruitment in NFL ad: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement specifically pitched jobs to the city’s cops when it ran a local advertisement during a Monday night NFL broadcast. “Attention Chicago law enforcement,” the commercial said, the city’s skyline in the background. “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city safe. But in sanctuary cities, you’re ordered to stand down.” “Join ICE, and help us catch the worst of the worst,” it continued before touting a $50,000 sign-on bonus and student loan forgiveness.

* Sun-Times | CPS special ed staff cuts, shuffling leave students lost, behind and unserved: The analysis found that CPS cut about 250 special education teachers and 673 aides last spring. It then added back hundreds of positions, most of them weeks after school started on Aug. 18. With the school year already underway, many principals have no idea how they’ll fill these new openings, and some are still short positions. It can be unsafe for students who need these supports in some situations without the proper number of special education aides, school staff say. And learning for all students can be disrupted when a special education teacher isn’t available to differentiate lessons for students of varying abilities.

* Sun-Times | Pilsen coal plant demolition puts pressure on city not to repeat Little Village fiasco: The owner of the former Fisk coal-fired power plant wants to demolish more than a dozen structures around the facility, a project that will require added city scrutiny because of risks to public health and the environment. […] Midwest Generation, a division of NRG Energy, is seeking city permission to tear down 13 structures, including storage tanks and silos, around the more than century-old building. The demolition will require dust control and other precautions.

* WAND | Mayor Brandon Johnson visits WGN Radio – talks taxes and federal troops: Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson joins Bob Sirott to discuss Chicago’s crime statistics over the years, his suggestion concerning vacancies on Michigan Avenue, and what he thinks about President Trump claiming that he will send federal troops to Chicago. He also talks about the affordability of housing in Chicago compared to other big cities, how property taxes will be handled going forward, and Bob’s advice to Mayor Johnson.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Capitol News Illinois | ‘We are not backing down’: Feds ramp up immigration raids in Chicago area: Some public officials have directly confronted DHS agents. State Sen. Karina Villa, D-West Chicago, posted a video Monday showing her approaching masked federal agents in SUVs in a West Chicago neighborhood. Villa, a candidate for comptroller, was seen running down the street telling people to hide in their homes. Crowds have also gathered in protest outside a Broadview detention facility where ICE is holding people in custody. The protests have occasionally devolved into skirmishes with ICE tactical teams as protesters have blocked entries and exits into the facility.

* Tribune | Cook County to consider $22.3 million for men wrongly convicted in fatal fire: At a 2012 hearing, attorneys questioned CPD’s conclusions about the fire, alleging abuse by detectives and failure by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office to question the narrative. It took another ten years — with delays partly driven by the pandemic — before the three men were exonerated and released, in 2022. The Chicago City Council agreed to pay a collective $48 million settlement to the men back in May. Commissioners on the county board’s Finance Committee are set to consider paying each man $7.45 million.

* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County residents urged to document ICE actions: Knowing they cannot stop raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Lake County, leaders like state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove, are urging residents to bear witness and make a record of area ICE activities. “When you see ICE, take out your phone and video everything you see,” she said Tuesday. “Get videos and photos from all angles. This is putting ICE on notice that we will not tolerate them terrorizing us and our communities.”

* Daily Herald | Opponents of closing maternity ward at Alexian Brothers in Elk Grove Village take case to state board: Opponents of Ascension’s plan to halt obstetric services at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village took their case to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board, which held a hearing this week in Elk Grove Village. They gave testimony highlighting potential risks to expectant mothers as childbirth services are consolidated under the umbrella of the St. Alexius Women and Children’s Hospital in Hoffman Estates.

* Daily Herald | Firefighters will relocate to Rosemont when Des Plaines firehouse is replaced: The Des Plaines City Council on Monday approved an agreement with Rosemont that will allow the crew members and vehicles normally at Des Plaines Station No. 62 to use Rosemont’s Station No. 2 for at least one year. Rosemont approved the agreement Sept. 8. The agreement ensures uninterrupted fire and emergency medical coverage in southern Des Plaines during the eventual construction of a new Station No 62, Fire Chief Matt Matzl said in a memo.

