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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Fox 23 Now…
* Shaw Local | State Sen. Patrick Joyce launches annual book club for students on break: “It can be easy for young students to drift away from reading when the school year ends,” Joyce said. “Reading over the summer helps students stay in a routine that can last for the rest of their lives.” The Summer Book Club requires students to read eight books of their choice during summer break, record the book names on a form, and return the form to Joyce’s district office by Friday, Aug. 21. Participants who complete the reading will receive a certificate and an invite to a pizza party, according to a news release. * WBEZ | On Vatican trip, Mayor Johnson will laud Pope Leo for his pushback against Trump’s ‘godforsaken’ policies: The delegation headed to Rome includes business leaders, Johnson’s deputy mayor for economic development, his sustainability officer, advisor Jason Lee, top council ally Jason Ervin (28th), as well as non-Catholic faith leaders to represent Chicago’s religious diversity. That includes Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann of Mishkan Chicago in Ravenswood, who said she will give the pope a White Sox kippah, a traditional Jewish head covering that represents “the respect for the divine.” * Tribune | Chicago Teachers Union members vote down proposed dues increase: It’s unclear how the vote will affect the union’s financial picture. Dues account for nearly 90% of CTU’s revenue, which is expected to exceed $40 million this fiscal year. Without the change, the union is facing a $4.2 million deficit, according to the April documents. A union spokesperson declined to comment on the shortfall. Meanwhile, fundraising is heating up in the race for Chicago’s first fully elected school board. CTU was the top spender in the 2024 election, which largely pitted the union against pro-school choice groups. The union has yet to endorse or make contributions to candidates this election cycle. * Sun-Times | ‘I don’t feel like I’m a major-leaguer’: Rikuu Nishida humble despite successful debut with White Sox: The 25-year-old native of Osaka, Japan, had a lot to be happy about. The Sox had just promoted him from Triple-A Charlotte to make his major-league debut at Rate Field, batting ninth and playing right field in the same lineup with countryman Munetaka Murakami. Nishida, who understands and speaks English but still had an interpreter at his side, giggled his way through a pregame interview session with reporters in the dugout. “I’m really, really happy, excited, but really nervous at the same time,” Nishida said through the interpreter. “I still can’t believe it’s true right now, so [there are] a lot of butterflies inside me. * Block Club | Chicago Toasts To Schlitz As Bars Serve Up Their Last Kegs Of The Truly Midwestern Beer: Neighbors have flocked to at least two of those former tied houses — Schubas Tavern in Lakeview and Friends of Friends in West Town — to get one last draft of Schlitz before the kegs run dry. Friends of Friends, 2001 W. Grand Ave., even held a “Schlitz funeral” Monday, where patrons could snag 86-cent Schlitz drafts during happy hour. “We’re selling the Schlitz for 86 cents because 86 means ‘We’re out of it, it’s done,’ in restaurant lingo,” Friends of Friends co-owner Abe Vucekovich said. “So we wanted a way for Chicagoans to say goodbye to such an important beer, and when better to do that than on Memorial Day?” * WBEZ | Chicago’s Lyric Opera receives $20 million gift from Illinois-based Negaunee Foundation: Half of the gift to Lyric will be used to support the company’s education program, which will be renamed for Negaunee. Lyric says it will expand its in-school and family programming and work more closely with Merit School of Music. The funds will also support a recently announced collaboration with the Music Institute of Chicago. Mangum said in a statement that engaging with young people is key to developing future opera audiences. * Tribune | ‘Broadview Six’ case in rare waters as defense says US attorney had ‘personal contact’ with grand jury: Over the weekend, MacArthur said, the office requested a litigation hold on “all records, emails, text messages, voice messages, documents and notes” related to the Broadview Six prosecution, including decisions about the disclosure and redaction of grand jury transcripts. That evidence could be crucial to potential future hearings over alleged prosecutorial misconduct, including vindictive prosecution. Also Tuesday, MacArthur said prosecutors were not objecting to the public release of most of the grand jury transcripts in the case, with limited redactions to remove personal identification of any grand jurors and one limited section where a juror expressed personal opinions about the case. * Sun-Times | Grand jurors in tainted ‘Broadview 6′ case had contact with Chicago’s top federal prosecutor, defense says: Tuesday’s disclosure about Boutros’ potential contact with the grand jury came from Straw attorney Christopher Parente. He shared no additional details during the public portion of Tuesday’s hearing, though. A spokesman for Boutros’ office did not immediately comment. Boutros told Perry on Thursday he wasn’t aware of the alleged grand jury misconduct until late April. He later announced a review of grand jury presentations in other cases that could have been tainted similarly to the “Broadview Six” case. * Sun-Times | Attorney accusing ICE agent of suburban Chicago attack now pushing for felony charges: Robert Held, 68, told reporters he followed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Adam Saracco from the ICE facility in suburban Broadview on Dec. 27, then filmed as Saracco stopped for gas in Brookfield. Held said Saracco eventually started walking toward him and pushed him to the ground. Saracco appeared in court in Maywood earlier Tuesday for a status hearing in the misdemeanor battery case stemming from the incident. Held later told reporters that he now wants the Cook County state’s attorney’s office to upgrade the charge to a felony. * Greg Hinz | As mayoral field forms, Mendoza targets Johnson on TIFs: In a likely preview of a mayoral campaign soon to come, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is ripping Mayor Brandon Johnson’s use of a financial device that has been a hallmark of his fiscal management of the city. Mendoza’s target is Johnson’s increasing dependence on “surplus funds” in the city’s tax-increment financing accounts to balance the city’s budget. The practice began in a small way under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and expanded some during the tenure of successor Lori Lightfoot, but has exploded under Johnson, with the city sweeping a record $1.01 billion from the TIF pot as part of the 2026 city budget. * Aurora Beacon-News | St. Charles City Council OKs $7.6 million bid for lead service line replacement work: In the wake of recently-approved utility rate hikes meant to pay for such improvements, the St. Charles City Council has given the green light for a $7.6 million lead service line replacement project in the city. The replacement of lead service lines is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and must be completed within 10 years under a rule approved by former President Joe Biden’s administration meant to reduce lead in drinking water, a deadline that President Donald Trump’s administration recently indicated it is backing, according to the Associated Press. […] St. Charles’ lead service line replacements are expected to cost about $8.4 million annually, and must begin in 2026, officials have said. The city’s water utility has a little over 3,000 projected lead service lines connected to the community water supply distribution system, according to documents from the city. * Lake County News-Sun | Buffalo Grove ranked best place to live in Illinois: ‘Now everybody else in the country knows’: Buffalo Grove has been named the best place to live in Illinois, according to a U.S. News & World Report 2026-2027 ranking that also designated the village as the 15th best in the country. […] Village President Eric Smith said he “couldn’t be more excited” about the ranking, recalling a conversation he had with a journalist when he first became mayor. “What are your goals?” Smith recalled the reporter asking. “When people think of Buffalo Grove, I want them to want to come here. I want this to be the best place.