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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Apr 16, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Feds move to block controversial Illinois credit card swipe fee ban, siding with banks in ongoing legal fight. Tribune…
- Passed in 2024 and set to take effect this July, the state law bans certain so-called swipe fees, also known as interchange fees, on the tax and tip portions of customers’ bills, with a goal of lowering the amount that credit card companies can charge retailers. - Financial institutions have argued that implementation would be burdensome and costly, affecting not only their industry but potentially also small businesses and consumers. * Related stories… Sponsored by The Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals No Cuts. No Closures. Fund Safety-Net Hospitals. For decades, Illinois has underfunded safety-net hospitals, the lifelines for Black and Brown communities. Now, the “Safety-Net Moonshot” and the Medicaid-defunding legislation it has spawned, threatens deeper cuts to these critical health providers. Any reduction inspired by the “Moonshot” would be a killshot to the care our most vulnerable residents rely on. Weakening safety-net hospitals won’t improve care. It will slash essential services, eliminate jobs, and push entire communities into healthcare deserts and economic instability. The state cannot balance its budget on the backs of Black and Brown community hospitals. These institutions are not line items to cut, they are the foundation of care for families who have nowhere else to turn. Disinvestment will deepen inequities and worsen outcomes. When safety-net hospitals are funded, communities are healthier, workforces are stronger, and economies are more resilient. Illinois must fully fund safety-net hospitals. For the communities they serve, it is life or death. * At 9 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver remarks at an announcement expanding the IBM–Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute partnership. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Sun-Times | As freed ComEd defendants face new trial, jurors say they already considered ‘every aspect’ of the case: Members of the jury that convicted Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain had mixed reactions when they left prison Wednesday. One juror said a new trial suggests the first one ended in a wrongful conviction, while the foreperson predicted the two defendants will ultimately “be found guilty again.” * WTVO | Pritzker: 150,000 Illinois residents at risk of losing SNAP benefits starting May 1: State officials said the bill expanded the number of people classified as able-bodied adults without dependents, also known as ABAWDs, who must now meet federal work requirements. Under this, ABAWDs could only receive SNAP benefits for three months within a three-year period. The changes took effect on February 1, making May 1 the deadline for eligible Illinois residents who didn’t meet the requirements to continue receiving benefits. * Capitol News Illinois | Device that helps make space travel possible named ‘Coolest Thing Made in Illinois’: Created and manufactured in Downers Grove, the NASA Standard Initiator, or NSI, is a small electrically activated pyrotechnic device that initiates propulsion by sparking a chain reaction of heat and pressure in space flight. “Anytime you have a space launch, anytime you have a separation activity, particularly in space, you need something to push that away and get something to light that initiating event. And that’s what that device does,” said Steven Hill, president of Chemring Energetic Devices Inc. * Sun-Times | Feds in Chicago get first guilty plea in a Midway Blitz case — but not for assaulting immigration agents: Federal prosecutors in Chicago secured their first guilty plea tied to Operation Midway Blitz on Wednesday, though not for the assault charge they’d originally leveled against Anthony Gonzalez Alvarez. Instead, he pleaded guilty to concealing information about a crime, admitting he falsely reported his Ford F-250 had been stolen to the Chicago Police Department after he drove it into the rear of a vehicle driven by immigration officers. The charge, officially known as “misprision of a felony,” is apparently rare enough that it prompted an in-court discussion of how to pronounce “misprision.” * Tribune | Former ComEd CEO, company lobbyist walk free day after Chicago appeals court ruling: A day after an appeals court said it would reverse their convictions in the “ComEd Four” conspiracy case and ordered them freed “forthwith,” Pramaggiore, 67, was released from a federal prison camp facility in the Florida panhandle, where she had been confined since January, a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson confirmed. “Ms. Pramaggiore walked out of federal prison today and her case stepped closer to achieving justice,” Mark Herr, a spokesman for Pramaggiore, said in a statement. “She is grateful for the Seventh Circuit’s ruling, glad the ‘forthwith’ meant today, and looks forward to returning home.” * Capitol News Illinois | GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey moves into Chicago apartment: Speaking to Capitol News Illinois on Wednesday before taking the stage at the annual