* Sun-Times…

Frustration boiled over in a federal courtroom halfway through last week’s deposition of U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino, where a government lawyer said he felt “sandbagged” and the lawyers questioning Bovino complained of a “substantial amount of obstruction.”

It all ended with U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis reminding a Justice Department lawyer that he should at least show respect for the office she holds, telling him “it’s not that I expect you to respect me as a person.” […]

Still, plaintiffs’ lawyers complained to Ellis that Bovino had “been instructed on dozens of occasions not to answer questions,” and that about 35 percent of the first 2 ½ hours of the five-hour deposition was consumed by lawyers arguing over the proper form of the questions.

Justice Department lawyer Sarmad Khojasteh called that characterization “grossly false.” But after watching the lawyers interact in her courtroom, Ellis said “I suspect more time has been spent on the record with lawyers talking than Mr. Bovino talking.”

The Tribune…

As Ellis tried to explain that she agreed questions about how Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targets certain people for immigration enforcement were “not relevant,” Khojasteh cut her off again, saying, “They have asked those questions today. I’m just letting you know,” according to the transcript. […]

Khojasteh also complained that he’d spent an entire day prepping Bovino on a particular set of issues, only to have plaintiffs’ attorneys confront him with a “grab bag of anything.”

“I mean, they asked today about communications with Stephen Miller,” Khojasteh told the judge. “They asked today about body cam from the Los Angeles (immigration operation)…I feel sand bagged right now.”

* NPR…

The Trump administration says it will restart SNAP food benefits but it will pay out only half the amount people normally get.

The administration says it will use money from an Agriculture Department contingency fund. The $5 billion in that fund falls well short of the full cost of SNAP benefits — $8 billion — each month. In a court filing, officials said depleting that fund means “no funds will remain for new SNAP applicants certified in November, disaster assistance, or as a cushion against the potential catastrophic consequences of shutting down SNAP entirely.”

The decision comes after two federal judges ruled that freezing payments for the country’s biggest anti-hunger program is unlawful, even as the money ran out this weekend for the 42 million people who rely on SNAP to put food on the table. The government’s response is part of the case in Rhode Island. […]

The administration warns there could be lengthy delays before benefits get into the hands of low-income families who depend on SNAP to put food on the table.

…Adding… Crain’s…

Lou Sandoval is out as CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce after two years.

The chamber declined to comment further on Sandoval’s departure. Board Chairman Dan Wagner has been named interim CEO of the statewide business group.

Sandoval took over as CEO after Todd Maisch, who led the organization for nearly a decade, died in 2023 at age 57.

*** Statewide ***

* Shaw Local | Hunters Feeding Illinois program under threat, deepening supply shortages for local food pantries: While SNAP-Ed couldn’t pay for the deer processing itself, Extension staff raised money through local donations and grants to reimburse processors and help cover costs. SNAP-Ed funding pays for the staff who built those connections by coordinating between hunters, processors and pantries, handling logistics and organizing nutrition education at food distribution sites. Federal funds don’t go toward the meat but toward the people and planning that kept the program running smoothly. Without that funding, Hunters Feeding Illinois would be unable to operate, leaving local pantries like the Community Food Basket in Ottawa, uncertain of what to expect if the program isn’t reinstated.

* Inside Higher Ed | Illinois Launches Effort to Re-Enroll Some College, No Degree Cohort: Illinois has launched a statewide effort to re-enroll students who stopped out of college, in partnership with ReUp Education, a company focused on recruiting and supporting adult learners, according to a news release. ReUp has established a re-enrollment marketplace in Illinois that will connect stopped-out learners with 19 participating community colleges and universities and provide them with live coaching and other resources. The platform will be accessible to 200,000 Illinois residents who have earned some college credits but not completed a degree. Nationwide, about 43 million Americans fall into that category.

* STLPR | Some Midwest soybeans are headed to China again, but farmers still need other buyers: Soybeans yields are predicted to hit record highs in states like Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. Total production is also on track with previous years, according to data from the USDA. That abundance, along with the trade war, has driven soybean prices down. Soybean farmers in the southern portion of the Midwest, such as Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, will have better options for selling their harvests, economists say. Many are closer to crushing facilities and can also ship their soybeans along the Mississippi River to be exported across the Atlantic Ocean. However, producers to the north in the Dakotas and Minnesota, who have long relied on railroads to ship their soybean crops west and on to China, will be hit the hardest by the trade war.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Gun Violence Prevention Action Committee releases 2025 gun safety report card: As the 2026 legislative elections draw near, the Gun Safety Report Card is a useful tool to evaluate the commitment of state lawmakers on several laws that collectively work to create safer communities across Illinois by making it more difficult for dangerous individuals to obtain firearms, protecting children and at-risk individuals from accessing firearms in their homes, and expanding enforcement and accountability to ensure these laws are upheld. In this year’s Report Card, 60% of legislators earned an A while 30% failed.

