* ICYMI: Pritzker gives $5 million to boost Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s Senate bid. Sun-Times…

- The billionaire governor’s contribution, which was anticipated, was made through a pro-Stratton super PAC and already is being used to run TV ads with just weeks to go in the campaign.
- A spokesperson said the PAC’s fundraising has now exceeded $10 million. It spent $2.2 million, leaving it with $4.03 million in December.
- he multimillion-dollar bump will help her campaign, but it comes about six months after Krishnamoorthi, the fundraising leader in the race, began airing TV commercials.

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker throws Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton a $5 million lifeline for her US Senate bid
• The Intelligencer: U.S. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton brings message, love of cinnamon rolls to Edwardsville
• The Daily Northwestern: Krishnamoorthi dominates 2025 fundraising in U.S. Senate race

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGN | New requirements for SNAP benefits go into effect Sunday. What does this mean for SNAP benefit recipients?: Meanwhile, local food pantries have been bracing for a last-minute rush before changes to SNAP take effect Sunday. At Common Pantry in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood, workers were trying to increase their inventory ahead of changes to SNAP, but they said nothing they do will be able to meet the need that’s coming.

* Sun-Times | Chicago bank fails, becoming first in nation to go under in 2026: The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation ordered the River North-based bank’s closure due to concerns over its financial stability. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was named receiver and brokered the sale of most of the bank’s $261 million in assets to First Independence Bank in Detroit, including all deposits. Customers still have immediate access to their money, and loan customers’ payments are still due.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Center Square | Pritzker celebrates expansion of French cheese maker in GOP leader’s district: Pritzker announced that Savencia Cheese USA would add a new production line at its facility in the Stephenson County village of Lena, creating 50 new jobs while retaining 125 existing positions. […] McCombie, R-Savanna, and whose district includes Lena, said creating more jobs is a plus but criticized Pritzker’s policies. “Job growth is always positive, and we can and should be doing more to make it a trend in our state,” McCombie said in a statement to The Center Square.

* CBS Chicago | GOP Illinois gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski breaks down his policies: Ted Dabrowski is running in the Republican primary for Illinois governor. He joins Dana Kozlov to outline his policies on immigration enforcement, property taxes, education funding.

* Journal Courier | Gambling mogul, Republican gubernatorial candidate may visit Jacksonville: Rob Winchester, a long-time lobbyist and previous senior adviser to former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, has been hired by Heidner’s campaign to visit central and southern Illinois counties and pitch him as the Republican choice for governor in the upcoming primary. He said Heidner would likely be visiting Morgan County in the middle of February, though it has yet to be finalized.

* Tribune | Illinois advances in bid to move up 2028 Democratic presidential primary date, but hurdles remain: In essence, the Rules and Bylaws Committee chose to advance all 12 states that applied to be one of up to five states in the early, pre-Super Tuesday window of the primary process. […] But Illinois, with a costly Chicago media market that covers the region where most of the state’s voters reside, might struggle with the fairness standard aimed at allowing smaller, lesser-funded candidates a chance to present their case.

*** Chicago ***

* WBEZ | Affordability — or the lack of it — will define Chicago’s housing market this year, experts say: In the greater Chicago region, home sales in 2025 rose slightly by 0.6% year over year, with nearly 89,100 homes sold, according to Illinois Realtors. In 2024, 88,560 homes sold in the region. Meanwhile, home sales across Illinois grew by 4.2%, compared to 2024, when 131,194 homes sold that year. For December, the Chicago metro area saw 6,637 homes sold, down 0.2% from December 2024 sales of 6,650. Across the state, home sales in December were up 2% year over year, with 10,237 homes sold, according to the trade association.

* WTTW | Judge Reverses Order, Says Rahm Emanuel Does Not Have to Testify About CPD’s ‘Code of Silence’: U.S District Court Judge John Tharp said that he reconsidered his decision to allow lawyers for Ebony Tate, her mother, Cynthia Eason, and four children to call Emanuel after lawyers for the city renewed their vigorous objections to having the former mayor and potential presidential candidate testify. Allowing Emanuel to testify would make it impossible for the eight officers named in the lawsuit and the city to get a fair trial and turn it “into a media circus when he has nothing to do with the claims against them,” according to lawyers for the city of Chicago.

