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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller Powers keep on lyin’
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The leading Democratic candidates in the U.S. Senate primary debated on WCPT today. During the debate, Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign sent out a “fact check” responding to a comment from Juliana Stratton…
Click here to watch the full debate. * Click here for some background. Reps. Lisa Hernandez and Bob Rita…
* Sun-Times | Walmart, Amazon and CPS top list of employers where Illinois workers still need SNAP benefits: An analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times identified the top ten employers statewide with workers who receive SNAP food assistance. Chicago Public Schools, which employs about 60,000 workers, stands out as the lone public body among the list of large, profitable and mostly publicly traded corporations like Walmart, Amazon, McDonald’s and FedEx whose chief executive officers get paid as much as tens of millions of dollars each year. The school district is among the state’s largest single employers. * 25News Now | Upstate Illinoisan for GOP gubernatorial slot remains off ballot after appellate court decision: An appellate court denied a stay of a circuit court’s decision, which means Joseph Severino and Rantch Isquith, candidates for Governor and Lt. Governor, will not be printed on the ballot, according to an email from McLean County Clerk Kathy Michael. Severino appealed the decision of the Illinois State Board of Elections to not certify his candidacy over a lack of valid petition signatures, according to documents previously obtained by 25News. * Capitol News Illinois | Ted Dabrowski gets off sidelines with run for governor: Dabrowski also told Capitol News Illinois that he would seek to lower the state’s individual income tax rate from 4.95% to 3% — the rate from 1990 to 2010. It dropped to 3.75% from 2015 to 2017 when a temporary hike expired during the two-year budget impasse. In the two-year period the rate was reduced, the state drastically cut social services as its backlog of unpaid bills ballooned to over $16 billion. Lawmakers raised the rate back to 4.95% in 2017, and as of Friday, that number dropped to just over $2 billion, fitting into a standard 30-day billing cycle. He did not say specifically what cuts would offset lost tax revenue, instead suggesting that it reflects the need for “a cultural shift” in state government. * WTTW | Top Cop: COPA Should Probe Chicago Police Conduct During Immigration Raids Because No One Would ‘Trust’ Internal Affairs: Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said he backed an effort to give the agency charged with probing police misconduct the authority to investigate whether CPD officers and leaders have violated city law by helping federal immigration agents because no one would “trust” probes conducted by internal affairs. That measure would give the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, known as COPA, the authority to investigate whether CPD officers helped federal agents carry out deportations. A final vote by the Chicago City Council is set for Feb. 18. * Tribune | Judge agrees to lift protective order, allow release of evidence in Marimar Martinez shooting: Saying the federal government has shown “zero concern” about ruining the reputation of a Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent, a federal judge on Friday agreed to lift a protective order and allow the release of body-camera footage and text messages from the agent who shot her. In her ruling, which stems from one of the highest profile incidents from Operation Midway Blitz, U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis said Marimar Martinez has the right to counterbalance the label of “domestic terrorist” put upon her by the Department of Homeland security — a narrative that the government has refused to retract even after assault charges against Martinez were dropped. * Tribune | Jabs at Jesse Jackson Jr., Donna Miller as South Side Congress race heats up: As candidates met with the Tribune editorial board Thursday, Jackson was the elephant in the room, while Miller, who attended a later session, was the one outside it. “The American people are sick of seeing people in Washington because they’re famous, like Jesse Jackson Jr.,” state Sen. Willie Preston said. “Or because a bunch of wealthy people gave a candidate some money and bought them, like Donna Miller is being currently purchased.” Preston’s remark, consistent with his confrontational style on the trail, points to the foundations of the race. * Crain’s | River North hotel owner hit with $57 million foreclosure lawsuit: In other recent hotel transactions near the Godfrey, local investors bought the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, the Hampton Inn/Homewood Suites Mag Mile and the former Tremont Chicago hotel for fractions of what they were worth before the pandemic. Quadrum likely had higher hopes for the Godfrey’s recovery when it helped orchestrate the refinancing in 2023. That $63 million loan replaced a $47.5 million senior loan that the firm and Oxford had taken out on the property in 2017. * Block Club | Take A Virtual Tour Of Concourse D, O’Hare Airport’s Upcoming Addition: The Chicago Department of Aviation released an animated video depicting what O’Hare’s new Concourse D will look like when finished. The $1.3 billion project is slated to be completed in late 2028. * Sun-Times | Sky’s new practice facility will be ‘operational’ by ‘late spring,’ CEO Adam Fox says: For the Sky, the biggest timeline question belongs to the men in hard hats: When will their new practice facility in Bedford Park finally open? At an “enclosure ceremony” this fall, co-owner and operating chairman Nadia Rawlinson said she was confident the building would be ready before the 2026 season. * Sun-Times | Roundabouts are increasingly popping up in Chicago’s suburbs, seen as an answer to traffic problems: “Typical Chicago street widths are not conducive to roundabout designs,” a City Hall official says. It’s a different story, though, in the suburbs. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s district covering state routes in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties now includes eight roundabouts on those roads. Eleven more are planned in the next three to five years, and another dozen are being discussed, officials say. * Telegraph | Illinois opens WARN Act probe into Alton Steel closure: “The Illinois Department of Labor has opened an investigation into Alton Steel after learning on January 27 that workers at the Alton plant would begin losing their jobs on January 31,” it stated. “Under the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), employers with 75 or more full-time employees are required to give workers and state and local government officials 60 days advance notice of a plant closing or mass layoff. The Department sent the company a subpoena as part of a broader effort to determine whether Alton Steel violated the WARN Act.” * WGLT | New Pantagraph owner takes over: The new owner of the parent company of the Bloomington Pantagraph newspaper said the chain’s flagship paper is “a little too far left.” According to media reports, billionaire hedge fund owner David Hoffman made the remark about the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Hoffman now owns 53% of Lee stock. He took over as chair of Lee Enterprises this week after investing $50 million in the cash-strapped company. Lee also was hobbled a year ago by a cyberattack that disrupted delivery and online service. Lee had to defer interest payments to investor Berkshire Hathaway to recover from the attack. * WGLT | Bloomington implements water restrictions as drought persists: City Manager Jeff Jurgens has signed a proclamation that mandates restrictions intended to reduce water use by 10% across all sectors, including residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, institutional, wholesale and for electric power generation. Parts of Bloomington-Normal are under a severe drought, while much of western and northern McLean County is under a moderate drought. Southeastern McLean County is experiencing extreme drought. * WCIA | Decatur receives $1.4 million for lead abatement efforts: City officials said on Facebook that, for the first time, the city received a Lead Hazard Reduction Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant is $1 million with an additional $400,000 in Healthy Homes Supplemental funding. “This funding is intended to assist Decatur families with children under the age of 6 that are experiencing issues with lead in their homes,” city officials said. “We will use the funding to abate lead sources in the home by using Illinois Lead-licensed contractors.” * Tri States Public Radio | Macomb buys downtown building where Lincoln stayed: The city council this week agreed to pay $150,000 to acquire the south half of the structure built in 1857 as the Randolph House Hotel. The city purchased the north half of the building late last year for $65,000. Mayor Mike Inman said the city would like to get the building into a developer’s hands so that the second and third floors can be redeveloped into an attraction for visitors and a place where they could stay. * The Minnesota Star Tribune | Swapped, covered and removed: The license plate tactics ICE is using in Minnesota: Another 11% of the plates reviewed by the Star Tribune had some kind of irregularity, including expired tabs from different vehicles or plates registered to a nonexistent business. A quarter of the vehicles were rentals. * HuffPost | This Little-Known iPhone Feature Safeguarded A Reporter’s Data From Feds — And It Could Save Yours, Too: This iOS feature, which is available in iOS 16 software or later, is known as Lockdown Mode and has been around since 2022, but this recent case highlights just how strong these cybersecurity protections are. As reported by tech outlet 404 media, a new court filing on Natanson’s case details how Lockdown Mode blocked the FBI’s go-to forensics analyst team called Computer Analysis Response Team (CART) from accessing her iPhone. * AP | Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicks off with a four-site, two-cauldron opening ceremony: This is the most spread-out Winter Olympics in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about 8,500 square miles (more than 22,000 square kilometers), roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey. The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium. There also will be three other places where athletes can march, some carrying their country’s flag: Cortina d’Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.
