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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times

Broadview’s mayor and police chief on Tuesday called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to stop using chemical agents on protesters and appealed for the agency to respond to several requests, including information about three criminal investigations the suburb has initiated that involve ICE agents.

“We are experiencing an immediate health safety crisis,” Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills said at a news conference. “The deployment of teargas, pepper spray, mace and rubber bullets by ICE near the processing center in the Village of Broadview is creating a dangerous situation for the community and all first responders.” […]

Mills also said he sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Field Director Russell Hott via email and certified mail on Monday regarding three criminal investigations. He said Broadview police are investigating two hit and run accidents that are vehicle versus pedestrian incidents and one criminal damage to property incident involving a news reporter — believed to be an incident involving someone shooting a pepper ball at a CBS 2 reporter Assal Razi on Saturday while inside her car.

Mills confirmed he received a response from Hott, who indicated that he would cooperate. He added that Hott also asked for cooperation from Broadview police regarding a few ICE vehicles that were damaged. However, Mills said he was only aware of one incident and said his police department already made a report about it.

* The Illinois Republican Party is fundraising off Chicago ICE raids

* Tribune

Jay Doherty, the former City Club of Chicago leader and Commonwealth Edison consultant, reported to federal prison Tuesday to begin serving a one-year sentence handed down in the bribery scandal involving ex-House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Doherty, 72, checked in at the federal correctional institution in Terre Haute, Indiana, a medium-security, male-only facility, according to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesperson. He must serve 85 percent of his sentence, though because of his age he could be released to a halfway house or home confinement sooner.

Doherty is the first person directly linked to the Madigan case to wind up behind bars, as other defendants, including Madigan himself, have asked to remain free on bond pending appeal. […]

Madigan, 83, has been ordered to report to prison on Oct. 13, though his attorneys have asked the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to allow him to remain free on bond while his appeal is pending.

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | What a federal government shutdown would mean for Chicago and Illinois: Federal employees numbered more than 153,000 in Illinois last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey. Federal workers have already experienced massive upheaval due to cuts from President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year. Now, they could face potential firings if the government shuts down on Wednesday. That number includes federal law enforcement and more than 22,000 active duty military members. Under a shutdown, all active duty service members and some law enforcement officers would remain at work but receive no pay until funds are appropriated.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | New lawsuits against Trump’s immigration actions continue to take shape: Illinois cannot yet file suit against the federal government for an apparent plan to send federal troops to Chicago, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said, but if boots hit the ground, President Donald Trump “should expect a legal challenge here.” It would be the latest in a bevy of lawsuits that the state has filed against the Trump administration in relation to immigration. That includes two lawsuits — one of which Raoul filed Monday — against the administration’s plan to withhold funding from states that don’t cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Illinois education budget process for 2026-27 school year begins: The Illinois State Board of Education is holding the first of three budget hearings on Tuesday to find out what educators, school leaders, advocates, parents, and students think the state board should ask lawmakers to fund for fiscal year 2027, which will cover the 2026-27 school year. The hearing will take place in Springfield at 4 p.m. and two additional hearings will be held virtually on Oct. 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m and Oct. 21 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Written testimony can also be submitted online. Illinois has increased spending on education by $2.8 billion since 2017 when lawmakers overhauled the formula it uses to distribute money to school districts.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | In Chicago, the housing market stays hot while the nation cools: In Chicago, it’s not only the weather that has stayed hot but the home prices, which all year have been rising faster here than in nearly every other big U.S. city as well as nationwide. The most recent data confirms the trend, with Chicago home prices growing energetically in recent months while much of the nation slows. Welcome to this month’s analysis of the latest data on the housing market.

* Block Club | Legendary Sun-Times Columnist Mary Mitchell Is First Black Woman Honored On Billy Goat Wall: The Sun-Times columnist was the first Black legal secretary to work for Seyfarth Shaw, LLP; later, when she made the jump to journalism, the award-winning scribe was one of the few Black journalists on the masthead. Her ascendance to the paper’s op-ed section placed her in even more rarified air. In a two-paper town, Mitchell was the only Black woman with a daily column, reaching thousands of readers across the city. For decades, she used her platform to hold power to account while imploring all to be better neighbors.

* Tribune | Harrison Ford will accept a conservation award at the Field Museum: The Field is partnering with the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, an environmental nonprofit based in North Carolina, to present the award as part of a day of programs for what the foundation calls Half-Earth Day. (Earth Day is April 22.) Ford, who was born in Chicago, has become known as an environmental and conservation activist, who “has championed biodiversity protection and raised global awareness of the importance of conservation for over 30 years,” according to an announcement of the event on Tuesday.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Unraveled | Ex-Waukegan cop guilty of official misconduct, cleared on aggravated battery charge: The courtroom was strangely silent after Lake County Judge George Strickland handed down his verdict against ex-Waukegan cop Dante Salinas. People milled about, whispered quietly, and looked unsure even if it was truly over. Moments earlier, Strickland had made a split ruling: he found Salinas guilty on one count of official misconduct, not guilty on one other count of official misconduct, and not guilty on the big ticket charge of aggravated battery. For both Salinas’ supporters and the Waukegan community members hoping he would face sterner justice, it was a less than ideal result.