* Evanston Roundtable | Springfield roundup: Parking minimums, immigration and more from veto session: Besides the revenues and reforms that captured most of the attention, the transit bill also incorporates the People Over Parking Act, which targets vehicle parking requirements for developments in local zoning codes. A previous version of the act was introduced earlier in the year, alongside other statewide zoning bills supported by an ad hoc housing advisory committee convened by Pritzker last year, though none of the others made it across the finish line during the veto session.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | Measure Designed to Protect Chicago’s South, West Sides From Pollution Stalls: A measure designed to reduce the burden air, water and soil pollution imposes on South and West side neighborhoods remains stalled, six months after Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced the proposed ordinance and more than two years after the mayor promised to act. Even though the city’s annual departmental budget hearings were put on hold Monday to allow the Chicago City Council’s Zoning Committee to consider the measure named for Hazel Johnson, known as the mother of the environmental justice movement for her work in Altgeld Gardens, Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th Ward) announced he would not call a vote on the measure, long mired in legislative limbo.

* ABC Chicago | Manny’s Deli offering free meals to SNAP recipients affected by gov. shutdown: In Chicago, Manny’s Deli in the South Loop will give a free family meal to customers who show their SNAP Link card through this week. On Monday, the line wrapped around the restaurant as recepients waited for a free sandwhich. “I was having a lunch with a longtime customer and mentor and he gave me the idea to do this. It kind inspired me . We thought this was the best way to help Chicago at the time,” owner Dan Raskin said.

* Tribune | Operation Midway Blitz linked to dip in 911 calls, especially in Little Village: And nowhere is the decrease more pronounced than in Little Village, home to Chicago’s largest Mexican American population, where calls to 911 have fallen by more than 21% since the surge of federal immigration officers began, city data show. Neighborhood leaders acknowledge a sharp year-over-year decline in crime, but note that the wave of immigration enforcement has left many residents in fear of calling 911 for help during that stretch.

* Tribune | Chicago woman dragged out of her car after colliding with ICE demands accountability: Seconds after the crash, agents abruptly stopped their vehicle and exited with weapons in hand pointing at Figueroa, a U.S citizen. Agents then forcibly opened her door and pulled her out of the vehicle by her legs without identifying themselves, presenting a warrant or informing her that she was under arrest. As bystanders yelled, “You hit her! We have it on video!” agents ignored the crowd and forced Figueroa into a red minivan and drove away. Her car was left behind in the middle of the road, her coffee still in the cup holder, and her keys in plain view.

* Crain’s | Quantum park developers seek IEPA sign-off to begin work: The state’s EPA late last week disclosed the results of a site investigation and remediation plan from Related Midwest and CRG for the property at 8080 S. Lake Shore Drive. The Chicago developers, backed by $500 million in state funding, are poised to break ground on the 128-acre Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park on the south end of the land, the centerpiece of a broader 59-million-square-foot megadevelopment dubbed Quantum Shore Chicago.

* Sun-Times | CTA hopes this kind of rush hour — subway surfing — doesn’t take root here as it has in New York: Nine people partaking in the high-stakes thrill-seeking in that city’s subways since last year have been killed, and police have made roughly 300 arrests, authorities say. Nothing even close to that is happening in Chicago, but CTA records show train surfing is indeed occurring in Chicago, with 24 incidents logged since 2023 — though transit employees and others say the reckless behavior is surely occurring more than the records indicate.

* Block Club | Inside Diner Grill, The Tiny Eatery That’s Kept Stragglers Fed For 88 Years: Amid the growth of food delivery apps and the slow recovery of the restaurant industry, Diner Grill has weathered the changes with resilience, a bastion for the hungry and the drunk, the blue- and white-collar workers, the families and the loners, its iconic white and black neon sign blazing night and day.

