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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Dec 16, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* CNI | Illinois Extends Open Enrollment Deadline for Health Care Plans Starting Jan. 1: Illinois residents who buy health insurance on the state-run marketplace now have a little more time to sign up for coverage for the upcoming year. Officials at Get Covered Illinois, the new state-run marketplace for insurance sold under the Affordable Care Act, announced Tuesday they have extended the open enrollment deadline to Dec. 31 for coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2026. * Sun-Times | IHSA expands state football playoffs by 128 teams, moves the start of the season one week earlier: The Illinois High School Association state football playoffs will expand by 128 teams next season. IHSA schools voted in favor of adding 16 teams to each of the eight playoff classes. There were previously 32 teams in the playoffs in each of the eight classes. That will expand to 48 next season. The new schedule moves the start of the season up one week and eliminates the Week 0 scrimmage. * WAND | Over 81,000 deer harvested by Illinois hunters during 2025 firearm deer season: Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the season that ended Dec. 7. Hunters harvested 82,496 deer during the 2024 firearm season. The preliminary harvest for the second weekend of the firearm season Dec. 4-7 was 29,816 compared with 27,835 deer harvested during the same period in 2024. The preliminary harvest for the first weekend of this year’s firearm season Nov. 21-23 was 51,409 deer. * Press Release | AG Raoul secures court order protecting SNAP benefit: Attorney General Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, sued the Trump administration in November after it attempted to cut off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. On Dec. 10, the administration reversed this action and issued new guidance, confirming that lawful permanent residents, including former refugees and asylees, remain eligible for SNAP benefits. Despite that reversal, the administration continued to threaten states with millions of dollars in penalties, claiming that states were not entitled to a required “grace period” enabling them to properly implement the new guidance, even though the final guidance was not issued until December 10. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued an order Monday temporarily blocking those penalties. The court’s decision prohibits the federal government’s efforts to impose severe financial penalties on states and protects the continued operation of SNAP programs while the case proceeds. * Press Release | AG Raoul announces Hyundai, Kia settlement for sales of vehicles lacking industry-standard, anti-theft technology: From approximately 2011 to 2022, Hyundai and Kia failed to equip certain vehicle models with anti-theft immobilizers, which prevent the vehicle from operating without a key or key fob. In 2022 alone, there were over 7,000 Hyundai and Kia thefts in Chicago, which account for 10% of all registered Kia vehicles and 7% of all registered Hyundai vehicles in the city. Raoul joined a coalition in 2023 calling for the companies to take swift and comprehensive action. * Center Square | Wrongdoing complaints against Illinois state employees jumps nearly 30%: The Office of Executive Inspector General released its annual report for fiscal year 2025. The report found nearly 4,000 complaints, or a 29% increase over the prior fiscal year. “These published reports also illustrate a continued trend of misconduct involving employees’ conflicts of interest and/or improper secondary employment,” the OEIG’s Illinois Ethics Matters newsletter for December said. * Capitol City Now | Illinois unveils roadmap to lead the future of food and biomanufacturing: he Illinois Alternative Protein Innovation Task Force released its findings Monday, unveiling how the state can enhance its position as a leader in agricultural innovation and biomanufacturing. Established by Governor Pritzker in 2023, this task force — the first of its kind in the nation — analyzed how investments in the alternative protein sector can diversify Illinois’ economy, strengthen food security, and enhance the resilience of its food systems. Co-chairs Senator Mattie Hunter and Representative Mary Beth Canty, alongside state researchers and agricultural industry representatives, shared key recommendations in an event at the University of Illinois. * WCIA | Illinois law protecting missing people with developmental disabilities takes effect Jan. 1: A law that takes effect in the new year aims to improves protections for missing people with developmental disabilities. Senate Bill 1548 creates the Golden Search Awareness Program. State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign), one of the bill’s sponsors, said the law will help ensure law enforcement, families and communities have the tools to respond effectively when someone with developmental disabilities goes missing. * WCIA | New law tracks Illinois firefighter deaths from all causes: Starting Jan. 1, a law spearheaded by State Senator Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) will require the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal to begin tracking death records of all firefighters in Illinois including those who died by suicide and from fire service-related cancers. This, Castro said, will improve firefighter safety, foster transparency for loved ones, and ultimately help prevent further deaths and injuries. * The Intercept | AIPAC head hosts fundraiser for House Candidate who swears AIPAC isn’t backing her: AIPAC board president Michael Tuchin hosted a private fundraiser for Fine on Monday at his Los Angeles law office, where an Intercept reporter was turned away in the building’s front lobby. “The Intercept should not be here at all,” said a building security guard, relaying a message from fundraiser organizers. Three people entering the Century City high-rise office, however, confirmed that they were there to attend the Fine fundraiser. An attendee wearing a pin with adjoining U.S. and Israeli flags said she was there for the event and was whisked away by building security