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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Reverend Al Green will play us out with the best Beatles cover ever. Turn it all the way up… Walk up and tell me
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates (Updated)
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* Mayor Johnson earlier today…
* FYI…
* Definitely something to check out!…
* WTTW | As State Lawmakers Eye Transit, RTA Talks Funding Crunch, Potential Cuts and What Pritzker’s Thinking: Asked where Gov. J.B. Pritzker stands on the issue, [Rob Nash, RTA’s government affairs director,] said he’s engaged in the process but hasn’t yet weighed in on specific proposals. “He, I think, is focused on allowing the General Assembly to come up with at least some measure of a consensus and he, I’m assuming, will weigh in as that emerges in the legislative process,” Nash said. “He takes that seriously – let the different constituencies hash it out in the legislature, and then we’ll come together as we’re closer to a final proposal.” * USA Today | Unemployment claims in Illinois declined last week: New jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, fell to 8,105 in the week ending October 12, down from 8,780 the week before, the Labor Department said. U.S. unemployment claims dropped to 241,000 last week, down 19,000 claims from 260,000 the week prior on a seasonally adjusted basis. * Sun-Times | Illinois’ most complained-about car insurance companies and how consumers can protect themselves: Lowball offers. Unfair denials of claims. Delayed payment. Some nonstandard insurance companies in Illinois have amassed hundreds of complaints, at far higher rates than better known insurers, a Sun-Times analysis found, leaving customers to question whether they’re getting what they pay for. * NBC Chicago | Some Illinois schools now part of massive meat, chicken listeria recall: Full list: In Illinois, two schools were listed. One of which was in the Chicago area. Fox Valley Family YMCA, 3875 Eldamain Rd., Plano and Kiddie Scholars, 1031 Kostner Ave, Matteson. Kiddie Scholars did not provide a comment to NBC Chicago * CBS Chicago | Chicago closes migrant shelters in Hyde Park and The Loop: City officials confirmed Friday that migrant shelters at the Standard Social Club, at 320 S. Plymouth Ct., and at the Chicago Lake Shore Hotel, at 4900 S DuSable Lake Shore Dr., have been closed. All migrants who had been staying at those shelters were offered spots at other shelters. The closures come as the total population of migrants living in shelters dropped to below 5,000 this week, the first time the city’s migrant shelter population has been that low since late June 2003, according to data provided by the City Council Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights. * Tribune | ‘It felt like a war’: Laquan McDonald police shooting 10 years ago shocked Chicago, rippled through halls of power: The shooting prompted an investigation into CPD by the Department of Justice. McDonald’s death effectively ushered in a new era of reform as it prompted a lawsuit against the city by the Illinois attorney general’s office, which led to the ongoing federal consent decree — a set of sweeping reform mandates that, a federal monitor has found, the Police Depatment has so far struggled to comply with. * WTTW | Lake Effect Snow Machine Could Crank Up This Year, According to Winter Outlook: The strong El Niño that held sway in 2023 — which brought warmer temperatures and lower precipitation to Chicago — is expected to give way to a weak La Niña, which will largely deliver the reverse, said Jon Gottschalck, chief of the Operational Prediction Branch of the Climate Prediction Center.(National Weather Service / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Because the Great Lakes water temperatures are currently well above normal, “if we do get arctic air … there could be a high level of lake effect snow,” Gottschalck said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. “Lake effect could be a real issue in November and December.” A milder start to the winter in the Great Lakes, temperature-wise, is likely to give way to colder weather in late December, January and February, he added.
* Block Club | Coffee, Hip-Hop And Mental Health Closes Cafe As Ex-Employees Say They Weren’t Paid For Weeks: Sissac, 25, posted a TikTok that has since gone viral, saying she’s struggled to pay rent and there was a toxic work environment at the cafe. “I haven’t been able to pay my rent this month because of the situation at hand,” Sissac says in the video. “I’m living in a home that doesn’t feel like my home — it feels like it can be snatched away from me at any point, at any time.” Sissac started working for Coffee, Hip-Hop and Mental Health in July as an assistant manager and started to see signs of “manipulation” in August, she said. Employees were given little to no notice about working events, often late at night and after normal business hours, she said. * Block Club | There’s A Secret Speakeasy In The Middle Of O’Hare — And It’s The Last Of Its Kind: While O’Hare is in the midst of a decades-long effort to modernize and expand the facility, a bar at the heart of the airport has remained frozen in time for more than 50 years. The Gaslight Club in the O’Hare Hilton Hotel is a relic from Chicago’s past. The 1920s-themed restaurant and bar used to have locations across the city and the globe. Now, the O’Hare club is the only location left. Patrons no longer need a golden key to get into the restaurant, waitresses wear slightly more modest uniforms and the menu offers more than just steak and a baked potato. But the soul of the Gaslight Club is still alive, said owner Ray Dabizljevic. * Daily Herald | Rolling Meadows seal — once subject of a U.S. Supreme Court case — to be replaced: The Rolling Meadows city seal — famously the subject of a lawsuit by atheist Rob Sherman that led to its alteration — is set to become a relic of the past. […] The silhouette of a man, woman and child in the lower quadrant is what eventually replaced the image of a cross and church in the original seal, designed by eighth grader Cheryl Knudsen for the city’s fifth anniversary in 1960. Sherman, a noted activist from Buffalo Grove who died in a plane crash in 2016, took Rolling Meadows and Zion to court over their city seals and won via a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court decision. * Daily Southtown | Incumbent Will County Democrats face Republican challengers for countywide offices: Will County voters will have their choice of reelecting incumbent Democrats for coroner, circuit court clerk, recorder of deeds and auditor or voting for the Republican challenger for four-year terms. Voters will also select a county clerk for a two-year-term to fill the vacancy when Clerk Lauren Staley Ferry resigned this summer. Only Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow, who has served in the position since 1992, is running unopposed. * Tribune | Volunteers from Maine, Niles townships stumping for Dems in nearby swing states: For nearly a month, a self-described Democratic grassroots coalition has had a canvassing effort going where volunteers have been solicited – including from Maine and Niles townships – and bused every weekend to nearby states identified as battlegrounds in the upcoming presidential election. On Oct. 5 and Oct. 6, Chicago-based Operation Swing State took about 40 volunteers from Niles and Maine townships to Michigan and Wisconsin – swing states in the Nov. 5 election – to knock on doors and urge support for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. * Daily Southtown | Calumet City initiates eminent domain to acquire River Oaks Center: Mayor Thaddeus Jones pitched his plan for quick-take action of the long declining shopping center following failed negotiations with Namdar Realty Group, which has owned the property since 2017. “Namdar has offered counter that they think the value of the property is $40 million,” Jones said. “I don’t think there’s anybody in this room that thinks that River Oaks mall in its current state is worth $40 million.” * WGLT | McLean County Board supports protecting Mahomet Aquifer amid carbon sequestration controversy: The McLean County Board passed a resolution Thursday supporting state action to protect the Mahomet Aquifer that supplies many Central Illinois communities with drinking water. […] At the county board’s meeting on Thursday, members of the environmental justice group Illinois People’s Action [IPA] were in attendance, as they have been in earlier discussions related to carbon sequestration projects. * SJ-R | ‘This is not transparency’: Alderwoman objects to commenters not being seen: For a second straight week, public commentary has not been part of video broadcasts of city of Springfield meetings, leaving some to believe the decision veered into questionable territory. Haley Wilson, a spokeswoman for the city, said it was “a mayoral decision,” while Ward 6 Ald. Jennifer Notariano countered that city council members weren’t informed of the decision ahead of time. * Illinois Times | Citizens want a voice in CWLP: Springfield’s City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) is the largest municipally owned utility in Illinois. Local citizen activists with Sustainable Springfield, the Sierra Club and the Faith Coalition for the Common Good are seeking an approach that would, among other measures, include citizen involvement in decision-making for CWLP. This could take the form of a sustainability commission to advise the city council on energy matters, a method which has been adopted successfully in many communities, including the southern Illinois city of Carbondale. Area activist groups have long accused CWLP of mismanagement and lack of transparency. A 2018 report commissioned by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce included allegations that CWLP was significantly overcharging customers for basic utility services. In 2017, Tim Landis of the State Journal-Register reported on a study by the Sierra Club claiming that “residential customers paid an extra $215 (annually) and commercial customers another $2,300 in 2016,” which was blamed on the continued reliance on the Dallman 1 and 2 plants “as opposed to buying power on competitive, wholesale markets.” CWLP disputed these findings at the time. * WCIA | Champaign mental health center still owes $180m after rape liability verdict: The plaintiffs asked for costs and pre- and post-judgment interest while Pavilion filed an appeal of the verdict. They asked that the judge either overrule the jury, grant a new trial or reduce the damages awarded. Judge Jason Bohm granted the plaintiffs’ motion, allowing them to recover costs of $5,100 and interest of $8.6 million. He also partially granted The Pavilion’s motion, reducing punitive damages to $120 million but rejecting all other parts of their motion. “The evidence was overwhelmingly against The Pavilion,” Bohm said. “This was not a close case on the issue of liability.” * WSIL | Comments made over Juneteenth holiday spark debate at Gallatin County Board meeting: A feed of the board meeting shows Board Member Warren Rollman make a motion to approve the schedule, minus Juneteenth. After all but one of the board members vote “yes” in favor, an attendee of the meeting can be heard off-camera questioning the decision to exclude Juneteenth from the holiday schedule. “Well for one we’ve already got too many holidays, and two, it’s a fake holiday created by the Democrats to pander to Black voters,” Rollman responds. * WCIA | HSHS to close Milliken Medical Group Health Center by end of the year: Millikin officials said the university is exploring other provider options, but does not have a transition agreement set in stone. They stress that while the open-to-public health center is closing, the Milliken community will still be able to get services they need. * WSIL | Local $30 Million Dollar Complex Underway in Marion: The Field Manager of Stadium Operations is Ralph Santana. He shares what the complex will be used for. “We made it a multi-sport complex. So we can be very diverse. We just didn’t want to hit one side of the spectrum when it comes to sports, we’re just hitting about everything,” Santana said. “On all these complexes, we can play softball, we can play baseball, we can play football, we can play soccer, we can play lacrosse and we can play flag football.” * WGEM | ‘Childcare desert’: JWCC and PACT team up to create new childcare center: A new childcare center is coming to the Tri-States. That’s after the John Wood Community College Board of Trustees approved the plans at its regular meeting Wednesday. It is a partnership with Parent and Child Together (PACT) for West Central Illinois. The two organizations worked together for the better part of a year in order to make the childcare center happen. * WJBC | Illinois State University cut the ribbon on its future of healthcare training Thursday: The entire project cost $18 million, which was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2021. Funding of the center breaks down to $2 million in private funds, $2 million in federal funds and $14 million in university money. […] According to a press release from the university, with a high demand for nurses, the simulation center provides much-needed space and allows the Mennonite College of Nursing to enroll more students. * WGLT | Nomad Theatre’s suite of plays on democracy are set in a literal polling place: Poling’s play, Honest Jake, is set to premiere in Nomad Theatre Company’s latest production called The Polling Place. In other words, the former resident of the Poling polling place penned a play in a polling place for The Polling Place. The collection of election-inspired new short plays runs Oct. 17-19 at the Normal Community Activity Center. The site-specific nonprofit theater had the timing in mind when recruiting 10-minute plays, but requested submissions not include the names of any real candidates. * Tribune | Distressed about climate change, a ‘supermajority’ of young Americans across the political spectrum want bolder action: In the largest survey of its kind, 85% of nearly 16,000 respondents ages 16 to 25 from all 50 states reported being worried about the impact of climate change on people and the planet. More than 60% said they felt the emotional impact of this global crisis — anxiety, powerlessness, fear, sadness, anger. The study showed high proportions of concern across the board, whether respondents identified as Democrat, Republican, independent or other. * Deadline | Revelations’ Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary Tune Up Chuck Berry’s 98th Birthday With TV Series Deal: On the 98th birthday of iconic singer Chuck Berry, Revelations Entertainment has optioned rights to his life story. The production company’s principals, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary, plan to turn his story into a drama series chronicling the rock pioneer’s formative years. Berry died in 2017. * The Trace | Threats of Political Violence Are Distorting Reality: This month alone, authorities arrested a North Carolina man with a rifle and pistol after he allegedly threatened to harm FEMA workers responding to Hurricane Helene, the Arizona Democratic Party closed a campaign office that was repeatedly struck by gunfire, and an Alaska man was arrested after vowing to “put a bullet” into the head of multiple Supreme Court justices. These are just some of the politically charged threats or acts of violence involving guns to arise so far this election season. They follow two attempts on Donald Trump’s life in which both would-be assassins wielded semiautomatic assault-style rifles. Research shows that threats against public officials, many of which involve guns, have risen in recent years and are now routine.
