* CBS Chicago…

Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley on Tuesday said he plans to run for mayor of Chicago in 2027.

Quigley, who is currently running for re-election, confirmed his intentions in an interview with John Williams on WGN Radio 720.

“I am, but we’ll have a formal announcement to talk about that after the March primary,” Quigley said when asked if he was planning to run for mayor next year. […]

“I’ve filed again for re-election, I’ve got another year to serve. The primary for mayor is in February of 2027. Look, what I’m trying to do is show proper respect for the March 17th primary,” Quigley told Williams. “I don’t want the voters to get too far ahead of ourselves. I want to focus on the issues of the day. You asked me a question and I wanted to answer honestly. Im not equivocating, I’m just prioritizing the here and now and that is the issues of the day and the primary, March of just next year.”

* Crain’s…

Cook County Health and state officials are starting off the new year by planning to get ahead of 2027, when federal policies threaten to decimate Medicaid rolls, with as many as 360,000 Illinoisans in jeopardy of losing coverage.

In a press conference this morning, Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services Director Elizabeth Whitehorn joined Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle and others from CCH to urge residents to stay informed and unafraid about Medicaid redetermination and work requirements. […]

The plan to get ahead of looming drops in enrollment in 2027 will include a lot of communication designed to assuage Illinoisans’ fears and help them stay eligible despite work requirement paperwork, HFS Director Whitehorn said.

She said in Illinois, as many as 360,000 people could fall off Medicaid rolls because of the changes, with most losing coverage because of work requirements.

*** Statewide ***

* WMBD | Illinois trains therapy canine teams for law enforcement: What is being considered the first-of-its-kind law enforcement therapy canine certification framework is designed to make law enforcement personnel and their trained therapy canines ready for use in crisis calls, peer support, and community engagement functions. […] The first law enforcement therapy canine teams to finish the program and get certified are in schools in Chatham, Harvey, Summit, and Chicago. Teams from Colorado also participated in the first certification group after tragic events in that state.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press release | AG Raoul: Appeals Court affirms permanent injunction to halt defunding medical, public health research: Attorney General Kwame Raoul applauded the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit for affirming a lower court ruling permanently preventing the Trump administration, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from cutting funding that supports cutting-edge medical and public health research at universities and research institutions across the country. The ruling protects “indirect cost” reimbursements at research institutions throughout the country. These reimbursements cover necessary expenses to facilitate biomedical research, including lab, faculty, safety protocol, data processing and utility costs.

* Press release | Illinois Unemployment Rate Stable, Payrolls Nearly Unchanged in November: The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate was 4.4 percent in November, unchanged from September, and down -0.5 percentage point from the same month, one year ago, based on data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The revised September unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.4 percent. There are no October unemployment rates for Illinois or the nation as labor force data for the month of October could not be collected from households during the federal government shutdown. Total nonfarm payrolls were nearly unchanged over-the-month in November, down -9,700 (-0.2%) to 6,145,600. The September monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from -2,200 to -3,400. There was no October Illinois payroll jobs, unemployment rate news release due to the federal government shutdown. The November payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Your Uber Will Cost More In These Zones Starting Now — And Other New Fees You Should Know About: Rideshare users in a single-user ride starting or ending between 6 a.m.-10 p.m. everyday in the newly established zones will be charged the additional $1.50 fee. Shared rides will see an added 60-cent fee, also for trips between 6 a.m.-10 p.m. but on weekdays only. Rides to and from McCormick Place are exempt from the expansion, but an existing $5 surcharge to take an Uber or Lyft there — as well as to O’Hare and Midway airports and Navy Pier — is still in effect, according to a city website.

* Sun-Times | South and West side clergy seek relief from ’sinful’ property tax spikes: Last year, the median homeowner tax bill in McCray’s neighborhood increased nearly $2,000, or 133%; neighboring North Lawndale and Englewood saw 92% and 88% increases respectively. […] Residential property tax bills are rising fastest in predominantly Black neighborhoods on the South and West sides because the county’s tax burden is being shifted away from the economic center of the city, according to a Cook County treasurer’s office report last month and a Chicago Sun-Times analysis of five years of tax bills. Other neighborhoods, such as Pilsen, have seen similar increases and the ensuing struggles that have led to similar calls for action in recent years.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Evanston Roundtable | No decision on District 65 board vacancy — yet: The clock is ticking for Cook County regional superintendent April Jordan to appoint someone to fill the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 school board vacancy. The deadline for the District 65 board to appoint someone themselves passed on Jan. 3. In an email to the RoundTable Monday, board president Pat Anderson wrote that the decision has been officially passed on to Jordan. At the Dec. 15 board meeting, Anderson revealed that the board was deadlocked on both the appointment of the new member and the number of additional closures. Anderson said that the board would not be able to meet the 60 day deadline to appoint someone to fill the vacancy.