* Naperville Sun | Identifying someone who’s died not as simple as it sounds in some cases, DuPage coroner says: As the second most-populous county in Illinois, DuPage sees about 10,000 deaths a year, Lukas said. Not all of those deaths get reported to the coroner. If a person dies of a natural death and a physician is available to sign the death certificate, the coroner is not needed. State laws determine which deaths get reported to the coroner. “We are obligated by law to investigate any sudden, unexpected or unexplained deaths,” Lukas said. Of the 10,000 or so deaths a year, about 6,500 will come through the coroner’s office. That number includes not just physical bodies, but also cremation permit requests and deaths reported by hospice organizations.

*** Downstate ***

* Shaw Local | Kankakee City Council rejects plan for Fortitude shelter: A homeless shelter will not be operated in Kankakee by Fortitude Community Outreach – at least for the next 12 months. At Monday’s Kankakee City Council meeting, the conditional use permit request was rejected by a 12-0 vote despite another impassioned plea from supporters of the organization.

* Daily Egyptian | Why is SIU using AI when our syllabi say that students can’t?: SIU System President Dan Mahony said naming ceremonies are “extraordinarily rare” — he’s only ever attended three. But this one was extra special, because the School of Journalism and Advertising became the first school at SIU to be named after a woman. […] “We decided to do something entirely different and have ChatGPT give us a bio on Charlotte,” Mahony said. “And I find that whole concept terrifying, but her bio is really incredibly impressive, and ChatGPT was clearly impressed as well. And I will say they gave me this task because they’ve heard me speak before and decided you better read something.”

* WGLT | Panel centering LGBTQ immigration issues convenes in Bloomington: A lunchtime panel this week aims to illuminate specific challenges and barriers LGBTQ immigrants face. The panel, sponsored by Prairie Pride Coalition, is connected to Welcoming Week, a nationwide initiative advocating for inclusive communities, and features representatives from The Immigration Project, Illinois State University’s Queer Coalition and Rainbow Railroad, a global nonprofit which helps LGBTQ people escape persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

* NPR Illinois | Study: UIS contributes nearly $1 billion to the Illinois economy: The University of Illinois Springfield added $943.2 million to the Illinois economy during fiscal year 2023, according to a new economic impact study conducted by Lightcast, a nationally recognized labor market analytics firm. […] The analysis found that UIS supports 9,093 jobs statewide through operations, student and visitor spending, volunteer contributions and the increased productivity of alumni. The largest single impact comes from UIS graduates, whose higher earnings and contributions to Illinois businesses added $847.9 million to the state’s economy in 2023.

*** National ***

* NPR | RFK Jr. ‘wanted blanket approval’ for changes at CDC, fired director testifies: “He just wanted blanket approval,” Monarez told members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Wednesday. “Even under pressure, I could not replace evidence with ideology.” Over the three-hour hearing, Monarez repeatedly countered Kennedy’s claims – which he outlined in a Wall Street Journal op-ed and reiterated during a congressional hearing in early September – that she was fired because she was not a “trustworthy person.”

* AP | Federal Reserve cuts key rate for first time this year: The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. Yet the central bank’s focus has shifted quickly from inflation, which remains modestly above its 2% target, to jobs, as hiring has grounded nearly to a halt in recent months and the unemployment rate has ticked higher. Lower interest rates could reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, car loans, and business loans, and boost growth and hiring.

* Tax Notes | Present at the Creation: A Short History of the SALT Deduction: The United States has never had a federal income tax without a SALT deduction to make it more palatable. Lawmakers have defended the deduction on various grounds, typically advancing claims about fairness and federalism. But Congress has often treated the deduction’s existence as a given — an element of the law so obviously necessary that it requires almost no explanation.