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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern…
* Capitol News Illinois | Consumer advocates seek 80% reduction in latest Nicor gas rate request: Watchdog groups are calling on regulators to reject $178 million, or 80%, of a $220.8 million rate hike requested by Nicor Gas earlier this year, citing wasteful capital spending, excessive shareholder profits and “lavish” executive bonuses. Consumer advocate groups including the Citizens Utility Board, the Illinois Public Interest Research Group and the Environmental Defense Fund said the requested hike is about five times higher than it should be. * 21st Show | Public health officials address Hantavirus questions: IDPH also said in its latest statement that the risk of contracting Hantavirus remains very low for Illinoisans. Dr. Vidya Sundareshan, professor and Chief of Infectious Diseases at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and medical advisor for Sangamon County Department of Public Health and Dr. Mamadou Tounkara, a public health administrator for the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District joined the 21st Show. They discussed how people can get exposed to Hantavirus and what protective measures are helpful. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois county clerks are preparing for mail voting amid continued attacks, changes: Like other clerks, Gray said he practices full transparency by inviting people to observe how different steps are taken — from how to request a ballot, to receiving it and turning it back in to the clerk’s office, and how it’s processed and counted. “The more you can expose how you operate, the greater trust and confidence you’ll have in your jurisdiction,” he said. * Crain’s | Illinois bill proposes 4% tax on short-term rentals to fund affordable housing: A bill proposed in Springfield last week would put a 4% tax on short-term rentals and use to revenue it generates to develop affordable housing through community land trusts. The legislation envisions what may be a first-of-its-kind funding pipeline that directs short-term rental taxes to affordable housing efforts. […] There’s no estimate in HB 5776 of how much revenue the tax would generate if adopted. It would go into effect Jan. 1, 2027. * Fox Chicago | Civil liberty advocates sue Illinois over ’show your papers’ gun law: The New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) filed a lawsuit against Illinois officials Tuesday over the state’s Firearm Owners Identification Act, also known as the FOID Card Act, a state law that requires Illinois residents to apply for and carry an identification card at all times to possess any firearm or ammunition. The civil complaint, which Fox News Digital obtained exclusively, challenges the law as unconstitutional, arguing it “entirely deprives everyone of the right to keep and bear arms – including the basic right to possess a firearm for self-defense in the home – unless and until they seek and receive the State’s permission.” * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson makes last-minute push to name permanent CTA leader: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asked the Chicago Transit Authority board to select a permanent leader just weeks before a new state law limits his control over the executive appointment process at the mass transit agency. In a May 7 letter addressed to CTA board chair Lester Barclay, Johnson directed the agency’s board to “move expeditiously to finalize the selection of a permanent President for the CTA,” which has been led on an interim basis by an acting president, Nora Leerhsen, since early 2025. * WTTW | City Council Committee Advances Mayor’s Pick to Serve as Chicago’s Watchdog: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to serve as the city’s watchdog won the endorsement of a key Chicago City Council committee Tuesday, as former Assistant U.S. Attorney David Glockner vowed to “prioritize problem-solving over finger-pointing.” The City Council’s Ethics and Government Oversight Committee unanimously approved the nomination of Glockner to serve as inspector general, setting up a final vote by the full City Council on Wednesday. * Crain’s | Development near CTA stops growing on South and West sides but gaps remain: A policy plan the city adopted five years ago has had some success in catalyzing more development near CTA stops in disinvested neighborhoods, but there’s still room for improvement, according to a report from Elevated Chicago. The nonprofit’s report analyzed the impact of the Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Policy Plan adopted by the Chicago Plan Commission in 2021. The city’s Connected Communities Ordinance, passed in 2022, implements recommendations from the plan, including zoning and density incentives and provisions aimed at creating more affordable housing and preventing displacement. The city also put $10 million in federal funding into grants assisting those developments. * Sun-Times | Going to a show in Chicago? Be prepared to hand over your phone till it’s over: Meanwhile, up in Edgewater, theater leaders from [producingbody] are introducing audiences to magnetically locking Yondr pouches, starting this week with the Chicago premiere of “Spaceman.” Audiences can sit with their phones in the pouches — but they won’t be accessible for the length of the 100-minute show. * WTTW | New Exhibit at International Museum of Surgical Science Highlights Role of Filipino Nurses in Healthcare: A new temporary exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Science aims to give visibility to an often overlooked segment of the healthcare profession: Filipino nurses. The exhibit, “Unheard Voices of Care: Filipino Nurses in America,” runs until Aug. 2. Merle Salazar is a retired nurse and board member of the Filipino American National Historical Society Greater Chicago Chapter, which co-curated the exhibit. Salazar said she wants more nurses to share their stories and be more outspoken about their experiences, both positive or negative, working in the healthcare industry. * Crain’s | Gene & Georgetti sues concessions operator over Midway Airport outpost: The lawsuit, filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, is centered on Gene’s Bistro at Midway Airport, which opened in 2020. It is the latest salvo between Gene & Georgetti, which turns 85 this year, and SSP, which is part of a group that won a bid in 2017 to modernize the food options at Midway. The complaint alleges SSP used Gene & Georgetti’s reputation to cinch the Midway concession. The River North restaurant has long drawn celebrities — it has a Frank Sinatra booth — and is woman-owned. The lawsuit also alleges SSP, which operates the restaurant, violated trademark and trade secret laws in using the restaurant’s recipes, breached its contract regarding Gene’s Bistro and