* Tribune | Acting CTA chief lays out priorities after dodging fiscal cliff: When asked about riders who remain frustrated by the frequency and reliability of bus and train service — and who are clamoring for more in the wake of last year’s transit funding bill — Leerhsen cautioned that most of the new dollars expected to come in later this year will go toward sustaining current service levels. When it comes to increases in service, she pointed to an announcement she made last fall of planned 24-hour service on the Orange Line to Midway International Airport. Currently, only the CTA’s Blue and Red lines run 24/7.

* WBEZ | Community members warn that Chicago History Museum cuts could impact scholarship of city history: They are also asking the museum to restore hours at the Abakanowicz Research Center, which were limited following a decision to reduce its staffers to part-time status in July. Advocates say reversing that decision will help strengthen the museum’s identity as a prestigious institution that informs visitors from all over the world about the history of Chicago and America.

* Sun-Times | White Sox legend Frank Thomas upset with being left off team’s Black History Month graphic: That’s when the Sox published a social-media graphic celebrating “momentous firsts” to commemorate the start of Black History Month. The graphic included moments such as Ken Williams and Jerry Manuel becoming the first Black general manager/manager duo in major-league history. There was one glaring — and, frankly, irresponsible — omission: Thomas, a two-time MVP and the best hitter in franchise history.

* Sun-Times | Basil Talbott Jr., Chicago Sun-Times political editor, dies at 89: The fair-minded, truth-seeking Chicago Sun-Times political journalist would never indulge in their emoluments, like a free lunch at a fine restaurant. “Basil would have nothing of that. Absolutely nothing. He insisted that what he would tell the public would be what he believed without any editing or constraint because he was in bed or in debt to somebody,” said Ron Grossman, a retired Chicago Tribune columnist and longtime friend of Mr. Talbott.

* Fox Chicago | Chicago Auto Show 2026: Everything you need to know: Chi-Town Alley: The new showcase celebrates Chicago’s automotive communities. The brand-new exhibit will highlight performance cars, custom builds and street-inspired designs.

* CBS Chicago | Miami Heat build 54-point lead, roll past Chicago Bulls 134-91 with Adebayo, Larsson each scoring 20: The 54-point hole was Chicago’s biggest since a 58-point deficit against Boston on Dec. 8, 2018. The Bulls’ biggest deficits this season were a pair of 41-point games — one against Minnesota on Dec. 29, the other also against Miami on Nov. 21. Kel’el Ware scored 17 points, Andrew Wiggins and Jaime Jaquez Jr. each scored 14 and Davion Mitchell returned from a shoulder injury to score 13 for Miami, which played without guard Norman Powell (personal reasons) and Tyler Herro (ribs). Powell was announced as an NBA All-Star selection shortly after tip-off on Sunday, getting that nod for the first time in his career.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WGEM | Lawsuit filed against City of Quincy, employee by man who threatened alderman: A lawsuit was filed on Friday against the City of Quincy and City of Quincy employee Thomas Pugh. According to court documents, the lawsuit was filed by Benjamin J. Inman, the man who was recently convicted of threatening an alderman and is charged with possession of child porn. […] Court filings allege that Pugh knowingly cyberstalked and harassed Inman as an employee of the City of Quincy. On Jan. 8, Inman stated twice during proceedings that he could prove that a city employee planted the alleged child porn to frame him.

* NYT | Police Report Backs Activist’s Account in Clash With ICE Agent Near Chicago: Mr. Held told The New York Times last week that he had followed Mr. Saracco in late December after the agent left the Broadview facility, and an altercation occurred. Mr. Saracco, who according to the police report initially denied being a law enforcement agent, told police officers who were called to the scene that Mr. Held “began walking up to his vehicle” and recording him on his phone while he was pumping gas into his car. Mr. Held has said he was standing on the sidewalk recording when Mr. Saracco approached him.

* Daily Herald | Ex-Huntley school board member gave no reason for sudden resignation: When members of Bittman’s slate took control of the board that year, they chose him to be school board president. Laura Murray became vice president but Bittman and Murray lost their leadership spots after a different slate, backed by a group that opposed the direction Bittman’s slate took the board in, took control of the board last year. Paul Troy then became president. Bittman’s departure leaves Murray as the only member of the slate elected in 2023 left on the school board.

* WGN | Sixth water main break within a week affects more than half the residents in south suburban Dixmoor: Village President Fitzgerald Roberts said Sunday night he hoped repairs would be completed by midnight. WGN-TV has been awaiting confirmation from village officials Monday morning on whether the problem has been resolved. Between 800 and 1,000 homes have been impacted, according to officials, which is more than half the village.

