Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve had fun this week. It’s good to be back. Check out the brand new Bruno Mars video…

But, first, may I just say that your facе got me so intrigued?

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Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Illinois faces a $239 million drop in hospital and managed care organization provider tax revenue, an important mechanism for funding the state’s Medicaid program, in 2028 and as much as a $1.5 billion cut over the next five years, according to a new assessment of looming budget challenges for the state.

The issue of diminishing provider taxes and the somewhat-corresponding payments back to hospitals is another multiyear, cost-cutting change to Medicaid rules contained in the federal Big Beautiful Bill Act.

While much has been made of the threat of Medicaid cuts over the next decade in the form of dropping enrollment due to twice-yearly re-enrollment and new work requirements included in the spending plan, provider tax revenues and directed payments to hospitals will be another kind of cut with which Illinois and health care providers will have to contend. And overall Medicaid reimbursements will have an impact on that funding.

The Institute of Government & Public Affairs at the University of Illinois System produces an annual Fiscal Future project analyzing Illinois’ fiscal condition and long-term trends. For fiscal 2025, the report lists the federal policy changes to provider taxes as a long-term challenge to growth in state revenue. The report also examines evidence of a long-term decline in state sales taxes and the act’s impact on re-categorization of individual and corporate income tax revenues.

* From the report…

In Illinois, assessments on healthcare providers (hospitals) and managed care organizations (MCOs) generate the two largest revenues, comprising over 75% of all provider tax revenues. The state’s specific assessment fees and taxes vary by provider type (hospitals, MCOs, long-term care facilities, etc.) and are not easily translated to simple tax rates applied to a patient revenue base. That said, tax rates appear to be high in Illinois, leaving the state vulnerable to policies that require reductions in these rates. NASBO’s FY 2024 data show that Illinois was one of the states that made most use of such provider assessments.

*** Statewide ***

* Stateline | ‘Teaching us how to grow with our babies’: How prisons allow mothers and infants to nest for months: Across the country, fewer than a dozen states operate nursery programs that allow incarcerated mothers to live with their newborns. […] Newer programs — in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Ohio, Washington state and West Virginia — vary widely in size, eligibility and funding. Many rely heavily on nonprofit partners or donations to cover essentials such as diapers, cribs and parenting classes.

* Crain’s | The alternative protein boom didn’t end. It just moved to Illinois.: Illinois is emerging as the nation’s alternative protein powerhouse. With more than 30 companies, millions in grants for research and a new state task force roadmap, the state is positioned to dominate the B2B side of a rapidly evolving industry. While plant-based burgers are losing shelf space at supermarkets, the alternative protein sector has quietly shifted upstream to ingredients, food inputs and industrial applications — a pivot that plays directly to Illinois’ strengths in agriculture, food manufacturing and fermentation technology. The state trails only California and New York in alt-protein companies and leads the nation in soybean production, the primary source for plant-based proteins.

* Press release | Illinois leads Midwest in workforce development, ranks #3 in US: “Illinois’ rise to the top of workforce development rankings reflects our commitment to building the strongest talent pipeline in the nation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’re aligning education and training with the real needs of employers so people can get good jobs and companies can confidently invest and expand right here in Illinois.”[…] “As Illinois comes off a record year of economic growth, the latest economic development rankings are solidifying Illinois’ position as a global economic powerhouse,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “With continued investments in workforce development, record-breaking investments incentivized through DCEO programs, and a collaborative effort to target emerging industries, momentum is building in Illinois.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Utility Dive | Illinois sets 3-GW energy storage target, requires utilities to develop virtual power plants: The state has developed 6 GW of renewable energy since passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, and has another 6 GW in development, officials said. The new law will grow storage resources and directs utilities to develop virtual power plants. It also lifts a moratorium on large nuclear reactor development in Illinois and creates an integrated resource planning process allowing for state agencies to suggest adjustments to energy programs and targets.

* WTVO | New Illinois bill would require sex offenders to register their drones: Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112th) introduced HB4332 this week. The bill would amend the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act and require sex offenders register drone ownership, including make and model, with the Illinois State Police. Individuals on the Sex Offender Registry are already required to give authorities a current photograph, address, employer, phone number, email addresses, and instant messaging identities, and identities related to all other Internet communications.

* Sun-Times | Feds agree to halt proposed national youth gender care ban while court weighs motion: The federal agency agreed this week to hold off on communicating its new regulations — which had only been announced, not formally communicated to agencies and healthcare providers across the country — while the motion that could shut down the proposed regulations is weighed by an Oregon District Court judge, per documents filed in an ongoing suit from a coalition of legal representatives and officials from 20 states, including Illinois, and Washington D.C. The federal government has until February 3 to respond to the motion and file its own motion against it, according to court documents.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Alderman Urged Riders Not To Use Public Transit After Dark, But Data Shows CTA Crime Is Down: W. Robert Schultz III, a campaign organizer with the Active Transportation Alliance, said that while there have been a number of tragic attacks on public transit this year, “those outlying incidents really stand out in our mind” and can have outsized impacts on our perceptions of safety. He said telling riders to avoid public transit after dark “just doesn’t make sense.” “We live in a northern city, if darkness is your criteria for using CTA, half the year you better be home by 3:30 p.m.,” Schultz said.

* Sun-Times | AI-generated bomb threat shuts down St. Ignatius College Prep on Near West Side: Chandler said the voice recording of the threat was “very robotic sounding.” Local investigators told him they suspect the recording was apparently AI-generated. Chicago police responded to a call of service at the school and the FBI were in contact with the school and local law enforcement.

* Block Club | Opioid Task Force Moves Office To West Side Corner That’s ‘Epicenter Of Fentanyl Crisis’: Last year, there were 15 opioid overdose deaths within a half mile of the Lake Street and Pulaski Road intersection, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s dashboard mapping opioid-related cases. The greater West Side also sees a disproportionate number of opioid deaths. The area near CTA stops have become hotspots for drug use, with the trains and their stations often providing shelter for people suffering from drug problems, task force members said. Narcan vending machines have been added to several CTA stations across the city through a 2023 city pilot program, which last year expanded to include the nearby Harlem/Lake station.

* TV News Check | WGN News To Launch New Nightly Political Show, ‘The Point’: Nexstar Media’s WGN-TV Chicago will debut a new political show, The Point, hosted by Political Editor Tahman Bradley, on Monday, Jan. 26. The show will air weeknights at 6:45 pm and will inform viewers about stories in politics that affect their daily lives. “Through original reporting and in-depth interviews, The Point will give viewers direct access to elected officials, candidates for office, senior aides/strategists, and interesting voices,” the station says.

* Sun-Times | The Art Institute’s new acquisitions include German oil painting, a rare Indian textile and a Richard Hunt sculpture : Among last year’s standout acquisitions is the Schad portrait of the 20th-century Austrian composer Josef Matthias Hauer, who helped introduce 12-tone musical composition. Oehler said this piece, which is already on view at the museum, is “tremendously exciting.” While Schad, who helped usher in the avant-garde New Objectivity movement in Germany, is more widely collected and known in Europe, the Art Institute says this is the first of his portraits to enter a U.S. museum.