* Crain’s | Arlington Heights weighs Bears’ stadium economic impact pitch: Though officials in the northwest suburb say they’re still weighing the potential costs — including as much as $855 million in new publicly funded infrastructure. The financial projections were key takeaways from a pair of economic impact reports published today by the Village of Arlington Heights on the NFL team’s plan for a $5 billion stadium and mixed-use campus on the former Arlington International Racecourse site.

* Patch | Village Votes To Ban Electric Bikes, Scooters In Portions Of Libertyville: This means that no one will be able to use or operate low-speed electric bicycles or scooters, as defined by the Illinois Vehicle Code, in any village parks or in the downtown area, according to a post on the Libertyville Police Department Facebook page. Village employees performing official duties and electric personal assistive mobility devices that are used for accessibility will be allowed, according to village officials.

* CBS Chicago | Lurie Children’s Hospital cuts ribbon for new outpatient facility in Schamburg, Illinois: The Lurie facility at 1895 Arbor Glen Blvd. in Schaumburg will begin seeing patients this week. It consolidates former sites in Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, and Huntley into one state-of-the-art facility, Lurie said. The Schaumburg facility’s outpatient center will offer numerous specialties such as cardiology, hematology/oncology, epilepsy treatment, and pulmonology. It will also offer an ambulatory infusion center for IV treatments.

*** Downstate ***

* WMBD | Peoria could get its direct train line to Chicago under an Illinois bill: “If we don’t do anything, then not only does the Chicago system fall apart, which doesn’t really affect us, but it does affect us in terms of our own local transit system because they would face about a $200 million shortfall,” said state Sen. Dave Koehler, whose district includes Peoria. In the proposal, Downstate transit agencies will receive $220 million more in funding. It would also reduce the amount of funding local cities and towns need to give for state transit projects. That means cities south of Interstate 80 would have to match up to 20% of state funding in transit projects if the new bill passes. Currently, that match is 35% for Downstate cities and towns.

* WMBD | Bloomington Mayor Brady joins Illinois Municipal League board: Bloomington Mayor Dan Brady has been elected to the Illinois Municipal League Board of Directors. On Saturday, Sept. 20, new leading officers were elected at the Annual Business Meeting as part of the 112th IML Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, said Katherine Murphy, a city spokeswoman. In addition to the officers, 34 Vice Presidents were elected to serve a one-year term, including Mayor Brady.

* WSIL | Southern Illinois’ Rend Lake Resort getting fresh look for tourists: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is partnering in the project. The renovation includes construction repairs to both exterior and interior elements of the resort’s facilities. This includes 11 duplex cabins, the Schooner and Flagship Boatels, conference center banquet areas, restaurant and bar, gift shop, and multiple recreational amenities.

*** National ***

* Crain’s | Chicago Fed’s Goolsbee says new tariffs are renewing business uncertainty: “Now, it seems like we’re going into a new wave of tariff announcements,” Goolsbee said Tuesday at an agricultural conference hosted by his bank. “When I’m out talking to people, it feels like they’re just wary, they’re uncertain and we might be going back into that, everybody-just-put-your-pencils-down kind of a moment, where you just wait until you figure out where it’s going to be,” he added.

* NPR | EV sales surge in the U.S. ahead of Sept. 30 tax credit deadline: “The past couple of weeks — even in the past several days — EV sales just exploded,” says Matt Jones, the senior director of industry relations at the auto marketplace TrueCar. “It’s been bonkers.” Surveys have shown that many Americans were not even aware the EV tax credits existed. But some dealers and carmakers have been trying to raise awareness with ads focusing on the new deadline. For example, if you were shopping for a new Tesla this week, you would have seen a countdown clock on the website ticking away second by second to the last moment on Tuesday that you could place an order and still get the tax credit — if you met all the requirements.

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It’s just a bill

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) filed HB4142 this week. Synopsis

Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that a peace officer who reasonably believes that a person’s presence within 14 feet of the peace officer will interfere with the performance of the peace officer’s legal duties may warn the person not to approach or to remain within 14 feet of the peace officer. Provides that it is unlawful for a person, after receiving a warning not to approach from a peace officer who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, to knowingly or intentionally violate the warning and approach or remain within 14 feet of the peace officer with the intent to: (1) interrupt, disrupt, hinder, impede, or interfere with the peace officer’s ability to perform the peace officer’s duty; (2) threaten the peace officer with physical harm; or (3) harass the peace officer by interfering with the peace officer performing the peace officer’s duty. Provides that a violation is a Class A misdemeanor. Defines “harass”.

