* The Tribune…

“Hundreds, if not thousands,” of people arrested [by immigration agents last year] in the Chicago area could have ultimately been found eligible for release, based on the total number of arrests, but the U.S. government failed to provide their records in a timely manner to determine whether they were class members, said Allena Martin, senior litigation attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center.

Only about 100 immigrants have been released in the months since the judge ordered in November that hundreds of cases be reviewed, forcing the federal government to provide the information.

Last week, the federal government released 14 detainees who were wrongfully detained. But hundreds more immigrants arrested during large-scale enforcement operations in the Chicago area may have been entitled to relief under the federal court order. Yet, many were deported or left the country before their cases could be reviewed.

And those numbers represent only a fraction of the potential cases. Government officials told the Tribune last month it had arrested more than 5,000 people during Operation Midway Blitz. The review of alleged consent decree violations covers arrests dating back to June.

* Eight days. The Daily Northwestern…

During her Thursday night stand-up comedy routine at the Prattic, congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh accused State Sen. Laura Fine’s (D-Glenview) field director of covertly visiting her Rogers Park campaign office. […]

“Most recently, Laura Fine’s field director came into our campaign office and asked for information about our field program undercover,” Abughazaleh said. “I’m just wondering if you have millions upon millions of dollars, can’t you at least hire a competent spy?” […]

The Abughazaleh campaign provided The Daily with a video of the incident, which it claims shows Fine staffer Madeleine McGrath entering the building “earlier this week.” After she was asked to provide contact information, the spokesperson wrote, “she declined and left.” […]

In a Friday night statement to The Daily, a spokesperson for Fine’s campaign appeared to respond to Abughazaleh’s claim with a joke of their own.

“We aren’t aware of the incident being described here but will use this opportunity to remind the campaign field team about the proper procedures for top secret espionage operations,” the spokesperson wrote.

…Adding… A new poll from the Healthcare for Action PAC conducted by Tulchin Research…

With only days remaining until Illinois’ March 17th Democratic primary election, a new Tulchin Research poll conducted among 600 likely voters confirms that Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi is sustaining a commanding lead and firmly on track to secure the Democratic nomination for US. Senate.

Krishnamoorthi enters the final stretch with a double-digit advantages over his nearest competitors, fueled by a strong personal brand and a broad coalition of support across the state.

Krishnamoorthi Holds Commanding Double-Digit Lead In a crowded field of candidates, Raja Krishnamoorthi has emerged as the clear frontrunner. He currently leads with 39% of the vote, outpacing Juliana Stratton (28%) and Robin Kelly (12%) by double-digits.
With only 15% of the electorate remaining undecided, Krishnamoorthi’s path to victory is robust. […]

Survey Methodology: From March 4-8, 2026, Tulchin Research conducted a survey among 600 likely March
2026 Democratic primary voters in Illinois. The margin of error for the survey is ±4 percentage points

…Adding… Gov. JB Pritzker is holding a General Election kickoff event with his Lt. Gov pick Christian Mitchell on Tuesday, March 17th at 5:30 pm.

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Report outlines premature deaths, chronic health problems among homeless Illinoisans: [I]n his 2026 budget address on Feb. 18, Gov. JB Pritzker proposed that funding for Home Illinois be reduced by $7.6 million, bowing to headwinds from federal budget cuts and Illinois budget belt-tightening. It was the second straight year seeing a cut in funding for housing programs, including Pritzker’s signature program designed to eliminate homelessness in the state. […] The IDPH report found that 2,996 people died statewide from 2017 to 2023 while experiencing homelessness. Their average age at death was 20 years below the statewide average. More than 300 of those who died were veterans, and 30 had worked in the public sector, including as police officers, paramedics and correctional officers.

* Chicago Reader | The death of diversity: Universities—in Illinois and across the U.S.—fall in line amid Trump’s attacks on higher education: The UI system, made up of three public universities across the state, is ending all scholarship and financial aid policies meant to increase enrollment from Black, Latine, LGBTQ+, and women students, according to the October announcement. Scholarships awarded before October 14 will not be affected. Two sources at the school described another email from university administration, sent to faculty the following day, that said the higher education system is also walking back goals set in 2022 to improve staff diversity and ending a recent norm of promoting faculty based on how they demonstrated principles of diversity and equity in their service, teaching, and research.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WSIL | State Treasurer Announces Expanded Eligibility for ABLE Accounts in Illinois: A provision that took effect this year increases that age limit to before a person’s 46th birthday, opening the program to millions more people nationwide. “This is a game changer. The initial law, while vital, unfairly excluded too many men and women based on a random age requirement,” Frerichs said. “We pushed to fix this unjust limitation, and we look forward to providing a tool that so many more people can use to save their own money to increase their independence.” Before ABLE accounts were created, people with disabilities could not accumulate more than $2,000 in assets without risking their eligibility for benefits such as Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. Money saved in an ABLE account does not count toward that limit.

