* Capitol News Illinois’ Ben Szalinski fact checks GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey…

Some helpful context:
It's not a recent "bombshell" because this story is 5 years old. It's from an audit released in 2021 that looked FY19 (Bruce Rauner's last budget) and FY20 (JB Pritzker's first budget).
Here's the full report: https://t.co/TjrStlyITx https://t.co/aBH4zZ1xRd

— Ben Szalinski (@BenSzalinski) January 27, 2026

* Injustice Watch…

Cook County Circuit Judge James R. Brown has been removed from the bench weeks after his reinstatement to the court drew objections from two lawyer groups over remarks they described as “inflammatory” and “wildly inappropriate.”

On Monday, the Illinois Supreme Court vacated Brown’s temporary assignment, which had been set to last through Dec. 7. Brown was one of seven retired judges brought back to the bench last month and assigned to traffic court to address an apparent shortage of judges in Cook County. […]

In September, before his reinstatement, Brown authored a guest column for John Kass News, a site operated by former Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass, in which he echoed far-right rhetoric and conspiracy theories. Among other topics, he entertained the idea that the 2020 election was stolen, denounced the murders of U.S. citizens by “illegal aliens” and criticized “Soros-funded” progressive prosecutors. He also appeared on Kass’ podcast.

Within weeks of Brown’s return, the Cook County Bar Association — the nation’s oldest association of Black lawyers and judges — and the Chicago Council of Lawyers publicly called on the Supreme Court to remove Brown from the bench, raising concerns about his impartiality based on his remarks. Both groups said he had run afoul of the Illinois Code of Judicial Conduct, which prohibits judges from expressing bias or prejudice while running for office or serving.

*** Catching up with the Congressionals ***

* Press Release | Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez to Make Major Announcement: Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Alderman of Chicago’s 25th Ward, will make a major announcement on Wednesday morning alongside community leaders, faith leaders and neighbors. Wednesday, January 28 at 11 a.m. [From Rich: BSL has signaled his intent to run as an independent for retiring US Rep. Chuy Garcia’s seat.]

* Press Release | Majority Leader Gabel Endorses Biss for Congress in IL-09: State Representative and Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel (18th District) announced her endorsement of Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in a letter to supporters today, calling him the proven leader Democrats need in a critical moment for the country. “As we prepare to replace our friend and hero Jan Schakowsky, this election is about choosing a leader who can meet this moment and deliver for our community,” saidRobyn Gabel. “This is not a normal election. We are voting to stand up to Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, the rule of law, and our communities. We need leaders who can fight and win. I strongly believe Daniel Biss is that leader, and I’m proud to endorse him for Congress.”

* Daily Herald | Congressional hopeful could learn Thursday if she’s back on ballot: Weeks after being disqualified from the upcoming primary ballot because her candidate petitions included one fewer signature than required, a suburban congressional hopeful soon could learn if her campaign still has life. Tedora M. Brown is scheduled to appear at 2:30 p.m. Thursday before Cook County Judge Anna M. Loftus, who’s considering her appeal of the Illinois State Board of Elections’ decision. “We believe in the justice system and we are praying the judge rules in our favor according to case law,” Brown said through a spokesperson. “We fought hard to get here and we are not backing down.”

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Chicago home prices again grew far more than the nation’s last month: Chicago’s year in home sales ended much hotter than the nation’s — with the median price of homes here rising 11 times as fast as the nation’s. In the Chicago metro area, the median price of homes sold in December was $355,000, an increase of 4.4% from the same time a year ago, according to data released Jan. 22 by Illinois Realtors. Meanwhile, the median price of homes sold nationwide was $405,400, an increase of 0.4%, according to data released the same day by the National Association of Realtors.

* Crain’s | Why American Airlines is doubling down on Chicago: After American raised the ante last month, saying it would increase flights 30%, Chicago-based United said today it will raise the number of flights from O’Hare more than 30% to a record 750 daily flights by summer. […] “When it comes to Chicago, we would expect that it returns to the average profitability of our hub network,” [American CEO Robert Isom told analysts on an earnings call today]. “It’s going to be our third-largest hub.”

* Block Club | Substitute Teacher With Long History Of Child Molestation Charges Fired From South Side Catholic School: Smith, who has gone by different names and legally changed his last name amid the flurry of allegations over the years, cleared a background check with the Catholic schools system, officials there acknowledged. The archdiocese said he also worked as a long-term substitute teacher at St. Walter-St. Benedict School in Morgan Park and Blue Island during the 2024-25 school year, as an employee of a third-party vendor assigned to Pope John Paul II School in Brighton Park at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year and as a private tutor for at least one family with a student enrolled at a Catholic school in the south suburbs.

* Tribune | Getting high at concerts now an option as THC beverages soon to be sold at the United Center: Senorita and Rythm brands will begin selling hemp-derived THC-infused beverages Feb. 4 at the Boys II Men, New Edition and Toni Braxton show. The drinks will be offered to those 21 and over at concerts and other shows, but not at sporting events or children-themed activities. While THC drinks have been sold at smaller music venues such as the Salt Shed, Riviera, Ramova Theater and Thalia Hall, sponsors believe this is the largest arena to sell the products.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | $2 billion data center proposal in Barrington Hills withdrawn: “At this time, the Village considers this matter closed and does not anticipate any further discussion,” the Facebook post concluded. The Feb. 2 meeting has been canceled. A change.org petition opposing the project had garnered 1,303 signatures as of Tuesday. It cites concerns about air pollution, water quality and the tax impact of the proposal.