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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Madigan’s fall from power
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Meanwhile, Madigan’s trial should finally start next week…
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Today’s quotable: Joe Mansueto
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Athletic…
The Athletic, based in New York, has lately had infinitely better coverage of Chicago sports team owners than any outlet in or near Chicago. * Meanwhile…
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Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Missouri, Kansas and Idaho…
From the amended complaint…
* Florida…
* Texas…
* Arkansas…
* California…
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U of I scraps plans at The 78, eyes quantum technology campus at former South Works steel site
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
Thoughts?
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Open thread
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Energy Storage And Clean Energy!
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] In the next few years, Illinois can expect increases in demand for electricity not seen in decades. While the state is currently experiencing a clean energy boom, the growth is not enough—which puts families and businesses at risk for higher energy bills and unreliable service. Luckily, there is legislation that would expand the use of a technology that can capture and store clean, cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day -large- and small-scale battery energy storage. Energy storage will help avoid the cost spikes ratepayers may experience due to insufficient energy capacity. The need to accelerate the adoption of energy storage is urgent. Springfield is faced with a choice: support policy that will build out clean, cost-effective energy storage or allow families and businesses to have to rely on dirty, unreliable, and expensive natural gas plants. Meanwhile, Illinoisans agree: recent polling shows 72% of Illinois residents support incentives for energy storage. Paid for by Counterspark.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: JB and MK Pritzker gave $5.6 million to put on DNC. Crain’s…
- The Chicago Host Committee raised over $97 million and spent $82 million to put on the weeklong party in August as Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepted the party’s nomination. - The largest union contribution came from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, who provided $5.2 million. The Laborers International Union of North America gave $3 million. * Related stories… ∙ Sun-Times: Host committee for Chicago’s DNC spent $89 million on convention, raised $97 million ∙ Choose Chicago: 2024 Democratic National Convention generated $371.4 million in economic impact ∙ Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker and wife gave big for DNC, which raised $97M in all * Sun-Times | Michael Madigan’s 12 jurors are chosen and openings are on the horizon — but what took so long?: U.S. District Judge John Blakey seemed to blame the amount of time lawyers spent questioning the many candidates over the last two weeks. In fact, the judge said Thursday he’d no longer take the lawyers at their word when it comes to estimating the trial’s length. He asked them to predict how long they expect each witness to testify once the trial gets rolling, and he told them to deliver their conclusions to him Friday. For now, each side is calling it an “11-week trial,” putting it on track to end in mid-December.
* Daily Southtown | District 80 candidates say criminal justice reform among top issue: Both candidates running for the 80th District Illinois House seat say there is need for reform in the criminal justice system, and that voters in this district, which encompasses several south and southwest suburbs, are looking for a representative who prioritizes their needs over party alignment. Incumbent Democrat Anthony DeLuca, 54, of Chicago Heights has held the seat since 2009, and faces Republican Adam Beaty, a Braidwood police officer. Both ran unopposed in the March primaries. * News Channel 20 | Illinois domestic violence organization report shows significant increase in homicides: The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence released its annual homicide report for 2023, and it shows a 110% increase in domestic homicides from the previous year. The coalition’s Policy Consultant, Vickie Smith, told NewsChannel 20 the issues of domestic violence rose during the pandemic, when people in need were isolated in their homes. * WICS | Prison employees across Illinois protest for better working conditions: From 1 to 5 in Lincoln on Thursday afternoon, employees from the Logan Correctional Center protested for safer working conditions. […] The Illinois Department of Corrections said, “Ensuring the safety of our staff, individuals in custody, and everyone entering our facilities remains our top priority. While we are actively exploring options to enhance safety, measures are in place to address potential risks associated with mail handling.” * Sun-Times | Freshman demographics at Northwestern and U of I show little change following ban on race-conscious admissions: New numbers from two major Illinois universities show little change in enrollment demographics since the Supreme Court effectively banned the consideration of race in college admissions last year. Nationally, many had worried the decision in the case, brought by conservative legal activist Ed Blum and his group Students for Fair Admissions, could cause a precipitous drop in the representation of Black and Latino students at highly selective colleges. * Sun-Times | Johnson must break two campaign promises to get budget passed, City Council critic warns: To solve the budget crisis, Ald. Marty Quinn (13th) said Johnson needs to break two campaign promises — raise property taxes he promised to freeze and then renew the ShotSpotter contract to win the votes he needs to get the tax hike through the City Council. * ABC Chicago | Crime, including violent crime, is trending down in one of Chicago’s most dangerous districts: hicago’s 11th police district is one of the most dangerous in the city for violent crimes, but new Chicago police data shows both violent and property crimes are trending down. The district is comprised of parts of Humboldt Park, Lawndale, and East and West Garfield Park. […] In the past 12 months there have been 48 homicides, a 45% decrease compared to the last three-year average; 285 shootings, down 39% compared to the three-year average; 100 carjackings, a nearly 34% reduction; and a 9% reduction in motor vehicle theft. * Crain’s | Mansueto eyes Lincoln Yards, 78, Michael Reese sites for new soccer stadium: Chicago Fire FC owner Joe Mansueto said he is “actively pursuing” development of a new soccer-specific stadium in the city and is targeting three proposed megaprojects as potential sites. Calling a new team-controlled stadium the “last piece of the puzzle” to put the Major League Soccer club on a more solid foundation for its future, the billionaire Morningstar founder and team chairman today said he has toured Lincoln Yards on the city’s North Side, The 78 in the South Loop and the former Michael Reese Hospital site south of McCormick Place as possible destinations for a new venue. * WGN | Chicago Police Board recommends officer involved in fatal shooting be separated from the department: The board claims the officer violated two CPD policies during the shooting, but the officer involved in the case still has options on how he wants to move forward to fight for his job. Family members of 24-year-old Reginald Clay Jr., the man who was killed in the shooting, were present at Thursday night’s meeting and they said their fight is not over. * Sun-Times | Ex-boyfriend sought in shooting death of mother of 3 on Southwest Side: Every year, Maria Lazaro-Castillo planned a Halloween-themed birthday party for her 12-year-old daughter. But this year, just days before the celebration, Lazaro-Castillo, 41, was fatally shot while sitting in her car Sunday morning in McKinley Park, and a manhunt is underway for the person police say is responsible: her ex-boyfriend. “[Her kids] meant the world,” Miguel Valenzuela, Lazaro-Castillo’s brother-in-law told the Sun-Times. “She’ll make it to their events, field trips, graduations. … She made sure she was there.” * Tribune | CPS announces record-breaking graduation rate: Chicago Public Schools has announced a record-breaking graduation rate, with 84.1% of students graduating in four years and 86.5% graduating in five. This comes in addition to the district’s second-lowest dropout rates in years. The district credits its most recent feat to investment in additional support for teachers and increased resources in schools, such as tutors and career-connected learning. * Crain’s | Former United exec opening outdoor social sauna on Goose Island: Longtime Chicagoan Scott Garner has visited Europe a half dozen times this year to prepare for the launch of Ambique, his new outdoor sauna studio opening on Goose Island this December. Garner is pitching Ambique as a one-of-a-kind European sauna experience with Nordic saunas and cold therapy in a social settings. The space, located at 930 W. Evergreen Ave., spans about 9,000 square feet, roughly half of which is outside. It boasts three saunas of varying sizes and styles, plus fire pits, culinary services and areas for special events. * Press release | Comptroller Mendoza suspends payments to the village of Orland Park for failure to file documents: Starting today, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza is suspending “offset” payments to the Village of Orland Park. “Offsets” refers to money collected from state payments our office withholds from people who owe traffic tickets or other money to municipalities such as Orland Park. These payments are worth about $120,000 a year to the village. * Injustice Watch | Bar groups reconsider ratings of Cook County judge who claimed homeowner exemption in Will County: Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr. faced criticism after an Injustice Watch investigation revealed Wright took a homeowner exemption on a house in Will County, claiming it as his principal residence, despite state law requiring him to live in Cook County. After the report, Wright moved to rescind the tax breaks. * Daily Herald | Pinball wizards flock to Schaumburg for 40th annual expo: Billed as the first, biggest and longest-running pinball show in the nation, the event also features vendor booths, tournaments, educational displays, exhibits, tours, seminars, autograph sessions and “a video game summit.” * Rockford Register Star | Gov. Pritzker: Rockford region, Illinois play ‘leading role’ in aerospace industry: Companies in Rockford and across Illinois are charting a new course for the aerospace industry into a high-tech future, Illinois Gov. JB Prtizker said at a celebration of all things aerospace. Pritzker was featured at the Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Midwest Aerospace Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in downtown Rockford. More than 240 leaders from the aerospace and manufacturing industries attended. * WCIA | Champaign Co. proposes sales tax increase: Champaign County voters are being asked on their ballots to increase the sales tax a quarter of a cent for safety purposes. It would raise $7 million dollars a year. Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said it would pay for new ways to respond to a scene — including mental health professionals. * WAND | Rep. Ammons against Champaign Co. sales tax hike: “Someone making $30,000 per year will pay the same amount of taxes on diapers and other necessities as a wealthy person who makes $300,000 per year,” Ammons stated outside of her Urbana office. Ammons contends the county has plenty of money in reserve and doesn’t need the extra funds. * News Channel 20 | Springfield brings in the most gambling revenue for 2024 fiscal year: A recent report released by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shows that Illinois gambling revenue has grown to $2 billion. Springfield was ranked number one for bringing in the most revenue for the fiscal 2024 year. City officials told NewsChannel 20 that they plan to put the money towards projects that have been neglected for far too long. * WICS | Attorneys for Slover family back in court, seeking to reopen case: In 2002, a jury convicted her ex-husband, Michael Slover Jr., and his parents Michael Slover Sr. and Jeanette Slover of murder. Now more than 20 years later, the Illinois Innocence Project is working to get the case reopened and try to prove the Slovers are innocent. […] Lawyers for the Illinois Innocence Project claims the Slovers didn’t kill Karyn, and said evidence used to convict them in 2002 needs to be retested. * AP | Oregon Elections Division shuts down phone lines after barrage of calls prompted by false claims: The Oregon Secretary of State Elections Division on Thursday shut down its phone lines following a barrage of calls from people responding to false claims that the state’s voters pamphlet does not include Republican nominee Donald Trump. The voter’s pamphlet does list the former president as a candidate and notes that he declined to provide a statement about why people should vote for him. Trump will appear on the state’s ballot. * WaPo | The Putin-backed strongman who threw the Paris Games into chaos: Virgets, who later became the association’s executive director, said the dead delegate was found with thousands of dollars of mysterious origin. Mali embassy officials didn’t rule out foul play, the Associated Press reported at the time, but nobody was charged in the death. A spokesman for the Santo Domingo police recently declined to comment. * Inside Higher Ed | A new lawsuit accuses 40 universities and the College Board of colluding to inflate tuition: The complaint, filed by a current Boston University student and a Cornell University alumnus, alleges that the private institutions named in the suit all illegally agreed to require noncustodial parents of students applying for institutional aid to submit their financial information, even if that parent did not plan to contribute to the student’s education. The move served to artificially raise tuition and lower aid eligibility. * Tribune | Whooping cough hits decade-high level in US: Whooping cough is at its highest level in a decade for this time of year, U.S. health officials reported Thursday. There have been 18,506 cases of whooping cough reported so far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. That’s the most at this point in the year since 2014, when cases topped 21,800. The increase is not unexpected — whooping cough peaks every three to five years, health experts said. And the numbers indicate a return to levels before the coronavirus pandemic, when whooping cough and other contagious illnesses plummeted.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Oct 18, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * KWQC…
