* Illinois Answers Project…

At the heart of the state’s new Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park, officials promise thousands of high-paying jobs and a chance to turn Chicago into a global tech hub. But a closer look at the numbers reveals how expensive those jobs are, who they’re likely to go to, and what it will take for the park to deliver on its promises. […]

An Illinois Answers Project analysis found that IQMP companies are receiving some of the highest incentives per job in the state. The median state funding for an incentivized job is $20,000 per job.

- PsiQuantum: $92 million for 150 jobs (nearly $600,000 per job)
- Pasqal: about $122,000 per job
- Infleqtion: about $107,000 per job […]

Right now, most of these positions require college degrees or specialized experience, especially in computer science, engineering and physics. That raises questions about how accessible the jobs will be for nearby residents and whether Illinois is investing enough in workforce training on the South Side to build a local pipeline.

* WGLT…

A program that works to reduce the caseloads at Bloomington-Normal emergency rooms and the McLean County jail has seen significant growth in the last two years.

The Frequent User System Engagement [FUSE], program had 26 clients at the end of 2024. At the middle of last year, it had 56 and FUSE Program manager Nicole Kirstein said the program added 24 more clients in the second half of 2025. […]

“I had a client who had been arrested probably a couple times a year. I sat down and told him, ‘Listen, you haven’t been arrested since you joined the program.’ And that was five years [ago]. And he just started crying,” said Kirstein.

She said the man told her he had been in and out of jail since he was a teenager.

Of 56 clients studied, 48 had fewer jail bookings following FUSE participation. Only eight had more. Kirstein said there are several variables among the people who were booked more.

* WCIA…

The University of Illinois is reviewing a social media post made by a political registered student organization at the University of Illinois that drew backlash from the campus community.

Six days ago, Illini Republicans made a post on Instagram that expressed support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) and denounced “foreign invaders” and “traitors” who allegedly support them. […]
When reached for comment, Pat Wade, the university’s director of executive communications and issues management, told WCIA that the matter has been reported to the Title VI Office. The office is reviewing the incident and processing them “in accordance with normal protocols.” […]

Wade added, however, that registered student organizations are independent from the university and are responsible for managing their own affairs.

* The Democratic Party of Illinois…

Five days ago, Illini Republicans posted on Instagram that they “stand with ICE” while sharing a graphic image celebrating violence, prompting condemnation from elected officials, school leadership, and students across Illinois. Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez demanded that the Illinois Republican Party and every Republican candidate in our state denounce the post. ILGOP leadership has refused.

Party Chair Kathy Salvi, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, Senate Republican Leader John Curran, gubernatorial front-runner Darren Bailey, and Senate GOP front-runner Don Tracy have all refused to condemn the post. By refusing to speak out, they’re sending a clear message that ILGOP leaders are willing to excuse rhetoric that celebrates violence against American citizens and puts students on college campuses at risk.

With primary day just six weeks away, Illinois voters deserve answers. Will Republican leadership condemn this post and reject political violence, or will they continue to stay silent?

…Adding… The Illinois Gaming Board…

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB), in coordination with the Illinois Attorney General’s office, has issued more than 60 cease-and-desist letters to entities allegedly operating illegal online casino and online sweepstakes gaming platforms in Illinois.

The cease-and-desist letters demand that entities allegedly operating online casinos or sweepstakes platforms immediately block Illinois residents from accessing their internet sites or discontinue offering prizes to Illinois users. Operators who fail to comply may be subject to civil or criminal penalties under Illinois law. Offering games of chance that award money or other items of value via the internet violates Illinois criminal law. […]

Illinois law allows legal gambling only for licensed riverboat casinos, land-based casinos holding an owners’ license, racetracks with organizational gaming licenses, sportsbooks licensed under the Sports Wagering Act, and video gaming licensees licensed under the Video Gaming Act. Illinois law prohibits the operation of internet sites that allow gambling.

*** Statewide ***

* Crain’s | Illinois insurers clash with states over regulation as profits soar: Illinois insurers State Farm and Allstate are putting on a full court press when it comes to regulation they say is hampering their ability to lower prices for customers. But while State Farm is asking for less, Allstate wants more. Overall, the insurance industry has been able to weather massive natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and hurricanes over the past few years, recording solid profits despite booking billions of dollars of losses and facing a U.S. market made up of regulations that vary by state.