* I asked Rep. Keicher during a House Republican news conference earlier today if he consulted with law enforcement on his bill

Keicher: I did reach out to law enforcement with the bill. I reached out to chiefs, I reached out to sheriffs of both parties. Reached out to our State’s Attorney’s office, reached out to the Sheriff’s Association, and [received] resoundingly positive feedback, and [they said] thank you for doing what you can to help protect our people that are being under attack, under siege, more and more.

* Later, during a short interview I asked Rep. Keicher why he chose 14 feet, when Florida has a 25-foot rule…

Keicher: Yeah, so if you look, there was a recent district court case from Indiana, and the Indiana statute had 25 feet. And if you think about it, 25 feet is almost too far. 14 feet is a little bit more of a reasonable distance. It’s really two body lengths away from any activity that’s happening. So kind of removes you from the danger zone, yet also close enough to monitor. So I was trying to kind of craft that in a delicate balance.

With Republicans in a super minority, this bill is dead on arrival. Rep John Cabello already tried a similar one this year and it went nowhere.

* Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press last month

A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down an Indiana law that makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer after being told to stop, finding the law unconstitutionally vague.

In a 21-page opinion, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed a district court’s ruling last year blocking the state from enforcing the police “buffer zone” law because it fails to specify what kinds of behavior by a journalist or other member of the public might prompt an officer to issue an order to stay back.

But Indiana lawmakers have since passed a new version and the ACLU was neutral. The Indy Star

House Bill 1122 included a slightly more specific caveat: the buffer zone should only be enforced if a law enforcement official “reasonably believes that the person’s presence within 25 feet of the officer will interfere with the performance of the officer’s duties.”

The Seventh Circuit’s ruling on the 2023 law didn’t affect the 2025 iteration. And the Indiana branch of the American Civil Liberties Union – which, along with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, challenged the constitutionality of the first law in court – officially took “no position” on the 2025 law. But they warned the new version could still lead to serious issues.

“While the ACLU of Indiana continues to believe that 25 feet is too far to allow appropriate oversight by witnesses, we recognize that HB 1122 is a sincere effort to square the law’s original intent with constitutional requirements,” a post on the ACLU website reads. “… (But) we unfortunately expect it to be abused by a small number of officers around the state.”

* Rep. Keicher said he looked at the Indiana ruling when crafting his legislation…

Keicher: If you look at the language, we tried again in light of what was decided in Indiana, we tried to be very intentional about what those qualifications are that need to be met for the officer to trigger that. And I think that’s pretty well outlined in the bill.

* More from that interview…

Isabel: And then I know in Illinois statute it’s a misdemeanor to obstruct a police investigation, etc, is that something that officers have told you that they’re not able to enforce? I’m sort of confused on why this bill would be needed if it is obstruction, if officers feel like they’re obstructed, they can’t act on that?

Keicher: I don’t know that I have a good answer for that. Other than in the discussions, they really came out of the Indiana case. And when I saw that, and I had seen it before the appellate case was decided or the district case was decided, and in talking to law enforcement, it was in the midst of a lot of the crazy stuff that was going on with just people ganging up on police officers. And there were a couple incidents, I’m sure you’ve seen the video clips in Chicago where we had, you know, a lone officer who was being surrounded by a group, and it just inflamed, tension. So with specificity, obstruction is such a generic, this sets out specific parameters that allow them to have a distance specifically that says you gotta back up, you gotta stay out of this 14 foot zone, because here’s what I’m doing, and it sets out qualifications, as opposed to obstruction. That’s more of a generic umbrella.

* Meanwhile, during that same HGOP news conference, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie was asked what Gov. Pritzker should tell those who oppose ICE in Illinois

Q: Instead of encouraging lawful protests and recording of public officials enforcing federal laws, what should the governor tell those who oppose ICE?

McCombie: I certainly don’t think they’re lawful protests when people are being arrested for federal charges so lawful is out the window. The governor should be telling people to cooperate, no different than when you get pulled over by a police officer for a traffic violation. Cooperate if you’re not a criminal, if you have nothing to hide, you’re not going to have any issues. He certainly shouldn’t be sending citizens into a problem area where they could be put at harm’s risk.

* Related…

    * NPR | When police say ’stand back,’ these states say how far: Arizona passed the first such buffer zone law in 2022, and it specifically banned video-recording police from less than eight feet. The law was challenged and overturned, partially on First Amendment grounds. Since then, Indiana, Florida and Louisiana have all passed laws that set a distance, but don’t explicitly ban video.