* WTTW…
* WAND | Illinois Deer Donation Program returns for 3rd donation season as ‘Hunters Feeding Illinois’: Hunters Feeding Illinois connects hunters, meat processors, and food pantries to support access to lean protein for Illinois residents and families. The expanded partnership covers 16 counties in east-central Illinois and 16 counties in southern Illinois. […] Hunters can donate whole harvested deer at no cost. Partnering meat processors are prepared to accept donated deer with the start of deer hunting season in October. Because processing volume increases throughout the season, hunters are encouraged to call processors in advance to confirm they have slots to accept deer. Processors have a select number of slots for donated deer, which becomes more limited as the season continues. * CBS Chicago | Mom wants Chicago Public Schools to stop sending kids to New York special ed boarding school, claims abuse: The CBS News Chicago Investigators have discovered that the school, Shrub Oak, has been investigated for reports of abuse and neglect. Yet, the Chicago Public Schools continue sending kids there. “There are kids that are nonverbal, that can’t speak for themselves, and that is very upsetting,” said Joanna Grenrock, the mother of a former Shrub Oak student. * Block Club | Rogers Park Alderwoman Rejects Plan To Build 6-Story Apartment Building On Vacant Lot: Hadden decided against signing off on the proposal after hearing “major concerns” from neighbors, she said in a statement. Among neighbors’ top complaints were the density of the building, the inclusion of only nine parking spaces and the possibility of further traffic congestion in the neighborhood, Hadden said. * Sun-Times | Host committee for Chicago’s DNC spent $89 million on convention, raised $97 million: The report from the Development Now for Chicago, the host committee’s official name, also states the committee has about $14 million cash-on-hand with some $6.3 million in bills still outstanding from the August presidential convention nominating Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. * WBEZ | New pilot project to create retirement support for Chicago musicians: Freelance musicians don’t have the benefits many 9-to-5 jobs offer, like retirement accounts or health benefits. A group called Golden Egg, in partnership with the Experimental Sound Studio, is trying to change that through a matching grant program funded through the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. It will select 16 artists to receive a share of $50,000 to put into a retirement fund. * Crain’s | Ken Griffin puts another unfinished penthouse up for sale, this one at $9 million: Griffin is asking $9 million for the 7,500-square-foot 37th floor at No. 9 Walton. He put it on the market yesterday evening, two days after his real estate agents changed the listing for his $11 million 38th floor to show that a buyer has it under contract with a contingency. * Daily Herald | Public beaches in Lake in the Hills? Board cool to proposal: Lake in the Hills mulled the idea of opening up its beaches to nonresidents for a fee, but the proposal got a lukewarm response from the village board. Currently, people who don’t live in Lake in the Hills can access its beaches only if they’re accompanied by someone who lives in town. And that is anticipated to remain the case, despite village staff suggesting a fee for nonresidents. * Daily Southtown | Ford Heights appoints 2 new trustees, 1 with family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin: The Ford Heights Village Board voted Wednesday to appoint a longtime friend of interim Mayor Freddie Wilson as village trustee, as well as a man with a family connection to convicted former Mayor Charles Griffin. Wilson was named interim mayor last month following Griffin’s conviction for embezzlement. * Capitol News Illinois | Questions remain over whether Sangamon County followed policy in deadly pursuit: As the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office led a multi-county pursuit last month that ended in the death of a 43-year-old Kansas man, Illinois State Police directed troopers not to participate. A Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office news release issued a week after Kirtis Shane Davenport’s death stated “various other law enforcement agencies” assisted, but ISP confirmed they did not participate, citing the agency’s pursuit policy. * WAND | Champaign City Council accepts over $700,000 grant for asylum-seekers: Following the designation of a Certified Welcoming Place nearly a year ago, Champaign City Council accepted a grant to provide services for asylum-seeking migrant refugees. A portion of the grant — about $709,705 — will be awarded to the New American Welcome Center at the University YMCA. […] Akua Forkuo-Sekyere, the Director at New American, said that the grant will allow them to continue funding their program. “It truly is exciting to be able to have funding to support new arrivals in our community,” said Forkuo-Sekyere. * WCIA | Champaign Co. woman serves in her fifth presidential election: The nation is gearing up to see who will be next in line for the White House. On the local level, people like Ann Prisland are making sure every vote is accounted for. […] This will be her fifth presidential election working as an election judge. She and others in the role are responsible for checking in voters, verifying their identities and providing them with ballots. * WCIA | ‘I was doing everything right’: Douglas Co. Animal Shelter manager speaks out on board’s decision to fire her: Last week, the Douglas County Board suspended Douglas County Animal Shelter Manager Spencer Hall with pay. Now, as of a hearing on Tuesday morning, she was told she is officially fired from her position. Hall said there are multiple reasons why, including the incident earlier this month where the county resolved a cruel treatment investigation with a Murdoch dog owner. The resolution gave the owner four of his original 11 dogs back after the shelter seized them during the case. * NPR Illinois | Illinois Symphony Orchestra season opens with ‘Festive Fanfare’: The Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) begins its 2024-2025 season with “Festive Fanfare.” The concert, conducted by ISO music director Taichi Fukumura, will feature Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto with violinist Braimah Kanneh-Mason, and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8. * BND | It used to be a convent, now this Belleville house is a do-it-yourself punk venue: “As soon as we moved we were like, ‘this is too much house to do nothing with,” said Gabe Kimme, who bought the house with his partner, Jackie Eberle, and turned it into “The Nunnery,” a DIY music space that is simultaneously secretive and non-exclusive. * Texas Monthly | The Border Crisis Won’t Be Solved at the Border: Whenever Texas politicians threaten to pass laws that would make it harder for businesses to employ undocumented workers, phones in the Capitol start ringing. Stuck with the need to show their base that they’re cracking down on migrants, politicians, including Abbott, have instead found a middle ground: They keep up their bombast regarding the border, but they avoid stringing any razor wire between undocumented immigrants and jobs in the state’s interior. * NYT | This Is Post-Roe America: Even when the consequences haven’t been that dire, the day-to-day reality of abortion in America’s left-behind places now involves navigating constant undercurrents of confusion and fear: Is this pill I found on the internet safe? If I miscarry, is anyone going to help me? Or, in the cases of some doctors: How can I help this patient without getting arrested? * WSJ | The Old-School Spy Tactics Helping to Set Your Grocery Prices: Grocery-store operators scrutinize the websites and promotions of rivals and send managers to walk through competitors’ stores to help establish what shoppers will pay for items. Companies commonly use rivals’ prices as a benchmark in setting their own, but these tactics have gained attention from government antitrust lawyers seeking to block a $20 billion merger between Kroger KR -0.57% and Albertsons ACI 0.05%, the respective largest and second-largest U.S. supermarket chains by sales.
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On Wisconsin and hailing rides to Michigan
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Politico…
* From Operation Swing State…
More info about upcoming Wisconsin and Michigan canvasses can be found here. Senate President Don Harmon’s township committee is helping send folks to Michigan, as are Personal PAC and the 40th and 45th Ward Democrats. House Speaker Chris Welch’s township committee is helping get people up to Wisconsin, as are Rep. Theresa Mah and the 47th Ward Democrats. Upcoming phone banks include one on the city’s South Side and another in Champaign sponsored by College Democrats of Illinois. A list of partners is here. * More stops for Rep. Buckner…
* Illinoisans from both parties are involved in Wisconsin politics…
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R…
* React from Center Square…
* WAND…
Click here for a fact sheet. * Midwest Renewable Energy Association Senior Regional Director John Delurey…
SB3637 sponsored by Sen. Bill Cunningham never made it out of Senate Assignments. * HB5887 from House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Linda, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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CPS CEO claims CTU contract would cost $10 billion over four years
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez as quoted in the Tribune…
* Related…
* WTTW | Effort by City Council to Put CPS Board Members, CEO on the Hot Seat Fizzles: Ald. Angela Clay (46th Ward) pressed Martinez, who has led the district since 2021, on why he used those grant funds to cover the district’s ongoing operations while knowing that they would run out by 2025, leaving programs in jeopardy of being cut and employees at risk of layoffs. “We all knew this day would come,” Clay said. “What’s the plan?” Martinez did not directly answer Clay’s question, but spoke at length on the need for additional aid from the state and his commitment to investing in Chicago schools and students. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez asks City Council for additional $325 million in funding: Ald. Angela Clay asked Martinez how the district would cover costs next year, when it is expected to face another $500 million deficit, if the city bailed CPS out this year. Martinez said he hopes TIF districts will expire under Johnson, potentially freeing up more money for CPS. He added that he will ask for City Council “and the mayor’s help” to advocate for more state funding. * NBC 5 | CPS CEO Pedro Martinez appears at City Council hearing as budget battle continues: “We know we have at least 100 schools, between high schools and elementary schools, that are probably at least, you know, at least 100 that are under 200 students enrollment.” * Fox32 | Chicago City Council questions CPS CEO on budget crisis, tensions with Mayor Johnson: Some aldermen also question why CPS is keeping open schools that are virtually empty, including Douglass High School, which right now has only 39 students. Ald. Anthony Beale: “Walgreens is closing 1200 stores because those stores are either underperforming, and so they had to make a business decision that if they’re going to stay afloat, that they have to restructure.” CEO Martinez: “Yes, class sizes are very small. But again, for me, I would, I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.” * Block Club Chicago | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: Alderpeople did use the hearing to ask Martinez about CPS funding decisions, potential cuts, school closures and other issues. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) questioned the school chief’s decision to continuing operating Douglass High School in Austin, which only has a few dozen students enrolled. Last year, the school was spending just over $68,000 per student compared to the district average of $18,287, according to Illinois State Board of Education statistics. Martinez on Wednesday defended keeping the school open, saying he supports further investments in schools like Douglass, not less, especially as many students in Austin currently leave their neighborhood to go to school. “We have to make the investments,” he said. “I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.” * Mayor Johnson’s chief of staff says school CEO and board kept 5th Floor in the dark: Was Pedro Martinez influencing – did he take he take over the board essentially? Cristina Pacione-Zayas: “I can’t say – again, I’m not privy to what his interaction was with the board.”
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A dream come true for White Sox fans, or yet another leverage ploy against the state?