* Crain’s | Bears-Packers grudge match might be the NFL’s hottest-ever Wild Card ticket: According to several ticket platforms and analysts, the Bears-Packers game is set to be the priciest NFL Wild Card Round playoff game in history for fans, with average ticket prices soaring to more than $753 apiece, according to Victory Live. That breaks a record previously held by the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams game in January 2024, the firm stated in a press release.

* Sun-Times | Record-breaking rainfall leaves hundreds of streets and basements flooded: As of 9:02 a.m. Friday, 94 water in basement and 209 water in street calls were logged for Jan. 9, the data shows. Including both water in basement and water on street complaints from Thursday through 9:02 a.m. Friday, the Chicago Lawn neighborhood ranked first in complaints with 65 total, according to city data. Ashburn, Lake View, and Austin had the next most complaints reported with 47, 46 and 44 respectively.

* Sun-Times | How a mild-mannered suburban Chicago delivery driver transforms into Bearman: “I was a little bit of a shy guy years ago,” said Wachter, 63. “When I put the costume on, I can change into somebody.” […] “Chicago gets the moniker of blue-collar, hard working, tough, gritty … They can take adversity,” Wachter said. “This team fights to the end, they don’t care if they are down, we’re gonna beat you somehow.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County mulling regulations on short-term home rentals in unincorporated areas: Kane County is not alone in considering this sort of measure — Skokie has discussed regulations on them and Chicago aldermen have mulled giving themselves the power to ban short-term home rentals from opening in their wards. And Lake County, for example, has outright prohibited short-term rentals in unincorporated areas. VanKerkhoff noted that Kane County looked at regulations passed by area municipalities, and said the proposed additions to the county code do two things, broadly: require a rental to get a license from the county’s Development and Community Services Department, and allow for fines to be assessed if there are violations of the regulations on short-term rentals. He noted that all other aspects of the county code still apply to such properties.

* Daily Southtown | Sports dome west of Brookside Marketplace moves forward; one of three planned in Tinley Park: The proposal from GK Development Properties LLC, approved last week by the Tinley Park Village Board, includes a 142,000-square-foot dome and a building that could house stores and restaurants on property where a 9-hole golf course once operated. Village Manager Pat Carr said construction on the dome could be underway in the next month. Trustee Michael Mueller said the property had been vacant for a while and that he’s happy to see the project moving forward.

* Daily Southtown | Homicide rate dropped again in south and southwest suburbs, mirroring trends in Chicago and broader Cook County: The south and southwest suburbs saw a 35% decrease in homicides in 2025 compared to 2024, according to tracking by the Daily Southtown, reflecting a continuing downward trend in recent years. The same trend is apparent in numbers for Chicago and greater Cook County, according to a preliminary analysis published by the Cook County medical examiner’s office. According to that report, there were 541 homicides in Cook County as a whole last year, down from 792 in 2024 and 850 in 2023. Last year was the first year since 2014 that the medical examiner’s office handled fewer than 600 homicides in a year, the report said.

* Crain’s | Amazon plans Walmart-style big box store in Orland Park: “We regularly test new experiences designed to make customers’ lives better and easier every day, including physical stores,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “The site in question is our planned location for a new concept that we think customers will be excited about.” Amazon also plans to sell prepared foods and have a “limited warehouse component” that will serve the store and not be a distribution center, according to village records. The store will sit on 35 acres that are currently home to a vacant restaurant.

* Patch | Burr Ridge Mayor: Jan. 6 Riot ‘Stain’ On U.S. History: But Grasso, who is running as a Republican for chairman of the DuPage County Board, did not address President Donald Trump’s handling of the riot in his post. In a social media post, Grasso noted the rioters’ violence and property damage. In reflecting on the “historic ugliness” of that day, he said, some will undoubtedly grin.

*** Downstate ***

* STLPR | Draining water from Alton sinkhole has begun: Removing the water from the sinkhole, which formed in June 2024 after a limestone mine beneath the public park, is the first step the city government and mine company must complete to eventually fill and repair the massive pit. Video of the field collapsing went viral, and the city closed the entire park and nearby golf course for more than a month. The city wanted the water to be drained so its contracted engineers could inspect the sinkhole and double-check the proposed repairs by the mine company, New Frontier Materials. It will cost $35,000 to $53,000 to remove the water, and it’s not clear who will cover the initial costs.

* WCIA | Ford, Iroquois Co.’s looking for mass transit solution after CRIS RMTD dissolution: WCIA’s partners at the Ford County Chronicle reported that the rural transportation committee that oversees Ford, Iroquois and Livington Counties met this week to discuss the matter. Officials said that while all options are still on the table, an intergovernmental agreement with Danville appears to be the most “streamlined” option. It was something Mayor Ricky Williams alluded to before that meeting. Right now, Danville Mass Transit does not have authorization to operate outside Vermilion County, but its director, Stephen White, seemed receptive to the idea.

* WSIL | $170K grant aids SIU Carbondale in fight against harmful algae blooms: “Every year millions, if not billions, of dollars in recreational and health damage are caused by these microbes,” Hamilton-Brehm said. He explained that controlling these blooms could be as simple as spraying ponds, lakes, and rivers if their research is successful. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can become harmful when they form high concentrations and produce toxins. Killing these blooms releases toxins into the water, posing a challenge for control.

* WCIA | ‘We’re incredibly grateful’: U of I board chairman reflects on Killeen’s impact ahead of his departure: Killeen said being president at the University of Illinois was, “the honor of [his] professional life.” He added, “I am proud of the way we have been able to make world-class education affordable in a historically important time for higher education.” The chairman of U of I’s Board of Trustees, Jesse Ruiz, was with Killeen on Thursday. Killeen told Ruiz that he’s conscientious enough to know he’s had a good run, and that it’s also time for new leadership and to pass the baton.

* WGLT | Peoria County sheriff urges Gov. Pritzker to revisit cashless bail: Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said in a statement the SAFE-T Act has seen court-appearance failures increase, reflected in updated data for the Peoria County Jail tracking jail bookings from 2022-2025. Total jail bookings for 11 types of nonviolent offenses plus domestic battery have increased by 1,699, or nearly 28%, from 2022 to 2025, according to data provided by Watkins. The failure to appear rate has increased by 339 cases, nearly 16%. A report released Monday by the Peoria Police Department indicates shooting incidents were down 18% and gunshot homicides were down by 61% in 2025.

*** National ***

* AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler | ICE Actions Are Putting Working People in Danger: The Trump administration’s reckless Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are trampling on working people’s fundamental rights and freedoms: to work with dignity and raise our families without the threat of violence from our government, and to safely return home to our loved ones at the end of the day. The horrifying acts of this administration’s militarized immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and cities across this country are not about safety. They are about power, and they are putting innocent working people in danger.