* Tribune | Two low-funded Republicans battle to run against Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in the fall: For the GOP nomination for secretary of state, Joliet resident Diane M. Harris is going up against Chicagoan Walter Adamczyk for the right to compete against first-term incumbent, Democrat Alexi Giannoulias, in November’s general election. […] A precinct committeewoman for more than a decade, Harris is a retired Commonwealth Edison employee, having spent more than 30 years working for the utility giant. She’s also run unsuccessfully for several other offices over the years, including for state senator and Joliet mayor.

* Press release | AG Raoul vows to continue case against Live Nation/Ticketmaster for illegally monopolizing live entertainment industry: Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of state attorneys general today issued a multistate statement regarding the ongoing antitrust case against Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, for illegally monopolizing the live entertainment industry and concert ticketing services. “In May 2024, a bipartisan group of state attorneys general joined the U.S. Department of Justice to sue Live Nation for monopolizing the market for ticketing and using its monopoly power in the concert venue market to reinforce and protect that monopoly. For too long, Live Nation has raked in billions from a monopoly that has made it harder for consumers to see the artists they love, stifled artists and increased the price of tickets for countless music fans.

*** Catching up with the Federal Candidates ***

* The Daily Northwestern | The crypto lobby has poured $8.6M into Illinois primaries. Analysts say some candidates are quietly vying for its support: A Daily analysis of federal election filings based on lobby-tracking initiative Follow the Crypto offers a glimpse into the extent of the crypto lobby’s $8.6 million investment in Illinois races. Another analysis of campaign questionnaires sent to Stand With Crypto, an advocacy group linked to Fairshake, suggests that at least eight Illinois congressional frontrunners may have tacitly vied for the lobby’s support.

* NYT | How Candidates Are Using Winks and Posts to Seek Crypto and A.I. Cash: In Jesse Jackson Jr.’s race, the A.I. industry is spending on his behalf at the same time that the main pro-crypto super PAC is blanketing the district with attacks on one of his opponents, Robert Peters, a Democratic state senator who voted for state legislation that the crypto industry opposed. One of the mailers accuses Mr. Peters of being a “fighter for corporate interests” and calls him a “corporate pawn,” even though the mailer is funded by the crypto industry. In an interview, Mr. Peters said the attacks were outrageous, as were Mr. Jackson’s not-so-subtle solicitations. (On his website, Mr. Jackson writes that he supports “a framework to responsibly address reasonable regulation for cryptocurrency” and he filled out a crypto industry questionnaire on Christmas Eve last year.)

* Evanston Now | Amiwala’s pitch? Ignore the noise and don’t count her out: The moment Bushra Amiwala stepped outside of her Skokie campaign office Monday, a person driving by yelled out to her to say “hi.” Quickly, Amiwala waved back, before echocing an important message on the first day of early voting in the suburbs – “Don’t forget to vote.” The countdown is on for the Democratic primary in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, a seat that has been held by just two people over the course of nearly three generations, and while Amiwala, the 28-year-old Skokie School Board member and community activist doesn’t register as a “top three” candidate in polling, she still sees a path to victory, angling for an upset on March 17.

* NBC Chicago | Juliana Stratton lays out her case in 2026 Illinois Senate primary: In an interview with NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern, Stratton laid out her vision for what a career in the Senate might look like for her, and she said her relationship with Pritzker is only part of that equation. “I’m going to bring the voices of the people of Illinois with me to Washington, D.C. And I hope to continue to be a partner to not just the governor, but for all of our leaders here in Illinois that are facing the chaos that’s coming out of Washington, DC,” she said. “We need strong leadership, we need courageous leadership and that’s what I intend to bring. And I’m very proud to have Governor Pritzker’s support in this race.”