* WBEZ | This year’s Millennium Park Christmas tree is a 67-foot-tall Norway spruce from Glenview: The folks at the city who are responsible for picking the tree said they were impressed, among other things, by the tree’s size. “We couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this,” said Neil Heitz, director of production at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events “This year’s tree is bigger than many of the trees that we had in the past. We’re thrilled to continue building on a Chicago tradition that brings so many people together.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Electrical equipment maker lays off 185 in shift from Illinois to Indiana: Panduit, a maker of electrical and computer networking equipment, is laying off 185 employees at a DeKalb warehouse by year-end. The company, which is based in Tinley Park, recently received tax incentives to build a new warehouse in northwest Indiana. “To modernize and align our distribution network for future growth, Panduit made the strategic decision to move operations from DeKalb to a new, state-of-the-art facility in Merrillville,” a spokeswoman said.

* Sun-Times | Suburban man hospitalized after allegedly being struck during ICE arrest: Ricardo Rodriguez, 53, was riding his bike to get groceries when federal agents stopped him, according to Rodriguez’s niece Stephanie Suaine. Videos circulating on social media show an agent placing Rodriguez in a chokehold and striking his head at least once before two more agents approach and appear to put Rodriguez in handcuffs. “My uncle got up and they punched him … they’re still choking him,” Stephanie Suaine said as she watched the video. “It makes me mad because he’s old already, they shouldn’t be treating old people like that.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Decatur restaurant, community paying it forward: free meals for those in need: What started as an idea for free lunches, has turned into more than 200 meals in just a few days. Bobbie Lane’s BBQ in Decatur is calling it the “pay it forward” wall. Customers can buy a meal, put the ticket on the wall, and then someone else can eat for free. The General Manager, Brandon Dulik, said that they chose to do this because of concerns about SNAP benefits running out and food insecurity rising.

* IPM News | Where to find food assistance in Central Illinois as SNAP funding runs out on Nov. 1: Illinois Extension has launched a tool called Find Food IL Community Food Map displaying food pantries and other resources across the state. The Eastern Illinois Foodbank partners with agencies to distribute food and groceries across 21 counties. The organization also operates a Foodmobile program offering scheduled drive-thru food pantries in various communities.

* Daily Herald | NIU welcomes Illinois Senate minority leader for ‘Rebuilding Democracy’ lecture: This event, conducted on Zoom, will feature a discussion between Curran, Dean Robert Brinkmann and College of Law Dean Cassandra Hill on various topics, such as the current state of democracy, states’ rights, ethical leadership in uncertain times, economic development, issues facing the state and taxpayers and a preview of the upcoming legislative session. A moderated question-and-answer session will follow.

* WCIA | Firefighters respond to second molten glass leak in Macon Co.: The Mt. Zion Fire Protection District said crews were called back just after 3 p.m. The fire protection district said the call was upgraded to a third-alarm since their firefighters were “exhausted” from battling the larger leak earlier, and because the crews didn’t know how large the leak was.

* NPR Illinois | Country star Lainey Wilson to play 2026 Illinois State Fair: “We couldn’t think of a more powerful way to kick off our 2026 Grandstand announcements than with Lainey Wilson,” said Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II. “She’s a trailblazer in country music, and her show will be an unforgettable experience for our fairgoers.”

* Smile Politely | Smashing pumpkins in Urbana: Sorry, I don’t mean the band in case you were thinking that. I’m talking about the pumpkin smash event at the Landscape Recycling Center. The center has a food scrap pile and is inviting folks with old, post-Halloween pumpkins to come smash them up to make compost and grow new plants. Make sure you aren’t trying to dispose of pumpkins that have paint, coatings, or lights and such; they will not be accepted. But that mushy, squirrel-ravaged carved one that looks like it’s been on your porch since 1979? Don’t stick it in the trash, smash it!

*** National ***

* Lexinton Herald Leader| Martha Layne Collins, KY’s first woman governor & Toyota dealmaker, dies at 88: In an exit survey conducted at the 1983 polls, a strong majority of Kentucky voters said they had personally met Collins in the year leading up to the election. “It was like in the ‘80s,” Luallen recalled. “I remember the pollsters being shocked by that, but it was because she was everywhere. “Nobody could outwork her.”

* 404 Media | Flock Logins Exposed In Malware Infections, Senator Asks FTC to Investigate the Company: Lawmakers have called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate Flock for allegedly violating federal law by not enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA), according to a letter shared with 404 Media. The demand comes as a security researcher found Flock accounts for sale on a Russian cybercrime forum, and 404 Media found multiple instances of Flock-related credentials for government users in infostealer infections, potentially providing hackers or other third parties with access to at least parts of Flock’s surveillance network.