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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Fox Chicago…
* Stop the presses! Breaking news from the Prairie State Wire…
* Legal Newsline | Court shoots down bid by IL judges to undo Tier 2 pension reforms: On March 5, a three-member panel of Illinois state appellate court justices turned aside the bid by Cook County Judge Natasha Toller and retired St. Clair County Judge Patricia Kievlan to overturn limitations on judges’ pensions enacted in Illinois’ so-called Tier 2 pension reform law. In the ruling, the appeals panel said the judges’ claims against the Tier 2 law fell short because they became judges after the law took effect, and can’t now try to escape the terms and limits in place when they essentially signed the contracts governing their pension benefits. * Illinois Review | After Illinois Review Story, AM 560 Quietly Deletes Social Media Attacks on Conservative Gov. Candidate Darren Bailey: The criticism was not just about tone – it was about conflicts of interest. Two of the station’s most prominent hosts, Dan Proft and former state Rep. Jeanne Ives, are also senior political advisors to the gubernatorial campaign of Ted Dabrowski, Bailey’s opponent in the Republican primary. To many conservatives, that raised serious questions about whether AM 560 had allowed its media platform to be used as a political weapon. * Center Square | With teachers union support, committee approves charter school mandates: State Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago, told the Illinois Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday she has been working on Senate Bill 3391 for a couple of years. The Chicago Teachers Union supports the legislation. CTU Legislative Director Hilario Dominguez said Chicago Public Schools spent about $35 million stabilizing failed charter operators. “This legislation simply ensures that when organizations receive public funds to educate our children, they are accountable to the public,” Dominguez told the committee. * Bloomberg | City defers big slice of bond sale as Mideast conflict upends yields: Chicago put off the sale of about $292 million in tax-exempt bonds the city planned to sell this week as conflict in the Middle East rattles global markets. The debt was a part of an $800 million package that the city had scheduled to price on Tuesday, according to bond filings. Chicago proceeded to price the $511.9 million taxable general obligation bond portion of the deal. The tax-exempt bonds will price at an undetermined future date, Chicago Acting Chief Financial Officer Steven Mahr said in an email. The city currently expects to return to the market to sell general obligation bonds in the second and third quarters of 2026 but it may speed up or postpone those transactions based on factors including market conditions, he added. * WBEZ | CPS should work to prevent future attendance drops due to immigration enforcement, community groups say: A coalition of community groups and a parent advocacy organization are urging Chicago Public Schools to take steps now to prevent attendance declines should there be another surge in federal immigration enforcement. Among the things they are asking for: More frequent updates about attendance trends and designated safe spaces where students and parents can retreat should they encounter a threat while going to or from school. * ABC Chicago | Trump Tower in Chicago makes improvements after failing health inspection: In December, a health inspector cited the downtown Chicago hotel for six issues, including flies in the bar and dish areas, and improper storage of cold food. They were instructed to have all areas affected by pests checked out by an expert. The hotel later passed inspection on December 23rd. * Block Club | How 7 Families Celebrate The South Side Irish Parade, From Breakfast With Politicos To A Backyard Mass: The breakfast usually brings in a number of politicians who are going to be in the parade. Gov. JB Pritzker, Sen. Dick Durbin and Rep. Sean Casten have all attended — as did Barack Obama years before he ran for president. Jack Kelly is a member of the parade committee, and Maureen Kelly said her family often jokes that the day is “better than Christmas.” * NBC Chicago | Suburban school district uses license plate readers to verify student residency: According to the school district, her daughter’s new student enrollment form was denied due to “license plate recognition software showing only Chicago addresses overnight” in July and August. In an email sent to Sánchez in August, the school district told her, “Although you are the owner on record of a house in our district boundaries, your license plate recognition shows that is not the place where you reside.” Sánchez is adamant she and her daughter have been steadily living in their home since moving in. As for the location of her car—she says she loaned it to a family member in Chicago last summer. Now it’s back in her driveway. * Press release: Personal PAC, the Chicago Federation of Labor, Sierra Club Illinois, and ICIRR Action teamed up through their political organizations to run joint ads supporting Toni Preckwinkle ahead of the March 17 primary. This coalition, activated in the wake of Trump’s Inauguration, has also been a driving force behind the large-scale “No Kings” rallies and the Hands Off Chicago coalition. This group will continue to find ways to support one another and join together with other advocacy groups to protect Chicago, fight for our values, and support elected leaders who can deliver real progress.  * WTTW | Group of Cook County Leaders Seek Special Prosecutor, Claim Eileen O’Neill Burke ‘Abandoned’ Duties to Investigate ICE: That coalition, which includes more than 200 elected officials, community organizations, attorneys and religious leaders on Thursday filed a petition in Cook County court after they said State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has failed to hold federal agents accountable. “Absent such (an) appointment, the message to federal agents operating in Cook County would remain clear: you may shoot unarmed civilians, assault journalists and clergy, brutalize protesters, and lie under oath with impunity,” the group wrote in its 55-page petition states. * CBS Chicago | Ex-custodian accused of secretly filming students, staff in bathrooms at suburban middle school ordered held: Garcia-Espinal formerly worked at the Sunset Ridge School at 525 Sunset Ridge Rd., where, in 2020, he allegedly hid a video camera in a school bathroom and recorded students and staff without their knowledge or consent. Police said Garcia-Espinal fled the United States following the incident at the school. He spent the past six years on the run before he was arrested for a similar incident at a Los Angeles restaurant. * CBS Chicago | 2 boys pulled from Lake County, Illinois, schools in separate child abuse cases raise questions about oversight: When a child is expelled from school, the Illinois State Board of Education is notified, but not necessarily when a child is pulled out by their parents. It raises questions about whether additional oversight should be put in place, but past legislative attempts have been met with significant pushback. A Fox Lake couple was arrested and charged Friday with physically abusing the woman’s 11-year-old son for years before he was able to make a daring escape for help. […] In both cases, investigators said the boys were removed from school by their parents after questions of abuse were raised. * Daily Herald | St. Charles wants to revamp portions of downtown for improved traffic, cyclist flow: The city of St. Charles could undergo a significant transportation and safety upgrade in a section of the downtown experiencing surging numbers of commuters and bicyclists. To explore options, including streetscaping