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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
Thursday, Oct 29, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Tribune’s Jason Meisner…
* The Sun-Times’ Jon Seidel…
…Adding… Institute of Government and Public Affairs…  * Press release | AG Raoul assures voters of federal poll monitor obligations: “Federal poll monitors are not new to this election. Historically, the Department of Justice has deployed monitors to ensure compliance with federal voting laws, and we understand that the department will undertake those efforts on Election Day in a small number of polling locations in the state of Illinois and across the country. My office has been in contact with the DOJ, and we have no reason to believe that monitors will be engaged in anything inconsistent with traditional monitoring efforts. These monitors must present credentials when they enter polling places. Like any poll watcher, they must follow the instructions of election judges, and they cannot inspect, touch or seize ballots or voting equipment, decide which votes are counted, or interfere with election administration in any way.” * WGN | Calumet City mayor suffers minor stroke: Tests determined that Jones suffered a minor strike and he will remain hospitalized over the next few days. Jones is walking, talking and performing light work duties, according to the city. Doctors told him he’s expected to make a complete recovery. Jones is also an Illinois state representative and said he has spoken to Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch. * Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker again takes dim view of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s head tax plan: Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday reiterated his opposition to a per-employee corporate tax in Chicago, as Mayor Brandon Johnson again proposes one as part of his latest city budget pitch. “I do not think that is a great way to provide revenue for the city, and here’s why: it sends a signal. It’s just the most direct signal to employers: don’t hire more people,” Pritzker said when asked about the idea of a so-called “head tax,” which the mayor has included in his city spending package for the second year in a row. * WTTW | Judges Weigh Trump Appeal After Lawsuit Seeking to Overturn, Illinois, Chicago Sanctuary Policies Previously Tossed Out: A federal appeals court will decide whether to revive a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump that sought to invalidate state, city and county laws designed to protect undocumented immigrants by prohibiting local law enforcement officials from helping federal agents. A three-judge panel from the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday heard oral arguments and peppered attorneys from the U.S. government, state of Illinois, Cook County and city of Chicago with questions as it weighs whether to overturn the dismissal of that lawsuit. * Crain’s | West Lakeview landmarking push pits preservation against property values: Six square blocks of West Lakeview will go up for landmarking, a move the alderman says may be the best tool for holding off a tide of teardowns — but some residents say it will rob their properties of value. “When we were losing one (building) every couple of years, it was not alarming to folks,” said Ald. Bennett Lawson, 44th, but so far in 2026 “we’ve lost two or three, and the pace is forcing the issue. What’s replacing them is generally not as nice as what we’re losing.” * Sun-Times | White Sox hiring Matt Roffe away from Brewers to fill open amateur scouting director role: Sources tell the Sun-Times that the Sox are expected to hire Matt Roffe to head up their draft operations. Roffe has spent the last five years with the Brewers, and was promoted to be their assistant director of domestic scouting last November. The hire has not been formally announced, and while general manager Chris Getz has previously said the Sox were hiring a “director of amateur acquisitions,” Roffe’s specific title has yet to be determined. * Crain’s | Highland Park survivors join Illinois leaders in Supreme Court fight over assault weapons: This week was the deadline for filing in support of Cook County, whose ordinance barring the weapons is before the court in a case that will be argued Dec. 2. The case of Viramontes v. Cook County is consolidated with a similar case from Connecticut, which passed a law barring assault weapons in the wake of the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School that killed 20 students and six staff members. * Daily Herald | ‘We need to build more’: Why apartment rents here are rising faster than the national average: Among the nation’s 10 largest metropolitan areas, Chicago and the suburbs saw the largest increase in rent over the past year, according to the Illinois Policy Institute, a taxpayer advocacy group that cited ApartmentList.com data. The metro area’s 3.1% year-over-year increase is almost double that of the New York metropolitan area’s 1.6% increase and nearly triple Philadelphia’s 1.1%, according to the report. * Crain’s | Baxter raises 2026 guidance, but Round Lake plant shutdown could complicate turnaround: Baxter