    * WUSF | Florida begins first prosecutions under controversial ‘Halo Law’: At least 11 people so far have been arrested on charges of violating the law, which bans people from being within 25 feet of a police officer, firefighter or paramedic at the scene of an incident, according to a statewide survey of the latest criminal violations by Fresh Take Florida. Those accused can face a misdemeanor charge if they stay after a verbal warning to get back. It outlaws behavior described as “conduct directed at a first responder which intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no legitimate purpose.”

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President: Chicago, other cities will be ‘training grounds’ for military to combat ‘war from within’ (Updated x3)

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The Hill

President Trump told a gathering of military leaders Tuesday they should use American cities as “training grounds” and described a federal crackdown on crime in major cities as necessary due to “a war from within.”

Trump addressed dozens of top generals and admirals in Quantico, Va., where he said defending the homeland was the military’s “most important priority.” He signaled the leaders in the room could be tasked with aiding in federal interventions in Democratic-led cities such as Chicago and New York City.

“They’re very unsafe places, and we’re going to straighten them out one by one,” Trump said. “And this is going to be a major part for some of the people in this room. That’s a war, too. It’s a war from within.”

“I told [Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth], we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military — National Guard, but our military, because we’re going into Chicago very soon,” Trump added. “That’s a big city with an incompetent governor.”

*** UPDATE 1 *** Gov. Pritzker this afternoon

Let me start by saying it appears that Donald Trump, not only has dementia set in, but he’s copying tactics of Vladimir Putin sending troops into cities, thinking that’s some sort of proving ground for war, or that indeed there’s some sort of internal war going on in the United States, is just frankly, inane and and I’m concerned for his health.

* When asked what he plans to about ICE enforcement and military intervention

You’ve asked this question before, and I want to answer again. First of all, we’re a state that follows the law. We follow the law. There is nothing that we can do in terms of putting people our law enforcement in the way of federal law enforcement when they are carrying out wrong but accurate federal laws.

We need comprehensive immigration reform. That is what will matter. And what we can do when it comes to troops being sent in to Chicago and to the state of Illinois is immediately go to court. We’re prepared to do that. … But believe me when I tell you that the law is on our side when it comes to keeping troops out of the city and out of the state.

* Asked why he won’t cooperate with the federal government, Pritzker said

We absolutely cooperate when we’ve got federal officials helping us, or when we can help them go after criminals. That’s not what they’re doing. What they’re doing is, you know, you’ve heard the term ’round up the usual suspects,’ like, ‘Let’s just get everybody who has brown skin, and just one by one, go through them until we find somebody who’s done something wrong.’ That is not the way we do law enforcement in this country.

* Broadview situation

We’re in constant and consistent communication with Broadview police, with the Broadview Mayor, offering every bit of assistance. We are providing perimeter assistance through the state police, continual conversation with the governor’s office and the mayor’s office. They have requested certain kinds of equipment, some of which we can provide.

[Asked what sort of support he’s sending]

Things like gas masks, things that a normal police department, especially a small one like Broadview might not have. So they’re just asking for support in that way.

*** UPDATE 2 *** The president also said this today when speaking to US military leaders


[ *** End Of Updates *** ]

* AP

[Trump] also complained about “insurrectionists” who are funded by “the radical left.”

* Meanwhile, the NY Times appears to have confirmed what the governor said yesterday

One hundred National Guard troops will be deployed to Illinois at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. military officials said on Monday, a mobilization that would occur over the objections of Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois, a Democrat. […]

It was unclear when troops would be deployed in Illinois or where they would be sent.

* Darren Bailey agrees with the decision to send troops…

It is a shame that the federal government has to send the military into Chicago just to protect ICE officers. This is what failed leadership looks like.

If Governor JB Pritzker would cooperate with federal officials instead of making ICE the enemy, and if Mayor Brandon Johnson would put more officers on the street instead of leaving families defenseless, we wouldn’t be here today. Illinois families deserve better. They deserve leaders who stand with law-abiding citizens, not criminals. They deserve leaders who enforce our laws and keep our streets safe. If Pritzker and Johnson did their jobs, the military would never have to step in.

*** UPDATE 3 *** From the Pritzker campaign…

Darren Bailey is proving yet again that he’s running to be Donald Trump’s most loyal MAGA lapdog. The truth is, Illinoisans see right through Trump’s National Guard stunt. Our communities don’t want military troops on city streets. They want investments in law enforcement, community violence prevention efforts, and actual solutions that keep people safe – things that Donald Trump is cutting funding for in Washington.

Bailey has made his choice: he stands with Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA agenda. JB Pritzker stands with Illinoisans.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Fox News

Hundreds of federal agents carried out a “targeted immigration enforcement operation” early Tuesday in Chicago, Illinois, against suspected Tren de Aragua gang members.