* Press release | Fine Campaign Knocks 100,000 Doors: “After knocking doors in every corner of the district, we are ready to sprint through the tape in the final week,” Laura Fine said. “I’m proud of the work of our team in rain, snow, and bitter cold, building support from voters of all walks of life. From Glenview to Rogers Park, from the Fox River to Lake Michigan, we are talking about my plans to make Medicare for All a reality.” The Fine Campaign has knocked on 101,700 doors throughout the ninth congressional district, talking to voters in each of the district’s 436 precincts. The robust field campaign is powering the Fine Campaign’s path to victory.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago area short nearly 225,000 affordable rental units for its poorest residents, report finds: Chicago’s affordable housing shortage is placing severe financial strain on low-income renters, according to a new report released by Housing Action Illinois and the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The study found only 31 affordable homes are available for rent for every 100 extremely low-income renter households in the Chicago metro area. In Illinois, it’s 34 available homes for every 100 extremely low-income renter household.

* Block Club | Still Sore Over Budget Battle, Mayor Warns Chicago Could Face Financial Crisis: “When we ran the numbers, the revenue assumptions simply didn’t add up,” Budget Director Annette Guzman said. “Under our analysis, that plan would leave the city about $163 million short and set us up for a midyear budget crisis.” In December, Chicago’s City Council passed a so-called “alternative budget” just days before a year-end deadline to approve a balanced spending plan and avoid a potential government shutdown that could have disrupted city services and paychecks.

* Crain’s | Trump defends law firm exec orders in revived Jenner appeal: The Trump administration defended its executive orders against Chicago’s Jenner & Block and other law firms today, telling an appeals court that judges cannot dictate presidential actions or speech when it comes to issues such as national security. “Courts cannot tell the President what to say. Courts cannot tell the President what not to say,” the Justice Department said in its 97-page appellate brief filed this evening. “They cannot tell the President how to handle national security clearances. And they cannot interfere with Presidential directives instructing agencies to investigate racial discrimination that violates federal civil rights laws.”

* Crain’s | Chicago sees the ‘missing middle’ as sweet spot for addressing the city’s housing shortage, repopulating neighborhoods: The city’s answer: repopulate the neighborhood by selling city-owned vacant lots that can be developed into sorely needed housing. This approach, “missing middle infill housing,” addresses Chicago’s persistent housing shortage for middle-income households and helps upgrade neighborhoods while also offering construction assistance to qualified developers. As part of Chicago’s $75 million Missing Middle Housing Initiative, five two-flat residential buildings will be going up on West 34th Place. Ramirez grew up just blocks away near West 40th Street and Western Avenue, and hopes the project is the beginning of better days ahead for this working-class, immigrant-heavy community.

* WTTW | CPD Failed to Document 267K Traffic Stops in 2025, 27% More Than Previous Year: Data: Chicago Police Department officers made 267,240 undocumented traffic stops in 2025, an increase of nearly 27% as compared with the number of traffic stops officers made in 2024 but did not properly document for state officials, according to records obtained by WTTW News. That means officers made an average of 732 traffic stops every day in 2025 that were not documented as required by CPD policy and state law, according to data from the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

* Crain’s | Chicago tests war-rattled muni market with $800M bond sale: The city is scheduled to sell $800 million in general obligation debt Tuesday, on the heels of a downgrade from Fitch Ratings. That includes $508 million taxable and $292 million tax-exempt, according to bond documents dated Feb. 27. Since then, the Iran war has pushed oil prices to new highs, and rattled stocks and bond prices, even extending to state and local government debt.

* Crain’s | As Obama Center nears debut, signs emerge of a changing neighborhood: In Woodlawn, newly developed homes stand out — sleek gray and white three-flats that contrast with the brick, multiunit buildings that make up much of the area’s housing stock. For-sale prices for new-construction homes land around $500,000, out of reach for many neighborhood residents, said Kimberly Salley, executive director of community organization Sunshine Gospel Ministries. About a third of the neighborhood’s population lives below the poverty line and three-quarters of households are renters, according to data from the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Patch | DuPage State’s Attorney Rescinds Sheriff Endorsement: In a message to Patch, State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said he informed Moore of his decision a day earlier. […] Berlin, a Republican, did not give the reason for his decision, nor did he say whether he would endorse Noonan. This week, Patch reported on a 2021 bar incident in Wisconsin that resulted in a disorderly conduct charge against Moore. The Daily Herald and the DuPage Policy Journal, a conservative publication, did so in January.