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Farmers Market set to open for its 115th season: “We’ll have between 50 and 60 vendors each week,” Freitag said. “Some will come once a month, and others every other week. About a quarter will be rotating, while the rest will be there weekly.” Old favorites like Strawberries BBQ, Michigan’s Lopez Farms, Dick’s Mini-Donuts and Soulshine Farm will be back along with “at least 15 new vendors,” Freitag said. “Some of our new ones include some farms we’ve added based on surveys we’ve offered to patrons,” she said. “There’s been a request for more fresh local produce and we have a couple of farms including Microcosm Farm from Shabbona who have produce and sauerkrauts and kimchi which we’ve never had before.” * Muddy River News | No official word on suspended PE teachers, but QPS looking to fill positions in June: It’s been one year since Muddy River News reported that two Denman Elementary School physical education teachers who admitted to giving birthday spankings and taping students’ mouths shut were investigated by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Since then, the two teachers have been on paid administrative leave, the Quincy School District parted ways with Superintendent Todd Pettit and have had two interim superintendents. A new superintendent, Larry Gray, takes over July 1. The Quincy School Board had no updates last week on the status of the two teachers, Kim Kirby and Jen Oitker. They remain are under investigation by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for their conduct. * WCIA | Forsyth officials share renovation plans for veterans memorial: Planned improvements include military branch monuments, enhanced walkways and gathering spaces, restored flagpoles, relocated engraved pavers, landscaping improvements, seating areas and more. “This project is about honoring service, preserving history, and creating a place where families, veterans, and visitors can gather in remembrance and gratitude,” Village Administrator Jill Applebee said in a news release. “We are excited to provide opportunities for individuals, families, organizations, and businesses to be part of this lasting tribute.” * WGLT | Midwest Punk Fest returns with a new home at Meltdown Creative Works: Plue said now was an ideal time to resuscitate Midwest Punk Fest, in large part, because he’s got a space of his own. “We moved the show every two years, just because of venue issues,” he said on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. “Either had to get bigger, or it just didn’t work out at a certain venue, or the venue was closed. We now have our own venue and can kind of control a little bit more of how it’s done.” * WCIA | Phoebe Bridgers announces surprise show in Champaign: Recently, Bridgers has been popping up in cities throughout the country for small, intimate concerts. Her shows are announced through posters shortly before tickets go on sale — on the day of the concert. Monday, posters showed that Bridgers would perform at The Orpheum in Champaign. * States Newsroom | Congressional Black Caucus calls for corporate leaders to speak out for voting rights: The CBC’s attempt to mobilize the business community comes as Black representation in Congress potentially faces its most severe threat since the end of Reconstruction following the Civil War. But some business leaders have taken a friendlier tone with President Donald Trump, who backs the gerrymandering. A U.S. Supreme Court decision in April, in a case called Louisiana v. Callais, sharply weakened the federal Voting Rights Act, which had blocked states from breaking apart majority-minority districts. It limited the use of race in redistricting, prompting several Southern states to advance new maps targeting these districts, which are mostly held by Black Democrats. * AP | South Carolina Senate rejects Trump’s call to redraw congressional map for midterm elections: As early in-person voting began Tuesday in South Carolina’s primaries, the state Senate rejected a Republican plan to cancel those congressional votes and instead schedule a new primary under revised districts designed to help the GOP oust a longtime Democrat. Some senators said it was simply too late to make a change. “South Carolina citizens are going to the polls today. And neither my conscience or common sense is going to let me stop an election that is already underway,” Republican state Sen. Richard Cash said. * Business Insider | Uber’s COO says it’s getting harder to justify the money spent on AI tokenmaxxing: He said that the trade-off costs from AI are harder to justify because he can’t draw a direct link. Earlier this month, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in an earnings call that Uber was slowing hiring to counter its investments in AI. Macdonald added that AI can seem free if you’re “just a user sitting there coming up with interesting use cases” without paying for it. But ultimately, the company foots the bill. […] Duolingo, for instance, walked back its decision to include AI usage in performance reviews after employees asked whether they had to use AI for the sake of using it.
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Question of the day
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller Currently, judicial records in Illinois are not subject to the state’s Freedom of Information Act. Given the courts’ wide-reaching jurisdiction in Illinois, the exemption substantially restricts the public’s ability to understand a wide range of issues. * From the synopsis…
The bill is still in the Assignments Committee. No witness slips have been filed. * The Question: Should the Illinois court system be subject to FOIA, with the restrictions noted above? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Pritzker says ’some sort of pause’ in automatic gas tax hike could be coming
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. JB Pritzker was asked today about his thoughts on the gas tax during this spring’s huge price spike…
Please pardon any transcription errors.
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Stratton Building locked down after ’suspicious device’ seen in parking lot
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * An alert was sent at 11 this morning….
* The Secretary of State’s office…
* The lockdown was lifted around noon…
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Stop Rx Drug Deserts. Say No To HB 1443!
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] HB 1443 would create a state-appointed Prescription Drug Affordability Board with the authority to review and set upper payment limits on selected prescription drugs. While well-intentioned, this misguided legislation risks harming patients’ community pharmacies without addressing the real drivers of health care costs. Allowing government appointees to intervene in decisions between patients and their physicians raises serious concerns. Moreover, despite being enacted in multiple states, these boards have failed to deliver meaningful savings. Instead, New Hampshire repealed their board late last year and Virginia’s governor recently vetoed PDAB bills, citing high costs and a lack of meaningful savings in other states. In Illinois, community pharmacies are essential to the communities they serve, providing access to critical medicines and treatments. If upper payment limits are set below pharmacies’ acquisition costs, pharmacists could be forced to dispense drugs at a loss or stop carrying certain drugs altogether. This puts patient access at risk, especially those who depend on nearby, trusted community-based pharmacies. Illinois’ health care system is already incredibly fragile. HB 1443 advances policy with no record of lowering costs for patients or supporting the sustainability of community pharmacies. Don’t force community pharmacies to choose between financial loss and patient access. We urge you to oppose HB 1443. Paid for by PharmaScript and the Greater Chicagoland Black Chamber of Commerce
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Catching up with the congressionals
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Lindsay Church, a veteran who runs a nonprofit serving minority veterans, has dropped out of the race…
* Church has endorsed fellow Independent Mayra Macìas. Press release…
* Press release…
* More…
* Press release | Patty García Endorsed by Rep. Ro Khanna: “I’m proud to endorse Patty for IL-04 because she has stood with immigrant families facing detention and deportation, fought to keep housing affordable, and helped deliver resources to communities that have been overlooked for far too long,” said Rep. Ro Khanna. Rep. Khanna is a leading progressive voice on removing dark money from politics, holding Big Tech accountable, and reducing costs like housing and healthcare for working Americans. He has also worked across ideological lines with lawmakers like Thomas Massie on issues including congressional war powers and government transparency, including efforts to push for the release of records related to Jeffrey Epstein.
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It’s Time To Bring Safer Rides To Illinois
Tuesday, May 26, 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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It’s just a bill (Updated)
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Press release…
…Adding… Chief Executive Officer of Illinois REALTORS Jeff Baker…
* Crain’s…
* CBS Chicago…
* Rep. Nicole Grasse…
* WAND…
* Sen. Sara Feigenholtz…
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Illinois Positioned To Become A National Leader On AI Safety
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] California and New York have already moved forward with frontier AI safety and transparency laws. Illinois legislators are building on these “blue-state” models by establishing some of the strongest protections in the country to safeguard residents from the risks posed by the most powerful AI systems. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the need for clear standards around safety, transparency, incident reporting, and accountability becomes increasingly important. While a comprehensive federal framework for frontier AI oversight would be preferable, states have a critical role to play. Illinois, alongside California and New York, is helping shape an emerging national model for responsible AI governance. When major states align on policy, companies often adopt those standards nationwide. Illinois residents deserve confidence that advanced AI technologies are being developed responsibly. Illinois legislators are helping ensure the companies developing these systems operate with transparency, accountability, and meaningful oversight. We appreciate the Senate’s partnership on these issues during the final weeks of session. Paid for by Build American AI
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Pritzker doesn’t think progressive revenue ideas have a chance, but his cuts are provoking a backlash
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
And as subscribers were told this morning, this push is coming from more than just the usual progressive suspects.