improvements, the city is seeking a $99,245 planning contract with Civiltech Engineering for the first phase of work in the southeastern portion of the downtown area. * CBS Chicago | Ravinia Festival 2026 schedule features lineup with Paul Simon, Chance the Rapper and Ricky Martin: Paul Simon, Chance the Rapper, Ricky Martin, Brandi Carlile and Hugh Jackman are among this year’s artists performing in the redesigned Hunter Pavilion in Highland Park from June through September. This year’s lineup also features Miranda Lambert, Alabama Shakes, Rod Stewart and Ziggy Marley. The 2026 season includes over 50 artist debuts. * WGEM | Quincy City Council doesn’t plan on additional subsidy for public library as budget progresses: For years, the Quincy City Council approved a subsidy for the Quincy Public Library on top of the .15% they earn on city property taxes. This year, the subsidy is expected to stop. “Council has made it very clear that they do not want to subsidize the library or any outside entity,” Moore said. Last year’s initial budget was denied over what the council found to be an unrealistic proposed subsidy exceeding $400,000. Instead, they narrowly passed a budget which gave the library $350,000. * The Southern | American Airlines presents bid for Veterans Airport service: As Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois continues reviewing options for the future of air service in the region, American Airlines presented its proposal Wednesday to replace the airport’s current carrier. Airport Manager Doug Kimmel said the airport is reviewing multiple proposals before submitting a recommendation to the U.S. Department of Transportation. “This is the best slate of air service proposals that we’ve had to review and to choose from,” Kimmel said. * WMBD | Big Al’s could reopen as strip parlor and concert venue: Ty Seibert, a veteran owner and operator of Peoria nightclubs, hopes to soon revive the venue at 400 SW Jefferson Ave. The site has been dark since 2024, when the city revoked Big Al’s liquor license after multiple shootings at the club. Further, then-owner Kenneth Kummerow had to divest himself of the business, which would be transferred to a new owner subject to city approval – a prospect that still remains viable. Seibert, 53, has submitted a business plan to City Hall. Mayor Rita Ali, who also serves as the city’s liquor commission, declined to comment at length about his intentions. * WIRED | How ‘Handala’ Became the Face of Iran’s Hacker Counterattacks: Even among American cybersecurity researchers who closely track state-sponsored hacking groups, Handala—which takes its name from the well-known Handala character in the political cartoons of Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali—has until now hardly achieved much notoriety. But those who have followed the group’s evolution, particularly in Israel’s cybersecurity industry, say the group is now widely believed to be a front for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, or MOIS. They’ve seen the hackers become the most prominent player in a wave of Iranian state cyber operators who pose as hacktivists while seeking to inflict noisy, often politically motivated chaos on adversaries. Handala, or the same group operating under earlier names, has launched data-destroying and hack-and-leak operations for years against targets ranging from the Albanian government to Israeli businesses and political officials. * Crain’s | With women’s sports primed for profitability, Ariel’s Project Level eyes its next deal: With two deals already under its belt, Ariel Investment’s Project Level is looking at the WNBA for its next investment, as the fund’s manager says the high-flying but undervalued league represents one of the best arbitrage opportunities in sports. “The fundamentals on what drives value in sports franchises are all up and to the right for women’s sports — sponsorships, ticket sales, viewership, quality of players,” said Jason Wright, a former Northwestern University and NFL football player who serves as the fund’s managing partner and head of investments. * SJ-R | ‘Too many maybes’: Expert can’t be sure of source of Lincoln casket flag : An authority on the assassination of Abraham Lincoln said there may be holes in the story about an American flag that draped the casket of the 16th president from Springfield. Keens, a New York City steakhouse, recently purchased the flag for over half a million dollars and first displayed it publicly on the Lincoln’s birthday.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign stuff
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Today’s fun read
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Beverly Review’s South Side Irish Parade Guide profiles Sen. Bill Cunningham’s great-grandfather…
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Catching up with the federal candidates
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Raja’s closing TV ad…
Your rating? * WGN’s Tahman Bradley asked Raja about the Tribune report alleging mistreatment of staff…
Click here for the full interview.
* Justice Democrats Communications Director Usamah Andrabi…
* Fairshake, a Crypto-backed super PAC, attacks Rep. La Shawn Ford again…
* 9th CD candidate Bushra Amiwala claimed a recent Evanston Roundtable poll allowed people to vote multiple times…
Sen. Fine repeating the same claim…
* Evanston Roundtable reporter Alex Harrison says Sen. Fine is lying….
* More… * Press release | Indivisible Skokie–Morton Grove–Lincolnwood Endorses Bushra Amiwala for Congress: “From fighting the ICE terror machine, to standing against voter suppression, to opposing Trump’s unconstitutional war in Iran, Indivisible has been a fearless voice for justice at a critical moment for our country,” said Amiwala, an elected member of the Skokie District 73.5 School Board. “I’m honored to earn their endorsement and grateful for the grassroots organizing they bring to our district.” * Press release | Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Endorses Junaid Ahmed in the 8th Congressional District: As Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorses Junaid Ahmed, she joins a growing grassroots progressive coalition rallying behind Junaid, who is taking on millions of dollars in outside spending from corporate and special-interest super PACs backing Melissa Bean. In a new article published today, The American Prospect highlights how groups aligned with AIPAC, pro-AI interests, and other corporate-backed super PACs are pouring massive sums into the race to boost Bean. The report notes that an AIPAC-aligned group alone has spent nearly $4 million supporting Bean, with additional spending from pro-AI and pro-crypto PACs attempting to shape the outcome of the Democratic primary. * The Daily Herald | U.S. Rep. Casten continues to outraise and outspend Ruzevich in 6th District’s Democratic showdown: Casten, who’s seeking a fifth term in Congress, had nearly $1.2 million in his campaign coffers as of late February, federal documents show. That’s more than 50 times the $21,573 challenger Joey Ruzevich’s campaign reported having. Casten and Ruzevich filed financial reports with the Federal Election Commission late last week detailing donations received and purchases made between Jan. 1 and Feb. 25. Ruzevich’s team submitted an updated report Wednesday after being alerted to discrepancies by the Daily Herald. * Press release | Daniel Biss and Sen. Elizabeth Warren to Hold Get Out the Vote Kickoff Event in Evanston: Tomorrow, March 13, Congressional candidate Daniel Biss (IL-09) and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) will gather with supporters and volunteers for a get out the vote kickoff event in Evanston. Illinois 9th Congressional District Candidate Daniel Biss and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with supporters and volunteers.