* KWQC | Illinois HIV funding: Black leaders call for equity as racial disparities persist: According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Black Illinoisans account for nearly 40 percent of new HIV diagnoses and more than half of existing cases, despite making up about 14 percent of the state’s population. Advocates also pointed to wide gender disparities in the data that show Black men are about 12 times more likely to be living with HIV than white men, and Black women are about 14 times more likely to be newly diagnosed than white women.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois attorney general wins state’s first civil hate crime lawsuit: The attorney general’s office was first given authority to try such a case in 2018. The legislature amended the Illinois Hate Crime Act to allow the attorney general to file civil lawsuits against residents for alleged hate crimes. Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Kane ordered the Hamptons to each pay a civil penalty of $5,000 and damages of $45,000 to Johnson. […] After Hampton was charged with a misdemeanor for the damage, the lynched effigy appeared in the Hamptons’ front yard, which Raoul labeled as an intimidation tactic and threat of racial violence in the complaint.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s public market plan slows to a crawl: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s marquee plan to increase access to fresh groceries on the city’s South and West sides — a plan that initially called for a city-owned grocery store and later evolved into a proposed year-round market — appears to have slowed to a crawl. Johnson first floated the idea of opening a publicly owned grocery store in 2023, just months after he took office. The idea, a novel one at the time for a major U.S. city, has since attracted the attention of progressives elsewhere, including Zohran Mamdani, who put city-owned grocery stores on the platform that won him the mayor’s office in New York City.

* Crain’s | Chicago banks see loan demand return as tariff and labor woes ease: Fourth-quarter results showed banks regained their footing after tariff uncertainty slowed growth in the middle of the year and issues such as credit quality concerns proved to be one-offs rather than endemic to the industry. The increasing clarity of the tariff picture allowed banks’ business customers to apply for loans after they put together plans to deal with any cost increases, whether that meant changing suppliers or raising prices.

* WTTW | CPD Policy That Does Not Ban No-Knock Warrants Leaves Anjanette Young ‘Frustrated’: Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched raid in February 2019, told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” she is frustrated with the policy. “I’m frustrated with the process,” Young said, vowing to continue to lobby state lawmakers this spring with the help of state Rep. Kam Bucker (D-Chicago). “I’m also learning in this journey of being in this space that change doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.”

* WTTW | Police Oversight Board to Top Cop: Explain Why CPD Officers Are Using Force More Often: “When we come up with a goal, one of the things that I believe in, especially coming from a training background, we don’t want to throw something together,” Snelling said. “We want to make sure that whatever we’re doing is comprehensive. We want to make sure that whatever we’re doing is going to be effective moving forward. And we want to make sure that there’s something in it for everyone, especially our officers who go out there and face these things every day, we want to make sure that our officers are prepared to go out and deal with these situations in the most constitutional, respectful manner possible. So, with that, I accept goal number four.” Snelling has repeatedly said that he does not believe that CPD officers are actually using force against Chicagoans more often but simply reporting those incidents accurately for the first time as compliance ramps up with federal court order that requires officers to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional rights.

* Sun-Times | Chicago software firm ActiveCampaign buys AI startup Feedback Intelligence: Chicago software company ActiveCampaign announced Tuesday that it bought AI startup Feedback Intelligence in San Francisco for an undisclosed sum. ActiveCampaign is a $3 billion AI-driven marketing platform used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses worldwide, according to the Loop-based firm. Founded in 2003, the company uses AI to automate tasks such as email and text message marketing.

* Block Club | How The Great Migration — And Segregation — Built The South Side’s Black-Owned Lounge Culture: Restrictive covenants, redlining and vigilante violence, among other discriminatory and racist practices, made it almost impossible for Black people to live in certain parts of Chicago. So, a concentration of Black people settled along the State Street corridor in Bronzeville, creating what came to be known as the Black Belt, Todd-Breland said. Churches, markets, funeral homes, beauty salons and theaters sprouted in the neighborhood. Nightlife was also “huge,” leading to the founding of nightclubs like 47th Street’s The Palm Tavern, Club De Lisa on State Street and 55th Street’s Rhumboogie Club, Todd-Breland said.

* Crain’s | Scottie Pippen auctioning $6 million of personal memorabilia: Chicago Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen has hired Sotheby’s auction house to sell a selection of his personal memorabilia, including the jersey he wore during the championship-clinching game of the 1998 NBA Finals. Dubbed “The Scottie Pippen Collection,” the auction is set to begin in March and will feature items he personally wore during his 17-year NBA career. The collection is expected to be worth more than $6 million, with items ranging from $30,000 to over $1 million.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Federal prosecutors fear tainted jury pool if public sees evidence in Broadview Six conspiracy case: Federal prosecutors in Chicago say they fear a tainted jury pool if the public is allowed to see evidence from the upcoming conspiracy trial of six people, including four Democratic politicians, involved in protests at an immigration holding facility in Broadview. U.S. District Judge April Perry said Thursday that, “we’re going to have to deal with that, regardless,” as she scheduled the trial for May 26.

* Sun-Times | Trial set for May in ‘Broadview Six’ conspiracy case against Operation Midway Blitz protesters: Judge Perry agreed with parties from both sides that a questionnaire should be sent out to potential jurors beforehand, given all the sensitive issues surrounding the allegations and immigration policy more broadly. “It would be kind of nice to have a prescreened pool coming in that Tuesday,” Perry said. She said it would also be helpful to find out how jury selection was handled for the recent murder-for-hire trial of Juan Espinoza Martinez, who was acquitted on charges of putting a hit on Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino.