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340B Helps The Most Vulnerable Patients – Pass HB 2371 SA 2 For Your Constituents
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Thanks to 340B, last year nearly 1,000 uninsured patients at Sinai Chicago were able to access needed medications they wouldn’t have otherwise been able to afford. The health system serves Chicago’s west and southwest sides, where the rates of chronic disease are high and many patients receive charity care. “For safety net hospitals like ours, 340B is really about access,” said Mount Sinai Hospital President Sameer Shah, PharmD. “It helps keep clinics open, maintain pharmacy access and ensure patients stay on their medications.” At Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago—where 60% of the patients come from low-income families covered by Medicaid—infants with rare neuromuscular disorders can access gene therapies otherwise out of reach. Kristen Alianello, Lurie Children’s neuromuscular nurse coordinator, said: “The 340B program is so important, especially in our organization and with our patient population of spinal muscular atrophy,” 340B hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers across Illinois pass on drug discounts to patients and invest 340B savings into providing comprehensive healthcare services for low-income patients, including free health screenings, mobile clinics and new freestanding clinics, free transportation to medical appointments, expanded cancer care, diabetes self-management programs, and more. Stand with patients, hospitals and FQHCs: Pass House Bill 2371 SA 2 to protect 340B in Illinois. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago Teachers Union members vote down effort to raise union dues to pay for political campaigns. ABC Chicago…
- Among the campaigns is likely one for the CTU-backed candidate for Chicago Board of Education president, CTU political director Hilario Dominguez. - In a letter to members Saturday, the Union said 60 percent of members voted against moving forward with he proposal. Sponsored by PhRMA  * At 11 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver remarks at the Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation Dedication. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Sun-Times | Chicago U.S. attorney says he’s reviewing other cases that might have been tainted like the ‘Broadview Six’: Finally, Oak Park village trustee Brian Straw — among those charged in the “Broadview Six” case — asked U.S. District Judge April Perry for an order preserving any emails, text messages or other communications relating to the grand jury proceedings in that prosecution. Straw’s attorneys, Christopher Parente and Damon Cheronis, wrote in a court filing that they’d “lost complete faith and confidence in [Chicago’s] U.S. Attorney’s Office to do the right thing on its own.” Parente also called on Durbin and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth to investigate Boutros’ office. * CBS Chicago | Illinois data centers are using millions of gallons of residential water; experts say there are better alternatives: With the Chicago area situated next to the massive Lake Michigan, which contains over 1 quadrillion gallons of water, we can forget there isn’t an endless supply of water. And experts dealing with the impact of data centers used to train and power AI say we have to shift that thinking, because Chicago can’t keep up with the water needs we’re now seeing. “When it comes down to it, the water available for human uses from the lake are not limitless,” said Rachel Havrelock of The Freshwater Lab at University of Illinois Chicago. * Fox 2 Now | Illinois unemployment rate holds at 5.1% in April as jobless numbers rise: The Illinois Department of Employment Security reported the state’s unemployment rate held steady at 5.1% in April, the same as in March, based on figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That compares to a national unemployment rate of 4.3% for the same period, underscoring a gap between Illinois and the broader U.S. labor market. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois grows millions of bushels of soybeans. Why aren’t we eating them?: But almost none of those millions of bushels end up as food on Illinois plates. According to the Illinois Soybean Association, 60% of soybeans grown in the state are exported; most of the remaining 40% are processed as animal feed, leaving the state reliant on imports for its soy food. “Ninety-five percent of food consumed in the state of Illinois is imported,” said Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, chair of the House Agriculture and Conservation Committee, speaking of Illinois food crops. “If there were any type of natural disaster, Illinois only has enough food that will last us for three days.” * NBC Chicago | Some tick bites can trigger a red meat allergy, cases reported in Illinois: The Illinois Department of Public Health recently highlighted AGS, also known as red meat allergy or tick bite meat allergy. The condition occurs after some tick bites, when the body becomes allergic to a molecule called alpha-gal - a sugar produced in the bodies of most mammals - but not in people. It can be transmitted through the saliva of some ticks. […] According to IDPH, AGS has been increasingly recognized across the country, and cases have been reported in Illinois, although a number hasn’t been provided. The condition is typically associated with the bite of lone star ticks, which are most often found in the South, East and Central parts of the country. * Crain’s | Pritzker leans into economic development. Here’s how it’s going: From the start of Pritzker’s tenure through last year, including the pandemic decline and recovery, the number of jobs in Illinois rose 0.9% to an average of 6.16 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Among 10 neighboring and peer states, only Iowa had lower job growth at 0.4%. Kentucky led the way at 5.3%. Things improved during Pritzker’s second term, with jobs growing 2%. Although Illinois still has the second-lowest score, the gap narrowed. Last year, as growth decelerated nationwide, Illinois was firmly in the middle of the pack with 1.6% growth. * Sun-Times | Benefits of Bears’ megaproject bill ‘murky’ at best for Illinois taxpayers: Cook County treasurer analysis: Pappas’ report evaluates the bill that passed the Illinois House last month but will need major changes to have any hope of passing the Illinois Senate before the spring legislative session concludes. Lawmakers have until midnight Sunday to get a bill to the end zone. Researchers from the treasurer’s office looked broadly at the megaprojects concept that Gov. JB Pritzker has long championed outside the context of the Bears’ stadium saga. Dozens of other states have such laws in place that allow companies to negotiate discounted payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) instead of their full property tax bills to local taxing bodies, as long as they’re investing in massive developments. * Capitol News Illinois | Report shows how much Bears could pay in Arlington Heights property taxes: Under the proposal in Springfield, if the assessed value of the land is frozen, the team would be on the hook for a $4 million tax bill. If they negotiate a $10 million payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, the team would pay $14 million annually. That would equal a $39 million annual property tax break, or $1.5 billion over the 40-year lifespan of the megaproject. * NBC Chicago | Arlington Heights mayor: Bears stadium deal could be decided in the final hours: Sunday is the last day of the spring legislative session in Springfield, so they have under a week to pass the bill that could keep the Bears in Illinois. “I’m very optimistic. I believe that it’s going to happen. I think that our governor and legislators in Springfield are working really hard to make it happen,” said Mayor Jim Tinaglia. “I’d like to make sure we get it done. And so, if it takes till 11:59 p.m., that’s what it takes. I’m good with that.” * The White Sox Caucus will be meeting tonight at DH Brown’s…  * Sun-Times | Dr. Olusimbo Ige out as Chicago health chief: A source familiar with the matter confirmed Friday that Johnson had asked for Ige’s resignation, which is effective immediately. […] Ige is a public health expert — trained in medicine in Nigeria, where she grew up, and not licensed to practice in the U.S. Before taking the Chicago job, she worked for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Before that, she served as an assistant commissioner at New York City’s health department. * Crain’s | Chicago delays tipped wage phaseout after restaurant pushback: Chicago’s plan to phase out the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers will be delayed by two years under a compromise approved today by the City Council, handing restaurants a longer runway to adjust to higher labor costs and dealing a setback to one of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s signature labor victories. The agreement extends the city’s original five-year timeline for eliminating the tipped wage credit to seven years, while giving smaller restaurants employing fewer than 21 workers even more time to comply. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson to tout opposition to wars during Vatican trip, says Pope wants to keep Bears in Chicago: Johnson is heading to Rome this week with a delegation from World Business Chicago, or WBC, the first time in a decade that the pope has hosted a Chicago mayor. During his lunch at the popular South Side soul food restaurant on Sunday, Johnson said he will use his meeting, scheduled for Thursday, to discuss their shared condemnation of “endless illegal wars” as well as the mayor’s executive orders during President Donald Trump’s second term. * Tribune | Chicago bike lane construction sparks pushback, fuels political fights: And the small, relentless Southwest Side fight is over more than just that construction project. It’s the latest front in a citywide political divide over the future of transportation and safety. To the pro-bike lane faction, the concrete bump outs and bus-boarding islands added to the busy street mean safety for cyclists, kids heading to school and even drivers. “People don’t bike on Archer because it was so dangerous,” said Alfredo Valladares Jr., who founded the group Gage Park Cyclists. “Everybody needs to have a fair opportunity to be safe.” * Crain’s | Judge restores Chicago-area listings to Zillow — for now: Two days ago, Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) cut its data feed to Zillow because of a dispute over private and pre-market listings. Zillow prohibits listings going on its site if they’ve been shown in limited-exposure settings like private listings, but MRED and nationwide brokerage Compass have been advocating for keeping some listings private. Unable to bring Zillow around, MRED stopped putting new listings on Zillow and said Zillow couldn’t keep MRED existing listings on its site or Trulia, which Zillow owns. * Sun-Times | City program to rehab more than 30 properties on the South and West sides is back: More rehabbed homes will soon follow as part of Rebuild Chicago 2.0, an expansion of the city’s Rebuild program that targets abandoned homes to give them a second life. The program identifies homes that can be acquired, rehabbed and sold to create homeownership opportunities on the South and West sides, which have experienced disinvestment. The program is focused on Roseland and Englewood, and it will support the rehab of 33 homes. Another home is being rehabbed about four blocks away from the Yale Avenue property. * WGN | Calumet City lays off 46 workers due to ‘profound fiscal challenges’: According to [ Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones], Calumet City is struggling to meet the demands of high health insurance costs, late Cook County property tax revenues and an “unsustainable” backlog of city bills to vendors. This all ads up to a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall for the rest of the year. “Our revenues are flat and there was zero growth in revenue last year. Our plan is to decrease costs of city operations and look at options to generate revenue potential revenue enhancements,” the mayor said in the release. “We have a structural problem that we will solve. City government needed to be downsized with more services going online and cuts to agencies through consolidation. We will be steadfast in our quest to overcome this challenge and achieve our fiscal goals all while continuing to perform our government operations in a spirit of excellence.” * Sun-Times | Closing of Oak Park’s West Suburban Medical Center has triggered a legal battle among its owners: Lawyers for Prasad and Patlola have been arguing before Stanton about the financial details of Resilience Healthcare. Both sides have agreed to have recently retired Judge Patrick Sherlock review years of bank records for several accounts tied to Resilience Healthcare and the hospitals. Once Sherlock has turned over what he finds to Stanton, closing arguments are expected May 29. * Daily Herald | West suburbs could see five more freight trains a day if rail merger passes: Seven municipalities crossed by freight and UP West Metra trains have retained legal experts specializing in railway law for “the collective safeguarding of our communities’ interests,” Winfield Village Manager Evan Summers said. The coalition comprises Berkeley, Elmhurst, Lombard, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Winfield and Geneva. “It doesn’t mean we’re fighting it; it just means we want to share costs and concerns and monitor (events) to make sure that concerns are addressed,” Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin said. “It’s a good intergovernmental setup that keeps the costs fairly minimal for each of the participants.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Indian Prairie D204 predicting $4.9 million budget deficit for 2027, but a balanced budget in future years: The district’s Chief School Business Official Matt Shipley gave a presentation May 18 to the board, during which he shared that the district is looking at a one-time, nearly $5 million budget deficit next year that’s expected to balance out over the years to follow. At the meeting, Shipley emphasized the importance of the district having “a sustainable budget over a significant period of time,” meaning it is looking three to five years in the future and “not looking to play games or to try and balance one year of a budget over another.” * Aurora Beacon-News | One month before opening day, work is finishing up at new Hollywood Casino Aurora: The $360 million project — located along Farnsworth Avenue and Bilter Road, across the street from Chicago Premium Outlets mall and near the Interstate 88 interchange — has been under construction since 2023. The new casino, hotel and related restaurants are planned to open on June 24, replacing the longtime riverboat Hollywood Casino in downtown Aurora. * Capitol City Now | Despite one problem being solved, more issues persist for owner of Springfield downtown Wyndham: “The ownership group filed for bankruptcy,” said Michelle Ownbey, Springfield Business Journal Executive Editor, on the WTAX Morning Newswatch. “Tower Capital, which is one of the business entities Al Rajabi owns, reported business revenue of just over $6 million in 2024, and then only $1.6 million a year later after the Wyndham closed in March at the very beginning of 2025, and no business revenue so far for this year.” Ownbey reports Al Rajabi’s business efforts have worked before, but not in Springfield, apparently. “His specialty was sort of buying these distressed hotels, flipping hotels, and he had done that in some other communities,” said Ownbey. “Perhaps, for a variety of reasons, the one here did not pan out the way he had expected.” * WTVO | Aquin Catholic Academy in Freeport to close May 29 after enrollment decline: The decision follows months of review by a special task force and comes after years of declining enrollment and financial challenges at the school. Bishop David Malloy accepted the recommendation to close the school after receiving input from Freeport-area pastors, families, and community members. […] Aquin has faced shrinking enrollment for years, mirroring broader demographic shifts in the Freeport area. According to the Diocese, just 39 students were enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade during the 2025–2026 school year, with fewer than half identifying as Catholic. * BND | Historic Belleville farm being transformed into mental health treatment center: The nonprofit will take a giant step this summer, when it moves from an O’Fallon office building to a historic 7.65-acre farm, across from Belleville West High School. “We were born in Belleville, and we’re returning to Belleville,” said Kevin Smith’s wife, Emily, who serves as executive director. “So we’ve come full circle, and this will be our forever home.” This project is separate from a planned $30 million business and sports complex with flexible tenant spaces and an indoor soccer field that’s planned for 30 acres of farmland to the east. * Springfield Business Journal | New life for former Sangamo Club?: Local developer Corky Joyner of Joyner Construction has the 29,000-square-foot building at 227 E. Adams St. under contract with tentative plans to redevelop it into apartments. However, Joyner is awaiting bids for remediating hazardous materials in the building and wants to have a cost estimate for the remediation before closing on the property. He said he is hoping to be able to make a final decision within the coming weeks. While Joyner remains open to different options for the building, he said residential development is at the top of the list. “Everything is still on the table at this point, but our initial desire is to do residential there,” he said. He estimates the building could house between 20 and 40 residential units. * WGLT | Pesticide drift near Morton school prompts calls for prior notification from farmers: Vandenberg said parents later got an email telling them to have their kids take a shower because of the risk for pesticide drift. She added that is when she found an Illinois bill seeks to address her situation.Illinois lawmakers want to address this problem by requiring farmers to notify schools and parks 72 hours before applying pesticides to allow parents decide