* Subscribers were told about this mysterious mail piece in today’s edition. Evanston Now…

The New Trier Democrats are speaking out this week after a mailer hit voters’ mailboxes from an unofficial and unlisted organization called “New Trier Township Progressive Democrats.”

It almost matches the look of the official Democratic organization’s endorsement list but changes multiple endorsements. […]

The official New Trier Township Democrats sent out their own official mailer earlier this month endorsing a slate of candidates, but leaving the seat for U.S. Senate open, endorsing only Holly Kim for Comptroller and Patrick Hanley for Illinois State Senate District 9.

In the mailer that hit mailboxes Thursday, Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton is endorsed for U.S. Senate, Margaret Croke is added next to Kim for Comptroller, and Hanley’s name is completely removed, with the mailer instead listing Evanston Democrat Rachel Ruttenberg.

* We also told subscribers about this. Daily Herald…

The Barrington Area Democratic Organization condemned attack mailers from Erin Chan Ding’s campaign for the Democratic nod in the Illinois House 52nd District primary.

The mailers altered opponent Maria Peterson’s image, placing her head on another person’s body. They also included the phrase, “When Maria Peterson runs, MAGA wins,” along with a list of her past election losses.

“These tactics do not reflect the values of our organization or the spirit of Democratic leadership in our community,” organization officials stated in a press release.

Chan Ding and Peterson are competing to challenge incumbent Republican Martin McLaughlin in the fall election. Peterson narrowly lost to McLaughlin by 47 votes in 2024 and lost by 385 votes to Republican Dan McConchie in 2022.

Subscribers were told about this mail piece on Monday. Click here for the mailer.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | High schoolers flood state Capitol to advocate for drug abuse prevention bills: House Bill 1303 and House Bill 3127 seek to raise the age restriction to 21 and prohibit child-attractive products while imposing a 5% retail tax. House Bill 3215 would create a registration and labeling system for kratom products. House Bill 3129 would add kratom’s active compounds as Schedule III controlled substances and repeal the existing Kratom Control Act. It would essentially ban the substance in Illinois with the exception of some medical uses. Another bill, House Bill 4930, would take the hardest line, prohibiting the distribution, manufacture and sale of kratom entirely unless they have been approved by the FDA. All five were referred to the House Rules Committee in March, 2025, meaning they all have a long way to go legislatively.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s 311 system turns into a ‘black hole’ for residents’ nonemergency complaints: Staffing constraints hamstring the city’s ability to pinpoint patterns of requests and improve services. Exacerbating the staffing shortage is the fact that 311 system employees are required to assist more than 40 city departments and local government agencies with their 311 system needs, but have “limited capacity to do so.”

* Sun-Times | Finance Committee backs hotel tax hike to rev up tourism in Chicago: The City Council’s Finance Committee agreed Friday to support the creation of a so-called Tourism Improvement District and raise the hotel tax on rooms within that district to 19%, the highest in the nation. The current combined city, county and state tax on hotel rooms is 17.5%. The voice vote on the measure, which now goes to the full City Council for final approval, was enthusiastic and nearly unanimous.

* Tribune | New round of WGN-TV layoffs includes producer whose rough ICE detention went viral: A second round of layoffs hit WGN-Ch. 9 this week, with three creative services employees getting the axe Wednesday, including Debbie Brockman, the producer whose aggressive detainment by immigration agents in October became a symbol of urban enforcement clashes. Brockman, a 15-year employee at WGN, rose to national fame after a video captured her being forced to the ground, handcuffed and placed in a van by federal immigration agents while on her way to work at the station from her Lincoln Square home.

* Tribune | Calls continue for CPD to address tactics during Operation Midway Blitz: No representatives from CPD were at Thursday’s meeting, but CCPSA President Remel Terry told the 50 or so attendees that the commission was working to schedule a time when police Superintendent Larry Snelling would be available. In recent months, Snelling has repeatedly stressed that CPD officers do not question a person’s citizenship status or aid with immigration enforcement. However, they may be called to assist with crowd control.

* Sun-Times | Rev. Jackson’s death inspires young people to be more present in their community: Zora Baker, 11, had the day off from school so her dad Harrison Baker took the opportunity to head to the public viewing service. He said younger generations need to learn about Jackson and the broader history of the struggle for civil rights because some of the things Jackson fought against are reemerging. “It’s important that as my generation gets older and moves out, that our younger generation is able to step in and continue this work because the fight is back on,” Harrison Baker said.