* AP | Meta lines up massive supply of nuclear power to energize AI data centers: Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes. The parent company of Facebook on Friday announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in New Albany, Ohio. Meta announced Prometheus, which will be a 1-gigawatt cluster spanning across multiple data center buildings, in July. It’s anticipated to come online this year.

* The Guardian | Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery: The tool had been used to manipulate images of women to remove their clothes and put them in sexualised positions. The function to do so has been switched off except for paying subscribers. […] That means the vast majority of users of the platform cannot create images using Grok. Those who do have their full details and credit card information stored by X, so can be identified if the function is misused. The public @Grok account has had its image generation capabilities heavily restricted. However, there is also a separate Grok app, which does not share images publicly, on which non-paying users have reported still being able to generate sexualised imagery of women and children.

* The Guardian | No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool: Asked about the change, a Downing Street spokesperson said it was unacceptable. “The move simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service,” they said. “It’s not a solution. In fact, it’s insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so. You heard the prime minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act, and needs to act now. It is time for X to grip this issue.

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Attorneys general lay out case against feds on funding freeze

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From the Washington Post…

Five Democratic-led states are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families.

New York, along with California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, asked for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to continue receiving the funds, in a lawsuit filed Thursday evening with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The states argued that the Administration for Children and Families, which is within the Department of Health and Human Services, provided no evidence of fraud and acted illegally by enacting sanctions within the three welfare programs without following processes laid out by law. The administration wrote to the states earlier this week that the freeze was necessary to prevent “potential” fraud but didn’t detail what it meant, according to letters viewed by The Washington Post.

* Tribune…

Gov. JB Pritzker’s office, however, has said that the federal government has not provided the state with details or information about any alleged fraud.

Illinois stands to lose about $1 billion, according to the governor’s office.

* HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart…

It’s unfortunate that these Attorney Generals from these Democrat-led states are less focused on reducing fraud and more focused on partisan political stunts.

HHS stands by its decision to take this action to defend American taxpayers. We identified serious concerns in these states that warranted immediate review and action.

These same officials were complicit in this perpetuation of this fraud and allowing it to happen. Waste, fraud, and abuse will not be tolerated in the Trump administration.

* AG Raoul press release…

The [federal government] letters demand that – within two weeks – Illinois turn over “the entire universe” of documents related to the use of these funds, including the personally identifying information of millions of residents, to potentially stop the freeze. Raoul’s lawsuit asserts that this is an impossible task on an impossible timeline and that the administration is fully aware of that. The complaint argues that the administration is engaging in a fishing expedition to attempt to find a rationale for withholding the funds after the fact, when the real motivation is targeting the president’s perceived political enemies.

* From the lawsuit…

CCDF statutes and regulations prescribe a number of ways in which [the US Administration for Children & Families] monitors States’ compliance with program requirements, including potential fraud, and the manner in which data and records can be provided from States to ACF in furtherance of its compliance efforts. For example, Congress has specified that each State must undergo regular audits; must report certain data to ACF regularly; and must undergo a quality control process through which ACF calculates the rate of improper payments. See 42 U.S.C. § 9858i; 45 C.F.R. §§ 98.65, 98.100

ACF likewise did not acknowledge any of these oversight mechanisms in implementing the ACF Funding Freeze as to CCDF.

The TANF statute provides the specific and exclusive circumstances under which ACF may implement a penalty against a State for noncompliance in the TANF program, including a State’s failure to submit required reports, failure to comply with child support enforcement obligations, and a “[g]eneral penalty” for when a State’s statutorily-required audit finds that a State’s funds have been used in violation of the law. 42 U.S.C. § 609(a); 45 C.F.R. § 263.10; see also 42 U.S.C. § 617 (“No officer or employee of the Federal Government may regulate the conduct of States under” the TANF program “except to the extent expressly provided in this part.”).

ACF must follow specific procedures to implement these penalties.

First, ACF must notify a State of the violation. 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(1)(A). This notification must be in writing; must specify which penalty will be imposed and the reasons for the penalty; specify the sources of information ACF relied on and the reasons for its decision; and invite the State to present its arguments if it believes that the information or method that ACF used were in error or were insufficient. 45 C.F.R. § 262.4(a).

Then, ACF must allow the State a sixty-day period to submit a corrective compliance plan that outlines how the State will correct or discontinue the violation and how the State will ensure continuing compliance. 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(1)(A)-(B).

Then, ACF has a sixty-day period to accept or reject the State’s proposed compliance plan. 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(1)(D).

Only if ACF rejects the State’s proposed compliance plan within 60 days can ACF impose penalties on the State. 42 U.S.C. §§ 609(c)(1)(D), (c)(2). See also 42 U.S.C. § 609(c)(3).

Then, if ACF takes any adverse action against a State—which may include the imposition of a penalty as described above, but may also include an adverse action on the State’s TANF plan—ACF must notify the State within five days. 42 U.S.C. § 610(a). This notification must include “the factual and legal basis for taking the penalty in sufficient detail for the State to be able to respond in an appeal.” 45 C.F.R. § 262.7(a)(2).

Then, ACF must provide a sixty-day period for the State to appeal. 42 U.S.C. §610(b)(1).

Upon a final decision, the penalty for the State is a reduction in future payments to the state in the amount that was unlawfully spent. 42 U.S.C. § 609(a)(1)(A). ACF can impose an additional 5% reduction upon a finding that the State’s violation was intentional. 42 U.S.C. § 609(a)(1)(B).

ACF is prohibited from reducing the quarterly payment to any State by more than 25%. 42 U.S.C. § 609(d)(1). If this limitation results in unrecovered penalties, the balance is carried forward and assessed the following year. 42 U.S.C. § 609(d)(2).

Discuss.

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ILGOP Chair Salvi: ‘The partisanship of Democrats has reached the level of undeniable insurrection’ (Updated x1)

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi…

Dear Friends,

Illinois families are paying more—again.

Governor JB Pritzker signed an $8 billion energy bill pushed through late at night and sold as “affordable.” It won’t lower costs, it won’t stabilize the grid, and it won’t protect families already struggling with rising utility bills.

This is what unchecked, one-party control looks like in Springfield: rushed decisions, higher costs, and little accountability.

While Illinois Democrats continue down this path, the contrast nationally is clear.

Decisive leadership recently protected American lives as a Venezuelan narcotrafficker responsible for massive drug smuggling is finally brought to justice—a reminder that leadership matters.

Yet instead of welcoming safer streets, Democrats rushed to criticize the action and politicize the outcome. The partisanship of Democrats has reached the level of undeniable insurrection.

That same pattern shows up closer to home.

In other states, years of ignored warnings led to widespread misuse of taxpayer funds intended for vulnerable families. Investigations only began after whistleblowers were sidelined and oversight failed. The lesson is simple: when transparency erodes, trust—and taxpayer dollars—are put at risk.