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Brittany Ghiroli at the Athletic…
* Tribune…
* Forbes…
* Sox Machine…
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Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep in Illinois-centric please!…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois installs supermarket kiosks for license renewals, other DMV transactions. Tribune…
- The 15 kiosks, most in the Chicago area, puts Illinois in line with about 17 other states that use self-service kiosks to conduct similar state business. - SoS Alexi Giannoulias said the kiosks are intended as a convenience for working people and parents who don’t have time to wait in line at a driver’s services facility. * Related stories…
* Sun-Times | The politics of picking a Madigan jury: Prospects asked how they view ‘politicians for life’: For several days over the past few weeks, dozens of people have been led into a room in Chicago’s Loop, where they’ve been asked whether they opposed people being “politicians for life.” Many of them did. They either raised their hands or argued that career politicians “lose touch with reality” and lack fresh perspectives demanded by changing times. Occasionally, their answers seemed to reference President Joe Biden. At others, the U.S. Supreme Court. * Tribune | Jury selection for Madigan trial slows further with no one chosen for second straight day: Two days of intensive questioning this week have yielded no new jurors in the corruption trial of Michael Madigan, as the already sluggish pace of jury selection slowed to a crawl Wednesday. Although U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey has been insistent he would not rush the parties though the important process, the judge for the first time suggested time limits for questioning — which he referred to as a “shot clock” — if things don’t improve. * WMBD | Hauter vs. Gill: 87th District State Rep. candidates share why they should win the candidacy: Independent candidate Dr. David Gill is challenging State Representative Bill Hauter, a Republican. Gill wants to increase ballot access for third-party candidates. “I spent 90 days knocking on 12,000 doors in 30 communities throughout the district, gathering signatures to get myself put onto the ballot so that we could at least have a battle,” Gill said. “I think that most Americans have had enough of these two major parties that make life so difficult.” * WAND | Pritzker administration improving statewide youth behavioral healthcare services: Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill into law last year calling for a clear, consistent and comprehensive way for families to find mental and behavioral healthcare options for young children and teens. The law created an inter-agency team to improve service coordination, implement new technology to refer families to resources and increase capacity to meet demand for care. * SJ-R | Wet soil, dryer pockets: How climate change is impacting Illinois pumpkin farms: As a farmer carrying on a family legacy of over a century on the farm, Jefferies has been facing insecurities about her abilities as a farmer like never before because of climate change. “When you have year after year of crop failure or reduced crop production you start to question your own ability,” Jefferies said. “It’s pretty mentally challenging, the weather is hard on people. Not just financial hardship, but a mental hardship. You feel like a failure even though there was nothing you can do, and that you’ve let people down.” * Tribune | Pedro Martinez defends CPS work to aldermen in contentious hearing: Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez had the stage to himself Wednesday at City Hall, and used it to go on the offensive in his ongoing fight with Mayor Brandon Johnson over control of the city’s schools. As expected, only Martinez — and none of the Chicago Board of Education nominees Johnson tapped in an apparent bid to get Martinez fired for refusing to borrow money to balance the school budget — showed up to the Education Committee meeting aldermen called to vet the mayor’s picks. * Block Club | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: A focal point of that tension has been Martinez’s refusal to take out a $300 million high-interest loan to cover pension payments for non-teaching staff and upcoming contract costs. The back-and-forth came to a head Oct. 4, when the entire seven-member school board — six of whom were appointed by Johnson last year — resigned en masse. The school board has the final authority to fire the school district’s chief executive. * Tribune | CPS marks second consecutive year of increased enrollment and ‘exponential progress’ in staffing: CPS has enrolled more than 325,300 students this school year, officials announced Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year that the district marginally reversed a long-term trend of declining enrollment, common among public schools across the country. As of the fourth week of school, CPS said more than 2,000 students were attending the district than at the same time last school year, an increase of .64%. * Crain’s | Civic Federation calls on mayor to avoid raising property taxes: Mayor Brandon Johnson should consider every option to avoid raising property taxes to close a $982 million budget gap for 2025, including hiking sin taxes, raising fees on garbage collection, implementing employee furloughs and putting a pause on making an advanced pension payment, according to the Civic Federation. * Block Club | Chicagoans Can Get Help After July Floods With New FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers: Two newly opened disaster recovery centers in the Chicago area are helping neighbors affected by flooding in July. Homeowners, renters and small business owners can get face-to-face support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration at the disaster recovery centers, which opened Wednesday in Chicago Lawn, 6120 S. Kedzie Ave., and suburban Homewood, 2010 Chestnut Road. * WTTW | As Chicago clears away its biggest tent city, a former gang leader says he won’t settle for a homeless shelter: City officials say most of the roughly 100 unhoused people in the park will be offered one of those rent-free apartments. Those who don’t get a unit will be given a shelter bed. “The park is being cleared because people are moving into housing,” said Sendy Soto, chief homelessness officer under Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Apartment or not, everyone will have to leave the park by Dec. 1, officials say. * Block Club | Chicago’s Biggest Halloween Parade Turns 10 Saturday With Its Hugest Event Yet: The free Arts in the Dark celebration — annually pegged to the season of Halloween and Dia de los Muertos, channeling the vibe of Carnivale and Mardi Gras — unfurls its 10th iteration at 6 p.m. Saturday, stepping off at the corner of State and Lake. Performers march south for about two hours, wrapping up their procession at State and Van Buren. * Block Club | See The Year’s Brightest Supermoon Thursday In Chicago: A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the moon’s closest approach to Earth in its orbit, according to NASA. It can look up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when the moon is at its farthest point from Earth. Thursday’s supermoon will be the closest full moon of the year, approximately 222,056 miles from Earth, according to AstroPixels. * Daily Southtown | Under federal scrutiny, Tiffany Henyard announces reelection bid for Dolton mayor: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, the focus of an investigation by federal authorities, said she will seek reelection next year, starting with the February Democratic Primary, and plans to back a slate of Village Board candidates. Elected to her first term in April 2021 as Dolton’s first Black female mayor, Henyard has been the subject of federal subpoenas targeting her and a supposedly philanthropic organization bearing her name meant to help cancer survivors. An attorney representing Henyard has declared she’s done nothing wrong. * Daily Herald | Commissioner faces ethics violation over leaked Bears tax appeal info: Cook County’s inspector general has recommended that a county board of review member take ethics training over the leaking of confidential information about the Chicago Bears’ property tax appeal at Arlington Park to the Daily Herald and other media outlets. Inspector General Tirrell Paxton’s report doesn’t mention Commissioner Samantha Steele by name, but the facts of the case match previously reported details about the internal squabble at the quasi-judicial county agency, which oversees appeals of property assessments. * Daily Herald | ‘New, improved, evolved’: Revised plan would keep remainder of Hawthorn mall intact: The next step in a comprehensive transformation of the Hawthorn mall property in Vernon Hills aims to build on the success of initial work and keep what remains of the existing 1970s-era shopping center intact. The revised concept would keep 130,000 square feet of existing space in the mall core that was to have been demolished in previous plans. * Daily Herald | Officials: Anti-Semitic messages on billboard near Northbrook were ‘unauthorized : A preliminary investigation by officers determined the messages were “unauthorized” and not displayed by the billboard company, Interim Chief John Ustich said in the release. “This disgusting, intimidating display has no place in the 10th District, or anywhere in America,” Rep. Brad Schneider, a Highland Park Democrat, said in a tweet. “It is notable that this sign is located in a community with a large Jewish population, in close proximity to a Jewish day school, at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.” * WCIA | Sangamon County Recorder candidates split over future of office: A candidate for Sangamon County Recorder announced Wednesday he’s campaigning to allow voters to decide if his job should be dissolved. The official’s job is to “record all documents transferring land in order to establish legal ownership,” according to a fact sheet from the Illinois Association of County Board Members and Commissioners. * SJ-R | Who is on the Massey Commission? A closer look at the 14 members: The commission, an outgrowth of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey by a former Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy on July 6, recently seated its members and named two new co-chairs, JoAnn Johnson and Shadia Massey, Sonya Massey’s cousin, replacing the Rev. T. Ray McJunkins and Nina Harris after an initial listening session. * WCIA | U of I professors and students searching for rare comet passing over: Professor Tony Wong said the comet has been so deep in the solar system for so long that it still has ice surrounding it. As it gets closer to the sun it’ll warm and then start to evaporate its gasses. This means it’ll create a bright light to where people can view it. “We are just starting to get a good show now because the comet has already passed the sun. And as it’s moving away from the sun, it’s becoming visible in our night sky. And so that’s why everyone’s looking at it this week, is because it’s becoming visible to our night sky,” U of I Professor Tony Wong said. * AP | US agency adopts rule to make it easier for consumers to cancel unwanted subscriptions: The “click-to-cancel” rule will prohibit retailers and other businesses from misleading people about subscriptions and require them to obtain consumers’ consent before charging for memberships, auto-renewals and programs linked to free trial offers. The FTC said businesses must also disclose when free trials or other promotional offers will end and let customers end recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them. Most of the provisions take effect effect 180 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register, the agency said.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Former Pritzker communications staffers launch Abudayyeh Rubin Communications Strategies…
* Tribune…
* Democratic Party of Illinois…
* Capitol News Illinois | In final public transit hearing, downstate operators join chorus for more state funding: “We are approaching a similar fiscal cliff to the northeast region,” Karl Gnadt, managing director of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, said. Gnadt said CUMTD is expanding to a point where the state may not be able to cover necessary costs. The state funds up to 65% of downstate transit agencies’ yearly costs through the “Downstate Operating Assistance Program,” but transit agency heads say the program is underfunded and can’t keep up with planned expansions. * Center Square | Panel discusses proposals to shore up Illinois’ unfunded pension liability: Among the issues discussed were how Tier II pensions, or benefit plans for public employees in Illinois hired after 2011, may need to be addressed because it may not comply with Social Security rules. State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, was part of the panel. “Regardless of what plan comes out that’s agreed upon, that’s fiscally responsible for the state, No. 1, and equally respectful of the job that our employees do,” Kifowit said. “We need to acknowledge that it needs to be fixed.” * SJ-R | Illinois prison employees to picket for safer working conditions: Members of the AFSCME Could 31 union will hold an informational picket from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Members will be outside the Pontiac Correctional Center and other prisons throughout the state, according to local AFSCME President William Lee. A flyer advertising the event states “Safety Matters” followed by the words ‘Say no to drug smuggling,’ ‘Say no to assaults on staff’ and ‘Join the picket line.’ * Press Release | Governor Pritzker Temporarily Suspends IFTA/MFUT Requirements Due to Hurricanes Milton & Helene: Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) have temporarily waived the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) registration and motor fuel use tax (MFUT) single trip permitting for qualified motor vehicles engaged in interstate disaster relief efforts as a result of Hurricanes Milton & Helene. The suspension, pursuant to 35 ILCS 505/13a.4 and 13a.5, is effective from October 11, 2024, through November 09, 2024. * Bloomberg | Johnson-CPS drama has credit assessors on alert: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed a new slate of board members earlier this month after all seven prior designees resigned from their seats. While the management changes alone don’t represent a “material” shift in credit quality, the new board may undertake policies that could change the district’s financial operations,” Moody’s analysts led by David Levett said in a report on Tuesday. * Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools sees enrollment bump for second year in a row: As of the 20th day of school this year, CPS had enrolled 325,305 students compared to 323,251 students this time last year, according to district data. That’s less than a 1% increase from last year. The district uses the 20th day of school as the official date to take stock of enrollment and demographics each year. Officials hinted at the slight bump last month, when by the 15th day of school 2,800 more students had enrolled compared to that day last year. * Block Club | Should City Pay For New Bears Stadium? West Side Voters Can Weigh In On November Ballot: Voters in parts of the 29th Ward, including portions of Austin, Galewood and Montclare, have a referendum question on their ballots that asks, “Shall the people of Chicago provide any taxpayer subsidy to the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium?” The question was put on certain West Side ballots by former Gov. Pat Quinn with the help of Jacob Drews, a former intern to U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, records show. It will appear on ballots for voters in the 29th Ward’s 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15 and 17 precincts. * Sun-Times | Chicago-based True Value hardware files for bankruptcy, agrees to sell to Do it Best: True Value, the hardware retailer based in Chicago, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and agreed to sell itself for $153 million to Do it Best Corp., the home improvement company based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, according to court filings. * Block Club | Busted Sidewalk In Pilsen Unfixed For Over A Year, Stranding Neighbor In Wheelchair: Hernandez said he and his family have reported the sidewalk’s condition to Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez’s (25th) office several times and made city requests over the past year — requests that remained open until Block Club brought the issue to the city’s attention last week. “The government of the city does not remember us at all, except when they collect the taxes and our alderman is the worst that we ever had,” Hernandez said. * Sun-Times | What a La Niña winter could mean for the Chicago area: La Niña has around a 60% chance of emerging through the end of November and could last until March, according to projections from the National Weather Service. This year, La Niña is forecast to be weaker than normal, making weather predictions this far in advance tricky, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Zachary Yack. * Chicago Reader | Mazdaznan’s enlightened grifter: In late-1800s Chicago, a charismatic eccentric built a religious cult following. : The first time Otoman Zar-Adusht Hanish caught significant press attention was in 1904, when Emma Reusse—or Eloise, as she was sometimes called—was seen running from his temple shrieking and pulling out her hair. She was committed to an Elgin sanitarium after the guru and self-described doctor had advised her to juice fast for 40 days to spiritually and physically “perfect” herself. Two weeks later, she died. * Press Release | Illinois Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach: Robin Lee Reierson, 69, of Schiller Park, Illinois, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution and fines by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton. […] At approximately 2:06 p.m., Reierson used his back and body to push against a bike rack barrier and into the line of assembled officers. The police line began to fall at approximately 2:25 p.m., and, minutes later, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Reierson physically pushed against police officers using both of his hands and by lowering his shoulder into officers. Reierson also attempted to take hold of an MPD officer’s baton. * Daily Herald | Verna Clayton, ‘a pioneer leader’ in Buffalo Grove, guided village through period of growth: A housewife in Buffalo Grove’s Strathmore subdivision, Verna Clayton didn’t initially seek a career in politics. But her dissatisfaction with the village board led her to a political career that saw her rise to Buffalo Grove village president and ultimately a state representative. Today, the village’s municipal campus bears her name. Clayton died Oct. 8 in Anderson, Indiana at 87.
