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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Apr 20, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Capitol News Illinois | Barbara Flynn Currie, 40-year veteran of Illinois House, trailblazer for women in Springfield, dies: State Rep. Curtis Tarver, D-Chicago, who was elected in 2018 to replace Currie after she announced she wouldn’t seek a 21st term, was emotional as he summarized her legacy as a “trailblazer” in a speech on the House floor in Springfield. He said she “raised her children first, finished her degree later, in what she described as ‘doing it on the motherhood plan.’” “That mattered,” Tarver said. “It shaped how she saw people, how she approached policy and how she understood their real lives behind the decisions we make in this chamber.” * Hyde Park Herald | Barbara Flynn Currie, Hyde Park’s state legislator for four decades, dies at 85: The legislative record of Currie’s majority leader years is sweeping. In 2011, she co-sponsored the bill abolishing capital punishment in Illinois. In 2013, she co-sponsored the bill legalizing same-sex marriage. She led the charge on school funding equity — in 2016 chairing a bipartisan task force that added $350 million to address the inequalities created by Illinois’ reliance on property taxes to fund schools. She worked for decades on criminal justice reform, extended voting hours, free mammograms for low-income women and protections for nursing home residents. * Sun-Times | Barbara Flynn Currie, ‘trailblazer who opened doors for generations of women’ dies: With women making up a record 32% of state legislatures across the country, it might be difficult to remember the male world that Currie entered. When she was elected in 1978, fewer than 11% of Springfield lawmakers were women. When she announced her retirement in 2017, that figure was more than a third, and in 2025 the Illinois Legislature was 42% female. […] ”Republican women gave me flowers,” Currie later recalled. “Secretaries and staff in the Capitol were thrilled. One of my girlfriends nearly ran her car off the road. The depth of excitement was really quite thrilling.” * Tribune | Barbara Flynn Currie, Illinois’ first female House majority leader and a progressive champion, dies at 85: “At first, when I met her, she seemed a little intimidating because she was so brilliant,” said state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, a Chicago Democrat who previously served in the House for many years with Currie. “One of the strongest characteristics of Barbara Flynn Currie was how she mentored people, and she would very gently give you ideas and thoughts about how to do things better.” 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. * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * Tribune | Names of dead people on juror list raises legal challenge to Illinois jury pool process: Mertes, a criminal defense attorney, was alarmed by the glut of dead people whose names turned up on a recent list of potential jurors in rural Whiteside County. Now, he and county prosecutors are wondering whether Illinois has sufficient safeguards to purge the deceased from its jury pools. The issue could potentially affect other criminal trial cases — making the case the “canary in a coal mine” for the statewide jury system, Mertes said. “It’s extremely difficult to believe this problem doesn’t exist in other counties,” Mertes said. “Our system of justice is predicated on the idea that a jury represents a fair cross section of the community, so you get different perspectives. Then you can have faith in the integrity of that verdict.” * CBS Chicago | Devastation in Lena, Illinois, after tornado last week: Preliminary reports from the National Weather Service indicate that an EF-2 tornado affected Lena, about 48 miles west of Rockford, and destroyed businesses and homes. The tornado had peak winds of around 130 mph, the NWS said. […] “The magnitude of the disaster was so huge, and so we have people from all over, as you know,” she said. “I’m in Dakota. [Illinois]. We didn’t know some of these folks. Most of them, we didn’t know until we showed up, but they just need so many help. * Sun-Times | ICE says 81% arrested in Operation Midway Blitz had no convictions, falsely asserts no citizens arrested: In the letter, Lyons claims that no U.S. citizens were arrested by federal immigration officers during Operation Midway Blitz — despite documented reports of citizens being arrested. According to ProPublica, at least 170 citizens were detained in the first nine months of the Trump administration, and as of mid-October, about two dozen U.S. citizens had been held for more than a day without being able to contact anyone. Durbin’s staff has also documented the reported detention of at least 40 citizens in Illinois between late August and early November 2025. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois lawmakers claim progress on Bears stadium legislation: A change that’s been floated, according to sources involved in negotiations, is eliminating two investment tiers aimed at smaller megaprojects ($250 million and the creation of 50 jobs or $100 million and the creation of 100 jobs). This would make the minimum investment to qualify $500 million. Some lawmakers believe the smaller investments simply don’t meet the definition of a “megaproject,” but Pritzker has pushed for tiers so the tool can be used across the state. * Sun-Times | Bears bosses and Hammond mayor meet on proposed stadium site: The meeting, which included other Bears and Hammond officials, took place at Lost Marsh Golf Club near Wolf Lake, where the Bears would build if they decide to move to Indiana. A statement issued by a team spokesperson said the Bears “continue to work together with Indiana leaders on our commitment to finish the necessary due diligence work for the Hammond site.” * Tribune | Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey seeks distance from Trump, but MAGA shadow looms: Bailey told the Tribune: “Well, they’ve got seven months to learn it.” He has rented a South Loop Chicago apartment to spend the next several months “to simply earn the trust and, ultimately, the vote of the people there.” “I’m ready to stop some of the political rhetoric that I’ve been a part of in the past. I admit it, understand it and I want to turn away from that,” he said in Springfield after a gun-owners’ rights rally. * NBC Chicago | GOP governor candidate Darren Bailey tries to walk back calling Chicago a ‘hellhole’: Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey tried on Sunday to walk back his past negative comments about Chicago, a city he has repeatedly called a “hellhole.” Bailey addressed the “hellhole” comments directly in a video shared to social media on Sunday that he filmed alongside Aaron Del Mar, his running mate. […] “Aaron, listen, I said something dumb and I am certainly not too proud to admit when I’m wrong, so, I love Chicago, I love everything this city has to offer and I can’t wait to experience it,” Bailey said at the end of the video. * Daily Herald | ‘Don’t give up’: On visit to suburbs, Bailey opens up about crash that killed son, grandchildren: Wednesday will mark six months since Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren’s Bailey’s son, daughter-in-law and their two young children died in a Montana helicopter crash. “You live life and you just think … that there’s going to be a tomorrow,” Bailey told the congregation of Lakewood Chapel in Arlington Heights Sunday. * Sun-Times | Juliana Stratton talks about the fight she’s bringing to Washington at Power Rising Summit: Stratton also took aim at President Trump, vowing to push the Democratic Party to be more “courageous.” “There’s a need to use my voice in the bully pulpit that I will be given, but there’s also a need to push our party — and I’m a Democrat — to be more courageous in this moment, because this is not a normal president, he’s not a normal person,” Stratton said. “So you don’t go about business as usual with somebody who is not normal.” * Daily Herald | Fight over Illinois’ swipe fee law heats up as implementation deadline nears: Arlington Heights Democratic state Sen. Mark Walker and Chicago Democratic state Rep. Margaret Croke have both filed bills seeking to repeal the law. Neither has made it out of committee so far. There’s also an ongoing lawsuit filed by financial institutions aimed at stopping the 2024 law from going into effect. The initial court battle delayed implementation by a year, but a federal judge ultimately sided with the state and set up a process for compliance ahead of implementation. * Chalkbeat Chicago | More than $550,000 has poured into historic Chicago school board races: More than six months ahead of Chicago’s historic school board races, candidates are starting to ramp up fundraising — and political action committees are gearing up to spend big. About 40 active school board candidate committees have already raised roughly $555,000 as of March 31 since last October, according to data Chalkbeat analyzed after a deadline this week to file campaign cash disclosures for the first quarter of 2026 with the Illinois State Board of Elections. * Sun-Times | As Chicago’s indie venues struggle, local musicians face their own financial burdens: In the meantime, Chicago venues are still struggling, and local artists are feeling the financial burden. In addition to working multiple jobs, they are seeking out alternative spaces and advocating for systemic change. ”It makes me sad because that’s my favorite way to experience music,” Brennan said of going to shows at indie spots. “I go to smaller, mid-sized venues where I might even know the owner or the booker, and just feel super comfortable in a space where independent artists are empowered.” * Tribune | In Chicago, robots are serving up food deliveries, as well as some mishaps: A review of recent robot safety incident reports shows the March crashes were not the first time the robots had run-ins with the city’s mass transit infrastructure. Earlier this year, a Serve robot named Veruca was cruising down the sidewalk near the CTA’s Chicago Blue Line stop when it approached the station’s entrance and tumbled down the subway stairs, according to an incident report the company submitted to the city. * Sun-Times | White Sox rookie Noah Schultz shines in second start, Murakami homers again in win: There was Japanese phenom Munetaka Murakami admiring his towering home run for a third consecutive game. There were Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas tagging their own impressive blasts, plus Chase Meidroth scratching out two hits. Never mind a few late bullpen hiccups, because most importantly, there was left-hander Noah Schultz dealing through five strong innings in the second start of his career — and letting his 97-mph sinker answer any lingering questions about his shaky Chicago debut last week. * Daily Herald | Des Plaines River cresting, but flooding along Fox expected to worsen: Forecasters predict the Fox River to continue rising in coming days, cresting just below 12 feet — considered major flood stage — Thursday in Algonquin. According to a flood warning issued Sunday, at 12 feet structures would be threatened along River Street, Johnson Street and Maiden Lane in East Dundee; North Harrison Street in Algonquin; and Washington Street in Carpentersville. Bayview Road and low-lying areas of Festival Park in Elgin also would be at risk, according to the alert. * WGN | Former Hinsdale Central lacrosse coach charged after allegations of improper conduct with student from another district: Buetikofer was a freshman lacrosse coach at Hinsdale Central but was fired from the position after the allegations came to light, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Superintendent Dr. Michael Lach confirmed to an inquiry from WGN News. In a letter sent to district staff and families, Lach said the allegations of improper conduct against Buetikofer were related to his employment as a teacher