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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Jul 15, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* WICS | Illinois launches statewide circuit court survey: The Illinois Supreme Court and the Illinois Judicial Conference have launched a new statewide survey to gather feedback on the state’s circuit courts. Officials said it is the first statewide circuit court survey conducted since 2015. The results will be used to help inform future policy decisions and improve court services. The survey began Tuesday and will remain open through July 31. * University of Chicago | The Polsky Center Joins Statewide Effort to Attract NSF Quantum X-Labs Teams to Illinois: The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is joining the State of Illinois and quantum organizations across Chicago to provide funding, facilities, and venture-building support for teams pursuing quantum technologies through the U.S. National Science Foundation’s X-Labs initiative. Earlier this month, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced the Illinois X-Labs Fast Fund, a $3 million capital fund designed to encourage teams receiving NSF X-Labs Phase 0 awards to establish and grow their work in Illinois. * Press release | Illinois Ranks #2 in the Country for FAFSA Completions: The National College Attainment Network (NCAN) released their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Tracker for the Class of 2026, and Illinois is now ranked second in the nation and first in the Midwest for completion of the FAFSA — the highest position and the highest rate (71.4%) ever for an Illinois high school graduating class. “Illinois’ increase in FAFSA completion is a testament to the hard work of students, families and educators – and a clear demonstration that the state’s continued efforts to expand awareness, remove barriers, and connect students with financial aid are making a real difference,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Every completed FAFSA represents a world of opportunity opened and brings Illinois a step closer to making educational attainment a reality for every student in every corner of our state.” * Press release | Gov. Pritzker Signs Legislation Strengthening Support for Illinois Service Members and Veterans: Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed three bills into law that will fortify recruitment to the Illinois National Guard with newly incentivized peer-to-peer referral practices, as well as connect our state’s veterans to continued education pathways and life-saving breakthrough therapies for suicide prevention. SB 3737: Requires universities to promptly readmit students following academic military leave, effective January 1, 2027 (Sen. Porfirio/Rep. Stuart) SB 3818: Incentivizes Illinois National Guard recruitment with peer-to-peer referrals, effective January 1, 2027 (Sen. Porfirio/Rep. Swanson) SB 3926: Moves the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Program Advisory Council under the Department of Public Health, effective January 1, 2027 (Sen. Porfirio/Rep. Hirschauer) * Fox Chicago | Data center craze draws concerns from wary Illinoisans: Illinois is the third largest data center market in the country, but some people are concerned with the environmental and economic effects. FOX Chicago’s Liz Dueweke breaks down the numbers on data centers in Illinois and the Midwest and why people are protesting data center development. * Politico | Pritzker, Hochul diverge on data centers: Hochul is enacting a pause on permits for up to one year for the largest new data centers in New York while state officials there sort out how to regulate the fast-growing industry. The move followed action by New York lawmakers, who passed legislation that would implement a one-year pause on data center construction. Hochul didn’t sign or veto the bill. Illinois lawmakers never got that far. Pritzker hasn’t stopped data center construction, but he has shut off a key incentive. On July 1, his administration stopped processing new tax incentive agreements after state lawmakers left Springfield without passing the broader regulatory package he wanted. * Reuters | Pollution from Musk’s unpermitted xAI power project hits hardest in Black communities: Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI has installed 59 natural gas turbines for its Colossus 2 data center project in Tennessee without securing federal clean air permits, according to communications between regulators and xAI representatives. Potential emissions from the turbines are far beyond the threshold that would require a federal permit, and would be released near predominantly Black communities already estimated to be suffering disproportionately high rates of lung disease, according to a Reuters analysis based on government data and information in the correspondence with regulators. * Sun-Times | Big financing steps forward for The 78, Foundry Park projects: Two of Chicago’s most pivotal but challenging undeveloped sites — Foundry Park on the North Side and the vacant South Loop parcel known as The 78 — moved forward in a big way Wednesday before the City Council adjourned for a summer recess. Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced a $201.6 million tax increment financing subsidy for JDL Development’s scaled back vision for North Side industrial land along the Chicago River that once was supposed to be home to the Lincoln Yards megaproject. And despite a slew of concerns from Council members, the full Council approved a $425 million TIF for The 78, a reference to Chicago’s unofficial 78th community area. The subsidy will bankroll public improvements needed for the South Loop development, anchored by a $750 million soccer stadium privately financed by Chicago Fire billionaire owner Joe Mansueto. * Block Club | Homeless Shelter Coming To Far Northwest Side: ‘This Is Overdue’: The shelter will be non-congregate, meaning resident will stay in double or single rooms, and there will be 40-70 beds. The shelter will serve single adults and will give priority to people 60 and older. LaPointe said her office has started to talk with potential shelter operators and plans on putting out a formal request for operators to be considered to manage the shelter. Julietta Mkrtychian, LaPointe’s chief of staff, said her team hopes to have a shelter operator chosen by late 2026 or early 2027. * Crain’s | Sprout Social to lay off 20% of its staff: The Chicago-based maker of software to monitor and manage social-media accounts said today it will lay off 260 workers. The company didn’t blame the cuts solely on AI but said the goal is “to streamline the company’s organizational structure and align its cost base with its strategic priorities, including its ongoing investments in AI-powered social intelligence.” * WTTW | Teen CPD Employee ‘Goose-Stepped’ Across High School Stage Wearing Nazi Uniform: Watchdog: “The uniform, march and salute created the impression that the individual was evoking Nazi Germany,” bringing discredit to the police department, according to the first quarterly report released by Inspector General David Glockner. Another member of CPD was fired after showing other employees of the police department photos of the teen dressed in the Nazi uniform while at work, creating “an offensive work environment,” according to the inspector general’s report. * Block Club | Edgewater Synagogue Redevelopment With Lakefront Access Gets Alderperson’s OK: Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth said she will support Emanuel Congregation’s revised plans after the developer also agreed to include more family-sized housing units, public bathrooms and donations for nearby park improvements. * Daily Herald | Hindu group sues Elgin to get OK to build temple: A Hindu congregation that wants to build a temple and townhouses in eastern Elgin is suing the city to get a 59-year-old court-ordered restriction on the land removed. Umiya Mataji Sanstha Chicago Midwest argues in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court that a 1967 consent decree violates the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which forbids discrimination based on religion when it comes to land uses. The federal law was enacted in 2000. The lawsuit also argues the decree violates the congregation’s First Amendment religious freedom rights and Illinois law. * WJOL | Romeoville Mayor Noak Appointed To New Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA) Board: Romeoville Mayor Noak has been appointed to the Northern Illinois Transit Authority, a new regional transit board that will oversee and shape public transit policy in the greater Chicagoland region. The board is made up of 20 directors — appointed by state and regional stakeholders — and oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra, and Pace. In addition, Mayor Noak will continue to serve on the Pace Suburban Bus Board of Directors as the positions are paired under the new governance structure. Mayor Noak has served on the Pace Board since 2022. * TWICS | Y-block project sees support from city, but questions remainEXT: IDNR representatives answered some key questions during Tuesday night’s meeting, though the timeline remains unclear for the project. What we do know is that IDNR promises the Y-block will still be able to welcome previous events back following the development. IDNR outlined their plan for city council members, from potential features to possibly classifying the block as a state park…but Russell Orrill, the deputy director, said the public won’t lose any access. * An unlikely alliance | David Timm, Republican candidate who lost March primary, throws support behind Democrat Marc Bell for sheriff: Democrat candidate Marc Bell, who dropped out of the Sangamon County sheriff’s race prior to the March primary and rejoined the race in April, is now being endorsed by David Timm, a former Republican candidate. Bell held a July 14 fundraiser in Springfield where the two men made a joint appearance and Timm praised the idea of bipartisanship in Bell’s campaign. Timm, a former sheriff’s deputy who received about 46% of the roughly 17,000 ballots cast in the March primary, announced on social media the day before the fundraiser that he’s supporting the Democratic challenger in the November general election over his own party’s candidate, incumbent Sheriff Paula Crouch. * WCIA | Champaign Co. School Districts hoping to get teacher contracts done before the first bell: Both Prairieview-Ogden and Fisher teachers unions are in talks for a new contract. Both groups say they want more money — specifically a number that brings them onto a similar playing field with other schools in the area. “We have teachers that are making $10,000 differences in pay that have similar years of experience and education,” said P.V.O. Education Association Vice President Taylor Owens. * WQAD | Sweet corn season off to a strong start at Smeltzly’s Farm in Cordova: Sweet corn season is underway across the Quad Cities, and one Cordova family says favorable growing conditions have helped produce a strong crop. At Smeltzly’s Farm, freshly picked corn makes the trip from the field to a roadside stand within the same day. “The sweet corn this year, we’ve had plenty of moisture, plenty of heat, and luckily we do have it under irrigation in case we do have to run it,” Travis Smeltzly said. “It’s been a very good crop.” * WCIA | Mahomet Police Department appoints first-ever detective: The Mahomet Police Department has added a new role they’ve never had before: a detective. “As Mahomet is continuing to grow, the police department needs to grow with them,” said Chief of Police Dave Smysor. “It’s for bigger, more complex cases.” But, it’s not a new face for the department. Joel Jessup has been with Mahomet Police since 2023, working as a patrol officer. Now, he is their first detective. * AP | ICE should keep making traffic stops despite recent shootings, Trump says: Ending those stops, Trump wrote, would be “playing right into the criminal’s hands.” “We CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump wrote Wednesday on his social media site. Hours after Trump made his views known, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued his own statement saying people illegally in the country would be “arrested and deported wherever they are.” But Mullin didn’t say whether ICE officers will be allowed to carry out traffic stops.
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- Joseph M - Wednesday, Jul 15, 26 @ 3:02 pm:
Interesting that there are two stories describing the hoops that places of worship have had to jump through to build housing on their land.
-”Block Club | Edgewater Synagogue Redevelopment With Lakefront Access Gets Alderperson’s OK”
-”Daily Herald | Hindu group sues Elgin to get OK to build temple”
This is not an issue that we can entrust localities to handle. If a congregation wants to build housing to sustain their community, there’s no clear mechanism that protects them from intolerant opponents who disguise their hate under “concerns about traffic.”
Feigenholtz’s SB635 would have fixed this statewide, but legislators chose not to pass it in the spring session. It’s abhorrent that we’ve allowed discrimination to persist via weaponized NIMBYism.