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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Senate has passed legislation to regulate AI companies…
* The Atlantic…
* IDES | Payroll Jobs Up, Unemployment Rate Stable in April: Total nonfarm payrolls increased over-the-month in April, up +11,400 (+0.2%) to 6,158,800. The March monthly change in payrolls was revised from the preliminary report, from +8,400 to +10,300. The April payroll jobs estimate and unemployment rate reflect activity for the week including the 12th. The industry sectors with the largest monthly payroll jobs increases included: Trade, Transportation and Utilities (+4,600), Leisure and Hospitality (+3,300), and Private Education and Health Services (+3,100). The sectors with over-the-month jobs decreases included: Professional and Business Services (-2,400), Financial Activities (-1,400), and Government (-200). * WSIL | Construction pauses on Illinois roads for holiday weekend: The Illinois Department of Transportation announced lanes closed for construction will reopen where possible for the Memorial Day weekend to minimize travel disruption. Non-emergency closures will be suspended from 3 p.m. Friday, May 22, to 11:59 p.m. Monday, May 25. Some lane closures will remain in place during the holiday weekend. Drivers can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through these areas. * Injustice Watch | DHS placed a comedian on law enforcement’s radar. Illinois spread the word: The subject of the alert, known as a BOLO, was Ben Palmer, a Nashville-based stand-up comedian and prankster who created a parody anti-immigration tip website. His revealing videos of calls with members of the public who thought they were reporting immigrants to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have garnered millions of views on TikTok and YouTube. […] The BOLO, obtained by Injustice Watch through a public records request, was then shared by the Illinois State Police to a distribution list of state and local law enforcement agencies. It was not immediately clear how many other law enforcement departments around the US may also have shared the federal alert. * Capitol News Illinois | Mendoza wants lawmakers to restrict use of TIF funds: House Bill 4712 would prohibit distributing more than 5% of surplus funds from a TIF district to the local governments that levy property taxes in that area. The surplus funds would only be allowed to be distributed once every 10 years, rather than each year as current law allows. If a TIF district is extended beyond its 23-year expiration date, no surplus funds would be allowed to be distributed until it expires. * Press release | Guzmán pushes to disconnect adult education from federal rules: State Senator Graciela Guzmán’s bill to disconnect Illinois adult education funding from federal rules passed the Senate Thursday. “Adult education programs need to be seen as necessary, not optional,” said Guzmán (D-Chicago). “Education institutions continue to be pressured by the Trump administration and Illinois needs to stand up for its adult learners.” The measure comes as the Trump administration continues to threaten education funding and demand an unprecedented role in university admission, curriculum and operations. Without action from the state, federal threats to education programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act could limit Illinois residents’ access to higher education and key adult education programs. * WAND | ‘Whose side are you on?’: Rideshare drivers rally for change at IL State Capitol: Drivers called for the passage of the Illinois Transportation Network Driver Relations Act. The law would allow Uber and Lyft drivers to form a union and bargain with app-based companies for things like pay, insurance, paid leave and safety mandates. […] “Whose side are you on? Are you on the side of workers, or are you on the side of big tech and big corporations who are making millions of dollars off of those workers?” said Illinois Drivers Alliance Leader Genie Kastrup. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois lawmakers considering ban on guns like Glocks: The House Gun Violence Prevention Committee voted 9-5 along party lines on Wednesday to pass House Bill 4471, which seeks to ban the sale of any semiautomatic pistol with a cruciform trigger bar in Illinois. Supporters say that design can be altered to install an already illegal switch, ultimately turning the pistol into a machine gun. John Weber, the Illinois director of the National Rifle Association, said banning that design would ban Glocks from being sold in Illinois. But like the state’s ban on assault weapons, it would not apply to people who currently own that type of gun. * Sun-Times | Amid power struggle with Brandon Johnson, CHA’s Matthew Brewer weighs running for mayor: Matthew Brewer, the Chicago Housing Authority’s operating chair who is embroiled in a power struggle with Mayor Brandon Johnson, is seriously considering entering the race for mayor. Three prominent business leaders who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Brewer has been meeting with influential members of Chicago’s business community for weeks in an attempt to sell himself as a difference-maker with a compelling personal story. That includes one-on-one meetings and appearances before the board of “One Future Illinois.” * Crain’s | Controversial Fulton Market high-rise project delayed after park plan hits snag: But sources close to the matter said the proposal was held in committee because Domus has not completed its purchase of a nearby parcel at 1240 W. Carroll Ave. for a park — a transaction its attorney told the committee had already occurred. The promise of privately funded, publicly accessible green space on that site is a key reason new 27th Ward Ald. Walter “Red” Burnett threw his support behind Domus’ project, which would break from the zoning rules that have governed Fulton Market development over the past decade. * Crain’s | Chicago quantum players share in $2B federal outlay: Two companies that plan to build quantum computers at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park will receive $100 million each from the federal government. PsiQuantum, the anchor tenant of the research park being built on the former U.S. Steel South Works foundry along Lake Michigan, will receive funding to help build out several key technologies needed for its quantum computers, including higher-performance optical switches, high-temperature single-photon detectors and advanced-packaging approaches. * Block Club | Rogers Park Affordable Apartments, West Ridge Dispensary Approved By City Council: The City Council on Wednesday paved the way for a new affordable apartment complex in Rogers Park and a dispensary in West Ridge. The projects were approved during the council’s Wednesday meeting after getting greenlit earlier this month by the city’s Committee on Zoning, Landmarks and Building Standards. * Block Club | Good News For Gardeners: Native Plants On Parkways Can Grow To 36 Inches Under New City Rule: The City Council approved a rule change Wednesday that allows gardeners to grow native plants that are up to 36 inches tall on parkways. Previously, such plants could only be up to 10 inches high or gardeners risked being fined. The ordinance was introduced by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who said he noticed that a change was needed while participating in the Sheffield Neighborhood Association’s annual garden walk. * Daily Herald | ‘I’ve been effectively silenced’: Two Batavia school