when asked why she supported Fine. * Evanston Now | Where the candidates stand: Guns: Daniel Biss, Evanston’s mayor since 2021, is arguing for the most dramatic gun control measure in the crowded field of Democrats — Repeal the Second Amendment. On his campaign site, Biss wrote that he will “fight for common sense gun laws that focus on protecting lives, not guns,” arguing for a repeal of the Second Amendment, which he said has been “grossly corrupted, transforming it from an 18th century militia regulation provision to the modern-day right to own weapons of war.” * Evanston Roundtable | Congressional roundup: Endorsements, fundraising and more year-end campaign updates: Biss also picked up support recently from the Chicago Painters District Council 14, the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). Other labor organizations have recently endorsed state Sen. Mike Simmons (7th District), including the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 308 representing CTA train workers, adding to his existing support from the ATU 241 representing bus operators for the CTA and Pace. Simmons also has new support from the Congressional Black Caucus PAC and Equality PAC, the latter of which is associated with the Congressional Equality Caucus in the House of Representatives. * Tribune | Aldermen turn to bag tax, ads on bridge houses to try to balance budget: Aldermen attempting to pass their own 2026 Chicago budget over Mayor Brandon Johnson’s objections revealed Tuesday morning that they will try to balance their plan with increases in liquor taxes, plastic bag fees and Uber charges, along with millions from ads on downtown bridge houses and legalized video gambling. The renegade group claiming a City Council majority released plans to close a $42 million 2026 budget gap created by them removing a garbage fee increase from their package and restoring funding for youth summer jobs. * Block Club | Border Patrol Boss Greg Bovino Back In Chicago As Agents Target Southwest Side: Speaking from the parking lot of a Home Depot in Cicero, Bovino said it’s “unknown at this time” how long he will remain in Chicago. He said “several hundred” agents have accompanied him in his return to the area. “It’s going to be a merry Christmas in Chicago,” Bovino told Block Club reporters. “We’re going to enforce immigration law, and that’s what we’re here doing.” * WTTW | Roseland Hospital Failed to Monitor a Patient During a Mental Health Crisis, Regulators Say. Now He’s Charged With Killing His Wife: Roseland’s failure to properly treat Patton and prevent him from leaving the hospital while in crisis, documented by hospital regulators in a report obtained by WTTW News, was such a serious breach the hospital received an “immediate jeopardy” citation. That warning is the most serious deficiency a health care facility can be cited for, according to federal guidelines. It’s categorized as a failure that’s “clearly identifiable due to the severity of its harm or likelihood for serious harm and the immediate need for it to be corrected to avoid further or future serious harm.” […] Since 2023, Roseland has received at least four immediate jeopardy citations, with one case involving the death of an adult and another where a pregnant woman was transferred to another hospital before Roseland properly stabilized her — after which she gave birth to a stillborn boy, according to state records. * WBEZ | Chicago’s interim DCASE chief aims to steady arts sector and city cultural department: Merritt was tapped in October by Mayor Brandon Johnson to be the acting commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, a department that steers everything from large-scale downtown events like Taste of Chicago and Jazz Fest to individual artists grants. That appointment came after the mayor’s previous hand-picked leader and friend, Clinée Hedspeth, resigned the post after a tenure that included high staff turnover and allegations of bullying and sexual harassment. Asked what she is doing to repair the department’s internal culture, Merritt said she is looking to the future, but added that she has been focused on establishing “communication norms” internally. * Tribune | Bill Kurtis’ memoir allows the longtime Chicago anchorman and journalist to show public another role — author: Kurtis became an iconic figure in Chicago during his three separate stints as news anchor at WBBM-TV and through decades of reporting that took him around the world. More recently, he has been recognizable to many through his hosting and scorekeeping duties on NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! and his narration in the Anchorman films. But he felt those high-profile entertainment roles risked eclipsing the work he considers most meaningful, and while he had written other books in the past, he decided it was time for an updated autobiography. * Pioneer Press | Lake Bluff Village Board approves procedures for responding to federal immigration enforcement activities: The ordinance includes four primary components. First, it affirms the village’s commitment to creating a community where citizens, documented immigrants and undocumented individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Second, Lake Bluff law enforcement officers may not enforce federal civil immigration laws and are generally prohibited from taking certain actions that would assist in such enforcement. In addition, all village employees must comply with the Illinois Trust Act, which restricts state and local agencies from participating in civil immigration enforcement. * Daily Southtown | Homer Township seeks community input on unfinished civic center: Township Supervisor Sue Steilen, who took office in May after defeating Balich, said the building has about $700,000 worth of work necessary in order to receive an occupancy permit. But the township does not have the funds to complete the work, she said. The survey results can help dictate what is important to the community so township officials know how best to spend money, Steilen said. Township officials want to know what types of activities should be held in the center, such as general community events and senior citizens or children’s programming, and what the center’s primary purpose should be. * Crain’s | Medline