* Fox Chicago | Illinois trooper honored with Medal of Honor after suffering injuries in Will County crash: An Illinois State Police (ISP) trooper was awarded the Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor on Tuesday after he suffered incapacitating injuries in a Will County crash in 2021. The award was presented to ISP Trooper Brian Frank by Gov. JB Pritzker and ISP Director Brendan Kelly. * BND | Well-known Madison County attorney, gun rights advocate could lose his law license — again: An attorney from a prominent legal family in Madison County who’s known for representing clients in Illinois gun-rights cases may get his law license suspended for the second time in five years. A hearing board for the Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission is recommending that the Illinois Supreme Court suspend Wood River-based Thomas Maag for two years. * WGLT | With an open seat, east Bloomington voters to choose between two candidates for McLean County Board: Voting is underway, and Bloomington’s east side must select a new McLean County Board representative for District 10. Republican Chuck Erickson served the area for over a decade but is vacating the seat, opening the door for one of two new candidates to fill the role. Republican Mark Clauss and Democrat Erica Larkin are battling it out on the ballot to represent the district. Both are new to politics and said they will rely on experts to steer policy decisions. * KWQC | Deere laying off hundreds more: Deere confirmed about 287 will lose jobs at Harvester Works in East Moline, 80 at Davenport Works and seven in Moline Seeding. Employees were being alerted on Wednesday. The layoffs are the latest in a global workforce reduction happening at Deere. * Journal Gazette | Vice Chair Bennett steps down from Shelby County Board following Chair Orman’s resignation: Bennett wrote, “For which in the last four years the audits have disclosed procedures and policies with which need to be followed and an unwillingness by many of those employed by Shelby County, as well as the public, to accept these changes. The Constitution comes first and foremost.”"Bobby Orman was a great chairman for Shelby County. Thank you, Bobby, and many of my colleagues,” Bennett wrote. He added,” Harassment has no place in our day-to-day representation as a board member. I encourage all people to educate themselves on the Constitution.” * WCIA | State Comptroller honors three Illinoisans for Hispanic Heritage Month: Mendoza’s office held a ceremony celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. The three who were honored included Héctor Javier Maymí-Sugrañes, the Dean of Libraries and General Studies at Western Illinois University, Yolanda Alonso, a blogger for Latinos en BloNo, and Carolina Huser, the Visionary Society & Development Manager for the Peoria Riverfront Museum. * WCIA | Springfield’s Lincoln Library celebrating 20th anniversary: On Oct. 16, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (ALPLM) will host a reception to honor its 20th anniversary. It’s been 20 years since the library section of the ALPLM started serving the public in Oct. 2004. The museum opening came just a few months after in April 2005. * WICS | $5 million for biomanufacturing research at U of I: The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will receive a $5 million National Science Foundation grant to support groundbreaking biomanufacturing research and advance the future of sustainable production. This funding will support research to develop more reliable biomanufacturing processes that can be scaled up and replicated to facilitate commercial production in industries at the forefront of the growing bioeconomy, such as pharmaceuticals and biofuels. * Smile Politely | After 30+ years, Cafe Kopi is closing in December: “We are very grateful to the wonderful customers who have supported us through the years. You are what made Cafe Kopi such a special place. Coffeehouses are not just businesses; they are communities where lasting connections are made, and lifelong friendships are forged,” says Cafe Kopi owner, Douglas McCarver. “Cafe Kopi holds a special place in the hearts of many, and while we are saddened by this chapter’s end, we believe that all good things must come to a close. Serving generations of patrons has been both an honor and privilege.” * AP | Listeria recall grows to 12 million pounds of meat and poultry, some of it sent to US schools: The updated recall includes prepared salads, burritos and other foods sold at stores including Costco, Trader Joe’s, Target, Walmart and Kroger. The meat used in those products was processed at a Durant, Oklahoma, manufacturing plant operated by BrucePac. The Woodburn, Oregon-based company sells precooked meat and poultry to industrial, foodservice and retail companies across the country. * WTTW | Are People Loving Monarch Butterflies to Death? New Study Suggests ‘Helpful’ Human Interventions Contributing to Decline: Researchers at the University of Georgia combed through 17 years’ worth of observational data on roost sizes during monarchs’ annual fall migration to Mexico. What they found was a stable breeding population in the north, but then a consistent decrease in roost size as the butterflies make their way south — falling off by as much as 80% — indicating something is going awry along the route. Davis and his fellow researchers identified two likely culprits. One is the misguided planting of non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), milkweed being the only plant on which monarchs lay their eggs and that monarch caterpillars feed on. * Press Release | Federal Trade Commission Announces Final “Click-to-Cancel” Rule Making It Easier for Consumers to End Recurring Subscriptions and Memberships: “Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Commission Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.” * Politico | Crypto has quietly become one of the biggest electoral players. You wouldn’t know it from their ads: The industry’s ads are about trying to help their preferred candidates win elections — not making cryptocurrency a campaign issue. That reflects a reality acknowledged by several candidates: Cryptocurrency is hardly top-of-mind for most voters. The ads from the various industry-linked super PACs are instead universally positive spots about their candidates, often biographical or hitting on hot-button issues such as the border, the economy and access to IVF. * WSJ | The Death of Main Streets Across America—and the People Trying to Save Them:There was a time when the main streets in small towns were the lifeblood of small businesses. The hardware store, the candy counter, the dress shop—this was where the locals gathered and where entrepreneurs thrived. But that hasn’t been the story for a long time. Across the country, many small towns have been reeling, as local industries close down, and people move to find jobs. Main streets have lost out to the convenience of online shopping, as well as to nearby malls, where chains and big-box stores offer lower prices and a greater variety of goods. Meanwhile, credit can be hard to obtain for entrepreneurs, and inflation has driven up costs.
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There isn’t much the locals can do without the state, and the state can’t do much without more money
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * It’s really easy to understand the popularity of the state legislature killing off the 1 percent local grocery tax. It’s popular. Just about everyone is campaigning on the move this fall. But the repeal once again narrows an already too-narrow taxing base - a serious problem here. And, as locals are finding out, municipalities just don’t have a whole lot of other taxing options. From the Peoria Journal Star…
The state ain’t repealing the repeal. That horse has left the barn. Peoria is just gonna have to do its own grocery tax. Not ideal, but not much can be done about it now. * Crain’s…
More details are here, including a bit about reinstating the grocery tax to plug an $80 million hole. * Meanwhile, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez testified to the city council today. From a Chalkbeat Chicago reporter…
True, but the state finally has its own fiscal house in order. Without additional revenues, there can be no major local government/school bailouts…
But hardly any progressive legislators, let alone everyone else, are currently making a strong case for more revenues. They’re mostly about more spending, like everyone else. * Also, from Republican Sen. Seth Lewis…
Every time the mayor and the CTU leadership make this stuff about them, they weaken the case for everyone else, including the state.
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Rate McGraw’s new ad
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Isabel posted this earlier today…
This is a swingy district. Pritzker won it by two points in 2022, but Alexi Giannoulias lost it by 5 that same year. Joe Biden won it by 7.6 percentage points four years ago. * McGraw’s new ad…
Also, note the uniformed county sheriff who appears in the ad.
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Greyhound plans to stay at its Chicago station for now
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * NBC Chicago in August…
* The Sun-Times yesterday…
* Tribune…
* Crain’s…
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Please, watch this video
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * From earlier this month…
We’re going to Greece! And the donation only cost me an arm and a leg. Whatever. You can’t take it with you. * LSSI sent me a video yesterday which was played during the event. Marnie Jameson is an extraordinary person and you should definitely watch it. Also, please remember this video when we start our fundraising drive to buy Christmas presents for foster kids… “There’s nothing more awesome than having a kid that you didn’t birth call you ‘Mom.’ Because that’s a special thing that they share with their birth parents that now they’re willing to give you, put you in that role. It tells me I did something right.” We play a very narrow, yet quite special role in helping foster parents like Ms. Jameson every year. It definitely keeps me going. Thanks!
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Open thread
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois voters asked to weigh in on IVF coverage, taxing high-earners in statewide ballot questions. Tribune…
* Related stories…
∙ WGEM: Illinois voters to weigh in on potential election interference penalties * Crain’s | City Hall may have disqualified itself from getting millions in federal housing dollars: Since 2018, the city has been engaged in a legal fight with Access Living, a disability rights group. Access Living alleges the city ignores federal requirements that it confirm a portion of the affordable housing that gets built in the city with federal funds is designed according to disability-access standards. The litigation may disqualify Chicago’s application under HUD rules issued in July that said cities would be ineligible to receive new discretionary funds from the agency if they have “with “unresolved civil rights matters” that the US Department of Justice has taken a role in. * Capitol News Illinois | A mentally ill man was restrained in a chair for 68 hours at Franklin County Jail, violating policies, report says: Franklin County Jail restrained two mentally ill men in chairs for prolonged periods, in violation of state standards and county policies, a new report from an Illinois disability rights watchdog group found. The jail provided inadequate medical and mental health care and improperly restrained Travis Wade Braden for 68 hours in 2022, as well as another man for 27 hours, said the report from the Human Rights Authority of the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, a state agency. * NBC Chicago | Deadline to submit Illinois flag designs rapidly approaching: According to the Illinois Flag Commission, the public submission deadline for designs is Friday, Oct. 18. The commission will look through the designs submitted, and will chose a total of 10 to be put up for a public online vote, which is set to take place in January.