* Block Club | Buddy Guy Makes NPR Tiny Desk Debut: Guy appeared on NPR’s Tiny Desk, performing a 21-minute, four-song set with career-spanning hits like his 1991 classic “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” and 1970 tune “Hoochie Coochie Man.” Musician and actor Miles Caton joined the blues legend about nine minutes into the performance. The duo played “Travelin’” and “I Lied to You” from the 16-time Oscar-nominated film “Sinners”; they both appear in the film and worked on the soundtrack.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Why school districts are taking Mundelein to court: In a letter to the community Tuesday, the school boards of Fremont Elementary District 79 and Mundelein High School District 120 said they jointly have filed suit against the village in Lake County circuit court. The school districts contend fees approved by the village for the pending Walnut Ridge subdivision don’t reflect the actual cost to educate a projected 167 new K-12 students — a shortfall of $2 million for District 79 and $1.3 million for District 120. According to the districts, the village also approved a fee for 165 acres of agricultural property without having a development plan in place, making it impossible to accurately project the financial impact on schools.

* Evanston Now | Ryan Field group readies for fall: On Thursday, Davis said the group presented feedback on the Ryan Field traffic plan, including ideas to potentially use neighborhood schools for parking and moving drop-offs further away from the stadium. The group also discussed the need for strong parking enforcement on the night of the first game, on Friday, Oct. 2, when Northwestern will host Penn State.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Three interim leaders at Aurora City Hall get permanent appointments: On Tuesday, Michele Clark was approved as the city’s next chief human resources officer, Theodore Van De Sampel was approved as the city’s next emergency management coordinator and Josue Alcaraz was approved as the city’s next director of property standards. The appointments were voted on as a part of the Aurora City Council meeting’s consent agenda, which is typically reserved for routine or non-controversial items that are all approved with a single vote.

*** Downstate ***

* STLPR | $2B entertainment and retail venue planned in Madison County: The village appears to be the first metro-east community to try using STAR bonds. Glen Carbon’s board of trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night to establish the boundaries for a sales tax and revenue bond district, which now awaits approval from the state. The district being considered by Illinois state agencies would be home to a $1.97 billion development that would create “a premier entertainment, tourism and mixed-use destination” near the intersection of Interstates 270 and 255 on 1,500 acres in Glen Carbon, according to the developer.

* WCIA | US Housing Secretary visits Champaign, announces new proposed assistance rule: A newly proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development aims to increase self-sufficiency among residents of Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and individuals receiving certain rental assistance. The rule was announced in Champaign Friday morning by Scott Turner, an Illinois Football alum and the current Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Speaking at the Housing Authority of Champaign County (HACC), Turner pointed to HACC as an example of a successful PHA that, unlike others, has rules on who can receive assistance. The HACC required able-bodied people to work for 15 hours or more per week, and families to work for 30 hours or more per week. Since becoming a Moving to Work (MTW) designated PHA in 2010, the HACC has seen average household income increase by 96%.

* WGNT | Durbin, Duckworth back Gilmore for U.S. Attorney for Central Illinois: The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to advance the nomination of Gregory Gilmore to be the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. […] With a vote of 20 to 2, Gilmore is set to move into the role he has been serving in as the acting attorney since the retirement of U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris last year.

*** National ***

* USA Today | Abe Lincoln’s rare funeral flag finds new home at Manhattan steakhouse: Keens Steakhouse, a 141-year-old Midtown restaurant known for its collection of Americana memorabilia, unveiled the 37-star flag during a private ceremony Feb. 12. The half-million-dollar acquisition will be permanently displayed in the restaurant’s second-floor Lincoln Room. The flag is believed to be the only surviving casket flag from Lincoln’s funeral train, which carried the slain president’s body roughly 1,600 miles from Washington to his burial site in Springfield, Illinois. The solemn journey passed through hundreds of towns in April 1865, including a stop at New York’s City Hall.

* USA Today | Price bump may signal inflation is on the rise: The Producer Price Index for final demand rose 0.5% last month after advancing by a downwardly revised 0.4% in December, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the PPI gaining 0.3% after a previously reported 0.5% increase in December. A 0.8% jump in services accounted for the rise in the PPI. That reflected a 2.5% increase in trade services, which measure changes in margins received by wholesalers and retailers. There was a 14.4% surge in margins for professional and commercial equipment wholesaling, suggesting businesses were passing on tariffs.

* AP | Transgender youths are targeted in Scouting America changes pushed by the Pentagon: Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Pentagon in January, including discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge, introducing a Military Service merit badge and waiving registration fees for the children of military personnel. […] Hegseth said in a video posted on X that Scouting America will require its members to use their “biological sex at birth and not gender identity.” He said applications will list only options for male and female and the one checked must match the applicant’s birth certificate. The group would clarify that youths of opposite genders assigned at birth cannot share bathrooms, tents or other similar spaces, he said.

* CNN | What social media addiction looks like, according to the woman suing Meta and YouTube: During her testimony, Kaley was asked about posts in which she said her “mental health is so bad” because of her mom. But while Kaley acknowledged that they once had a difficult relationship, she testified she now believes her mom was doing her best to raise her in a tough situation. Social media, she said, contributed to her struggles by coopting her attention and alienating her from friends, family and hobbies.