survives tariffs, delays on road to biggest U.S. IPO this year: The Northfield-based company, in which Blackstone Inc., Carlyle Group Inc. and Hellman & Friedman acquired a majority stake via a $34 billion deal in 2021, is seeking on Tuesday to raise as much as $5.37 billion in the listing. That amount would make it the year’s biggest US IPO at the bottom of the price range, and at the top, the largest this year globally. Even after delays stemming from the market’s reaction to US trade measures and the longest-ever government shutdown, the maker and distributor of products including exam gloves, masks, swabs and syringes appears to be winning over investors. Close to half of the targeted raise is accounted for by cornerstone investors, and the offering is expected to price in the upper half of the marketing range of $26 to $30 per share, Bloomberg News has reported. * WAND | Champaign Co. Film Office talks enhancements to Illinois Film Production Tax Credit: Filming in Champaign County allows for an additional 5% credit for Illinois resident salaries for productions filming outside of Cook, Kane, DuPage, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. The Champaign County region’s infrastructure for the film industry includes multiple production companies, an indoor sound stage at Flyover Film Studios, background casting, and workforce development initiatives. * 25News Now | Prominent Peoria business files for bankruptcy to restructure COVID-related debt: Peoria Charter Coach has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because the bus company is unable to pay back a COVID-19-related loan from the federal government. A statement from Peoria Charter owner and CEO James Wang said the company will continue “normal business operations” as it restructures its debt. “Our employees, our services, and our standards of quality remain unaffected. We are still here. Still running buses. Still committed to safety, reliability, and the communities we serve,” said Wang. * WJBD | Salem City Council approves two TIF projects: The council approved a $300,000 incentive package for Dustin Gansauer to purchase the former Rollinson’s Home Center property to convert from ACE Auto to ACE Outdoors. “We’ll be able to house everything inside, keep everything out of the weather,” Gansauer said. “After this year we’re the second largest Bad Boy dealer in the state of Illinois, and in the top 100 in the country. We just want to reflect what we’ve done in the last three or four years with Bad Boy mowers and tractors, expand off of that stuff, and provide an indoor showroom that no one else around can offer around here in power equipment. The renovation is a big renovation; it’s about an $800,000 renovation.” * WCIA | Macon Co. Sheriff’s deputy accused of DUI, fleeing other deputies: In a news release on Tuesday, Lieutenant Scott Flannery said 31-year-old Andrew Zielger of Maroa was taken into custody on charges of speeding and fleeing/attempting to elude a police officer. He was also detained on suspicion of driving under the influence; after an investigation by the Illinois State Police, he was charged with that crime as well. All three crimes are Class A misdemeanors. Ziegler, Flannery said, has been a Macon County Sheriff’s deputy since April of 2024. He was immediately placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. * The Atlantic | How Private Equity Is Changing Housing: The United States is short 4 million housing units, with a particular dearth of starter homes, moderately priced apartments in low-rises, and family-friendly dwellings. Interest rates are high, which has stifled construction and pushed up the cost of mortgages. As a result, more Americans are renting, and roughly half of those households are spending more than a third of their income on shelter. * CNBC | Robotaxis in 2025: Waymo plots global expansion as Zoox, Tesla roll to the starting line: A survey by the American Automobile Association in early 2025 showed that 66% of drivers in the U.S. felt fearful and 25% felt uncertain about autonomous vehicles, reflecting the same consumer skepticism that AAA tracked with the survey in 2024. There have been rampant complaints about noise, congestion and the sometimes erratic driving behavior of robotaxis, along with economic concerns about the impact of AVs on travel and transportation workers. However, known harmful collisions caused by AVs have been relatively few so far, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA. * AP | U.S. Gained 64,000 Jobs In November But Lost 105,000 In October; Unemployment Rate at 4.6%:The November job gains came in higher than the 40,000 economists had forecast. The October job losses were caused by a 162,000 drop in federal workers, many of whom resigned at the end of fiscal year 2025 on Sept. 30 under pressure from billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of U.S. government payrolls. Labor Department revisions also knocked 33,000 jobs off August and September payrolls. * WaPo | Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses ‘potentially divisive’: The U.S. Coast Guard has allowed a new workplace harassment policy to take effect that downgrades the definition of swastikas and nooses from overt hate symbols to “potentially divisive” despite an uproar over the new language that forced the service’s top officer to declare that both would remain prohibited.
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- Joseph M - Tuesday, Dec 16, 25 @ 3:21 pm:
“AIPAC head hosts fundraiser for House Candidate who swears AIPAC isn’t backing her”
If Laura Fine’s chances of winning this race weren’t already zero, they are now. I don’t think these AIPAC benefactors have any idea how toxic their brand is to the median IL-09 Dem primary voter.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Dec 16, 25 @ 3:29 pm:
Joseph, my only real problem here is that she appears to be actively trying to hide her beliefs from her voters. Not good.
- homer - Tuesday, Dec 16, 25 @ 3:48 pm:
Rich is on point–these candidates need to be, well, candid. Also, the AIPAC story speaks volumes about the sad state of the Democratic party, which appears to be increasingly influenced by those who oppose the only democracy in the Middle East and also by outright antisemites.