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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Feb 27, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: State lawmakers continue debates Thursday in Illinois and Indiana, as tug-of-war over Bears stadium rolls on. WGN…
-However, a source tells WGN-TV the bill will not be brought to the House floor Thursday for a full vote, because Chicago lawmakers still have issues with the language. - Yesterday, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun announced that he signed Senate Bill 27 “to create the framework to build a new world-class stadium in Northwest Indiana.” * Related stories… Sponsored by PhRMA: 340B hospitals charge big medicine markups. Illinois pays the price. 340B medicine markups are big business for hospitals. Under the federal 340B program, nonprofit hospitals can buy medicines for pennies, then charge huge markups – even on life-saving medicines. Big hospital systems pocket the program profits – passing the bill to Illinois patients, employers and taxpayers who are hit with higher medicine costs. The program’s lack of oversight has led to 340B becoming a profit engine for hospitals, PBMs, private equity firms and big chain pharmacies. It’s time for Congress to hold hospitals accountable and fix 340B. Read more. * SUn-Times | ICE protesters keep beating Trump in Chicago court, but the battles take a toll. ‘It’s about intimidation’: Cases against 17 of 32 people charged with crimes during Operation Midway Blitz have already collapsed, and no one has been convicted. But federal prosecutions are daunting, they carry the threat of prison time, and freedoms are often restricted even in minor cases. * AP | Crowds of Chicago mourners pay respects to Jesse Jackson at start of cross-country memorial services: Bouquets have been left outside the family’s Tudor-style home on the city’s South Side for days. Public schools have offered condolences, and city trains have used digital screens to display Jackson’s portrait and his well-known mantra, “I am Somebody!” […] Next week, Jackson will lie in honor at the South Carolina Statehouse, followed by public services. According to Rainbow PUSH’s agenda, Gov. Henry McMaster is expected to deliver remarks; however, the governor’s office said Thursday that his participation wasn’t yet confirmed. Jackson spent his childhood and started his activism in South Carolina. * Center Square | IL can gag charter school operators over teacher unionization, judge says: On Feb. 24, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey rejected a bid by the operators of Illinois charter schools for an injunction blocking the state of Illinois from enforcing a law which demands “neutrality” from charter school operators concerning union activity in their schools. In the ruling, Blakey agreed the law carried potential First Amendment applications, as it could “chill” or “suppress” the speech of charter school operators. But the judge said the state law is still constitutionally acceptable because the state has the constitutional authority to set the rules for how it will choose to fund or authorize charter schools. * Tribune | Video gambling machine legalization in Chicago clears hurdle, state says: The state of Illinois began accepting applications Thursday afternoon from businesses that hope to operate the machines. The green light came because City Clerk Anna Valencia notified the Illinois Gaming Board Tuesday that the city had legalized the controversial gambling machines. Johnson had not sent the notice for weeks in an apparent effort to pressure aldermen to change the legalization plan they approved as a part of the 2026 city budget they passed in December against his will. But his City Council opponents passed a resolution last week that ultimately compelled Valencia to send the official notice that the gaming board accepted. * WGN | Funding issues forcing closure of two Chicago charter high schools: District families say they are angry over the disruption in their children’s education and that it’s especially hard for senior who are getting ready to graduate in May. Many were looking forward to the prom, and all other senior activities with their classmates. Instead, they are facing an uncertain end of their school year. Aspira students, educators and families spoke out during Thursday’s CPS board meeting. Families and members of the Chicago Teachers’ Union are demanding answers from Aspira leadership and CPS on what went wrong. * Block Club | Chicago School Board Adopts Calendars For Next 2 School Years: The calendars for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years will include 176 days for student attendance, four Teacher Institute Days, four school improvement days, four professional development days, and two days for parent-teacher conferences. * Sun-Times | Margaret Bonds, an influential Chicago composer, gets a gravestone, at last: Bonds died of a heart attack in 1972, shortly after turning 59. She was buried in south suburban Glenwood alongside her mother — also an influential music teacher on the South Side, where Bonds grew up and spent her early career. Despite her stature in American music history, however, Bonds’ own grave is unmarked. That will soon change. This weekend, Northwestern University — Bonds’ alma mater — hosts a ceremony and performance dedicating a new headstone. A rendering of the marker will be shown to the public, then installed later this year. * Sun-Times | Highland Park gun control activists keep score on weapon producers and their business partners: They’ve graded more than 180 companies since launching last year, scouring U.S. Security and Exchange Commission