Illinois Gun Owners Lobby Day in Springfield, the Republican nominee for governor said he’s moved into an apartment on Chicago’s near South Side that will serve as a sort of “headquarters” for his Chicago-area campaign operation. […] Bailey said he’s still open to receiving Trump’s endorsement this year but doesn’t feel it would influence his race. He said calling out the president’s comments on the pope also give him an opportunity to say, “I am my own individual; I’m here to represent you without any outside influence.” * AP | Illinois lawmakers grill Department of Corrections after audit shows dozens of failures: Illinois lawmakers are fed up with the state Department of Corrections after another audit found it has ignored state spending rules and failed to fix many mistakes that have languished for years. The Legislative Audit Commission, a bipartisan commission of state lawmakers that reviews audits of state agencies, demanded answers from Corrections Director LaToya Hughes on Tuesday. An audit of her department in fiscal years 2023 and 2024 that was released in September revealed 40 shortcomings at the agency, making it one of the worst in the state. * Reimagining Capitalism Lab | Illinois Poll: Trump and Harris Voters Back Bold Reforms to Capitalism: A new statewide poll commissioned by the recently launched Reimagining Capitalism Lab (RCL) finds that Illinois voters increasingly feel the economy is failing them, leading to deep anxiety about rising costs, economic inequality and an inability to afford basic needs. The findings reveal widespread frustration with the current economic system and a growing belief that the American Dream no longer holds true. * Sun-Times | Chicago cab fares going up 20% as City Council tries to buoy taxi industry: John Moberg, president of Checker, Yellow and American United Cab, says the hike is long overdue but argues that the industry still needs a level playing field to prevent the aging and shrinking pool of cabdrivers from drying up. *Press release | Bob Reiter, President of the Chicago Federation of Labor released the following statement: “The Deer Family is a part of the CFL Family. They have always been advocates for social and economic justice, public health, and visibility for those often overlooked. As we grapple with the tragic deaths of Barbara and Kaleb, I’m comforted by the memory of my dear friend Dennis, whose enduring spirit lives with me every day. It is with that spirit that we will work to continue the legacy of the Deers in all the ways that they supported the Lawndale Communities and beyond, as we comfort and pray for the Deer Family.” * Sun-Times | Ex-senior mayoral aide used job to get child hired by city contractor, had firm do unauthorized work, IG says: At an unrelated news conference Wednesday, Johnson said the former senior mayoral aide is from a “previous mayoral administration” and that he is doing things differently. A spokesperson for Lightfoot said the former mayor “had not been previously made aware of this investigation, and has not received any communication from the OIG.” “The allegations in question must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” the spokesperson for Lightfoot said. * Sun-Times | 17 more Chicago cops bilked PPP loan program, including 8 facing firing, inspector general says: All told, the alleged ripoffs involving those nine cops totaled $284,000, according to Witzburg’s first quarter 2026 report. Fraud allegations also were sustained against eight other officers, but the Chicago Police Department hasn’t decided whether to move to fire them. “This was a triage effort, and we are not done yet,” Witzburg said. “The reason we prioritized CPD cases is because they occupy positions of tremendous public trust and they land on the witness stand, so their credibility is of paramount importance.” * Tribune | City airport workers drank on the clock, OIG report finds: The OIG’s investigation involved a total of 14 subjects, most of whom were or are employed by the city’s Aviation Department, which oversees O’Hare and Midway airports. The watchdog determined that a total of seven employees made “false statements” to the OIG over the course of its investigation, the details of which were released Wednesday as part of the OIG’s first quarter report. In addition to drinking while they were supposed to be working, the OIG found that current and former Aviation Department employees “took extended breaks without proper authorization, falsified their time records, spent hours at a time idling while on the clock, demonstrated incompetence in their managerial duties, stole City property, and lied to OIG during an official investigation.” * WBEZ | Former charter school executive Tim King charged with stealing more than $100,000 from Urban Prep: In the newly unsealed grand jury indictment, the office of the U.S. attorney in Chicago accused King of taking a total of $103,833.31 by siphoning money from Urban Prep’s bank account to pay his credit card bills. King also allegedly tried to obstruct the federal investigation after Urban Prep received subpoenas for records about him in 2022, according to court records. * Nadig Newspapers | Archdiocese, CPS offer different views on the halting of learning disability funds for students at Catholic schools: The Chicago Public Schools claims