|
Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * By special request… Sunset doesn’t last all evening
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WBEZ…
* Illinois Department of Employment Security…
* Governor JB Pritzker…
* WSIL…
* NBC Chicago | Real ID deadline is coming soon. Here’s what you should know for Illinois: Beginning on May 7, 2025, Real ID-compliant identification will be required for residents who plan to fly domestically. “For Illinois residents who fly domestically, effective May 7, 2025, the federal government will require you to use a valid U.S. passport or obtain a REAL ID from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. If you have a valid U.S. passport or passport card, military ID or other federally approved identification, you may continue to use it as your form of identification after May 7, 2025,” the Illinois Secretary of State’s office said. * Press Release | IDNR awards historic sites field trip grants to schools: More than $4,376 in donated funds were awarded for 12 field trip grants. Grantees represent six Illinois counties. “This program allows students to visit state historic sites throughout the state to see first-hand what they’ve been learning about in the classroom and to visit a place where notable historic events happened,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “Students need the opportunity to experience Illinois’ historical resources in person. We’re pleased to be able to enhance classroom learning with these grants.” * Block Club | Mayor’s Plan To Cut Police Therapist Positions Raising Alarms: ‘It’s Bewildering’: Under the mayor’s draft 2025 budget, 22 positions for clinical therapists within the police department would be eliminated — handcuffing an effort to have one counselor for each of the city’s police districts. […] Between 2016 and 2023, 31 department employees died by suicide, including seven in 2022 alone, according to the Sun-Times. That included three officer suicides within a month, reigniting a push to expand mental health services as a short-staffed force worked through cancelled days off. * Tribune | Potential settlement reached in first suit alleging phony arrests by corrupt ex-Chicago police Sgt. Ronald Watts: Ben Baker sued Watts and the city in 2016, alleging Watts and his team pinned bogus cases on him — and in one instance, his partner, Clarissa Glenn — in retaliation for refusing to pay Watts a $1,000 bribe. Baker spent about 10 years in prison before his conviction was thrown out. Attorneys for the city reached a deal to settle with Baker and Glenn last month that is pending approval by the City Council, according to court records. The agreed-on payout has not been disclosed, but only payouts above $100,000 must be approved by aldermen. * Sun-Times | Chicago police officer found not guilty of lying about gun arrest — but still faces firing: A Chicago police officer was acquitted this week of writing a bogus report and providing false testimony about a gun arrest, but he still faces dismissal for allegedly stealing cash and drugs and lying about other firearm seizures. Cook County Judge Ursula Walowski found Officer Daniel Fair not guilty Thursday of felony charges of official misconduct and obstruction of justice during a bench trial. * Tribune | Long-lost mother and son find healing and sweet reunion at South Shore bakery: Lindsey wanted him to enjoy within reason, perhaps a subconscious motherly instinct. She’d given her only son up for adoption and forgone any contact after giving birth to him at 17. […] “Disbelief,” Hunter said when asked how he felt upon learning his mother was his neighborhood baker. “You mean my mother is this outstanding figure in the community, owning a business?” * Daily Southtown | A year after $1.2 million project, nature rebounding at Chicago’s Powderhorn preserve: Fisher said the fish are a sign that, after a year, the drainage system is making good on its promise to encourage fish movement from Lake Michigan and Wolf Lake to Powderhorn’s recovering hemi-marsh, where fry can mature among plants that provide refuge from predators. The idea is to support a wider diversity of species and provide food for birds and other wildlife. * Sun-Times | Fritz Kaegi OK’d tax breaks for ‘low-income’ seniors, now demands proof they qualify amid Sun-Times probe: Perched on a bluff along Lake Michigan’s shoreline in Winnetka is a brick-and-stone mansion that has six bedrooms, six bathrooms and a swimming pool. It’s owned by Jill Fitzgerald, an 84-year-old widow whose family made a fortune distributing produce to Chicago restaurants. The mansion is worth $7.1 million, according to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi. Yet Fitzgerald has gotten massive tax breaks under Illinois’ low-income senior citizens assessment freeze, a program that allows people 65 and older with a household income of no more than $65,000 to get tax relief on their primary residence. * Sun-Times | Judge in Highland Park massacre case to rule on suspect’s attempt to bar hours of interrogation from trial: The lawyers contend that police violated the constitutional rights of Robert Crimo III by not giving him complete details about a lawyer who came to the police station that day to consult with him. Judge Victoria Rossetti said she would issue a written ruling on that motion and another one made by prosecutors. The next court hearing is Dec. 18. * Tribune | One year after Yellow Line crash, effects linger for riders, Skokie and CTA: As the NTSB has continued to investigate, the effects of the collision have lingered. The Yellow Line, also known as the Skokie Swift, was closed for seven weeks after the crash as the CTA worked to ensure the safety of the trains that carry commuters between the Rogers Park neighborhood and Skokie. Though trains resumed running in early January, they have remained limited to the CTA-mandated maximum speed of 35 mph for the line, down from 55 mph before the crash. And Yellow Line riders have had to contend with closures since then. On a recent weekend, train service was shut down each day along the length of the line and replaced with shuttle buses, while the CTA power-washed the rails to clean them of debris like leaf residue. The CTA committed to expanded cleaning of the rails after the crash. * Daily Herald | Lake County sees a mix of incumbent leaders seeking reelection and those voluntarily ending their runs: As of Tuesday afternoon, challengers in municipal races filed to face incumbent village presidents, commonly referred to as mayors, in Gurnee, Libertyville and Round Lake Beach, but incumbent mayors in Fox Lake, Hawthorn Woods, Wauconda, Lake Zurich, Barrington Hills, Long Grove and Deer Park so far are unopposed. * News-Sun | Waukegan D60 joining suit to recover insulin charges; ‘No rhyme or reason for these increases other than price-gouging’: As an employer providing health insurance to its workers who choose to have it, Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is faced with paying much of the ballooning cost of insulin for those who need the diabetes medication for themselves or family members. William Shinoff, an attorney with the California-based Frantz Law Group representing the district, said the amount the three primary manufacturers of insulin charge has escalated more than 550% in the past 11 years. He believes it is illegal. * Sun-Times | Tearing down Elgin building designed by Marina City architect is a bitter pill to swallow: Built in 1967, the five-story building has been closed since July 2002. An Illinois Department of Human Services spokesperson said the building was shuttered due to the dangers of asbestos and “multiple” structural hazards. “At this time, the building is on a list for possible demolition,” the spokesperson said. “However, at this time IDHS does not have a timeline for when the potential demolition might occur.” * Evanston Now | Skokie far outpaces Evanston in new housing: Overall, Evanston’s neighbor to the west has approved 1,553 new housing units in that time, while the current Evanston City Council has approved just 627. In both communities the bulk of the approvals have come within the past 12 months, and most of the approved developments have yet to begin construction. * WTVO | Illinois awarded $95M to electrify freight operations at its ports: The money will fund zero-emission locomotives, skid steers, and forklifts, as well as electric vehicle chargers, hydrogen dispensers, solar power, and on-site battery storage. In addition, the grant will support the purchase of a battery electric passenger ferry in the Quad Cities. * BND | Some small metro-east villages lack their own police. Can St. Clair County find a fix?: Now, St. Clair County has drafted a budget for 2025 that includes a possible solution to the public safety issue affecting thousands of people along the eastern edge of the county from Marissa to Summerfield. County Board Chairman Mark Kern said the 2025 budget proposal sets aside $300,000 for a pilot program to offer money to the towns to help them hire an officer. * Press Release | Learn about hunger and homelessness in Illinois at SIU event: CARBONDALE, Ill. — In conjunction with Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s recognition of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week 2024, Ericka Potter, a first-generation college student who serves as homeless youth supervisor for Youth Services Network, will speak Monday, Nov. 18. Her free, public keynote presentation is set for 4-6 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom B. * Bloomberg | ‘Rates will be a lot lower’ in 12-18 months, Goolsbee says: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Austan Goolsbee said as long as inflation continues down toward the central bank’s 2% goal, interest rates will be “a lot” lower over the next 12-18 months. But Goolsbee agreed with Fed Chair Jerome Powell, noting policymakers are not in a hurry to lower borrowing costs. “As long we keep making progress toward the 2% inflation goal, over the next 12 to 18 months rates will be a lot lower than where they are now,” Goolsbee said on CNBC Friday. * KSDK | She’s qualified to be a nurse, Missouri needs nurses, but won’t give her a license: Alondra Orozco, a recent nursing school graduate, has spent years working toward her dream of becoming a registered nurse — but her immigration status is blocking her from reinforcing the depleted ranks of Missouri’s nursing workforce — even though federal law allows states to issue professional licenses to non-citizens. […] “I’ve given them everything. I have everything that they need for a nurse to work in Missouri, and they still don’t want me,” Orozco said, tears welling in her eyes as she contemplated the possibility that she would have to decide between moving away from her family or remaining in her chosen field. * Axios | Rahm Emanuel weighs bid for DNC chair: David Axelrod, who steered Barack Obama’s campaigns and is a friend of Emanuel, floated earlier this week that the combative and energetic Emanuel would be an ideal leader for a deflated party. “If they said, ‘Well, what should we do? Who should lead the party?’ I would take Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, and I would bring him back from Japan and I would appoint him chairman of the Democratic National Committee,” Axelrod said on his podcast, “Hacks on Tap.”
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
They don’t call it the ‘Show Me State’ for nothing
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Missouri state Rep. Justin Sparks (R-Wildwood) was elected just two years ago, in 2022…
The always entertaining Donnybrook TV show cast discussed the allegation. Click here. Some folks defended it.