The FBI confirmed the operation to FOX32 Chicago, noting that its agents assisted the U.S. Border Patrol in the city’s South Shore neighborhood. The operation — which involved almost 300 agents — targeted six people associated with the Venezuelan gang, according to Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin. […]

Footage captured overnight showed agents converging on an apartment building in the area. At one point, a helicopter dropped snipers down onto the building’s roof.

Video is here.

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Candidates nudging donors ahead of yet another “key” fundraising deadline

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As the fundraising deadline nears, some candidates are going a bit over the top. This pitch stands out, however. It’s from CD2 Democratic candidate Donna Miller, with emphasis in the original…

Rich, Donna Miller needs your support.

Republicans are searching every corner of the country for opportunities to widen their majority in Congress. And since Trump is targeting Chicago with threats to unleash chaos on our streets, they have their sights set on Illinois-02.

Yeah, no. Kamala Harris won that district last year by 33 points.

Sheesh.

* Most of us are being inundated the past few days with text messages ahead of the today’s quarterly deadline. (I actually received another one as I typed that sentence.) But, do you remember the promise this candidate made about no spammy fundraising texts?. She apparently does not…

* Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid’s latest fundraising email has this subject line: “The deadline is hours away and AIPAC is watching”

I could go on, but what’s your “favorite” fundraising nudge?


* Meanwhile, speaking of money,
here’s Illinois Review

Former Wirepoints president and Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski is making waves – not for his policies, but for his donors. His campaign is bankrolled by Democrat supporters and Brandon Johnson allies, sparking questions over whether his bid reflects Republican values or is being propped up by the very forces conservatives have long opposed in Illinois.

Yes, Dabrowski has the backing of major Republican donors like Richard Uihlein and Vince Kolber. But alongside them are contributors who routinely fund Democrats – a mix that is stirring unease among conservative grassroots Republicans.

On September 2, Dabrowski’s campaign reported a $250,000 donation from James Perry, a senior advisor with Madison Dearborn Partners in Chicago. State election filings show Perry is also a frequent supporter of Democrats, including Chicago Alderman Bill Conway, State Representative Margaret Croke, Dr. Rafael Yanez and former Mayor Lori Lightfoot – to whose campaign he contributed $50,000 in 2019.

Not mentioned is that Perry was a major contributor to Paul Vallas’ last mayoral race, giving $500K. He contributed $1K to Rep. Croke.

* Least surprising endorsement ever…

Yesterday, former State Representatives Jeanne Ives and Tom Morrison and former DuPage County Auditor Bob Grogan endorsed Ted Dabrowski for Governor.

Illinois Review on that crew’s many, many losses

But for many Republicans, the pattern is clear: Uihlein’s money, combined with Proft’s strategy and Ives’ political brand, has delivered not conservative victories, but Democratic dominance. From Obama in Washington to Pritzker in Springfield, Illinois conservatives have paid the price.

  8 Comments      


Protect The 340B Program To Enhance Healthcare Services In Low-Income Communities

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Drugmaker requirements are making it hard for hospitals like Franciscan Health Olympia Fields to turn savings on drug costs into healthcare services for patients. The hospital joined the federal 340B program “to help serve the uninsured and under-insured community residents in Olympia Fields and Chicago Heights.” The poverty rates in both Chicago suburbs are higher than the 11.6% state average—nearly 13% in Olympia Fields and almost 25% in Chicago Heights.

The hospital has put 340B savings toward healthcare services, including its:

    Outpatient Infusion Center that provides comprehensive cancer care;
    Medication to Bedside program that ensures medication access prior to discharge; and
    Pharmacist-managed Anticoagulation Clinics and Pharmacotherapy Clinics that improve medication outcomes and reduce hospital readmissions.

“The 340B program serves as a vital lifeline for safety-net providers to support critical health services in low-income or isolated rural communities, which are typically operated at a loss,” Franciscan Health said.

Since 2020, drugmakers have blocked access to lifesaving medications acquired through the 340B program, making it harder for Illinois’ 100 participating hospitals to invest in healthcare services—and patients.

Support House Bill 2371 SA 2
to prohibit drugmakers from interfering with hospital pharmacy contracts. Low-income communities deserve access to more comprehensive healthcare services, as the 340B program intended. Learn more.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - This just in… (Updated)

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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New super PAC backs Stratton, Raja raises $3 million in Q3

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Illinois Future PAC….

Illinois Future, a new political action committee, announced its formation to support Juliana Stratton in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Illinois Future will work to ensure voters have the opportunity to learn about Juliana Stratton’s record of delivering results for Illinois families and aim to boost turnout in key communities across the state. As Donald Trump terrorizes communities and raises the cost of living, Juliana Stratton is the best candidate in the race to stand up to Trump and protect working families in the U.S. Senate

The group aims to show how Juliana Stratton’s record of effective, values-driven leadership has and will continue to deliver for Illinoisans. For too long, politicians in Washington have been all talk and no action. Illinois Future will work tirelessly to send Juliana Stratton—a proven fighter—to the U.S. Senate to deliver for Illinois communities. This independent effort will meet voters where they are to share the facts and build a coalition to win. The group will be led by Quentin Fulks.