* Daily Southtown | Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere found guilty of computer tampering: Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere was found guilty Monday on two counts of computer tampering, both misdemeanors, and not guilty of a third count of computer tampering after a 2024 incident in which she accessed a member of the opposing party’s email without permission. […] Traynere testified last week she was testing a rumor she heard at the county office building the day before that all board members had the same email password when they were issued new computers.

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan mayor part of Great Lakes delegation in Washington: ‘It went extremely well’: Spending three days in Washington, D.C., last week, Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham and 23 other municipal leaders from the U.S. and Canada spoke to officials at the White House and members of Congress about the importance of fresh water and economic stability. As part of a delegation from the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative that went to Washington for the organization’s Great Lakes Day, Cunningham said the mayors and other officials made a pitch for water resources funding and tariff relief, as well as other needs.

* Daily Herald | Family of man fatally shot by Carol Stream police gets $9.4 million settlement: The family of a man shot to death by Carol Stream police in 2024 will receive $9.4 million to settle their federal lawsuit against the village and six of its police officers. A U.S. District Court judge accepted the settlement and closed the case Feb. 17, according to court records. Under the terms of the deal, the agreement is not an admission of liability by the defendants, nor a sign that either party prevailed.

*** Downstate ***

* Crain’s | Biotherapy maker CSL plans $1.5B expansion near Kankakee: Australian biotherapeutics maker CSL plans a $1.5 billion expansion of its manufacturing facility near Kankakee that will add 300 jobs. The company, which makes plasma-based immunotherapy products, employs about 1,200 people at its plant in Bradley. It will build a new facility to produce immunoglobulin therapies, Privigen and Hizentra. The expansion will bring the company’s full manufacturing process, from plasma collection through filling and packing, entirely to the U.S.

* STLPR | Public comment on air pollution limits for Metro East coal plant ends Monday: The public has until the end of the day on Monday to weigh in on how much pollution a Metro East coal plant should be allowed to put into the air. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is asking the public to send written comments on a new permit for the Prairie State coal plant. The plant is located near Marissa in Washington County, about an hour southeast of downtown St. Louis. According to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the plant emits pollutants such as the cancer-causing chemicals chromium and vanadium, which can cause issues with the blood and lungs. The plant also topped the list for greenhouse gas emissions in Illinois in 2023.

* WGLT | Bloomington child care center was under DCFS investigation when it closed: A spokesperson for DCFS said Bright Horizons Bloomington closed while an investigation was taking place. The agency would not confirm the nature of that investigation and Bright Horizons said that was not the reason for the closure. Illinois DCFS currently handles licensure for child care centers, in addition to investigating allegations of abuse or neglect. The department’s Sunshine Accountability Project lists Bright Horizons Bloomington’s license as “surrendered under investigation.”

* WSIL | Volunteers needed to revive historic Saline County Poor House: The Saline County Poor House, established in 1839, served the county’s poor until its closure in the 1950s. Volunteers will work on tasks such as repairing porches and rehabilitating the building’s exterior. Volunteer sessions run from Sunday evening to Friday morning. Meals and mentorship are provided, and volunteers can camp on-site.

*** National ***

* NPR | Bill Kurtis retires as ‘Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!’ judge and scorekeeper: Bill will still be a part of the Wait Wait family, filling in as judge and scorekeeper, lending his powerful voice to winner voicemails, and popping into the Wait Wait socials to say hi. His last show will be May 23. Plans around a successor for the role will be announced soon.

* Chaoticera | On Facebook, it now pays to post about politics: While most creators I spoke with declined to share exact revenue figures, one said they were earning “six figures” a month from Facebook. Others described monthly payouts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. Most shockingly, one prominent liberal news creator shared a screenshot showing a January 2026 payout of $268,000. Annualized, that would put this one individual’s potential Facebook earnings at roughly $3 million this year—just for posting.

* WIRED | Bluesky CEO Jay Graber Is Stepping Down: This isn’t the end for Graber and Bluesky. She will transition to become the company’s chief innovation officer, a role focused on Bluesky’s technology stack rather than its business operations. The position was created for her. Graber, who began her career as a software engineer, has always sounded the most enthusiastic when discussing Bluesky’s technology rather than its revenue streams.