board members abruptly resign: Raising concerns of being silenced and a lack of transparency, two Batavia Unit District 101 board members have abruptly resigned. Board members Danielle Sligar and Katy Swiecicki argued that district leaders have been unresponsive to parent and student concerns and have stifled their own attempts at facilitating meaningful change. Sligar and Swiecicki announced their resignations during Tuesday’s board meeting. * Daily Southtown | Will County Board votes 12-8 to approve sprawling Pride of the Prairie solar farm: Will County Board members closed the book Thursday on months of debate and approved Earthrise Energy’s plans for a 6,100-acre solar farm that will stretch across 45 miles in Green Garden, Wilton and Manhattan townships. The 12-8 vote approving the massive solar farm was split largely along party lines, with board member Mark Revis being the only Republican to vote for the project. Republican board member Raquel Mitchell was absent and board member David Oxley, also a Republican, excused himself from the vote, citing a conflict of interest. * Daily Herald | Drinks to go? Arlington Heights could allow patrons to sip and stroll this summer: Village officials could launch a pilot program in the coming months for a so-called “social district,” which would allow people to consume alcoholic beverages from participating and licensed establishments within the boundaries of the Arlington Alfresco outdoor dining zone. That would allow them to stroll up and down Vail Avenue and Campbell Street with a cocktail — so long as they don’t leave the designated Alfresco area with a roadie in hand. * Daily Southtown | Lemont competitive cheerleaders continue winning streak with world championship: Lemont High School has won a state-best eight first-place trophies in Illinois High School Association competition and brought home a state-record 16 top-3 trophies in all. Starting with the 2018 season, Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont won seven Illinois Elementary School Association state titles. Now add to that treasure trove of awards. Some of the athletes from those schools have participated for the USA Cheer National Youth All Girls Team and Youth Coed teams in the International Cheer Union’s World Championships in recent years. And they joined forces with athletes from all over the country to win at least one gold medal a year since 2019. * Daily Herald | Carvana expanding activity, jobs at ADESA wholesale auto auction site in Hoffman Estates: The company is already hiring for skilled, entry-level jobs that include comprehensive benefits and require no college degree. “Bringing IRC capabilities to ADESA Chicago strengthens the speed and efficiency of our national network while deepening our presence in the Midwest,” Brian Boyd, Carvana’s senior vice president of inventory said in a statement. “We’re proud to continue growing our local team while improving selection and delivery times for Chicago retail customers and expanding the capabilities we offer our wholesale partners across the region.” * KFVS | Community discusses potential data center coming to Grand Tower power plant site: We spoke with organizer Scott Allen, who shared why this discussion is so critical. “I wanna make sure that people understand that a lot of this is speculative at this point,” Allen said. “And there are things that we can do at the local level and at the state level to at least ensure that we get guardrails to make sure that all of us as utility consumers or community members are protected.” * NPR Illinois | UIS adds four electric vehicle charging ports in partnership with City Water, Light and Power: UIS’ first charging stations are in Lot I North near The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) with four reserved parking spots. Each has a 240-volt Level 2 charger that delivers 25–35 miles of range per hour. Charging costs will be set by CWLP. “This partnership reflects UIS’ commitment to providing sustainable options that support our students, employees and visitors,” said UIS Chancellor Janet L. Gooch. “By working with CWLP and the City of Springfield, we are making it easier for our community to access cleaner transportation technology.” * IPM News | Contentious housing project in Urbana divides city council members, residents: City staff said the development’s proximity to the creek would present architectural challenges, but it could also support an expansion of a pedestrian pathway along the waterway. “This site is uniquely positioned to provide a catalyst for Boneyard Creek activation in downtown Urbana,” said Urbana Principal Planner Evan Alvarez. Residents filled the city council chambers as they came out to voice support or opposition to the project. Officials voted 3-to-2 for the proposal, with Mayor DeShawn Williams casting a tie-breaking vote for the plan to move forward. * WSIL | Zeigler firefighters find ‘pharaoh on fire’ while responding to illegal burn: The fire department was able to make light of the situation. They reminded residents that ancient Egyptian royalty cannot be burned in the city of Zeigler, backyard pyramids must meet city code and mummies are considered “extra dry, combustible materials.” Firefighters said “no citizens, camels or treasure chambers were harmed.” * NYT | Trump Administration Live Updates: Senate Republicans Balk at Trump’s Unusual $1.8 Billion Fund: Senate Republicans abruptly abandoned plans to take up a filibuster-proof bill on Thursday to fund President Trump’s immigration crackdown, a stunning turn demonstrating that members of his own party were not willing to risk politically toxic votes to advance the president’s personal agenda. Though senators had widely been expected to bring their legislation to the floor before a weeklong recess, as Mr. Trump had demanded, G.O.P. leaders were unable to overcome deep concerns within their own ranks around the president’s plan to use a federal fund to pay people who claim to have been politically persecuted. * AP | Trump calls off plan to sign artificial intelligence order due to concern it could hurt the industry: President Donald Trump called off plans to sign a new executive order on artificial intelligence hours before an expected White House ceremony Thursday because he said he was worried the measure could dull America’s edge on AI technology. Trump said he was postponing the Oval Office event with tech industry executives because he did not like what he saw in the order’s text. “We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters.
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Judge: Sanctions against prosecutors possible after remaining Broadview Six charges dismissed (Updated)
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * NBC 5…
* Tribune’s ace reporter…
* Sun-Times’ ace reporter…
* WTTW…
* Block Club Chicago…
Sure, Jan. *** UPDATE *** Holy moly…
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Trial judge’s ruling that FOID is unconstitutional struck down by state’s top court, but not on the merits
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Illinois Supreme Court opinion in Malik Cedrick Bright v. Jeffrey Yenchko in his official
* The trial judge overreached and the Supremes made that clear…
The “no opinion on the merits” and mootness issue should prevent this from being overturned by the US Supreme Court.
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Intoxicating hemp regulation emerges
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. Press release…
* Co-founder of Cubbington’s Cabinet Jeremy Dedic…
Thoughts?
