* ICYMI: Judge upholds controversial Illinois law limiting credit card swipe fees. Crain’s…

- A judge denied the banking lobby’s attempts to stop implementation of an Illinois law that exempts state and local taxes and tips from so-called swipe fees charged by credit card processors.
- The ruling is a blow to bankers, credit card companies and airlines such as United, who rely heavily on the profits they make from credit card partnerships and have opposed the law from the outset. Compliance costs to develop systems to meet the law, which is the first in the nation to restrict the fees, could run into the tens of millions for some credit card issuers.
- The bankers said they would appeal the decision, claiming federal law regarding financial transactions overrides the Illinois legislation.

* Related stories…

• Legal Newsline: IL can limit credit, debit ‘swipe fees,’ judge rules; Banks to appeal
• Tribune: Federal judge keeps in place key parts of Illinois’ landmark law banning some credit card swipe fees

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Trump administration cutting millions in Illinois HIV prevention grants, citing ‘agency priorities’: In total, at least $29 million in Illinois grants are on the chopping block, including city, state and other health centers’ HIV prevention programs, according to a list of grants obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times. The list represents a first wave of cuts, which is anticipated to total around $600 million, and it specifically targets family planning and HIV prevention programs.

Click here to watch a new trailer for WTTW’s upcoming documentary series, Firsthand. The website launches Monday and will explore the personal, firsthand perspectives of people whose lives have been upended by crises such as the coronavirus pandemic and gun violence in Chicago.

* Tribune | Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino praised agent after shooting Marimar Martínez in Chicago, evidence shows: Exum, meanwhile, exchanged a series of texts with his wife as well as a group of fellow agents under the name “Posse Chat.” In one of them, someone Exum identified as “the guy from Vermont” wrote, “Good job brother, glad you are unharmed and get to live to tell the story.” “You are a legend among agents you better (expletive) know that. Beers on me when I see you at training,” the agent texted Exum, the records show.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press release | New Report: Youth joblessness’ silent emergency for nearly 80 years: A new report released by the UIC Great Cities Institute on out-of-school and jobless youth highlights how for nearly 80 years, youth unemployment in the United States has remained at levels that would trigger a federal emergency response if experienced by prime-age workers — yet no sustained response has followed. The report commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network will be released Wed. Feb. 11, finds that teenage unemployment and youth joblessness exceeded 10 percent in 74 of the last 78 years, while the same threshold was crossed only once for prime-age workers. […] The findings are being released as Illinois lawmakers consider a proposal to invest $80 million in year-round youth employment programs.

* Daily Herald | Should U.S. nationalize elections? GOP governor candidates speak up: “I do support change at the national level,” Dabrowski said during a Daily Herald editorial board interview last week with Bailey and Heidner. “If it’s super clear and super transparent at the national level, then we wouldn’t be debating election results, we’d be debating policy.”

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Several Illinois counties will vote on Trump tax-credit scholarship program in bid to sway Pritzker: A libertarian-leaning advocacy group has persuaded more than two dozen Illinois counties and townships to place a nonbinding question on next month’s primary ballot supporting a new federal tax-credit scholarship program championed by the Trump administration. […] The draft ballot question circulated by the Illinois Policy Institute’s advocacy arm asks voters to support using privately-donated funds for tutoring, test preparation, and other academic needs – omitting that donors receive federal tax credits for donating to the program.

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker urges Democratic governors to confront Trump, seek accountability for immigration actions: “I’m an optimist, and I do feel like, in the end, Americans, the majority of Americans, will make sure that we preserve the future of this constitutional republic,” he said in a livestreamed conversation with Stephen Schmidt, once a GOP strategist and the co-founder of the Save America Movement.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson defends exec order directing CPD to investigate federal agents: In a memo sent to the mayor’s office last week, Yvette Loizon, chief assistant state’s attorney for policy and external affairs, warned that Johnson’s order, as written, could complicate efforts to secure convictions against federal officers because of the potential involvement of the mayor’s office. O’Neill Burke’s office “will not conduct felony review on cases that have been referred to us at the direction of any non-law enforcement or non-investigative entity,” the memo said.