how to best keep their kid safe. * WCIA | Danville pharmacy increases delivery prices due to gas prices: Polyclinic said it’s the only pharmacy with a delivery service in Vermilion County, bringing medications to eight different communities. Sometimes, workers deliver to up to 50 patients a day. Now, their patients will pay a little extra for their prescriptions. […] The pharmacy recently took to social media to tell patients that the pharmacy is increasing delivery prices by $2 as a result of rising gas prices. * ProPublica | Trump’s Justice Department Dropped 23,000 Criminal Investigations in Shift to Immigration: The cases included an investigation into a Virginia nursing home with a recent record of patient abuse; probes of fraud involving several New Jersey labor unions, including one opened after a top official of a national union was accused of embezzlement; and an investigation into a cryptocurrency company suspected of cheating investors. In total, the DOJ quietly closed more than 23,000 criminal cases in the first six months of President Donald Trump’s administration, abandoning hundreds of investigations into terrorism, white-collar crime, drugs and other offenses as it shifted resources to pursue immigration cases, according to an analysis by ProPublica. * NBC | Fake ICE agents terrorize immigrants amid Trump’s crackdown: Although neither the federal government nor local authorities publish specific records of people impersonating immigration agents, an analysis by Noticias Telemundo, based on court records, police reports and news articles, suggests that the number of such crimes has increased over the past year. Our investigation documented at least 31 cases in 2025 alone — a sharp increase compared to an average of 5.3 incidents per year in the previous decade. Overall, we identified 84 instances of impostors posing as immigration agents between 2014 and 2025. * Religion News Service | Inside the unlikely Vatican-Anthropic relationship that’s reshaping the AI ethics debate: Ties between the Vatican and AI companies can be traced back to roughly 2016. According to a 2022 interview Green conducted with Bishop Paul Tighe, who serves as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, it was around a decade ago when the first series of conversations were held in Rome between church officials and tech leaders. Known as the “Minerva Dialogues,” the conversations included several powerful Silicon Valley figures, such as former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, while other tech executives, such as Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis, who directs Google’s DeepMind AI project, held private audiences with Francis.
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Good morning!
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Norah Jones… All I ask is please If you don’t like that, well, then I can’t help you. Nobody can. * What’s up this week?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Reader comments closed for the holiday weekend
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * The House and Senate will return late Monday afternoon, so we will maybe do a little something that day. To be determined, but they won’t be doing much. I hope you have a relaxing weekend. Here’s Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* Capitol News Illinois | 10 provisions in the latest Illinois cannabis omnibus bill: Identical bills have been introduced in the House and Senate, though neither has been assigned to a substantive committee. It’s unclear if they will move before lawmakers adjourn May 31. […] “Rumors of the demise of House-Senate collaboration have been greatly exaggerated,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, in a statement. “I’m proud of the partnership that’s gone into drafting this bill, and I’m proud of the end product — legislation that will help keep our cannabis industry among the most vibrant and diverse in the nation.” * WCIA | Illinois farmers weigh in on bill updating farm wagon regulations: Wednesday night, WCIA reported on a new bill that would allow heavier farm wagons to still qualify for exemptions — allowing them to drive on the road. The previous regulations have been in place since the 1970s, and one farmer in Central Illinois said he’s glad they’re catching up with new technology. * Tribune | What’s behind the push to make the Italian beef Illinois’ official sandwich? Thank ‘The Bear.’: Despite its deep roots and existing legendary status, over the last few years, Mr. Beef has become the city’s most famous Italian beef purveyor thanks to its prominent feature in “The Bear,” an FX show that follows a fine dining chef who returns to his family’s Italian beef stand. So when House lawmakers downstate passed a bill to designate the sturdy yet soggy Italian beef the official state sandwich of Illinois, Zucchero’s brain had to be picked. “Did they ask the other counties in the state?” Zucchero asked the Tribune over the phone. He was 70 miles south of the Canadian border in Minnesota, where he lives when he’s not in Chicago. “I think it’s great that Italian beef is getting recognized, but does it just represent the city of Chicago, which has a tendency to overshadow the whole state of Illinois? There’s still 101 other counties,” he laughed. “I think I would feel better if I knew that every county got to vote.” * Illinois Answers Project | After Chicago Cop was Shot, Frantic Search for Car Keys Delayed Care, Newly Obtained Video Shows: In an interview with COPA months after the shooting, Baker said he carried Rivera down the first floor of the building, laying her against a wall and giving the keys to his squad car to another cop. […] One newly released video shows an officer crossed the street behind Baker’s SUV and walked down a fenced-in sidewalk that leads to the steel front door of the apartment building[…] During that window, officers spent just over a minute shouting for keys and for officers and others to move their cars. Baker later told investigators he had the keys. […] Once the SUV carrying Rivera got on the road, it caught fire on the way to the hospital. Radio traffic shows a dispatcher asked about the car fire and that an officer responded about a minute later that another squad car was needed to carry Rivera to the hospital. * Tribune | Hundreds attend funeral services for Chicago firefighter Steven Decker: Decker was a fire engineer with CFD, according to city human resources data. He had spent nearly 30 years on the job and was assigned to Engine 71 in the West Ridge neighborhood, fire officials said. “Steve gave everything in service to the people of Chicago and his courage and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” CFD Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences go out to the Decker family, fellow firefighters and paramedics and all who cherished him.” * Sun-Times | Bears coaches have a simple message to QB Caleb Williams this offseason: ‘Do less’: The Bears aren’t trying to turn Williams into Goff. The clockwork precision and timing of Goff’s game, though, reflects Johnson and Barrett’s deeply rooted belief of what efficient, winning quarterback play should be. They want more of that in Williams’ game as he grows. That starts with completion percentage and Johnson’s insistence that Williams is at 70%. Not only did he fail to reach that number in any single game last season, but he finished last in the league at 58.1% overall. That sunk his yards per pass to 6.9 and his passer rating to 90.1, whereas Goff completed 68%, averaged 7.9 yards per pass and registered a 105.5 passer rating. * Block Club | Atelier, Lincoln Square’s Michelin-Starred Restaurant, Has Closed: Owner Tim Lacey, himself an acclaimed bartender and Lincoln Square resident for over 20 years, announced the closure in a note posted to the restaurant’s website and social media. It’s not clear when the last day of service was at Atelier, 4544 N. Western Ave. Lacey didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. “It pains me tremendously to say this but, we’ve had to close Atelier. This was not a decision made lightly, but due to financial issues closing was our only option,” reads the note signed “Tim.” * Crain’s | Neighbors say Northwestern University lets empty houses deteriorate: Six of the 14 houses are unoccupied: four on Colfax and one each on Noyes and Haven. The house on Haven has holes in the eaves and on the porch roof that are visible from the sidewalk. One house on Colfax has a work permit in the window whose date is 2016. The concrete steps on the house are crumbling, the cast-off bits of stone scattered around. “We don’t want this to become a demolition-by-neglect scenario,” said Clare Kelly, the Evanston City Council member whose ward the houses are in. She believes all six houses have been vacant for at least five years. Some appear from a sidewalk view to be in good order, though no details are available on their interiors. * Daily Herald | Judge rules South Barrington Park District’s land sale to religious group was improper: * Beacon-News | Indian Prairie D204 board OKs new support staff contract and raises for administrative, non-union employees: The Indian Prairie School District 204 board has OK’d raises for administrative and non-union