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Illinois Positioned To Become A National Leader On AI Safety
Thursday, May 21, 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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It’s almost a law
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
In a statement, Gov. JB Pritzker said he will sign HB228…
Economic Security Illinois Action…
* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
* Equality Illinois, Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action and Planned Parenthood Illinois…
* Sen. Laura Ellman…
* The Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* Sen. Dave Koehler…
* Sen. Linda Holmes…
* Rep. Margaret DeLaRosa…
For more press releases on legislation and other matters, click here. * More… * WAND | IL Senate passes bill expanding LIHEAP eligibility, sends plan to Pritzker: House Bill 4456 passed out of the Senate on a 42-17 vote. It previously received a 74-37 vote in the House. “Utility companies already go to ratepayers to recover their costs,” said Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D-Grayslake). “There is an argument to be made that if people are having their utilities shut off, the utility companies are already going to the ICC for those ratepayer increases to help cover those costs. This makes it a stable, predictable amount for everyday people on their bill.” * Press release | Villivalam advances measure expanding transparency on utility rates: To expand transparency, House Bill 4514 would require the ICC to hold a public hearing when any gas, electric, water or sewer utility requests that the commission increase their rates. Further, the ICC would be required to notify ratepayers when a public utility requests a rate increase within 14 days of the public hearing – ensuring residents have ample notification to attend a hearing. * Press release | Loughran Cappel measure to provide consistent pay for injured or sick first responders: In 2023, there were 10.1 firefighter injuries in Illinois per 1,000 fires, and there were 48,000 Illinois police officers injuries or illnesses in 2023. Aware that many of these workers depend on their salary and do not always have enough money saved to help them through their non-working time, Loughran Cappel is leading House Bill 4491 to ensure these local heroes receive the recognition they are due. The legislation would require public employers to maintain first responders’ base salary if they suffer an injury or illness while in the line of duty that renders them unable to do their jobs. This would include taxes, union dues, pension contributions and insurance premiums. However, the first responder would still have to pay taxes on the money if it is part of their adjusted gross income. * Press release | Castro advances measure to expand postpartum home visiting programs: Castro’s measure would build on current state support by authorizing the Illinois Department of Human Services to develop and oversee a statewide, voluntary, no-cost newborn home visiting program that would aid with existing and future short-term universal newborn home visiting services, from lactation support to health screenings. Through House Bill 4606, the department would be empowered to establish evidence-based service models, coordinate funding and data efforts, and collaborate with stakeholders to expand services for newborns and their families. * Press release | Ortíz-backed Bill Addressing Issues with Digital Coupons Passes Senate Vote: A bill, backed by state Rep. Aarón Ortíz, D-Chicago, requiring all grocery chains that offer e-coupons in Illinois to provide, and honor, a physical coupon alternative passed out of the Senate on Wednesday, and now heads to the governor for final approval. “Going to the grocery store is stressful already, with rising costs putting people’s hard-earned money at risk,” Ortíz said. “This measure will provide immediate relief and help people access lower costs out there, but is unavailable to them.” In order to reduce these barriers to savings, Ortíz supported House Bill 45, which requires retailers to honor all advertised savings, even if customers cannot access their app or operate their digital coupons. * Press release | Ellman bill to update CPR training, improve emergency response outcomes: House Bill 4788 would require secondary schools to provide CPR training using both breasted and non-breasted manikins, including through the use of chest covers, ensuring students have the opportunity to practice on both. The requirement would begin in the 2029–2030 school year. * Press release | Villivalam-backed measure would ensure mental health support for educational staff: To provide mental health support to education staff, House Bill 4862 would require each school board to develop a staff mental health support procedure. The procedure would be required to include a commitment to supporting employee mental health in the workplace, opportunities to provide feedback on employee mental health, annual communication with information on resources and support available to staff, and opportunities for the school board to receive information regarding employee mental health initiatives and programs. * Press release | Hernandez-backed Measure Expanding Barber and Cosmetology Licensure Opportunities Passes Senate Vote: The Hernandez-backed House Bill 3460 establishes an apprenticeship program for professionals in cosmetology, barbering, esthetics and nail technology and sets training hours and licensing requirements to make entering these fields easier. Currently, students pay between $15,000 and $20,000 on average to complete a cosmetology program, including the costs of tuition, tools, licensing costs and materials.
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Swipe Fee Law Shifts Costs To Consumers
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois’ proposed swipe-fee law promises relief at the register - but delivers something else entirely. By cutting interchange fees, it redirects billions from consumers to large retailers, without any requirement that savings be passed on as lower prices. Interchange fees fund essential parts of today’s payments system, including fraud protection, rewards programs, and access to low-cost banking. Eliminating those resources doesn’t remove costs, it shifts them. Consumers are likely to see fewer benefits, weaker safeguards, and higher fees in other areas, while major retailers pocket the difference. Evidence from similar policies shows that price reductions rarely materialize. Instead, the biggest financial gains accrue to large national chains, not Illinois families. The law also risks creating a fragmented, state-by-state payments landscape that increases complexity, undermines security, and adds friction at checkout. Those challenges ultimately fall on consumers through higher costs, reduced choice, and a less reliable system. This proposal isn’t about lowering prices - it’s about redistributing value. And if enacted, consumers will bear the cost in lost protection and diminished benefits, while large retailers come out ahead. For more information, visit https://www.icul.com/advocacy/ifpa/. Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
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Bad news Bears
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * NBC 5…
In other words, the city’s general counsel disclosed a confidential “hypothetical” conversation with the Bears’ GC. Not a smart move by the team to even hold that meeting, and now I doubt they’ll ever do that again. The GC reached out to the mayors office to solve a problem with the current lease, and the Johnson administration used that to their advantage. It was the Johnson administration, I’m told, which broached the subject of what would happen if the megaprojects bill didn’t pass. So, I seriously doubt there will be any more such meetings. * Tribune…
* Cunningham’s text to me…
I think the GC went places she shouldn’t have because, I’m also told, the Bears informed the governor and the two Democratic legislative leaders that this whole thing is concocted. * Either way, the spin is working. And some progressive legislators have taken a stand against any more corporate aid…
Another cluster.