The PAC has already raised seven figures and will continue to fundraise for its independent efforts.

* US Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi adds $3 million “and counting” to his Senate war chest. Press release…

Today, the Raja for Illinois campaign announced that it has raised $3 million and counting in the third quarter of 2025, marking a third consecutive quarter of raising more than $3 million. The campaign will end the quarter with over $17.5 million cash on hand.

News of another successful quarter comes as Raja leads by double digits in every single poll of the primary – including those commissioned by outside PACs supporting his opponent. Raja has communicated on televisions across Illinois since July, blanketing airwaves with “Bullies,” “Underdog,” and “29.” Throughout the summer, Raja crisscrossed Illinois on his listening tour, making stops in Moline, Petersburg, Bloomington, East Alton, Mount Vernon, Carbondale, Springfield, Rockford, and more. Last month, Raja released his Trump Accountability Plan, blanketing local news with his plan to rein in Donald Trump’s abuses of power.

Click here for a little more on that poll.

* Playbook

Congresswoman Robin Kelly is staking out progressive territory with a new slate of policy proposals aimed at affordability — and at highlighting the ideological distance between herself and the rest of the field, according to her campaign. “I’ve been going around the state, hearing what people are dealing with and how much things cost,” she told your Playbook host. Her “People Over Profits” plan includes taxing billionaires, raising worker wages, capping child-care costs, expanding Medicare to all, and strengthening Social Security.

Thoughts?

* More…

    * WTVO | Don Tracy aims for balance in Illinois politics with open Senate seat run: Tracy, who served as the chair of the Illinois Republican Party from 2021 to 2024, held a campaign event at Lino’s Riverside alongside State Senator Dave Syverson. He emphasized his commitment to defending the American dream and bringing Midwestern values to Washington, D.C. Tracy is competing against State Representative John Goodman for the Republican nomination, with the primary election scheduled for March 17th.

    * Edwardsville Intelligencer | The Intelligencer interviews Senate candidate Don Tracy: U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy visited The Edwardsville Intelligencer on Sept. 26 to talk about his campaign and how he will represent the state should he win election in November 2026. Tracy is the seventh candidate and second Republican to participate in the Intelligencer’s Senate interviews.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign update

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker says DHS aims to deploy 100 military troops to guard ICE operations here. Crain’s

    - Gov. JB Pritzker says the Illinois National Guard has been told the Department of Homeland Security has asked the Department of Defense for 100 troops to protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and facilities.
    - It’s unclear when or if troops would be deployed or where. DHS did not respond to a request for comment.
    - Jack Lavin, CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, praised the city’s progress on violent crime and said Sunday’s actions “undermine that progress, create a false narrative and undercut our shared goals. It risks slowing the very economic activity we need to keep this city moving.”

* Related stories…

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* At 1:05 pm, Gov. Pritzker will be at the launch of Food Security for Life. At 3 pm, he’ll be at the groundbreaking for PsiQuantum’s new facilities at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WTTW | Illinois Prisons Will Now Scan Physical Mail Sent to Incarcerated People: Beginning immediately, non-privileged mail will be opened and inspected for contraband, scanned in color, then be uploaded to an individual’s tablet, the department announced Monday. Nearly all incarcerated people now have tablets, according to the department. That does not include privileged material, such as legal mail. The department is also discontinuing the practice of visitors dropping off publications at facilities.

* Tribune | Mother, children detained by ICE at Millennium Park Sunday held at O’Hare with other families: ‘We never imagined’: Despite the couple’s repeated demands to see a warrant, agents loaded the entire family into a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle parked along Michigan Avenue without much resistance — a scene captured on cellphones as tourists and residents strolled past the arrest in one of the city’s most popular destinations. […] Chavez and her two children are now confined to a room at O’Hare International Airport, awaiting transfer to a detention facility in Texas before deportation to Guatemala, she said.

*** Statewide ***

* Raja Krishnamoorthi’s US Senate campaign…

Today, the Raja for Illinois campaign announced that it has raised $3 million and counting in the third quarter of 2025, marking a third consecutive quarter of raising more than $3 million. The campaign will end the quarter with over $17.5 million cash on hand.

* WCIA | Hunters Feeding Illinois could be entering final year amid funding cuts: Hunters Feeding Illinois is returning for its fourth season, but organizers said one of its major partners may need to end programming after the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. University of Illinois Extension SNAP-Education is the originator of Hunters Feeding Illinois. In a news release, the U of I Extension said that while federal funding for the SNAP-Ed program officially ends on Sept. 30, scaled back programming will continue through fall 2025 or January 2026.

