* The Chicago Tribune…

Unless more state funding materializes, Chicago Public Schools plans to lay off about 280 school-based staff in December, according to a recent memo to board members obtained by the Tribune. […]

Lawmakers are convening in Springfield for the fall veto session next week, and will meet again in early December. Any changes to the state’s spending plan would require a three-fifths supermajority in both chambers of the General Assembly.

Even if lawmakers find the funds, CPS has said the money may not reach the district in time to affect this fiscal year. The rehired staff, who now may be laid off again, include 128 teachers and 153 support staff, according to CPS. […]

One of the union’s top allies in Springfield, embattled Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, said last week that he won’t seek another term. Gov. JB Pritzker, meanwhile, said at an event in late October that there “hasn’t really been an ongoing discussion” about supplemental funding this year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* CBS Chicago | Illinois gets over $188K from Family Dollar lawsuit settlement over deceptive price allegations: Illinois had joined 17 other states and the FTC in suing the chain, alleging they regularly charged customers more at the register than the prices displayed on the shelves. The settlement requires Family Dollar to establish a $40 million redress fund for eligible consumers, and a $20 million discount program for customers, Raoul said. A total of $3 million will be paid to the states that sued. Illinois is set to get $188,548, according to Raoul’s announcement.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Is CPD’s Domestic Violence Program Working? Alders Finally Hold Hearing As Need Skyrockets: Like the original meeting, Thursday’s hearing was a direct response to a Block Club investigation published in June. The report revealed that the city responded to Chicago’s domestic violence crisis by investing $3.9 million into a police program that has so far produced few documented results and failed to accomplish one of its top goals of connecting survivors with community service providers. Block Club found that very few providers received referrals from the program last year.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | CTU-backed candidates win three Chicago school board races that were too close to call: The updated results reaffirm the new power balance that emerged from the Nov. 3 election. Candidates backed by pro-school choice groups will make up a narrow majority, loosening the teachers union’s current stronghold. The official proclamation of results in the historic election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 24, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. […] In District 6a, which extends from downtown to Wicker Park, Isaiah White is holding onto a narrow lead, just 145 votes ahead of incumbent Anusha Thotakura. A third candidate, Brenda Lee Anderson, trails Thotakura by about 1,000 votes.

* WGN | New 24/7 mental health center launches on Chicago’s South Side: When you walk in, you feel like you’re entering a cozy, comfy loft. There’s, of course, a living room space, along with a kitchen and sleeping areas. Thresholds has other locations, but this is a first for the South Side facility. The nonclinical environment is designed to serve as a refuge for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.

* Tribune | Snow removal contractor gets probation in McCormick Place kickback scheme: In sentencing Sansone to two years of probation, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo said the crime “doesn’t make sense” given his lack of criminal history, strong family support and a well-paying career as a contractor. “You were taking money for not doing work, and it’s from the taxpayers,” Bucklo said. “And I’m afraid there is every reason to think that it was going to continue, except that the government found out about it.”

* Crain’s | A U of I quantum startup that didn’t get away: Photon Queue has moved into The Terminal, an office and industrial project in Humboldt Park that was developed by Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto and IBT Group. The two-year-old company joins another quantum startup, EeroQ, at The Terminal, a collection of buildings that once were home to a locomotive headlight factory.

* Chicago Mag | How to Give Away a Museum Painting: Since joining the Art Institute in 2024, Schuhmacher has committed to getting a complete record of ownership for every single one of the nearly 300,000 objects in the museum’s collection — a sign of the growing importance of provenance in the art world. In the past year alone, his department, among the largest in the country, has analyzed nearly 18,000 of these works. “You want answers, but you don’t want quick answers,” he says. “You want answers that live up to the scrutiny.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park police Chief Thomas Tilton, who was voted no confidence, replaced after resignation: Tilton’s resignation was effective Oct. 23, Village Manager Pat Carr confirmed in an email. The village would not comment more on the resignation, Carr said. Brian McDermott, who joined the Tinley Park Police Department in September 2025 as deputy police chief of operations, will replace Tilton. “Brian has made a considerable impact over the last year, overseeing patrol division operations, and has demonstrated his leadership, management skills and ability to drive strategic initiatives,” Mayor Michael Glotz said at the meeting.

* Sun-Times | Lurie Children’s gets state approval for $480 million hospital in Downers Grove: The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board approved the hospital’s certificate of need application on Nov. 5, a key step toward expanding pediatric emergency and specialty care in the western suburbs. The proposed 298,000-square-foot facility will include 48 inpatient beds, an emergency department, operating rooms, diagnostic imaging and outpatient services. It is also expected to offer specialty care in oncology, cardiology, gastroenterology and orthopedics.

* Daily Southtown | Dixmoor Library District fails to reach agreement to build a library: Evans said the village told her a year ago “it was personal,” as to why they cannot build a library and said she wants the village to not hold a grudge. “It’s time for some type of forgiveness or something. Do something for the residents. We need something,” Evans said. Dixmoor Mayor Fitzgerald Roberts responded to Evans’s plea by saying the village and its residents cannot afford to have a physical library district, denying her claim it is personal.

* Daily Herald | A community in mourning day after fatal train collision in Western Springs: Mark Wolz, owner of Elite Fitness, a business across Burlington Avenue from the tracks near where the collision occurred, said a gym member saw the vehicle go around the warning gates before it was struck. “Either Lagrange, Western Springs, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills — every year, there’s a train crash, and they don’t have to happen,” he said.

*** Downstate ***

* Rockford News First | Microsoft eyes Rockford property for data center, city says: This comes as a public hearing approaches to give residents an opportunity to make comments on future data center developments within the city. The meeting will take place 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17 at City Hall, 425 E. State Street. Microsoft is looking into the Monarch-controlled property on Rockford’s south side for the development. While the city says Microsoft is still evaluating the site, plans remain unclear at this time. The global technology company has shared a frequently asked questions packet for city officials and residents to review.

* Rockford News First | Fire department union members express concerns over operation changes and contract negotiations: Rockford Fire Department union members say without Medic 4 and Engine 5, community members could be at risk with slower response times. “I mean, unfortunately, it’s not anticipation; it’s a ‘We know what happens.’ We know, with this call volume, it’s not a matter of if; it’s just a matter of when. Someone’s not going to have the response that they need,” President of the firefighters’ union Matthew Renfro said.

* WCIA | Parkland College revives CDL truck driving course, accepting applications: The CDL program has been around for years, but the college put it on pause as it looked for a new partner to host the training school. Now that they’ve partnered with Road Runner Truck Driving School, Parkland will be teaching the courses once again. Students will learn all of the procedures over the course of 160 hours — 40 hours in classroom training and 120 hours behind the wheel.

* WCBU | Peoria city leaders set sights on redevelopment of Northwoods Mall area: The city intends to establish an Illinois STAR Bond District, which stands for sales tax and revenue, with the hope of attracting destination-based retail, entertainment and tourism opportunities. “This is a huge opportunity for Peoria for economic development, for tourism, for entertainment,” said Mayor Rita Ali.

*** National ***

* Forbes | Microsoft 365 Outage Continues: Tech Giant Has No Timeline For Recovery, Says It’s ‘Deeply Sorry’: Microsoft said in a 3:05 p.m. EST update it did not have a timeline for full recovery yet. Microsoft’s service health status still noted service degradation as of 10 a.m. EST, with the company noting, “Some users may still experience intermittent access issues or delayed email delivery as recovery continues.”