that Catholic schools in the city have used up their allotment of federal funding for support services for those with learning disabilities, resulting in services being halted on Monday, April 13. The Archdiocese of Chicago counters that these services were halted with little notice and questions why other private (non-Catholic)schools in Chicago appear to be still receiving tutoring and support services for those with learning disabilities. * Daily Herald | O’Hare reclaims title as world’s busiest airport amid federal scrutiny over packed flight schedules: Meanwhile, U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates and Dick Durbin of Springfield urged FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford to provide more resources to O’Hare in a phone conversation Tuesday. O’Hare is “critical to our country’s aviation system,” Duckworth said in a statement. “Any flight reductions the FAA and U.S. Department of Transportation decide upon must be fair, justified and have a clear end date. The FAA and U.S. DOT must also prioritize O’Hare for federal grants, air traffic controller staffing and modernization upgrades,” she said. * Block Club | Northwest Side Dealing With Heavy Flooding After Tuesday Storms — With More Rain On The Way: According to the National Weather Service, 2.43 inches of rain were recorded at O’Hare Airport on Tuesday, making it the rainiest April day since 2013. WGN-TV Meteorologist Bill Snyder said that as of Wednesday, which is the halfway point of meteorological spring, the city has already seen 9.29 inches of rain, five inches higher than normal. “That’s the second wettest first half of spring on record of the past 155 years,” Snyder told Block Club. There were 305 calls made to 3-1-1 for flooded basements and 264 calls for street flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to data from the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. The majority of calls came from wards on the Far Northwest Side. * Fox Chicago | Chicago Blues Festival 2026 lineup announced; full schedule released: Headlining moments include a tribute to Alligator Records’ 55th anniversary, a celebration of Billy Branch’s 75 years in music, and a tribute honoring Mama Yancey and Big Mama Thornton. “Chicago is the birthplace of modern blues,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement. This festival reflects the sound, soul and resilience that define our city.” * Sun-Times | White Sox national anthem performer Gerald Chaney back to singing after pre-game collapse: “Scary stuff,” Sox manager Will Venable said after his squad’s 8-3 loss. “I was really glad to hear that he is doing well, but obviously a scary moment. I think everyone did a great job in responding and did the best to make sure he was alright. So, really good news to hear that he is alright.” Sox starter Sean Burke was warming up when the medical emergency unfolded. “They said he’s doing well at the hospital now, so hopefully he’s going to make a full recovery from that,” Burke said. “I was just trying to make sure he was all good, first and foremost.” * Daily Southtown | Opponents of Earthrise sprawling solar farm get temporary reprieve from Will County court: Will County Judge Victoria Breslan granted a temporary restraining order that effectively bans the Will County Board from voting until an attorney for the homeowners is given a chance to present evidence and cross-examine representatives from Earthrise Energy. The County Board was scheduled to vote on Earthrise’s Pride of the Prairie solar farm Thursday. The decision stems from a lawsuit filed on behalf of 16 homeowners who live near the proposed solar farm that will cover areas of Green Garden, Manhattan and Wilton townships. Attorney Steven Becker argued his clients were denied the ability to present their own evidence and cross-examine witnesses from Earthrise Energy, the developer, during a two-day public hearing before the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission. * Daily Southtown | Cook County judge to consider sanctions against plaintiffs in sexual assault lawsuit involving Dolton, Thornton Township: Thornton Township is asking a Cook County judge to impose sanctions on those who filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault and battery by Dolton Trustee Andrew Holmes during a 2023 work trip to Las Vegas, according to court records. Judge Jonathan Clark Green, recently appointed to the case after the plaintiffs requested a different judge, is tasked with deciding whether to dismiss the lawsuit and order the reimbursement of Thornton Township’s attorneys fees after plaintiffs failed to comply with multiple court orders, the township contends. Meanwhile, the two plaintiffs, who include a former Dolton and Thornton Township employee, are asking that Clark Green throw out a March 10 order from presiding Judge Jerry Esrig that they testify in the case April 8 and 9 after the plaintiffs asked to reschedule from March to May. * CBS Chicago | Oswego School District 308 parents claim summer remedial program targets all minority students, regardless of performance: The district’s Summer Connections program is meant to help students. According to the letter that went out to parents, selection is based on assessment scores, interventions, and special learning by program needs. But Fil