* PJ Star | Government shutdown could impact thousands of federal employees in Illinois: The federal government employs roughly 2.3 million civilians across the country. There are 45,213 federal civilian employees in Illinois – not including uniformed military personnel or federal contractors, according to the Congressional Research Service.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Center Square | Former state lawmakers endorse, donors support GOP candidate Dabrowski: Former state Reps. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, and Tom Morrison, R-Palatine, announced their endorsements of former Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski on Monday. Ives supported former state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, in 2022 but said there is a better option in 2026. “No one knows the issues better than Ted, and subsequently, nobody is better positioned to attract independent suburban voters on the merits of who can do better for Illinois families,” Ives said.

* Press Release | Attorney General Raoul Files Emergency Lawsuit To Protect Critical Homeland Security Funding From Politically Motivated Cuts: Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from unlawfully reallocating federal homeland security funding away from states based on their compliance with the administration’s political agenda. On Saturday, without any notice or explanation, and four days before the end of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) significantly cut funding to certain states that are unwilling to divert law enforcement resources away from core public safety services to assist in enforcing federal immigration law while reallocating those funds to other states. The move came days after Raoul secured a permanent injunction along with an opinion holding that the agencies violated the Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Act by conditioning all federal funds from FEMA and DHS on states’ agreement to assist the federal government in enforcing federal immigration law.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Federal Agents Arrest Southwest Side Organizers As They Filmed ICE Activity, Officials Say : At approximately 9:30 a.m. Sunday, members of the Southwest Side Rapid Response Team responded to a tip of federal agents in Back of the Yards. While they were in the area, three members were “followed, harassed, physically kettled in their vehicles and intimidated by federal officers aiming a firearm at them,” according to the group’s statement. Federal agents were “aggressive” and started to intimidate organizers when they noticed they were being filmed, Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) told Block Club. A few blocks down, agents in multiple vehicles surrounded organizers, detained them and moved them to an immigration processing center in Broadview, Ramirez said. They were later released, Ramirez said.

* Crain’s | South Works site sold as quantum campus beckons: Completing a long-running effort to sell the sprawling, vacant swath at 8080 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive, a joint venture of the two Chicago firms partnered with New York-based Blue Owl Capital earlier this month to buy the land from Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel, Illinois property records show. Related and CRG won City Council approval last year to build the 128-acre Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park on the south end of the site, the centerpiece of a broader 59 million-square-foot megadevelopment dubbed Quantum Shore Chicago.

* Tribune | Chicago White Sox shake up their staff, including letting Ethan Katz (pitching) and Marcus Thames (hitting) go: Katz had been the team’s pitching coach since 2021. Thames, Bourgeois and Butera were in their respective roles with the club each of the last two seasons. “Decisions about the coaching staff are incredibly difficult because these are friends and teammates who have been through all the moments and trials alongside you,” said Venable, who just completed his first season as the team’s manager, in a statement. “I cannot thank each of them enough for the hard work and professionalism they brought to the ballpark daily.

* Sun-Times | Crooked Bridgeport bank worker gets home confinement after helping hide embezzlement scheme: Alicia Mandujano — one of 16 people people who had been indicted on criminal charges following the bank’s collapse in December 2017 — was sentenced Monday to two years supervised release, including 12 months of home detention. “Real people who were saving for retirements or a vacation are still working because they lost money, U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall told Mandujano.

* WGN | ‘All for the Love of Chicago’ campaign aims to boost city’s image: “Chicago, we’ve had a challenging national narrative for a while,” [Kristen Reynolds is the president and CEO of Choose Chicago,] said. “In the last couple of months, it really has escalated with narratives coming out about federal deployment, what’s happening here, ICE obviously, and it became amplified across not only the nation, but really the globe.” […] The “All for the Love of Chicago” social media campaign encourages people to make their own videos – in their own words – why they love the city.

* Sun-Times | Look out, Coco! The food delivery robots introduced in late 2024 now have competition: Beginning Sept. 30, the flamingo-pink food delivery robots you may have seen rolling along city sidewalks are set to get some competition. Los Angeles-based Serve Robotics plans to roll out “dozens” of its own robots, less than a year after Coco Robotics began a pilot program here in the 27th and 34th wards.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | Broadview leaders to address what they call ‘unprovoked’ use of chemical agents outside ICE facility: The briefing starts at 11 a.m. Officials expected at the briefing include Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson, Broadview Police Chief Thomas Mills, Broadview Police Department, acting Broadview Fire Chief Matt Martin, Broadview Fire Department, Oak Park Mayor Vicki Scaman and Forest Park Mayor Rory Hoskins

* Sun-Times | Neighbors near Broadview ICE facility say they’re caught in the middle of clashes between protesters, feds: Employees of cabinetmaker Reveal Interiors complain that tear gas has seeped into its plant and employees have been hit by pepper balls. A fence erected by Immigration and Customs Enforcement across Beach Street has pushed protesters into its property, disrupting work.