employees for next school year, and formally approved a four-year contract for support staff, which includes pay hikes in the coming years. First, the school board approved, as part of the consent agenda at its meeting May 18, 3.9% pay hikes for some of its employees for the 2026-27 school year, according to district documents. The hikes are meant to be in line with the Consumer Price Index, or CPI, per the district. * Press release | Gov. Pritzker Announces Des Plaines River Bridges Replacement on I-80: The new $164 million Des Plaines River bridges are the centerpieces and most complex elements of the overall I-80 improvements, currently IDOT’s largest active project. Originally built in the 1960s, the existing bridges will be replaced with two wider, concrete structures 300 feet to the north. The new bridges are expected to be completed in 2028, with the old bridges demolished in 2029. * Pioneer Press | Oak Brook mayor lauds response to ‘anxious and rowdy’ crowd amid Swatch release at mall: But according to Oak Brook village President Larry Herman, it would have been impossible for Oakbrook Center management to plan for this. “This release was unannounced to the mall management and our police department,” he said. “I commend our police department for an immediate and orderly response to de-escalate the crowd that had gathered for a limited Swatch timepiece. The actions taken by the officers on duty, and officers from nearby departments that assisted, ensured there were no injuries from a crowd that was becoming increasingly anxious and rowdy.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County Cougars’ bus set on fire in Canada, police say: Upon police arriving, two teenagers were taken into custody in connection with the incident, the Winnipeg police said. Investigators from its major crimes unit believe the fire was deliberately set, police said, and one of the teenagers — a 15-year-old girl — is facing charges of arson causing damage to property and possession of incendiary material. She has since been released and turned over to a responsible adult, the Winnipeg police said on Thursday. […] The team ultimately came back to defeat the Goldeyes 12-5 later in the day on Thursday. * Illinois Times | Sangamon County wrestles with land use issues: The Zoning and Land Use Committee also did not take any action on a recent proposal by District 7 board member Craig Hall, who represents the area where the Double Black Diamond Solar Farm opened last year and where the CyrusOne project is slated to be built. Hall’s proposal would attempt to circumvent the state’s latest laws that prevent local governments from having stricter authority on zoning for renewable energy projects. A 2023 law specifically “requires counties to allow commercial, utility-scale solar and wind energy conversion systems to be sited in areas zoned for agricultural or industrial use,” according to a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign fact page. “A county can have more lax requirements than called for in state law, but it cannot have more restrictive requirements,” though no mention of rezoning land so its not sited for agricultural or industrial use is outlined. * WCIA | Over 100 people at public hearing in Decatur for proposed power plant: If the construction permit is approved, the facility would contain piping to transport carbon dioxide from the carbon capture plant to ADM’s nearby existing sequestration wells. That’s what many people there on Thursday were focusing on. Illinois People’s Action Group was well represented at the hearing. One of their big fears is carbon escaping from the sequestration wells and carbon going into Lake Decatur. “If we are not heard by the EPA, and they don’t want to protect us, and accidents do happen, and they will eventually, it could totally destroy this community,” said Verlyn Rosenberger, an IL People’s Action Group leader. “There could be absolutely no Decatur and no outlying areas that also rely on their wells, their farm ponds, their farm animals, the wildlife. It’s all going to be affected. Nobody is going to escape.” * IPM Newsroom | Yankee Ridge students head to Sola Gratia Farm for the last time this spring – with the program’s future uncertain: “Best strawberries I’ve ever had,” said fourth grader Hanna Sanmartin Hernandez. “I usually don’t like strawberries, but these are too good. I can’t stop eating them. I’m trying to save some for my family and I can’t do it.” The students visit the non-profit, urban farm every Friday after school to learn about plants, get their hands dirty and breathe the outside air. […] But when the Trump administration restarted the program in the fall of 2025, the recipients of the cancelled grants applied alongside new applicants. There were over twice as many applicants for fewer grants that would each allocate more money – a change put in place by the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the relaunch of the program. * IPM News | Chancellor Charles Isbell reflects on his first year at U of I, looks ‘towards the future’: Isbell also noted that this academic year, the university admitted the highest number of freshmen in U of I’s history, a total of 9,207 new students. This brought total enrollment to the largest number in U of I’s history as well, reaching 60,848 students. U of I also had the highest number of students from Illinois more than any previous academic year. 6,587 freshmen students enrolled at the university are from Illinois, bringing the total of undergraduate Illinois residents to 27,978. * WCIA | Big Boy No. 4014 train coming to Springfield in July: The train is set to start its Eastern tour early next week, with a few stops in Illinois. The historic locomotive is set to stop and be available at the Amtrak Depot in Springfield on July 18 from 10:45-11:15 a.m. On this specific tour, Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 will be traversing parts of the country it hasn’t seen in more than 80 years. * CNBC | Consumer sentiment hits fresh record low in May as Iran war fuels inflation worries: “Consumer sentiment fell for the third straight month as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to boost gasoline prices. Sentiment is now just below the previous historical trough seen in June 2022,” Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu said in a statement. “Critically, consumers appear worried that inflation will increase and proliferate beyond fuel prices, even in the long run.” * NYT | Your Memorial Day Travel Forecast: Heavy Traffic and Pricey Gas: AAA predicts that a record 45 million people will travel from Thursday to Monday. Despite the continued pressures of rising gas prices, which are the highest they’ve been since the summer of 2022, most travelers — 87 percent — are likely to drive, AAA said. At the start of the week, the national average for regular unleaded gas was around $4.56 a gallon as of Thursday, according to AAA data. The price was $3.18 at the same time last year. * AP | Companies join a deep-sea mining rush after Trump executive order, as regulators fast-track permits: At least nine companies are in talks with the government for access to seabed minerals, according to an Associated Press review. Sections of the seafloor from American Samoa to Alaska could be auctioned for offshore mining this summer and through the fall. All the action suggests the U.S. may soon give the green light for companies to commercially mine the seabed — something that’s never been done in international waters.
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No Cuts. Increase Funding. Save Lives.
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] These hospitals are lifelines for Black and Brown communities, providing critical care, supporting local jobs, and stabilizing entire neighborhoods. After years of chronic underinvestment, many are already operating on the edge. Even small cuts could lead to closures, fewer services, and dangerous gaps in care. The message is urgent and clear: Illinois cannot balance its budget on the backs of vulnerable communities. Protecting these hospitals means more than preventing cuts, it means increasing investment so they can meet the growing needs of the people they serve. Fully fund and strengthen safety-net hospitals. Lives depend on it. Paid for by Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals
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Today’s quotable
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
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Illinois GOP attacks Democrat ‘priority’ bill that hasn’t moved and is sponsored by a Republican
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Illinois Republican Party last night…  * Except, it turns out that HB5769 was sponsored by Republican Rep. Dave Severin earlier this month and has never emerged from the House Rules Committee. So, according to the ILGOP, Springfield Democrats are now prioritizing bills filed by Republican lawmakers and then leaving them parked in Rules? Also, even it was a Democratic bill, this is the best attack they got with a week or so to go in the session? The ILGOP’s tweet was deleted around 11 o’clock this morning. I’ve reached out to the state party and I’ll let you know if they respond.