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UChicago Medicine: ‘Weakening 340B Would Hurt The Communities That Need Care Most’
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The federal 340B program “is not a financial windfall for hospitals,” wrote UChicago Medicine leaders in a recent Crain’s op-ed, noting that discounted drug prices allow hospitals serving many low-income patients to “redirect resources that otherwise would be spent on expensive medications toward services and programs communities depend on every day.” The University of Chicago Medical Center is one of Illinois’ largest providers of care to Medicaid patients. 340B savings help UChicago Medicine sustain critical services, including Level 1 trauma care, neonatal intensive care, the South Side’s only burn center, and Chicago’s only hospital-based emergency helicopter transport program. “Many of these services are financially challenging to sustain, yet they are indispensable to the health and safety of our communities,” said UChicago Medicine President Thomas Jackiewicz and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs Mark E. Anderson. Hospitals are facing rising costs, persistent workforce shortages and increasing challenges in in maintaining essential healthcare services. House Bill 2371 SA 2 restores the 340B program in Illinois after more than five years of drugmakers unlawfully limiting 340B discounts. As the op-ed pointed out, Health Resources and Services Administration data prove that 340B discounts are a small share of drugmaker revenue. Ensuring the 340B program operates the way Congress intended has a small impact on the bottom lines of drugmakers, but it makes a profound difference in preserving patient access to care. Pass HB 2371 SA 2 to support Illinois’ most vulnerable patients and the providers serving them. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: ‘Junk fee’ ban heads to Pritzker as Senate OKs bill allowing minors to consent to birth control. Capitol News Illinois…
- A bill heading to the House would allow minors to consent to receiving birth control without parental consent. - The governor says he will sign a measure to ban “junk fees,” or unlisted charges tacked onto the total of cost of ticketed events, hotels, tech and other goods and services. Sponsored by American Innovators Network
* Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Daily Herald | ComEd rates are going up again this summer, and rising demand is largely to blame: As demand for electricity from data centers and other customers continues rising, suburbanites should expect higher ComEd bills starting in June. The rate at which ComEd customers are charged for energy usage is increasing. Additionally, a temporary credit to Illinois customers is disappearing. When combined, those two changes likely will drive the average monthly residential bill from its current $107 to more than $120, ComEd spokesperson Tom Dominguez said. That’s an increase of about 12%. * Crain’s | City Council OKs $55 million tax break for United Center’s 1901 revamp: Mayor Brandon Johnson agreed and has pushed the City Council to approve the tax break so the development could begin construction. There has not been pushback on the City Council to grant the $55 million tax break, with aldermen instead focusing on negotiations with the union and holding the developers to commitments on hiring minority- and women-owned construction companies. * NPR Illinois | New report shows how questions about past school discipline affect Illinois college admissions process: There’s been a nationwide effort to get colleges and universities to stop asking about criminal records on applications. But many Illinois schools also ask if students have been found responsible for a school discipline violation like a suspension. A new report from the University of Illinois System’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs shows how that can have a chilling effect on some students. * Illinois Business Journal | MISO selects consortium to deliver major grid-bolstering projects in Illinois: The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) has selected a consortium of Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI), a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE); GridLiance Heartland LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Transmission LLC; Dairyland Power Cooperative; and the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA) to develop, build, operate and maintain two major transmission projects. ATXI and GridLiance will lead the development of these projects, while Dairyland and IMEA will own a portion of both projects when they are placed in service. * Center Square | Pritzker knocks state progressives’ ability to pass new tax measures: Pritzker told members of the press Wednesday he’s not sure what new tax measures the legislature will pass, and he sees the current priority as delegating how to best spend the revenue the state will have. “It’s just a matter of can the legislature get something on the ballot or move something forward and that’s apparently something they couldn’t do this last session or this session that we’re in,” Pritzker said. “[Progressives] have been working very hard on getting something done. It doesn’t appear that they’re able to get something done through the house or the Senate right now.” * WAND | Illinois advocates push for after-school funding as programs face closures: While federal dollars remain uncertain, Stanton said the state must step in to protect programs families rely on. “After-school programs are essential. Parents can’t work without them. Kids won’t be safe without them. And we know these programs save money in the long run. Illinois has a brighter future when families have access to these opportunities,” Stanton said. * WGN | Bailey surprises City Council, apologies to Chicago: When he was asked about the remarks, Bailey said, “Well, I want everybody to like me. I want to make sure that people understand that as governor of Illinois there will be no outside sources dictating anything. “ Bailey was also asked if he thinks Trump should stop denigrating Chicago. “The president does what the president does,” he said. * Capitol City Now | Official state sandwich? No beef about this one: hicago actor Corey Hendrix (pictured, center) – “Sweeps” on FX’s The Bear – said Wednesday it is an honor to be part of the campaign for the sandwich to join the roster of official state symbols. “I’m a Chicagoan,” he said. “I love Italian beef. It’s a really, really big deal.” “I grew up in Oak Lawn,” said State Rep. Rick Ryan (pictured, left) (D-Evergreen Park) of his interest. “My grandmother – I remember sitting in her kitchen every Saturday afternoon playing pinochle while she would make Italian beef and let it simmer all day and we’d smell it all day with the garlic and the herbs and everything and – my mouth is watering just picturing my grandmother making it right now as I’m speaking.” * Block Club | Tipped Minimum Wage Hike Paused 2 Years In Blow To Mayor Via Near-Unanimous City Council Vote: The City Council on Wednesday decisively moved to delay a planned phaseout of the subminimum base wage for tipped workers by two years, stymying one of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s most significant legislative wins during his first term in office. Alderpeople voted almost unanimously in support of a measure to pause the upcoming increase to the city’s tipped minimum wage until 2028 for larger businesses and 2030 for smaller ones. Only West Side Ald. Jason Ervin (28th) voted against the legislation, which freezes the wage at the current rate of $12.62 an hour. * Tribune | City Council measure bans Chicago police with ties to Proud Boys, other extremist groups: The City Council voted 28-21 to approve the ordinance that requires the Police Department to fire officers with ties to groups like the Three Percenters or Proud Boys. It also prohibits the department from hiring people with ties to such groups, and creates new investigative powers to vet police employees and applicants. Critics of the measure argued it unfairly targets police and should instead be applied to all city workers during a contentious debate, but chief proponent Ald. Matt Martin, 47th, urged aldermen to finally move ahead on the ban after aldermen mulled a response to reports of extremism within police ranks for years. * Sun-Times | Thousands of Zillow listings in Chicago have vanished. Here’s why: MRED announced in April that it was expanding its long-time private listing network nationwide, and New York-based brokerage Compass would feed its listings to MRED, including private listings. MRED said in a news release at the time that it would “protect and safeguard agents” using its private listing network from being banned or penalized by feed recipients like Zillow. The move pushed Zillow to sue MRED and Compass last week, accusing the two of violating federal antitrust law by conspiring to hide home listings from potential buyers. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, also said the deal creates a monopoly where buyers and sellers will only want to work with Compass agents. * ProPublica | This Gun Shop Stayed Open Despite Repeated Violations. Then a Cop Was Killed With One of Its Guns: Take the recent killing of Chicago police officer John Bartholomew, who was fatally shot on April 25. The suspect who used a 10-millimeter Glock 29 to shoot Bartholomew was not the original owner of the gun. It was first purchased in 2024, according to investigators, in an illegal transaction at a Range USA store in the northwest Indiana town of Merrillville, a short drive from Chicago. […] That gun was allegedly purchased two years prior at the Merrillville Range USA by Olivia Burgos, who now faces criminal charges for making false statements in order to facilitate the sale. According to federal investigators, Burgos told store employees that she was purchasing the gun for herself. In actuality, investigators allege, she bought the gun on behalf of her boyfriend, a felon prevented from legally purchasing one. * CBS Chicago | CPD Supt. Larry Snelling says parents should play bigger role in stopping “teen takeovers”: “You know, it’s not parent-shaming to say that you should know where your children are at 10, 11, 12 o’clock at night, when you have a 12-year-old or a 13-year-old,” he said. “They’re vulnerable, you know, when they go into these environments; they can be harmed, and they can be killed, and that has happened.” * BGA | David Glockner Confirmed as Chicago’s Next Inspector General: The BGA Policy team applauds the Chicago City Council’s approval of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s appointment of David Glockner as the next Inspector General for the City of Chicago. The Office of Inspector General plays a vital role in promoting accountability, transparency, and public trust across city government, and this appointment marks an important moment for the city. * Tribune | Prison sentences for retail theft doubled in 2025, according to report studying policies of State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke: * Tribune | With rare trial looming, Oak Park trustee shares story as 1 of 4 remaining ‘Broadview Six’ defendants: Nearly seven months after Straw was elected a village trustee, the migrant crisis hit Oak Park. For more than a year, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott had been sending busloads of migrants to Chicago and other immigration-friendly U.S. interior cities. It was Halloween 2023, Straw remembered, when the new arrivals streamed into his suburb. That night, the weather was cold and blustery as more than 100 migrants, who’d been living outside a police station in the nearby Austin neighborhood had come to Oak Park for warmth and shelter. “They came to the village seeking refuge,” Straw said. He paused for a long time. “Sorry,” he said, choking back a sob. * Daily Herald | How Rolling Meadows hopes to breathe new life into parts of Algonquin Road corridor: Rolling Meadows officials hope two new tax increment financing districts will help revive portions of the Algonquin Road commercial corridor that’s been subject to more and more retail and office vacancies. The larger of the two TIFs recently approved by the city council covers a 59-acre area near the prominent Interstate 90/Route 53 interchange, and includes a long-standing gold office building and shuttered 1960s-era Holiday Inn and attached 1970s-era Holidome. * Daily Herald | How Buffalo Grove police use their aerial fleet: The village is adding two drones to its fleet, using a $15,000 grant from the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. The police department currently operates one drone. Buffalo Grove Police Chief Brian Budds said the drone has been a tremendous asset to the village. It deploys its existing drone for special events — including the Buffalo Grove Pride parade and Buffalo Grove Days Parade — as well as critical incidents. The department’s 2025 annual report showed the drone accumulated 70 hours of flight time, broken down into 15 community events, 8 calls for service and 11 training sessions. * Daily Herald | St. Charles police look to keep social worker program going strong: Likens requested that the city approve a one-year, $85,000 contract to continue the partnership. Under the agreement, the police provide an office space for the social worker. Last year, the program was approved for $80,000. To help fund the costs, the police are requesting a grant from the city’s Mental Health 708 Board. Last year, the police requested an $80,000 grant and received $73,714 from the board. The current amount is pending. * ABC Chicago | Fired DuPage County jail officer charged with possessing images of child sex abuse, officials say: Steven Simmons of Lisle faces five felony counts of possessing child sex abuse images involving children ages 13 or younger. According to a detention petition, his arrest followed tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The DuPage County Sheriff says Simmons has been fired from working at the jail. * Elgin Courier-News | Elgin native who voices Barney the Dinosaur returns for hometown visit: Dean Wendt, an Elgin native, has made a career as the voice of the lovable purple dinosaur, a role he landed in 2002 and has continued over the years as part of the TV show and videos, including four television episodes produced in 2025, according to online data base IMBd. He returned to his hometown as the surprise guest speaker at School District U-46’s Beacon Academy Awards, held at The Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin. * NBC Chicago | Former Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard wins primary election in Georgia: Henyard, who was elected Dolton mayor and Thornton Township supervisor as a Democrat, ran unopposed in the Republican primary for [the heavily Democratic] Fulton County Commissioner in Georgia and netted just over 1,100 votes in Tuesday’s election. In a four-way race in the Democratic primary, Helen Zenobia Willis beat out Sojourner Grimmett by just over 3,000 votes. * BND | City officials disagree on whether to ‘give back’ state grant for Belleville market: Officials said they couldn’t find a suitable replacement for the original location, a city-owned building next to City Hall, which is no longer considered feasible because of parking problems and high renovation costs. […] The city asked the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity whether it could use the grant money for an outdoor farmers market in a proposed park at West Main and South Sixth Street, Schauster said. But the state agency deemed that plan too different from the primarily indoor concept outlined in the application. The response from the Belleville City Council to the idea of declining the grant was essentially “not so fast.” * WCIA | Boys and Girls Club of Decatur not offering summer camps due to ‘financial’ issues: In a statement provided to WCIA, Boys and Girls Club officials “regretfully confirm” that the organization will conclude afterschool programming effective Friday and will not be offering the 2026 Summer Camp Program. “Despite diligent community fundraising efforts, persistent financial challenges have led to the difficult decision,” officials said. Despite this, families were provided with a list of alternative organizations offering summer camp programs in the Decatur and Macon County area, which was to ensure continued support for local youth. * BND | Belleville alderman stepping down, union leader tapped to replace him: At the meeting, Mayor Jenny Gain Meyer recommended appointing union leader and community volunteer Jeff Collier to fill Dintelman’s unexpired term. The City Council approved the appointment 15-0, with Ward 3 Alderman Scott Ferguson absent. Collier, 43, said he looks forward to serving Belleville residents. * WIRED | SpaceX Is Spending $2.8 Billion to Buy Gas Turbines for Its AI Data Centers: In March, SpaceX agreed to buy $805 million worth of turbines from an unnamed company through 2029, according to the IPO filing. Then, in late April, Musk’s company struck a deal for $2 billion worth of mobile gas turbines and related items from an unnamed vendor. That deal is still pending. Last week, WIRED reported that 19 new portable turbines had been added to Colossus 2 over the past two months, for a total of 46 units. Portable turbines can be operated without a clean air permit for a year, a rule that SpaceX has used in its favor. Some of the turbines were added after the NAACP and other advocacy groups sued xAI, alleging that the company had been operating 27 gas turbines without appropriate permits, posing a risk to public health and the climate. * Reuters | ‘I’m not greedy’: January 6 rioters and Trump allies eye $1.8 billion ‘weaponization’ fund: Enrique Tarrio, the Proud Boys leader sentenced to 22 years for seditious conspiracy over the January 6, 2021 riot, said he planned to apply to the fund, assuming he could get between $2 and $5 million. […] Trump pardoned more than 1,500 January 6 defendants last year. Some have now begun to calculate the cost of their prosecution, jail time and businesses lost in the hope of compensation for what they regard as abuses by the Justice Department under former President Joe Biden. Peter Ticktin, an attorney representing more than 400 January 6 defendants, said the fund may not be enough. * The Atlantic | For-profit companies are buying up the rituals of American childhood and selling them back to parents.: But for the owners of the Atlantic Hockey Federation—the youth-hockey association that pulls together elite teams from Connecticut and many other states, as far west as Arizona—kids’ sports is a cutthroat business, a way to make a handful of people very rich. Black Bear Sports Group owns the AHF, several other youth hockey leagues, and many of the rinks where the teams practice and play. Methodically and quietly, Black Bear—backed by the private-equity firm Blackstreet Capital Holdings—is tightening its stranglehold over the youth-hockey infrastructure along the Eastern Seaboard. Whereas Rider sees hockey as character-building fun, Black Bear’s objective is far simpler: to make a grotesque amount of money.
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Good morning!