|
|
Asked about the RFK Jr. appointment, Pritzker says ‘I think there are challenges ahead, but we’ll work through them’
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
There’s lots, lots more, so click here. * Gov. Pritzker was asked about the RFK Jr. announcement earlier today…
Please pardon all transcription errors. Bruce Rauner did sign a law limiting the religious exemption for vaccinations. * But this is from a 2019 story in Healthcare Weekly…
|
|
Roundup: Madigan corruption trial
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Tribune…
* WGN…
* Meanwhile… The Sun-Times…
|
|
It’s just a bill
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
* HB5911…
* WICS…
* Rep. Anthony DeLuca filed HB5913 yesterday…
HB2347 passed the house 61-45 in May of 2023 and sits in Senate Assignments. * WCIA…
|
|
Open thread
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Chalkbeat Chicago | In wake of Trump win, Chicago Board of Education moves to reaffirm protections for immigrants: The resolution, approved unanimously by the school board during a special board meeting, acknowledged that the results of the election “may have caused fear, concern, confusion, sadness, anger, or anxiety in CPS staff, students, and their families.” “We stand very steadfast to these principles and we will defend every student here,” said board member Olga Bautista. She added that it’s “unconscionable” to see anyone “emboldened” to call immigration officials on “our people at work or at schools.” * Sun-Times | ComEd lured TikTok historian out of safe union job, then fired him: Then Thomas met Gov. J.B. Pritzker, which really caught the attention of the utility. If you’re following the Michael Madigan trial, you know ComEd has been accused of putting its thumb on the scales of government. “The VP of communications said it would be cool if Gil heard about you — maybe a good idea to take him to meet Gov. Pritzker,” said Thomas. “So I did.” That would be ComEd President and CEO Gil Quiniones. Suddenly, the CEO and the night shift worker were pals. “He would text me, ‘Hey Dilla, retweet this,’” said Thomas. “‘Hey Dilla, we’re going to do this ribbon cutting, can you show up? Dilla, we’re graduating this class at training; can you show up?’” * Fortune | Red Lobster CEO says endless shrimp is never coming back because ‘I know how to do math’: Since taking the helm at Red Lobster, Adamolekun has committed to controlling the crustacean chaos caused by the endless shrimp fiasco by doing exactly what he referred to: going back to what made the company successful in the first place. “This is, without exaggeration, one of the most important companies in American history,” Adamolekun told CNN. “There were certainly big mistakes made over the last few years.” * At 10 am Governor Pritzker will announce new clean energy grant awards. Click here to watch. * A quick moment of zen…
* WTTW | Illinois House Speaker on Protecting Reproductive Rights, Balancing the State Budget: Though Illinois Democrats all won reelection in the state, the outcome for the presidential race was less successful. Welch said although it’s bittersweet to see Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign end, as a state, Illinois has planned ahead. “We have said every time we stand up on the floor and fight for certain bills, that we couldn’t predict what was going to happen in 2024,” Welch said. “We needed to make sure that we protected the values of Illinois. And so we’ve done that when it comes to workers’ rights and women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights and the climate. We’ve done a lot of work on some very important things, and what we do know is what Donald Trump has said he will do.” * Tribune | More Illinois hospitals get A grades for safety; a dozen get D’s: In Illinois, 32 hospitals have notched A grades, up from 24 hospitals in the spring, according to the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit founded by large employers and other organizations that buy health insurance. Illinois now ranks 23rd in the nation for patient safety — up from 30th in the spring. Illinois hospitals that earned top marks this fall include University of Chicago Medical Center; Rush University Medical Center; six Endeavor Health hospitals in Evanston, Highland Park, Glenview, Elmhurst, Naperville and Arlington Heights; and seven Northwestern Medicine hospitals in Huntley, DeKalb, Chicago, Winfield, Geneva, Lake Forest and McHenry. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson makes no promises after warnings over proposed police reform cuts: Asked to respond Thursday, the mayor defended his record on the consent decree but did not otherwise indicate what’s next for the hundreds of proposed cuts across the offices of constitutional policing, community policing and more, beyond calling “for us all to look at it and reflect on it.” “What we said we were not going to do is lay off police officers and firefighters,” Johnson said at an unrelated news conference on the West Side. “We’ve made a commitment — I did — to hire more detectives, to create better supervision. These are all elements within the consent decree that we have to adhere to. That’s what my administration has done.” * Sun-Times | CPS board presses Acero officials for plan to keep charter schools open: Johnson’s newly appointed board members — who replaced the previous board that resigned en masse in October — held a special meeting Thursday to pass the resolution demanding Acero officials come before them at a Dec. 4 meeting. The board also passed a resolution reaffirming CPS as a welcoming district that will protect students from President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration mandates. * Tribune | School board pushes to keep Acero schools open, as CPS Chief Pedro Martinez’ job status remains unclear: Some Acero parents who recently heard their children’s schools were closing blame CPS Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez and said he should have done more to help them, though the district leader said he has followed regular procedures. Martinez, who prepared a presentation obtained by the Tribune to address the charter schools closures, did not speak during Thursday’s special board meeting. * CBS Chicago | Family of man who died of asthma attack in Illinois prison sues state for wrongful death: Michael Broadway, who was 51, died on June 19 after suffering an asthma attack amid excessive heat inside the prison. His family claimed his death was entirely preventable if prison guards and medical staff had made sure he received immediate care after he started struggling to breathe inside his cell. “Instead of helping him, Defendants watched Michael slowly perish while gasping for breath,” the family’s lawsuit states. * WBEZ | Billy Lawless Sr., pub owner, immigration activist, dies at 73: Mr. Lawless poured himself into advocating for immigration reform as he realized the scope of the problem for thousands of Irish in Chicago and countless others from around the world who were part of the broader immigration crisis in the U.S. He was a co-founder of Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform. * Tribune | State rests case against 2 former Cook County assistant state’s attorneys accused of wrongdoing: Special prosecutors on Thursday rested their case against two former Cook County assistant state’s attorneys standing trial on accusations of wrongdoing in connection with an infamous wrongful conviction case. The end of the state’s case moves the at-times contentious trial into a new phase, after it resumed in October following an 11-month break due to a rare midtrial appeal. Moments after prosecutors wrapped up, defense attorneys for Nicholas Trutenko, 69, and Andrew Horvat, 49, vigorously argued to Lake County Judge Daniel Shanes — who is hearing the matter instead of conflicted Cook County judges — that the state failed to prove its allegations. * Daily Herald | Defense wants Highland Park shooting suspect’s statements to police barred from trial: Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti will rule on the defense request Dec. 18, about two months before the defendant is scheduled to face trial on 21 counts of first-degree murder and dozens of others charges. During Thursday’s court hearing, prosecutors played video clips from the interrogation showing officers informing the defendant that a lawyer was present and willing to talk with him. They also offered the defendant the lawyer’s business card on several occasions, as well as opportunities to make a phone call, which he declined. * First Alert 4 | Gov. Pritzker visits Alton talks Trump, abortion & Madison County advisory question vote: Pritzker made this stop in Madison County, which last week voted in favor of a symbolic referendum declaring it wants to secede from Illinois. Pritzker did not sound very concerned. “I know that Madison County didn’t vote for my candidate for president, so I’m not surprised it voted the way it did on the referendum,” said Pritzker. * KSDK | Illinois Governor tours new development in Alton: On Thursday Illinois Governor JB Pritzker toured a new innovation center in Alton. The Wedge Innovation Center is a 55,000-square-foot facility that will be the new home for the Midwest AI Network, some Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville educational programs, tech start-ups and local entrepreneurs. * BND | Commissioner, cop fired for blowing whistle on East St. Louis Housing Board, lawsuit says: A former East St. Louis police officer and his wife, a member of the housing board, filed a civil rights and defamation lawsuit in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois claiming they were wrongfully terminated by City Manager Robert Betts. In the four-count lawsuit, Shonte and Nicholas Mueller say they were fired in retaliation for reporting problems with the East St. Louis Housing Authority and its interim executive director. * WCIA | Movie shot in Champaign and Piatt Counties premiering in theaters nationwide: The film is called Albany Road, and you might not know all the actors, but you will recognize where they’re standing. Director Christine Swanson said she wanted to film in Illinois because she needed snow, and the tax incentives were better than in Georgia. A good friend of hers, who has a production company in Champaign, pitched the idea of doing most of the filming in Central Illinois. * Columbia Journalism Review | Trump Threatens New York Times, Penguin Random House over Critical Coverage: The letter, addressed to lawyers at the New York Times and Penguin Random House, arrived a week before the election. Attached was a discursive ten-page legal threat from an attorney for Donald Trump that demanded $10 billion in damages over “false and defamatory statements” contained in articles by Peter Baker, Michael S. Schmidt, Susanne Craig, and Russ Buettner. t singles out two stories coauthored by Buettner and Craig that related to their book on Trump and his financial dealings, Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success, released on September 17. * Reuters | Trump’s transition team aims to kill Biden EV tax credit: President-elect Donald Trump‘s transition team is planning to kill the $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric-vehicle purchases as part of broader tax-reform legislation, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. […] Tesla CEO Elon Musk, one of Trump’s biggest backers and the world’s richest person, said in July that killing the subsidy might slightly hurt Tesla sales but would be “devastating” to its U.S. EV competitors, which include legacy automakers such as General Motors (GM.N). * Tribune | Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That’s what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars.: On Thursday, The Onion immediately shut down Infowars and said it plans to relaunch it in January as a parody of conspiracy theorists. “Our goal in a couple of years is for people to think of Infowars as the funniest and dumbest website that exists,” said Ben Collins, the Onion’s CEO. “It was previously the dumbest website that exists.”