* Tribune | No jurors picked in landmark Madigan corruption case Tuesday as painstaking selection process enters second week: A total of 13 people were interviewed, but no final decisions were made on who might serve on the panel because there are still more prospective jurors in their group who did not get a chance to be questioned. That means that seven panel members — one regular juror and six alternates — still need to be selected before the trial can begin in earnest with opening statements. * SJ-R | Illinois lawmakers pushing for more stringent gun storage laws. What you need to know: The Safe Firearm Storage Act, filed under Senate Bill 3971 and House Bill 5891, would prohibit the possession of a firearm outside its owner’s “immediate possession or control” and increases the age to 18 from 13 where safe storage in homes are required. In the case of a lost or stolen firearm, Senate Bill 3973 and House Bill 5888 would require the owner to report it with local law enforcement within 48 hours instead of the original 72. It comes after reports show that approximately 380,000 guns are stolen per year nationwide. * Center Square | Final hearing held in a series on Illinois’ public transit systems: State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, said providing reliable mass transit should not be exclusive to the Chicago area. “I think this state has to make mass transit, across the state, a priority,” said DeWitte. “Getting people from point A to point B, to work, school, to the hospital, a doctor’s appointment, is critical.” * Midwest Books to Prisoners | IDOC Shouldn’t Ban Mail and Books in Prisons: Facing pressure from Republican legislators, the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is considering draconian new restrictions on incoming mail and books, including banning all mail pending a transition to controversial privatized mail digitization services. We are organizing to stop this egregious censorship attempt that undermines education, rehabilitation and community connection. To the IDOC and the IL general assembly: do not ban people from accessing physical letters and books through the mail, do not concede to easily disproved right-wing drug war copaganda—invest in resources, not restrictions! * ABC Chicago | Chicago Inspector General asks state regulators to ban some CPD officers from law enforcement: Since Jan. 6, 2021, more than a dozen CPD officers have been tagged as members of radical, sometimes violent groups, even as they deny it and remain on the job. […] “In order to serve as a police officer in any department in Illinois, a person must be certified as eligible to do so by the state of Illinois,” said Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg. Witzburg is recommending that the state de-certify a number of CPD officers and has sent the names and alleged misdeeds of those officers to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board headquartered in Springfield. * Sun-Times | Former Business Affairs and Consumer Protection official accused of creating hostile work environment: A former high-ranking official at the city’s Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection accused of creating a hostile work environment by using “prolonged verbal abuse and discrimination” to underlings so shaken by the treatment, many of them quit, then lied to investigators when questioned about it. A Chicago Public library clerk who used access to personal information to sexually harass library patrons on social media. * Sun-Times | Bally’s Chicago casino enters 2nd year on the rise, but behind projections in loaded Illinois market: Bally’s finally put to bed questions about financing their permanent $1.34 billion entertainment complex, remapped their site plan at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street after old water pipes forced them back to the drawing board — and saw steadily increasing returns from their temporary operation in River North. But the money still isn’t flowing like city budget officials initially hoped, and in a new report released this month, state revenue forecasters say they have questions about how many more dollars can be squeezed from a crowded and ever-growing Illinois gambling market. * Sun-Times | Blackhawks chairman Danny Wirtz ‘disappointed’ by Chicago Sports Network’s lack of carriage: One week into the Blackhawks’ season, the team’s new TV network has yet to reach a carriage agreement with Comcast. That appears unlikely to change before the home opener Thursday. That scenario would’ve been tough to imagine a year ago, but the difficulties that Chicago Sports Network — which launched Oct. 1 as the new home of the Hawks, Bulls and White Sox — has encountered in negotiations with the area’s dominant cable provider has made it a reality. * WTTW | New Comet Is ‘Living Up to the Hype’ and Chicagoans Could Get a Glimpse in Coming Days: Michelle Nichols, director of public observing at Adler Planetarium, knows Chicagoans are skeptical about being able to see space phenomena, having been burned plenty of times by light pollution. “It’s living up to the hype,” Nichols said of the comet’s brightness. * WGN | Lincoln Square restaurant spearheads campaign to end 117-year alcohol ban: The ban was originally put in place in 1907, which wasn’t a bad year overall for the City of Chicago. An economic boom fueled the city’s industrial sector, while the Chicago Cubs swept the Detroit Tigers to win their first-ever World Series. […] It was a little-known law unbeknownst to Lucia Herrejon, owner of XOchimilco Mexican Restaurant on the north side of Montrose, until they discovered it accidentally as a part of a 2023 city inspection. “Last year, June 2023, we applied for a liquor license,” Herrejon said. “Every thing went well. We had inspectors come out … We found out that day this was boarded dry in 1907.” * Tribune | Leaking Chicago Bears Arlington Heights tax appeal information earns Cook County official a slap on the wrist: County Inspector General Tirrell Paxton’s report did not name any officials. But the facts of the case match allegations in a whistleblower lawsuit filed against Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele this summer, dealing with the wrangling between local school districts and the Bears, who bought the former Arlington racetrack property and set their sights on building a new stadium there. The team has since focused on staying on Chicago’s lakefront, though officials have said the suburban location remains a possibility. The IG’s finding does not carry a penalty, only a recommendation that Steele take ethics training for violating the board’s ethics policy and the state’s property tax code by leaking confidential information about the pending Bears’ appeal of their property assessment and exhibiting bias against the team in comments to the media. * Daily Herald | Gun violence, public corruption top issues for Cook County state’s attorney candidates: Prosecutors will file detention petitions “each and every time someone is caught with an assault weapon, including guns that have switches and extended magazines,” Burke said during a recent Daily Herald endorsement interview. Prosecutors also will ask “for detention each and every time someone is charged with forcible felony with a gun, knife or some type of weapon,” she said. And they will request detention for individuals charged with a forcible felony in sexual assault cases and individuals charged with committing a violent crime on public transit. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights country club where Ray Kroc made business deals turns 100: Much has changed at Rolling Green Country Club, the Arlington Heights golf course celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and where a members-only black-tie gala was held Saturday night. Its textured history is detailed in a new 113-page coffee table book by Larry Bruck, a board member and unofficial club historian who spent the last year combing through thousands of articles in the Daily Herald and other newspapers, county records, board meeting notes and genealogy documents at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. Bruck also reached out to a long list of current and past members and employees to gain their insights and recollections.
* Journal Courier | Jacksonville schools take stance against teacher mistreatment; NAACP says handling of past incidents contributed to climate: The superintendent of Jacksonville schools is taking on what he says is mistreatment of teachers by some students and parents. While his call that “enough is enough” is getting plenty of backing, the message is also drawing heat from places such as the Jacksonville NAACP, which said some of the attitudes he targets are the result of how the administration has handled problems in the past. […] The letter was inspired by an incident between a parent and a teacher that occurred in the same week the letter was published. According to Ptacek, the teacher changed a seating arrangement in response to concerns about how a student was behaving toward others. The parent of the student then contacted the teacher and threatened them with physical violence. * WCIA | Housing project planned for a growing Paxton: Developer Joe Warner originally put the plan in motion, but now his daughter and brother are building on his foundation. The first phase plans to provide 35 single-family homes and 11 duplexes. The site will also have a half-acre park in the middle to be used as a green space. * WAND | Advocates say central Illinois communities deserve more bus service, funding: Experts say 30% of the population can’t drive, leaving many people with unsafe and inadequate options to get them where they need to go. Champaign-Urbana transit planner Cynthia Hoyle told the Senate Transportation Committee that people in small central Illinois communities desperately need rides. * Pantagraph | Heartland starts equity tax levy talks, hears from Lincoln campus director: Heartland Community College is continuing to use the state’s equity tax provision to levy additional revenue from property in the district. In a meeting at the college’s Lincoln campus on Tuesday, trustees adopted an equity tax resolution for taxes payable in 2025. Under state law, Heartland can to levy the additional property tax to bring its revenue in line with other community college districts throughout the state, said Noah Lamb, vice president of finance and administration. * PJ Star | Bernie Sanders in Belvidere: Climate change is real. Electric vehicles can help: Before firing up the crowd at last week’s “Rally with the Working Class to End Trump’s NAFTA 2.0″ in Belvidere, U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, sat down with Register Star reporter Jeff Kolkey to talk about his views on the auto industry, electric vehicle production, free trade and climate change. * SJ-R | Central Illinois microbrewery debuting new beer supporting Hurricane Helene relief efforts: Obed & Isaac’s Microbrewery & Eatery at 500 S. Sixth St. announced sales from its new Appalachia Strong IPA will support the relief efforts following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene. […] The central Illinois brewery has partnered with the North Carolina Brewers Guild to help displaced people from Hurricane Helene, alongside eight to 10 other brewers across the Prairie State. Through the Pouring for Neighbors initiative, Obed & Isaac’s aims to rally the central Illinois community to contribute to the rebuilding efforts. * WCIA | ‘That place should be rocking’ Bielema asking for crazy crowd vs Michigan: The game versus Michigan is already sold out, but the Illini head coach wants more than just a full house. “We haven’t lost a game [at home] this year,” Bielema said on Monday. “That place should be rocking. That place should be going crazy. To have two ranked teams, that’s what I want to hear… When we go to Michigan we have to prepare for crowd noise there. I would really like for someone to have to prepare for crowd noise here. That’s when we’ve arrived.” * WAND | Illinois apple farmer sees decreased harvest after cicadas: It’s been a year of ups and downs for apple farmers in central Illinois. On top of an early bloom, many trees were devastated by the influx in cicadas this spring and summer. Mike Mitchell, who owns Okaw Valley Orchards, said his yield has dropped by about 60% since last year. Because the cicadas laid their eggs on the key branches apples grow on, the trees weren’t able to provide the necessary nutrients for fruit to thrive. * WSJ | This AI Pioneer Thinks AI Is Dumber Than a Cat: Yann LeCun helped give birth to today’s artificial-intelligence boom. But he thinks many experts are exaggerating its power and peril, and he wants people to know it. While a chorus of prominent technologists tell us that we are close to having computers that surpass human intelligence—and may even supplant it—LeCun has aggressively carved out a place as the AI boom’s best-credentialed skeptic.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Linda, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* Shaw Local…