* Sun-Times | Border Patrol agents say ‘time to get aggressive’ in footage that contradicts claims against Marimar Martinez: Christopher Parente, Martinez’s attorney, said he found it “ironic that after months of fighting the release of this evidence … the U.S. attorney’s office releases it at the 11th hour in a misguided attempt to take the sting out of just how damaging it is for the government.” In text messages after the shooting, Exum wrote that his superiors had been supportive, making references to U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

* ABC Chicago | Newly released video captures Border Patrol shooting of Chicago woman in Brighton Park: And earlier this month, Martinez testified about this incident on Capitol Hill. She said her testimony is evidence of a pattern of lies told by the federal government. According to previous court testimony in this case, federal prosecutors revealed that there is an “ongoing and pending criminal investigation” into the Martinez shooting, with an outside U.S. attorney’s office still retaining possession of Martinez’s car.

* Sun-Times | Ald. Beale is convinced Johnson is buying time to repeal video gambling, moves to force licensing process: Anthony Beale, who represents the 9th Ward, is sending a letter to the Illinois Gaming Board meant to serve as official notification that City Hall has lifted the video gambling ban, and that acceptance of license applications can begin.

* WTTW | Johnson Vows to ‘Push Back’ After Trump Administration Denies Disaster Relief Request: “We’re going to push back,” Johnson said at a City Hall news conference. “It’s unfortunate that this administration has shown so much animus towards working people. But I’m going to use every single tool that’s available to me, to protect our people in our city, to ensure that we receive our fair share in the federal government, particularly when these families desperately need relief as quickly as possible.”

* Tribune | ‘Free the kids’: Why more Chicago families are turning to homeschooling: Illinois is among a handful of states with virtually no data on homeschooling. But among the 30 states that track participation, the numbers are booming. Last school year, homeschooling rose by about 5%, nearly triple the pre-pandemic growth rate, according to the Homeschool Research Lab at Johns Hopkins University.

* Block Club | Chicago Tourism Saw A Boost In 2025 Even As Trump Tried To Paint City As A ‘Hellhole’: Choose Chicago reported record-breaking demand for accommodations, citing 11.9 million hotel bookings in 2025 compared to 11.6 million in 2024. Annual visitation numbers will be released in the spring, but the organization expects to surpass last year’s 55.3 million visitors in Chicago.

* Chicago Reader | Two Piece Fest returns to Chicago after a decade with a huge lineup of the smallest bands: I expected Woods to level up with Two Piece Fest Chicago, as the local version is now called, and he still surprised me: He booked 40 bands across four days and five events, anchored by a daylong Valentine’s Day blowout at United Church of Rogers Park. The fest kicks off Thursday, February 12, with live late-night radio performances on WZRD from a couple heavy locals, the Human Trials and Heet Deth.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights trustees want penalties in new license-plate camera contracts: Arlington Heights village trustees are willing to extend contracts with Flock Safety for automated license-plate reader cameras, but want a penalty inserted in case the company breaks the rules. “I know that this is a powerful tool that we want to have for our town, but in our contract we should have a pretty significant penalty if the data is breached so that Flock is really standing behind their commitment that the data’s not going to go into the wrong hands,” said Trustee Wendy Dunnington.

* Crain’s | Amazon drone delivery coming to south suburbs: The Seattle-based company confirmed it plans to begin offering its Prime Air drone delivery service this summer near its two massive fulfillment centers in south suburban Markham and Matteson. Customers within a 7.5-mile radius of each property will be able to get certain packages delivered by drone to their yards or driveways within two hours, according to Amazon.

* WGN | Train derailment in southwest suburbs halts Metra trains ahead of rush hour: A train derailment in the southwest suburbs is causing some serious delays for commuters on Wednesday morning. The derailment occurred between Ridgeland Avenue and Central Avenue in Chicago Ridge, near the border into Oak Lawn. […] Officials have not provided updates on what may have caused the derailment.

