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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Mar 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Tech firms pledge to pay for AI data center power costs. But will they?. BBC…
- In a meeting at the White House, tech executives signed a “ratepayer protection pledge”, which Trump unveiled last month. But it is unclear how Big Tech will be held to the pledge. Analysts question how such an agreement can be enforced, and what relief it would offer US households. - Seven leading tech firms - Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, xAI, OpenAI and Amazon - have signed on to the pledge, Trump administration officials said. The companies have agreed to build, bring or buy new power generation capacity for data centres, officials said. * Related stories… * Subscribers have known about this Meta-backed PAC for weeks. Tribune | Meta set to spend $750K backing Illinois statehouse candidates as AI and social media legislation looms: Opponents of the candidates being backed by Making Our Tomorrow, some of whom have enthusiastically supported legislation that could raise digital ad taxes or efforts to stymie the proliferation of data centers in Illinois, said they are worried the Meta-backed candidates will go along with the company’s interests if elected, a charge those reached by the Tribune denied. Braun, a former Illinois deputy attorney general, said he doesn’t know why Meta is supporting his candidacy. But he said the company’s backing, which has totaled more than $106,000 in campaign expenses through Tuesday, won’t influence his beliefs. He said he supports strong AI regulations and that he previously worked with Attorney General Kwame Raoul to sue Meta for targeting children in its business model. * WGN | Veteran politician joins Governor Pritzker’s ticket: A veteran of state politics is stepping back into the spotlight, joining Governor JB Pritzker at the top of the Democratic ticket. Lieutenant Governor candidate Christian Mitchell joins WGN-TV Political Editor Tahman to talk about the campaign ahead. * WCBU | Illinois Municipal League wants more funding for local governments: Sheila Chalmers-Currin, president of Illinois Municipal League and president of the village of Matteson in south suburban Chicago, said during a state capitol news conference on Wednesday the league wants to fully fund the Local Government Distributive Fund, which is how the state government gives funds to local governments. “Flat funding during a time of rising cost is a cut, reducing the rate formula eliminates any natural growth in revenue growth that municipalities rely on to keep pace with inflation,” Chalmers-Currin said. * Capitol News Illinois | Pro-Stratton super PAC touts Pritzker endorsement: Illinois Future PAC, the super PAC backing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s candidacy for U.S. Senate, is up with a new ad highlighting Gov. JB Pritzker’s endorsement of his No. 2. The ad begins with video of Pritzker saying “Illinois deserves a United States Senator who knows how to fight for us. Who will never cower when the moment calls for courage.” * WTTW | A Chicago Man Was Charged With Murder Based on a ShotSpotter Alert. Now the City Will Pay Him $500K: Michael Williams, then 65, spent nearly a year in jail after being charged with shooting his neighbor, 25-year-old Safarian Herring, on May 31, 2020, while giving him a ride as protests and unrest triggered by the police murder of George Floyd swept the city. Using an alert from the city’s ShotSpotter system, Chicago police officers determined Williams shot Herring while the two rode in Williams’ car. Williams told police Herring had been struck by a bullet fired into his car through an open window, according to his lawsuit. ShotSpotter’s now-ended contract with CPD warned officials that the technology could not be relied on in most cases to detect gunshots inside vehicles or buildings. * Block Club | Fire Destroys 15 Tents At North Park Encampment As City Moves Toward March 17 Closure: The city’s Department of Family and Support Services has been working to connect Legion Park residents with affordable housing. Department spokesperson Linsey Maughan said Tuesday that 16 residents selected affordable units last week and two more have been connected with housing providers and are expected to select units soon. None of the residents have moved into housing yet, but one person recently moved into a shelter, Maughan said. * Crain’s | World Business Chicago kicks off competition for city’s next big idea: The economic development organization today announced the launch of Horizon Lines, a citywide design competition seeking visions for transformative projects on the scale of Millennium Park or the Chicago Riverwalk that explore what the city could look like in 2050. After weathering the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and seeing a historic drop in violent crime, there’s a desire in Chicago “to get a little bit of that swagger back and think big,” World Business Chicago CEO Phil Clement told Crain’s. * Sun-Times | As music director for the Oscars, Chicago native Michael Bearden brings elegance, spontaneity: When Michael Bearden served as music director for the 2025 Academy Awards, he received personal texts and phone calls with a common message. “Wow, we’ve never heard this on the Oscars!” They were responding to the frenzied violins of Barry White’s “Love’s