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Addition to today’s edition
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
Comments Off |
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Nov 15, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WTVO | More Democrats considering moving to Illinois following Trump victory: “You are seeing more migration patterns following politics,” said Conor Brown, CEO of the NorthWest Illinois Alliance of Realtors in Rockford. “And some of it could be social issues, whether it’s guns and abortion. Or, it could be economic issues like business and taxes and things like that.” Brown says the reaction by the public following this year’s election is nothing new. “I think we saw some acceleration during the COVID period, as well,” he said. “As much as it was a health care issue, it was also a political issue. And I think people moved to states that favored what they felt was their point of view on the issue.” … Politics aside, Brown said moving to Illinois can pay off for those who are willing to wait out the housing shortage. “Throughout our region, we are adding more jobs,” he said. “We have such strong demand for employees here that it is making it attractive for people to relocate.” * Sun-Times | Top mayoral aide says ‘world view’ has changed since she openly pushed to defund police: On Thursday, Bartley talked about the controversy that might have cost her the City Hall job she now holds if not for “the grace we give each other when we’re in tense moments,” she said. She’s “learned a ton,” she said, since making the transition from a community organizer demanding change to a City Hall insider with power to make things happen. * Illinois Answers | ‘Empire of Neglected And Hazardous Vacant Lots’ Declares Bankruptcy, But City of Chicago Cries Fraud: City attorneys accuse Northbrook resident Suzie B. Wilson and her sister, Swedlana Dass, of concealing their wealth by transferring their local properties “around like candy” to businesses based in South Dakota, leaving the Illinois’ companies that owe the city millions of dollars “completely insolvent.” The transfers started after Illinois Answers Project and Block Club Chicago first revealed that their businesses owed the city more than $15 million in unpaid tickets for such violations as overgrown weeds and garbage on vacant lots the businesses owned. * Block Club | Avondale’s Our Lady Of Fatima Church To Be Demolished For 3 Single-Family Homes: Demolition of the church and parking lot began Monday, when crews were seen securing the property with a fence and tearing up portions of the parking lot. A construction worker onsite Tuesday said the demolition could take a few days depending on the building’s condition. The church is most notable for being a mission church under the umbrella of St. Hyacinth parish to help relieve overcrowding at the main church a mile away between the 1940s-1990, said local historian and Polish advocate Dan Pogorzelski. A mission church supports and operates under another church that acts as the parish seat. * Sun-Times | 48 hours aboard Amtrak’s new direct train from Chicago to Miami: We get underway exactly on time. A conductor comes by and scan’s everyone’s tickets while we’re briefly stopped in the Union Station yard. His face contorts in confusion when he sees that we’re riding all the way to Miami in coach. * Block Club | 23 Migrant Couples Say ‘I Do’ At Mass Wedding: ‘I’m So Happy We Had This Opportunity’: Wearing a black suit and a smile, Gilson Rojas said he was happy to see his parents officially tie the knot. The Venezuelan family of five arrived in the United States three months ago, staying in California for a few weeks before arriving in Chicago. “I feel happy. I never thought I’d see them get married,” Gilson Rojas said in Spanish. All the couples at the mass wedding have been with their significant other for years and already have children. A wedding, however, was out of reach as they faced instability in their home country or had to emigrate — in some cases, more than once, some said. * Naperville Sun | Naperville council candidate removed from ballot because of nominating petition errors: Farid Malik Shabazz cannot run for the Naperville City Council in April because his nominating petitions did not reflect his recent name change, a city electoral board ruled Wednesday. Shabazz, a first-time candidate, says he does not plan to appeal. “I’m a little down,” he said after the ruling. “But it’s a teachable moment. This is a teachable moment.” * Daily Herald | Geneva alderperson facing ethics complaint over Facebook post about pro-Trump businesses: A post in a private Facebook group that listed pro-Trump businesses and claimed they have “terrible politics” has resulted in an ethics complaint against a Geneva City Council member. There also are calls for her to be fired from her job with the city of Aurora. Geneva Alderperson Martha Paschke said that although she was an administrator for the Fox Valley Activists’ Facebook page, she is no longer. In addition, she says she did not create the list and did not post it. * Cook County Record | 77 of 78 Cook County judges poised to retain seats on bench; O’Malley falling short: According to unofficial tallies posted by the Cook County Clerk’s office and the Chicago Board of Elections as of Friday evening, Nov. 8, Cook County Judge Shannon O’Malley, formerly known as Phillip Spiwak, appeared to be falling short of the threshold needed to win a new term. […] O’Malley, however, has spent most of the past week hovering just below that 60% threshold. According to unofficial returns, O’Malley stood at 59% voting “Yes,” as of Tuesday, Nov. 12. That would place him about 8,870 votes short of winning retention, according to Cook County Record estimates. Other judicial retention candidates who have so far failed to collect more than 65% voting “Yes” include: Lisa Ann Marino, with 64.9%; and Ieshia Gray, with 61.6%. * Tribune | Maywood Park District employees working without pay as district faces financial cliff: Since early October, four of the district’s 11-person staff, including interim Executive Director Rod Chaney, have been working without pay while the other seven have either quit or are waiting to return to work. The park district runs four parks and after-school programs, athletics and senior enrichment activities for the roughly 23,000 residents of Maywood. The district has about $3,500 on hand, Board President Dawn Williams said. In January, the district defaulted on a $175,000 loan, Williams said. The district was supposed to use an installment of property tax revenue from that month to pay back the loan, Williams and Chaney said, but the money was instead spent on operating expenses, which includes payroll and bills. * WTTW | Fermilab Announces Layoffs of 53 Employees Amid Budgetary Pressure: It represents almost 2.5% of its workforce. Fermilab reported about 2,160 employees including scientists and engineers on its website. “This was a difficult decision to reduce these positions,” said Tracy Marc, media relations manager at Fermilab. “They were thoughtfully assessed and focused on positions, not individuals. It was done as an essential step to align the lab’s workforce with Fermilab’s priorities, mission and future budgets.” * Oak Park Journal | Oak Park plans for phase 2 of alternative police response: Between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, Oak Park received more than 49,000 calls through 911. According to Kira Tchang, the village’s human resources director, more than 20% of those calls, or about 10,000, would have been a “good fit” for alternative response. The intent with phase two, she said, is to tackle most, if not all, of those types of calls. In a village-led second phase, there would be a community care team to respond to low risk behavioral or mental-health related calls and a co-response team to respond to high-risk ones. * Daily Herald | United Way of Lake County president/CEO to retire after nearly 43 years with nonprofit: Kristi Long will be retiring from the post of president and CEO of United Way of Lake County, effective May 1, 2025. Long has spent 42 years with United Way, in various roles through five organizations in the United States. United Way is an international network of more than 1,800 local nonprofits dedicated to bettering lives. Its Lake County chapter provides resources for food, mental health, health care and jobs, and especially works to ensure children have access to education. * BND | Belleville considers demolishing 1887 building after rejecting proposal to renovate it: The city-owned buildings include an 1887 two-story brick storefront at 123-127 Mascoutah Ave. Last year, developer Kathy Mordini agreed to buy it from the city for $46,000 and spend another $200,000 to renovate it and turn it into an event center with office space. That deal collapsed after a long negotiation process and opposition by some Belleville Historic District residents, led by former congressman Bill Enyart. They argued that large gatherings in an outdoor courtyard would disrupt the neighborhood. Mordini blamed “politics,” stemming from her support of the late former Mayor Mark Eckert, who was defeated by current Mayor Patty Gregory in 2021. Gregory and other city officials denied that claim, saying the project had been subject to the same rules and procedures applied to any developer. * WMBD | Lead for Spears in Peoria County judge race increases to 53 votes after Tuesday’s count: John Spears’ lead over Frank Ierulli is now by 53 votes after officials at the Peoria County Election Commission counted 425 ballots on Tuesday. There are two days left for counting, Thursday and then on Nov. 19 when the election results will become official. Only 45 of those were vote by mail. The majority were provisional ballots cast on Election day. There are still about 70 provisional ballots left to go through, said Elizabeth Gannon, the executive director of the election commission. * Journal Courier | Illinois historical society symposium to honor 206 years of statehood: Sen. Doris Turner, D-Decatur, will give a talk on designs for the new state flag for Illinois during a lunch buffet. From 1 to 2:45 p.m., two speakers will give presentations on Native Americans in the state. Michael Wiant, former director of the Illinois State Museum and Dickson Mounds State Museum, will speak on “Native Americans in Illinois in 1818: Treaties and Treachery in the Path to Statehood.” * Reuters | Many long COVID patients adjust to slim recovery odds as world moves on: The best window for recovery is in the first six months after getting COVID-19, with better odds for people whose initial illness was less severe, as well as those who are vaccinated, researchers in the United Kingdom and the United States found. People whose symptoms last between six months and two years are less likely to fully recover. For patients who have been struggling for more than two years, the chance of a full recovery “is going to be very slim,” said Manoj Sivan, a professor of rehabilitation medicine at the University of Leeds and one of the authors of the findings published in The Lancet. * Bloomberg | Rivian, Tesla slide on report Trump plans to nix EV tax credit: Shares of US automakers fell after Reuters reported President-elect Donald Trump plans to eliminate the $7,500 consumer tax credit for electric-vehicle purchases. Trump’s transition team has been discussing ending the subsidy as part of a broader tax-reform effort, Reuters said, citing unidentified sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Representatives of Tesla Inc. also support ending the credit, according to the report.
|
|
Save the date!
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I think I’m most looking forward to seeing Carol and Bernie…
Click here to RSVP.
|
|
https://capitolfax.com/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=64033
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department
Comments Off |
|
Trial gives glimpse into how Madigan managed his members
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * It was well-known that Speaker Madigan ran the House the way he ran the 13th Ward operation. He tended to treat his Democratic legislators as constituents (which they are in a way because they vote every two years on leadership). And it wasn’t just about their bills or projects in their districts. A nephew has legal trouble? Go to Madigan and he’ll help find you a good lawyer. Want to impress the in-laws with good Cubs tickets? Madigan has those. Need a job for somebody close to you? Ask Madigan…  * From the mentioned Tribune article…
It wasn’t all shady. For instance, when Rep. Esther Golar left the hospital to vote to override a Bruce Rauner veto, the hospital refused to readmit her. Madigan helped get her back in. More here.
|
|
Pritzker announces $72 million in medical debt relief for nearly 53K Illinois residents
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * NBC Chicago in July…
* Governor JB Pritzker today…
|
|
AG Raoul warns Mayor Johnson to reverse police reform budget cuts or risk sanctions
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
Click here for the letter. * WTTW…
* Meanwhile, WBEZ…
Thoughts?
