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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Capitol News Illinois | Unemployment rising throughout Illinois: Unemployment continues to rise faster than the national average in Illinois and was up 0.5 points in March over the last year. The rate has increased in all metro areas and only three areas have recorded new job growth compared to March 2025. The state overall has also lost nonfarm jobs since then. * Capitol News Illinois | As Illinoisans lose federal food assistance, independent grocers face debt, store closure: Many independent grocery stores struggle to make substantial profits, with high overhead costs and inconsistent consumer habits. And when consumers’ spending power is limited, like when they lose SNAP benefits, local businesses feel the effects of their limited spending. During the federal shutdown last fall, when some SNAP recipients didn’t receive their November benefits, Norrenberns said he knew some business owners who saw the effects of that. “They did what they had to to get by,” Norrenberns said. “I think there’s a lot of people that are struggling with like, credit card debt, you know. It’s like, hey, we can’t wait. What else do we do?” * Sun-Times | Battle continues over Illinois law to limit credit card fees: A battle over credit card transaction fees continues after a federal appeals court on Friday sent the case about a new Illinois law seeking to limit so-called swipe fees back to District Court. When customers use credit cards, businesses typically pay credit card companies an interchange fee on each transaction, including sales tax and workers’ tips, that ranges from about 2% to 4%. * NBC Chicago | ‘Credit Card Chaos?’ Why ads are targeting an Illinois bill aimed at swipe fees: protecting merchants from having to pay interchange fees on sales taxes and gratuities, but the law as written would require merchants to transmit detailed tax and gratuity data during payment authorization, and would also require merchants to retroactively recover interchange fees. The Illinois Retail Merchants Association and other lobbying groups have contested those arguments, saying they’re based on scare tactics and that software upgrades, similar to those implemented when debit and credit cards were required by law to utilize chip technology, would be all that’s needed to make the law workable. * WTTW | City Lawyers Fought — And Won — Lawsuit Filed by Man Shot Twice by Police. Taxpayers Still Paid $1.37M: Lawyers for the city of Chicago convinced a federal jury in December that a police officer did not violate the civil rights of the unarmed man she shot twice during rush hour inside one of the busiest CTA Red Line train stations in February 2020. But that victory, which came after a court fight that stretched for nearly six years, still cost Chicago taxpayers $1.37 million, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request. * Tribune | Little Italy priest removed by archdiocese for alleged ‘inappropriate conversations’: The Archdiocese of Chicago removed a Little Italy priest accused of “improper and inappropriate conversations and communications” with children and adult women, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, wrote in a Saturday letter. The priest, Rev. Jose Molina, had been serving as the temporary minister at St. Francis of Assisi Parish since August 2025. “We appreciate the courage it takes to step forward and encourage others who believe they have experienced abuse or inappropriate behavior by a member of the clergy, religious or lay employee of the Archdiocese to report it to the Office for the Protection of Children and Youth,” Cupich wrote. * Block Club | Jim’s Original Leaving Maxwell Street Area After 87 Years, Moving To Pilsen Due To UIC Development: The move will end a nearly 90-year run for the restaurant in the Maxwell Street area. Opened in 1939, the street food staple called the corner of Halsted and Maxwell streets home for over 60 years, anchoring a Maxwell Street neighborhood that was a hub for immigrants and home to a famous outdoor market. * Sun-Times | Folk singer-songwriter John Prine to be feted with star-studded Chicago tribute: Hosted by actor/musician John C. Reilly, the October concert will bring together a who’s who of Americana music, including Steve Earle, Amos Lee, Josh Ritter, Margo Price and Joy Oladokun. Several acts with Chicago ties will perform including Ratboys, Shemekia Copeland, Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra and Jon Langford. * Chicago Reader | The Cook County sheriff is quietly lobbying the county board to expand surveillance both inside the jail and out on the streets: Neither of the proposed contracts—for BriefCam, an AI surveillance software developed in Israel, or the controversial license plate reader company Flock Safety—was subject to the county’s standard public notice and competitive bidding requirements. Though the terms of the agreements have not yet been publicly released, the full county board could vote on the measures as soon as Thursday. The sheriff’s office claims BriefCam’s AI-powered surveillance camera system will allow officers to identify and respond more quickly to potential drug use in the Cook County jail “by alerting staff based on activity the software identifies from live video streams in real time.” Dart’s office has denied multiple interview requests and declined to provide copies of the proposed agreements or respond to a detailed list of questions. * Crain’s | Fight over $35 million delays bid to reopen West Suburban Hospital: A court fight over millions of dollars transferred out of West Suburban Medical Center and Weiss Memorial hospital accounts is delaying efforts to reopen the shuttered Oak Park hospital. At a Cook County receivership hearing today, attorneys for the landlord of the two hospitals and their operator, Resilience Healthcare, agreed to exchange records tied to a bank account that allegedly received more than $35 million in operating funds from the hospitals over the past several years. * Sun-Times | Cook County judge puts off ruling on whether to install special prosecutor to probe Operation Midway Blitz: Prosecutors denied setting any limits for themselves. But Cook County Circuit Judge Erica Reddick posed the question while considering whether to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate those federal agents — offering possible insight into her thinking. Reddick did not rule Monday on whether to appoint a special prosecutor, despite previously setting that goal for herself. The judge said she now expects to rule on May 21. * Crain’s | Former Walgreens office site in Deerfield sold for suburban revamp: A local real estate firm paid $13.1 million for a demolished former Walgreens office complex in Deerfield, which it plans to redevelop with a mixed-use project bringing retail, restaurants and other uses to the north suburb. A venture of Buffalo Grove-based Shorewood Development Group bought the vacant 37.5-acre site at 1411-1435 Lake Cook Road last month, according to Illinois property records. The deal came several months after the seller, real estate investment trust Orion Properties, razed a 575,000-square-foot office property on the site that previously housed workspace for Walgreens near its Deerfield headquarters. * Daily Herald | Harper College marks construction milestone with beam-signing for new Business and Social Sciences Building: “Spaces like the moot courtroom, the Early Childhood Lab School and flexible classrooms will give students hands-on opportunities that prepare them for careers and for transfer. These experiences matter because they help our students see themselves in their future professions.” Funded by the voter-approved 2018 referendum, the $78 million project is part of Harper’s broader campus master plan to modernize facilities and expand opportunities for students