failed to pay agreed-upon fees to Gene & Georgetti. * Chicago Reader | Cook County expands Flock license plate reader network: All but three commissioners—Alma Anaya, Tara Stamps, and Jessica Vásquez—voted in favor of Dart’s request for more than 50 new license plate readers, bringing his office’s countywide total to 125. During a May 13 hearing of the board’s Criminal Justice Committee, the three dissenting commissioners questioned Dart’s transparency around the surveillance technology and how the contract was awarded. “I am not at issue with the goal of what the sheriff wants to accomplish,” Vásquez said. “I am at issue with this vendor, who has been highlighted across the country in terms of violating contract agreements.” * Shaw Local | Plainfield adopts ban on sale of controversial drug kratom: The village of Plainfield has joined other communities in banning the sale of kratom, which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has called “a drug of concern.” Village trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance that not only bans the sale or transfer of kratom, but also bans the sale or transfer of any novel synthetic or psychoactive drugs. Those violating the ordinance could face a $250 fine. There is a statewide ban on the sale of kratom to anyone under the age of 18. * Daily Herald | Pulte Homes asks St. Charles for incentives for development — but with no affordable housing: The proposal gained supportive comments from the council, applauding the design that accomplishes the city’s goal of cleaning up the site, developing housing that supports the surrounding neighborhoods and bringing more foot traffic to the downtown. But Pulte representatives have made one thing clear. They do not want to lose the extra $3 million cost they claim it will take to meet the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance. The proposal includes a subdivision with 93 single-family homes and 12 townhouse units. The property is located northwest of downtown, north of Dean/State streets, between North 5th Street and North 12th Street. The site is south of the former railroad tracks. * Daily Herald | ‘Protecting homes’: Officials celebrate $3.5 million drainage, flood control project in Wauconda: Wauconda’s wide-ranging project was envisioned four years ago after the village was notified of potential grant funding through a $122 million allocation from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Different projects were discussed, but after being advised to “think big,” a proposal to create proper drainage for Bangs Lake and reduce flooding to more than 70 properties and eight roads was submitted, said Wauconda Mayor Jeff Sode. The stormwater commission awarded a $2.73 million grant for the work. * Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove ranked best place to live in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report. Here’s who else made the list: “The 2026-2027 Best Places to Live rankings offer consumers a look at places throughout the U.S. that might meet their needs for livability best,” said Erika Giovanetti, consumer lending analyst at U.S. News & World Report. The report noted Buffalo Grove’s median household income of $135,543, compared with the national median of $83,181. The village also boasts a 2.1% unemployment rate, below the national average of 4.5%. * WGLT | During Rivian visit, Pritzker says new R2 model could open EV market to the middle class: Speaking steps away from the R2 production line, Pritzker noted the Model T helped cars evolve from a luxury to an accessible option in the early 20th century, ultimately transforming the middle class. He noted the R2’s lower price point – starting at $45,000, much lower than Rivian’s R1 launch vehicles that started at $72,990. “It’s a product for the middle class,” Pritzker told a crowd of elected officials and Rivian workers. “It’s a product for people who haven’t otherwise been able to afford an electric vehicle in the U.S., and I’m proud it’s being made right here in Normal and in Illinois.” * WGLT | Bloomington City Council discusses cleaning up amendment process: The Bloomington City Council is trying to bring a little more order into how amendments are brought into council votes, attempting to avoid confusion on what’s being approved. A proposal discussed Monday night would provide advanced submission guidelines and timelines to “substantive” amendments. The goal is to clarify exactly what’s being voted on, and avoid errors that sometimes have to be corrected weeks later. * WCIA | New national data highlights trouble with testing at Urbana schools: Of the 752 Illinois districts the report mentions, Urbana is third from last in combined math and reading scores. It said they don’t have a set of data from the 2025 school year, but the trends have been going down since 2009. * WCIA | New apartment complex proposal draws mixed reactions from Urbana community: The Urbana Committee of the Whole is reviewing a plan that proposes a four-story 32-unit apartment complex at the intersection of Main and McCullough. Some residents have concerns about the building’s plan as a medium-high density multi-family housing in four single-family residential lots. “This is going to be a monolith compared to everything around it,” said Urbana resident and former city council member Dennis Roberts. “This is going to be a multiplex of apartments and it’s going to be tall, it’s going to be angular, it’s going to be like a spaceship dropped it into this neighborhood.” * NYT | A.I. Spending Sets a Record, With No End in Sight: In the first three months of the year, the four companies reported in their financial results, they plowed a total of $130.65 billion into capital expenditures, largely spending on data centers that power A.I. That figure — which was another record — was more than three times what the Manhattan Project cost to develop nuclear bombs and 71 percent higher than what the tech giants spent in the same quarter a year earlier. * Tech Cruch | Google Search as you know it is over: Instead of returning a simple list of links, Google Search will drop users into AI-powered interactive experiences at times. Google is also introducing tools that can dispatch “information agents” to gather information on a user’s behalf, along with tools that let users build personalized mini apps tailored to their needs.
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- Pundent - Tuesday, May 19, 26 @ 2:36 pm:
I’m sure we’ll soon be hearing from the Mayor how the State of Illinois owes the city a stadium.
Somebody needs to tell the Mayor there’s nothing progressive about the state providing a tax payer funded stadium for billionaire owners to use.
- Rahm's Parking Meter - Tuesday, May 19, 26 @ 2:41 pm:
Advantage Pritzker.
- DuPage Saint - Tuesday, May 19, 26 @ 3:05 pm:
The picture of the Mayor and the Governor is deserving of a caption contest