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State GOP at cross-purposes with itself
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi last week…
* The party is pushing vote by mail even though the president is totally against voting by mail as a concept. This has hampered the party here for years…  * Rick Pearson wrote about that earlier Salvi newsletter, the above Trump post and also this today…
Discuss.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - More stuff (Updated x2)
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates (Updated)
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Catching up with the federal candidates
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Raja Krishnamoorthi is out with a new spot, “The Downstate Candidate”… Rating? * Raja is attacking Stratton’s pledge to not accept any corporate PAC money. Press release…
* The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association attempted to dress up some old polling in favor of Stratton. Inside Elections reporter Jacob Rubashkin…
* The AP profiled 2nd Congressional District candidate Jesse Jackson Jr…
* 2nd CD candidate Willie Preston…
* Negatives are coming soon in the 9th CD. Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
* A super PAC mailer for Sen. Laura Fine includes photos of her with Ald. Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth, who has endorsed Rep. Hoan Huynh, and a group shot with opponent Daniel Biss…
* Some endorsements via Politico…
* More…
Citing Unrivaled Leadership: Pfleger, a tireless advocate for peace and justice on Chicago’s South Side and across the nation, is backing Kelly for her proven track record in congress, bold leadership delivering for people across Illinois and dedication to gun violence prevention that set her apart as the only choice to represent Illinois in the Senate. “From the moment Robin entered Congress, she has been a local and national champion on not just gun violence prevention but issues that improve our communities,” Pfleger said. “Robin is present, available and always standing with us. We need Robin’s voice and proven ability to drive change in the U.S. Senate now more than ever. Robin Kelly doesn’t just talk about making people’s lives better. She gets results.” * Sun-Times | What to know about Illinois’ 8th Congressional District Democratic primary: Junaid Ahmed, Yasmeen Bankole, Melissa Bean, Sanjyot Dunung, Neil Khot, Kevin Morrison, Dan Tully and Ryan Vetticad are running for the Democratic nomination to replace U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi in the 8th Congressional District, which is anchored in the northwest suburbs. * Press release | Congressman Brad Schneider Endorses Laura Fine: “I’m grateful to Congressman Schneider for his support and his continued leadership in Congress as together we stand up for our communities against Trump’s lawlessness and corruption,” Laura Fine said. “I’ve taken on the biggest fights against the special interests in Springfield—which is why I’ve been named one of the most effective lawmakers in Illinois—and will continue that fight in Congress.”
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It’s just a bill (Updated)
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times…
* Rep. Fred Crespo has introduced a bill to change how Illinois Supreme Court vacancies are filled. You might remember Rich wrote last month about how justices tend to retire mid-term and basically pick their own replacements. The synopsis…
* US Senate candidate Don Tracy…
* Daily Herald…
* Sen. Karina Villa…
* WTVO…
* Meanwhile, in Indiana…
More from WGN…
…Adding… SB3385 from Sen. Mike Porfirio…
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Crypto becomes issue in Democratic comptroller race
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * “Girl, I Guess” on Democratic Illinois comptroller candidate Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim…
* Chicago Tribune this morning…
* The comptroller has no real control over Illinois investments. But any Democrats connected to crypto right now, including Kim and Croke, are gonna have to face the music…
Lots more in all of those stories. Discuss.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Pritzker puts a price tag on federal cuts looming over Illinois budget. Crain’s…
- Spending reductions of about 4% already in place, and unexpected increases in other revenue sources, should keep the current budget balanced. - The revenue shortfall for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1 will be reduced by about $250 million from the current year in large part because some impacts of the federal tax cuts have been blunted. Sponsored by the Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals: Our Healthcare Backbone At Risk. Safety-net hospitals are the backbone of Chicago’s Black and Brown communities. They provide emergency and lifesaving care for families who rely on them. They also support thousands of good, local healthcare jobs, serving as economic anchors in neighborhoods that have faced decades of disinvestment. With federal support being reduced, safetynet hospitals need more resources – not less – to avoid further strain that could irreversibly damage local health systems and weaken the essential services our communities rely on. Now, these hospitals are under threat. This is not reform. It is a sell-off of community healthcare, driven by outsiders – not by the needs of patients, workers, or neighborhoods. Save safety-net hospitals. Protect our care, our jobs, and our communities. * Tribune | With Super Bowl approaching, Illinois warns illegal online casinos to shut down operations: The Better Business Bureau also recently reported that more illegal gaming sites are scamming consumers out of their money and exposing their data to hackers. Gamblers lodged more than 10,000 complaints to the BBB from 2022 to mid-2025. The bureau advises gamblers to beware promises of big payouts, tempting ads with no details, sweepstakes-style games, overseas business locations and payment through cryptocurrency. * Sun-Times | ‘No good time for you’: The recordkeeping snafu keeping some Illinoisans in prison longer than they should be: A new study examining time credit laws allowing incarcerated people to earn time off prison sentences found that Illinois isn’t alone. Outdated technology and fragmented recordkeeping systems routinely keep incarcerated people across the country locked up longer than they should be. * CBS Chicago | Illinois led the nation in tornadoes in 2025 as Tornado Alley shifted into Midwest: “We’ve had some of the most incredible tornado years in Illinois history happen just in the last few years,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Dr. Victor Gensini, a severe storm expert with two decades of experience studying where tornadoes happen. He said, over the last 40 years, the number of tornadoes has gone down in states like Texas and Oklahoma, in what’s known as the nation’s Tornado Alley, while in areas further east, like Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois, have seen an increase in tornadoes. * Politico | Harmon slows Pritzker’s pension push: Illinois Senate President Don Harmon tapped the brakes Thursday on Gov. JB Pritzker’s latest push to overhaul the state’s pension system, saying he supports the governor’s long-term goals but isn’t convinced the spring session is the moment to move on it. In a wide-ranging interview at The Hideout, followed by him playing guitar and singing Springsteen, Harmon said the governor’s proposal to move Illinois to a fully funded pension system by 2048 is sound policy — but potentially risky timing. With Washington looming large over state finances, Harmon suggested lawmakers may need to keep their powder dry. * Sun-Times | What to know about state legislative races in Illinois’ March 17 primary: After two terms in the Illinois House, Hoan Huynh jumped into the race to succeed Rep. Jan Schakowsky in Congress, leaving a wide-open race in the 13th district on the North Side. Five candidates are vying to replace Huynh, including Adam Braun, Ridge Knapp, Sunjay Kumar, James O’Brien and Demi Palecek. In the 9th Senate district, Patrick Hanley and Rachel Ruttenberg are competing to succeed state Sen. Laura Fine, who also is running in a crowded field of candidates to replace Schakowsky. The district dips into the North Side but mostly represents North Shores suburbs. * Sun-Times | Illinois endorses American Academy of Pediatrics vaccine schedule despite changes to federal guidance: The recommended vaccines mirrors what the Illinois Department of Public Health was already recommending for immunization. The state’s endorsement means that the immunizations will continue to be covered by private insurance companies, Medicaid and a program known as Vaccines for Children, a federally-funded, state-administered program that provides free vaccinations for children, according to the state agency. * Sun-Times | Chicago Housing Authority backs off ban on contracts with commissioner’s daughter: The Chicago Housing Authority reversed course after moving to permanently block the daughter of longtime CHA Board Commissioner Debra Parker from continuing to do business with the agency, records show. Lovie Diggs faced what the CHA calls permanent debarment after she was arrested, charged and entered a guilty plea in Cook County Circuit Court, according to court records and CHA documents. But her lawyer appealed to CHA executives, and documents obtained through an open-records request show that the agency has cleared Diggs to get more public contracts from the country’s third-largest housing authority. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson heads to budget opponent’s ward to continue fight over 2026 package: The fiery meeting at the South Shore Cultural Center began with local Ald. Desmon Yancy, a progressive who voted with mayoral opponents, questioning why Johnson was still attacking the budget for allegedly being short $163 million. The mayor and his team then broke down their issues with the final spending package, a sign that last fall’s grueling fight shows no signs of simmering down over a month into 2026, even as both sides say the budget could still require midyear changes to make it work. * Crain’s | City to award what it calls the biggest U.S. airport concessions deal ever: Chicago received more than 100 bids for concessions in the main domestic terminals at O’Hare International Airport, and it expects to begin awarding contracts by the end of March, Aviation Commissioner Michael McMurray said yesterday. McMurray didn’t disclose a dollar value for the program to operate food, beverage and retail concessions at 110 locations in Terminals 1 and 3. But he said the package, which has been anxiously anticipated by the industry for years, adds up to the largest domestic concession opportunity ever put out for bid by a U.S. airport. * Crain’s | United moves to buy 2 O’Hare gates from Spirit: The move follows American Airlines’ decision in December to acquire two gates in Terminal 3 from Spirit, which is restructuring under bankruptcy protection. It’s the latest twist in an escalating battle for market share between O’Hare’s two biggest carriers, which are aggressively adding flights this year. * ABC Chicago | Education Secretary Linda McMahon visits Chicago private school to promote US history: “Not every student felt like this was the best program to participate in, or didn’t feel as comfortable being part of it. And that’s OK. I think it’s a great learning experience for our community,” Chicago Hope Academy Principal Ike Muzikowski said. The assembly stuck to talk about history, with politics put on pause. The assembly stuck to talk about history, with politics put on pause. * WBEZ | David Byrne took me on a mind-bending tour of his ‘immersive’ new Chicago theater show: The show, which opens March 11, will allow 16 people at a time through a series of rooms led by a tour guide named David. This David will be clad in a wardrobe consisting of a seersucker shirt, shorts and sandals with socks. The outfit is identical to one worn by a 2-year-old Byrne in a photo on the wall of the installation. When I mention to Byrne that people may expect the “Davids” to wear one of his more iconic big, square suits, he laughs and says, “I don’t know if they’ll go for this one.” * Tribune | South, West Side officials back Pat Hynes for Cook County assessor over Fritz Kaegi: Among those who joined Hynes at a news conference was a major defection: former Rep. Bobby Rush, who previously endorsed Kaegi over then-Cook County Democratic Party chair and incumbent Assessor Joe Berrios. Back in 2018, Rush said the assessment process under Berrios “unfairly penalizes Black and brown communities. Some homeowners in the 1st District are losing their homes because of a system that is designed to fail them.” * CBS Chicago | Early voting begins for some Illinois counties; DuPage County delayed to next week: DuPage County was to open up the polls at five locations beginning at 8 a.m. However, “due to unresolved candidate objections currently pending before the Appellate Court,” the start of early voting and vote by mail has been delayed for “early next week.” * Daily Herald | Geneva Chamber president: ‘I do not intend to cancel Swedish Days’: After the big buildup that Geneva’s iconic Swedish Days festival was in jeopardy without city funding, a meeting last week resulted in not much — publicly, anyway. Chamber Treasurer Susan Huang took the city council to task at its Jan. 20 meeting, asserting that its festivals were at risk without a financial commitment from the city. The Chamber gets a portion of the city’s hotel-motel tax for promotions and advertising of its festivals. * WGN | Evergreen Park native aiming for gold at Milan Olympics: Olympian Abbey Murphey is no stranger to the spotlight. The Evergreen Park native is already a two-time world champion gold medalist and a 2022 Olympic silver medalist, but this year, she and the rest of the ladies on the U.S. Olympic hockey team are ready to win it all. But the road to her career as an Olympian began back at Crewstwood’s Southwest Ice Arena. After mastering the rollerblades, Murphey had her heart set on playing hockey, something her mother and father had never tried themselves. * Aurora Beacon-News | East Aurora School District changing elementary dual language program to opt-in model: Currently, all families with incoming students in the district are automatically enrolled in the dual language program, and are placed in either English-dominant or Spanish-dominant classrooms based on a series of criteria, per the district’s website, unless parents opt-out of the program. The change will make it so parents, at the time of registration, are given the choice to opt-in for their children to participate in the program, rather than be automatically enrolled. At Monday’s meeting, East Aurora School District 131 Superintendent Bob Halverson said the district is “absolutely committed” to providing students the opportunity to become bilingual in English and Spanish, but is also committed to “honoring family choice.” * Illinosi Times | Valente versus Cahnman: Miguel Valente, a 25-year-old budget analyst in the Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget is running in the March 17 Democratic primary for the Sangamon County Board’s 18th District, pitching himself as a fiscally minded candidate focused on affordability, transparency and government efficiency. Despite Valente being on Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s staff, his opponent in the primary, incumbent Sam Cahnman, contends that Valente is really a Republican posing as a Democrat. * WAND | Champaign County moves forward with moratorium on ‘big data centers’: There are already four data centers in Champaign County, including the National Petascale Computing Facility at the University of Illinois and Colocation Plus, a.k.a “The Fortress” in Rantoul. “None of them were more than 2000ft² in area. So we’re anticipating a new hyperscale data center could be easily, 50,000ft² of processing area,” said John Hall, planning and zoning director for Champaign County. * WAND | Vermilion County moves closer to approving solar farm: The five megawatt facility will be east of Rankin and about 21 acres in size. The board said Vermilion County is expected to receive substantial tax revenue from the solar farm. “They intend to pay a very good sum of money to the landowners upon whose property these projects are built. And our benefit is that we are able to tax the solar farm operator,” said Vermilion County Board Chairman Steve Miller. * WAND | Leland Grove police chief arrested on DUI, domestic battery charges: Leland Grove Mayor Mary Jo Bangert confirmed Chief Daniel Ryan’s arrest to WAND News. She said Ryan was immediately placed on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. Illinois State Police told WAND News that it assisted the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office