and the community. * Illinois Times | “A lot of things are getting confused”: Van Meter addresses city, county roles in legislation meant to spur downtown development : “A lot of things are getting confused,” Van Meter said. “I think the city misunderstands the city’s role in this project. The city is only being asked to do the things that it would do with any developer who came to town.” Van Meter, a Springfield Republican, acknowledged that some sections of House Bill 910 may be misleading when it comes to the impact on the capital city. Those sections, he said, likely will be clarified before the legislation is passed by both chambers and sent to Gov. JB Pritzker for his signature. * STLPR | $62M Metro East studio could be filming TV shows by summer 2027: Named Hollywood River Studios for the town where it’s located, the Metro East complex is already under construction and will consist of up to six studios, totaling 140,000 square feet when complete. Developer Chris Breakwell said the St. Louis region has missed out on filmmaking with television shows like HBO’s “DTF St. Louis” and Netflix’s “Ozark” both being filmed in and around Atlanta. “I want to get that stuff filmed in Missouri and Illinois and help change the image of the city,” Breakwell said. * Capitol City Now | Goodbye, downtown Springfield parking meters: According to a news release, the City of Springfield says it will soon begin removing parking meters from the area, and will provide updates during the removal process. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic that the city discontinued requiring the feeding of the meters. “Downtown Springfield, like many downtown areas across the nation, continues to evolve, and the City hopes these improvements encourage more people to come downtown to shop, dine, conduct business, and enjoy the many cultural and entertainment opportunities available throughout the area,” said a news release. * BND | This metro-east city is one of the ‘safest college towns’ in US, analysis finds: The March 17 analysis “50 Safest College Towns in America for 2026”, from academic rankings company Research.com, named Edwardsville No. 14. The city is home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and Research.com reported Edwardsville has a population of 26,698, with an overall crime rate of 6.07, a violent crime rate of 0.3 and a property crime rate of 5.77 per 1,000 residents. * AP | Trump says he’ll move to suspend federal gasoline tax. He can’t do it on his own: The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Lawmakers from both parties have pushed for a gas-tax suspension, saying it would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands. * Miami Herald | Over 100 people get norovirus on cruise ship that left from Fort Lauderdale: The VSP is conducting a field response “for an environmental assessment and outbreak investigation to assist the ship in controlling the outbreak,” according to the CDC. This is not the first time passengers aboard the Caribbean Princess have fallen ill to norovirus. In 2020, over 300 passengers got sick, resulting in the 14-day voyage ending early. * Bloomberg | United Airlines sponsorship puts Duffy’s TV side gig under scrutiny: Democrats and good-government groups criticized the trip given the sponsorships by companies that have business before Duffy’s agency. Duffy posted on X Saturday, writing that “career ethics and budget officials at the Department of Transportation reviewed and approved” his participation and travel. Duffy added that neither he nor his family received a salary or production royalties from the show and a department spokesperson said the secretary also conducted additional visits touring air traffic control facilities and assessing port infrastructure during travel for the show. * AP | A real WKRP radio comes to Cincinnati, decades after the sitcom about a fictional station: WKRP isn’t dead — as of Monday, it’s living on the air in Cincinnati. The call letters from the fictional radio station featured in a CBS sitcom were adopted by a trio of real “adult hits” stations in time for Monday’s morning drive, and co-owner Jeff Ziesmann described listeners as “stoked.”
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Mother robin update
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Baby robins have hatched on my front porch. My mailman now won’t deliver to my address because every time he opens my mailbox the mother robin goes ballistic on him. The cycle of life… 
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Indiana Bears tax hike opponent clobbers pro-Bears incumbent in primary
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I won’t pretend to understand what’s going on in Northwest Indiana, but this seems newsworthy to me. From the Gary Post Tribune…
* Vasquez favors the tax hike…
Again, I’m not sure exactly what this means, but I do know that almost nobody is talking about that election result. So, here you go. And a hat tip to a commenter for sending me down this rabbit hole. /s
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Today’s number: 1.3 cents
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Illinois Policy Institute headline…
And then the narration never says what the hike actually is, although an included graph has an answer if you do the math yourself: 1.3 cents. Discuss.
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IFT unveils megaproject ‘calculator’
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * IFT last week…
The calculator is here. * I asked the governor’s office for a response…
That third point is the best one, IMHO.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* WAND…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* Sen. Omar Aquino…
* Sen. Don DeWitte…
* More…
* WAND | IL Senate passes bill accelerating lead service line replacement, sends plan to House: This plan ensures utility companies and contractors can access service lines located on private property at no cost to the property owner. It also expands who can authorize and perform the replacement. “We worked with environmental groups, trade groups, and municipalities to streamline lead service line replacement given the dangers of lead, but also the deadlines that have been put in place to replace the hundreds of thousands of lead service lines in our state,” said Sen. Ram Villivalam (D-Chicago). Senate Bill 4025 passed unanimously out of the Senate Thursday. The measure now heads to the House for further consideration. * WCSJ | Jed Davis opposes Illinois mega-projects bill: 75th District State Representative Jed Davis says he does not support the Illinois mega-projects bill that could help keep the Chicago Bears in the state. Davis says the bill would place long-term freezes on property taxes for such projects, leaving taxpayers to take the brunt as property values increase. “That’s a horrific piece of legislation,” Davis said. “That has a lot more to do than just with the Chicago Bears. It is a mega projects bill for anything in the state that would be classified as a mega project, and it provides property tax relief to that project. It literally locks in their property taxes for a forty year period on the undeveloped condition.” * WAND | IL Senate passes bill requiring transparency from third party hotel booking sites: The Illinois Senate unanimously passed a bill Thursday to require transparency for third party hotel booking websites to protect customers. Sponsors said many people use these sites thinking they are booking a room directly with the hotel, but they often find extra fees, errors or other issues after they pay. “What this legislation does is provide transparency and addresses the problem by making sure these third party booking services clearly disclose that they have a lack of affiliation with the hotel before a consumer reserves a room,” said Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford).