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It’s almost a law
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WAND…
* WGLT…
* Rep. Nicole La Ha…
* The Illinois Education Association…
* WCIA…
* Rep. Margaret DeLaRosa…
* Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock…
* WCIA…
For more press releases on legislation and other matters, click here. * More… * Press release | Koehler measure to strengthen nursing home mental health reviews advances: House Bill 4509 would require the Illinois Department of Human Services or a designee to visit any individual admitted to a nursing home with a diagnosis of serious mental illness within 60 days of admission. It would also require a resident review within 72 hours when a resident with serious mental illness experiences a significant change in their physical or mental health. The legislation would also require IDHS to ensure there are no conflicts of interest among the employees administering pre-admission screenings. The goal is to give families the confidence that the residents are being evaluated fairly and appropriately. * Press release | Ellman bill aims to reduce food waste, expand student access to meals: Under current law, school districts participating in federal child nutrition programs must develop food-sharing plans as part of their local wellness policies. House Bill 4859 would clarify that share tables, already used in many schools, can fulfill this requirement, ensuring safe, equitable and efficient redistribution of unopened food items in accordance with guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture. Share tables are designated areas where students can place unopened, uneaten food items for others to take at no cost. * WAND | Bill requiring businesses to pay employees during jury duty sent to Pritzker’s desk: The bill would require businesses with more than 25 workers to pay their employees the regular pay rate during jury duty. Sponsors said this is an attempt to address the financial disincentives that exist for potential jurors to serve. Federal courts pay jurors $50 per day, but county courts provide a minimal rate for civic duty. * TSPR | A Naperville student is leading legislation to close CPR gender gaps: The bill was filed in February and assigned to the Education Policy committee. They quickly got feedback from the Illinois Principals Association that it needed amendments. “We pushed back the start date to a year later to give school some more time, and then we removed the ratio of male to female manikins, and we’re just saying you have to have at least one,” said Goldstein. It made the plan cheaper for school districts who’d have to buy additional manikins, or chest covers they can put on the male manikins they already have. * WAND | IL Senate passes bill increasing fine for drivers ignoring school bus safety arms: Although the school year is ending, safety around school buses is the focus of a proposal heading to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk. The Illinois Senate unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday to increase fines for people driving around school buses using the extended stop arm. Drivers stopped by police for ignoring the safety arms are currently fined a minimum of $300 and have their driver’s license suspended for six months. Illinois school districts can also choose to install stop arm safety technology, but the fine for drivers is capped at $150. * Press release | Cervantes measure to change developmental disability centers’ administrator qualifications: In order to be an administrator, someone must have a license under the Nursing Home Administrators Licensing and Disciplinary Act, be qualified as an intellectual disabilities professional, completed four semesters of higher education with two years of management experience, or have two years of experience in a position with progressive health care responsibility. However, they would also need to be at least 21 years old. House Bill 4112 passed the Senate Thursday and now heads to the governor’s desk for further consideration.
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Dick Durbin has some explaining to do about why he hired Broadview 6 prosecutor (Updated)
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
From February 23rd…
Mecklenburg’s LinkedIn… The October indictment news release is here. * The case began to publicly wobble on February 5th…
* Back to yesterday’s Tribune story about the grand jury proceedings…
* From the judge’s comments during yesterday’s hearing…
Hat tip: Meredith Shiner, who pointed to Mecklenburg’s detail to Durbin’s committee staff with suspicion and disgust months ago. It’s doubtful that Durbin knew of the problems with this case when he brought Mecklenburg to his committee staff. But he had to have known that she was one of the lead prosecutors of the Broadview Six, all but one of whom were politically active Democrats. As Shiner wrote, “Dick Durbin is completely oblivious to current politics and thinks he’s operating in 1986 instead of 2026.” …Adding… The usual deflection…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Bears have ‘exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago’ despite mayor saying new meetings held. ABC Chicago…
- However, the NFL team put out a statement Thursday afternoon, saying “The Chicago Bears have exhausted every opportunity to stay in Chicago, which was our initial goal. There is not a viable site in the city. As a result, the only sites under consideration are in Arlington Heights and Hammond.” - The Bears issued another statement in response to the mayor’s office earlier Thursday, saying, “Any meetings between the City of Chicago and the Chicago Bears were limited to counsel-to-counsel engagement. There were no conversations with team management. Such exchanges are subject to heightened confidentiality and routinely encompass a wide range of matters related to the Chicago Bears’ tenancy at Soldier Field. * Related stories… Sponsored by American Innovators Network
* At 11 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will deliver remarks at the Des Plaines River Bridge event. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Capitol News Illinois | Lawmakers frustrated over delay in distribution of after-school program funds: The budget lawmakers passed last year included $35 million for ISBE to distribute for after-school programs, with $17 million of that earmarked for programs operated directly by schools and $18 million reserved for programs operated by outside organizations. […] ISBE said its delay in awarding funds this year was due to two factors: The last-minute increase in the amount of money lawmakers approved for the year, and an unexpectedly large number of appeals the agency received in response to its tentative award decisions. In an email, an ISBE spokesperson said the agency requested only $25 million for after-school programs and was prepared to issue a “Notice of Funding Opportunity,” or NOFO — an invitation for organizations to apply for grants — as soon as the budget was approved. * Aurora Beacon News | Phone scam caused Aurora to lose nearly $1.1 million from city bank accounts, officials say: Early findings of the investigation show that, on April 29, a city employee received a phone call from someone impersonating a bank representative, city officials said in the statement. “The caller used deceptive tactics to appear legitimate, establish trust, and create a false sense of urgency, ultimately prompting the employee to disclose sensitive account information,” the statement said. Aurora Mayor John Laesch called the incident a “very sophisticated cyber attack” when he spoke to The Beacon-News on Tuesday. When asked if disciplinary action had been brought against any employees because of what happened, he said that he couldn’t comment since the situation was still under investigation. * Capitol News Illinois | ‘We will be left out and left behind’: Senate GOP urges action on school choice bills: he demand follows a renewed wave of pressure for either Pritzker or the General Assembly to opt the state into the federal tax credit after New York recently became one of the latest states and the second Democratic-led state signaling its intent to do so. Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said “time is of the essence” to opt into the program ahead of its Jan. 1, 2027 deadline. While any taxpayer throughout the country can take advantage of the tax credit, only students in states opted into the program can benefit from scholarships. According to Curran, delaying the decision means hindering the formation of scholarship granting organizations and losing willing taxpayers in Illinois, which would disadvantage the state in the competition for “free federal dollars. * Capitol City Now | All these years later, AIDS still a Black ‘epidemic’: The overrepresentation of Blacks in the AIDS community, said Simmons, “has nothing to do with us or our DNA or our health makeup. It’s all about health care systems that prioritize profit over people. It’s all about cultural incompatibility in terms of who’s offering health care and the folks like us who feel comfortable seeking out the health care, let alone whether we have Medicaid or health insurance to be able to get us in the door.” Simmons, the first openly LGBTQ senator in Illinois, is carrying a bill to try to resolve the funding disparities. * Center Square | House GOP pushes Pritzker for local control: Illinois House Republicans say Governor J.B. Pritzker’s housing proposals will give local control to state politicians, but the governor says decisions will still be made by local government units. The governor’s Building Up Illinois Developments plan consists of at least five bills aiming to address housing supply and affordability issues. State Rep. Jennifer Sanalitro, R-Hanover Park, said the plan would take zoning decisions away from local communities and move them to Springfield. * Tribune | Chicago Teachers Union political director running for school board president: In an interview with the Tribune, Domínguez said his focus as board president would be to insulate Chicago Public Schools from cuts and press state legislators for additional funding. Last week, the district unveiled school-level budgets with reduced teaching staff to close a $732 million deficit. “I’m not going to support balancing budgets through school closures or cuts to programs that students rely on,” Domínguez said. “My priority is simple: We protect our classrooms first, and we organize, organize, organize for the resources that our students are promised.” * Willie Wilson creates an exploratory for Chicago mayor…
