* WGLT…

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has filed a lawsuit against State Farm alleging the insurance giant has not complied with a regulatory examination.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Illinois Department of Insurance [IDOI] Director Ann Gillespie, alleges the Bloomington-based company did not comply during an examination into its nationwide homeowner’s insurance business.

State Farm said the lawsuit is without merit and “has nothing to do with Illinois customers or the cost of their insurance.”

Raoul’s office said IDOI is seeking zip-code level nationwide data about State Farm’s policies, including premiums collected, the types of policy coverage and insurance limits, and the number of claims against the policy.

Raoul charges State Farm violated the Illinois insurance code by refusing to provide the data.

***************** Advertisement *****************

Illinois families are already stretched thin and a delivery tax would push them even further. For Illinois residents, delivery services are essential, not optional. Working parents, seniors, and those with limited mobility rely on them for groceries, meals, and everyday needs. Now, a proposed delivery tax threatens to raise costs on the families who can least afford it.

Learn more about the impact of a delivery tax and why we MUST stop it.

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* Stelantis announced plans to reopen the Belvidere plant yesterday. Bloomberg today…

Canada threatened legal action against Stellantis NV after the carmaker announced it would shift Jeep Compass SUV manufacturing from Brampton, Ontario to Belvidere, Illinois following President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Industry Minister Melanie Joly would consider Stellantis in “default” in light of government support extended to the automaker, following an agreement to “maintain its full Canadian footprint, including Brampton,” she told Chief Executive Officer Antonio Filosa in a letter seen by Bloomberg, dated Wednesday.

Joly called the plan to move Jeep manufacturing south of the border “unacceptable” and demanded Stellantis “quickly identify new mandates for Brampton that ensure the facility remains central to your manufacturing footprint, and that contracts with Canadian suppliers be honored.” […]

Joly specifically identified “legally binding commitments” Stellantis made in the past such as by accepting support via Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund.

* WAND…

Governor JB Pritzker has joined the launch of the Governors Public Health Alliance, a new multi-state coalition aimed at defending public health and science-based healthcare policy.

The Alliance includes 15 governors, collectively representing 129 million Americans — or roughly 37% of the U.S. population.

The group plans to coordinate efforts on issues like vaccine policy, healthcare access, and emergency response, especially in light of recent federal actions that state leaders say have undermined trust in science and created confusion around public health guidelines.

*** Statewide ***

* WAND | IDNR grants send 740+ Illinois students to historic sites: More than 740 students across Illinois will have the chance to explore the state’s rich history this school year, thanks to over $6,740 in grants awarded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The funding comes from the IDNR’s State Historic Sites Field Trip Grant Program, which helps schools cover the cost of transportation for educational field trips to state historic sites. According to the IDNR, this year’s awards — distributed through 14 grants across 12 counties — mark the largest amount of funding given by the program since it began in the 2020-2021 school year.

*** Congressionals ***

* Tribune | Laura Washington: Former US Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. explains how he hopes to win voters back: “So, of the petitions that we will file, 80% of them will have been gathered in front of the Markham courthouse, the single busiest building in the 2nd Congressional District,” he said. Thousands of people flow through the courthouse every week, Jackson Jr. said, and they are “walking past our circulators, signing our petitions. So, I’m not running away from the criminal justice system. I’m not running away from what I’ve been through or the story that men and women in this district are experiencing every single day.”

* In the 9th CD…

In #IL09, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss just barely edged out Kat Abughazaleh, raising $620,809 to her $620,152 last quarter. Abughazaleh has slightly more cash on hand — $1,012,275 to Biss' $1,010,267. #twill

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) October 15, 2025

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson rejects IG recommendation he fire top advisor: Johnson declined to fire the advisor, senior Jason Lee, and denied that he failed to cooperate with the investigation. The back and forth was revealed in a summary report released Wednesday by the city’s top watchdog. Lee is not named by the inspector general’s office, which is generally prohibited from identifying officials by name, but he called the Tribune to defend his handling of the case. Witzburg’s report stems from fall 2023 encounters between Lee and Ald. Bill Conway. At the time, Johnson was pushing an increased real estate transfer tax on properties over $1 million to help fund citywide homeless services and an end to the tipped wage for restaurant workers. Conway was looking to have an encampment near Union and Ogilvie stations removed, which he said was a trouble spot for drugs and violent crime in the ward.

* Block Club | 15-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Taken By Feds For 5 Hours After East Side Protest, Attorney Says: In the commotion the 15-year-old boy, a Black and Hispanic U.S. citizen, was slammed to the ground, kneed in the back and zip-tied by Border Patrol agents, attorneys from the Romanucci and Blandin law firm said in a statement. The boy was taken to a federal facility and handcuffed inside a car in a garage for five hours, according to the attorneys. He was never booked, read his rights or allowed to contact his mother, who had “no idea where her son was or whether he [was] safe,” according to the attorneys.