Torres’ daughter is in advanced classes, so once he and his wife put together why both of their children were invited, he started pushing the district for answers. […] A partial internal document the CBS News Chicago Investigators received via a source revealed the answer – “eligible” and “at risk” students include “anyone with a race other than white.” * Daily Herald | Barrington imposes administrative tow fee to motorists for cars used in crimes: The fee, which ranges from $500 to $750, will apply to vehicles impounded in connection with such offenses as DUI, fleeing and eluding, unlawful use of weapons and serious drug offenses. Police Chief Dave Daigle said the fee offsets expenses incurred by the police department for investigation, arrest, detention and processing of cases. It also places the financial responsibility on individuals for their actions, he said. * Evanston Now | Schakowsky to lead July 4 parade: The theme of this year’s parade will be “Home of the Brave Since 1776,” to honor America’s 250th birthday. Tracy Alden, President of the Evanston Fourth of July Association, said in a release that “we are thrilled and proud that we can honor … [Schakowsky] and her achievements as her government career is winding up. Jan has bravely stood up for what’s right, for our deepest American principles, and worked to protect and lift up all of us.” * WGLT | AFSCME continues worker strike at ISU heading into day 9: Contract negotiations were held Wednesday morning, but the parties did not reach a deal. The session lasted about two hours, according to the union. The university has continued to stick to its final contract proposal, arguing it is “competitive with that for comparable roles in the local marketplace,” Vice President for Finance and Planning Glen Nelson said in a statement. The union says “pay for many of [its] workers starts at just $16.60 an hour.” Nelson said the union’s claim that many of its employees earn only $16 an hour was “inaccurate.” (The state’s minimum wage is $15 an hour.) * WCIA | 2 men charged with attempted murder, hate crime involving Danville alderman: Prosecutors said Jaleel Jones, a Danville alderman, and two other men — all Black men — were fishing in Paris around 10:45 p.m. when a white pickup truck pulled up with the Kollmans — both white men. Reynolds was with them as well. Evidence presented in court indicates that the Kollmans and Reynolds had been drinking, and when they got out of the car, they surrounded the three victims and were acting aggressively. All three of the accused were allegedly using racial slurs. The victims said they would leave, but then Jordan pulled a 12 gauge shotgun from the truck, prosecutors said. * Capitol News Illinois | 3D printed homes, an abandoned $590,000 deposit, the FBI: What really happened in this small town?: I learned that before the 3D printer arrived in Cairo, the Prestige owners had forfeited about $590,000 as a deposit for a different printer when they ended up canceling the order, a fact that would quickly turn the atmosphere tense as I pressed the company’s owners, the bank, Fowler and others for answers. I also learned that not long after the groundbreaking, several employees left Prestige around the same time a spray of anonymous emails hit inboxes across the region. The emails called the Cairo duplex project little more than a publicity stunt and alleged fraud tied to Prestige’s other construction projects. * WICS | Deadline approaching for applications for new mental health board: Sangamon County is gearing up for the start of its mental health board, as applications are flowing into the county. The board was created after voters approved a half percent sales tax increase to fund it. The Massey Commission recommended the creation of such a board during their research after the murder of Sonya Massey, who was dealing with mental illness. * WGLT | Normal Township reports a boost in ARC membership, increase in tax levy for general assistance fund: “We have actually reduced our general assistance clients from 45 from when we took over this program to having less than 20 now in 2025 to 2026, due to proper intake qualifying processes that were sorted out with training,” Able said. Still the program paid over $278,000 in assistance during the last fiscal year, plus about $84,000 in administrative costs, which includes two employees. Able noted the greatest expense was in the summer months when a state program providing help with energy costs to low-income families was not available. * WGLT | City of Bloomington wants volunteer service help — and lots of it — as term expirations loom: A big chunk of the community volunteers on appointed boards and commissions in Bloomington will have their terms expire at the end of the month. A few more terms will elapse at the end of June, according to the city website. And there were already a lot of vacancies among the 138 seats the mayor fills by appointment. “Good people stepping forward and looking for their ideas, we are recruiting and looking for all the time,” said Mayor Dan Brady. * WGEM | A push for more trees in Quincy: A Quincy business is partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation to help put trees where there aren’t any in the city. This year, on 8th Street, the commission plans on adding trees on that street to help with the urban canopy. And when it comes time to plant, Jan Leimbach, chairman of the Quincy City Tree Commission, said residents can help take care of the trees. * Springfield native Sam Antonacci…