* Sox Machine | Justin Ishbia’s path toward building a new White Sox ballpark: During a webinar presentation by the University of Illinois-Chicago Urban Transportation Center, Amtrak Director of Program Management Joe Shacter spoke out of school about plans Amtrak was preparing for the coming years. The thrust of the presentation was to highlight and draw excitement about the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP) progress in modernizing rail infrastructure. Instead, Shacter gave away Ishbia’s planned course in moving the Chicago White Sox to the South Loop. * ABC Chicago | Chicago beaches open Friday as Mayor Johnson, officials outline summer safety plan: “We will also have additional resources In our business areas, like the beaches, the lakefront, the downtown, our business corridors throughout the entire summer,” CPD Superintendent Larry Snelling said. This weekend, CPD cancelled days to ensure officers have a presence across the city. Community violence intervention groups are also planning to have expanded hours in neighborhoods. * Tribune | Chicago Tribune strikes 11th-hour deal to buy Daily Herald, outbidding suburban suitor: It took several full-page ads, an 11th-hour bid and ostensibly a premium price, but Tribune Publishing has swooped in and struck a deal to buy the employee-owned Daily Herald suburban newspaper. The board of Paddock Publications, which operates the Daily Herald, sent an email to employees Thursday afternoon announcing that an asset purchase agreement has been signed, with a scheduled June 22 closing date. Terms of the sale were not disclosed, but the board said it would send out an information packet to Daily Herald employees in the next few days detailing the offer. The employee stockholders of the 150-year-old, formerly family-owned newspaper will then vote on whether to approve the offer, according to the Paddock email, which was obtained by the Tribune. * Daily Herald | Why Arlington Heights Fire Department will start charging for repeated assist calls: The number of so-called lift assists — what fire department officials define as non-emergency service requests to move someone who hasn’t immediately suffered an injury or acute illness — has increased, and is directly affecting the department’s emergency operations, Fire Chief Lance Harris said. Call volume grew by 6% — from 483 lift assist requests in 2024 to 513 in 2025 — and numbers so far this year are on pace to be even higher, according to department statistics. One resident required lift assistance for 25 days in a row in February, and another called 30 times over several months, Harris said. * Tribune | Elk Grove Village mayor defends data centers at packed community hearing: “All you hear is negative, negative, negative; tonight you’re going to hear facts, facts, facts,” Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said. “A lot of this negative stuff comes from Facebook.” The village now has 20 data centers, occupying about 4.5 million square feet and all located within the Elk Grove Village Business Park, a 66-million-square-foot industrial campus on the village’s eastern edge near O’Hare Airport, he said. Several more are under construction or in the planning stages. * Daily Herald | $175M cancer, neuroscience care facility proposed at Arlington Heights hospital: A $175 million expansion for cancer and neuroscience care has been proposed for Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights. The facility is planned for land between the existing hospital at 800 W. Central Road and Kirchoff Road, which is on the north side of the medical campus, according to documents filed with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board by the hospital’s parent company, Endeavor Health. * ABC Chicago | Plans in works to turn horse farm in unincorp. Crete into campus for those on road to sobriety: Leu has been sober for two years. On the verge of a new beginning, his transformation is a success story the 2nd Story Ranch hopes to replicate. “Our goal is to help people reach long-term sobriety, and work is just the major dimension of your life that you have to get through to continually be successful,” said Jim O’Connor, managing director of the Second Story Foundation. […] “I’m a little older; I can’t work as physically, as fast and hard as everyone else. But I’m still valuable, and I’m still here. I’m still clean. I’m still sober; I’m still alive,” Williams said. * BND | Swansea votes to scrap crime-free housing program, citing unused provisions: “The village already has tools to hold rental property and all property to an acceptable standard, has code enforcement working at a rate that has been unseen for years prior and already maintains property maintenance and zoning standards, nuisance violations, and police interventions for criminal matters,” he said. “It sounds bad that crime-free housing is being repealed, but we already do it,” said Police Chief Matthew Blomberg. “We just don’t do it underneath all the red tape that is listed in the 10-page legislation that was passed in 2018. So everything that it’s asking to do, we can do.” * WGLT | Unit 5 parent sues over alleged harassment of a trans student at Chiddix Junior High: A Unit 5 parent is suing the school district for alleged discrimination of her child at Chiddix Junior High School in Normal. Angela Sutton claims her daughter was repeatedly harassed by other students because she is transgender. Court filings said Sutton raised concerns to administrators on multiple occasions about the harassment and was ignored. The suit alleges the district took no meaningful action after her child was physically attacked at school and that the harassment was preventable. * WCIA | ‘There are no words’: Central IL racing community reacts to loss of Kyle Busch: Racing fans across Central Illinois are reacting after NASCAR’s winningest driver, Kyle Bush, suddenly passed away after a “severe illness.” The 41-year-old shaped a generation of fans all around the country. “He didn’t leave anything on the table. He raced every single lap like it was the last one,” Brian Rieck, the Coles County Speedway owner, said. Rieck has always watched Busch race, and now has memories of Busch’s young son, Brexton, racing at the Mattoon track. He got second place in a recent junior sprint race. * NOTUS | How A Republican Amendment Destroyed Bipartisan Support for Women’s History Museum: The legislative push to establish a Smithsonian museum focused on women’s history had finally seemed to be gaining momentum — a rare bipartisan effort in a deeply polarized Congress. Then, Republican Rep. Mary Miller introduced an amendment in March that cost the bill all its Democratic support in Thursday’s House vote. Miller, from Illinois, added the amendment to the bill in the Committee on House Administration, denying the inclusion of transgender women in the museum and giving President Donald Trump the ability to choose an alternate location for the museum if he deems the chosen one unfit. The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino, which had moved in tandem with the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum since its authorization in 2020, was also left behind. * Giz Modo | Trump Admin Takes Equity Stake in IBM and Other Quantum Computing Companies: On Thursday, the Department of Commerce announced that it was investing more than $2 billion in nine quantum computing companies. In turn, it’ll receive “a minority, non-controlling equity stake” in each. […] Shortly after, Trump’s commerce chief Howard Lutnick announced a series of investments in companies that mine critical rare earth elements. One of those companies was a three-year-old startup called Vulcan Elements. Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, also happens to be an investor in Vulcan Elements. Friends in high places, it seems.
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Good morning!
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller The way that buck has shrunk Do you have the inflation blues?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, May 22, 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 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, May 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, May 22, 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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