* Crain’s | Bally’s faces lender wrath on debt plan involving Chicago casino: A group of lenders have banded together in a cooperation pact to block Bally’s latest attempt on Tuesday to amend some of its roughly $1.9 billion term loan, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Bally’s had failed to secure their support by last week’s deadline, with investors concerned about the value of their collateral and future paydowns, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing a private situation.

* Tribune | Two Chicago cops, firefighter and ex-city employee charged with lying about income to get housing subsidies: Charged in four separate indictments were: Fredrick White, 37, and Sherry Chester, 44, both veterans of the Chicago police department; Kaneasha Twyman, 37, a veteran firefighter and paramedic; and Tyrone Coleman, 61, a retired hoisting engineer with the Department of Water Management. Each defendant was charged with defrauding a government program and wire fraud. Coleman pleaded not guilty at an arraignment Tuesday before U.S. District Judge John Kness, court records show. His lawyer, Chris Hotaling, declined to comment.

* WTTW | ‘Back Off’: Pritzker Blames ICE Strike Teams for Creating ‘Mayhem’ Across Chicago: “ICE is causing this mayhem,” Pritzker told reporters after an unrelated event. “They’re the ones who are tossing tear gas when people are peacefully protesting. ICE is the one who’s going into neighborhoods where they, frankly, are causing fear among people who live in those neighborhoods, work in those neighborhoods, so they need to back off.”

* Tribune | Feds target ride-share drivers at O’Hare: ‘They didn’t focus on anybody who didn’t look Mexican’: Last Friday, Border Patrol officers arrested 18 people at O’Hare, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed. Labor groups said immigration officers targeted the ride-share drivers’ parking lot. Stacy McCloud, who works at a food truck in the lot, told the Tribune she saw it all. Immigration agents came to the parking lot twice Friday, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, McCloud said Monday. They surrounded the lot and blocked off its entrance, she said.

* Block Club | Hundreds Pack ‘Whistlemania’ Events To Fight ICE In Chicago: ‘We Have To Stand Up For One Another’: Participants put together the kits that included a whistle, a Know Your Rights printout, a zine with instructions on how and when to use the whistle and rights cards that can be handed to an immigration officer if someone is detained. Ultimately, people helped pack more than 17,000 whistle kits that can help protect neighbors, said Alonso Zaragoza, one of the organizers and leader of Belmont Cragin United.

* Block Club | Block Club Chicago Launches WhatsApp Channel Focused On Chicago Immigration News: Block Club’s team knows how confusing and fast immigration news is hitting Chicago as Operation Midway Blitz continues. So, in the hopes of simplifying the news for our readers, we’ve launched a WhatsApp channel to share Block Club’s daily recaps of ICE news and other breaking immigration news directly to your phone.

* Tribune | Chicago man indicted for allegedly soliciting killing of Gregory Bovino, but without contention of gang involvement: The initial criminal complaint filed earlier this month alleged Martinez was a high-ranking member of the Latin Kings street gang and was marshaling gang resources to go after Bovino, who was not specifically identified as the target. While the indictment does not mention any gang affiliation, prosecutors could still revive those allegations later in superseding charges or if the case were to get to trial.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Lake County News-Sun | Lake County votes to bar federal agents from government-owned property: ‘We are in a time of fascism’: Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart, District 13, said State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart tracked down the executive order and drafted a similar resolution. According to a State’s Attorney’s Office representative, officials have identified 28 locations that would be impacted by the decision, although additional research might lead to the discovery of more locations. The move comes as Lake County finds itself caught up in a broader immigration enforcement fight in the Chicago area. Last week, a Waukegan incident caught on video drew notable media attention when Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham attempted to intervene in the arrest of native-born American citizen Dariana Fajardo.

* ABC Chicago | Evanston-Skokie District 65 presents proposed school closure scenarios to address budget deficit: The school board talked about school closure scenarios to address a combination of money problems and declining enrollment. On Tuesday afternoon, people started to gather at Dawes Elementary in Evanston to protest some of these proposed plans. “You were wrong, and your misjudgment has harmed real people,” one parent at the meeting said.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora looks to expand allowed number of gambling machines: Aurora is looking at expanding the number of gambling terminals establishments are allowed to have, which officials say could bring in over $200,000 a year in new revenue for the city. Currently, city code allows licensed establishments to have up to five “video gaming” terminals. The new proposal would increase that number to six and increase the total number of allowed terminals within city limits by 40 for a total of 240.

* Daily Southtown | Will County state’s attorney employee faces felony charges: Amy Burgett-Masse, an employee of the state’s attorney’s office, was also charged with two counts of official misconduct, both felonies, for knowingly using her position “with the intent to obstruct, impede, or prevent the investigation, apprehension, or prosecution of (a) criminal offense or person,” the charges state. The computer tampering incidents allegedly took place between Sept. 20, 2024 to May 6, according to court documents.