during a disturbance call just after midnight Thursday along the 1000 block of Elliot in Springfield. * WSIL | Deaconess Illinois Becomes First in State to Partner With VA on External Provider Scheduling: Deaconess Illinois and the Marion VA Medical Center have announced a groundbreaking partnership that makes Deaconess Illinois the first hospital system in the state to collaborate with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on external provider scheduling for Veterans. The new initiative modernizes how Veterans receiving care through the Veterans Health Administration’s community care network schedule appointments with non-VA providers. With support from U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, the partnership is aimed at improving access to care while reducing delays and administrative burdens. * WCIA | False armed person alert prompts EIU to take serious action: One Central Illinois university has revamped its emergency alert system. These upgrades have come after a false alarm at Eastern Illinois University in November, claiming there was an armed person on campus. University officials said that they got a lot of feedback from students that day and were quick to start making changes. “We realized things did not go exactly as we’d hoped that day, and so we immediately sprung into action to to make things better,” Vice President of Student Affairs, Anne Flaherty, said. * WAND | Unused CWLP bridge over I-55 to be removed in February: IDOT said the CWLP bridge is over I-55 at milepost 94. The removal will start Monday, Feb. 16, and is expected to take two months. IDOT stated that during this time, there will be overnight lane closures from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning. There will be complete closures from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday night to Friday morning, beginning in March. * WIRED | ICE and CBP’s Face-Recognition App Can’t Actually Verify Who People Are: ICE has used Mobile Fortify to identify immigrants and citizens alike over 100,000 times, by one estimate. It wasn’t built to work like that—and only got approved after DHS abandoned its own privacy rules. * NYT | Kennedy Makes Unfounded Claim That Keto Diet Can ‘Cure’ Schizophrenia: He went on, “There are studies right now that I saw two days ago where people lose their bipolar diagnosis by changing their diet.” Mr. Kennedy was apparently referring to Dr. Christopher Palmer, who in 2019 wrote about “two patients with longstanding schizophrenia who experienced complete remission of symptoms” with the keto diet. He said both patients “were able to stop antipsychotic medications and have remained in remission for years now.” * AP | Meet the man behind the Super Bowl’s annual confetti blizzard: Artistry in Motion trucks 300 pounds (135 kilograms) of two-colored confetti for each of the teams to the Super Bowl. They bring confetti cannons onto the field with about 4 minutes remaining, and line them up around the stadium walls. Even if the teams stream onto the field before the clock runs out, the confetti waits until the timer shows the game is officially over. And the winners’ colors get the go-ahead.
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Good morning!
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Feb 6, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WGLT…
* WCIA…
* The Democratic Party of Illinois…
…Adding… The Illinois Gaming Board…
* Crain’s | Illinois insurers clash with states over regulation as profits soar: Illinois insurers State Farm and Allstate are putting on a full court press when it comes to regulation they say is hampering their ability to lower prices for customers. But while State Farm is asking for less, Allstate wants more. Overall, the insurance industry has been able to weather massive natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and hurricanes over the past few years, recording solid profits despite booking billions of dollars of losses and facing a U.S. market made up of regulations that vary by state. * KWQC | Illinois HIV funding: Black leaders call for equity as racial disparities persist: According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Black Illinoisans account for nearly 40 percent of new HIV diagnoses and more than half of existing cases, despite making up about 14 percent of the state’s population. Advocates also pointed to wide gender disparities in the data that show Black men are about 12 times more likely to be living with HIV than white men, and Black women are about 14 times more likely to be newly diagnosed than white women. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois attorney general wins state’s first civil hate crime lawsuit: The attorney general’s office was first given authority to try such a case in 2018. The legislature amended the Illinois Hate Crime Act to allow the attorney general to file civil lawsuits against residents for alleged hate crimes. Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Kane ordered the Hamptons to each pay a civil penalty of $5,000 and damages of $45,000 to Johnson. […] After Hampton was charged with a misdemeanor for the damage, the lynched effigy appeared in the Hamptons’ front yard, which Raoul labeled as an intimidation tactic and threat of racial violence in the complaint. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s public market plan slows to a crawl: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s marquee plan to increase access to fresh groceries on the city’s South and West sides — a plan that initially called for a city-owned grocery store and later evolved into a proposed year-round market — appears to have slowed to a crawl. Johnson first floated the idea of opening a publicly owned grocery store in 2023, just months after he took office. The idea, a novel one at the time for a major U.S. city, has since attracted the attention of progressives elsewhere, including Zohran Mamdani, who put city-owned grocery stores on the platform that won him the mayor’s office in New York City. * Crain’s | Chicago banks see loan demand return as tariff and labor woes ease: Fourth-quarter results showed banks regained their footing after tariff uncertainty slowed growth in the middle of the year and issues such as credit quality concerns proved to be one-offs rather than endemic to the industry. The increasing clarity of the tariff picture allowed banks’ business customers to apply for loans after they put together plans to deal with any cost increases, whether that meant changing suppliers or raising prices. * WTTW | CPD Policy That Does Not Ban No-Knock Warrants Leaves Anjanette Young ‘Frustrated’: Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched raid in February 2019, told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” she is frustrated with the policy. “I’m frustrated with the process,” Young said, vowing to continue to lobby state lawmakers this spring with the help of state Rep. Kam Bucker (D-Chicago). “I’m also learning in this journey of being in this space that change doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.” * WTTW | Police Oversight Board to Top Cop: Explain Why CPD Officers Are Using Force More Often: “When we come up with a goal, one of the things that I believe in, especially coming from a training background, we don’t want to throw something together,” Snelling said. “We want to make sure that whatever we’re doing is comprehensive. We want to make sure that whatever we’re doing is going to be effective moving forward. And we want to make sure that there’s something in it for everyone, especially our officers who go out there and face these things every day, we want to make sure that our officers are prepared to go out and deal with these situations in the most constitutional, respectful manner possible. So, with that, I accept goal number four.” Snelling has repeatedly said that he does not believe that CPD officers are actually using force against Chicagoans more often but simply reporting those incidents accurately for the first time as compliance ramps up with federal court order that requires officers to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional rights. * Sun-Times | Chicago software firm ActiveCampaign buys AI startup Feedback Intelligence: Chicago software company ActiveCampaign announced Tuesday that it bought AI startup Feedback Intelligence in San Francisco for an undisclosed sum. ActiveCampaign is a $3 billion AI-driven marketing platform used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses worldwide, according to the Loop-based firm. Founded in 2003, the company uses AI to automate tasks such as email and text message marketing. * Block Club | How The Great Migration — And Segregation — Built The South Side’s Black-Owned Lounge Culture: Restrictive covenants, redlining and vigilante violence, among other discriminatory and racist practices, made it almost impossible for Black people to live in certain parts of Chicago. So, a concentration of Black people settled along the State Street corridor in Bronzeville, creating what came to be known as the Black Belt, Todd-Breland said. Churches, markets, funeral homes, beauty salons and theaters sprouted in the neighborhood. Nightlife was also “huge,” leading to the founding of nightclubs like 47th Street’s The Palm Tavern, Club De Lisa on State Street and 55th Street’s Rhumboogie Club, Todd-Breland said. * Crain’s | Scottie Pippen auctioning $6 million of personal memorabilia: Chicago Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen has hired Sotheby’s auction house to sell a selection of his personal memorabilia, including the jersey he wore during the championship-clinching game of the 1998 NBA Finals. Dubbed “The Scottie Pippen Collection,” the auction is set to begin in March and will feature items he personally wore during his 17-year NBA career. The collection is expected to be worth more than $6 million, with items ranging from $30,000 to over $1 million. * Sun-Times | Federal prosecutors fear tainted jury pool if public sees evidence in Broadview Six conspiracy case: Federal prosecutors in Chicago say they fear a tainted jury pool if the public is allowed to see evidence from the upcoming conspiracy trial of six people, including four Democratic politicians, involved in protests at an immigration holding facility in Broadview. U.S. District Judge April Perry said Thursday that, “we’re going to have to deal with that, regardless,” as she scheduled the trial for May 26. * Sun-Times | Trial set for May in ‘Broadview Six’ conspiracy case against Operation Midway Blitz protesters: Judge Perry agreed with parties from both sides that a questionnaire should be sent out to potential jurors beforehand, given all the sensitive issues surrounding the allegations and immigration policy more broadly. “It would be kind of nice to have a prescreened pool coming in that Tuesday,” Perry said. She said it would also be helpful to find out how jury selection was handled for the recent murder-for-hire trial of Juan Espinoza Martinez, who was acquitted on charges of putting a hit on Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. * Press release | Reilly Campaign Demands Preckwinkle Apologize to Parents at School Districts That Lost Millions Thanks to Tyler Technologies Disaster: In an interview that aired last night on ABC 7 News, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle once again refused to take any accountability for the Tyler Technologies tax system disaster that is happening on her watch. Preckwinkle claimed that the county’s tax system is “fixed,” despite the fact that school districts throughout Cook County have been forced to spend over $120 million in unnecessary interest costs because they did not receive tax receipts from the county on time. Preckwinkle has not announced any plans to reimburse those school districts, which means that local taxpayers will be forced to pick up the tab for her mismanagement. The Reilly for Cook County Board President campaign is now demanding that Preckwinkle apologize to parents at school districts hurt by her incompetent management of county government. * Reilly has a new anti-Preckwinkle ad…
* 25News Now | Illinois Gaming Board tables Par-A-Dice redevelopment plan decision: The Illinois Gaming Board decided Thursday to table a controversial decision regarding the modernization of the Par-A-Dice Casino & Hotel in East Peoria. Boyd Gaming Company, the parent company behind the casino, also announced that they are ditching plans to build a land-based casino. Instead, the company’s current plan is to keep the casino on the river and move toward a “permanently moored barge design.” This structure would, according to Boyd, be located directly on the water and avoid a potential legal battle with Peoria. * BND | Recovery center’s halfway house finds rare support among Belleville neighbors: No one spoke in opposition to the project at a Belleville Zoning Board of Appeals hearing or a Belleville City Council meeting this month. In fact, some neighbors spoke in favor of it. “I just think (the partners) were very straightforward with us,” said Donald Cramer, 83, a retiree who has lived next door with his wife, Wanda, for 47 years. “That’s what convinced us.” The Cramers also were happy to see the partners fully renovate the former apartment building, which had fallen into serious disrepair. * Capitol News Illinois | Search warrant shows why FBI is investigating former metro-east police chief: The FBI is investigating Pingsterhaus, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, for possible wire fraud and theft of federal funds, according to the search warrant, obtained by Capitol News Illinois and the Illinois Answers Project. The FBI rents space in the Carlyle police station in downstate Clinton County. No criminal charges have been filed against Pingsterhaus, who resigned in December, and neither the city nor the FBI would discuss the nature of the allegations. * WMBD | Five Tazewell County students’ designs selected for new ‘I Voted’ stickers: A press conference was held to honor the five students, three from Pekin Community High School, one from Pekin Edison Junior High School and another from Washington Central Grade School. Out of a plethora of designs, the Tazewell County Board selected those belonging to the five students, most of whom created a sticker with the American flag embedded in some fashion. * NPR Illinois | Eagle Day events along the Illinois River this Saturday: The annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day, hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon and other partners, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7 at multiple locations along the Illinois River in Fulton and Mason counties. The free public event offers visitors opportunities to learn about bald eagles and regional wildlife through live raptor programs, hands-on science activities, hiking and wildlife viewing. * NYT | Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Mingled With Silicon Valley Start-Ups: The billionaire Peter Thiel advised Mr. Epstein on potential investments in Palantir, Mr. Thiel’s data analysis company. Mr. Epstein put money into Jawbone, a popular wearable technology start-up, while his financial adviser was pitched on backing SpaceX. And Mr. Epstein tapped a Russian émigré who had become a public relations expert to help broker meetings with start-up founders and media outlets. Mr. Epstein’s connections to high-profile tech leaders including Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Reid Hoffman and Mr. Thiel have been well documented, and some have expressed regret for associating with the financier. The latest batch of files offer deeper insights into how Mr. Epstein made his money after his 2008 conviction and continued to fund a lavish lifestyle by amassing assets worth more than $600 million before his 2019 arrest, according to an audit of his finances within the files. Mr. Epstein was introduced to Coinbase by Brock Pierce, a crypto entrepreneur with a checkered financial past, who later sent him frequent updates on the state of the business that were signed by Mr. Ehrsam or Coinbase’s chief executive, Brian Armstrong. In 2018, an investment firm founded by Mr. Pierce sought to buy half of Mr. Epstein’s Coinbase holdings for $15 million. It is unclear if, or when, Mr. Epstein sold the other half.\\ * Brennan Center | Prison Gerrymandering Distorts Representation: Prison gerrymandering — the practice of counting incarcerated people at their detention facilities rather than their homes during redistricting — distorts political representation, inflating the clout of active voters living in districts with prisons at the expense of the communities from which incarcerated people come. This report assesses the level of distortion in state lower-house maps due to prison gerrymandering and illustrates how power could shift if all people were instead counted at their homes. [From Rich: Illinois will do this beginning with the next decennial census.]