Illinois should take that warning seriously. Unchecked power and weak oversight always raise red flags, and Illinois families have every right to demand openness, accountability, and responsible governance to prevent waste and fraud.

Whether it’s rising energy costs, government waste, or public safety, the difference is clear:

Republicans push for accountability. Democrats resist it.

With early voting approaching, now is the time to act.

Discuss.

…Adding… Democratic Party of Illinois…

Kathy Salvi isn’t serious, and to those living in the real world, the situation couldn’t be more clear. While Donald Trump is focused on a $400 million White House ballroom and floating schemes to bribe Greenland, Illinois Democrats are focused on the real affordability crisis facing families.

When Republicans blocked action to keep health care affordable, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood led the fight to extend ACA tax credits. Not a single Illinois Republican in Congress had the courage to stand up to Trump and vote for it.

At the same time, the Trump administration froze $1 billion in child care funding, threatening providers across Illinois, and Illinois Republicans stayed silent. Illinois Democrats govern responsibly and focus on lowering costs for working families.

A Party that supports criminals who beat officers within an inch of their lives, platforms rioters, and promotes a gubernatorial candidate that just last month called Jan. 6th “a clear farce” will forever remain unconvincing in its lie that Democrats don’t love this state and country.

Illinois Republicans keep choosing Trump’s chaos over the people they represent.

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Catching up with the federal candidates: More details emerge of efforts to push Leon, Amiwala out of CD9 race (Updated)

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Evanston Now…

Bruce Leon, the 50th Ward Democratic Committeeman who temporarily suspended his campaign for Congress last week, said Thursday he will stay in the race to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky, resisting outside pressure to force him off the ballot.

In a call with Evanston Now Thursday, Leon said he would not pull his name from the ballot before the 5 p.m. deadline, despite a pressure campaign from the American Israel Political Action Committee, which is quietly working to throw support behind State Sen. Laura Fine as a more viable candidate.

“I don’t want my community just to be bullied by AIPAC that she’s the only choice,” Leon said, noting he was working with a mediator to communicate between his campaign and officials at AIPAC. […]

When asked whether Fine had knowledge of the ongoing effort to push Leon off the ballot or about what Leon described as ongoing “negotiations,” her campaign, in a statement Thursday, said it was “not aware of, or interested in, any discussion between outside groups and other campaigns.

* Evanston Roundtable…

[Leon] later added that he’d given Fine three conditions for him dropping out before the withdrawal deadline: disclosing her support from AIPAC, participating in a debate with Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and former FBI agent Phil Andrew for the area’s Orthodox Jewish community, and dropping out of the separate race for the 9th District’s Democratic State Central Committeewoman. “She rejected all three,” Leon wrote.

Leon first decided to drop out after a group of Orthodox rabbis who had previously endorsed him switched to asking him to drop out last month. He said last week that this group had joined AIPAC in arguing that a win by Fine’s leading opponents, Biss and Kat Abughazaleh, would increase the risk of antisemitic violence in his community.

“I need them to move back and to say, ‘At the end of the day, maybe we should just let everybody run,’” Leon told the RoundTable last week.

AIPAC did not respond to an email requesting comment on Leon’s decision to stay in the race, and on his description of the lobbying group’s argument concerning antisemitic violence if Biss or Abughazaleh won.

* Meanwhile, Evanston Now’s Mathew Eadie found that Leon wasn’t the only candidate who was pressured to drop their bid for the 9th CD…

A petition circulated Wednesday calling on Bushra Amiwala, a Skokie School Board member and one of the two Gen-Z candidates in the race to drop out and throw her support behind content creator Kat Abughazaleh.

The petition was quickly taken off the internet Wednesday (Don’t worry, Evanston Now saw it first) and raised concerns about a “fragmented progressive, anti-genocide field,” with Amiwala still in the race. […]

It’s unclear who actually signed onto the petition, but it was circulated by an organization called For The People Action, a group that describes itself as seeking to “amplify American Muslim voices.”

Amiwala’s campaign said it was unaware of the petition, but a source close to Amiwala told Evanston Now that last-minute conversations about the viability of Amiwala’s candidacy in the Muslim community were happening, with increasing concern about AIPAC’s influence in the race.

…Adding… Bushra Amiwala…

My campaign is making wealthy, out-of-state interests uncomfortable. The local Muslim community, including organizations actively working in this district such as the Muslim Civic Coalition Activate, the Northern Illinois American Muslim Alliance, the Glenbrook Muslim Civic Association, and the American Muslim Public Affairs Committee, stands firmly behind me because our community is tired of being told to compromise its values. Virtually every American Muslim municipal elected official in and adjacent to this district has endorsed my campaign, including respected leaders in Morton Grove, Niles, Arlington Heights, Maine Township, and Skokie.

Make no mistake, if this campaign were not building real grassroots momentum, there would be no pushback from outside interests. My opponents are attempting to manufacture the appearance of division within our community because they are worried about our growing path to victory. The voters who actually live here deserve representation rooted in accountability, integrity, and lived experience, not influence from outside the district. If you care about universal healthcare, affordable housing and ending the genocide, then join my campaign at
bushraforcongress.com

* Pastor Roosevelt Watkins claims he never endorsed Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, despite Krishnamoorthi saying he did. From his Facebook page…

In November, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi announced support from clergy, touting that he had widespread support from faith leaders in Illinois. My name was included on the list, however, I was not supporting Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy prior to this announcement, and I am certainly not supporting him now. We need a leader who will be transformational to our communities, not transactional. While I’m disappointed that my name is being used to manufacture support that has not been earned, it’s not surprising given that this is a pattern for this campaign. It is my belief that this problem extends beyond a campaign error and has impacted additional clergy across the state.

Click here for Krishnamoorthi’s original press release.

* Politico…

In IL-07: Melissa Conyears Ervin has been endorsed by Chicago Ald. David Moore in her bid for the 7th Congressional District seat now held by Danny Davis.

In IL-08: Cook County Commissioner Kevin Morrison has been endorsed by Barbara Flynn Currie, the former Illinois House majority leader, and Thomas Chiola, the former Cook County Circuit Court judge and the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in Illinois.

* More…

* Forest Park Review | Rep. Underwood endorses Dr. Fisher in 7th District Dem. primary : One key endorsement came on Jan. 8 from Rep. Lauren Underwood — who represents Illinois’ 14th district that covers an area southwest of Chicago, including DeKalb and Joliet — when she declared her approval of Dr. Thomas Fisher in the race for the 7th district’s Democratic primary. She cited his credibility on health care policy and eagerness to address national threats to democracy and public health.

*Daily Herald | GOP congressional candidate falls one signature short, removed from ballot: A suburban congressional candidate’s name was struck from upcoming primary ballots Thursday after the Illinois State Board of Elections decided her petitions fell one signature short of the legally required 799. But Palos Park Republican Tedora M. Brown’s campaign in the 11th District may not be over. Thursday afternoon, her attorney announced he’s filed for a judicial review.