* Pioneer Press | Lake Forest Caucus vote again fails to approve proposed amendment allowing electronic voting: More than 1,200 people cast ballots Jan. 24 at the Gorton Center, with 771 voting in favor and 456 opposed — just under 63 % supporting the change. Under Caucus rules, however, bylaw amendments require a two-thirds majority to pass, leaving the proposal short of adoption. Caucus leadership supported the amendment, arguing that allowing electronic voting through devices such as phones and tablets would increase participation. Under current rules, members are required to vote in person. Opponents raised concerns about the security and verification of electronic voting.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora alderman launches rebate program for solar panels, electric vehicle chargers: Ald. Will White, at-large, recently announced that this year he’d be committing up to $10,000 in city funds toward the Aurora Solar and EV Charging Rebate Program. Qualifying residents, businesses and nonprofits can get up to $1,000 for installing solar panels or up to $500 for installing electric vehicle chargers. “If we all work together towards sustainable living, I think Aurora can really be a frontrunner in the state of Illinois when it comes to energy conservation and energy efficiency,” White told The Beacon-News.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Oswego may impose $750 fee on drivers who flee from police: There have been 33 instances in which a motorist has fled from Oswego police since 2020, he said. The Oswego Police Department in 2024 had 12 incidents where drivers took off after police officers tried to get them to stop, he said. However, in 2025 the number dropped to four. “I don’t expect it to stay that low but it’s an issue that needs to be addressed,” Bastin said.

* Naperville Sun | Despite dip in attendance in 2025, Naper Settlement Farmers Market to return next year: The 2026 market’s opening day is June 30 and it will run through Sept. 22. They’re in the process of securing vendors and setting up classes and demonstrations, Tepper said. “We’re very excited to bring the Naper Settlement Farmers Market back to the community in 2026,” Tepper said.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | IL Congresswoman Budzinski meets with Sangamon Towers Management over safety concerns: In November, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski sent a letter to the management of Sangamon Towers, demanding answers regarding complaints about living conditions. Many people who live there told Budzinski there were health and safety concerns, including assaults, arson, mold, bedbugs and other things. “Issues have been going on at Sangamon Towers frankly, far too long,” Budzinski said. “Number one, obviously, is real security concerns of the residents.” A resident who spoke to WAND News said he was assaulted by a non-resident who entered the building. He also said there are often used needles in two spots along the facility.

* WAND | Moweaqua Police Department exceeds overtime budget by nearly 70%: The Village’s financial report budgeted $25,000 for the police department’s overtime. The department exceeded the budget by 69% — nearly $20,000 more. […] In December 2025, residents learned that $30,000 from the tax increment financing fund, known as TIFF, was moved to the general fund. The TIFF fund is only used for capital developments and infrastructure. The general fund is for day-to-day operations such as salaries.

* Capitol City Now | Springfield, Decatur apprenticeship programs receive state funding: Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded more than $17 million Monday, which came through the Illinois Works Pre-apprenticeship Program. Danville Area Community College received $550,000, Richland Community College in Decatur got $495,000 and The Springfield Project will get $325,000.

* WAND | United Airlines to launch flights at University of Illinois-Willard Airport: United Airlines is launching new service at University of Illinois-Willard Airport connecting Champaign-Urbana (CMI) and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). The new service will start April 30, 2026. The new service will operate four times daily, year-round. “We are continuously working to increase Willard Airport’s reach,” said airport executive director Tim Bannon. “United’s return to the market will increase our daily seats by more than 50%, ensuring more people can fly Champaign-Urbana.”

*** National ***

* 404 Media | Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use Flock: It goes on to say in a “recommendations for Flock Users/Agency Administrators” section that “Flock Administrators should ensure that the reason for the query be as vague as permissible,” with a suggestion being that cops just write “investigation” as the reason for a search. “A group of self-styled privacy advocates have filed a series of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with law enforcement agencies around the country to obtain agency Flock audit logs,” the warning reads. “The Flock system itself has not been compromised. Currently, this information appears to be coming from Washington State, Colorado, California, Georgia, Illinois, and Virginia. Agencies in these states held data from other jurisdictions pertaining to inquiries that had been made against the national Flock platform. The data on the website is not ‘real time’ and, as of December 8, 2025, the most recently confirmed data appeared to be from late October 2025.”

* NYT | TikTok Settles Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Ahead of a Landmark Trial: The settlement means TikTok will avoid a trial where plaintiffs had planned to argue that social media platforms are inherently defective and subject to personal injury liability.

* NYT | Hard Times in the Delta as Farmers Consider Letting Crops Rot: Across the country, farmers are struggling. Prices for nearly every major crop are below what it costs to grow them. Much attention has been paid to Midwestern soybean growers, whose crop was at the heart of the trade war between the United States and China. But farmers in Mississippi are perhaps worse off than farmers in the rest of the country. Rice is one of their biggest crops, and almost no one is buying.

* WSJ | Amazon to Shut Down All Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh Stores: The e-commerce giant said Tuesday that its branded stores failed to deliver a distinctive customer experience with an economic model that could be scaled up successfully. The closures will include 57 Fresh stores and 15 Amazon Go locations, according to an Amazon spokeswoman. The company said some of its shuttered Amazon-branded bricks-and-mortar stores would be converted into Whole Foods stores. It said it would open more than 100 new Whole Foods stores in coming years.