filings and other public records to uncover connections to the gun industry, while adding 60 companies to the list for public shame over the past few months. * Sun-Times | As Midway Blitz cases collapse, ‘Broadview Six’ prosecutors agree to scale back controversial indictment: Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan told the judge his team plans to remove language in the indictment alleging the six conspired to injure an agent who drove an SUV toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview on Sept. 26. Other language in the indictment refers to a conspiracy to prevent the agent from discharging his duties and to injure his property. Hogan said it’s unlikely the first of those two clauses would also be removed, but added, “we’re going to take a look at everything.” * Aurora Beacon News | Aurora City Council OKs continued development of Del Webb community despite resident concerns: Currently at roughly 550 homes, the age-restricted Del Webb community called Lincoln Prairie is already facing issues with landscaping, security and overburdened amenities, residents of the neighborhood have said at recent city meetings. A committee of the Aurora City Council previously delayed its consideration of the proposal to give developer Pulte Homes and the residents time to meet and come up with solutions, and Pulte has made some concessions to residents over the course of the approval process. On Tuesday, the Aurora City Council formally approved four resolutions that gave Pulte the go-ahead to build the fourth phase of the neighborhood, which is planned to hold over 90 homes. Aurora Mayor John Laesch said at Tuesday’s meeting that the city can’t legally hold the next phase of development up to address issues in the first three phases, but that residents made their voices heard. * Naperville Sun | Council hikes fees, decreases times for Naperville Municipal Center meeting rooms: In December, city staff requested an end to meeting room reservations for outside organizations due to concerns over security, a decrease in room bookings, and billing and reservation system challenges. Naperville City Council members rejected the request, arguing that the proposal made the center feel less welcoming to the Naperville community. * Daily Herald | Going the distance: Mount Prospect employee running to raise money for village food pantry: His fundraising goal is around $1,500, but he may easily surpass that. “The community and the employees here have been very supportive,” he said. Human Services Director Julie Kane called Schroeder’s gesture “incredibly thoughtful,” adding the pantry starts to see specific items dwindling by summer, so monetary donations help the pantry restock. * WCIA | ‘It will be such a big lift for both the community and our department’; Urbana Police launch a new specialty unit: However, with the department close to being fully staffed, they’ve not only launched their community engagement team, they’ve appointed a sergeant to lead it. […] McKinney added that the team stemmed from their decision that just letting the community know resources were available wasn’t enough. “We need to be able to build those resources and have good relationships and connections to know which resources are available, who the person is that we can direct them to,” McKinney said. * WSIL | Alexander County Clerk faces battery charges: According to online court records, Zachary Price faces a Class 3 Felony Aggravated Battery/Victim 60+ charge, along with a Class A Misdemeanor Battery/Cause Bodily Harm charge. […] Zachary Price is listed as the only candidate on the Democratic ballot in Alexander County for the upcoming Primary Election in Illinois for March 17. There is nobody listed as a candidate on the Republican ballot for the Primary election. * WGLT | Lawsuit claims ‘pattern of unfair and deceptive practices’ at B-N mobile home park owner Oak Wood: The allegations against Oak Wood align with WGLT’s previous reporting about the company’s business practices. WGLT reported that Oak Wood, which owns five mobile home parks in Bloomington-Normal, has again and again found ways to squeeze more money from its residents, including many with low or fixed incomes. Residents told WGLT they felt trapped because of the prohibitively high cost of moving their mobile homes. * BND | Belleville man rents billboard to ‘aggravate’ city and county officials: A new billboard message appeared on West Main Street in Belleville this week with “Courthouse Corruption Coming Soon” in giant white letters on a black background. […] Lannert has been arrested several times by Belleville police in the past 10 years. He frequently attends City Council meetings to complain about official actions and speak on other issues. In a 2023 case that’s still pending, the state’s attorneys office charged Lannert with making a terrorist threat, a Class X felony. The complaint alleges that he called police dispatch and threatened to blow up Belleville City Hall or the county courthouse with dynamite. He hasn’t yet entered a plea. * WSIL | Four Airlines Compete to Fly In and Out of Veterans Airport: The U.S. Department of Transportation received proposals from Contour Airlines, American Airlines, SkyWest Airlines, and Denver Air. This contract is re-bid every few years providing a federal subsidy to support commercial air service in Southern Illinois. Airport Director Doug Kimmel said the bids were submitted last week and each airline proposal includes continued service to Chicago O’Hare. He says some airlines also propose additional hubs such as Dallas, Charlotte, Nashville, or Washington Dulles.
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