* The Tribune…

Three weeks after former House Speaker Michael Madigan reported to federal prison, his lawyers have filed a long-awaited appeal to overturn his corruption conviction, arguing the prosecution flaunted recent Supreme Court rulings reining in the use of the bribery and fraud statutes and instead stretched the laws “past their breaking points.”

The 71-page filing with the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals said allegations surrounding two of the central prongs in the case — the ComEd bribery scheme and Madigan’s offer to help then-Ald. Daniel Solis get a state board position — “improperly criminalizes the rough-and-tumble business of state politics in direct contradiction of recent Supreme Court rulings.”

Madigan’s lawyers also accused the U.S. attorney’s office of “throwing years’ worth of legislative action and political relationships at the jury in the hopes of making something stick.” […]

The filing also alleged U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey erred in several key rulings at trial, including allowing prosecutors to proceed with a “stream of benefits” theory that did not require proof of a quid pro quo or that Madigan had agreed to be influenced “on a specific question or matter.”

Click here to read the full appeal.

* Sun-Times…

The Regional Transportation Authority on Tuesday said it is no longer requiring the CTA, Metra and Pace to implement a 10% fare increases next year, following the passage last week of a historic transit funding package in the General Assembly.

The RTA, which must approve each of the agencies’ budgets this month, had insisted they each include the fare hike — even if state lawmakers approved a $1.5 billion spending package. […]

The transit bill prohibits fare hikes for the first year after the expected-to-be law goes into effect on June 1.

That caveat meant the RTA’s planned Feb. 1 fare increases could still go live. And it created some confusion about whether the hikes would be implemented until RTA’s statement Tuesday.

For now, the RTA is walking back on their request for a fare hike, following criticism from lawmakers instrumental to the bill’s passage.

*** Statewide ***

* BND | ‘Powderpuff’ pooch crowned the cutest dog in Illinois. Meet our contest winner: An 11-pound Chinese crested dog named Tommy has won the Belleville News Democrat’s cutest dog contest, with 1,131 votes in the final round. […] “He is totally living his best life. He is loved and pampered, and just has that personality where I don’t think he’s ever woken up and had a bad day. He’s happy immediately,” Shannon said.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Feds say Border Patrol vehicle tied to Brighton Park shooting wasn’t repaired prior to inspection:
Prosecutors say a Border Patrol mechanic in Maine attempted to “wipe off” some scuff marks but did no actual repairs on an immigration agent’s SUV after the agent shot a woman in Brighton Park last month. A court filing by the U.S. attorney’s office late Monday provided a more detailed timeline of what happened to the agent’s Chevrolet Tahoe after the Oct. 4 shooting that left Marimar Martinez wounded. Martinez’s attorney, meanwhile, filed a response Tuesday blasting the government’s “Karate Kid wax on, wax off narrative” about the vehicle as self-serving and arguing that a hearing should be held on the matter.

* Sun-Times | Plaintiffs’ lawyers: Bovino views protesters as ‘violent rioters,’ tells officers to ‘go hard’ against them: U.S. Border Patrol Commander-at-Large Gregory Bovino admitted to tossing gas before being hit by a rock in Little Village and separately instructed officers to arrest protesters “who make hyperbolic comments in the heat of political demonstrations,” court records show. Bovino also allegedly refused to admit that he’d ever seen protesters who were not violent rioters, giving his agents cause to “go hard” against them.

* Sun-Times | City Hall gift room highlights Mayor Johnson’s ‘hostility to oversight,’ inspector general says: In an advisory released Tuesday, Witzburg accused Johnson of failing to live up to his commitment to transparency. “My fear is that what we are seeing here is less about the cuff links and the Size 14 men’s shoes and it’s more about hostility to oversight. There is a reflexive hostility to oversight,” Witzburg told the Sun-Times.

* Tribune | Art Institute announces $50 million conservation center, with the public welcome to watch the work: Indeed, the Grainger Center will offer hitherto-unprecedented public engagement with the Art Institute’s conservation work. Glass doors will allow visitors to observe some conservation work from an anteroom gallery, which will feature rotating exhibitions tied to the department’s work. Some of that research came to the fore during the Art Institute’s 2023 Dalí exhibition, when conservators discovered that a Dali in their collection had been part of a set backdrop.

* Chicago Mag | The Video That Shook Chicago: Laquan McDonald’s death may well have become just another statistic if not for a yearlong battle by journalists, activists, and lawyers to unveil this video evidence of the brutal shooting. The consequences of their often intertwined efforts were wide-ranging. For the first time in nearly 35 years, a Chicago police officer was charged with first-degree murder for an on-duty killing. A U.S. Justice Department investigation uncovered a pattern of excessive force by Chicago police, leading to widespread reform measures. A police superintendent was fired. A state’s attorney lost her reelection bid. A mayor declined to run for office again.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Hearing over allegedly inhumane conditions at ‘black site’ Broadview facility underway: During an hourslong hearing on Tuesday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse, attorneys for Moreno Gonzalez and his fellow plaintiff, Felipe Agustin Zamacona, said the Broadview center operates like a “black site” where people are little access to attorneys and are coerced to sign away their rights. Former detainees testified about tiny meals, not enough water, cells crowded with more than 150 people and a lack of privacy, hygiene products and working showers. “The government is trying so doggedly to deport people at such a fast rate … access to counsel is more important than ever,” said Alexa Van Brunt, the plaintiffs’ lead attorney. “Once someone signs away their rights, its done.”