* Shaw Local | Megalodome Golf launches $50 million investment fund to build domed golf course in Oswego: Canada-based Megalodome Golf has announced that it has launched a $50 million investment fund to build its nine-hole domed golf course near Route 30 in Oswego. The company made the announcement recently on its website. In September 2024, Oswego village trustees unanimously approved the concept plans of Megalodome Golf.

*** Downstate ***

* The Daily Illini | ‘Fell the enemies:’ Illini Republicans support ICE amid Minnesota killings: In a post that included a stylized graphic of a presumed federal officer holding a gun to someone’s head, Illini Republicans stated that they “stand with ICE” amid the killings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota. The RSO referred to Pretti and Good, two United States citizens who were both killed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in the past month, as “traitors.” As of Sunday, the group removed the graphic but kept the larger post, which garnered more than a thousand comments on their Instagram account.

* 25News Now | Suspect in Peoria County deputy’s shooting has been running from the law since 2024, court records say: “He faces a long recovery, but we are grateful that he is in stable condition,” the sheriff said. Formal charges have not been filed yet against Bell for the deputy’s shooting. He faces several preliminary charges including attempted murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, armed violence.

* PJ Star | New details on how much money Peoria could gain from casino settlement: The city of Peoria estimates it could receive about $1.8 million annually as part of a settlement agreement with Boyd Gaming that will see Peoria drop its objections to plans for a new Par-A-Dice Casino. City Manager Patrick Urich told the Journal Star on Sunday that the settlement agreement, which will be voted on by the Peoria City Council on Monday, was being worked on by attorneys as late as Friday afternoon. The special council meeting was announced on Saturday.

* WGLT | After relocating one fire station, Normal will share internal data on response times: Normal IAFF Local 2442 has repeatedly claimed in town hall settings and at town council meetings that closing the College Avenue station would negatively impact response times and urged the council to keep it open after the new eastside station came online. Union members also claim certain populations of the town would be left vulnerable, including children and seniors.

* 25News Now | Thousands gather for Illinois Music Education Conference while boosting Peoria’s economy: More than 2,100 student musicians from over 215 schools across the state, along with about 10,000 family members, filled the civic center to showcase their talents. Since Thursday, students in grades four through 12 performed in concerts, danced, participated in other theatrical activities, while music teachers attended professional development workshops. Organizers said the event also gives a boost to Peoria businesses, pumping dollars into the local economy.

* WBEZ | The quiet, wintry thrill of a freezing Illinois canyon hike: Matthiessen, the lesser known of the two neighboring parks in this area, is named after the industrialist who operated it as a private, 176-acre “Deer Park” in the late 19th century. His crew constructed trails, bridges, stairways and dams that still stand. After his death, the land was bequeathed to the state, which added parcels to make up 2,000 acres today. It doesn’t boast its neighbor’s soaring views of the Illinois River, but the park does have a less trampled feel.

*** National ***

* CBS | Officials in Minnesota allege Bovino used language offensive to Jews on conference call: The call, which was held on Jan. 12, five days after the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, involved multiple federal officials who were trying to coordinate a Saturday meeting to discuss issues related to the massive deployment of federal immigration agents in the area. Bovino was told on the call that Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, an Orthodox Jew, could not attend that meeting because he observes the Sabbath. Bovino allegedly responded with audible frustration that Rosen was not available for the Saturday meeting, sources familiar with the planning call said. One of them recounted that Bovino replied, “Do Orthodox criminals also take off on Saturday?” That source said Bovino also used the phrase “chosen people” in a disparaging manner.

* AP | Fundraising hauls show RNC vastly outpacing Democrats ahead of midterm elections: The Republican National Committee has vastly outpaced Democrats in the crush for cash ahead of the midterm elections, holding a nearly $100 million advantage at the close of 2025, according to year-end filings to the Federal Election Commission. As Democrats have struggled in the Trump era, the RNC tallied $172 million raised in 2025, with $95 million cash on hand at year’s end. In contrast, the Democratic National Committee posted $145 million for the year, with $14 million on hand — and $17 million in debt, to start the new year underwater.

* AP | From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, a who’s who of powerful men are named in Epstein files: The billionaire Tesla founder turns up at least a few times in Friday’s document release, notably in email exchanges in 2012 and 2013 in which he discussed visiting Epstein’s infamous Caribbean island compound. But it’s not immediately clear if the island visits took place. Spokespersons for Musk’s companies, Tesla and X, didn’t respond to emails seeking comment Friday or Saturday.