International is shutting down production of three cephalosporin injectables at its Round Lake plant after the FDA found the Deerfield-based company had detected recurring cross-contamination at the site since last year. The product line accounts for only about $5 million in annual revenue, compared to nearly $3 billion in quarterly sales Baxter just disclosed. But the findings are an unwelcome complication as Baxter works through a turnaround that appears to be taking effect: This morning the company posted third-quarter growth and raised its 2026 guidance. * Sun-Times | Aurora mayor says $43M in city money went to businesses linked to indicted school board member: According to a grand jury indictment Tuesday that charges her with four counts of wire fraud, Johnson used her sway as board president to push the district to buy $2.7 million in wearable air purifiers in 2021 in exchange for a $1.3 million payment to the company that Johnson helped lead. Laesch said the “alleged conduct is completely unacceptable, unethical and violates her oath of office.” * Daily Herald | What Arlington Heights-area candidates have to say about Bears stadium proposals: Most — but not all — candidates for Illinois General Assembly seats in and around the Chicago Bears’ Arlington Park property support legislative efforts to entice the team’s move to the suburbs or keep them from leaving Illinois altogether. […] That legislative approach also is backed by Carina Santa Maria, an Arlington Heights Democrat who is seeking the state Senate seat in the 27th District, which overlays the two House districts. Santa Maria is a current Arlington Heights village trustee, and Grasse and Canty are former trustees. * Investigate Midwest | ‘Wasn’t a freak accident’: New records show how ADM’s safety lapses injured several employees in 2023 explosion: After the incident, ADM posted regular updates on its website about its employees’ conditions. However, the company did not offer any details or information explaining the cause of the explosion, despite Decatur’s U.S. Congressional representative, Nikki Budzinski, saying publicly, “We need answers.” Federal records obtained by Investigate Midwest offer the clearest picture yet of ADM’s lack of safety oversight at the Decatur plant, which government investigators say paved the way for the potentially deadly threat of leaked Hexane gas. * WGLT | City of Bloomington ’strongly disputes’ allegation that it squashed ex-assistant police chief probe: A former Bloomington Police sergeant says the city is intentionally blocking a hard look at the former assistant chief who recently settled a separate wrongful arrest case. City officials say they “strongly dispute” the allegation. A motion filed in federal court Tuesday alleges the city never intended to scrutinize then-Assistant Police Chief Paul Williams or Chief Jamal Simington in the aftermath of a June traffic stop involving Williams. * WCBU | Peoria City Council indecisive on drive-through cannabis service: During Tuesday’s Peoria City Council meeting, several members voiced strong support for the idea while others seemed hesitant and some suggested prohibiting the option altogether. The range of opinions emerged as the council considered a series of code changes after Illinois updated state law governing cannabis sales earlier this year to allow drive-through and curbside sales, as well as operating hours until 2 a.m. * Heartland News | Marion High School staff member resigns amid Jackson County felony charges: 45-year-old Leah Tinault has been charged with theft and computer fraud. According to court documents, Tinault altered her pay during her employment at a Jackson County business by hacking into the company’s payroll system. It’s unclear why Tinault left her position at that business before she was hired as Marion High School’s Athletic Secretary and Bookkeeper in April 2026. * Insurance Journal | New Data Centers Projected to Emit More Carbon Than All of Mexico: The environmental nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists in January projected that fossil-fuel-powered electricity for data centers could increase US power-sector emissions by 19% to 29%, or as much as 342 million tons a year by 2035. US and Canadian researchers in June published a journal article projecting a 28% rise in the sector’s emissions. * Yahoo Finance | Alphabet heads for a $500 billion drop in market value, the biggest in its history: Alphabet (GOOGL) is on track for its worst day ever. The stock fell about 13% Thursday after its third quarter results, steeper than any session since it went public in 2004, including its drops in March 2020 and September 2008. At its low, Alphabet had lost $524 billion in stock market value, the second-biggest one-day loss ever for a US-listed company. Only Nvidia (NVDA) has lost more, about $593 billion on Jan. 27, 2025, the day China’s DeepSeek rattled AI investors.
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- Downstate Watcher - Thursday, Oct 29, 26 @ 2:43 pm:
The OSHA findings are pretty troubling, especially considering ADM’s previous safety issues. I’m curious why the original penalties were reduced and whether a $25,000 fine is much of a deterrent for a company ADM’s size.