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Catching up with the federal candidates
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Robin Kelly just rolled out a new ad…
Rate it. * The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association sent out this pro-Juliana Stratton mailer recently…
One small problem: Rep. Marcus Evans has not endorsed Stratton. Evans told Rich he asked to be taken off the mailer a week before it went out. His name stayed on anyway. Oops. Click here for the full mail piece. * Moving on to the 9th Congressional District. Politico…
Click here for the press release Biss sent out after the forum. * In the 8th CD, Kevin Morrison responds to the pro-Melissa Bean super PAC ad we told you about yesterday….
Click here for a refresh on the pro-Bean ad. * Press release…
* More… * Evanston Now | Andrew, Biss go on offense in lively forum: State Sen. Mike Simmons, who was not in attendance Wednesday but in Springfield for a three-day legislative session, had also released a list of Fine’s donors with histories of supporting Republicans this week, writing in a statement, “Neighborhoods like the one I grew up in are never going to see real progress if we elect Democrats who accept contributions from Republican megadonors.” * Evanston Now | Fine on Super PAC: ‘I would love to know who’s funding it’: “I don’t know what the extent is,” Fine said, but when asked if she supports the group disclosing its donors, even before it’s required to by the FEC, she said, “Absolutely. I mean, transparency.” The Super PACs aren’t legally required to disclose donors until Mar. 20, three days after Illinois’ primary elections. * Fox Chicago | Illinois Senate primary debate: Submit your questions for the candidates: Among the large field of Democrats are three frontrunners who are slated to join Fox Chicago on Monday, Feb. 16, for a live debate about the major issues facing the country. * Press release | Statewide Coalition of Leaders Endorsing Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate Grows: “I am honored to have the backing of these local leaders who fight day in and day out to improve the lives of working families in their communities,” said Raja. “With their partnership, I look forward to bringing the needs and priorities of all Illinoisans — from Coffeen to Rockford — to the floor of the U.S. Senate.” * Press release | Collinsville Democrats and Tri-Cities Democrats Endorse Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate: Today, the Collinsville Township Democrats and the Tri-Cities Democrats (representing Democrats from Granite City, Nameoki, Venice, and Chouteau in Madison County) both announced their endorsements of Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate, strengthening a rapidly growing coalition of Metro East leaders and downstate organizations rallying behind his campaign. Their support underscores Raja’s deep connections to downstate Illinois and his commitment to delivering results for working families in every corner of the state. * Press release | Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorses Juliana Stratton for US Senate: Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate. Senator Warren is the third sitting member of the U.S. Senate to endorse Juliana, in addition to Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). “Lieutenant Governor Stratton is a champion for working families with a strong record of delivering results — increasing pay for workers, lowering costs like health care, and expanding educational opportunities. I’m proud to endorse Juliana Stratton as the next U.S. Senator for Illinois,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “She is progressive fighter who is not taking a penny of corporate PAC money. We need real fighters in Washington right now, and I am confident that Juliana Stratton is that fighter for the people of Illinois.” * Daily Northwestern | Illinois Federation of Teachers endorses Biss for Congress: The Illinois Federation of Teachers endorsed Mayor Daniel Biss in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District race Thursday, adding to Biss’ repertoire of statewide and Chicago-area union supporters. IFT also announced that it would endorse Democrats Patrick Hanley for Illinois Senate and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate. * Press release | Laura Fine Endorsed By REALTORS® PAC: “We are proud to endorse Laura Fine for Congress. She is committed to supporting affordable housing by increasing housing supply and building in communities that need it most,” said Carrie Little, the 2026 RPAC Trustees Chair. “Her thoughtful leadership in the state house has helped make the communities she has served stronger and we know she will continue that great work in Congress.” * Press release | Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider Endorses Democrat Donna Miller for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District: Today, U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (IL-10) announced his endorsement of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, citing her proven record of leadership, commitment to health care access and ability to deliver results for Illinois families “Donna Miller understands Illinois communities and knows how to get things done,” said Congressman Brad Schneider. “As Cook County Commissioner, she has led with integrity and delivered real results, especially when it comes to health care, economic opportunity and standing up for seniors and working families. Illinois needs leaders like Donna Miller and I’m proud to support her.” * Press release | Unbought, Unbossed, Unafraid: IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Receives Catch Fire Movement Endorsement: Today, Catch Fire Movement announced its endorsement of Anabel Mendoza in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District. Catch Fire, a national organization dedicated to advancing a foreign policy rooted in peace, diplomacy, and human rights, praised Anabel’s leadership, values, and unwavering commitment to working people. * Press release | Congressman Scott Peters endorses Melissa Bean for congress: Statement from Congressman Scott Peters: “New Dems are committed to breaking through gridlock to deliver real results for the American people, and that ethos is more important today than ever before. In a time of chaos, we need pragmatic leaders who know how to get things done – Melissa Bean embodied that spirit during her time in Congress, and I’m thrilled to support her as she runs to represent the people of IL-08 once again.”
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Caption contest!
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * From Alyssa Goodstein…
Alyssa said his name is Laddoo and he’s a green cheek conure…  What a cutie. Maybe needs more coffee, though. Or not so much.