* Daily Herald | House 52nd candidates debate immigration, state finances: Republican incumbent and former Barrington Hills Village President Martin McLaughlin said spending is out of control. McLaughlin, who was first elected in 2020, said in his term in office he has seen spending climb from $39 billion to $54 billion. […] Democratic challenger Maria Peterson, a retired labor attorney, said her family knows what it means to tighten their belts and survive financially. She said they did just that during the financial crisis in 2008, when she and her husband faced mortgage and car payments and were raising a young son. At that time, her husband had finished graduate school and she was attending law school. * WBEZ | Illinois officials battle misinformation to protect integrity of November election: Russian influence and false claims of a rigged election plagued the last two presidential elections. This time, Illinois election officials said disinformation poses the biggest threat to the integrity of the vote. Bad actors both domestically and abroad “[a]re trying to get into the minds of voters, and they’re trying to pit voters against each other,” said Matt Dietrich, spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Elections. * WFIW | Illinois State Police Welcomes 35 New Troopers from Cadet Class 148: Cadet Class 148 completed a rigorous 28-week academy program that included both physical training and classroom instruction. The curriculum covered a wide range of topics, such as Cultural Diversity, Procedural Justice, Domestic Violence, Critical Incident Response, De-escalation Tactics, Firearms training, First Responder Certification, Control and Arrest Tactics, the Illinois Vehicle Code, Criminal Law, Motor Carrier Safety, Juvenile Law, and more. * Block Club | As Greyhound Bus Station Lease Expires, Alderman Proposes Move To Migrant Landing Zone: Asked by a Block Club reporter last week about the station’s status, Mayor Brandon Johnson said his administration was still “looking at all options.” […] “The Mayor’s Office has been helping us identify a suitable Downtown location for pick-ups and drop-offs,” Flixbus spokesperson Merrill Leedom said in a statement. “We are encouraged by their efforts and the potential for a solution that meets the needs of our passengers, including features like a dedicated bus lane, basic shelter from the elements and proximity to local transit options. * Crain’s | Discover hits Chatham workforce goal of 1,000 employees: “This milestone is a testament to our commitment to the Chatham community and the promises we made,” Dan Capozzi, executive vice president and president of consumer banking at Discover, said in a statement. “When the goal was set, we knew it was ambitious, but the hard work of our team and the overwhelming support of the community helped us achieve our vision.” * Block Club | Rogers Park Church Finds Way To Build A Parking Lot Despite Alderwoman’s Opposition: “Without the community and my support, the church found another legal pathway to create the parking lot by having the entire property resurveyed and consolidated into one lot,” Hadden said. “The underlying zoning for the existing property and current allowed use of the church permits them to create the parking lot that they’ve wanted.” Hadden denied the church’s request to reconsider the proposal and take into account non-residents’ opinions as much as residents’ opinions, she said. * Sun-Times | Mag Mile offices would become residences under developer’s proposal: Commonwealth Development Partners will present its vision for 500 N. Michigan Ave. — which includes adding more than 300 apartments to the 24-story office tower — at the Chicago Plan Commission’s meeting Thursday. The project could help bring more foot traffic to the city’s premier retail corridor as it continues efforts to bounce back after the pandemic. It also comes as office vacancies on the Magnificent Mile continue to rise this year, approaching 20%. * Tribune | Billionaire Ken Griffin has found a buyer for the Gold Coast condo he listed for $11M in July: Billionaire Ken Griffin has found a buyer for his top-floor condominium on the 38th floor of the building at 9 W. Walton St., a unit he has had on the market since July for $11 million. On Monday, his real estate agents updated his listing for the unit to reflect that a contract has been signed with an undisclosed buyer for a still-undisclosed amount. The unit has 16-foot windows, two terraces and private in-unit elevator access to a private rooftop pool and a private 39th-floor interior space. * WGN | Orland Park latest suburb to fail to file audits: Illinois’ comptroller is threatening southwest suburban Orland Park with losing some state reimbursements for failing to file financial audits in 2022 and 2023. “Reports not filed in a timely manner are delinquent, and consequently subject to fines and forced audit,” the comptroller’s September letter stated. Village officials blame staff turnover, a new computer system and the village’s former external auditors for the missed deadlines. * Elgin Courier-News | Dam removal coupled with drought causing Fox River levels to be dramatically low in Carpentersville: “This is the lowest I’ve seen the river,” said Carpentersville Village President John Skilman, who has lived in the village most of his life. “It’s been so dry. Pretty much since August, it’s been so dry.” Skillman said he thought the river would drop as the dam was being removed, but this is far lower than he anticipated. “It could be a combination of the drought and the dam being removed,” he said. “Let’s wait and see if this works like they told us it would. They’re the professionals.” * WTTW | Incarcerated Classmates Separated as Stateville Closure Continues, Leaving Future of Some Educational Programs in Question: Stateville had robust higher educational programs, partnering with five Chicago-area universities. Located about 38 miles from the city, the prison was able to bring in instructors from Northwestern University, North Park University and others. After the transfers, some students have been split from their classmates and are now hundreds of miles away from each other. Those divisions and distances now make it difficult for educators to reach students. * Naperville Sun | Overwhelmed by Illinois judicial candidates on the ballot? Naperville North student created website to help: Sarah, 16, is the developer of the Know Your State Judges website, in which she researched judicial candidates from across Illinois, outside of Cook County, to compile a nonpartisan look at how judges are elected and retained. She began her project last summer in preparation for the 2024 primary election and has continued to update the website for the Nov. 5 general election. In addition to her website, she’s set up Facebook, Instagram and X pages and is conducting interviews with media throughout the state to promote the page. * Daily Herald | Palatine rescue has Hurricane Helene dogs ready for adoption: By looking at the spunky pups frolicking in the yard behind the Palatine dog day care Baxter & Beasley, you might not suspect the ordeal they’ve been through over the past several days. While they share a common saga, they now also share a common hope. All were transferred from a large shelter in Florida, where they were sent after being displaced by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. Now they await adoption. * WCIA | Macon Co. Sheriff’s Deputy arrested in Indiana after driving under the influence: The Macon County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Todd Choatie, an employee since 1998, was arrested in Putnam County, Ind. on Thursday. He’s been charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated (Indiana’s version of driving under the influence) and possession of a controlled substance. A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson added that Deputy Choatie is currently on vacation status. Once he returns, he will be placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation within the Macon County Sheriff’s Office. * WSIL | John A Logan College set to launch new Security Guard Training Program: The course begins on Thursday, October 24, and will run every Wednesday and Thursday evening from 6 - 9 p.m. through November 21st. The classes will be held on the JALC campus, with the first course called “Unarmed’. The cost of the class is $250 per student, which is roughly about $12 per hour in the classroom. Participants who complete the course successfully will get credentials and 1.5 vocational credit. * WCIA | Monticello non-profit spreading the word about domestic violence: Willow Tree Missions in Monticello has different events planned all month long. On Monday, families came in to volunteer their services by sorting through household items so they can prepare for donation. On Thursday they’re asking the community to wear purple to show their support for domestic violence victims. * SJ-R | Springfield getting early taste of winter with freeze warning for Wednesday: The National Weather Service issued a freeze warning from 1 to 8 a.m. Wednesday morning. Residents can expect to see frost on the grass as temperatures will reach the mid 30s overnight. After the brisk morning, temperatures are expected to reach near 60 degrees on Wednesday. * KFVS | 50th annual Fort Massac Encampment returns to Metropolis: Event times are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at Fort Massac State Park. Organizers say the popular event draws thousands of visitors to southern Illinois every fall. Since 1974, the encampment has shown visitors what life was like at Fort Massac in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The fort served as a frontier outpost along the Ohio River for France, Britain and the United States’ early years from 1757 to 1814. * Dr. Christopher D. Connolly | Why am I prescribing accessible parking if developers sell it to those without disabilities?: The sale of accessible spaces to non-disabled individuals effectively eliminates crucial aspects of accessible housing and has resulted in Department of Housing and Urban Development complaints and lawsuits in the Chicagoland area like Jafri v. Chandler LLC. The costs of such litigation can be lofty for developers and condo associations as demonstrated by a recent $9.25 million verdict for a paraplegic who was denied accessible parking at her Long Beach, California, condominium. * AP | Walgreens to close 1,200 US stores as chain attempts to steady operations at home: Walgreens will close about 1,200 locations over the next three years as the drugstore chain seeks to turnaround a struggling U.S. business that contributed to a $3 billion quarterly loss. The company said Tuesday that about 500 store closures will come in the current fiscal year and should immediately support adjusted earnings and free cash flow. Walgreens didn’t say where the store closings would take place.
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Endangered caracal captured without injury
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * It is currently a Class C misdemeanor in Illinois for private individuals to possess a lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, bear, hyena, wolf or coyote. Among other things, Rep. Dan Didech’s House Bill 4446 would add servals, caracals, kangaroos, wallabies, “or any hybrid, intergrade, cross thereof” to that list. The bill passed the House, but never moved in the Senate. * NBC 5…
* The animal, which is an endangered species, was caught today…
Video…
* Last year, an exotic cat died after its capture…
* And a few years ago, a caracal attacked two people in Bloomington…
As noted above, it’s already illegal to possess a lynx.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Mayor Johnson appears to change tune on Springfield
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Mayor Brandon Johnson in Politico…
Let’s see how long that lasts.
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Energy Storage And Clean Energy!
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] In the next few years, Illinois can expect increases in demand for electricity not seen in decades. While the state is currently experiencing a clean energy boom, the growth is not enough—which puts families and businesses at risk for higher energy bills and unreliable service. Luckily, there is legislation that would expand the use of a technology that can capture and store clean, cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day -large- and small-scale battery energy storage. Energy storage will help avoid the cost spikes ratepayers may experience due to insufficient energy capacity. The need to accelerate the adoption of energy storage is urgent. Springfield is faced with a choice: support policy that will build out clean, cost-effective energy storage or allow families and businesses to have to rely on dirty, unreliable, and expensive natural gas plants. Meanwhile, Illinoisans agree: recent polling shows 72% of Illinois residents support incentives for energy storage. Paid for by Counterspark.
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Big Jim was a pro-choice Republican governor who was endorsed for his fourth term by both the Illinois AFL-CIO and the Illinois Chamber…
* Gov. Jim Thompson barely won his 1982 reelection, mainly because the state was in a severe recession which was blamed on President Reagan. He went on to win his fourth term by 13 points. But here are Thompson’s county victory maps in 1978 (top) and 1976 (bottom) against Democrats Michael Bakalis and Michael Howlett, respectively… 
* On a related topic, I gave a speech last week and was asked about the current state of the Republican Party in DuPage County. The resulting back and forth led me to look up DuPage County’s general election results for president and governor going back to 1980. Here they are with Democratic winners in italics…
1982 – Thompson 71-27 1984 – Reagan 76-24 1986 – Thompson – 73-23 1988 – HW Bush 69-30 1990 – Edgar 68-31 1992 – HW Bush 48-31-21 1994 – Edgar 79-20 1996 – Dole 51-40-8 1998 – Ryan 70-28 2000 – W Bush 55-42 2002 – J Ryan 63-34 2004 - W Bush 55-45 (Obama 64-32-4) 2006 – Topinka 51-39 2008 – Obama 55-44 2010 – Brady 54-39 2012 – Obama 50-49 2014 – Rauner 61-37 2016 – H Clinton 54-39 2018 – Pritzker 48-46-3-2 2020 – Biden 58-40 2022 – Pritzker 56-41 Discuss.
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Question of the day (Updated)
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * ABC 7…
* The Question: Have any of your passwords ever been hacked? Tell us about it. …Adding… Yikes… 
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Today’s must-read
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Please click here and read it all. You’ll learn some things. I definitely did…
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We have the receipts, Mr. Mayor
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Thoughts?
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Open thread
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please!