* Daily Southtown | Harvey Park Board member alleges political motivation behind domestic violence arrest: Brown-Oneal said she suspected her arrest was an act of political retaliation. She is one of two board members suing others at the Harvey Park District for allegedly preventing her from carrying out her duties. “The timing and selective nature of these charges combined with the immediate media notification raise serious questions about whether this is law enforcement or political retaliation,” Brown-Oneal said.

* Daily Herald | Antioch man found guilty of ‘rolling coal’ at anti-Trump rally in McHenry: Nicholas Thompson, 18, was found guilty of disorderly conduct, a petty offense. He was sentenced to pay $300 in fines and fees by Judge Jeffrey Hirsch after a bench trial Monday. According to a complaint against Thompson, he disturbed a lawful assembly by “rolling coal,” which emitted “a large cloud of black smoke in front of a protest” down Route 31 on July 26 “disturbing and frightening protesters.”

* Daily Herald | Developers proposing shops at former Pheasant Run ask for $3.3M in incentives from St. Charles: A developer is eyeing the construction of 12 to 15 buildings — including shops, restaurants and a possible hotel — at the site of the demolished Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. To ensure the deal, the developers are seeking $3.3 million in incentives from the city. SC Landman LLC submitted a concept plan to create what it’s calling The Shops at Pheasant Run on nearly 34 acres at the southeast corner of East Main Street and Kautz Road.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County Forest Preserve District moving forward with plans for nature center in Aurora: In November, a contract was approved by the Forest Preserve Commission for design services, and the Forest Preserve District is currently in the process of applying for a state grant to cover some of the costs of the project. The idea for an “urban ecology field station” in Aurora was one of the projects set to benefit from a proposed tax hike the Kane County Forest Preserve District put to voters in 2024, which was ultimately approved. The property tax increase has been estimated as amounting to around $10 per $100,000 of home value, and was projected to bring in around $6.9 million to the district in the first year.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Menard Co. Sheriff’s Office investigating damaged Flock camera, burglary: The Menard County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after one of their Flock cameras was cut down over the weekend. A burglary and theft were also reported nearby, and the Sheriff’s Office is investigating that too. […] The Sheriff’s Office added that a second Flock camera, located on Route 29 in neighboring Mason County, was also vandalized in this manner.

* WGLT | Normal council accepts community investment plan, hears more on fire station placement: The various projects, including public infrastructure, water, sewer and parks, total $188 million of planned capital spending. The plan combines spending for the current fiscal year of 2026 and the town’s proposed five-year budget from fiscal years 2027 to 2031. The council will vote to formally accept the plan in March.

* WJBD | Marion County Supervisor of Assessments keeps his job; Board Chair says change will still happen: The Marion County Board on an 8-7 vote has agreed to keep Mark Miller as Supervisor of Assessments. While the vote appears close, two-thirds of the board members had to agree to get rid of Miller. The decision upset most of the crowd estimated at 150 that filled the large third floor courtroom and the rotunda of the courthouse where several spoke about the poor job they thought Miller was doing. Several business owners said unequal assessments were keeping new developments out of Marion County while others were choosing to expand elsewhere.

* WICS | CRIS Rural Mass Transit to cease operations in three counties by Jan. 2026: CRIS Rural Mass Transit announced it will cease operations in Vermilion, Ford, and Iroquois counties effective Jan. 2, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. The decision follows a funding freeze by the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), which has made it impossible for the service to continue. “It is with extreme sorrow we announce the dissolution of CRIS Rural Mass Transit,” the organization stated. Alternative transportation services are listed on their website, to assist affected riders. Those who have prepaid for rides will receive reimbursements. “We are very sorry for this inconvenience and wish our riders well,” the statement concluded.