|
|
Madigan trial roundup: Defense attacks credibility of ex-ComEd executive
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* Courthouse News reporter Dave Byrnes…
* Sun-Times…
* More…
|
|
Senate President puts hold on bill to protect key aquifers from carbon sequestration
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Capitol News Illinois…
* Center Square…
* WAND TV…
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the new proposal yesterday…
* Press release…
* WCIA…
|
|
Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like the Maynors, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
Comments Off |
|
Open thread
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois AG Raoul warns Mayor Johnson to reconsider police reform budget cuts or risk being held in contempt. Sun-Times…
Click here to read the letter. * At 4 pm Governor Pritzker will tour the Wedge Innovation Center in Alton. Click here to watch. * Tribune | Aldermen struggle with Johnson’s ‘rudderless’ lobbying office amid budget negotiations: Johnson’s deputy IGA director who handles state government, Mike Ciaccio, is quitting at the end of this month, three sources confirmed to the Tribune, making it even tougher for the mayor to make inroads with the General Assembly. * Rock River Current | Hard Rock Casino Rockford Holds No. 2 Spot For State’s Biggest-Drawing Casinos: Hard Rock jumped from ninth to second among total revenue and admissions to the state’s 15 casinos in September. It held that ranking last month, according to figures released Tuesday by the Illinois Gaming Board. Hard Rock had 122,621 admissions to the casino at 7801 E. State St. in October. It had 157,154 during its debut month. * Tribune | Lawmakers confront costly choices as state workers rally for better pension benefits: At issue are concerns over reforms made to Illinois’ beleaguered pension system in 2011. Workers hired after that date were placed into a “Tier 2” system that offered reduced benefits. The overall goal of creating the “Tier 2” plan was to shrink a pension debt that now runs to $141 billion. But at some point, benefits paid out under the system won’t equal to what Social Security would provide to those employees, a violation of a federal “safe harbor” law. That would require the state to pay large sums in Social Security taxes instead of operating its own pension system which, while still costly, allows the state more flexibility. * Crain’s | Intersect Illinois says new corporate projects rose 15% last year: he state tallied 440 projects in the fiscal year ended June 30, up from 382 a year before, says Intersect Illinois, the state’s public-private partnership for economic development. The biggest project announced last fiscal year was Gotion’s planned $2 billion battery-assembly plant in Manteno, one of the most significant economic development deals in state history. * WGLT | Illinois Farm Bureau challenging expulsion from national federation: The Illinois Farm Bureau and Country Financial have the same individuals on both boards of directors, though they have different fiduciary duties. There are three other states where Country does business where farm clients are required to be members of their state farm bureau, but none except Illinois where non-farm clients had to buy a farm bureau membership as well. In January, Illinois will have the same alignment as the other three states. * Holland & Knight | Illinois Dental Practices Face New Third-Party Financing Guardrails in 2025: In August, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law HB 4891 that amends the Illinois Dental Practice Act to include significant guardrails for dental practices looking to offer third-party financing in dental offices in 2025. Notably, these restrictions do not apply to financing and other discount programs offered by dental practices themselves, but likely require dental practices with current third-party financing programs to make significant adjustments. It remains to be seen whether the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) will promulgate regulations to further implement this law. * CBS Chicago | Developer hopes to refresh and revitalize commercial corridor in Chicago’s West Pullman community: CBS News Chicago reported Tuesday night on an Aldi that abruptly closed in the West Pullman neighborhood this past weekend—leaving residents with one less option for their shopping. But new investment is coming to the community—$200 million, to be exact. For years, businesses big and small have come and gone in the West Pullman neighborhood. But the nonprofit Far South Community Development Corporation is working to create everlasting change—and has a vision specifically for the commercial corridor at 115th and Halsted streets. * NBC Chicago | Investigation finds uninsured school bus company was transporting Chicago students: In 2017, the company was barred from doing business with Chicago Public Schools due to numerous failed state safety inspections, a lack of “cross arms and emergency door handles” and “cracked windshields and shredded tires” on several of their buses, NBC 5 Responds found. We also found several other school districts were still using Culvers to transport children, including the De La Salle Institute and Akiba Schechter Jewish Day School. * Sun-Times | Google paying to move CTA Clark/Lake entrance in Thompson Center to Clark Street: The station entrance within the Thompson Center on Lake Steet will move next year to the northeast corner of the building on Clark Street, according to the CTA. The Thompson Center is under construction to become Google’s new Chicago headquarters. The CTA shared sleek conceptual renderings of proposed station makeover after the transit agency’s board voted Wednesday to amend its 1984 easement agreement with the building’s owner. Google purchased the building from the state for $105 million in 2022. * CBS Chicago | Crowds line up for hours in Chicago for tacos from Michelin-starred Mexico City stand: That taste of Mexico from El Califa de León has come to Chicago—and people were willing to sacrifice their whole day to enjoy what some say are among the best tacos in the world. The line wrapped around several city blocks and wound around corners. Some got comfortable in chairs as they waited in line, while others relaxed with shots of tequila. * WGN | Outgoing Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx reflects upon successes, challenges during 8 years in office: During the interview, Foxx discussed the recent presidential election and said she believes, with the election of Donald Trump, that Illinois could see a huge decrease in federal funds. Foxx also said she is rooting for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and added that his decision to get rid of ShotSpotter may not have been such a bad idea as it could encourage folks to trust their police department and make a call when they hear shots being fired. * Daily Herald | 40% drop in Metra trains could come in 2027, leaders warn: “The number we are throwing around mathematically is a 40% reduction of service to meet the budget hole in 2027,” Executive Director Jim Derwinski told board directors at a meeting. His remarks came after directors asked if the commuter railroad was readying for 2026, the year federal pandemic aid runs out for Metra, Pace and the Chicago Transit Authority. * Daily Southtown | Clerk Nyota Figgs challenges Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones’ filing for reelection: City Clerk Nyota Figgs alleges the mayor is ineligible to run for reelection due to a 2021 referendum passed to prevent municipal office holders from also serving as a state legislator, and claiming Jones’ primary residence is not in Calumet City. Jones has been state representative since 2011. Figgs, who is running for reelection as clerk, said she believes Jones’ role in state government has created barriers to holding him accountable at the municipal level since his elected as mayor in 2021. The referendum brought similar challenges to Jones’ candidacy during that first bid, but the Illinois Supreme Court ruled Jones’ spot on the ballot was secure. * Daily Herald | Board, council races starting to take shape in Northwest suburbs: A crowded race is forming in Arlington Heights, where officials face the prospect of the Chicago Bears either building a new stadium or proposing some other redevelopment plan for the former Arlington Park property. Six candidates so far have filed paperwork for four available four-year seats on the village board. * NBC Chicago | Dolton mayor complains to police after signs bearing her image are removed: Bodycam footage from an officer called to the scene shows Henyard asking workers removing the banners who gave them orders to complete the work. Henyard said she was going to press charges against the workers and the village manager for taking down government property in the footage. The video shows workers give the banners to members of Henyard’s team a short time later. * WGN | Inside the awe-inspiring ‘Aurora’ supercomputer at Argonne National Lab: The Aurora is not Argonne’s first supercomputer, but it’s the most powerful. In all, there are 160 racks, each eight feet tall, arranged in eight rows, all connected by 300 miles of cable. That’s enough to stretch from Chicago to St. Louis. “It’s really the number of operations that the system can do,” he said. The aurora is capable of a quintillion calculations per second,” Papka said. “That’s a 10 with 18zeros after it, or a million trillions.” * NBC Chicago | Far-right influencer Nick Fuentes accused of spraying, pushing Berwyn woman down stairs: In a statement to the Sun-Times, Fuentes said, “Don’t show up at somebody’s front door looking to cause problems.” He did not give an account of the incident. Rose said her address has leaked. Rose believes supporters of Fuentes have swatted — an act where one tells an emergency service to go to a person’s address — her home a few times, and she believes they’re behind multiple Domino’s Pizza orders that have come to her vegan household. * Capitol News Illinois | Carbondale faces legal battle over protest restrictions outside abortion clinics: The Supreme Court is scheduled to decide on Friday whether it will take up the case, Coalition Life v. City of Carbondale. It had been scheduled for last week’s conference, but it was postponed. Brian Westbrook, founder and executive director of Coalition Life, which sends volunteers and paid staff to Carbondale’s clinics, said the restrictions made it nearly impossible to get the attention of people entering the clinics. * WCIA | Family, neighbors say Mattoon murder-suicide ‘could’ve been avoided’: Ramirez said Seeley needed serious help with the abusive relationship, and that she did not receive it. “They did not offer her an OP (order of protection),” Ramirez said. “They did not offer any kind of domestic violence counseling, and they said, ‘It’s a civil suit, you’re on your own.’” Tuesday, Ramirez and Seeley’s family were setting up funeral arrangements and collecting items from her office, all while thinking, “what if Seeley had gotten the help she needed?” * WCBU | Pekin establishes a 1% grocery sales tax to replace lost revenue from the repeal of state tax: The Pekin City Council voted 4-3 on Tuesday for the city to establish its own 1% grocery sales tax so it can recoup the $1.5 to $1.7 million annually the city would have lost because of the state grocery sales tax’s elimination. […] “We all know the legislation was nothing more than a political move,” said council member Karen Hohimer. “Our grocery sales tax won’t be just paid by Pekin residents. Anyone who comes through town and buys groceries will pay it too.” * WGLT | Erik Rankin named next executive director at Illinois Prairie Community Foundation: The Illinois Prairie Community Foundation [IPCF], a public charity that awards grants in McLean, DeWitt, Livingston and Logan counties, has named its next executive director. Erik Rankin of Bloomington will replace current executive director Greg Meyer, who is retiring at the end of the year. “As a McLean County native, Rankin has a strong passion for his community and brings more than two decades of varied experiences in leadership roles and relationship-building within nonprofit, education and governmental organizations,” said IPCF board president Laura Kowalczyk. * PJ Star | Comedian who slammed Peoria won’t make any Illinois stops on upcoming tour: Gillis performed two shows in Peoria on Jan. 12, coinciding with a wave of cold weather and nearly 10 inches of snow in Illinois. On an episode of “Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast,” which Gillis co-hosts with comic Matt McCusker, Gillis slammed Peoria’s weather, saying he had to arrive a day early because of it and had nothing to do.”I was in Peoria, Illinois, new No. 1 on the power rankings of (expletive) town in the entire country,” he said. “Peoria, Illinois was… that was hell, dude. Just me and the bums were the only ones outside walking around. Minus 4 in Peoria sucks.” * Rockford Register Star | Is the party over? Rockford could crack down on VRBO, Airbnb properties, rentals: City officials estimate that there are as many as 250 such properties in Rockford. Most are well cared for and fly under the radar. But too many have attracted disruptive parties, weddings, loud music, excessive street parking, criminal activity and even shootings, Legal Director Nicholas Meyer said. * WaPo | Trump aides explore plans to boost Musk effort by wresting control from Congress: If the White House were to simply assert more power without Congress first changing the law, it could trigger a constitutional showdown over a bedrock aspect of the federal government, the power of the purse. Some legal experts say that the courts would probably strike down any attempt to unilaterally rewrite federal spending laws, but some Trump allies are optimistic the Supreme Court, which now has a significant conservative majority, might rule in their favor. Trump’s former budget director, Russell Vought, blasted the 1974 law the day before Trump’s first term ended, saying it promoted “the very opposite of what good government should be,” and he said last year on Trump adviser Stephen K. Bannon’s podcast that he thought the law was unconstitutional. Vought is widely expected to return to the administration in a senior role. * Sun-Times | Pritzker, Colorado governor launch coalition to fight ‘threats of autocracy’: The goal of Governors Safeguarding Democracy, or GSD, is to protect state-level institutions of democracy — and to use their collective legislative, budgetary, executive and administrative powers. Pritzker said it will “catalyze collaboration across state lines.” “It’s built off a model that all of us governors have already successfully pioneered through the Reproductive Freedom Alliance,” Pritzker said. “And together, what we’re doing is pushing back against increasing threats of autocracy and fortifying the institutions of democracy that our country and our states depend on.” * Axios | Senate Democrats are stressed about Dick Durbin: Democrats tell Axios they’re nervous about whether Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), 79, has the fire to fight Trump nominees as the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Schumer’s options include jamming up GOP attempts to adjourn the chamber for Trump to make recess appointments, sources tell us.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
|
Trump border czar pick has message for Pritzker: ‘Game on’
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Fox 32…
Click here for the relevant portion of the interview.