in a separate school district that’s not affiliated with District 86 and that District 86 “ceased all association” with Buetikofer last month when it learned of the allegations. * Crain’s | Helmut Jahn-designed Naperville office building sold for half of 2015 price: Real Capital, meanwhile, is among the real estate firms wagering on a comeback for well-located office buildings with amenities that companies crave. The MetroWest acquisition comes a few months after it paid $132.5 million for the 35-story office building at 401 N. Michigan Ave., the priciest downtown office transaction since 2022. The Naperville property “is exactly the type of opportunity we’re focused on,” Real Capital Chief Acquisitions Officer Adam Abeln said in the statement. “It’s a well-located asset that’s been repriced due to capital market pressures. We’re acquiring it at a basis that allows us to create value through execution.” * WGLT | Strong storm damages Rivian plant and B-N homes and businesses; thousands still without power: One of the buildings at the Rivian auto plant in west Normal sustained damage that appeared to be a partially collapse wall and roof. The building is on the far southeast part of the sprawling complex, just north of College Avenue, where many new buildings were constructed to support production of the new R2 model. The damaged section appears to be a receiving area with a row of semitrailer truck stalls. The EV company said no one was injured. “We are currently evaluating the extent of the damage,” the company said. * ICYMI: ”sewer explosion” in downtown Springfield…
* WGLT | UIS faculty strike ends: Marathon bargaining sessions over the weekend resulted in a tentative three-year agreement with the school. Details have not been released, and the agreement must still be ratified. “During the 17-day strike forced upon us by Chancellor Gooch, we were supported by many students, staff, faculty, alumni, retirees, former employees, faculty colleagues at other Illinois public colleges and universities and community members. We are grateful for their support!” the UIS United Faculty posted on social media early Monday. * WGLT | George Wendt remembered as conservative ’stalwart’ of McLean County government: Republican county board member Geoff Tompkins served with Wendt on the board and knew each other as GOP precinct committeepersons. Tompkins said Wendt will be a remembered as a “stalwart advocate” of conservative principles. “George Wendt has left an indelible mark of service to McLean County and all that have worked with him,” Tompkins said. “George’s insights and institutional knowledge, particularly in the area of property taxes, will be fondly remembered and greatly missed.” * Fox2 Now | Massive hole forms on I-64 bridge in East St. Louis: FOX 2 took a peek at the hole Saturday afternoon from Trendley Avenue. It appears a board has been placed over the hole, providing a temporary way for drivers to navigate a busy stretch of the highway. Traffic appeared to be moving much slower in Woods’ video Friday out of caution, but conditions seemed closer to normal by Saturday afternoon. Repairing the bridge, both in the short and long term, would fall under the responsibility of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). * WaPo | In red states, anti-immigrant bills are failing as businesses push back: In Utah, Republican state Rep. Cheryl Acton called a bill that would have denied public services to undocumented immigrants a “violation, really, of the Sermon on the Mount.” The measure never got a sponsor in the state Senate, after being introduced by Republican state Rep. Trevor Lee, who told The Post that the White House was “very supportive” of the bill. When asked if the White House pressured him to introduce the bill, Lee demurred “I wouldn’t call it pressure, more just what can we do to help you guys now that we have the border sealed,” Lee said about the White House’s role advocating for the bill. “What can we do as a state [to help the White House]”? * LA Times | How gangs connected to India are terrorizing a California immigrant community: More than 250,000 Sikhs live in California, the largest population in the U.S. Like other members of the diaspora, they retain strong ties to India, with many regularly traveling to visit their families or ancestral homes. California law enforcement agencies say the combination of wealth, tight relationships and cross-border movement has made them attractive targets for criminal networks with roots in India’s northern and western states — Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi and Rajasthan. […] Bishnoi gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi is incarcerated in an Indian prison, but federal investigators in recent criminal indictments say he has continued to direct his global network of extortion and target killings by using encrypted messaging applications, cross-border coordination and a cadre of U.S.-based associates to extort victims in both countries. * Crain’s | American Airlines pours cold water on United merger talk: “American Airlines is not engaged with or interested in any discussions regarding a merger with United Airlines,” the Fort Worth-based airline said in a written statement released this afternoon. “While changes in the broader airline marketplace may be necessary, a combination with United would be negative for competition and for consumers, and therefore inconsistent with our understanding of the administration’s philosophy toward the industry and principles of antitrust law.” * The Guardian | As e-bike crashes send an increasing number of people to the hospital, cities search for solutions: “When we think about e-bike crashes and deaths related to e-bikes, the vast majority are cars and trucks killing people on e-bikes as opposed to people on e-bikes injuring somebody else,” said Alexa Sledge, director of communications for Transportation Alternatives, an organization dedicated to making New York’s streets safer.
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