* Shaw Local | Sorensen challenger officially removed from Illinois 17th Congressional District race: The Illinois State Board of Elections on Wednesday upheld an objection to Montez Soliz’s candidate petition and officially removed him from the ballot. Soliz filed his nomination papers Oct. 27. A Peoria resident filed an objection to Soliz’s candidacy Nov. 10, reportedly claiming Soliz’s petitions were not properly notarized and that several signatures were from people who either were not registered to vote at the listed address or by people who resided outside of the 17th District.

6 Comments

It’s just a bill

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Laura Fine…

In the wake of the unspeakable tragedy in Minneapolis, Minn., State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) will file legislation barring anyone hired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Donald Trump from obtaining employment in state or local law enforcement positions in the State of Illinois. This proposed state law continues her efforts to hold Donald Trump accountable and rein in the lawlessness of federal immigration officials.

“ICE is out of control and Donald Trump must be held accountable as communities like ours and across the country are torn apart by fear and violence,” Senator Fine said. “These officers are complicit in the President’s authoritarian campaign and we must do everything in our power to stop it while preventing further violence and loss of life. In Congress, I’ll lead the effort to hold every single person accountable for their role in Donald Trump’s lawlessness, including federal law enforcement officials who target American citizens exercising their first amendment rights. Enough is enough.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has hired more than 12,000 sworn ICE agents since Trump’s inauguration, more than doubling its ranks. Fine’s legislation makes anyone hired by ICE after January 20, 2025 ineligible from a state or local law enforcement position.

* CBS Chicago…

National leaders fighting for gun violence prevention joined advocates in Chicago to push for a first-of-its-kind law, making gun manufacturers pay for violence incurred by their weapons. […]

The RIFL Act was introduced in the Illinois House last February. While it didn’t get called for a vote last session, the RIFL Act gained support over the past year.

The legislation would require firearm manufacturers to be licensed in Illinois. Money collected from licensing fees would go into a victim fund for related expenses. […]

Opponents, including the National Rifle Association, call the RIFL Act unconstitutional. They say it is not fair to force the industry to “pre-confess” to crimes.

More on the bill from ABC Chicago…

Dr. Anthony Douglas’ experience as a trauma surgeon served as a policy framework for the legislation.

“I got exhausted with calling time of death on people that look like me,” said Douglas, a University of Chicago Medicine surgical resident. […]

“They’re making profit on pain, and we want to make sure that we hold them accountable. Take those fees and fund the things that prevent violence and keep community safe,” Democratic 13th District state Sen. Robert Peters said.

* HB4334 from Rep. Rick Ryan…

Amends the School Code. Removes language that requires, beginning with the 2028-2029 school year, as a prerequisite to receiving a high school diploma, each pupil entering the 9th grade to, in addition to other course requirements, successfully complete 2 years of foreign language courses.

* HB4281, sponsored by Reps. Lisa Davis and Michael Crawford, would let any Cook County municipality with at least 25,000 residents use speed cameras in school zones and parks. Synopsis…

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that the provision regarding automated speed enforcement systems in safety zones applies only to municipalities with a population of 25,000 (rather than 1,000,000) or more inhabitants in a county with a population of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants.

* Journal Courier…

The Illinois Township Code faces an amendment regarding meeting notices under a newly proposed bill.

Illinois House Bill 4266 says, “a township that has a website that the full-time staff of the township maintains shall also post on its website the notice and agenda of the annual and any special township meetings.” Additionally, notices and agendas must remain visible on the website until the meeting has concluded.

The bill was filed by Democratic Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech, who represents the state’s 59th congressional district located north of Chicago between Arlington Heights and Waukegan.

Currently, the Illinois Township Code only calls for the notice of the annual township meeting or any other special meetings to be posted “written or printed notices in three of the most public places in the township at least 15 days before the meeting and, if there is an English language newspaper published in the township, by at least one publication in that newspaper before the meeting. The notice shall set forth the agenda for the meeting.”

* Rep. Curtis Tarver filed HB4262 earlier this week…

Creates the Civil Remedies for Nonconsensual Recording of Children Act. Creates a civil action for a child or the parent or legal guardian on behalf of a child if a person (1) makes a video record or transmits a live video of the child without the consent of the child’s parent or guardian in a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel residence; or (2) makes a video record or transmits a live video of a child without the consent of the child’s parent or guardian in a residence in which the child does not reside. Provides for exceptions. Provides that a child who proves by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant violated the Act against the child is considered obviously and materially harmful to the child and is per se harmful and traumatic. Authorizes a prevailing plaintiff to recover: (1) the greater of: (A) economic and noneconomic damages proximately caused by the defendant’s violation of the Act, including but not limited to damages for emotional distress whether or not accompanied by other damages; or (B) statutory damages, not to exceed $10,000, against each defendant found liable under the Act; (2) punitive damages; and (3) reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. Provides that an action under the Act may not be brought no later than 2 years from the date the cause of action was discovered or should have been discovered with the exercise of reasonable diligence. Tolls the statute of limitation until the child becomes emancipated or attains the age of majority. Provides that if a State agency or unit of local government is required by law or ordinance to inspect a restroom, tanning bed, tanning salon, locker room, changing room, or hotel residence, the State agency or unit of local government must also inspect for hidden cameras. Provides that if a hidden camera is discovered, the owner or operator of the inspected location must post a public notice advising of the camera and the area it films. Provides that the notice must be in English and any other language that is spoken by a significant number of local residents in that area. Provides that the Act applies to causes of action accruing on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act.

* The Alton Telegraph…

A bill proposed in the Illinois state House would require children to complete kindergarten in order to proceed to the first grade in public schools.

Illinois House Bill 4253 was filed Thursday by Rep. Kevin Schmidt, a Republican from Millstadt. Schmidt represents the 114th House District, which includes several Metro East communities, including Millstadt, Mascoutah, Lebanon and O’Fallon, as well as parts of East St. Louis and Belleville.

“Beginning with the 2028-29 school year, any pupil enrolled in the public schools who is of compulsory school age but who has not yet attended kindergarten at a public, private or parochial school shall be required to satisfactorily complete kindergarten before advancing to first grade,” the bill states. The measure would amend the Compulsory Attendance Article of the School Code. […]

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 19 states and the District of Columbia require students to complete kindergarten to move forward in school.

* HB4318 from Rep. Charlie Meier…

Amends the State Designations Act. Designates Ski as the official State soda of the State of Illinois.

* More…

Journal Courier | Illinois bill would update disability terms across state laws:

* Alton Telegraph | Illinois bill would require warning labels on non-vented natural gas appliances: A bill proposed by Democratic Illinois state Rep. Michael Crawford would prohibit a “non-externally vented natural gas appliance” from being sold or offered for sale without a properly placed warning label. The requirement would apply to appliances manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2027. […] “The label required shall be attached to the gas appliance in a conspicuous location. The label must be in a type size no smaller than the largest type size used for other consumer information on the product,” the language of Illinois House Bill 4272 reads.