* Press release | Reilly Campaign Demands Preckwinkle Apologize to Parents at School Districts That Lost Millions Thanks to Tyler Technologies Disaster: In an interview that aired last night on ABC 7 News, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle once again refused to take any accountability for the Tyler Technologies tax system disaster that is happening on her watch. Preckwinkle claimed that the county’s tax system is “fixed,” despite the fact that school districts throughout Cook County have been forced to spend over $120 million in unnecessary interest costs because they did not receive tax receipts from the county on time. Preckwinkle has not announced any plans to reimburse those school districts, which means that local taxpayers will be forced to pick up the tab for her mismanagement. The Reilly for Cook County Board President campaign is now demanding that Preckwinkle apologize to parents at school districts hurt by her incompetent management of county government.

* Reilly has a new anti-Preckwinkle ad…

*** Downstate ***

* 25News Now | Illinois Gaming Board tables Par-A-Dice redevelopment plan decision: The Illinois Gaming Board decided Thursday to table a controversial decision regarding the modernization of the Par-A-Dice Casino & Hotel in East Peoria. Boyd Gaming Company, the parent company behind the casino, also announced that they are ditching plans to build a land-based casino. Instead, the company’s current plan is to keep the casino on the river and move toward a “permanently moored barge design.” This structure would, according to Boyd, be located directly on the water and avoid a potential legal battle with Peoria.

* BND | Recovery center’s halfway house finds rare support among Belleville neighbors: No one spoke in opposition to the project at a Belleville Zoning Board of Appeals hearing or a Belleville City Council meeting this month. In fact, some neighbors spoke in favor of it. “I just think (the partners) were very straightforward with us,” said Donald Cramer, 83, a retiree who has lived next door with his wife, Wanda, for 47 years. “That’s what convinced us.” The Cramers also were happy to see the partners fully renovate the former apartment building, which had fallen into serious disrepair.

* Capitol News Illinois | Search warrant shows why FBI is investigating former metro-east police chief: The FBI is investigating Pingsterhaus, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, for possible wire fraud and theft of federal funds, according to the search warrant, obtained by Capitol News Illinois and the Illinois Answers Project. The FBI rents space in the Carlyle police station in downstate Clinton County. No criminal charges have been filed against Pingsterhaus, who resigned in December, and neither the city nor the FBI would discuss the nature of the allegations.

* WMBD | Five Tazewell County students’ designs selected for new ‘I Voted’ stickers: A press conference was held to honor the five students, three from Pekin Community High School, one from Pekin Edison Junior High School and another from Washington Central Grade School. Out of a plethora of designs, the Tazewell County Board selected those belonging to the five students, most of whom created a sticker with the American flag embedded in some fashion.

* NPR Illinois | Eagle Day events along the Illinois River this Saturday: The annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day, hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon and other partners, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7 at multiple locations along the Illinois River in Fulton and Mason counties. The free public event offers visitors opportunities to learn about bald eagles and regional wildlife through live raptor programs, hands-on science activities, hiking and wildlife viewing.

*** National ***

* NYT | Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Mingled With Silicon Valley Start-Ups: The billionaire Peter Thiel advised Mr. Epstein on potential investments in Palantir, Mr. Thiel’s data analysis company. Mr. Epstein put money into Jawbone, a popular wearable technology start-up, while his financial adviser was pitched on backing SpaceX. And Mr. Epstein tapped a Russian émigré who had become a public relations expert to help broker meetings with start-up founders and media outlets. Mr. Epstein’s connections to high-profile tech leaders including Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Reid Hoffman and Mr. Thiel have been well documented, and some have expressed regret for associating with the financier. The latest batch of files offer deeper insights into how Mr. Epstein made his money after his 2008 conviction and continued to fund a lavish lifestyle by amassing assets worth more than $600 million before his 2019 arrest, according to an audit of his finances within the files. Mr. Epstein was introduced to Coinbase by Brock Pierce, a crypto entrepreneur with a checkered financial past, who later sent him frequent updates on the state of the business that were signed by Mr. Ehrsam or Coinbase’s chief executive, Brian Armstrong. In 2018, an investment firm founded by Mr. Pierce sought to buy half of Mr. Epstein’s Coinbase holdings for $15 million. It is unclear if, or when, Mr. Epstein sold the other half.\\

* Brennan Center | Prison Gerrymandering Distorts Representation: Prison gerrymandering — the practice of counting incarcerated people at their detention facilities rather than their homes during redistricting — distorts political representation, inflating the clout of active voters living in districts with prisons at the expense of the communities from which incarcerated people come. This report assesses the level of distortion in state lower-house maps due to prison gerrymandering and illustrates how power could shift if all people were instead counted at their homes. [From Rich: Illinois will do this beginning with the next decennial census.]