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Sen. Michael Hastings…
* WAND…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* WQAD…
* More… * Press release | Castro fights for improved charter school oversight: Senate Bill 4040 would automatically transfer any state-authorized charter school located outside of the geographical area of a school district back to the local school board or boards. The vast majority of charter schools in Illinois are locally authorized – meaning they apply directly for authorization with their local school board. The other nine are state-run charter schools with ten campuses total. State-run charter schools apply for authorization through the Illinois State Board of Education rather than their local school board. Because current law does not allow school board oversight of state-run charter schools, Castro’s legislation aims to provide this mechanism for the local community. * Capitol City Now | IL plan could help municipalities lower speed limits in urban areas: “If they decide that they want their entire municipality to go from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour and the roads that are there are able to do that, they are welcome to do that,” Goldstein said. “But if they want to do just one stretch, then they can do that too.” Senate Bill 3374 passed unanimously out of the Senate Executive Committee Wednesday. It now moves to the Senate floor for further consideration. * WAND | Downcoding transparency bill heads to IL Senate floor: This proposal states that doctors should make all decoding decisions, and insurance companies would be required to notify providers if a service is downcoded. It would also ban insurers from downcoding in a discriminatory manner against doctors who routinely treat patients with complex health conditions. “The problem is assistance they are using tend to only look at the final diagnosis,” said Erin O’Brien from the Illinois State Medical Society. “They are basing the payment of the physician based on the final diagnosis. They are not paying us what they negotiated with us pursuant to the contracts that we negotiated in good faith.” * Press release | Stadelman measure to strengthen transparency of digital product sales: Senate Bill 2822 protects consumers in online marketplaces by making it unlawful for a digital seller to offer for sale or advertise digital goods using the terms “buy,” “purchase,” or other similar terms without making available a clear disclosure, including a list of restrictions and conditions, which may include an affirmative acknowledgment from the consumer.
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Pay For Electricity Or Pay For A Prescription? 340B Is A Lifesaver – Support HB 2371 SA 2
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] 340B was a lifesaver for Correy Bell. At the March 1 rally for House Bill 2371 SA 2—the Patient Access to Pharmacy Protection Act—she shared how the program helped her. With chronic asthma and bronchitis, Bell relies on an inhaler. One time, she found herself in a frightening scenario: out of town for work with no inhaler. Bell, a comedian, owns her own business and is uninsured. “I went to the pharmacy. I was confident that I had figured it out and then they told me the price,” she said. “The cost was so high that I actually had to stop and make a decision that no one should have to make: Do I pay a bill, or do I keep the lights on, or do it get my medicine?… That’s when I was able to find out about 340B.” A long-time patient at Family Christian Health Center, Bell said the 340B drug discount program helped her access needed medication at a price she could afford—“no confusing hoops, no shame, no judgment, just real savings when I needed it the most,” she said. State Rep. Anna Moeller, lead House sponsor of HB 2371 SA 2, told the 500 people at the rally that the bill is “a vital step in protecting access to affordable medications for patients who rely on this program. And it doesn’t cost Illinois one dime.” Stand with patients like Correy Bell. VOTE YES on HB 2371 SA 2this session. Learn more.
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Heiress claims to be poor
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Kat Abughazaleh on a recent podcast…
Somebody who grew up in wealth, initially lived rent-free in somebody else’s sweet lakefront condo, then moved to the district after announcing her campaign, has zero self-awareness and even less of a clue by claiming she’s “poor.” Period. To be clear, I don’t begrudge people who were raised in money. You don’t pick your parents. But as a person who grew up in a family which had zero money and then scratched its own way to security, I find her claim repulsive.
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When RETAIL Succeeds, Illinois Succeeds
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Ethos Training Systems in Chicago’s Roscoe Park neighborhood is where fitness meets a holistic approach to health. Co-owners Tim Cohen and Cory Lester created Ethos to help people understand their potential and elevate both body and mind while fostering a strong, caring community. At Ethos, workouts support all experience levels and ages, focusing on accessibility, sustainability, and results that keep you coming back. Findings of a recent economic study are clear: the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product. Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Ethos Training are better equipped to meet local needs. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois officials say the state is mostly insulated from Trump’s election threats. Capitol News Illinois…
- Republican county clerks said that while they weren’t fazed by President Donald Trump’s messaging or proposed changes to voting laws, they are concerned about how federal cuts to cybersecurity initiatives could affect future elections in the state. - Late last month, the FBI led a call with state election officials from across the country, including Illinois, to discuss the upcoming election. During the call, federal officials reportedly tried to assuage concerns of the prospect of a federal presence at voting locations. Sponsored by PhRMA: 340B hospitals charge big medicine markups. Illinois pays the price. 340B medicine markups are big business for hospitals. Under the federal 340B program, nonprofit hospitals can buy medicines for pennies, then charge huge markups – even on life-saving medicines. Big hospital systems pocket the program profits – passing the bill to Illinois patients, employers and taxpayers who are hit with higher medicine costs. The program’s lack of oversight has led to 340B becoming a profit engine for hospitals, PBMs, private equity firms and big chain pharmacies. It’s time for Congress to hold hospitals accountable and fix 340B. Read more. * At 2:15 pm, Governor Pritzker will join local officials to assesses storm damage in Kankakee County. Click here to watch. * ABC Chicago | Governor JB Pritzker to visit Kankakee Co. as tornado damage cleanup continues: There’s been an overwhelming show of support for people impacted by the storm with a Red Cross shelter stationed at the Kankakee Community College. Resources are also available at Grace Baptist Church, which will open at 8 a.m., according to their Facebook page, for people in need of food, water and other supplies for cleanup * Daily Herald | Developer withdraws application for controversial Lisle data center: Berry, who lives in a subdivision near the Lockformer property, helped organize residents opposed to the data center proposal. “Our stance was we’re not against data centers, we just don’t want them 150 feet from our homes,” she said. Berry said she plans to work with residents to ask the village board to impose a moratorium on any new data centers until the state provides further guidance and more research can be done. * Tribune | Gargantuan hail, destructive tornadoes: Climate change making Illinois storms more severe: “I told somebody yesterday that I had the record-breaking hail for about five minutes until somebody else broke it,” said the Northern Illinois University professor, who has been researching hail for over a decade. “Once it gets that big, we call it gargantuan. And that’s, like, a scientific term: gargantuan hail.” […] “It is exceptional to get that large of hail (this) far east,” Gensini said. “We do see a lot of hail like that every year, in Texas and Oklahoma and Kansas. To get it in Illinois, you have to have a perfect setup. And we definitely had that yesterday.” * Michael Frerichs and Harold Pollack | More Illinoisans with disabilities can now save and invest: In 2014, President Barack Obama signed the landmark Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE). The law allowed people with disabilities and their families to save without running afoul of a $2,000 federal asset limit. They can accumulate up to $100,000 in an ABLE account, contributing up to $20,000 a year, without endangering their Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid. The accounts, however, were only available to people who became disabled before age 26. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act that took effect this year could help an estimated 6 million Americans who acquired their disability before turning 46. About 250,000 disabled Illinois residents are now eligible for ABLE accounts, allowing them to save and invest to increase independence and improve quality of life. * Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker administration launches new down payment assistance program: The Illinois Housing Development Authority program, dubbed Access Home, would combine a 30-year, fixed rate mortgage with up to $15,000 in assistance for existing and new-construction homes. The assistance is provided as a zero-interest silent second mortgage with repayment deferred for up to 30 years unless the home is sold or refinanced earlier. * Sun-Times | Ald. Nugent pushes to freeze the phase-out of Chicago’s subminimum wage for tipped workers: At next week’s City Council meeting, Far Northwest Side Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th) plans to use a parliamentary maneuver to resurrect a stalled proposal that would freeze the subminimum wage at 24% of the $16.60 minimum wage paid to hourly Chicago workers who do not receive tips. Without the freeze, tipped workers now paid $12.62 an hour would receive a raise to 16% of Chicago’s minimum wage. That amount is re-set every July 1. * WTTW | Protesters Disrupt Park District Board Meeting as Tensions Flare Over Looming Encampment Closure: The Legion Park encampment, primarily centered in North Park on the channel’s west side, has become a flash point for several reasons including numerous fires caused by propane tanks in tents. The park’s configuration has also caused tents to be wedged in a narrow strip between the channel’s banks and a residential street. For months, people who live near the encampment have raised safety concerns at Park District board meetings and requested housing for the people living in tents. Meanwhile, advocates for the unhoused have lobbied the Park District for expanded encampment services within parks, including access to electricity, showers and restrooms, as well as an area for cooking. * Block Club Chicago | What To Know Before Sunday’s 48th South Side Irish Parade: Leading the march will be this year’s grand marshal, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and the parade honoree, St. Christina Parish in Mount Greenwood. The grand marshal and parade honoree are chosen each year by the parade committee to highlight and honor two organizations making an impact on the community. * Daily Herald | O’Hare and Midway so far avoiding TSA delays plaguing airports elsewhere: Flyers at William P. Hobby Airport in Houston and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport spent hours in checkpoint lines over the weekend with U.S. Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages. “Passengers should arrive four to five hours before their flight to allow for extra time for TSA screening,” Hobby officials announced on X Sunday amid lines that snaked outside the airport building. “TSA wait times could exceed 180 minutes.” * Daily Southtown | Crete Village Board annexes property for construction of 2,400-acre solar farm: The Crete Village Board voted Monday on approvals to allow the construction of a 2,400-acre solar farm that will span parts of the village and unincorporated Will County, despite strong backlash from residents. Earthrise Energy, based in Arlington, Virginia, operates a natural gas plant in Crete and plans to use that infrastructure to connect to the electric grid and provide solar power to an estimated 50,000 households in Illinois. Following approvals at the county level, the company expects to begin construction in the Plum Valley area later this year and connect to the power grid in 2028. * Daily Herald | Elk Grove Village tightens short-term rental rules: Elk Grove Village has tightened its restrictions on short-term rentals, extending its required minimum length of stay at a residence from 30 to 90 days. […] “We thought by getting 90, you get a more stability factor,” Mayor Craig Johnson said Wednesday. “It’s not kids renting it for parties. It’s truly some serious renters there.” * The Hill | Former embattled Democratic mayor in Illinois running as GOP candidate in Georgia: [Tiffany Henyard] lost reelection bids in Illinois for mayor and township supervisor. Two days after losing her mayoral bid in 2025, she registered to vote in Georgia, according to WGN 9. Her campaign in Georgia may be short-lived, as county records show she hasn’t lived in the area for more than a year, which is a requirement for candidacy. * Daily Herald | Kane sheriff GOP candidates differ on need for laboratory, accreditation: Russell worked for the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office for nearly 20 years, then was coroner from 2012 to 2024. He works for Harper College police and the Hampshire Police Department. Russell said the office should seek accreditation from the Illinois Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. The work to be accredited could improve the office and provide proof to the county board why the sheriff’s office needs the money it requests, he said. * ABC Chicago | Kankakee County cleans up damage left by EF-3 tornado, record-breaking hail; several injured: One tornado lasted nearly 90 minutes, starting at 6:18 pm. and ending around 7:39 p.m. It tracked nearly 40 miles, starting near Aroma Park and ending near De Motte, Indiana. The tornado that ripped through Aroma Park had 115 mile-per-hour winds, making it an EF-3, the National Weather Service said. * IPM News | The primary election is during U of I’s spring break. Some students are working to increase turnout: U of I junior Carter Wood, who chairs the Illini Democrats “Get Out the Vote” effort, said that while it’s unfortunate timing, they’re doing what they can to increase voter turnout among students. “It is frustrating because normally Election Day is the most kind of glamorous time to go out and vote — you get your sticker, everyone’s talking about it and whatnot,” Wood said. “We want to make sure a lot of students know they could go home and vote as well.” * WAND | Candidate for Macon Co. Sheriff files lawsuit against current sheriff: Beck filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday in the Central District of Illinois, which claims that Root and Chief Deputy Matthew Jedlicka began treating him differently after he told Root that he would run against him in this year’s election. Beck claims in the lawsuit that Root and Jedlicka prevented him from earning a promotion to assistant shift commander in February 2025 and removed him as a field training officer two months later, a position he had served in for over four years. * WGLT | Economic Development Council head departs, opening door to dialogue on EDC’s future: The head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council has submitted his resignation. Patrick Hoban, who has led the EDC for six years, said on his LinkedIn page that he is transitioning to a job as an economic development manager at Ameren. Hoban cited achievements of the EDC and its team in helping to secure more than $3.6 billion in private investment in the community and thousands of new jobs. He said the EDC advocated for stronger enterprise zone incentives, more housing, and site readiness “that will power McLean County for decades.” * SJ-R | Hotel near Illinois State Capitol Complex listed for more than $5M : The State House Inn, a trademark collection by Wyndham at 101 E. Adams St., has been on the market since November 2025. The listing on Century 21 Commercial sets the starting price for the 125-room hotel at $5.3 million, or roughly $42,400 per room.