Theme,” the funky melody of Quincy Jones’ “Ai No Corrida” and the Latin rhythms of Stevie Wonder’s “Another Star.” * Daily Herald | Palatine mayor: State’s Bears funding plan could mean debt for village: Schwantz presented a scenario involving the state putting forward $700 million toward the project for infrastructure, with local taxing bodies picking up the amount in excess of that. “Let’s just say it’s a billion dollars,” he said. “So that’s $300 million that’s going to fall to the local taxing bodies. “It took us 14 years to erase $120 million in debt. If this number is as big as it could be, and it falls on us, we’re going to be taking on more debt. And we don’t want to do that.” * Daily Herald | ‘We cannot afford to drift’: Naperville seeks timeline for energy talks: Council members Tuesday directed staff to develop a timeline and requested a series of discussions regarding options the city has to secure electricity after its contract with the Illinois Municipal Energy Agency ends in 2035. In February, the city council voted to pause talks with IMEA on extending its existing contract to 2055. IMEA is a group of 32 member communities — including St. Charles and Winnetka — that have pooled together to purchase power. * Daily Herald | DuPage County Forest Preserve executive director offered Florida job: Sarasota, Florida leaders have chosen DuPage County Forest Preserve District Executive Director Karie Friling as their new city manager. The city commission voted Friday to extend a conditional offer to Friling. She would be the first woman to serve as city manager. Friling declined to comment and forest preserve officials said the district has not received an official resignation. * Daily Herald | School District 230 short $1.3 million with Cook County property tax delays: The Orland High School District 230 board has joined a coalition of other Cook County school boards in approving a resolution demanding its share of delayed distributions of Cook County property tax revenues. The late payments cost the district about $1.3 million in revenue and extra costs, which has jeopardized the district’s ability to make payroll, said Jeff Eagan, assistant superintendent of business services. * Daily Herald | Court ruling removes Lake County Board challenger from ballot: The Democratic primary race for Lake County Board District 16 took a turn Wednesday when a court ruling that, barring a successful appeal, removes the challenger from the ballot. Juan Beto Ruiz said he is “extremely disappointed” by the decision and weighing his options for a possible appeal. […] An objection to Ruiz’ nominating petitions was rejected by the Lake County Electoral Board in November. But the finding was appealed and the objection upheld by Lake County Associate Judge Luis A. Berrones. * Crain’s | Amazon big-box store planned for Inland’s former Oak Brook HQ as real estate firm moves to Downers Grove: Separately, Highland Park-based developer GTZ Properties is under contract to buy the Oak Brook property from Inland as part of a 27-acre retail redevelopment anchored by Amazon, GTZ Managing Principal Mitch Goltz confirmed. The Inland property is adjacent to the 17-acre Oak Brook Office Center complex that GTZ bought out of foreclosure last summer for $9 million. * Crain’s | Morningstar inks $5M tech partnership with U of I to secure talent pipeline: Investment research firm Morningstar today announced a five-year partnership with the University of Illinois’ Gies College of Business that gives students access to the company’s proprietary financial software — and gives Morningstar a pipeline to the school’s top talent. The gift, worth an estimated $5 million, represents potentially a new chapter in private-public partnerships for Morningstar, and representatives from both organizations said this is a relative first for them. * IPM News | University of Illinois to ‘blend’ students from inside and outside prison in fall course: EJP Director Rebecca Ginsburg said the addition is at the request of those incarcerated in Danville. “The EJP students at Danville Correctional Center are really clear about the perceived benefits to them of participating in a blended course – one of them being the opportunity to meet young people that are around the same age as their grandchildren or their nieces or their nephews or their children,” Ginsburg said. * WCIA | Outgoing Ford Co. Treasurer announces resignation, will not serve remainder of term: WCIA’s partners at the Ford County Chronicle reported that Krisha Whitcomb announced her resignation on Wednesday. In an email to the Ford County Board, department heads and coworkers, Whitcomb said she was making the announcement “with sadness and emotional exhaustion,” and listed April 10 as the effective date of her resignation.
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- JoanP - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 8:28 am:
Preservation Chicago has released its list of 2026’s Most Endangered Buildings: https://www.preservationchicago.org/category/all-chicago-7-by-year/2026-most-endangered/
- Norseman - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 8:54 am:
=== pay for AI data centre power costs. ===
So they’ll pay their bills like everyone else. Whoopee. Now how will that address the massive usage by these centers straining the grid resulting in additional costs to ensure all customers receive reliable service. Now give us an equally meaningless pledge about water.