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‘Juice’s’ Dabrowski fact-check is fact-checked by GOMB and he’s mostly right

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Earlier this week, the commenter known as “Juice” fact-checked Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski, who was bemoaning an $11 billion increase on spending for human services since Fiscal Year 2019…

In 2019, in the Employment and Training Fund (which is essentially the TANF block grant) there was a $485 million appropriation for the Employment and Training Program, that in actuality was used in those years to fund the Child Care Assistance Program. So appropriations for CCAP were actually 70% higher in 2019 than he is claiming they were, which also significantly reduces the growth because that appropriation is now appropriated named as going to CCAP.

Also worth mentioning that in 2024, appropriations for the program was $3.3 billion, and that is now down to $2.8 billion. So despite Ted’s complaints, it would appear that appropriations are in fact being appropriately reduced with the reduction in federal funding.

I also took a quick look at [the Home Services Program], and a couple of things to note there. First, Ted pulled the enacted appropriations at the time the budget passed. Not the final appropriations (which would include supplementals and you would need to pull budget documents from later fiscal years to get that info.) But at some point in FY 2019, there was an $80 million supplemental for HSP so that base appropriation was actually 13% higher than he claims.

In addition to that, enrollment in the program is 33% higher now than it was in 2019. By definition, enrollment in the program is limited to those individuals who are otherwise eligible for nursing home level of care. Plus, under federal requirements, the services must be less costly than nursing home level of care. So in theory, growth in the HSP spending is actually saving the state more money because otherwise the individuals served would be receiving nursing home services.

* I asked the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to fact check Juice’s fact check. From the governor’s office…

Hi Rich: So yes Juice’s numbers are largely accurate.

FY-19: Correct.

Recent trend FY: Correct. The only thing that is off is the FY26 approp. He has $2.8B but it should be $2.2B, but still approps coming down as COVID funding has come down.

HSP: $80M is correct. In terms of enrollment, seems to be in the ballpark. Would need a better sense if Juice is using annual unselected client counts or picked enrollments as of a specific moment.

* Yesterday, Juice posted this…

It would be really nice if members of the GOP could stick to some semblance of reality when it comes to immigration enforcement. In Minnesota, about 15.7% of the immigrant population is undocumented.

Compare that to other Midwestern Republican led states like Indiana (27%) or Iowa (33.3%) or their neighbor South Dakota (28.5%) and then ask which states are not “doing their job” (although on immigration I agree with others that states do not have a job to do.)

As a reference point, in Illinois the [immigrant population] number is around 22.9%.

We may have an early leader for the 2026 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter.

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Investing In Illinois

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker signs major energy reform bill amid projected shortages. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker signs sweeping Illinois energy law boosting batteries and renewables that GOP opposed
• Center Square: Pritzker signs energy omnibus with new charge for ratepayers in 2030

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WTTW | After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting, Chicago Judge Raises ‘Concern’ Over Dismissing Lawsuit on Federal Agents’ Use of Force: “It doesn’t give me much comfort in reading news reports that someone who in some news reports was described as a legal observer was shot yesterday in Minneapolis,” Ellis said. “So that’s my concern.” […] The lawsuit was filed last fall after journalists, protesters and clergy members in and around Chicago claimed they had been targeted by federal immigration agents, who subjected them to a “pattern of extreme brutality” through their usage of riot control weapons without justification.

* Tribune | Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey distances himself from President Trump but defends immigration crackdowns: Voters, Bailey said, are “going to have to get over the federal (Trump administration) situations. Then we’re going to understand we have our own problems in Illinois. I am my own person and I’ve proven that regardless of who I like, who I support.” “I’m running this campaign. I believe we’ve got an avenue to win. If it comes, great. If it doesn’t, fine. I’m here for Illinois,” Bailey said. “This (campaign) doesn’t revolve around Donald Trump and I want the people of Illinois to truly understand that. I want them to come and have a conversation with me. We’ve got our own unique problems and solutions and it’s time that we stop this political divisiveness.

* Sun-Times | Can state officials prosecute the feds? Calls grow after Minneapolis shooting: Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office said in a statement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations “have resulted in unnecessary deaths, broken relationships between law enforcement and our citizens, and an untold amount of terror unleashed on communities.” Still, it insisted the office “does not conduct independent investigations into criminal conduct. We do not have jurisdiction over federal agencies or facilities.” Instead, it reviews “evidence appropriately collected by law enforcement” and makes charging decisions. […] Pathways exist for state-level prosecutors like Burke to file criminal charges against federal agents under certain circumstances. The key legal question is whether federal agents are acting reasonably in fulfilling their duties, experts say.

*** Statewide ***

* BND | IL reports child flu death as virus surges at ‘very high’ levels. There’s a new variant: “Illinois is facing a significant winter surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses with flu activity at very high levels,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a Jan. 5 news release. “Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Simple steps like covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands regularly, staying home when sick if you are able, and improving ventilation are also critical to preventing further spread.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WTTW | Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds: Despite that, in 2024, after receiving civil detainers or warrants, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office reported transferring 18 individuals into Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations custody; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported three; the Kane County Sheriff’s Office reported two; and the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reported one.

* WaPo | Five Democratic-led states sue HHS over frozen welfare funding: Five Democratic-led states, New York, California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families.

* WAND | Pritzker signs Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act into law: Yet, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association argued the law will leave businesses and families with a $7 billion bill to pay for battery storage. “Rather than bailing out battery storage developers and their hedge fund owners, the bill should utilize the Illinois Finance Authority to fund these projects at below market rates so developers assume the risk, not everyday Illinoisans,” said IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler.

* WTVO | DHS accuses ‘sanctuary’ leaders of fueling anti-ICE violence with rhetoric: DHS pointed to remarks from Democratic officials that compare ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo,” including comments from Gov. Pritzker that the United States is “essentially” becoming Nazi Germany as a result of ICE’s enforcement efforts. On Wednesday, Pritzker demanded the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “For months, Trump’s DHS has wreaked lawless havoc in our neighborhoods. Tear gassing infants, families, and police. Firing their weapons at peaceful citizens. Killing innocent people. It’s brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control. It must stop. Kristi Noem must go. Now.”

* Crain’s | The other Medicaid cut: Illinois stares down as much as $1.5B less in provider taxes: Illinois faces a $239 million drop in hospital and managed care organization provider tax revenue, an important mechanism for funding the state’s Medicaid program, in 2028 and as much as a $1.5 billion cut over the next five years, according to a new assessment of looming budget challenges for the state. The issue of diminishing provider taxes and the somewhat-corresponding payments back to hospitals is another multiyear, cost-cutting change to Medicaid rules contained in the federal Big Beautiful Bill Act.