* Daily Herald | E-bike and e-scooter regulations coming to Mundelein: Mundelein is joining the growing list of suburbs taking on the battery-powered bikes, scooters and other motorized wheeled machines that have become omnipresent in recent months — and the safety issues that has created. Responding to a resident’s grievance during Monday’s village board meeting, Mayor Robin Meier said the issue “is under discussion” at village hall.

* Press Release | Gov. Pritzker Unveils Zero-Emission Locomotives Manufactured in Minooka: Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) joined Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT) and Motive Power Resources, Inc. (MPR) to celebrate the commissioning of their latest zero-emission, battery electric locomotive. Bolstered by a Reimagining Energy and Vehicles in Illinois (REV Illinois) agreement, Motive Power Resources, Inc. has been expanding their facilities to increase production of IRT-designed battery electric locomotives and battery configurations to retrofit diesel locomotives for use in the United States and Canada.

*** Downstate ***

* WQAD | Legality concerns over Rock Island’s social services licensing ordinance: Advocacy groups are claiming the City of Rock Island’s ordinance on social services licensing violates the Illinois Bill of Rights for the Homeless Act On Monday, Rock Island City Council passed an ordinance regulating what social services must do to receive licensing. The new ordinance will affect any new services, while existing services such as Project NOW and Christian Care have 90 days to apply for the license.

* WMBD | CASA expands to Fulton County, boosting foster child advocacy: This will allow more children in the foster care system to have advocates make sure their voices are heard in court, CASA Executive Director Kelly Price said. CASA is a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains Court Appointed Special Advocates for children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

* WCIA | Former EIU staff, union president speak out on job cuts: “I have devoted 20 years to public broadcasting, you know, WEIU TV. This has been my dream job. I have loved PBS so much that this is what I wanted to do for a living. I started out at the bottom of the barrel, I was a master control operator, and then I just got promoted, and I wanted to be the program director because I want to pick the shows that people watch, the shows that I love, and now I can’t do that,” White said. He is one of the 17 staff members being laid off.

* Fox Chicago | Forgotten 1800s cemetery finds new life thanks to local volunteers: After nearly a century of neglect, the Naramor Cemetery in LaSalle County, about 90 miles southwest of Chicago, is re-emerging from the weeds, thanks to some dedicated volunteers and an amateur historian. FOX 32’s Dane Placko reports the old cemetery is providing a treasure trove of new information. “You’re looking at a cemetery that was completely forgotten and destroyed,” said John Kettman, caretaker of the cemetery.

* BND | Judge rules Cahokia school district broke labor law at start of last year : “By their words and actions, viewed objectively from the standpoint of a reasonable employee, (Superintendent Curtis) McCall (Jr.) and (Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Tanya) Mitchell conveyed to the District’s gathered employees (that) the Union was ineffectual and it was futile to trust it could make gains on their behalf,” Brosnan wrote. “And, accordingly, those words and actions had the effect of coercing, restraining or interfering with those employees’ exercise of protected rights.”

* BND | SWIC to spend millions on capital improvements and other metro-east college news: SWIC is moving ahead with $62 million in capital projects. These aim to improve and expand its campuses, yet significant details remain undisclosed. Plans involve constructing a multi-use building for the police academy. SIUE announced a balanced budget after a previous deficit. Chancellor James Minor shared enrollment growth and program cuts that contributed to this financial achievement.

*** National ***

* Hollywood Reporter | YouTube Just Ate TV. It’s Only Getting Started: When asked a few minutes later whether that means YouTube is in a strong position to carry exclusive NFL games going forward, Goodell was unequivocal. “Absolutely,” he said. But as big a deal as YouTube becoming a league broadcast partner would be (on top of its existing $2 billion deal for NFL Sunday Ticket), the platform’s scale and cultural relevance were also on display in Santa Clara. Even with the 49ers on the field, a large group of kids on a rope line near the stands were screaming for one of the creators that had joined Mohan, sports influencer Jesse “Jesser” Riedel, as parents jockeyed to get them closer for a photo or autograph.

* AP | Supreme Court seems inclined to limit race-based electoral districts under the Voting Rights Act: During 2 1/2 hours of arguments, the court’s six conservative justices seemed inclined to effectively strike down a Black majority congressional district in Louisiana because it relied too heavily on race. Such an outcome would mark a fundamental change in the 1965 voting rights law, the centerpiece legislation of the Civil Rights Movement, that succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting.

* Bloomberg | China’s Soy Imports Hit September Record, Despite Avoiding US: China’s soybean imports hit a record high for the month of September, even as the country avoids US supplies amid a resurgence in trade tensions between the agriculture powerhouses. The world’s top buyer brought in 12.9 million tons of soybeans in September, the highest ever recorded for that month, customs data showed. Chinese crushers have been bolstering supplies of the oilseed with shipments mainly from Brazil, and in the meantime, shunning US cargoes as high tariffs and political risks make the trade unviable.