* WBEZ | Standing up to ICE in suburban Chicago, the People’s Patrol puts its faith in resistance: Cavazos leads the People’s Patrol, one of many volunteer rapid-response networks countering a Trump administration deportation blitz in the Chicago area. The idea is to locate immigration enforcement activity, record it, document abuses and, right on the spot, voice community opposition. Cavazos’ network focuses on Chicago’s western suburbs. It’s housed at the Casa DuPage Workers Center, a small nonprofit devoted to immigrant rights. “We saw ICE go into a factory about a month and a half ago, looking for someone,” Cavazos tells me on the way to Bensenville. “They freaked out the whole factory and they took some people from there. It’s just really sad, the way the United States crucifies [its immigrant] workers, particularly in this case. They’re essential workers that are in these factories giving us food.”

* Daily Herald | Wheeling Township Mental Health board about to set $1.4 million budget: Wheeling Township’s community mental health board is expected to approve a $1.4 million tentative budget next week as it prepares for its first tax levy nearly three years after the board was created by referendum. Last week, the mental health board reached tentative agreement on the budget. It meets again Oct. 8. Although some of the funding would go toward administration and projects such as transportation, more than $1.1 million is earmarked for grants.

* Daily Herald | District 214 eyeing solar panels at Rolling Meadows, five other schools as incentives set to expire: The Arlington Heights-based district’s energy consultant has spent the last few months exploring the feasibility of putting solar arrays on the roofs of Rolling Meadows and five other schools, as well as the Forest View Educational Center headquarters. But the timeline to get a competitive RFP for solar vendors out on the street tightened with congressional approval of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July. Solar installations would need to begin by July 2026, or be done by the end of 2027, to capture federal incentives due to expire, officials said.

* Daily Herald | Why the Daily Herald is ending commenting on online stories:
The comment section was intended to be a tool to spur dialogue among our readers. Sometimes it succeeded in doing that. Over time, however, it has become increasingly negative, with comments crossing the line into hate speech, bullying and name-calling. Too much time was being devoted to moderating the comments so that readers with thoughtful and relevant commentary could still have their views heard. For those well-meaning readers, there are other ways to weigh in on content and issues of the day.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Opponent of solar farm at Belleville cemetery sues city, developers: The leader of a group that opposes a plan to clear-cut 19 acres of woods to make way for a solar farm at Mount Hope Cemetery in Belleville has filed a civil lawsuit to try and stop it. Berger, 39, of Belleville, filed a 10-count complaint last week in St. Clair County Circuit Court. He named as defendants the city of Belleville, which owns the cemetery, and three solar companies. Berger declined to comment Monday on pending litigation beyond explaining why he filed the lawsuit.

* Muddy River News | Hope House wins Quincy City Council approval; Mayor Moore defends Alderman Reed’s appointment to library board: The home located at 1603 Center Avenue received a special use permit with one condition that the requirement for two stalls per dwelling unit be reduced to one per dwelling unit. The council did not fast-track the ordinance through a consent agenda, but instead required three separate readings of the ordinance to give the operators of the home a chance to talk personally with neighbors who had concerns about the impact the home might have on their neighborhood. Pastor Todd Hastings, who is the head of the Hope House Board, said there were strict codes of conduct for the young mothers to follow while they stayed at the location.

* WSIL | Sleep in Heavenly Peace expands in Herrin: Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP), a nonprofit focused on providing beds to children in need, has acquired Sterling Mattress Factory in Herrin, Illinois. This marks the first acquisition in the organization’s history, aiming to bolster its mission of ensuring no child sleeps on the floor. The acquisition will allow SHP to produce more than 10,000 mattresses annually, supporting up to 184 chapters within a 500-mile radius.

*** National ***

* WaPo | National Weather Service at ‘breaking point’ as storm approaches: Some National Weather Service staffers are working double shifts to keep forecasting offices open. Others are operating under a “buddy system,” in which adjacent offices help monitor severe weather in understaffed regions. Still others are jettisoning services deemed not absolutely necessary, such as making presentations to schoolchildren.

* NPR | As sports betting explodes, should states set more limits to stop gambling addiction?: At first, the state regulators tried various strategies to educate customers about the addictive nature of gambling, as well as the financial risks. “It was much more about making sure that there are brochures that are available that explained the odds of whatever game it was,” he says. Since then, Massachusetts has put in place additional regulations on a booming industry that now includes widespread sports betting. For example, there’s no betting on Massachusetts college teams, and no gambling by credit card. All gambling companies have to allow customers to set voluntary limits and sign up for a “voluntary self-exclusion list” that bans them from casinos or sports betting over various time intervals.

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Open thread

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Tuesday, Sep 30, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - This just in... (Updated)
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