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Credit & Debit Cards May Not Work For Tips, Starting July 1
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The IFPA—the Credit Card Chaos law—could hurt Illinois’ tipped workers. Servers, stylists, rideshare drivers and other gig workers who rely on tips could see their income drop if customers can’t tip on cards and are limited to the cash they carry. Before chaos hits on July 1, lawmakers should reverse course and repeal the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act. Learn more at: guardyourcard.com/Illinois
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Jeanne Ives claims she’s ‘injured’ by the Illinois Voting Rights Act
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Jeanne Ives…
I wish there was a good sigh emoji out there because I’d use it multiple times a day. * From the Illinois Voting Rights Act…
* And what are crossover, coalition and influence districts? Back to the statute…
* The aforementioned subsection (d)…
* From her lawsuit…
By voting age population, her former 42nd House District is 5 percent Black, 10 percent Asian and 8 percent Hispanic. Her state Senate district is about the same, with a bit more Asian Americans. Her congressional district (6) is also 75 percent White. She resides in Wheaton, which is about 77 percent White. C’mon. They couldn’t find a better plaintiff? * However…
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It’s Time To Bring Safer Rides To Illinois
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Waymo is ready to bring safe, reliable, autonomous rides to Illinois – but we need your help! Waymo is already mapping Chicago’s unique streets and traffic patterns to lay the groundwork for operations. Never tired or distracted, Waymo provides hundreds of thousands of fully autonomous rides every week across ten major U.S. cities, from Los Angeles to Atlanta — from multi-lane expressways to dense city streets, including the demands of winter weather. The data shows Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are involved in thirteen times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans (as of 3/20/26, see waymo.com/safety). Let’s bring safer rides to Illinois. 
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Fix it in the Senate
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * We’ve discussed some of this before here. My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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When RETAIL Succeeds, Illinois Succeeds
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Step into calm at Colibrí the Hummingbird Oases, where owners Miriam and Carlos Ybarra have created a peaceful escape from the noise of everyday life. Through guided and silent meditation, they help children and adults alike reduce stress, improve focus, and reconnect with themselves. Whether you’re starting your day or resetting in the middle of it, Colibrí in Joliet offers a welcoming space to pause, breathe, and find balance. Findings of a recent economic study are clear: the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product. Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Miriam and Carlos in Joliet are better equipped to meet local needs. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work. Please visit https://WeAreRetail.IRMA.org/.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers face budget deadline, Bears stadium fight and insurance battle with 3 weeks left. Tribune…
- Right now, Illinois’ budget picture is steadier than many feared. A report last week from the legislature’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) showed state revenues were stable. April deposits into the general fund totaled just over $7.3 billion, the second-highest month on record and a 2% gain over April 2025. - A coalition of progressive Democrats used a Capitol news conference last week to renew calls for higher taxes on the wealthy, including closing offshore corporate tax loopholes, severing the state from certain federal tax breaks for corporations under Trump’s new law and imposing a billionaire wealth tax. Sponsored by PhRMA  * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * Tribune | Chicago health department leaves millions of federal COVID dollars on the table: But two of CDPH’s biggest ELC grants still had a combined $94 million left at the time, according to an internal August spending report released in a public records request. The federal government’s grant tracker says about $81.4 million in ELC funds for the city remains unspent as of this month. […] The staffer then alleged that since 2024, Ige has “singled out staff with disabilities” and stalled approval of their reasonable accommodation requests. Ige said, “This is where unions cannot protect you,” during a 2024 all-hands meeting in which she insinuated her staffers were abusing telework, according to records. * Crain’s | DNC scouting party tours Chicago this week to weigh 2028, 2032 convention picks: A statement sent out by the Chicago 2028 Host Committee says both officials will be participating in the site visit. Among highlights will be a visit to the proposed United Center convention locale, and meetings with financial backers and other local stakeholders, the statement says. Also on the list are a visit to the observation deck at 875 N. Michigan Ave., an architectural boat tour, and a large reception and pre-opening tour of the Obama Presidential Center. * CBS Chicago | How is Karina’s Law working to remove guns from accused domestic abusers one year later?: No one tracks the number of domestic violence survivors requesting guns be removed, but the Circuit Court Clerk’s records showed only 85 gun seizure warrants were granted. In the year since Karina’s Law was passed, there were 148 gun seizure warrants tied to that legislation. […] But that data also shows nearly half of the warrants issued in the past year – 70 of them – were thrown out. Sources said one problem is that survivors have to fill out their own warrants, which is not always a simple process. In total, 58 guns were taken away through Karina’s Law in Cook County last year. * IDPH | Illinois Rises to Top Tier in National Emergency Preparedness Rankings: The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Illinois has been named a “high-performance” state for emergency preparedness, the highest ranking a state can receive, in a newly released report by Trust for America’s Health. The annual report evaluates states on their ability to respond to various public health emergencies using ten key indicators including incident management, patient safety, and health security surveillance, among other measures. This year, Illinois received a top tier ranking after being ranked in the middle performance category in 2025. The advancement reflects improvements driven by ongoing investments in emergency preparedness infrastructure, workforce preparation, and response systems. The state previously achieved high-performance rankings in 2020 and 2022. * Capitol News Illinois | How Illinois county clerks are combating election misinformation: But letting the public witness and experience how an election is operated and what the procedural policy is goes a long way in increasing trust and confidence, Gray said. “I think the chief responsibility of the election authority is to be that advocate of exposing how we operate, and that goes a great distance in giving people real, firm confidence,” Gray said. “I spend a lot of time analyzing that (disinformation) and refuting what’s being said that’s disturbing people.” * Capitol News Illinois | How do data centers benefit the places where they’re built? Local mayors give mixed reviews: Across three properties, 60.9% of Meta’s property taxes are paid to School District 428 in DeKalb, according to records. Barnes said that revenue allowed the district to build a new school, Mitchell Elementary, which opened in 2025. […] In March, Aurora enacted ordinances that would require data center developers to conduct and submit studies dealing with noise, water consumption and energy needs. The ordinances also require future data centers to meet standards for noise, vibrations, water use and energy use. They will also need to get power from renewable energy sources. * WGLT | Community schools worry about future funding, which might lead to service cuts: ACT Now, a statewide coalition promoting afterschool and youth development programs, is suing the federal government to pay the $18.5 million worth of grant money that was awarded to Illinois community school programs. […] Susan Stanton, executive director of ACT Now Illinois, said Illinois should fund these programs even with a tight budget this year because these programs will save Illinois money in the future. * Post-Tribune | Lake and Porter officials in Indiana wait and see on taxes for potential Bears stadium: The state has asked Lake and Porter counties to adopt a 1% food and beverage tax and for Lake County to pass a 5% innkeepers tax. The counties have until June 30, 2027 to approve the taxes, according to the bill’s fiscal note. If both counties approve a 1% food and beverage tax, they could generate between $12 million to $18 million annually. The innkeeper’s tax could generate $5.4 million annually, according to the fiscal note. Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, said the council has time to pass the food and beverage tax and the innkeepers tax. * Stateline | As Trump looks to punish foes, Democratic states find ways to push back: Since Trump took office last year, Illinois alone has led or joined more than 60 lawsuits against the administration. Those suits run the gamut, challenging deployment of the National Guard, immigration enforcement and the withholding of disaster funding. Democratic attorneys general say they are winning in most of the cases that have reached court decisions. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools cut hundreds of custodian jobs last year. Staff say their schools are dirtier: Then, three months into this school year, complaints rolled in through a district survey of 168 principals and 423 custodians: Three-quarters of principals indicated they didn’t have enough custodians on staff to meet their cleaning needs, and at least 40% asked the district for more staff. Nearly two-thirds of custodians said their tasks were difficult to manage given the size of their buildings and the number of people on their team. * Cook County Record | Deal avoids trial over accusations CPD coerced confession in double murder: The second of two men who claim Chicago detectives coerced them into confessing to the “heinous” murder of a Chicago couple to allegedly help a woman steal the couple’s baby has apparently reached a settlement with the city, just days after it was revealed Cook County’s controversial former chief prosecutor had allowed them to obtain a key court document that allowed them to sue the city and former officers, even though she still believed he and his once-convicted accomplice were guilty. * WTTW | Jury Rejects Lawsuit Filed by Uber Driver, Passenger Injured in Chicago Police Pursuit: After a two-week trial, the jury determined that the injuries suffered by Bhuwan Rai, who was driving for Uber, and his passenger, Musherruddin Mohammed, were the fault of the driver who refused to stop for police. “This verdict reflects the jury’s clear conclusion that the crash resulted from the fleeing offender’s own actions, and not from the city’s lawful pursuit,” Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said. * WBEZ | About 60% of Chicago arts workers report earning less than $40,000 annually: Slightly more than half of the respondents identified as women and about 60% were white. […] But an arts career lacks stability, artists reported in the survey. The census found that 88% of arts workers strongly believed their work was valuable. However, fewer than half felt that they had a strong sense of job security. And while nearly all of the respondents (95%) said they were compensated for their work in the field, only 57% said they typically receive payment promptly. About 37% said they are only occasionally or never paid on time. * Sun-Times | Obama Presidential Center helped by $123 million in public infrastructure improvements:And there’s still more work to be done. The final public infrastructure costs are likely to approach $200 million. The costs are not part of the presidential center’s privately-funded $850 million price tag. “The Chicago Department of Transportation has delivered a series of roadway and mobility improvements in and around Jackson Park in coordination with the Obama Presidential Center,” CDOT said in a statement to the Sun-Times. * Tribune | Davis Martin, 2nd in majors in ERA, has emerged as the ‘rock’ of the Chicago White Sox pitching staff: Martin’s 1.62 ERA trails only New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler’s 1.35. “Davis is the longest-tenured White Sox and has seen some stuff — the good and the bad — and taken on a leadership role,” bench coach Walker McKinven said before Sunday’s game. “Another exceptional human being that guys look up to. “He’s a very confident player just because he’s been through it now. He knows exactly what he wants to do. He knows what it takes for him to be successful personally. And so watching him grow even further this season into a leadership role has been pretty cool.” * Homewood-Flossmor Chronicle | Flossmoor board agrees to extend state, federal lobbying contracts: The board authorized a renewal of its agreement with Matthew O’Shea Consulting, which has assisted the village since 2019 in pursuing state funding opportunities and monitoring legislative activity. According to a village memo, the firm has helped secure multiple funding allocations, including $2 million for capital improvements, $1.1 million for downtown improvements and several additional grants tied to roadway, bridge and infrastructure projects. * Evanston Now | Alders to consider rental price-fixing ban: Evanston’s City Council is set to consider a proposed ordinance Monday from Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) that would ban the use of price-fixing software in the city’s rental housing market. The measure, also by Alds. Bobby Burns (5th), Shawn Iles (3rd) and Mayor Daniel Biss, would prohibit price coordination through the use of the price-setting software, which uses non-public information about competitor prices to recommend price adjustments based on that information. * Crain’s | Skokie tech park buildings go up for sale as demand cools for life sciences space: Singerman capitalized relatively quickly with some leasing success, noting in 2024 that the two properties were a combined 96% occupied. But the buildings have lost some tenancy since then, including the relocation of biotech company Cour Pharmaceuticals to Evanston. The ISTP buildings and are 64% leased today, according to the JLL flyer. The offering does not list an asking price. * Daily Southtown | Planned addiction recovery horse ranch in Crete offers short-term jobs for people leaving treatment: * Fox Chicago | Stickney mayor, ex-police officer Jeff Walik dies, village says: “Long before he served as Mayor, Jeff served this village as a Stickney Police Officer. He wore the badge with pride, dedication, and a genuine love for the people he protected. Even after a career-ending injury, his commitment to Stickney never faded. He simply found another way to continue serving the town he cared so deeply about. * WGLT | Tension from ISU’s AFSCME strike lingers, even after new contract ratified: But at the university’s quarterly board of trustees meeting Friday, union president Chuck Carver said that while they are happy about returning to work, they are still upset with university leadership. “All of this is not well, so we urge you, the members of the board of trustees, who have the ultimate responsibility for the guidance and direction of this institution, to take a hard look at the top leadership you have chosen and the decisions they made that took this university down a very problematic path,” he said. * WCBU | LaHood opposes using public money for White House ballroom project: “We need a full listing of who’s giving money and how it’s going to [be spent],” he said. “We do that when we do presidential inaugurations, for instance, either a Democrat or Republican. That is funded privately and we know where every nickel and dollar comes from for our presidential inauguration. We should have that same process of full transparency for the ballroom.” * Rockford Register Star | Rockford police pay large sums to officers facing criminal charges: With an authorized strength of 302, the Rockford Police Department has 276 officers on its active seniority list, a number that fluctuates with retirements, resignations, terminations and new hires. Of those, three are currently on administrative leave or restricted duty after being accused of a crime or DUI and two more recently resigned or were fired. Another 15 