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Restaurants come out in favor of Illinois changes to credit card swipe fees. Crain’s…
- Illinois’ Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, the first of its kind and signed into law in June, reduces the fees merchants pay credit card processors by exempting state and local taxes and tips from the calculation. - Arguments for and against the measure have been pouring into Chicago federal court ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Oct. 30 on the banks’ bid for a preliminary injunction blocking implementation of the law. * Related stories…
∙ Digital Transactions: Motions Fly in the Battle Over the Illinois Interchange Case Ahead of an Oct. 30 Hearing * WTTW | Future of Chicago-Area Public Transit Hangs in Balance as State Lawmakers Wrap Up Hearings on Agency Funding, Oversight: “We cannot shy away from the scale of the funding needs our transit system faces,” city of Chicago COO John Roberson said at the news conference where the report was unveiled. “It is significant, but the value transit provides for the city and for our region is immeasurable.” One of the options in the report calls for a strengthened RTA with new powers to coordinate service, fare policy and more among CTA, Metra and Pace. But the second, far bolder option — one that some saw as too ambitious for lawmakers to touch — proposed doing away with the current hodgepodge of structures and creating a new, single agency to oversee all transit in the Chicago region. * Sun-Times | Michael Madigan’s friendship with alleged fixer could be tested during their corruption trial: When Michael McClain retired from lobbying in 2015, he told then-House Speaker Madigan he was “at the bridge with my musket standing with and for the Madigan family.” McClain’s fealty to Madigan will soon come into sharp focus as they face a federal jury together. * Tribune | Amid false claims, Illinois elections officials push integrity, transparency — and maybe body armor: The roughly 100 men and women who oversee elections in Illinois — both Democrats and Republicans — have launched a voter integrity campaign to help debunk falsehoods being fed in large part by lies from former President Donald Trump and his allies that the 2020 election was stolen. But even as the elections officials open their offices for tours and make themselves available for questions about the voting process and the equipment they are using to count ballots for the Nov. 5 election, the head of their state association said he is considering purchasing body armor amid fears the conspiracy theories will turn physical. * Center Square | Safe storage, lost and stolen bill a ‘hot mess,’ Illinois rifle association says: In a news release, the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, G-PAC, said when legislators are in session, they should act on a package of bills making gun storage and lost and stolen reporting laws more strict. “The Safe At Home legislation will address the sobering realities that today, there are more guns in our country than people, and every one in three children lives in a home with a gun,” a statement from G-PAC President and CEO Kathleen Sances says. “There is mounting evidence that the risk of unintentional shootings, mass shootings and suicide can be significantly reduced if we make simple changes in our laws to keep us all Safe At Home.” * WMBD | State Rep. Sharon Chung and Desi Anderson battle for Illinois 91st House District: State Representative Chung said two years is not enough to get everything on her agenda done. She said she’s proud of the work she’s done thus far concerning the state’s fiscal health. “We’ve had nine straight credit upgrades, we’ve put money into our rainy day fund, we are paying back our bills on time,” said Chung. “That’s something I’m really proud of that we’ve been able to come out of that.” * Daily Southtown | Illinois House 36th District candidates say public safety is a top priority: Both candidates seeking to replace former state Rep. Kelly Burke in the 36th District say public safety is a top priority to address in a district that encompasses multiple southwest suburbs. Rick Ryan, 58, of Evergreen Park, has Burke’s endorsement and is facing Christine Shanahan McGovern, 54, of Oak Lawn, in the November election. Ryan was one of two candidates in the Democratic Primary in March while Shanahan McGovern ran unopposed on the Republican side. * WGLT | State Sen. Dave Koehler, challenger Sally Owens talk housing, guns, ethics and more at candidate forum: Koehler, the assistant majority Leader, has been serving in the Illinois Senate since 2006. Owens said that’s too long for any lawmaker to be in office. “You have to kind of question the guy who’s been in there for almost 20 years in the same job,” she said. Owens said term limits would limit political corruption. Koehler replied that experience matters in Springfield. […] Koehler said it’s hard to stop a lawmaker who is truly corrupt, adding he supported recent changes that limit legislative leadership posts to 10 years. Owens wants that cap for all lawmakers. * Medium | Linda Robertson, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 65: She Votes Illinois is pleased to feature Linda Robertson, running for IL House of Representatives, District 65. Follow our series, She Runs Illinois 2024, leading up to election day as we showcase and uplift the voices of Illinois women running for public office in the upcoming election, November 5, 2024. * WAND | Treasurer Frerichs honors Illinois LGBTQ+ leaders during LGBTQ+ History Month: Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs honored leaders from across the state for their work to lift up the LGBTQ+ community this week. Frerichs is a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and is committed to investments for equality. Illinois is a national leaders in LGBTQ+ rights, and Frerichs voted for civil unions while serving as a senator in 2011. He also voted in favor of marriage equality two years later. * WAND | Indigenous Peoples Day: Illinois laws honoring Native American ancestry: Lawmakers have created strong relationships with Native American leaders determined to address wrongs of the past and improve lives for the future. A 2023 law required the Illinois State Museum and federally recognized tribes to return native remains and artifacts for proper burial. It also allowed the state to create a cemetery for unidentifiable remains. * Tribune | 82 cannabis stores opened in Illinois, but social equity owners remain on the margins: Eighty-two new cannabis stores opened in Illinois in the past fiscal year, marking “explosive growth” in sales outlets for an industry that surpassed $2 billion in sales, the state reported. State regulators boasted in the 2024 annual report that “social equity” marijuana business owners, those who come from poor areas or who were most impacted by the war on drugs, now own nearly half of the 220 dispensaries statewide. But social equity owners say they remain largely on the fringe of the industry, because the state favors previously existing big businesses. A state disparity report showed social equity businesses collected only 12% of statewide revenues in the past year. * WGN | Illinois letter carriers demand safety improvements amidst rise in attacks: In the latest round of contract negotiations, measures to improve safety are among the top demands being made. Union leaders even said their letter carriers feel under-appreciated, working without a contract since May 2023. “They don’t understand what we face in our day. Each and every day as we go out there in fear!” Elise Foster with the Illinois State Association of Letter Carriers said at a rally at Chicago’s Federal Plaza. * WSIL | Illinois Fire Engine Strike Teams Demobilized from Hurricane Relief Efforts, Return to Illinois: All strike teams were scheduled back to Illinois by Sunday night. This includes 68 fire personnel with 34 fire agencies who supported and responded from across Illinois, MABAS-Illinois reported. * WTTW | Chicago Board of Education Committee Meeting Postponed Amid Member Turnover: While Johnson has sole authority to appoint members to the board, he said last week that those six remained nominees while they continued undergoing a vetting process before they could be officially appointed to the board. The mayor said the plan was to have them all in place before the board’s regular monthly meeting on Oct. 24. * Triibe | Architects of Chicago police oversight commission applaud success in eliminating gang database, Shotspotter and more: Since the passage of the ECPS ordinance, the CCPSA has taken on several key responsibilities, including responding to community concerns about public safety, conducting outreach, and making recommendations on police policy. Notably, the commission nominated Larry Snelling as the new CPD superintendent, eliminated the department’s gang database, and held public hearings on ShotSpotter and pretextual traffic stops, two issues some organizers, residents and police district councilors have voiced their opposition to at the hearings. * Tribune | As 7 charter schools plan to close, Chicago Teachers Union asks district to step in: Thousands of students and hundreds of teachers were left in a lurch Wednesday after the Acero Charter Schools Board of Directors voted unanimously to close seven of Acero’s 15 schools, the latest turn of events during a week of turmoil for Chicago Public Schools. Helena Stangle, Acero’s chief culture officer, said the board of directors’ decision to “consolidate their school system” did not come lightly. Several factors informed the board’s decision, including insufficient funds due to a lack of federal and state dollars and CPS’ budget shortfall; declining enrollment; changes in the neighborhoods the schools serve; and inadequate spaces to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Stangle said. * Streetsblog | NIMBYs win: Ald. Knudsen, CDOT have removed Dickens Greenway plaza, enabling dangerous cut-through driving in Lincoln Park again: With little warning, it appears a Chicago Department of Transportation crew scraped out about half the green and tan paint on the road, and removed many of the flexible plastic posts that helped keep drivers out of the space. According to CDOT, the Dickens Greenway, including the plaza, were funded by about $1 million in Divvy bike-share revenue, i.e. by bicycle riders. The department has not yet answered the question of how much this removal will cost, and who is footing the bill. * Daily Herald | The state of Union Station: Eye-catching art amid construction and a megaproject low on cash: For months, Metra and Amtrak riders have powered through a maze of scaffolding at Union Station as, above them, Canal Street is rebuilt. That drab landscape was hit with a kaleidoscope last week when Amtrak debuted three public art installations, which will be on display through summer 2025. Here’s a look at the exhibits, a construction update and what’s happening with an underfunded megaproject to upgrade the 100-year rail hub. * WGN | ‘Everyone loves a dog:’ Meet the Chicago Lighthouse Guide Dogs: “The Chicago Lighthouse has been 118 years in the making,” said Janet Szlyk, the president and CEO of the Chicago Lighthouse. The Chicago Lighthouse is a social service agency that helps the blind and visually impaired navigate life in the city. * NBC Chicago | Chicago Bears’ record holds strong in tough NFC North race: It’s a rare sight to see a team with a 4-2 record be in last place in their division, but for the Chicago Bears, this season has been far from ordinary in the NFC North standings. The Bears are indeed in the last spot in the division, with the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions all off to strong starts to the season. * Tribune | ‘We were all stabbed:’ Community marks a year since the death of 6-year-old Palestinian boy: Wadee Alfayoumi, 6, and his mother were living in unincorporated Plainfield Township last fall when their landlord, Joseph Czuba, allegedly attacked them with a knife, killing the boy and leaving his mother Shahin with serious injuries. Wadee’s death drew national attention and highlighted the spike in Islamaphobia that accompanied the war’s outbreak, which has also brought a rise in anti-semitism. Will County prosecutors said later that Czuba had become “heavily interested” in the Israel-Hamas war through conservative talk radio and had become convinced that his Palestinian and Muslim tenants would hurt him and asked them to move out before he allegedly stabbed the pair. * WGN | Wild cat is on the loose in the northwest suburbs, police say: Hoffman Estates police personnel took to social media on Monday to confirm that department officials had been informed of the wild cat sighting. Police added that neighbors spotted the large cat in the area of Della Drive and the Hilldale Golf Course. “The cat has been identified as a caracal,” police said. “This cat is a native species to Asia and not common to the United States. * WCIA | ADM fire at Decatur facility contained with ‘no injuries’: A fire Monday afternoon at the ADM facility led to an evacuation, but no one was injured, according to an ADM representative. “This afternoon at approximately 3:10 p.m., a fire occurred at the Sorbitol production department in ADM’s Decatur complex. There were no injuries, and no other areas of the processing plant were impacted by the fire,” the ADM spokesperson said. * WTVO | Firefighters booed at South Beloit homecoming parade: Residents booed firefighters during a South Beloit homecoming parade and football game this weekend after the city entered a staffing agreement with a firehouse across the Wisconsin border, according to the fire department. According to city administrators, staffing issues at the South Beloit Firehouse, at 429 Gardner Street, forced the city to make a deal with the Town of Beloit Fire Department to provide a rotation of full-time employees. * Crain’s | NIU receives largest donation ever to fund new health-tech hub: Northern Illinois University just landed the largest gift in its history to help fund a new $87 million health care and technology-focused hub for students across disciplines. The Baustert Family Foundation, founded by James and Theo (Bahwell) Baustert, philanthropists who donate throughout Illinois, Minnesota and beyond, gifted $40 million to the state school in DeKalb, NIU announced yesterday. * Rockford Register Star | Rockford area animal shelter runs at-capacity, celebrates $2.4 million renovation: “It’s a great day for Winnebago County to have this expansion officially open.” said Joe Chiarelli, chairman of the Winnebago County Board. “It’s increased by 4,000 square feet, which I learned today is already at full capacity. It’s a constant need. We have a lot of animals that come in here for care.” * PJ Star | The last two months have been very good for Peoria’s airport: Peoria’s airport had two record-setting months in 2024, bringing more passengers to the airport than ever before during the months of August and September. This year marks the first time the airport has set a monthly record since before the COVID-19 pandemic began. General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport in August served 57,353 passengers across 400 commercial flights, a 1.3% uptick from the previous August high of 56, 639 passengers, set in 2019. * Tech Xplore | Google used influence, ultimatum to cut deal on California news: Google was negotiating to spend $110 million to support California’s struggling journalism industry, but the search giant had a demand: taxpayers would need to contribute tens of millions of dollars as well. State Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks, the Oakland Democrat discussing a deal with Google, called California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office to secure his support for $70 million from taxpayers, even as the state faced a challenging budget deficit. The pact that Google, the governor and Wicks settled on in late August was a handshake agreement, according to Wicks’ staff. Weeks later, while there is now a written framework for the deal, some of the key provisions have yet to be worked out. * The Verge | The Optimus robots at Tesla’s Cybercab event were humans in disguise: Attendee Robert Scoble posted that he’d learned humans were “remote assisting” the robots, later clarifying that an engineer had told him the robots used AI to walk, spotted Electrek. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote that the robots “relied on tele-ops (human intervention)” in a note, the outlet reports. There are obvious tells to back those claims up, like the fact that the robots all have different voices or that their responses were immediate, with gesticulation to match. * Texas Monthly | The Border Crisis Won’t Be Solved at the Border: Whenever Texas politicians threaten to pass laws that would make it harder for businesses to employ undocumented workers, phones in the Capitol start ringing. Stuck with the need to show their base that they’re cracking down on migrants, politicians, including Abbott, have instead found a middle ground: They keep up their bombast regarding the border, but they avoid stringing any razor wire between undocumented immigrants and jobs in the state’s interior. Today, Texas is home to some 1.6 million undocumented immigrants, according to a Pew Research Center study of 2022 census data. No industry in the state employs a greater number of unauthorized workers than construction, the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute found. Since 2000, Texas’s population has grown by around 10 million, with many new arrivals chasing the “Texas Miracle”—a fast-growing economy that’s the envy of other states. Construction workers lacking legal status have laid the foundations for this miracle. They erected the work camps housing pipe fitters and roughnecks out in the oil fields. They rebuilt Houston after Hurricane Harvey. And they built thousands of apartment complexes and homes, helping Texas avoid the worst of the affordable-housing shortage that is crippling other states.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Oct 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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