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Good morning!
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Jazz guitarist Emily Remler… * JazzTimes…
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and more
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Mar 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Gov. JB Pritzker…
* A quick overview of independent expenditures…
* Juliana Stratton updates her redboxing page…
* Press release | RE: Press Conference to Endorse 7th Congressional District Candidate LaShawn Ford: This Thursday, March 12, at 11:00AM in front of a home at 3447 W. 12th Place in Chicago, Pat Quinn, who served as Illinois Governor from 2009 to 2015, will endorse Rep. LaShawn Ford who is running for Congress in the 7th Congressional District primary on March 17. Rep. Ford is the sponsor of the Millionaire Amendment for Illinois Property Tax Relief (HJR 26) which would give Illinois voters at the November election a binding referendum opportunity to enact a 3% income tax surcharge only on millionaires in order to fund $4.5 billion dollars in property tax relief for Illinois’ beleaguered families and businesses. It would be the largest property tax relief measure in state history. * A new 9th CD poll…
* 9th CD candidate Kat Abughazaleh drops a new ad…
* WAND | Gov. Pritzker launches down payment assistance program for first-time home buyers: “Home ownership is a cornerstone of the American dream and a vital engine for building generational wealth - but high entry costs have locked too many working families out of the market,” said Governor Pritzker. “That is why I have proposed $50 million in BUILD Illinois funds in my FY27 budget specifically for down payment assistance. By pairing those resources with the launch of Access Home, we are tearing down the financial barriers to home ownership and enduring our residents can put down roots in the communities they love.” * Tribune | Illinois Republicans press Democrats for answers on Rep. Harry Benton’s removal from caucus: Welch’s office has repeatedly declined to comment on the situation, and calls to Benton have gone to a voicemail that does not allow for messages to be left. While Benton is running unopposed for his House seat in next week’s Democratic primary, both Gabby Shanahan, Benton’s presumptive GOP opponent in November, and the House Republican Organization, which represents Shanahan’s election efforts, called for answers on Tuesday as to why Benton was under scrutiny. The GOP organization also criticized House Democratic leadership for not being transparent with voters about why it took the actions against Benton, who is in his second term. * Press release | Gov. Pritzker, Governors Across Country Urge Congress to End Trump’s Illegal Tariffs on Working Families: In a joint letter to Congressional leadership, the Governors warned that sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration over the past year have caused significant economic harm to working families and businesses — raising costs and creating uncertainty for farmers, manufacturers, and small businesses. The Governors urged Congress to reject any effort to codify the tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court and instead enact meaningful guardrails that restore Congressional oversight. * Tribune | A Skokie woman said ICE detained her for nearly 48 hours after landing at O’Hare. But is it true?: A spokesperson for SAP– a multinational German software company – said that Naqvi had never been employed there, nor had any of its employees been detained at O’Hare. Neither Naqvi, her sister nor Morrison have provided the identities of the coworkers to Tribune reporters seeking to verify the story. Meanwhile, statements from the sheriff’s offices in Cook County and Dodge County, Wisconsin said there was no indication of her being detained at local facilities. * CBS Chicago | Mayor Brandon Johnson postpones bid for polling place protection ordinance named after Rev. Jesse Jackson: Johnson had scheduled a special City Council meeting for Wednesday afternoon to vote on a resolution honoring the life of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime champion of voting rights who died last month at the age of 84, and to pass the so-called “Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr. Fair Access to Democracy Ordinance.” But on Tuesday night, the mayor’s office sent City Council members a memo postponing the special meeting indefinitely and without explanation. * Crain’s | Jenner & Block hires ex-prosecutor from Burke and Madigan corruption cases: Sarah Streicker, a former assistant U.S. attorney who stepped down as chief of public corruption and organized crime in December, is the latest in a string of ex-government prosecutors who have joined the Chicago-based firm, where she will focus on the firm’s investigations, compliance, and defense practice. Jenner has landed three high-profile assistant U.S. attorneys in the past year amidst a shake-up in the Justice Department since the start of President Trump’s second term. Streicker was one of five section chiefs who left the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago during 2025. * Crain’s | United-American fight for O’Hare dominance lands in FAA’s lap: As the Federal Aviation Administration looks put the brakes on a big increase in summer flights at O’Hare International Airport, it’s also being put in the awkward position to referee the city’s new use-it-or-lose it policy for gates used to park aircraft. The airport’s two big carriers, American and United, in December and January each said they would add more than 100 daily flights to their schedules, helping push the total flights at O’Hare this summer to more than 3,000, or 15% higher than a year ago. * Sun-Times | City on the hook for $27M settlement from another police chase gone bad: On Friday, the City Council’s Finance Committee will be asked to authorize the settlement with the family of Stacy Vaughn-Harrell. The 47-year-old woman and her then 21-year-old daughter were driving home in June 2017 when they were hit by a car that was fleeing police through a residential area in Englewood. Vaughn-Harrell died in the crash. * Tribune | ‘I was there… trying to unbury myself’: Tornadoes strike Illinois and Indiana, killing 2: Wehrle, 60, said he and his wife moved into their Kankakee home about 30 years ago. The same tri-level home that Tuesday’s tornadoes demolished while he was inside. “Where do you start cleaning up? Where do you start making calls? What’s the process?” Wehrle told the Tribune. “You got insurance. What do you do now? And how do I get my trailer out of a tree?” * Block Club | Chicago’s ‘Tomato Man’ Selling Thousands Of Plants This Year — Including 30 New Varieties: Each year, Zeni scours the earth for the world’s tastiest and most interesting tomatoes — grown ethically and cleanly — to showcase on his website and at events around the Chicago area, making donations of money, time and plants along the way. In 2025, Zeni sold about 13,000 plants and donated 1,600 to 32 nonprofits, churches and community gardens, he said. This year, he aims to sell 16,000 with a goal of donating 1,800-2,000 plants. * Nadig Newspaper | Five storefronts at Six Corners to be demolished: Five longtime vacant storefronts at 4047-55 N. Milwaukee Ave. are set to be demolished in the Six Corners commercial district on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The site, which consists of two separate buildings, was once home to Bernard’s Men’s Wear. In more recent years the buildings’ facades were painted over for murals, including one encouraging the use of masks during the pandemic and another promoting the Windy City Hot Dog Fest. * Sun-Times | Five breweries in six weeks: Chicago’s craft