|
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * NBC Chicago…
* The Illinois Freedom Caucus announced its first Senate member…
* Views in the Capitol…
* WAND…
* Sun-Times | ‘Did the word ‘felony’ resonate with you?’: Defense attorneys grill star witness in Madigan case: One of those defense attorneys accepted wholeheartedly Wednesday, grilling Fidel Marquez over whether he’d forgotten last winter that he’d “pled guilty to a felony” and was “facing five years?” “Did the word ‘felony’ resonate with you on March 8, 2024?” attorney Patrick Cotter demanded. “Did you remember that part of the court proceeding?” * WTTW | State Republicans Call for Inclusion in Budget Talks as Illinois Faces $3B Deficit: President-elect Donald Trump’s victory last week should have a resounding message for Illinois politicians, according to the Republican leader of the state Senate, John Curran: “They want elected officials to focus on making life more affordable.” Curran said Illinois Democrats, who control state government and therefore its purse strings, should bear that in mind as they contend with a deficit projected to top $3 billion. * Center Square | Bipartisan push to protect Central Illinois drinking water from carbon capture: Julie Fosdick, an opponent of carbon sequestration projects, said legislators seem to be protecting the aquifer now that news broke about the Archer Daniels Midland leaks. “People became much more aware that having carbon sequestration near an aquifer is a serious risk after learning ADM had two leaks,” said Fosdick. “The one leak had already occurred at ADM when the bill [Senate Bill 1289], but that was kept secret.” * WGLT | Illinois Farm Bureau expelled from national federation: The American Farm Bureau Federation [AFBF] has kicked the Illinois Farm Bureau out of the federation in a dispute over member dues. A letter from AFBF President Zippy Duvall to state farm bureau presidents said the action comes after a failed mediation session on Monday. The move is in retaliation for a decision by the Illinois Farm Bureau’s affiliate, Country Financial, to drop a Farm Bureau membership eligibility requirement for non-farm insurance policy holders in Illinois. * FarmWeek | IFB president responds to AFBF’s decision: We believe AFBF is choosing to abandon our more than 70,000 Illinois farmer members because our affiliate insurance company does not want to force non-farmers to join. * KFVS | Illinois Department of Agriculture Launches First-Ever Illinois Product Holiday Box: The Illinois Department of Agriculture has announced the release of the first of its kind Illinois Product Holiday Box. The box features nine different products from Illinois. We believe AFBF is choosing to put our farms, our families and our communities at risk at a time when we need support through federal policy. In short, we believe AFBF has chosen to break its promises to Illinois farmers. * Sun-Times | Durbin, Duckworth, House Democrats demand feds fix Legionella problem at Loop buildings: The Sun-Times reported in August that three Loop buildings — Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building, John C. Kluczynski Federal Building and Everett M. Dirksen U.S. Courthouse — have Legionella and, in some cases, traces of lead or copper that exceed safe levels set by the government. The Metcalfe building also includes a children’s daycare that detected Legionella and lead. In their letter, the lawmakers said the Stanley J. Roszkowski U.S. Courthouse Building in Rockford was also found to have Legionella above safe levels. * Tribune | Chicago-based Grubhub sold for $650 million to Wonder Group Inc.: Wonder Group Inc. is buying Grubhub from Just Eat Takeaway.com NV for about $650 million, acquiring the restaurant delivery service at a steep discount to the $7.3 billion price tag it commanded during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025, Just Eat said in a statement on its website Wednesday. It expects net proceeds of as much as $50 million from the deal. * Sun-Times | Family of Officer Enrique Martinez doesn’t want Mayor Johnson, Gov. Pritzker at funeral, FOP head says: The family has been “very clear they do not want the governor or the mayor to attend” the funeral on Nov. 18, Catanzara said in a video posted to the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police YouTube channel on Monday. He added that Pritzker has acknowledged the request and indicated he plans to honor it, but Johnson has yet to follow suit. “Shame on you, Mayor Johnson,” Catanzara said. * Tribune | Nurses at University of Illinois Hospital walk off the job, in second strike since August: It’s the second time the nurses have gone on strike since August, which is when their last contract expired. The nurses are seeking better security to prevent patients from attacking them at the hospital, and they’re asking for higher pay. UI Health has proposed annual raises of less than 3%, according to the union, the Illinois Nurses Association. Meanwhile, the health system has said that the majority of its nurses are already better paid than 90% of nurses in the Chicago area. * Tribune | How will Donald Trump’s plans for education affect Chicago Public Schools?: Trump repeatedly made promises on the campaign trail to dismantle the Department of Education and change funding priorities toward private schools and other educational expenses, which worries Reyes. Like other parents and educational advocates in Chicago, he said he would do whatever it takes to “ensure (his) kids get the proper education they need from all realms and all voices.” Education policy experts say the 47th incoming president’s plans to expand education savings accounts (where families get taxpayer money to help pay tuition for private schools), limit and reshape American history curriculums and shift budget priorities from programs that benefit low-income students have the potential to create a tumultuous transition for Chicago students. * Shaw Local | Will County state’s attorney calls for closure of SAFE-T Act ‘loophole’: The murder case filed against a man accused of killing a Chicago police officer has led Will County State’s Attorney James Glasgow to call for lawmakers to close a “loophole” with the SAFE-T Act. But the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, which supports the law, said in a statement that Glasgow’s solution would “effectively try to lock up everyone accused of any felony,” do nothing to improve safety and “distract the courts from their current careful focus on cases with serious allegations.” * Daily Herald | Lake County sees a mix of incumbent leaders seeking reelection and those voluntarily ending their runs: Several incumbent Lake County mayors are seeking reelection and some will face challengers who submitted paperwork Tuesday, the first day to file nominating petitions for local offices in the April 1 consolidated election. Many candidates file when their local village halls open the first day to get a higher ballot position and there was plenty of activity with some mayoral candidates filing as a slate with incumbent trustees. * Daily Herald | CMAP, DuPage County to host traffic safety open house: DuPage County and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning will host an open house in Bensenville to discuss traffic safety issues and hear suggestions from the public. The event is scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 14, in the Bensenville Community Public Library, Diamond Meeting Room, 200 S. Church Road. * WIFR | Winnebago County residents share experience on public defense in Illinois: State Rep. Dave Vella says public defenders are understaffed and overloaded with cases. He says the main Winnebago County public defender was tied up in court all day Thursday because of this. “We don’t have swift justice for either the victims or for the defendants, and it costs a lot more money for the taxpayers,” says Vella. That’s why Vella introduced the Funded Advocacy and Independent Representation, or FAIR Act, which in part will create an office of the state public defender to assess client needs, staffing and resources statewide. * Crain’s | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down: Robert Jones, the first African American chancellor of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, announced he will be stepping down at the end of this academic year, leaving a vacancy at the top of Illinois’ largest university as it plays an increasing role in the state’s economic future. Jones has led Illinois’ flagship land-grant university for nine years while also serving as vice president of the University of Illinois System, which oversees the Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield campuses. U of I System President Tim Killeen said in a written statement that Jones will remain with the system to “employ his considerable experience” in expanding its presence in Chicago. * NYT | Mexico Signals It Could Hit Back With Tariffs at U.S.: “If you put 25 percents tariffs on me, I have to react with tariffs,” Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s economy minister, told a radio interviewer on Monday. “Structurally, we have the conditions to play in Mexico’s favor,” he added. The disclosure by Mr. Ebrard, who is poised to be one of Mexico’s top negotiators with the Trump administration, showcases the rising tensions between the countries in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. * The Hill | Axelrod pushes for Rahm Emanuel as DNC chair: “If they said, ‘Well, what should we do? Who should lead the party?’ I would take Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, and I would bring him back from Japan and I would appoint him chairman of the Democratic National Committee,” Axelrod said Tuesday on his podcast “Hacks on Tap.” “He is the most skillful, political kind of infighter in the Democratic Party. … He’s been a member of Congress, he’s been White House chief of staff, he’s been the mayor of Chicago. Now, he’s been ambassador to Japan, and he ran, in 2005 and [2006], the campaign to take back the House,” Axelrod continued.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Unsurprisingly, Pritzker continues to bat away presidential questions
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Isabel and I were chuckling about reporters asking the governor if he plans to run for president in four years. I mean, it’s not like he’s gonna use some little press conference somewhere to make such a big announcement. So, we thought about a better way to get at his thinking and maybe see if it knocked him off his stride a bit and made him somehow take the bait. From earlier today…
He’s not bad at this game. * Another reporter took a crack at it…
…Adding… Pritzker was also asked about who he’d like to see as the new Democratic National Committee chair…
|
|
Republicans upset about Pritzker’s ‘You come for my people, you come through me’ comment
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Last week…
* Senate Republican Leader John Curran yesterday…
Please pardon all transcription errors. * Wirepoints.org’s Ted Dabrowski was on WLS Radio yesterday…
* Today, Pritzker was asked how he thought it had reached the point where “we need to be protected from our own president”…
|
|
Pritzker, Welch talk Trump
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * ABC7…
More…
* House Speaker Chris Welch appeared on the 21st Show today…
Please pardon any transcription errors.
|
|
New rules (Updated)
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I told subscribers about this earlier today…
I’m not quite seeing the relative threat posed by reporters and lobbyists compared to, say, a random state employee who doesn’t even work in the building. Your thoughts? …Adding… ILCA…
|
|
Madigan trial Roundup: Defense cross-examines ex-ComEd executive
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WTTW…
* Sun-Times…
* Tribune…
|
|
It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for some background if you need it. Rep. Carol Ammons introduced HB5907 yesterday…
* Statehouse reporter Brenden Moore…
* We Are One Illinois…
* NBC Chicago…
* Rep. Curtis Tarver introduced HB5906 yesterday…
* Tribune…
|
|
Open thread
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Lawmakers return to Springfield as projected budget deficit looms. Capitol News Illinois…
* Related stories… ∙ Tribune: With state facing $3B deficit, GOP senators call on Gov. JB Pritzker to promise no tax hikes ∙ WTTW: Illinois House Speaker on Protecting Reproductive Rights, Balancing the State Budget ∙ 21st Show: Illinois House Speaker reflects on election results, looks to the future of state government under Trump administration * At 11 am Governor Pritzker will give remarks at the Willard Ice Building 40th Anniversary Celebration. Click here to watch. * Sun-Times | Pritzker, Colo. Gov. Polis launch governors’ coalition to protect against ‘threats of autocracy’ under Trump: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis have formed a coalition of governors to fight against “increasing threats of autocracy” and strengthen democracy during a second Donald Trump presidency. The goal of Governors Safeguarding Democracy, or GSD, is to protect state-level institutions of democracy — and to utilize their collective legislative, budgetary, executive and administrative powers. Pritzker said it will “catalyze collaboration across state lines.” * Capitol News Illinois | Amid flurry of gun ban challenges, federal appeals court considers Cook County assault weapon law: A panel of federal judges is weighing whether to overturn a Cook County ban on semiautomatic weapons in a case that could upend other local bans and call into question the statewide prohibition on the controversial class of firearms. But the appeal under consideration at the federal 7th Circuit Court of Appeals faces potentially long odds of success. The constitutionality of local bans on “assault weapons,” the phrase used in such laws, has been upheld by the 7th Circuit three times in the past 10 years, including once in 2023 * WCIA | IDOA pitches new hemp regulations to lawmakers: The new rules center around testing and licensing, specifically for hemp at academic institutions. “For the universities that get this license, they wouldn’t have to comply with all the various testing requirements,” Sam McGee, a counsel for IDOA, said. “They would just have a little bit easier of a testing requirement and they could do research.” * Capitol News Illinois | Capitol Briefs: Former Gov. Quinn pushes for ‘millionaire tax’ amendment; Underground Railroad task force issues findings: A task force created by a 2023 law to explore ways chronicle Illinois’ Underground Railroad history announced its findings on Tuesday, recommending the state create a commission that would organize historical sites and stories about the network. “Too many in Illinois believe we need to travel to the East Coast to visit locations on the Underground Railroad, unaware of the enormous activity that took place in their own backyards here,” task force member and Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman said. * Tribune | Attorney General Kwame Raoul launches unit to investigate innocence claims: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is launching a unit to investigate cases in which new evidence could prove the innocence of people convicted of serious crimes. “Wrongful convictions destroy lives. Wrongful convictions diminish faith in our criminal justice system,” Raoul said Tuesday at a downtown news conference, flanked by state’s attorneys and members of the new unit. “They put victims and public safety at risk by allowing the true perpetrators to escape unpunished.” * Tribune | Embattled CPS CEO criticized in meeting with mayor as Johnson administration continues moving to fire him: Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez got chewed out this week by allies of Mayor Brandon Johnson over impending charter school closures, in a contentious City Hall meeting that could spell the next step in Johnson’s monthslong push to oust the embattled schools chief. The Monday meeting, which the mayor attended, featured a presentation by Martinez over the looming closures of seven Acero charter schools, according to attendees. It took a hostile turn when several progressive aldermen began grilling Martinez on the slideshow. * ABC Chicago | ‘Collaborator in chief’: Chicago mayor willing to negotiate with aldermen working to defeat tax hike: Aldermanic sources said, at this point, behind-the-scenes budget negotiations could result in the property tax hike being reduced to $135 million, or maybe even $100 million. The mayor would not confirm any figures, but said he’s willing to work with the Council. * WTTW | Chicago Will Remain a Sanctuary City, Despite Donald Trump’s Threats, Mayor Brandon Johnson Says: In his first remarks on the outcome of the presidential race, Johnson said Chicago will not allow Chicago Police officers to help Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents deport Chicagoans. That assistance is now prohibited by city ordinance. “We will not bend or break,” Johnson said. “Our values will remain strong and firm. We will face likely hurdles in our work over the next four years but we will not be stopped and we will not go back.” * Tribune | With CPD a possible target for personnel cuts in budget plan, consent decree monitor raises alarm: “Cutting these positions permanently could be a devastating blow to the future of CPD reforms,” Maggie Hickey, head of the independent monitoring team, told U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer during a consent decree status hearing Tuesday. “The proposed budget cuts would be a step backward for the CPD reform process at a pivotal point,” Hickey said, “just when progress is starting to be felt.” * Crain’s | Outrage over delivery fees has waned, but lawsuit against Grubhub lives on: Grubhub co-founder Matt Maloney, who stepped down as CEO nearly three years ago, says he’s about to be deposed in a lawsuit filed against food-delivery app companies by the City of Chicago when Lori Lightfoot was mayor. The suit was filed in late 2021, during the peak of both the COVID-19 pandemic and restaurants’ outrage over delivery fees and other charges that often totaled 30% or more of the retail price of the food. * WBEZ | Five of the best Amtrak adventures from Chicago for train lovers: I’m a bit of a rail fan myself, and I’ve taken multi-day trips from Chicago to California and Florida, along with multiple shorter Amtrak trips across the country. (I’m currently on the inaugural run of the Floridian, the first train to connect Chicago and Florida since 1979.) It’s a fantastic way to see the country, and the routes from Chicago are some of the most scenic train trips you can take in the U.S. * Daily Southtown | State tells Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard her pick for cop chief not cleared for duty: A state agency has told Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard her temporary choice for police chief is “not authorized to exercise law enforcement authority” and urged her to remove him from public service. Tiffany Henyard, at a Nov. 6 Village Board meeting, named Ronnie Burge Sr. to a temporary 30-day posting as chief, after trustees voted against the appointment. A Nov. 8 letter from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board states Burge “has been wearing a Dolton Police Department uniform and carrying a firearm publicly for the last few weeks,” even though he’s not authorized to do so. * Daily Herald | Mayoral races heating up in Lisle, West Chicago: Incumbent Mayor Chris Pecak is expected to face at least one opponent: Mary Jo Mullen, a current village trustee. Mullen is campaigning under the banner “Lisle Forward” with a slate of village board candidates. “I’m running for mayor because I think Lisle really needs change,” said Mullen, who served as Lisle Township supervisor before being elected to the village board in 2021. “We’ve been making progress around development and economic development very, very slowly.” * Tribune | Evanston/Skokie School D65 was asked to consider pausing school in historically Black area: memo: With the district’s deficit standing at more than $10 million, the best financial course of action would be to pause construction on Foster School, Robert Grossi, the financial consultant, suggested in the memo, while also acknowledging the historic significance of the district’s desire to provide a neighborhood school for 5th Ward children. Many in the community have voiced support for building Foster School, however, and some public commenters at an Oct. 15 special Board meeting saw the building of the school as necessary to further racial equity in Evanston. * Tribune | Berwyn woman says far-right streamer Nick Fuentes allegedly assaulted her: Marla Rose, 57, a self-described progressive, said she approached Fuentes’ home Sunday after friends who knew she lived in Berwyn encouraged her to go see if rumors of prank deliveries to his home were true. Fuentes’ home address had been leaked online in response to his posts on social media where he boasted, “Your body, my choice. Forever” last week in an apparent reference to abortion rights after Donald Trump won the presidential election. […] She said Fuentes opened the door before she could ring the doorbell. “In that same movement, he pepper-sprayed me in the face … screamed an expletive at me,” Rose said. * NBC Chicago | Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train returning to the Chicago area later this month: Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train will tour Canada and the U.S. from, Nov. 21 through Dec. 20, raising donations for food banks across the company’s network, according to a news release. As it treks across the nation, the holiday train will make not just one — but three stops in the Chicago suburbs. Last holiday season, the train held events in Gurnee and Pingree Grove. This time around, a stop in Franklin Park will be added to its itinerary. * Rockford Register Star | New technology could help reduce the need for high-speed vehicle pursuits in Rockford: The Rockford Police Department would like to tap a $125,888 Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity grant to purchase vehicle-mounted and handheld StarChase systems that can fire GPS tags at fleeing vehicles. The fleeing vehicle can then be tracked electronically rather than being followed in a high-speed pursuit. * WCIA | Rock Springs Nature Center in Decatur receiving $900K upgrade: Rock Springs Nature Center is receiving a new indoor-outdoor classroom that will change the way they host people and events thanks to an almost $900,000 grant. The new space in Decatur will let classes in the center move from inside to outside with ease. The people at the center are excited about adding these new options to their curriculum. The Macon County Conservation District applied for the money last summer and got it from the Park and Recreational Facility Construction Act Program earlier this year. * Crain’s | Rivian announces formal launch of $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen: The automakers announced the deal in June. Since then, the size of VW Group’s investment in Rivian and the joint venture has risen from the initial estimate of $5 billion. Rivian is bringing its technology to the table and Volkswagen Group is bringing its global scale, executives said. “The partnership with Rivian is the next logical step in our software strategy,” said Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen Group. “With its implementation, we will strengthen our global competitive and technological position.”
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Nov 13, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * NBC Chicago…
* Sun-Times…
* WNIJ…
* Tribune | Defense in Madigan corruption trial confronts star government witness over jobs, favors: Seizing on a tactic strengthened by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, defense attorneys in the Michael Madigan corruption trial began their cross-examination of a key witness Tuesday by trying to distinguish between exchanging jobs for official actions and simply currying favor with the formidable ex-House speaker. Fidel Marquez, the onetime head of ComEd’s governmental affairs team, spent nearly 15 hours over four days of direct examination telling the jury about a scheme to hire Madigan’s allies as consulting subcontractors and doing myriad other favors to bring the utility back into the speaker’s good graces. At the outset of his questioning, however, defense attorney Patrick Cotter sought to paint the effort as legal lobbying, not bribes. * Sun-Times | Advocates seek pardons for five Illinois veterans currently living in exile: Immigration advocates are calling on Gov. JB Pritzker to pardon five Illinois military veterans who were deported and currently live in exile. The veterans are in exile all over the world, including Mexico, Guatemala and India. Some were deported more than 20 years ago, according to the League of United Latin American Citizens. The group called for their return during a news conference Monday afternoon in the Lower West Side. “Today we celebrate Veterans Day … by calling for the immediate return of deported green card veterans who served honorably in the U.S. military, only to be sent into exile after facing legal challenges,” said Cecilia Garcia, director of the Illinois chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens. * KHQA | 5th & 6th graders invited to compete in Illinois EPA poster, poetry, and prose contests: Teachers may display the submissions for voting and submit final entries to the Illinois EPA for further judging. Teachers may submit up to eight individual entries per school to the Illinois EPA by February 3, 2025. The creation of posters and written works gives students an opportunity to express and share what they have learned. The students whose works are chosen for the exhibit will receive a certificate and ribbon. The top twelve entries will be given special recognition and displayed on the Illinois EPA website. * WBEZ | What a second Trump term could mean for housing in Chicago and Illinois: To discuss what some of those proposals could mean for Chicago and Illinois, WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang sat down with Daniel Kay Hertz, director of housing for Impact for Equity. Kay Hertz also served as policy director at the Chicago Department of Housing from 2019 to 2024. * WGN | Chicago Housing Authority streamlines waitlist process in new website: The Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) announce they have streamlined its waitlist application process as part of a new website redesign. The new website is located at www.thecha.org. * Crain’s | Realtors group unveils new standards for conduct after sexual harassment scandal: Fifteen months after a sexual harassment scandal rocked the National Association of Realtors and quickly took down its president and its CEO, the influential Chicago-based trade association this week unveiled a new set of standards aimed at ensuring better conduct and culture in the workplace. The 11 policies include authoring a clear set of values that volunteers and employees should hew to, creating open pathways of accountability for any infractions, and regular “anti-retaliation” training for top leadership. * Rick Kogan | An exhibition and a book revisit the life and death of Emmett Till: [T]here is a new book that devotes some of its nearly 300 pages to Till but also to the larger sham of American racism. Its title says a great deal, “Ghosts of Segregation: American Racism, Hidden in Plain Sight” (Celadon Books). It is the work of former Chicagoan Richard Frishman, who traveled more than 35,000 miles across America over five years capturing with his camera such things as once-segregated bathrooms, beaches, churches, hospitals, graves and hotels. * Crain’s | Chicago’s largest accounting firms see decreasing headcounts among major players: The largest accounting firms in the Chicago area, which are ranked by local professional staff as of June 30, barely saw an increase in numbers from 2023 to 2024. These firms saw median growth of less than 1%. The top 25 firms didn’t see much of an increase in local certified public accountant, or CPA, headcounts either, with median growth hovering slightly above 0%. * South Side Weekly | The Complicated History of the Globetrotters: Journalists and brothers Mark and Matthew Jacob’s book, Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein Shook Up the World of Sports isn’t a hit piece. It’s also not sportswashing—the practice of utilizing sports to divert attention away from unethical behavior—even though Saperstein was himself guilty of it. Some of Saperstein’s players, budding hoops iconoclasts, and, perhaps most notably, the Black press including the Chicago Defender, often called Saperstein out for the minstrel vibes given off by the Globetrotters. Even as a kid who couldn’t quite formulate what I was watching at the time, I knew something wasn’t right. * WBEZ | Pitchfork’s abrupt exit from Chicago seen as a ‘loss’ for music community: For nearly two decades, the July weekend was viewed as “a musical safe space for truly alternative people,” said Mike Bennett, a CHIRP Radio host. “It was a place they could really congregate and feel they were a part of something. That’s a loss for Chicago.” New York–based media giant Condé Nast, which owns Pitchfork Media, the longtime online music criticism website, broke the news on Instagram Monday that the festival would no longer take place in Chicago, where it originated 19 years ago. Condé Nast did not explain the decision. * The Athletic | Bears fire OC Shane Waldron, Thomas Brown to call plays: The Chicago Bears have made a change at offensive coordinator. The team parted ways with Shane Waldron and tabbed passing game coordinator Thomas Brown to take over play-calling duties, the Bears announced Tuesday. The move comes after the Bears (4-5) scored only three points against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Chicago has tallied only 27 points in its last three games and hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 