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It’s just a bill (Updated)
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The House Republican Organization is targeting a bill from Democrat Rep. Murri Briel…
Republican Liz Bishop lost a very close race to Democrat Briel in 2024. Bishop is facing Crystal Loughran in the Republican primary. * Rep. Briel responded yesterday, calling the claims an “influx of inaccurate news.” Press release…
“With that being said I am currently working on an amendment.” Sigh. …Adding… GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey…
* Moving on to SB3368 from Sen. Sue Rezin…
* Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado…
* WAND…
* Patch…
* Sen. Karina Villa introduced SB3407 yesterday…
* Rep. Nabeela Syed filed HB5098 today…
* More…
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Big Tax-Exempt Hospitals Are Turning Patient Discounts Into Corporate Profits
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Across Illinois, large hospital systems and corporate PBMs are profiting from a program meant to help patients. The 340B program allows hospitals to buy medications at steep discounts, but those savings aren’t passed on to patients in need. Instead, large hospitals charge patients full price for 340B-discounted drugs, keep the difference, and share the cash with for-profit chain pharmacies and PBMs.
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Little boxes all the same
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * We’ve talked about it on the blog a little bit, but with AIPAC ads now hitting the airwaves in a few congressional districts, it’s probably worth digging into red boxing a bit more. The New York Times explains how it works…
* A lot of the pro-Fine ad content appears to come straight from her “media center.” Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
From Fine’s redboxing page…
* Daniel Biss’ redboxing page, updated this week, is here. Evanston Roundtable recently wrote about the super PAC backing Biss…
* Kat Abughazaleh’s media kit can be found here. From her redboxing page…
There haven’t been reports yet of a super PAC supporting Abughazaleh. Other candidates getting super PAC support today include 2nd CD candidate Donna Miller (ad here, redboxing here) and 8th CD candidate Melissa Bean (ad here, media center here). * In the 2nd CD, Robert Peters’ redboxing page goes after Donna Miller…
* 8th CD candidate Junaid Ahmed may have the most detailed redboxing I’ve seen…
The page also goes after Bean for being “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat.” * Anyway, what are your thoughts on these ’little boxes’…
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Support 340B Legislation This Spring: NO Budget Appropriation, NO Cost To Taxpayers
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] When it comes to healthcare, what’s at stake this legislative session? It’s the health of Illinois communities, large and small, urban, suburban and rural. Hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serve patients and communities throughout the state, with FQHCs providing essential primary care and hospitals providing lifesaving care around the clock. Yet hospitals and FQHCs face increased costs—from supplies to staffing—just like everyday Americans challenged to make ends meet. What’s more, H.R. 1 will strip Illinois of up to $57 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over 10 years, leaving up to 500,000 vulnerable Illinoisans without health coverage. Over 30 years ago, the federal government created the 340B Drug Pricing Program to help hospitals and FQHCs that serve many uninsured and low-income patients expand access to care and provide more comprehensive healthcare services. Recent drugmaker restrictions have made it difficult for hospitals and FQHCs to offer the services historically marginalized communities deserve. With 340B savings, hospitals and FQHCs are investing in their communities. They’re offering free lifesaving health screenings, expanding critical healthcare services in underserved communities, providing free transportation to medical appointments, adding mobile clinics and new freestanding clinics, and more. Legislator support is critical to ensuring 340B survives and communities thrive—at NO cost to taxpayers and with NO budget appropriation needed. Stand with Illinois hospitals and FQHCs for 340B. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Building owner OK’d Trump administration’s raid of Chicago apartment complex, court records show. Sun-Times…
- Federal officials claimed the area surrounding the building in South Shore was a hub for Venezuelan gangs, but new arrests reports show it was targeted in the jarring raid because “illegal aliens were unlawfully occupying apartments.” - All remaining building residents were forced out in December after the complex was foreclosed on, along with two other South Side buildings owned by Flood. Sponsored by the Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals: Our Healthcare Backbone At Risk. Safety-net hospitals are the backbone of Chicago’s Black and Brown communities. They provide emergency and lifesaving care for families who rely on them. They also support thousands of good, local healthcare jobs, serving as economic anchors in neighborhoods that have faced decades of disinvestment. With federal support being reduced, safetynet hospitals need more resources – not less – to avoid further strain that could irreversibly damage local health systems and weaken the essential services our communities rely on. Now, these hospitals are under threat. This is not reform. It is a sell-off of community healthcare, driven by outsiders – not by the needs of patients, workers, or neighborhoods. Save safety-net hospitals. Protect our care, our jobs, and our communities. * The pro-Stratton Illinois Future PAC placed $7.1 million in new ad reservations yesterday…
* STLPR | Greater St. Louis Inc. took public officials on trips to tour huge data centers with Ameren in tow: One such trip took place in December, when officials from Greater St. Louis Inc. and Ameren traveled to a Google data center in Nebraska with city and county officials from communities in Missouri and Illinois, according to newly obtained documents. […] Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser, along with Cathy Hamilton, the county’s economic development director; Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson; Troy City Administrator Jay Keeven; Jefferson County County Executive Dennis Gannon, and Festus City Council member Jim Trinnin attended the trip. Three Ameren employees from Missouri and Illinois were also on the trip. * Daily Herald | ‘All of us want them to stay’: GOP governor candidates opine on Bears’ threats to go to Hoosier state: “If I was governor, that property would be half-built by now,” said Heidner, who called the 326-acre site a “city inside of a city in Arlington Heights.” […] “I oppose giving any public money … directly to the Bears,” [Dabrowski] said. “Of course, for the infrastructure, this public infrastructure that would benefit all communities, I’m for that. But I’m not looking for deals that force our taxpayers to subsidize a big company like the Bears.” * Tribune | Illinois voter guide to the 2026 primary election on March 17: Primary elections for federal, state and local races will all be on the ballot with voters deciding who will advance to the general election for the following offices. To see who is already representing you, click here and enter your home address. * Crain’s | Chicago banks see loan demand return as tariff and labor woes ease: Chicago banks posted strong profit growth in the fourth quarter as loan demand returned, and expectations are high for the year ahead even as uncertainty on interest rates looms. “Banks exceeded expectations in all the right areas,” said Terry McEvoy, banking industry analyst with financial services firm Stephens. “That momentum is a result of expanding net interest margins . . . returning loan demand, managing expenses and maybe even more importantly credit quality trends.” * Block Club | Aida Flores Again Running For 25th Ward Aldermanic Seat: Aida Flores, born and raised in Pilsen, said in a Sunday news release she is again vying for the 25th Ward seat. Her announcement comes just days after incumbent Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez launched his bid for Congress — though he hasn’t yet said if he’ll also run for reelection as alderman. The 25th Ward covers Pilsen, University Village and a portion of Little Village. The 25th Ward election is Feb. 23, 2027. * Block Club | South Side Irish Parade Names 2026 Grand Marshal And Honoree: Bill Letz, chair of the 2026 South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade, said the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has been “honoring those who have given their lives or been seriously injured in the line of duty for decades.” “We are