* WTTW | Broadview ICE Facility Lacks Beds, Showers, Adequate Food as Detainees Detail ‘Inhumane’ Conditions to Federal Judge: Attorneys also claim that ICE’s online detainee locator does not work properly and often does not provide updates on a person’s location for days, meaning their families do not know where they are. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jana Brady claimed that if the restraining order were to be approved as written, it would effectively halt the government’s ability to execute immigration laws in the state of Illinois.

* Fox Chicago | Paperwork error puts Chicago-area veteran’s home at risk: In the summer of 2023, he bought a modest home in suburban Glenwood from another disabled veteran. But just months after moving in, that $10,000 tax bill arrived. The county later corrected the mistake, issuing a certificate of error that reduced his tax bill to zero. Yet the problem keeps resurfacing

* Daily Southtown | Five candidates file for Will County sheriff; primaries likely in four county board districts: Eight out of the 11 districts for the Will County board are up for election. Each district has two representatives, and control of the board, which has been evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, is at stake. Four of those districts will have primaries in March.

* CBS Chicago | Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, to close at end of 2025-2026 school year: The board of trustees has voted to close the 66-year-old religious college in Palos Heights, Illinois, a news release announced Tuesday. Trinity will hold its final commencement ceremony on May 8, 2026. Trinity said it has tried its hardest to adjust its growth model and eliminate its deficit, but was hampered by post-COVID losses, persistent operating deficits, a decline in enrollment, increased competition for students, and shifting giving priorities by donors. After reviewing many options, the board voted on Monday to close the college.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | Urbana mayor says immigration enforcement underway: Mayor Williams confirmed in a statement that federal agents have been active in Urbana and nearby communities over the past several weeks. He did not disclose which other communities have seen federal operations. […] “Any immigration enforcement activity happening here has been conducted solely by federal authorities,” Williams said. “The Urbana Police Department has not participated in, coordinated with, or provided assistance for any of these actions.”

* WGLT | 17 file for McLean County Board; many state legislative incumbents are unopposed: There are 10 contested county board races on the ballot, one in each district. There will be no primaries for any county races next March, according to records posted online by the McLean County Clerk’s office. Democrats hold a 12-8 majority on the board. Six of the 10 seats on the ballot next year are currently held by Democrats. Only two of those races have a Republican candidate.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford Public Schools hopes free breakfast and lunch will help families manage SNAP loss: District officials said they intend to keep it that way despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding SNAP — the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. “Our core breakfast and lunch services will be completely uninterrupted,” said Ehren Jarrett, superintendent of Rockford Public Schools. “We know our children will get two really solid meals. And that is universally available, so even if a family previously felt like they had enough food security with their other benefits that they didn’t always need to do the breakfast or lunch, that’s available to all of our students.”

* WGLT | Normal narrowly greenlights underpass construction with tax increases: Each motion related to the project, including the $32 million construction cost, was approved with a tiebreaking vote from Mayor Chris Koos. Council members Kathleen Lorenz, Andy Byars and Scott Preston voted “no” each time, while members Kevin McCarthy, Karyn Smith and Rory Roberge voted “yes.” Aside from the cost of the project rising by $12 million over a previous estimate, several council members expressed concern about the limited amount of time the public was given between a work session last week and Monday’s vote.

* WCIA | 1950s U of I residence halls to be demolished, replaced: University Housing Associate Director of Communications and Marketing Chris Axtman-Barker said the U of I does not have a set timeline on when demolition will take place. But, he added that the new residence hall, currently referred to as “Residence Hall #4,” is expected to have between 600 to 800 beds with a 300 seat dining hall.

*** National ***

* NYT | How Gun Blasts From Indoor Shooting May Cause Brain Injuries: Evidence has emerged from the U.S. military that firing some military weapons can damage brain cells, and repeated exposure may cause permanent injuries. But there is next to no public information about the strength of the blast waves delivered by civilian firearms, or the potential hazard. So The New York Times did its own testing, and gathered its own data. Reporters measured the blasts of several popular civilian guns at an indoor range, using the same sensors that the military uses. The data showed that some large-caliber civilian rifles delivered a blast wave that exceeds what the military says is safe for the brain, and firing smaller-caliber guns repeatedly could quickly add up to potentially harmful exposure. The data also showed that indoor shooting ranges designed to make shooting safe inadvertently make blast exposure worse — doubling and sometimes tripling the amplitude of the blast.

* AP | Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine sales tumble after government guidance on the shots narrows: The fall COVID-19 vaccine season is starting slowly for Pfizer, with U.S. sales of its Comirnaty shots sinking 25% after federal regulators narrowed recommendations on who should get them. […] Dr. Amesh Adalja said vaccine rates have been “suboptimal” in recent years even for people considered a high risk for catching a bad case of COVID-19. “That’s only going to fall off more this season,” the senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said recently.