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated)
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, May 21, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, May 21, 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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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* Crain’s | Pritzker downplays rift with mayor over Bears but defends tax break proposal: “Do we want to spend $2.5 billion of taxpayer dollars on the Chicago Bears, or do we want to spend a lot less than that in order to keep the Chicago Bears in Illinois?” Pritzker said when asked about Johnson’s comments at an unrelated press conference this morning. “My response is: I think it’s about your values. It’s about what you really care about in life and who you’ve focused on. I’ve focused on the middle class, the working class and people most vulnerable throughout my career.” * Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice | Scooping for Success: Ice Cream for a Cause at State Capitol: Ben & Jerry’s will join the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice to serve ice cream and talk with legislators about essential investments in the Pretrial Success Grants program. Prior to the ice cream social, the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice will join legislators for a press conference. * Darren Bailey made an appearance at city council…
* WBEZ | Lake Michigan, Chicago River polluted with harmful microplastics: A test sampling of Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and other waterways across Illinois found tiny plastics present, posing potential threats to human health and damage to the environment, according to an advocacy group. In all, 31 test sites, including multiple samplings along Lake Michigan, showed broken-down plastics in the water. Known as microplastics, these small particles are being studied by government and academic researchers for possible links to illnesses, including cancer. Plastics don’t easily break down in the environment and also threaten fish and wildlife. * Crain’s | Chicago-area home listings will stop showing up on Zillow: Escalating the battle over which homes for sale will get seen, the Chicago-area multiple-listing service cut off its data feed to Zillow. For people who are buying or selling a home this spring, today’s move by Lisle-based Midwest Real Estate Data means the visibility of listings will be greatly curtailed on one of the most popular places to shop for a home. For the real estate industry, it’s a complicated issue with many moving parts that may shape the future of the business. * Daily Southtown | Harvey relies on fire mutual aid from surrounding communities through fiscal crisis: Ever since Harvey laid off more than half its Fire Department due to an ongoing fiscal crisis, the city has made use of mutual aid supplied by surrounding municipalities, including Dolton and Hazel Crest, without being able to reciprocate. About 40% of Harvey’s city staff was furloughed in October following the city’s declaration of fiscal crisis, including about half of the Fire Department. Four more firefighters were laid off in a second round of layoffs in late November. Harvey Firemens Association Local 471’s secretary said at the time the Fire Department was down to three firefighters on most shifts, when they should have a minimum of seven. * Aurora Beacon-News | After receiving more than 500 votes from the community, Aurora unveils names for baby falcons: After asking for community input, the city of Aurora has unveiled the names that will be given to the four baby falcons that recently hatched outside City Hall. Residents got the chance to submit nominations for the names through May 11, then the top 10 submissions went to a vote that was open through Monday. After nearly 400 nominations and over 500 votes, four names rose to the top: Aurora, Sky, Hope and Vern, according to a city news release. * Daily Herald | District 203 wants to put the brakes on rideshares during school hours: With the rising popularity of teen rideshare services, Naperville Unit District 203 wants to put some guardrails in place for students. School board members on Monday got a first look at a proposed policy that would prohibit the use of rideshares during school hours for students under the age of 18. The proposed policy, believed to be a first in the area, would allow the use of rideshares during emergency situations if a parent or guardian has signed a waiver. * NPR Illinois | LLCC Truck Driver Training Program expands to Litchfield: Governor JB Pritzker joined the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and Lincoln Land Community College (LLCC) Wednesday to announce plans for expanding the school’s Truck Driver Training Program. The State of Illinois will provide $2.6 million for design and implementation of infrastructure improvements, which will create a new training site in Litchfield. This investment will help meet the growing need for licensed commercial drivers, support local economic development, and provide stable career opportunities for Illinoisans. * Illinois Times | “Electrons instead of ethanol”: Major solar development proposed for farmland near New Berlin: “It’s a big project,” said Sangamon County Board member Craig Hall, a Republican whose district includes New Berlin. “There are a lot of people who have concerns with it.” Hall said residents fear the project could depress nearby property values and discourage residential growth in an area where Springfield’s westward expansion already is reshaping rural communities. “You have something adjacent to someone else’s property and it affects their quality of life or the value of property,” Hall said. “Is that good zoning? I don’t think it is.” * WGLT | Developer wants to add ‘passive’ homes to Bloomington-Normal’s housing mix: Rebecca Johnson, or DJ, is CEO and founder of COII, a company looking to design long-term, cost-effective homes focused on sustainability and wellness. “The concept is a modern, sustainable living development,” DJ said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. “So that means that this concept is going to be all native landscaping, starting from the ground up, and then our homes are high performance, passive house-designed homes.” * Illinois Times | Local cannabis businesses receive state funding: Four Sangamon and Logan County marijuana businesses received a total of nearly $2 million in direct forgivable loans last month from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as part of the Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program. Two craft grow businesses received $750,000 each in forgivable loans – Lincoln Labs and Rt. 66 Rec. Lincoln Labs, owned by Justin Condor, is located in Springfield, while Rt. 66 Rec, owned by Jeff Fulgenzi, Gary Alexander and Wilbur Day II, is located in Lincoln after a failed attempt to get zoning approval in Springfield. * WaPo | These 5 charts show how ChatGPT has flooded our lives: The number of e-books published each week has nearly tripled since ChatGPT was released, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research study of English-language books offered for sale at Amazon. By the end of last year, more than half of all new books have AI-generated text, according to the study. This surge is unlike previous technological shifts, said Joel Waldfogel, an economist at the University of Minnesota who co-wrote the study. The internet also brought increases to the number of books published, giving great writers a platform to become best-selling authors.
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Caption contest!
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * On the left is Rep. Blaine Wilhour (which is likely the first and last time time you’ll see the Freedom Caucus member described that way), and on the right is Deputy House Majority Leader Bob Rita at last night’s annual House vs. Senate softball game… 
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Too far?
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Monday…
* Matt McGill interviewed Mayor Johnson on WVON yesterday. I agree with McGill that the governor’s statements seemed pretty darned harsh. McGill prefaced a question to the mayor with this…
He went on, but let’s stop there. Johnson, by the way, didn’t say he agreed with what McGill said above. * Gov. Pritzker at an unrelated press conference this morning…
Please pardon any transcription errors. Discuss.
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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Rising food costs are making it harder to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. But Green Top Grocery in Bloomington is working to change that narrative. This vibrant, community-owned co-op offers fresh produce, natural foods, and locally sourced products. With more than 2,600 local owners and a mission rooted in access and quality, Green Top Grocery supports healthier living and a stronger community. Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments. Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Allison in Bloomington 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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Call and response
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Politico last week…
I’m not sure many candidates are citing precise inflation data, but the Democrats do have a very real jargon problem. Perhaps more importantly, though, the specific advice is wrong because egg prices are way down. Beef prices have continued to rise, however. Anyway, that was kind of a tangent. * ILGOP yesterday…
Discuss.