* WGEM | ‘It was almost surreal’: Macomb mayor reflects on meeting Pope Leo XIV: Inman also had the chance to speak with Leo one-on-one, an experience he said left him speechless. “It was a very humbling moment for me, to be standing, meeting the world figure, the leader of the Catholic Church, as the representative of little old Macomb, Illinois…” said Inman. “‘Wow’ was about all I could muster.” Leo offered encouragement to Inman. When asked, the world’s first American pope and Chicago native revealed he had friends who attended Western Illinois University in Macomb. * WCBU | ‘Historic moment’ in Washington: Groundbreaking held for new $23M Lincoln Grade School: “This is a historic moment for our district,” said District 52 Superintendent Pat Minasian, who led the ceremony, which was live-streamed back at Lincoln for plastic hard-hat wearing students. The new Lincoln school, expected to open in time for the 2027-28 school year, will replace the original one built in 1949. Despite additions, renovations and repairs through the years, the old Lincoln is aging, has out-of-date and insufficient infrastructure, and isn’t suitable for today’s education needs. * News-Gazette | Mirkovic announces return to Illinois: David Mirkovic will return to Illinois for the 2026-27 season. The 6-foot-9 forward announced his decision live on Twitch on Wednesday afternoon but not without a little drama. “After long thoughts and a lot of thinking about my future with my agent and all of the staff, I decided to …,” Mirkovic said before the video feed cut out. Then Mirkovic took a page from Michael Jordan’s book with a memo taking place of the stream. It included a two-word statement from the Illinois big man in response to questions about his future: “I’m back.” * MediaIte | Army Secretary Orders Social Media Accounts Shuttered After Post About Democrat Who Lost Both Legs in Iraq: Army Secretary Dan Driscoll ordered multiple social media accounts associated with the U.S. military after they praised the service of Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Soldier for Life is an Army organization that promotes services for veterans, soldiers, and their families. On Saturday, it ran a commendatory post about Duckworth on its Facebook page, featuring an image of her in her Army uniform, along with a biography. The senator, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army, lost both legs in Iraq when her Black Hawk helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The post irked a user on X, who posted a screenshot of the Facebook post and tagged Driscoll’s government X account. On Monday, the post was taken down. * NYT | Corporate America Aims to Preserve Profit Streak During War in Iran: Some economists are worried that this newest geopolitical hurdle may be the one that finally trips up U.S. businesses. They are lifting their recession probabilities, fearing that higher operating costs and falling revenues may freeze hiring and investment. Other analysts remain more bullish, expecting economic growth, and profit margins, to hold steady. Sonu Varghese, the global macro strategist at the Carson Group, a financial firm, said many of the companies he tracked viewed inflation pressures from “outside shocks,” such as this war, “as an opportunity to raise prices and boosts margins,” which can, in turn, raise profits. * CBS | Chevron executive Andy Walz suggests Americans should drive less amid high gas prices: Walz, Chevron’s president of downstream, midstream and chemicals, said there’s probably no “silver bullet” to help bring down prices for Americans over the long term while oil prices remain high for everyone else. “It’s a global market for crude,” Walz said. “We have crude here, that’s closer to us, that we’re all processing and using. That’s helping Americans buffer their price. … If this goes on for an extended period of time, it’s probably gonna get tougher.” * AP | Jury finds that Ticketmaster and Live Nation had an anticompetitive monopoly over big concert venues: The ruling, in a lawsuit brought by dozens of states, won’t immediately bring relief for concertgoers who have long complained about high ticket prices. But it could cost Live Nation hundreds of millions of dollars and perhaps force the company to sell some of its concert venues when the judge hands out penalties later. Among other things, the jury found Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive practices led to people in 22 states paying an extra $1.72 per ticket, which the judge could order the companies to pay back.
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- OneMan - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 7:54 am:
== Chemring Energetic Devices Inc.== Is a really cool company name and also the name of a funk band that worked the college bar circut in the mid 80’s
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, Apr 16, 26 @ 8:46 am:
If you read the OIG’s report, Brandon Johnson’s Law Department obstructed the investigation into this senior Mayoral aide’s conduct. But maybe it is all some previous administration’s fault just like everything else in this term.