are on leave because of injury, military service or other approved reasons, according to information obtained by the Rockford Register Star through a Freedom of Information Act request. * WREX | Former Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with stalking, official misconduct: 33-year-old Tyler C. Bryan, of Cherry Valley, turned himself in to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Friday morning, according to ISP. He faces two felony stalking charges and two felony charges of official misconduct. Bryan was a part-time Cherry Valley Police Officer and a full-time Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy. He has resigned from both offices. ISP began their investigation in March after Cherry Valley Police heard a complaint about Bryan. Investigators found that Bryan allegedly committed offenses over multiple years while both on and off-duty in his posts. * WICS | Motion to reduce Sean Grayson’s sentence denied, appeal looms: Sean Grayson will not receive a reduced sentence for the murder of Sonya Massey. The Sangamon County court denying his motion to reconsider or reduce his sentence Friday afternoon. However, Grayson and his legal team have signaled they will appeal. * Capitol City Now | Buscher launches re-election campaign: “I try very hard,” the mayor said in an interview after her formal announcement. “For political purposes, there are some aldermen who do not want to support me. I believe there was one (Ald. Roy Williams) protesting – tonight – my mayoral campaign because they want to play politics. In that horseshoe, we should not play politics; we should play policy. A sign two protestors held across Dirksen Parkway from Boondocks accused Buscher of censorship and militarizing the police department, the latter referring to the purchase of a military-style vehicle. * BND | Forecasters eye ‘very strong’ El Niño: What it could mean for the metro-east area: The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center reports there’s a 61% chance of an El Niño pattern emerging between May and July, and if it does develop, it could range anywhere from very light to very strong, Melissa Delia, meteorologist with the NWS St. Louis office, told the News-Democrat in a May 8 interview. “When we talk about how strong it is or how weak it is, it’s really talking about how strong or how cool or warm our sea surface temperatures are,” Delia said. * LA Times | Amazon halts high-speed e-bike sales in California following fatal crashes: Amazon has reportedly agreed to stop California sales of certain e-bikes that can go faster than state speed limits following a series of fatal collisions. The announcement, first reported by KCRA, comes on the heels of an April consumer alert by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta that highlighted a rise in deaths related to crashes of electric bikes and motorcycles. “We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks, and streets,” Bonta said in a statement. “To ride a motorcycle or moped, you need to have the appropriate driver’s license and comply with rules of the road.” * WaPo | We’ve calculated your chances of winning money on Polymarket :On Polymarket, just 1,200 people took more than half the profits — $591 million, or more than $100,000 each. When you dabble in prediction markets, you’re competing against these sophisticated players who consistently win. Most of those 1,200 big winners didn’t place just a few smart bets. They appear to be pros making thousands of trades, mostly in the past year and a half, that were probably automated.
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Good morning!
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I had the privilege of spending the weekend with my mom and dad… I know you were on my side even when I was wrong How was your Mother’s Day weekend?
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, May 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Chill out with some Hot Tuna…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
NPR has reported that Canvas is back online. What a mess. * Crain’s…
* WCIA | One year after making cuts, NWS looking to bring employees back; including in Illinois: Employees, like first year electricians, IT Staff, and scientists were just fired. In the fall, the National Weather Service got a public safety exemption, that provided funding allowing them to rehire more than one hundred people. * Tribune | Prime Healthcare hospitals will stay in-network with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, after months of uncertainty: Prime Healthcare, which owns nine Illinois hospitals, will remain in-network with the state’s largest health insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois for now, following months of uncertainty over whether the two companies would reach a contract agreement, the health system announced Thursday evening. Had they been unable to reach an agreement, Prime would have been out-of-network for people with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois health insurance, which would have meant those patients would have had to find new doctors who took their insurance or, in some cases, pay more for care. The current agreement will now continue into next year. * North Dakota Monitor | North Dakota medication access law unconstitutional, judge says: A federal judge in North Dakota ruled against a state law intended to protect healthcare access for low-income patients, finding it unconstitutional. North Dakota U.S. District Court Judge Dan Traynor in a Monday order criticized the 2025 law as “an infringement on federal programs masquerading as state governance.” He said it enriches hospitals and pharmacies at patients’ expense. House Bill 1473 is intended to make sure North Dakota has unhindered access to medication subsidies under a federal program called 340B. * Center Square | Illinois weighing a ban on sale of some smoke detectors over safety concerns: Legislators and Public Safety Officials called Thursday for the state Senate to make progress on House Bill 4328, which would ban the sale of some smoke detectors in Illinois. A previous law, passed in 2017, changed the requirements for what smoke detectors could be installed in homes and buildings. A smoke detector must be hard-wired to a home and have a tamper-proof battery with a 10-year lifespan. * The Nation | Illinois Is Helping People Awaiting Trial Get Back to Court and Stay Out of Jail: Radical Hospitality Ministries, which runs the pilot site in DuPage County, in the northeast of the state, served its first client the first week of August last year. He was a man in his late 70s who uses a walker to get around and had been arrested for failing to appear in court. The man suffered from memory loss caused by a fall years earlier; he forgot about his case. He lived more than an hour away from the courthouse, but when he was released after his arrest, he wasn’t given a walker, didn’t have a phone, and had no way to get home. The organization offered him free transportation back to where he lives. “What would have happened to that person without a program like ours?” asked James Baugh, cofounder of Radical Hospitality Ministries. “Would he have died on the streets? Would he have been reincarcerated because he did something out of desperation?” * Chalkbeat Chicago | A Chicago school board investigation failed to uncover source of media leaks: Released by the board office Thursday evening, the law firm’s report says there was insufficient evidence to find the source of the leaks, noting the refusal by multiple board members to turn over their personal cell phones for examination. Two of the 21 board members, Che “Rhymefest” Smith and Ellen Rosenfeld, declined to cooperate with the investigation entirely and did not speak with the attorneys. Two reporters the firm asked to interview — WBEZ’s Sarah Karp and Paris Schutz, at FOX at the time — also refused. * NBC Chicago’s Paris Schutz…