*** Downstate ***

* WTVO | Rockford Board of Elections introduces electronic poll pads for faster check-in: More than 200 early voters have used the new poll pads. The board installed 130 poll pads in 35 of their polling locations. The switch came after their previous vendor expired. “It has a receipt printer right underneath. So, it’s basically one cord that powers it all at the same time. It’s paperless and it allows the voter to sign on the screen. It just takes a lot less time where everything’s right in front of the voter,” explained Paredes.

* WAND | Springfield working to expand cannabis, home grant program access: Springfield City Council voted Tuesday night to expand eligibility for the program and allow the city to cut checks directly to vendors. Tax revenue from cannabis sales is funneled to historically disenfranchised communities to promote redevelopment. “Cannabis grants should be aimed at supporting social equity applicants and communities affected by the war on drugs- that was their purpose. This resource should connect individuals and communities historically impacted by cannabis arrests,” said Springfield ACLU President Ken Page.

* WGLT | The long thirst for a Lake Bloomington: To reduce water use in an ongoing severe drought, the City of Bloomington has asked residents to conserve water by a goal of 10%. Water shortages are not unheard of for the city. Even at its start, water was scarce in Bloomington. “Bloomington was notorious for having one of the more unpalatable and harder municipal water sources in the entire state,” said Bill Kemp, a librarian at the McLean County Museum of History.

* Paulick Report | ‘Flagrant Disregard’ For HISA Rules: Illinois Vet Suspended 24 Years, Fined $300,000: The Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) has issued its most severe sanction to date: a 24-year suspension and a $300,000 fine against Illinois equine veterinarian Dr. Donald J. McCrosky. HIWU, charged with enforcing the rules of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s (HISA) Anti-Doping Medication and Control Program, posted the ruling on the public notifications section of its website on Feb. 9.

* 25News Now | New charges for Peoria High basketball coach after 2nd victim comes forward: The new charges stem from alleged sexual conduct with a second student at the school. That student reported the incident to police a week after Ruffin was charged in a separate case involving another student. Police were informed on Feb. 5 that Ruffin had sexual conduct with a student while he was a coach at Peoria High School. The victim, who is now 18 years old but was 17 at the time, told officers that Ruffin engaged in sexual acts with her, many of the acts happening in his school office.

* WCIA | First Ford Co. judge never got a gravestone; historical society aims to change that: The Ford County Historical Society’s Vice President, Patrick Tavenner, said Patton was the first judge in Ford County in the mid-1800s. He said the judge had a major influence on the area, even having Patton Township named in his honor. Now, the society is raising money to get a headstone for Patton next to his son’s obelisk in Glen Cemetery.

*** National ***

* WaPo | FDA won’t review Moderna application for first mRNA-based flu vaccine: Moderna President Stephen Hoge said that the company had previously engaged with the FDA on the trial design and that the agency earlier indicated it would be acceptable “We’re trying right now to reach out to the FDA and understand what would be necessary for them to start reviewing the submission,” Hoge said in an interview.

* NYT | Grand Jury Rebuffs Justice Dept. Attempt to Indict 6 Democrats in Congress: Federal prosecutors in Washington sought and failed on Tuesday to secure an indictment against six Democratic lawmakers who posted a video this fall that enraged President Trump by reminding active-duty members of the military and intelligence community that they were obligated to refuse illegal orders, four people familiar with the matter said. It was remarkable that the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington — led by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of Mr. Trump’s — authorized prosecutors to go into a grand jury and ask for an indictment of the six members of Congress, all of whom had served in the military or the nation’s spy agencies.

* CNBC | Disappointing holiday season: December retail sales were flat, falling well short of estimate: Consumer activity slowed sharply for the December holiday shopping season amid a spate of rough weather, tariff impact and persistently higher inflation, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. Retail sales were flat on the month following a 0.6% increase in November, according to numbers adjusted for seasonality but not inflation. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected an increase of 0.4%. Excluding autos, sales also were unchanged, against the estimate for a 0.3% increase.