pleased to name Tunnel to Towers Foundation as grand marshal, honoring the significant financial impact the foundation makes by helping the injured and their families across the country, in the Chicago area, and right here in our own community,” Letz said in a press release. * Chicago Reader | Chicago housing workers call the city’s encampment closures ‘unconscionable’: The closure of the Chicago Avenue encampment “literally made no sense whatsoever,” said Ali Simmons, senior case and street outreach worker at the Law Project at Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness. In an interview, Simmons pointed to the closure as an example of what he sees as the futility and waste of encampment evictions more broadly. “If one person on a block is making a ruckus, [authorities] don’t come in and force the whole block to move,” he said. “So, why is it any different for somebody experiencing homelessness? [The city] collectively blamed everybody and displaced the whole encampment.” * Crain’s | Willis Tower tenant nears big expansion: Trading firm IMC is close to adding about 100,000 square feet of new workspace in Willis Tower, a deal that would give the Dutch company one of the largest trading-firm footprints in Chicago as the downtown office market struggles with rampant vacancy. The Amsterdam-based company is in advanced discussions to drastically expand its footprint in the 110-story tower at 233 S. Wacker Drive, according to people familiar with the matter. IMC would lease more than 250,000 square feet in the skyscraper if the deal is completed, making United Airlines the only larger tenant at the property. * The Real Deal | Not in this town: More Chicago suburbs crack down on short-term rentals: Skokie officials passed an ordinance Monday setting up a pilot program to ban new investor-owned short-term rentals in the village. And the Evanston City Council is considering passing tighter regulations to cap the number of short-term rentals in the city. The changes add to a growing list of local governments aiming to clamp down on the number of vacation rentals offered through apps like Airbnb and Vrbo. Neighbors have complained that dedicated vacation rentals create noise, disruptions and drive up costs in an already strained housing market. * Aurora Beacon-News | Indian Prairie school board OKs almost $26 million in renovations at Neuqua Valley High School: In 2024, voters approved a proposal from the district to sell up to $420 million in bonds to pay for facility improvements. The bonds are to be paid for using a continuation of an existing 37-cent property tax per $100 of equalized assessed value that would otherwise have expired at the end of 2026, meaning the tax rate for residents in terms of their contribution to capital projects will effectively remain flat as a result of the referendum question’s passage. * Daily Southtown | Flossmoor approves production studio development plan on village-owned land: The Village Board approved an agreement last month with the production company Only Believe Entertainment to develop abandoned village-owned land into a studio and production space. Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson said the project will benefit the town by drawing in production crews and revenue for every new project. “Each one of these films has their own crew, contractors and whatnot, and artists and actors, so it’ll bring in a fresh new crew to the village whenever there’s a production happening,” Nelson said. * WGLT | Community leaders are apprehensive about prospects for insurance regulation: Patrick Hoban, head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council [EDC], last week expressed some alarm about the prospect of such regulation and its potential impact on employment and the economic base. “Some of this needs to settle down because what that will do to our community is unheard of. It’s not to scare everybody, but they at least are talking. But the concept that one industry makes up a third of our economy is terrifying. A quarter of all jobs rely on insurance,” said Hoban at an EDC presentation on the housing market. * WGEM | Quincy Public School Board reconsiders superintendent salary after candidate feedback, reopens search: Despite the challenges, Arns reaffirmed the board’s commitment to filling the position. “It’s a required position in the district, it’s something we have to have, and it’s the one job of the board to hire the superintendent. So we’re committed to doing that, finding that right person.” Because the original salary range ($200,000) was insufficient to attract qualified candidates, the Board is working with their search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates (HYA), to reopen the position for two weeks. * TEXT:WIFR | Dept. of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to visit Illinois school for History Rocks! tour: The History Rocks! tour is organized by the U.S. Department of Education in collaboration with Turning Point USA and other organizations as part of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition. […] The event, planned for 2:30 p.m. Feb. 5, was arranged by the student organization “Club America,” the high school’s chapter of Turning Point USA. The calendar event hosted on the school’s website says Genoa-Kingston High School was selected as a host for the History Rocks! tour which will feature “national-level speakers.” No further details about the identities of the speakers have been officially announced. * WGLT | Normal could dust off an old idea for a community sports complex: Mayor Chris Koos said one idea that has come up periodically over the last couple of decades is back again. “Surprisingly there’s a lot of chatter that I’ve heard, not just second hand from the focus groups but from studies and focus groups that the Chamber has done, is a sports complex,” Koos said in an interview with WGLT. Past sports complex initiatives have failed because of finances, and/or a lack of a public-private partnership. The last such initiative was in 2019-2020. It’s unclear given the interest rate climate and rising construction costs whether this time could be different. * WCIA | Effingham neighbors pack city council meeting, share concerns about halfway home: At the city council meeting on Tuesday, neighbors said their small street isn’t the right location for a transitional house that focuses on helping people recover from addiction. Meanwhile, others in attendance said the tenants aren’t bothering anyone and this is just another example of “not in my backyard.” “I didn’t wake up one day and (say), oh, (I’d like to) use drugs today,” said Merl Moulton, who showed up to the meeting to tell his story and alleviate fears over the new house. “We just got to stop that kind of mentality with that — (just put) people in prison (who) suffer from an addiction problem.” * WCIA | Macon Co. Beltway project on pause : The project was planned to be a 22-mile loop around the City of Decatur. Now, work is temporarily stopped as officials figure out what roads they should pay for and work on first. The original plan was for the roadway to be created in stages, starting with Busch College Road. But now, the city is looking at a different area to re-start construction. * WIRED | Measles Is Causing Brain Swelling in Children in South Carolina: ncephalitis is a rare but severe complication of measles that can lead to convulsions and cause deafness or intellectual disability in children. It usually occurs within 30 days of an initial measles infection and can happen if the brain becomes infected with the virus or if an immune reaction to the virus causes inflammation in the brain. Among children who get measles encephalitis, 10 to 15 percent die. It’s not known how many children in South Carolina have developed this serious complication. Under state law, measles cases must be reported to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, but measles hospitalizations and complications do not need to be disclosed. * Swarthmore | Understanding the Political Disconnect: To find out why lower-income people vote at significantly lower rates than other Americans, a group of Swarthmore researchers conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse group of 144 Pennsylvanians who do not vote regularly. Respondents described a deep sense of disconnection from politics, saying they don’t believe elected officials are sincerely interested in helping them or their families.
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Good morning!
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sometimes our commenter Dotnonymous x posts videos late at night. They’re usually pretty good. This one was excellent. Don Nix wrote it, Leon Russell produced it and Freddie King belted it out… Let me down This is an open thread.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password) (Updated)
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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