* Sun-Times | 2nd man charged with hate crime in 2024 attack of Jewish DePaul students: At the hearing, prosecutors laid out their version of events. Noubani and Erkan met up before the attack in face masks. Erkan talked with Long and Kaminsky while Noubani attacked them from behind, DePaul surveillance video showed, according to prosecutors. Erkan fled in a silver SUV and Noubani ran away and threw his sweatshirt and face mask in the trash. DNA taken from the sweatshirt and mask during the investigation matched Noubani, prosecutors said. […] Months before the attack, Noubani had pleaded guilty to a trespassing charge during the 2024 Democratic National Convention. He was part of a group that breached a fence that was part of the security perimeter during the convention, held during pro-Palestinian protests that summer. * Block Club | Chicago’s Efforts To Keep Housing Affordable in Woodlawn Fall Short As Obama Center Nears Opening: The city of Chicago was supposed to have created a safety net for residents like Bolden and Butler, as they faced the threat of being priced out of their neighborhood with the opening of the nearby Obama Presidential Center in June, and all the real estate speculation that followed it. Adopted in 2020, the city’s anti-displacement ordinance for Woodlawn was designed to protect long-term tenants from surprise sales and increased affordable housing options in the neighborhood. But a review of hundreds of pages of city records and dozens of interviews with residents, organizers and experts by the Illinois Answer Project shows that the city’s promises often fell short of reality as it failed to spend enough money to run some programs, provided little supervision and abandoned others. * WTTW | ‘It Was His Calling’: Mourners Gather to Say Goodbye at Funeral for Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew: Chicago police Commander Alison Christian, who spent years working with Officer John Bartholomew in the city’s 24th District, reflected Friday on the “passion he felt for life” and the way he was able to make people feel appreciated on the job. “He would go into jobs and he would worry about everybody’s feelings,” she said. “He would worry about the victim, the offender, the police officer. At the end of a job that he was on, he made sure that everybody felt good. He just had this overwhelming ability and it was his calling.” * ESPN | How White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami became an instant sensation: “All we know is the way he’s hitting here is different from the way he was hitting in Japan,” Thompson told ESPN not long after giving up that 451-foot blast to Murakami. “His holes are not his holes anymore. Maybe why other teams weren’t pursuing him is because he had different holes when he was with Japan. He’s changed his approach.” * Chicago Reader | Cook County state’s attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s complicated relationship with the Pretrial Fairness Act: “We seek pretrial detention in the most serious violent offenses where the offender poses a clear and present danger to the community,” Burke’s office told the Reader in a statement. “When defendants who exhibit dangerous and reckless behavior are held in pretrial custody, they are not released into the community where they pose the risk of committing additional crimes and threatening others.” Her critics say Burke’s heightened pursuit of pretrial detention violates the spirit of the landmark Pretrial Fairness Act, which abolished cash bail in Illinois in September 2023 and sought to reduce the number of people incarcerated before trial. * WGN | ‘They’re like bugs’: Trucker charged $46K for tow, until WGN got involved: Tim Smith said the towing firm quoted his company, DPW Trucking, a few thousand dollars over the phone and he agreed. But when he went to pick up the trailer, the price had surged to $46,000. “It was like: ‘You have to be kidding me! How do you come up with $46,000!” Smith recalled thinking. * Daily Herald | Judge denies release for teen charged with taking police officer’s gun from school: The firearm was loaded with live rounds in the magazine and one in the chamber, said Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney John Scanlon. After receiving an urgent phone call, the officer exited the stall, leaving the firearm behind, he said. About 25 minutes later, the juvenile entered the restroom, saw the gun and told the defendant about it, Scanlon said. Sanchez Jaramillo then got the weapon, placed it in his backpack and left campus, he said. * WGLT | Rep. Sorensen says DOJ investigation against D87, Ridgeview is a distraction from gas prices, community schools cuts: The Department of Justice [DOJ] named District 87 and Ridgeview schools along with 34 others in an investigation accusing them of teaching content about sexual orientation and gender ideology. “They’re going to try to give us anything to look at other than the gas approaching $5 a gallon,” Eric Sorensen said during a visit to Normal this week announcing plans to pursue funding for flood mitigation in Uptown. * Capitol News Illinois | Carterville assistant football coach arrested on criminal sexual abuse charges: The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is holding a press conference later today, Friday, May 9, to provide more details on the arrest. The Carterville Board of Education is holding a special meeting on Tuesday, May 12 at 5 p.m. to take action on the “discipline and/or dismissal of a licensed employee of the District,” according to the meeting agenda. The arrest comes less than three months after the Willamson County Sheriff’s Office announced it had opened a criminal sexual abuse investigation into an unnamed Carterville school district employee, and nearly 18 months since the FBI first received the original tip. * WGLT | ISU trustees approve $84 million for new science complex facilities: The project will include a five-story STEM building, a new research and teaching greenhouse, and a three-story Science Laboratory Building addition with teaching and research labs and faculty offices. These will all happen around the current Science Laboratory Building. Project funding comes from a combination of academic enhancement fees [AEF], fees all students pay which are dedicated to infrastructure projects, and state funding. ISU will issue debt for the projects and repay it with the AEF revenue. * WCIA | City of Marshall institutes a ban on the sale of Kratom: “We felt at the time Marshall needed to lead rather than follow and do the best we can to make things better for our people here,” Hasten said. Marshall Police Chief Brian Jaeger has seen his department deal with a couple of issues that were the result of someone taking Kratom. “We’d never seen it up until about the last year or two,” Jeager said. We’ve actually noticed a couple incidents in town. One of those was an employee that was on break had a medical episode in the business and we had to call an ambulance, but was showing some high impairment signs while in the business. Then, we later on, had a person that was driving a vehicle and became unresponsive during the operation of the vehicle and required medical assistance. They were found to be under the influence of Kratom.” * NYT | ABC Accuses Government of Violating First Amendment: The company said in a filing with the agency that regulators had a “chilling effect” on free speech by trying to punish political content they disagreed with. The filing, made public on Friday, is the most aggressive defense from any television network since President Trump kicked off an extended campaign last year to bring media organizations to heel. It represented a striking departure for ABC. The network, under the corporate stewardship of the Walt Disney Company, set an early tone of compliance toward Mr. Trump when it settled a defamation lawsuit with him for $15 million in December 2024. Many legal experts considered Mr. Trump’s case unlikely to succeed in court. * AP | Canvas system is online after a cyberattack disrupted thousands of schools: A hacking group called ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach at Canvas, said Luke Connolly, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Instructure, the company behind Canvas, said in an update late Thursday that the system was available for most users. Canvas is used to manage grades, course notes, assignments, lecture videos and more. The hacking group posted online that nearly 9,000 schools worldwide were affected, with billions of private messages and other records accessed, Connolly said. * WJS | Trump Is Planning to Fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary: Makary, a former Johns Hopkins surgeon who became a frequent Make America Healthy Again surrogate on television news programs, is seen by other top administration leaders as struggling to manage his agency, sparring frequently with health department officials and at times the White House. His tenure has also been dogged by the aftereffects of layoffs led by the Department of Government Efficiency and rapid turnover in the FDA’s leadership ranks.