- Skokie Man - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 8:57 am:
What started out with coverage in small locals like Evanston Now and the Loyola Phoenix has now gone national… Laura Fine cannot like that folks are paying so much attention to how dark money is being weaponized in the 9th and elsewhere:
NYT: Once a Bipartisan Stalwart, AIPAC Turns ‘Toxic’ in the Illinois Primaries
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/05/us/politics/aipac-illinois-primaries.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Q1A.Le8W.IWpPKdxoiyml&smid=url-share
- Norseman - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:01 am:
I plead guilty of scan reading and quick posting because of skepticism. So yes they pledge additional capacity. The question then becomes do we trust them. I’ve already noted my skepticism.
- Google is Your Friend - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:11 am:
Where are all the little surveillance birds who were chirping about the reign of terror getting rid of ShotSpotter would unleash?
- InIllinois - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:17 am:
@Norseman
Personally, any non-legally binding pledge isn’t worth the paper it’s signed on. The second after they sign it they could violate every pledge on it and not suffer a single consequence.
- low level - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:18 am:
I find the anti AIPAC drama to be ridiculous, as is the criticism of Raja for a picture taken in 2019 or whatever other nonsense Cosgrove had the other day. Makes me want to vote for those candidates even more. Go Raja / Laura Fine.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:36 am:
As negative as the senate race has gone, I believe there has been damage done to the party as a whole. JB funded a lot of it, and bears much responsibility. They’ve hurt themselves, and I am very disappointed. I get that politics isn’t a game, but this will result in more fringe voters tuning out and failing to vote thinking all sides are bad.
- Jerry - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:44 am:
I agree with the Mayor of Palatine. 700 million in gubbamint handouts for a TV studio that produces 12 shows a year seems expensive to me. If the deal is better in Indiana, then move there!
- Skokie Man - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:44 am:
=== I find the anti AIPAC drama to be ridiculous… ===
Of course, that’s your prerogative. Personally, I find the infusion of $15M and counting of dark money, including over $5M in the 9th District alone, incredibly troubling.
My point, though, is that the candidates who are getting the money do NOT want it discussed. The fact that the topic is getting so much traction locally and nationally hurts their election prospects.
There must be more voters who share my view than voters who share yours, or Fine and others would be leading all of their talking points with it.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 9:49 am:
===do NOT want it discussed===
Not just that, but they don’t want anyone noticing when they give specific instructions to these outside groups on their own websites - instructions which are very often followed to a t.
To insist you’re not coordinating and then direct your outside backers to widen spending against a different candidate is 100 percent dishonest.
Because of the Supreme Court, the outside spending can’t be stopped. But the news media and the other candidates need to step up on that redboxing crud.
- Joseph M - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 10:38 am:
The NYT article that SkokieMan posted has some interesting parts, even if you some may accuse NYT of parachute journalism. I thought this was ridiculous:
“Ms. Fine has repeatedly said she would oppose any conditions on aid for Israel…In an interview, Ms. Fine said she was “very surprised that there has been so much focus on this.””
Senator Fine, none of this attention should be surprising. Most sensible voters will be disgusted by candidates who can’t even support basic conditions for military aid, like “do not slaughter children and bomb hospitals.” Try and talk to your constituents for a change.
- Responsa - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 10:39 am:
@JoanP 8:28am
Grrr. The Art Institute better not mess with the Old Stock Exchange Trading Floor and McKinlock Court.
- Remember the Alamo II - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 10:41 am:
=== As negative as the senate race has gone, I believe there has been damage done to the party as a whole. ===
I agree with this statement. At a time when Democrats need to be forging ahead together to combat the atrocious policy decisions being made at the federal level, Democrats are lobbing disingenuous and, in some cases, blatantly false attacks on each other just to win the primary.
I believe that we have gotten to this point in our country because the electorate has lost faith in its government, and attack ads like the ones we saw in this election cycle are part of the problem. It also creates an environment where information being disseminated can’t be trusted and people simply create their own realities. It is bad for America.
- Casper the Ghost Bus - Thursday, Mar 5, 26 @ 10:44 am:
Maybe Palatine could ask Arlington Heights to pay for all the Bears infrastructure