* NBC Chicago | Utility costs, affordability messages dominate Illinois governor race: On Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which aims to lower monthly utility bills. It’s expected to save customers $13.4 billion over next two decades, according to the Illinois Power Agency. […] On the Republican side, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey held his news conference Thursday outside of the governor’s office. He laid out his “Blueprint for Illinois,” which would freeze new utility rate hikes to help lower utility bills and offer property tax relief.

* Capitol News Illinois | Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending: Bailey also announced a plan to address cost-of-living issues and other areas that relies on DOGE-style governing to achieve results. The commission under a Bailey governorship would be led by his running mate, Aaron Del Mar. Bailey and Del Mar did not specify any cuts they’ve already identified but stressed it would not be a tool to lay off large numbers of state employees or make cuts based on partisan politics — a difference from Trump’s and Musk’s approach. “We’re not going in here with a chainsaw,” Del Mar said. “We’re going in here with an X-Acto knife. We are doing this as a purely public policy effort. This is not politically driven.”

* Illinois Review | Tax-Exempt Wirepoints Breaks IRS Rules to Smear Bailey and Boost Dabrowski’s Governor Run: The article, written by Mark Glennon, frames Bailey as the preferred opponent of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and portrays him as a weak candidate easily manipulated by Democrats. It goes further, suggesting Republican voters are naive for supporting Bailey. […] Wirepoints is not a private media outlet free to engage in partisan combat. It is a federally recognized tax-exempt nonprofit. Under IRS rules, 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from participating or intervening in political campaigns for or against any candidate for elective office. That prohibition is clear, strict, and well-established. Dabrowski appeared to recognize this reality in September 2025, when he resigned as president of Wirepoints, explicitly citing the need to comply with 501(c)(3) restrictions ahead of his gubernatorial campaign.

* Jim Dey | Is Pritzker trying — again — to pick GOP opponent in November election?: Four years ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, working with the Democratic Governors Association, spent millions of dollars to promote a Republican gubernatorial candidate — Darren Bailey — whom he was sure he could defeat in the 2022 general election. With Pritzker’s help, Bailey won a contested GOP primary and then went on to sound defeat against Pritzker. Four years later, Pritzker is running for re-election while Bailey, again, is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge him.

* Center Square | Signature shortfalls knock multiple candidates off Illinois ballot: Lamar Chapman challenged U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy, alleging he is not a citizen. Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, was born in India and his family moved to Peoria as a child. “The candidate filed a motion to strike and dismiss the objector’s petition, attaching a certificate of citizenship and a U.S. passport,” Malowitz said in a December 2025 hearing.

* News-Gazette | Champaign County auditor fails to qualify for state comptroller’s race: But successful challenges to some of his signatures left him 657 short of the 5,000 minimum. Danos said he does not anticipate appealing the decision. “There is (an appeal process). But I’m not inclined to pursue it. I don’t think the courts want to overturn a decision by the state board,” he said.

* Daily Herald | GOP race for governor tightens up after Severino removed from ballot: Board members removed Republican Joseph Severino from the ballot after finding that the Lake Forest resident and his lieutenant governor pick, Rantch Isquith, had insufficient signatures on their nominating petitions.“The candidates submitted 4,748 ballot signatures, which is 252 fewer than the minimum of 5,000 signatures required for ballot access,” board of elections general counsel Marni Malowitz said.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Record property tax increases slam Chicago homeowners as downtown owners see cuts: The long-awaited second installment of Cook County property tax bills was mailed to property owners on Friday and is due Dec. 15. Across the county, residential and commercial property owners are being billed a total of $19.2 billion, a nearly 5% increase from last year. But the burden is falling unequally. Audrey Pierce, 71, last year paid about $3,300 in property taxes for the greystone three-flat she has owned on Christiana Avenue in North Lawndale since 2000. On Thursday night, she logged onto the treasurer’s website to discover her new annual bill now is nearly $7,000.

* CBS Chicago | Police oversight commission hears from Chicagoans frustrated with CPD’s interactions with ICE: The Community Commission for Public Safety & Accountability held the meeting after receiving a petition with at least 2,000 signatures demanding an investigation into how CPD interacted with the feds. People demanded commissioners hear the countless accountants of what Chicagoans have endured and witnessed during the immigration enforcement. “Why is it that CPD, who claim to protect and serve Chicagoans have engaged in crowd control for ICE?” one woman said.

* Block Club | Before Feds Killed Minnesota Mom, They Killed A Man And Shot A Woman 5 Times In Chicago: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson voiced his support for Frey and the Minneapolis community Wednesday afternoon, calling the shooting “deeply disturbing and unfortunately all too familiar to incidents that have transpired here in Chicago.” “It is incidents like these that demonstrate why we have pushed back against reckless and racist militarized immigration enforcement in Chicago,” he said.

* Tribune | Federal judge postpones ruling on detained father of sick teen: Attorneys for Ruben Torres Maldonado, a 40-year-old Portage Park man detained by federal immigration agents last Saturday while his 16-year-old daughter, Ofelia, is undergoing cancer treatment, petitioned the court for him to be freed as his deportation case works its way through the system. Federal Judge Jeremy Daniel heard arguments from Torres’ attorney and a lawyer with the United States attorney’s office but postponed a ruling until Friday. Torres’ lawyers argued for his immediate release due to the hardship his absence is creating for Ofelia; his wife, Sandibell Hidalgo; and their 4-year-old son, Nathan.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | ‘I will not back down’: DuPage clerk’s dispute with county board heads to appeals court: According to a notice of appeal filed on Wednesday, the clerk’s office is seeking the reversal of two rulings last year from DuPage County Judge Bryan Chapman that both sided with the county board. Chapman ruled in August that DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek and her office must follow the county’s accounting procedures. Then, in December, the judge denied the clerk’s request for summary judgment, in which Kaczmarek argued that two election-related contracts were exempt from bidding rules.

* Lake County News-Sun | Officials continue push to remove Waukegan coal ash ponds: ‘I’m not giving up’: Shortly after NRG introduced its initial plan, state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Gurnee, introduced legislation in the Illinois General Assembly to require the removal of all coal ash ponds and other deposits of the material along Lake Michigan. She remains five votes short of passage. “It would be 10 times worse than Flint,” Mayfield said in June 2022, referring to the lead contamination of the drinking water in that Michigan city in 2014. “We’re not looking for solutions for today. We’re looking toward tomorrow.”

* Daily Southtown | Bill aimed at settling Ford Heights debt to Chicago Heights signed, though concerns remain: Signed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Dec. 12, the legislation allows the state comptroller to collect debts between local governments if the entities reached an agreement or filed a court order. It takes effect June 1, according to the governor’s office. Ford Heights owes Chicago Heights, its water supplier, nearly $2 million in unpaid water bills. Chicago Heights has attempted to collect the money for about a decade, including suing Ford Heights. State Reps. Thaddeus Jones and Anthony DeLuca came together to revive the bill after it was pulled from the statehouse floor in April. Jones expressed concern state intervention could further hike water bills for Ford Heights, which already has some of the highest water bills in the south suburbs, after Chicago Heights threatened to turn off the water in 2018.