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Your moment of zen
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Oscar smelling flowers during a walk this week…  * His new haircut made him a bit chilly, so Isabel gave him a blanket… 
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Republican DuPage County board president candidate ‘goes to bat for accused Outfit operative’
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * NBC 5…
* The SAFE-T Act strikes again! Um, no, wait. This is federal, not state. And it’s in Indiana, not Illinois…
* More…
* NBC 5…
The full indictment is here. And click here for the defense’s response. That mail is gonna write itself.
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Pending final verification, Illinois leads country in tornadoes this year
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Newsweek…
* AccuWeather…
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It’s just a bill
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Senate Progressive Caucus…
* WAND…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* Rep. La Shawn Ford…
Rep. Ford’s press conference will be on Monday, from 2-3 pm at the Rush University Medical Center.
* Sen. Mattie Hunter…
* More…
* WAND | IL House committee passes bill requiring 988 info in public buildings, suicide prevention curriculum in health courses: The Illinois House Mental Health & Addiction Committee unanimously passed a bill Thursday to improve access to suicide prevention services. Sponsors said 988 information should be visible in county shelter care homes, daycares, public libraries, colleges, hospitals, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. * Journal Courier | Illinois lawmakers debate fixes to rising eviction rates, housing turmoil: By some accounts, more than 50,000 eviction filings are made each year in Illinois. Nearly half result in renters being forced out. Teri Ross, executive director of Illinois Legal Aid Online, said tenants are often unfamiliar with what defenses and resources are available to them and those in rural and suburban areas face unique challenges. […] Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed Building Up Illinois Developments plan would increase the amount of multiunit housing by easing zoning laws and legalizing “granny flats” to address the crisis. * WHBF | Illinois jurors could get a pay increase: House Bill 4844 [which is stuck in the House] would require employers to pay workers regular wages while they serve on jury duty. Currently, jurors get $50 dollars a day for federal court, and it varies widely according to the county. Business groups argue this would be unfair to small business and the government should pay for workers’ public service.
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Johnson and the far right have something in common: Blaming wealthy Jews for their own failures
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Mariah Woelfel at WBEZ has a very well-written story about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s trip to Springfield. The whole thing is worth a read, but let’s zoom in on this bit…
Way too many Chicago progressives are blaming Sacks for their own failures, much like the far-right has pinned blame on George Soros for their numerous national and international grievances. Anyone see anything in common between those two besides their money? I do. And all of this needs to stop.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Conspiracy charge dismissed for ‘Broadview 6’ as other ICE protesters sue over post-arrest DNA collection. Capitol News Illinois…
- “Congratulations, you all are no longer charged with felonies,” U.S. District Judge April Perry told the four remaining defendants. - Meanwhile, other protesters arrested outside the same ICE facility last year in the Chicago suburb of Broadview filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, alleging the DNA sample cheek swabs they submitted to while in custody violate their Fourth Amendment rights. * Related stories… Sponsored by American Innovators Network
* Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * Tribune | Illinois cities unveil rival housing plan to Gov. JB Pritzker’s sweeping zoning plan: But housing advocates were unimpressed with the IML proposal. The housing groups say towns are too restrictive about building housing and need a push to allow more density, which they think Pritzker’s BUILD program provides. The bills making up Pritzker’s plan have yet to clear either the state House or Senate. “A big part of the IML counterproposal to BUILD is to basically say that municipalities continue to have the right to allow two-flats if they so choose,” Steven Vance, a co-lead at Abundant Housing Illinois, said last week. “That’s not good enough.” * CBS Chicago | Canvas outage hits Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Illinois and more: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign officials announced Thursday night that they were postponing all final exams and assignments scheduled for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, including those for classes that don’t use Canvas. The university will provide more details regarding Canvas, assignments, and final exams scheduled for next week before noon on Sunday. * WCIA | Unemployment rises; job totals fall in Illinois over last year: New data released on Thursday found both rising unemployment and job contraction in Illinois over the last year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES) released data concerning year-over-year unemployment rates and nonfarm jobs. Examining both the state as a whole and 13 metropolitan areas, the data shows the state unemployment rose by half a percentage point between March 2025 and March 2026, and the state lost 8,400 jobs during that time. * WBEZ | Johnson leaves Springfield ‘determined’ after pushing for new city revenue and against Bears suburban move: Johnson’s main priority this trip was to block a proposed cut to the amount of state income tax revenue that flows to local governments — from 6.47% to 6.28%, according to Pritzker’s office. That would mean a $12.7 million loss for Chicago, Johnson’s team said. After meeting with Johnson Tuesday, Democratic state Sen. Lakesia Collins, of Chicago, said she’s sympathetic to funding needs for local governments. But “it’s just all about like, can we get it done right now? We’re reeling in toward the end of session,” she said. * Capitol News Illinois | Family, friends, supporters honor fallen Illinois police officers: The ceremony honored Officer Krystal Rivera of the Chicago Police Department and Detective Tim Jones of the Park Forest Police Department. Held annually on the first Thursday in May, the event is a tradition to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty the previous calendar year. “Today, as we remember your brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, coworkers and friends who lost their lives in the line of duty, let us not remember them as indestructible superheroes that we may envision as children,” state Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Let’s remember them as human beings, in all their vulnerabilities and susceptibilities, who chose to take on the risk of the ultimate sacrifice to make others’ lives safer.” * Patch | Rep. Keicher Legislation Honoring Memory of DeKalb Co. Deputy Christina Musil Advances: “The death of DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina ‘Beana’ Musil was a profound tragedy that devastated our community,” said Keicher. “I remember attending the memorial service that was held after her passing and being awestruck by the outpouring of love and respect for the dedication this incredible person brought to serving others. Her life was a true embodiment of what it means to serve.” Musil was 35 at the time of her death, having served with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office for five years. A U.S. Army National Guard veteran, she also served in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools campus budget could bring cuts amid massive deficit: The school, which has largely bucked the enrollment declines plaguing the district, serves about 920 mostly low-income Latino students in the Little Village neighborhood. After years of relative budget and staffing stability, Ramirez, the head of Saucedo’s Local School Council, worries the campus could take a painful hit. He dwells on what the school might lose: One of the two bilingual coordinators who have guided his English learner children? Or one of the two counselors who helped his older daughter earn a seat