beer closures have brewers on guard: Alarmist Brewing & Taproom in Sauganash permanently closed on Feb. 1, and not long after, Berwyn’s Flapjack Brewery and Forest Park’s Casa Humilde turned off their taps. Two more are shutting down: Whiner Beer Company in Back of the Yards will close March 29 and Illuminated Brew Works in Norwood Park will close June 28. * WLS | Developer drops application for proposed data center in Lisle, officials say: The metal fabrication firm is infamous in the area for closing down after facing massive lawsuits in the early 2000s for contaminating local drinking water. On Wednesday, village officials said the developer withdrew their application at 711 Ogden Avenue. “Village officials and staff continue to explore additional opportunities for future redevelopment of the site,” a village spokesperson said. * Daily Southtown | Frankfort forum urges residents to study data center plans, raises environmental concerns: Several advocates also said they worry data center projects could be proposed in the south suburbs, particularly in lower-income, less populated areas, where plans may move forward with little public awareness. “I feel like areas that are less populated are going to be heavily targeted because they’re going to be seen to be easy land grabs, and there’s not going to be a lot of people to protest them because they’re a little town, a little suburb,” Laura Nurczyk, of Joliet, treasurer of the Sierra Club Tall Plains Group. * Daily Herald | Arlington Heights board split on video gambling: Arlington Heights village board members are at a stalemate over whether to legalize video gambling in town. A 4-4-1 informal vote — with Trustee Greg Zyck serving as a swing vote — came late Monday at the end of a lengthy committee meeting with public testimony both pro and con. Restaurateurs for months have lobbied village officials for the right to install the video machines, which they say would provide an extra revenue stream to stay afloat in a tough business climate. But residents and some other business owners in the downtown contend it would be a bad image for the village. * Daily Herald | DuPage sheriff’s hopeful cleared of wrongdoing by department: DuPage County Undersheriff Eddie Moore has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an investigation into whether he struck someone with his car last month and left the scene without contacting police. […] “After a full review by the Oak Brook Police Department and the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office, and discussion with the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, no additional action was deemed necessary,” Moore wrote. “The investigation has concluded, and I have returned to my duties as Undersheriff of DuPage County,” he added. * (Click here for a little more background) WICA | Moweaqua looking to replace police chief, officers after mass resignation: But right now, it’s something Moweaqua is lacking. All four of the village’s police officers, including the chief, left the force in the last month. “I understand the situation can make many of you feel uneasy and concerned about safety in our community,” Locke said at Tuesday’s meeting. “In the meantime, we are working closely with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office to help provide coverage and ensure that our community continues to receive law enforcement support.” * WGLT | Bloomington Public Library will adopt strategic plan after increasing attendance: Jeanne Hamilton, director of BPL, said the library is ready to start its next chapter. “The board and the staff are really looking forward to what things we want to focus on — what priorities we want to have over the next few years,” she said. The first step was conducting a community survey that garnered 1,865 responses. The responses will inform somewhere between a 3-to-5-year plan for the library. Hamilton said the plan will be finished this summer. * BND | Lawsuit alleging excessive force by ESL police detective dismissed – for now: A man who filed a federal lawsuit in 2023 alleging excessive force by an East St. Louis police detective asked a judge to dismiss the case to give the parties — including the city and its police chief — time to reach a settlement, and the judge granted his request. The plaintiff, Dorian Hendricks, could refile the complaint in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois if settlement talks fail, according to his attorney, Steven Fluhr. * BND | Cahokia Heights School Board Meeting Canceled After Threat: The Cahokia Federation of Teachers Local 1272 took to social media to condemn violence after its leadership was told Monday evening’s school board meeting was canceled due to an unspecified threat. According to the statement Cahokia Federation of Teachers Local 1272 posted on Facebook, the superintendent’s secretary notified union President Wendy Lochmann roughly an hour before the meeting’s start time that it was canceled “due to a reported threat of violence.” * Food and Wine | The University of Illinois Just Released a Popcorn So Good It Doesn’t Need Butter: After eight years of development, Riggs Beer Company in Urbana, Illinois, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have released Illini SuperPop, a naturally savory popcorn with subtle nutty notes and a crisp crunch. The project started in 2018 as an experiment. Dr. Anthony Studer, a crop scientist and professor at the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences (ACES), launched a popcorn breeding program with a simple goal: to develop blue and orange popcorn in the university’s colors. * AP | Young kids missed the pandemic’s school disruptions. Their reading scores are still behind: First and second graders continue to perform worse than their pre-pandemic counterparts on math and reading tests, according to a report published Tuesday by the education assessment and research group NWEA. But while math scores have inched up every year, reading scores remain stagnant, the report shows. The data suggests the slump in academic performance is not rooted only in instructional disruption. Broader societal shifts might be at play. * WGLT | Rivian-owned robotics company secures more startup funding: A startup robotics company owned by electric vehicle maker Rivian and founded by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has secured $500 million in startup capital. Mind Robotics announced an investment Wednesday by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, often referred to as a16z. Mind Robotics plans to build AI powered industrial robots. “Existing industrial robotics can perform repeatable, dimensionally stable tasks, but a large share of factory value-add work requires human-like dexterity, adaptation and physical reasoning that classical robotics cannot address. Mind Robotics is building the AI foundation—models, hardware and deployment infrastructure—to close that gap,” said the company in a news release announcing the financing.
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Kankakee area slammed by tornadoes and giant hail, but no reported Illinois deaths
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Associated Press…
* From the city of Kankakee’s Facebook page last night……
* Whoa…
* Some of these videos have language that’s probably not safe for work…
* Wow…
* From the National Weather Service…
* More from Isabel…
* WGN | NWS: 4 tornadoes believed to have touched down in Illinois & Indiana overnight: According to the NWS, a supercell that moved from Pontiac, Illinois, to Wheatfield, Indiana, produced four suspected tornadoes on Tuesday night. Residents in Kankakee County are also picking up the pieces on Wednesday morning after a suspected tornado tore through the county on Tuesday night.