* Elgin Courier-News | Angry, frustrated residents flood Elgin immigration forum: ‘We can’t ignore what is happening here’: Attended by about 250 people, the forum at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin was in response to a Dec. 6 incident in which a man escaped U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement custody and barricaded himself for several hours in an apartment on Maple Lane. A large group who gathered to protest the actions that day were sprayed with chemical weapons, residents said. “I was tear-gassed by ICE,” Zack Hislip said. “(ICE) is lying about everything that happened that day.” He refuted allegations that federal agents were hit by bottles and rocks in a riot-like atmosphere.

* Daily Herald | ‘It just hurts’: Community members express anger, fear and frustration over immigration enforcement in Elgin: Hislip said his fear is that this is only the beginning. “They’re going to be more violent,” he said. “They’re going to kill people like they did today (in Minneapolis). They’re going to kill people in Elgin. They’re going to kill our neighbors.”

* Daily Herald | Elgin police chief says changes needed to TRUST Act: Lalley told the crowd at the meeting that she’s working with Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser and others to propose amendments to the Illinois TRUST Act, which restricts local law enforcement from collaborating or interfering with federal immigration enforcement. Lalley said she heard the disappointment from the community that officers did not stay on the scene longer during an immigration enforcement action at Maple Lane on Dec. 6, but explained that they had to deal with the gray areas of the TRUST Act.

* Evanston Now | Women’s pro soccer team wants to play at new Ryan Field: Club president Karen Leetzow told a virtual 7th Ward meeting on Thursday night that “we view Ryan Field as a lifeline” as the team works long-term for a separate, soccer-only facility at an undetermiined location. The team says that a survey done by 2040 Strategy Group for the Stars “shows 82 percent of Evanston residents are in favor of the team playing at Ryan Field” … and “overwhelmingly believe the team would reinforce Evanston’s values, and promote gender equity.”

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Danville steps in to provide critical rides after CRIS transit services halt operations: “For the entire Vermillion County, anyone who was being transported to their dialysis appointments by CRIS senior services as of starting last Saturday, they closed on Friday, on Saturday, my team was on it, and they’ve made sure that all their patients have been able to make their appointments,” said Rickey Williams, Mayor of Danville. Williams said city staff immediately stepped in, coordinating rides for critical appointments, some as early as 5:30 a.m.

* Advantage News | Godfrey may purchase Geofencing software: The Village of Godfrey is considering the purchase of software that can help them see where people are spending time in the village. Called Geofencing, the program does not identify you or harvest your personal information but can tell the village where you came from by using Wi-Fi and your smartphone. Godfrey Economic Development Director Jim Mager says he and Park and Rec Director Chris Logan recently had conversations about such a product. No decisions were made at this week’s Village Board meeting, but trustees were asked to consider the possibility of such a purchase being brought up at a future meeting. This version of the software has a price tag of $10,000 per year, but there are other versions that are more costly.

* The Telegraph | Alton’s Dan King wins ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ takes home $60,648: It was a busier-than-normal night in Alton Sports Tap as over a hundred gathered to watch King compete on “Wheel of Fortune.” With friends, family, customers, and even his personal hairstylist in attendance, King celebrated the big win with celebratory cheers.

* 25News Now | Caterpillar, NVIDIA announce AI-powered collaboration: Caterpillar, celebrating 100 years, announced an AI ecosystem for machines, job sites, factories and supply chains in a collaboration with NVIDIA. “As AI moves beyond data to reshape the physical world, it is unlocking new opportunities for innovation — from job sites and factory floors to offices,” Creed said. NVIDIA‘s Jetson Thor platform enables real-time AI inference on Cat construction, mining and power equipment, laying the foundation for next-generation autonomy and intelligent in-cab experiences. Caterpillar said the platform would provide customers with personalized insights and use voice activation to enable settings, guide troubleshooting and connect users to the right resources across Cat apps and websites.

*** National ***

* 404 Media | Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods: Commercial location data, in this case acquired from hundreds of millions of phones via a company called Penlink, can be queried without a warrant, according to an internal ICE legal analysis shared with 404 Media. The purchase comes squarely during ICE’s mass deportation effort and continued crackdown on protected speech, alarming civil liberties experts and raising questions on what exactly ICE will use the surveillance system for.

* Oregonian | ICE officers impersonating utility workers, Oregon lawmaker says: Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, on Tuesday posted on Facebook that the NW Natural notice came after he spoke to utility officials about the reports. Ruiz said he also reached out to Portland General Electric with the same concerns. Ruiz said members of a Gresham family told him that immigration agents wearing bright vests asked one of them to come out of their house to show him where the gas meter was. […] The person was released after several hours because he proved he has legal status, Ruiz said. The family members asked him not to release their names out of fear of retaliation, he said.

* WaPo | After 25 days, ICE releases Maryland woman who says she is a US citizen: Slatton said the case against Diaz Morales has not yet been dismissed by the government and she could still face deportation proceedings. But Slatton is confident her client’s claim to citizenship has been established. “She is a U.S. citizen. She was born here. I think that we’ve presented more than enough evidence, but we will continue to fight it until every single court accepts and acknowledges it,” she said.

* Mother Jones | Cops Are Taught Not to Shoot Into Cars. ICE Keeps Doing It Anyway.: Instead of shooting, law enforcement officers are taught to do something much safer for everybody involved: Get out of the way. But the federal agents enforcing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign seem not to be following this rule, and are taking a far more dangerous path.

* Mother Jones | Grok Deepfaked Renee Nicole Good’s Body Into a Bikini: In several posts, Grok confirmed that the chatbot had undressed the recently killed woman, writing in one, “I generated an AI image altering a photo of Renee Good, killed in the January 7, 2026, Minneapolis ICE shooting, by placing her in a bikini per a user request. This used sensitive content unintentionally.” In another post, Grok wrote that the image “may violate the 2025 TAKE IT DOWN Act,” legislation criminalizing the nonconsensual publication of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes.

* Bloomberg | J&J Reaches Deal With Trump For Drug Discounts, Tariff Reprieve: Johnson & Johnson reached a deal with the US government to lower drug prices for some Americans, joining a cadre of major pharmaceutical companies to make price concessions in exchange for tariff exemption. The American drugmaker was one of 17 companies President Donald Trump called on last summer to lower prices, and among the last ones to announce a deal. The two remaining companies are AbbVie Inc. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., which previously said they are in talks with the White House.

* WaPo | A study offers a surprising reason for plunging U.S. overdose deaths: The paper suggests that the illicit fentanyl trade — which drove a historic surge in drug deaths during the past decade — experienced a large-scale decline in supply. Overdose deaths had surpassed 100,000 annually during the Biden administration but began to decline in mid-2023 and plunged further in its final year. They have kept falling under President Donald Trump, who invokes drug trafficking as he imposes steep tariffs on other countries and unleashes missile strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.

10 Comments

Good morning!

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

3 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign news

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)