at the competitive Jones College Prep High School? * Crain’s | South Side Walgreens closures fuel fears of more drugstore deserts: The company said the stores slated to be shut down, along with others in Milwaukee, Seattle and New York, are racked with issues of theft and violence. […] Among the most vocal critics was Ald. William Hall, 6th, who has called for a lawsuit against Walgreens. While not calling for litigation, Ald. Desmon Yancy, 5th, is dealing with a May 19 closure of the Walgreens store at 2351 E. 71st St. Yancy said the company has “essentially decimated its locations on the east side of the city. There is just a lack of corporate responsibility.” * Sun-Times | A $10 million investment to reduce chronic absenteeism in schools: That is why A Better Chicago recently launched Every Day Counts, an initiative committing at least $10 million over the next five years to help strengthen student attendance. This effort will focus on communities where absenteeism remains highest — including Austin, Englewood, Garfield Park, South Lawndale, South Shore and Woodlawn. * Sun-Times | Edgewater’s historic Bryn Mawr Avenue heads toward possible landmark status: While Bryn Mawr Avenue has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1995, a city designation would help protect the corridor’s buildings from demolition and unsympathetic alterations. Well, except for 5614 N. Winthrop Ave. and 1106 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. More on that later. * Sun-Times | Obama Presidential Center sells out first month hours after tickets become available: The museum debuts June 18 with an invitation-only grand opening ceremony, then opens to the public the next day — Juneteenth. Donors were offered early access to tickets last month, however, so those looking to get in on opening day faced an uphill battle from the start. Chamorro had intended to get opening weekend tickets for him and his boyfriend, but it had sold out by the time he got through the queue. * Block Club | Immigration Agents Return To Courthouses, Make Arrest, Local Officials Say: Federal immigration agents were spotted at four Cook County courthouses Thursday, where they arrested at least one person, an act that violates state law and undermines due process rights, the public defender’s office and watchdog groups said. Federal agents on Thursday were seen at the following courthouses: Cook County Domestic Violence Court, 555 W. Harrison St.; Branch 35 & 38 courthouses, 727 E. 111th St.; Branch 23 & 29, 5555 W. Grand Ave.; and the Maywood Courthouse, 1500 Maybrook Drive, said Katie Pelech, supervisor for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender. * Daily Herald | Naperville mayor highlights ‘record year’ for new downtown businesses, looks to future of I-88 corridor: “It’s no secret that I believe that the future of the I-88 corridor is the future of our city. Our transition from a quiet farm town to where the best and the brightest minds are figuring out solutions to today’s problems started in that very place,” Wehrli said in his State of the City address Thursday. It’s a timely topic: The city has budgeted $150,000 to conduct a special study on either the I-88 corridor or the properties around Naperville’s 5th Avenue Metra station. Other potential initiatives have also been floated in recent months. City council members are expected to discuss at their next meeting which one to pursue. * Aurora Beacon-News | More than $1 million secured from federal government to help replace lead pipes in Aurora: Aurora has been working to replace these lead “service lines” for years. Since 2018, the city has replaced 3,290 of them throughout the community, according to a recent city news release. The recent federal funding secured by Underwood and Foster, which totals nearly $1.1 million, will be used to replace around 120 lead service lines, the news release said. Officials estimated that around 400 residents will be impacted through the replacements. * Daily Herald | Homeowners association wants Arlington Heights to end pool attendant requirement: “We would like to be able to go to ‘swim at your own risk,’” said Jim Regan, vice president of the Regent Park Property Owners Association, citing cost concerns and the difficulty of finding lifeguards. “You see the city of Chicago can hardly get lifeguards, and that’s going to happen more and more.” The local ordinance — which regulates so-called semipublic outdoor pools, not private ones in residential backyards or indoor pools — dates to Sept. 8, 1986. As far as village officials can surmise, the rule may have had something to do with the lack of easy access to telephones outside. * Daily Southtown | Dolton shows off changes inside Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home 1 year after his election: While the home remains closed to the public, the village recently began offering private tours of the humble two-story building for some reporters and religious groups, along with Prevost’s brother, John, last month. Dolton Village Clerk Alison Key, who leads the Historic Preservation Commission working on a plan for the village to benefit from pope-related tourism, has begun adding elements to the East 141st Place house that celebrate Pope Leo XIV as well as the community he’s from. * Daily Herald | ‘It always led here’: She started teaching at 47 and is now a Golden Apple Award winner: The fourth grade teacher at Big Hollow Elementary School was honored with a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Ingleside school on Thursday. “It took me until I was 47 to start teaching,” she said. “I went a circuitous route, but this is where I’m supposed to be. I love it. I love coming to work every single day, and this just tells me I made a good decision.” * WIFR | Hard Rock Casino announces hotel expansion in Rockford: During a news conference Thursday, leaders shared the Hard Rock Hotel and Convention Center will have 200 to 225 total rooms, including luxury VIP suites, 15,000 square feet of conference space, a spa and a fitness center. […] When built, the hotel and convention center will be Illinois’ only Hard Rock Hotel. Leaders said that, like the casino, the hotel will display items from local and global musical talents, including guitars from the collection of Rockford native and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. * WCIA | City of Danville unveils draft of 2050 Comprehensive Plan: In a Facebook post, the city said that the draft of this plan is now able to be viewed here. Residents are able to look at the plan and share their thoughts by commenting on the Facebook post. The city said every comment will be collected and shared directly with the Comprehensive Plan team. * Crain’s | Consumers are ‘running out of money’ and cutting back, CEOs warn: “They’re literally running out of money at the end of the month,” Kraft Heinz Co. Chief Executive Officer Steve Cahillane said in an interview this week. “We’re seeing negative cash flows in the lower-income brackets where they’re dipping into savings.” […] The maker of washers and dryers said it’s counting on purchases picking up after a harsh US winter slowed shopping, but the war caused a collapse in consumer sentiment. The company described the resulting 15% hit to industry demand as similar to the global financial crisis in the aughts. * USA Today | Lord of the Rinks. Meet the hockey CEO cashing in on your kid’s team: A nine-month USA TODAY investigation found that Gunty, founder of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, used his private investment firm’s youth sports arm, Black Bear Sports Group, to rapidly buy up ice rinks and teams across the Northeast and Midwest and then leveraged that control to steer families into its own costly ecosystem of leagues, tournaments and fees. * Kelly Blue Book | Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Because Wheels May Fall Off: Cracks in the brake rotor stud holes could cause the wheel studs to separate from the hub, making it harder to control the vehicle and potentially causing the wheel to fall off, increasing the likelihood of a crash. Affected vehicles may exhibit vibration or noise prior to wheel stud separation. Tesla says it will completely replace the affected wheel hubs and rotors. The repairs will be conducted at no cost to owners, as mandated by law.
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Good morning!
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller The way you flip your hip it always makes me weak * TGIF check-in! How are you?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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