8. * Daily Herald | Three-way race emerges for Arlington Heights mayor: With longtime Mayor Tom Hayes opting not to seek a fourth term as the town’s top elected leader, the field to replace him includes two members of his village board — trustees Tom Schwingbeck and Jim Tinaglia. Filing alongside them Tuesday morning was Jon Ridler, executive director of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. Candidate filing remains open until Monday, so there’s still time for the field to grow larger. * Tribune | Oak Park Democrats commiserate in wake of Trump victory: “This is tough,” said Democratic Party of Oak Park committeewoman Eileen Lynch, speaking to the standing room only crowd gathered Saturday at the group’s headquarters in Oak Park. “I’m finding it hardest to talk to my daughters who I infused with Democratic activism. This is a devastating setback and I don’t know what we’re going to do.” But some also took a longer view. State Sen. Don Harmon, president of the Illinois Senate and the Democratic committeeman for Oak Park, preached resiliency, saying that setbacks are inevitable in politics. Harmon recalled when he was a student at St. Chiles Catholic School in Oak Park and did some volunteer work for 1972 Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern, who lost in a landslide to Richard Nixon. * Daily Herald | Motor Werks expansion debate moves to Barrington village board: A proposed expansion of the Barrington Motor Werks campus made its way before the village board Monday, as did neighbors complaining about the project. Motor Werks owner Mario Murgado wants to add a two-story, 110,000-square-foot, two-story building at the corner of Dundee Road and Grove Avenue for a Porsche dealership. But residential neighbors are opposed, complaining the campus is already too loud and busy. * News-Sun | Lake County planning to double number of traffic roundabouts: ‘Illinois is coming around on them, no pun intended’: Lake County is looking for feedback on a proposed roundabout at Hunt Club and Stearns School roads in Warren Township as it moves to double the number of roundabout intersections within its system in the coming years. It won’t be the first roundabout in Lake County, although its only the second multi-lane roundabout built by Lake County, the first being River and Roberts roads in the village of Lake Barrington in 2015. The $15 million project, which includes drainage improvements and a bike path, is planned to be finished in 2027. * Daily Southtown | Matteson police say teacher’s aide arrested after endangering a child at Marya Yates Elementary School: Matteson police said Friday charges were pending for battery and endangering the life and health of a child, but as of Tuesday a spokesman would not comment on the status of charges or whether the teacher’s aide was still in custody. Police said in a news release that just before the end of the school day Friday, the 8-year-old boy was running in the hall when a 26-year-old female teacher’s aide grabbed him. The teacher’s aide dragged the student about 20 feet into a classroom and dropped him partially in the doorway, police said. * Daily Journal | Iroquois to leave Illinois?: Iroquois County Board Chairman John Shure said a group known as New Illinois approached the county board about the ballot request. Shure said some residents have asked him in the county could secede from Illinois and join Indiana. “Obviously we don’t think this will go anywhere,” he said in reference to forming a new state. “But we want to send a message to Springfield that we are not satisfied.” He said the vote result is just about what he thought it might be for this Republican-dominated county. “I’m happy with the result,” Shure said. “It accomplished what we thought it would be.” * WIFR | Winnebago Co. leaders prepare for potential mass deportations under Trump’s ‘border czar’: For decades, Sara Dady helped migrants in the Rockford area. While planning to oppose Trump’s policies, she learns from past immigration fights in Winnebago County. “We’ve been here before under a Trump administration,” concedes Dady. She references a 2017 incident where Winnebago County Sheriff Gary Caruana walked away from housing ICE detainees in the county jail; the attorney credits community pressure to stopping the planned center. * Reaters | Kraft Heinz pulls Lunchables meals from US low-income lunch program: Chicago-based Kraft Heinz announced plans to sell to the school lunch program early last year at an industry conference, saying it would target the $25-billion educational market. But demand fell short of the packaged food manufacturer’s expectations, the company said, as it looks to revive its well-worn brands such as Lunchables, Jell-O and Crystal Light, and grow sales volumes, which have faltered after multiple price hikes.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Quinn touts passage of non-binding tax referendum, Curran dismisses results
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for county results as of Nov. 10, according to Pat Quinn. And here’s a press release from the former governor…
* Senate Republican Leader John Curran was asked about the referendum’s passage today…
|
|
Uber’s Local Partnership = Stress-Free Travel For Paratransit Riders
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Pace Rideshare Access Program subsidizes Uber trips, leaving riders with a co-pay of just $2. The impact: “This program has been a godsend for me. It offers flexibility, independence, freedom and the ability to maintain a beautiful life on so many levels,” says one rider. CTA: See how it works.
Comments Off |
|
McLean County was an outlier this year
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * After the 2016 election, the McLean county board had five Democrats and 15 Republicans. The Democrats slowly made gains over the years, tying it up in 2022. Now, they have a 12-8 majority…
* Interesting…
* Pantagraph…
* Isabel talked to reelected Rep. Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) today…
* Politico…
* A view from the Republican side…
|
|
Please, LIS, don’t mess up your new site
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Legislative Information System’s General Assesmbly website may be old, but it works and its minimalism makes it fast and fairly easy to use. It’s new “beta” site looks nice and all, I suppose, but take a look at this…  Javascript to slowly load the time of today’s session? Click around yourself and give us some thoughts on the beta site.
|
|
Energy Storage Can Minimize Major Price Spikes
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Each month, families and businesses pay a capacity charge through their energy bill. It’s essentially an insurance policy that pays energy resources (or “capacity”) to be available for when the grid needs them most. Grid operators project a possible shortage of capacity in the coming years, which means the charge for this insurance policy will rise next year for many Illinoisans. Batteries, or energy storage, are currently the best solution to minimize this price spike (which could be as high as $30 in 2026)—but building them at the pace we need will require legislation. The added benefit is the ability to store cheap electricity for use when demand peaks during the day—lowering energy bills and making the grid more reliable. Learn more about legislation that builds urgently needed energy storage here.
Comments Off |
|
Bears float yet another stadium location idea (Updated x2)
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
Nothing in there about what sort of government money the team would seek. As far as I can tell, that’s still off the table in Springfield. …Adding… Sun-Times…
…Adding… Senate Republican Leader John Curran was asked about the new Bears development today…
|
|
It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sun-Times…
* WNIJ…
SB3669, Sponsored by Sen. Laura Ellman, was re-referred to the Illinois Senate Assignments Committee in April…
* Daily Herald…
* FOX Chicago…
* Sen. David Koehler introduced SB3974 last week…
|
|
Dems seek to ‘Trump-proof’ Illinois, but they have their own problems to solve as well
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
* Related… * Tribune | Labor leaders, Illinois officials fear workers’ rights at risk under Trump, but vow to keep fighting: In an interview Wednesday, Raoul pointed to efforts that a Trump Labor Department might take to classify gig workers, such as delivery drivers for Uber or Doordash, as independent contractors, which would enable companies to avoid paying them overtime and giving them other benefits they would be entitled to if classified as employees. “We’ve dealt with a Trump Department of Labor in the past that has been less friendly in their interpretation to protecting workers from misclassification,” he said. * Sun-Times | Officials aim to bolster Illinois protections as trans Midwesterners consider moving before 2nd Trump term: One gap the coalition identified is medical data privacy and the use of geolocators to track people who visit health care facilities, which [Rep. Kelly Cassidy] said she’s confident will be fixed before the fall legislative session ends. “There’s a hole in that [legislative] shield, and that’s data privacy, so that’s the top priority,” Cassidy said. * WBEZ | How would a second Trump term affect the money flowing into Illinois?: Federal funding is the state of Illinois’ largest source of revenue. And the city of Chicago depends on it for various projects, including the current Red Line Extension and O’Hare Modernization. But President-Elect Donald Trump has a fraught relationship with the state’s prominent politicians, and has threatened to withhold federal funding from political opposition. How could a second Trump term affect the money that Illinois and Chicago receive from the federal government, and will projects like these stall during the next four years? * Fox 32 | Chicago, Illinois leaders prepare for fight over Trump’s immigration plans: Last week, a defiant Governor JB Pritzker vowed to sue the federal government if it decided to hold up federal public safety funding as punishment for not cooperating, saying he would protect the state’s status as a safe haven. “You come for my people, you come through me,” Pritzker said on Thursday. But House Republican leader Tony McCombie says undocumented immigrants are costing the state billions, and wants Pritzker to rethink his opposition. * Tribune | Democrats have Donald Trump’s second term in mind heading into Illinois legislature’s fall session: House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch said last week that the session will be an opportunity to continue discussions on certain proposals but that larger issues would need more time to get settled. As for the effect Trump’s administration may have in coming years, the Hillside Democrat acknowledged Illinois has made good strides in recent years with certain laws it has put on the books, but that more could be done during the January lame duck session, held before a new legislature is sworn in. “We could call a lame duck session and do some things when it comes to workers’ rights, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, we have an opportunity that we can do some things before Donald Trump takes the oath of office,” Welch said. “We’re going to be a check on Donald Trump. As a state, we have rights. And we did it in his first term and we’ll do it again.” * WGN | What Will a Second Trump Administration Mean for Illinois?: Congressman Mike Quigley joins WGN-TV Political Report. * ABC 7 | Chicago leaders prepare for President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan: The deputy mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights said Chicago will not be bullied because of its Welcoming City Ordinance. “We are not able to cooperate with ICE to assist in mass deportations; our mayor has made very clear that he will not flinch,” said Beatriz Ponce de Leon, deputy mayor for Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights. “We will continue to maintain our ordinance in place and to comply with that.”
|
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois leaders gather at Soldier Field to honor veterans. CBS Chicago…
-Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker were all present. - During the ceremony, Mayor Johnson gave a special resolution making Chicago a Purple Heart City for retired Illinois Air National Guard Lt. Col. Eldridge Johnson Jr. * Related stories…
∙ Daily Herald: How a Mount Prospect man navigated bureaucracy to revive agency that helps veterans ∙ Tribune: Solving mysteries behind unclaimed Purple Hearts may restore medals to families – and one surviving vet * Capitol News Illinois | How Illinois will decide on spending $40M opioid settlement with Kroger: By 2038, Illinois’ Opioid Remediation Fund is projected to receive approximately $772.6 million in total from various opioid manufacturers and distributors, according to the settlement fund allocation dashboard operated by the Illinois Department of Human Services. Illinois was awarded more than $420 million from Johnson & Johnson, Walmart, Walgreens, Allergan, CVS, Teva, Mallinckrodt, and opioid distributors, such as AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. * Tribune | US Sen. Dick Durbin says Democrats’ minority status a consideration as he mulls reelection bid: The GOP victories undid a 50-50 tie in the Senate that gave Democrats control of the chamber because Vice President Kamala Harris was a tiebreaker as Senate president. “I’m going to watch and see what this means,” Durbin said in an interview after the city’s Veterans Day remembrance ceremony at Soldier Field. “I enjoy serving in the Senate. I’m a realist about the future. But I want to see how the relationship works.” * Semafor | Gannett probes possible leak of bombshell Iowa poll: But roughly 45 minutes prior to the poll’s public release, a stray tweet predicted the poll’s findings. Its author said that Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Duke University alumnus, had mentioned the not-yet-released poll during a Duke Democrats meeting that day. (A spokesperson for Pritzker did not respond to an inquiry about the apparent leak.) * WICS | AG Raoul announces $11.25 mil settlement agreement with DoorDash: Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a $11.25 million settlement agreement with DoorDash. If approved by a judge, the settlement will resolve allegations that the company violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act by misrepresenting to customers that tipping would increase drivers’ pay. * Center Square | Illinois files notice of appeal after district court strikes down gun ban: The state filed a notice of appeal late Friday. Federal courts were closed Monday for Veterans Day. “I believe the Court of Appeals will almost certainly extend the stay until the outcome of the appeal,” [John Schmidt, G-PAC Executive Board Member,] said. “Nothing in McGlynn’s opinion suggests any reason to anticipate that the Court of Appeals will not again reverse his injunction.”