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It’s Time To Bring Safer Rides To Illinois
Wednesday, May 20, 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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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Softball photos
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Illinois Positioned To Become A National Leader On AI Safety
Wednesday, May 20, 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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The back-side protection continues
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * This story from last month kinda got lost in the shuffle of a busy week…
But a domestic battery charge is detainable, and for whatever reason he wasn’t charged with committing that crime, even though at some point Ms. Abril-Hernandez obtained an order of protection. So it must’ve been serious. Instead Hernandez was charged apparently more than once with the misdemeanor crime of interfering with a domestic violence report. Berlin has yet to explain why. * I was reminded of the story when this press release from the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice arrived in my in-box…
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340B Bill Helps Ensure Access To Care For Vulnerable Illinoisans – Pass HB 2371 SA 2
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Protecting the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program in Illinois means protecting access to care. Like more than 20 other states, Illinois safety net healthcare providers and their patients are urging legislators to pass legislation that would end arbitrary drugmaker restrictions on 340B discounts. These discounts help ensure low-income patients have access to lifesaving drugs and other critical healthcare services. Here are a few examples of how 340B helps hospitals break down barriers to care for vulnerable Illinoisans: • Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago offers new high-priced gene therapies to low-income families. Pass House Bill 2371 SA 2 to preserve access to care for the patients whose health depends on it. Your constituents are counting on you. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: ‘I’ve spoken to the governor’: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell offers Bears stadium update. WGN…
- “There was a report on all of the stadium projects. We’re in the midst of what we would call a very significant stadium construction period and/or significant renovations,” Goodell said. “There was a specific update on the Bears with respect to the two sites that they are evaluating that are viable in the Bears’ mind and others, in ours. One in Illinois and one in Indiana. - “I’ve spoken to the governor recently. I think there’s a focus on trying to get something done there, and then they’ll have two viable sites that the Bears can make their decision from,” Goodell said. * Related stories… Sponsored by PhRMA  * At 10 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will speak during a Lincoln Land Community College truck driving announcement. At 12:30 pm, he’ll deliver remarks for the IRMA Retail Challenge Award Ceremony at the Executive Mansion in Springfield. Click here to watch. * BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here. * Daily Southtown | Thornton Fractional officials ‘scrambling, trying to figure it out’ amid federal gender ideology probe: Williams said at that point, leaders of some of the other 36 Illinois school districts named in the investigation began texting each other, hoping to gain more insight into why the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division was targeting them. The only link they could find was having received a grant helping to fund weapons detection systems and other school security measures, Williams said. * Capitol City Now | Session nears home stretch: “I have no doubt that we’re going to get the Springfield Downtown Redevelopment Plan across the finish line,” said State Sen. Doris Turner (pictured, left) (D-Springfield). “It’s going to be phenomenal for not only the city of Springfield but also for the downstate region. McClure says the idea of a publicly subsidized hotel as part of that plan leaves him short in two ways: hotels and motels would collect tax revenue to support a hotel which would then compete against them; and McClure believes resolving the problem of the shuttered Wyndham hotel should be the top priority. “The Wyndham needs to be torn down,” said McClure. * WBEZ | More Latinos are homeless in Illinois, spurred by Texas busing migrants to Chicago, report finds: Homelessness rates increased among Latinos in Illinois in recent years, exacerbated by the influx of migrants bused to Chicago by the governor of Texas, according to a new report. But experts are worried that potentially tens of thousands more people without permanent housing are flying under the radar. Titled “Latine Homelessness in Illinois: Structural Drivers of Inequality,” the report found that on any given night in the past decade, more than 1,000 Latinos were staying in Illinois homeless shelters, with another 200 living on the streets. Another 30,000 Latinos were “doubled-up,” meaning they didn’t have stable housing and were temporarily staying with family or friends. * Daily Herald | Backpacker, accountant, ‘civil right’ member: New GOP chair steps up to lead fractious team: But, “I do believe in the average common sense of the Illinois voter,” Grogan said. “At some point, one by one, discussion by discussion, door knock by door knock, Facebook post by Facebook post … they do see that Republicans’ answers to some of these everyday life problems are better. “We need to speak a little bit more loudly and a little bit clearly, and I think that’s how you overcome all the structural disadvantages that the Democrats have dealt us.” […] His takeaway is “it’s either the conservative, moderate coalition that runs the state or the liberal, moderate coalition that runs the state. If (Republicans) have any interest in advancing our agenda, we have to embrace both conservatives and moderates. We cannot purge our way to 51%.” * Sun-Times | Former high-ranking Chicago cop sues city, claims he was wrongfully placed on ‘don’t hire’ list: The lawsuit highlights a memo sent to Snelling on April 26, 2025, by Joy Brown, another defendant in the case who serves as director of human resources for the city’s Office of Public Safety Administration. The memo recommended that Barz be added to the do-not-hire list, focusing on two disciplinary investigations that purportedly led to recommendations for 15-day suspensions. However, Barz never faced a sustained disciplinary complaint over his career, including in those two cases, the suit holds. And those suspensions weren’t imposed. * NBC Chicago | How would a sale of Chicago’s parking meters affect drivers?: “There’s not a way to really change this thing unless it’s to essentially add more meters or increase prices,” said Ald. Scott Waguespack, who was a “no” vote on the original deal in ‘08. One possible impact Waguespack does see from the sale is parking rates and app fees could increase. * Fox Chicago | Video shows suburban man fatally shot by ISP during struggle in Chicago: Illinois State Police released video Friday from a fatal officer-involved shooting on Chicago’s South Side last month in which officers shot and killed a suburban man during a struggle after responding to a reported domestic battery incident. […] According to the footage provided by ISP, the mother of the woman who called police for help said the deadly confrontation occurred after Carpenter and her daughter had been arguing. “He (the officer) had to shoot,” the mother is heard saying in the video. “He pulled a gun on the police.” * ABC Chicago | Chicago-area residents getting paid to ‘like’ social media posts lose thousands: ‘Put me in a hole’: Erica says she later deposited another $15,000 into the crypto platform over the course of a year. She and others say deposits helped them move up in “tiers” to hopefully make more money by “liking” more posts. But last August, consumers say, the company shut down, and they were unable to cash out. Erica estimates her losses at nearly $37,000. Willie says he lost $3,000 in crypto deposits. * Lake County News-Sun | Delays could open door to carp invasion of the Big Lake: Illinois began stocking millions of salmon and trout species in the late 1960s in an attempt to cut down on alewives, a nuisance bait fish that salmon have taken a liking to. A bonus to adding predators to the lake to eat invasive alewives was the growth of the sport-fishing industry on Lake Michigan from Chicago north to Winthrop Harbor and into Wisconsin. All that could be lost, like a coho throwing a lure in a spectacular jump, as federal bureaucrats have dallied over implementing a defensive line to keep invasive Asian carp — mainly silver carp — from entering Lake Michigan. Last month, the Army Corps of Engineers finally awarded the second contract. * NBC Chicago | Arlington Heights mayor discusses Bears stadium as legislative session wanes: Arlington Heights Mayor Jim Tinaglia echoed reporting from the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday while discussing that site located in Hammond. He raised questions about the proximity of the proposed site to the BP refinery along the lakefront, the company’s largest in the world, and to a Superfund clean-up site. “It’s a challenge. It’s a real challenge,” he said. “People know I’m an architect and I work for people all the time. Does it have proper management for environmental protection and stormwater management? If it doesn’t, it’s dollars to (fix it).” * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights mayor promises public input on Bears project — after vote in Springfield: “I think we can all agree this (Bears project) is going to be a decision that changes Arlington Heights one way or another more than any other decision in our history, and I don’t feel like the residents have had a voice,” resident David Korney said at a village board meeting Monday night. Village officials have said public meetings about the NFL franchise’s proposed redevelopment of the 326-acre former Arlington Park racetrack are coming, but Korney argued now is the time to get those forums scheduled. He also called for formal polling of village residents and a referendum on the November ballot. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora investigating cyber attack that led to fraudulent payments from city accounts: The city discovered the fraudulent activity on April 30, the day after it happened, according to Aurora Mayor John Laesch. He called it a “very sophisticated cyber attack,” but said the city currently believes its internal systems were not compromised. Laesch declined to give a dollar amount, or even a ballpark estimate, for how much went missing from city accounts. The Aurora Police Department and other partners are trying to figure out the actual amount, a city spokesperson said. It is an active investigation, the spokesperson said, and do not want to compromise its integrity. * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan expecting $600K budget surplus next fiscal year: Planning to spend $11 million less than a year ago, the city is projecting expenses of $281.7 million with anticipated revenue from all sources, including property taxes of $282.3 million, yielding a $600,000 surplus. “We set the tone early, toeing the line with no more than a 2% increase from last year to this year,” Mayor Sam Cunningham said. “We have a good idea of the projects we want to complete. Compared to years past, we believe this helped us.” * ABC Chicago | Marijuana DUI case dropped over ‘erroneous evidence’ from UIC drug testing lab: The I-Team reveals the latest aftershock from flawed marijuana DUI test results, learning prosecutors in Lake County, Illinois, are dismissing charges against a man accused of DUI and causing a fatal crash. Calling it “scientifically erroneous evidence,” the state’s attorney in Lake County told the I-Team he had to drop charges against a driver involved in a 2023 crash that killed a Skokie man. The case was hinged on faulty lab results from the same lab the I-Team exposed more than a year ago. * Daily Herald | Mayoral tiebreaker propels Mount Prospect pedestrian bridge forward: The 200-foot-long bridge spanning Northwest Highway and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is expected to begin construction in July and finish in 2027. Right until the end, the village board was split on the need for bridge, with Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert breaking a 3-3 deadlock. Hoefert said he was enthusiastic about the bridge’s potential for fostering connectivity within the village. * Aurora Beacon-News | Still seeking ways to solve looming shortfall, Kane County Board OKs some 2027 budget measures: Kane County has been facing a looming budget shortfall in its general fund in recent years, which its board has been solving since 2023 by dipping into the county’s cash reserves. But, county staff has cautioned that doing so won’t be an option forever, and that the county must make significant cuts or find new revenue before 2027 to avoid dipping into its required 90-day reserves. * KSDK | Residents of southern Illinois city demand action over repeated flooding in neighborhood: People living in the Holiday Terrace neighborhood in Centralia say their street floods anytime the area gets more than a light sprinkle. “You can just watch the water start rising,” Robert Smith said. “Then you’ve got to worry about the white caps.” […] When a reporter stopped by Centralia City Hall to see whether city leaders were aware of the ongoing flooding issue. The reporter was redirected to the public works department, where no one answered the door. Multiple calls and emails to the Centralia Public Works Department have also gone unanswered. * WAND | Springfield doubles parking fines for overstaying downtown spots: Parking will remain free, but if your car is caught in a short-term spot longer than allowed, you’ll be fined. Alderman hope increasing the fee from $10 to $20 will encourage downtown employees to park in garages and other locations. Fees will also increase for parking in a “No parking zone” on private property and other so-called improper parking. * WCIA | Macon Co. police department aims to increase the number of women with badges: “Women bring something unique to the job. Often times, women are more compassionate, they’re more caring. Sometimes they’re slower to jump in a dynamic situation, which sometimes those situations require a slower, more patient approach and sometimes it takes a woman to back that situation off and go at it with a different perspective,” Flannery said. She added that Decatur Police has 15 women employed out of a department of 150. Flannery also said that it’s a number she has only seen grow in her 20 years at the department. * Nomination Notes | Eight Democrats vote to confirm a lifetime judge who wouldn’t say Biden won in 2020: Clarke is the first judicial nominee in more than three months to receive bipartisan support on the Senate floor, earning the affirmative votes of Democratic Senators Dick Durbin, John Fetterman, Ruben Gallego, Maggie Hassan, Martin Heinrich, Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, and Sheldon Whitehouse. Senator Chris Coons, who recently voted to advance Clarke’s nomination out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted against her confirmation today. Nine Senate Republicans missed the confirmation vote, meaning Senate Democrats — had they all voted ‘no’ — could have blocked confirmation and forced a later vote. * NYT | Meta Begins Laying Off 8,000 Employees Amid A.I. Transformation: In April, they were told that 8,000 of them, or 10 percent of the work force, would be laid off on May 20 as Meta remade itself for the artificial intelligence era. On Monday, they learned that another 7,000 employees would be reassigned to new A.I. initiatives. The ax started to fall in Singapore, where at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday emails went out to workers who were being laid off. Employees in Britain, the United States and elsewhere will be notified early Wednesday morning in their respective time zones. * Reuters | US regulator sues to block Minnesota’s first-in-nation ban on prediction markets: The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking to block Minnesota from enforcing a newly enacted law that made the state the first nationally to outright ban prediction markets like those run by Kalshi and Polymarket. […] In Tuesday’s lawsuit, the CFTC argued that Minnesota’s novel law violated the U.S. Constitution by criminalizing at the state level the operation of derivatives markets governed by federal law.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, May 20, 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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