* WCIA | Illinois investing over $2 million to improve tourism: Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced that over $2 million in tourism funding will be available through two different grants. The Tourism Attractions Grant Program has $1.7 million in funding, and the Tourism Private Sector Grant Program will give out $600,000. * WCIA | Illinois allows veterans to adopt pets with no fees: An Illinois law that went into effect Jan. 1 2024 requires animal shelters in the state to provide complete fee waivers to veterans who meet the requirements to adopt a dog or a cat. The law passed both chambers unanimously. […] All licensed animal shelters and animal controls are required to provide the fee waiver, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. Fee waivers for pet adoptions in Illinois can cost more than $250. * Sun-Times | Illinois is holding $5 billion of lost, forgotten money and property: Is any of it yours?: Louise Bohannon got to wondering if she was owed any money after seeing an ad in September about unclaimed property held by the Illinois Treasurer’s office. Two weeks later, the 32-year-old Matteson resident received a check for nearly $500, the bulk of it an insurance reimbursement for a 2016 health care visit. She never got that reimbursement because the insurance company didn’t know she had moved. * WGN | Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy works to get more women involved in politics: An organization in Illinois has a mission to get more women involved in politics. The Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership (IWIL) Training Academy works to prepare and propel women to pursue elected and appointed positions to advance progressive, Democratic ideals. * Sun-Times | Johnson’s $300M property tax increase will be ’significantly decreased,’ top mayoral aide says: Twenty-two of the City Council’s 50 members met Saturday with top mayoral aides, including Johnson’s budget team, to begin negotiations that, some alderpersons said, should have started long before Johnson belatedly introduced his $17.3 billion budget. […] Ideas ranged from increasing the $9.50-a-month garbage collection fee by varying levels, to raising taxes on items including cigarettes, parking, bottled water, gasoline and liquor, to raising the amusement tax from 9% to 14% — but only on streaming services. One of the biggest-ticket items — bringing in nearly $100 million — involves raising the personal property lease tax on cloud computing from 9% to 10.25%. * Crain’s | Negotiations underway to cut Johnson’s proposed $300 million property tax in half: Johnson himself has met with the leaders of the 19-member Progressive Caucus, stressing he is open to all options to reduce the property tax plan without tipping his hand on what measures he favored. The mayor hopes to block a vote on the property tax at a special City Council meeting this week by securing at least 17 votes against a procedural motion to suspend the body’s regular rules of order to take up the property tax levy. While Johnson staffers have expressed confidence they have the votes, members of the council say it’s unlikely. “There’s nothing wrong with voting down this property tax levy, so I’ll be voting it down,” said Ald. Maria Hadden, 49th, who co-chairs the Progressive Caucus. * Tribune | No Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago for summer 2025: Pitchfork Music Festival has been held annually in Union Park in Chicago since 2006, except for a year off in 2020 due to the pandemic. Before that, it was the 2005 Intonation Music Festival, curated by Pitchfork Media. This summer’s festival July 19-21 had headliners Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen and Black Pumas, among others. * WTTW | Turf Grass Is America’s Default Lawn Setting. Chicago Researchers Are Rethinking the Possibilities: While turf has long been the country’s default landscape setting, there’s a growing push for a shift away from a monoculture of, say, Kentucky bluegrass to more environmentally friendly lawn alternatives. Ecologists argue that diverse plantings would be better for pollinators, better for stormwater absorption and better for soil than turf, among other benefits. Conservation-minded homeowners have responded by smothering their lawns with cardboard, tarps or other turf killers and replacing the grass with perennials — in Chicago, “prairie” plantings are a popular choice (“prairie” being a catch-all descriptor for a curated selection of native plants). * Dan Wiederer | Call failed? Matt Eberflus’ indecisiveness on changes to the offense another sign of Chicago Bears being disconnected: Now it’s Eberflus’ duty — for as long as general manager Ryan Poles and President/CEO Kevin Warren allow him to keep his job — to find solutions for all that’s going wrong. That’s particularly important for an offense that has gone 23 possessions since its last visit to the end zone and 29 days and counting since rookie quarterback Caleb Williams last threw a touchdown pass. Yet on Monday, first with that morning radio call and 3½ hours later during a 10-minute news conference at Halas Hall, Eberflus struggled to provide clarity on what specific “changes and adjustments” he was promising to make.
* Sun-Times | Ella Jenkins, Chicago’s first lady of children’s music, dies at 100: From her home in Lincoln Park Ella Jenkins traveled the world, performing for generations of kids who never forgot listening to and performing with her. She has a Grammy Award, and her music is in the Library of Congress. * Daily Herald | Furtive GOP votes, blue-state security blanket: What were suburbanites thinking this election?: “The story here is turnout,” College of DuPage Political Science Professor Melissa Mouritsen said. Although she lost the election, Democrat Harris won Illinois with over 2.85 million votes to Republican Trump’s nearly 2.4 million, according to unofficial results. In suburban Cook and DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties, Harris garnered about 1.38 million votes, a drop from President Joe Biden’s 1.66 million four years ago, Friday tallies showed. * Tribune | Oak Park becomes second suburb to OK ranked choice voting: Initial results from the Nov. 5 election indicate 79.21% of voters voted in favor of switching to ranked choice voting for those offices. The switch goes into effect in 2027 so next April’s village election will be held under the current first past the post system. Under ranked choice voting voters list all the candidates for an office in order of preference. A candidate who gets 50% of first preference votes plus one is elected. If no candidate reaches the 50% plus one benchmark, the last place finisher is eliminated and then the votes of those who voted for the eliminated candidate as their first choice are reallocated to those voters’ second choices. The process continues until a candidate has a majority of the votes. * Shaw Local | Voter turnout comes up short of predictions in La Salle, Bureau, Putnam counties: Voter turnout was strong throughout the Illinois Valley, but county clerks guessed a bit high when predicting voter participation. La Salle County recorded 70.1% turnout. Bureau County was 69.7%. Putnam County led the pack with 82.2%. Each figure fell short of what clerks had anticipated, though Bureau County Clerk and Recorder Matt Eggers, who’d projected 70% to 75% turnout, pointed out stray votes still are being counted. * Daily Southtown | South suburban casino opens to huge crowds, patrons ‘blown away’ by first look: As part of its license application, Wind Creek has promised to establish the Southland Public Benefit Fund. Initially, Wind Creek plans to distribute $150,000 annually during the first five years of operation, with the money providing scholarships to disadvantaged students in the south suburbs and helping bolster access to health care. Wind Creek said it intends to create a fund of $20 million after five years to boost yearly disbursements to $1 million. * Daily Herald | ‘Never, never give up’: Former POW Jessica Lynch honored at Aurora Veterans Day ceremony: Vietnam War Army veteran Bob Royce of Schaumburg said it’s very important for every village to have a Veterans Day ceremony. “There are so many veterans that have been forgotten about,” he said. “The young generation doesn’t know a lot about what has happened in the past for our country, what they (the veterans) have given and done, the ones that haven’t come home.” * WGLT | McLean County GOP looks for improvement in next election cycle: A prominent McLean County Republican thinks Democrats took control of the county board because, right now, they’re better at the process of politics than the Central Illinois GOP. Some observers have said changing demographics have helped make Bloomington-Normal a blue dot in the red sea of Central Illinois. Former McLean County Party chair Chuck Erickson said population shifts may matter a little, but there’s a bigger reason several Republican candidates lost to Democrats. * Sun-Times | 7 downstate counties vote to consider seceding from Illinois to form new state: The likelihood of any county seceding from Illinois is extremely low. Any formal request to secede would require approval from the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress. The idea to form a new state apart from Chicago has been a recurring proposal made by downstate Republicans in the state Legislature for many years. * KWQC | Real Estate groups disagree on Galena housing growth: In their fall 2024 report, Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors claim the number of homes for sale in Galena has increased by 76% since last year. […] But local officials disagree, with Ruhl & Ruhl’s analysis of the market. “Since the past year, it’s still a seller’s market, we’re about two months out in sales of homes,” said the Director of the Galena Chamber of Commerce, Barbara Hocker. * 25News Now | Pekin City Council to consider local 1% tax on groceries: The staff’s report to the council said the city’s share of the state’s tax boosts local revenue by an estimated $1.5 to $1.7 million a year, which is spent on public services. The local tax would go into effect in January of 2026, which is when the state tax expires. * News-Gazette | Settlement reached with Danville chemical plant over alleged pollution: The Illinois Attorney General’s Office has filed a consent order with Brainerd Chemical Midwest LLC to resolve a lawsuit alleging the company failed to properly control emissions of hydrogen fluoride from its chemical distribution facility in Danville. As part of the settlement, the company is required to pay a $124,000 civil penalty and $1,000 in avoided construction permit fees. Hydrogen fluoride is a corrosive chemical that is harmful to human health. Low levels of exposure can cause eye, nose and respiratory-tract irritation, with high levels of exposure potentially leading to death. * Illinois Times | Rail project receives final piece of federal funding: Construction on the only overpass in Springfield’s rail improvements project is expected to commence in early 2025 after federal officials announced $157 million in final grant funds. The federal allocation, announced by U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, and by U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, and Tammy Duckworth, D-Hoffman Estates, also will help pay for construction of the transportation center known as The Hub – with train and bus access – immediately north of the Sangamon County Building. * WCIA | Purple Heart returned to daughter of WWII veteran in Decatur: Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said he returned U.S. Marine Corps Private First-Class Delbert Tuttle’s medal to Carolyn Peckham. Tuttle earned the medal and a Silver Star after he was injured during the Battle of Saipan in the Pacific Theater on June 15, 1944. * AP | Harriet Tubman posthumously named a general in Veterans Day ceremony: Tubman escaped slavery herself in 1849 and settled in Philadelphia. Intent on helping others achieve freedom, she established the Underground Railroad network and led other enslaved Black women and men to freedom. She then channeled those experiences as a scout, spy and nurse for the Union Army during the Civil War, helping guide 150 Black soldiers on a gunboat raid in South Carolina.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Nov 12, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
| « NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |