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Partisanship aside, these are all good questions about Harry Benton
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * The House Republican Organization calls out three targeted, female House Democrats on the Harry Benton case…
Lots and lots of rumors out there. But we’re not even getting so much as a “We cannot discuss personnel matters” response, if that’s indeed the issue. It’s just “No comment” from the House Speaker and radio silence from Benton. Discuss.
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Unsolicited advice about unsolicited texts
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Don’t send blast text messages claiming people have opted in to receiving said blast text messages when, in fact, they have not opted in. Three people have sent me screenshots of this same message since yesterday afternoon… 
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * HB4154 from Reps. Natalie Manley and Ryan Spain…
Indiana is also looking at ditching the exam. The Statehouse File…
* Sen. Laura Ellman (D-Naperville) filed SB 3977 last month…
The bill has been assigned to the Senate AI and Social Media Subcommittee. Friday is the deadline for substantive Senate bills to be advance out of committee. * WBEZ…
* WAND…
* Rep. Kam Buckner…
* More…
* WAND | IL Senate committee approves bill requiring insurance coverage for seizure detection devices: The Illinois Senate Insurance Committee approved legislation Tuesday night to require private insurance companies cover seizure detection devices. There are currently multiple devices approved by the Food & Drug Administration to alert people of oncoming or ongoing seizures. Sponsors said these tools could cost between $250 to $2,000. This proposal would require group insurance companies to provide coverage for medically-necessary devices with a maximum cost-sharing amount of $50 per year. The measure also bans insurers from requiring prior authorization to obtain the devices. * WAND | IL bill could require dealerships provide vehicle history reports for used cars: State lawmakers could pass a plan this spring to require car dealers to provide vehicle history reports to anyone buying used cars. The bill states licensed Illinois vehicle dealers must provide customers with a same-day VIN-specific history report for all used or pre-owned vehicles. That report would need to include information about title issues, odometer accuracy, recalls and accident history. […] Opponents also noted that license revocation could cause significant interruption of business for car dealerships, potentially leading to closure. * Press release | Porfirio continues support for veteran suicide prevention through extending advisory council: Senate Bill 3926 would continue the Breakthrough Therapies for Veteran Suicide Prevention Advisory Council through 2027 and place the council under the Illinois Department of Public Health. The council, established in 2023, advises the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services on guidelines and infrastructure to support innovative therapies for veteran suicide prevention.
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What Is A Faith Based Credit Union?
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Faith based credit unions are member owned, not for profit financial cooperatives formed to serve people connected to a particular church, denomination, or faith aligned organization. In Illinois, these credit unions operate just like any other federally or state regulated credit union—they offer safe, affordable, and insured financial services—but they are rooted in the needs and values of their faith communities. Because they are deeply connected to local congregations, faith based credit unions often serve neighborhoods and populations that traditional financial institutions overlook. They provide fair loans, accessible checking and savings options, and personalized financial guidance grounded in community trust. Israel Methcomm FCU’s board member, Neesha Stringfellow discusses how they collaborate with 35 other faith-based credit unions to assist their community members
• Learn how to build and rebuild credit • Become entrepreneurs Learn more about the collaboration in Illinois’ communities through credit unions at https://betterforillinois.org/
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Maybe don’t do this
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Paul Kendrick is running for the Illinois House in a crowded Democratic primary to replace Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago). He’s endorsed by Croke. One of his people sent me this email yesterday…
The column was from 14 years ago. As subscribers know, Kendrick has sent mailers attacking Lakhani over other Republican-style statements made while in college. * My response…
* From the CTU…
* Kendrick not only explicitly supports President Trump’s school voucher program, he’s also said during the campaign that he would like to see public employees moved to a “401(k)-equivalent program.” * I sent the Kendrick campaign the CTU response and asked for a statement…
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Restrictions To 340B Make Life Harder For Low-Income Residents – Pass HB 2371 SA 2
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] A March 1 rally for passage of 340B legislation spotlighted three key reasons why House Bill 2371 SA 2 must pass this session:
2. HB 2371 SA 2 does NOT require state or taxpayer funding. 340B drugmakers must provide discounted outpatient drugs to hospitals and health centers caring for high numbers of low-income patients. 3. With federal Medicaid cuts looming, up to 500,000 Illinoisans could lose health coverage. Illinois hospitals face closure or service line cuts, as one-third operate on negative margins every year. “Across Illinois, families rely on a network of hospitals and community health centers that are there in their hardest moments. Together they form the safety net that catches patients before a health crisis becomes a life crisis,” State Sen. Mattie Hunter said at the rally. “I voted in favor of this bill because it protects access to care… Access to affordable care and medications is now more important than ever for working families, seniors and children. At a time when our state faces very tough financial pressures, this is a solution that strengthens care for patients without costing the state a single dollar,” Sen. Hunter said. The Senate passed the 340B bill unanimously. Now it’s time for the House to vote YES on HB 2371 SA 2! Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: State high court weighs whether a nonviolent felony bars gun ownership. Sun-Times…
- The seven supreme court justices spent considerably more time questioning Benson’s case, citing concerns about how the 2nd Amendment applies to “law-abiding citizens,” and whether he could be considered a “non-violent” felon given the violent convictions associated with the new case. - Benson’s attorney concluded by saying “The 2nd Amendment protects a core constitutional right: the right to bear arms. * Related stories… Sponsored by PhRMA: 340B hospitals charge big medicine markups. Illinois pays the price. 340B medicine markups are big business for hospitals. Under the federal 340B program, nonprofit hospitals can buy medicines for pennies, then charge huge markups – even on life-saving medicines. Big hospital systems pocket the program profits – passing the bill to Illinois patients, employers and taxpayers who are hit with higher medicine costs. The program’s lack of oversight has led to 340B becoming a profit engine for hospitals, PBMs, private equity firms and big chain pharmacies. It’s time for Congress to hold hospitals accountable and fix 340B. Read more. * IPM News | Large hail and tornadoes cause major damage in Illinois on Tuesday: Several tornadoes formed across northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana, but the exact number won’t be available until officials conduct damage surveys, said Andrew Lyons, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center. * Daily Herald | Getting a head start: Illinois students 5th in nation for scoring high on AP exams: In 2025, 31.4% of Illinois public high school graduates earned a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam, ranking the state fifth in the nation, according to Illinois State Board of Education. On a 5-point scale, 3 is the minimum score to qualify for college credit. Over the past decade, the percentage of Illinois students scoring a 3 or higher on an AP test has increased 8.4 percentage points. In total, 59,773 public high school students sat for an AP exam in 2025, according to the state. * Sun-Times | Chicago arts organizations seek funding increase at state hearing: On Tuesday, Rep. Kimberly Du Buclet (D-Chicago), convened a hearing in Chicago on the outlook for llinois’ cultural sector. As arts leaders advocated for more funding, officials asked for diversity, equity and inclusion reports and more widespread free admission at museums. * WMBD | Holly Kim touts tech skills in bid for Illinois comptroller: Kim spent time in the tech industry. That experience, she said, would give her the tools to beef up cybersecurity in the comptroller’s office. “Right now, check scams are the number one financial scam that’s happening and this office still sends out millions of checks,” she said. Kim, like her primary opponents, said it’s necessary to continue modernizing the office. * Austin Weekly | Four vie in state’s 8th District to replace Rep. La Shawn Ford : Harrell is a pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Austin. He also leads Proviso Baptist Church in Maywood and serves on boards of Loretto Hospital and Hire 360 Workforce Development. Harrell was the first candidate to jump into the race, filing the paperwork on July 10. His campaign website stated that, if elected, his priorities will be to advocate for what his constituents want and make sure they “receive the maximum services they are entitled to receive from the State of Illinois.” * Sun-Times | CTA’s new security plan includes sheriff’s deputies on trains, high-barrier gates and farecard inspections: The CTA will test high-barrier entry gates to prevent fare evasion. Such gates, which don’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, will be installed at rail stations that typically are staffed but still have high rates of fare evasion, the CTA said. The agency will also begin “farecard inspection missions” this year. The goal, according to the CTA, is to “uncover the use of free, reduced, or other entitlement fare media by someone other than the authorized holder and revoke the entitlement …” * Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson defends push for ‘democracy zones’ at polling places as a lasting legacy of Jesse Jackson: Johnson’s proposed ordinance would establish what he calls “democracy zones” extending 100 feet beyond the perimeter that already prohibits electioneering around polling places. Federal immigration agents would be barred from entering those zones. It is patterned after the so-called “ICE-free zones” that Johnson created last fall prohibiting Chicago public schools, libraries, parks and city buildings from being used as staging grounds for raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. His proposal also would make it illegal to “intentionally publish personally identifiable information when done to cause harm or facilitate violence or stalking.” * Block Club | Half Acre, Maplewood Breweries Merging Amid A ‘Rapidly Changing’ Beverage Market: Half Acre Owner Gabriel Magliaro and Maplewood Co-Owner Adam Cieslak told Block Club Tuesday that they expected the merger to yield a stronger market position for bulk orders of ingredients and trucking costs, among other advantages. “We come at this from a position of health and stability and market power. Our trends look pretty good relative to most,” Magliaro told Block Club. “This is harnessing the existing momentum for both of our breweries moving forward. We’re pumped.” * Crain’s | A hidden Chicago industrial giant is testing the IPO market: Billionaire Larry Gies quietly built Madison Industries into a privately held industrial giant. Now he’s going to let everyone else in on a piece of the action. Madison Air, a spinout of his Chicago-based buyout firm, has filed to go public. The company makes commercial and residential filtration and air-handling products, doing more than $3 billion in annual sales, employing about 8,650 people across 37 manufacturing facilities. * Crain’s | Musicians claim Google stole songs, identities for AI song generator in lawsuit: A group of various independent musicians, including some from the Chicago area, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Google, alleging the tech giant stole their music, lyrics and voiceprints to bolster its own song-generating artificial intelligence programs. The lawsuit seeking class-action status, filed last week in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Illinois, has the potential to cost Google a hefty sum if it goes to trial, given that the complaint contends there are “thousands of independent artists nationwide” that have been affected by Google’s musical theft. * Landmark | Family ties, bruising politics in race for county board: Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar began his career in elected office in 2002 by defeating Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez in a race for a seat in the Illinois General Assembly. In that race Aguilar was a Republican. Now a Democrat Aguilar, 65, will have to fend off a strong challenge from Lisa Hernandez’s daughter, Miranda Hernandez, to keep his seat on the Cook County board. * Tribune | Cook County Board president race hinges on whether voters want steady hand or new course: But Reilly has used Preckwinkle’s lengthy history against her. He’s hammered her management of a decade-long property tax upgrade that resulted in late bills last year, sideswiped her early political support of Mayor Brandon Johnson and former State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, and rehashed her moves to raise sales and pop taxes years ago. He dismisses the Trump flak as a deflection from those criticisms. Preckwinkle argues she successfully steered the county’s finances into the black without new taxes or fees in recent years, championed equitable criminal justice reforms while seeing drops in crime and that she is the tougher fighter against Trump’s attacks on blue jurisdictions. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora ends child savings account program first launched with fanfare: It was the first city-sponsored child savings program in Illinois, following other cities from across the country like San Francisco, New York City, Boston and Los Angeles, officials previously said. The state of Illinois has a similar program called Bright Start, but unlike others, children are not automatically enrolled. Less than a year after the program launched, Aurora Mayor John Laesch has confirmed to The Beacon-News that it is no longer running, citing budget constraints and issues with the program itself. It was not included in the 2026 budget, he said, and the city recently ended its contract with the nonprofit that managed the program. * WGLT | McLean County Board members interrogate Clerk Kathy Michael over extra spending: McLean County Board members grilled County Clerk Kathy Michael for more than 40 minutes Monday afternoon concerning more than $400,000 in budget overages in her office that Michael has asked the county to pay. […] Michael said the overage on her office’s overtime and part-time pay line came because of staff shortages caused by an unusual number of resignations. “You said the other day, it was amazing that we could even get someone hired for a particular position. You described walking around the office asking, does anybody want to be tax administrator? Obviously, this is not an ideal situation. I’m curious about the retention in the county clerk’s office. I feel like a picture has been painted that it’s increasingly difficult to keep staff and to hire new staff,” said board member Corey Beirne. * WCIA | Champaign school board approves settlement for former assistant principal: According to the agreement, the Champaign School District will pay three checks to Ramey totaling $99,970. The district said that money is for alleged lost wages, damages, compensation and her attorney’s fees. The district also said they strongly dispute and deny all claims made by Ramey. * WCIA | Vermilion Co. Farm Bureau will host information session on hemp growing: They said high fertilizer and equipment costs, along with tariffs, are making corn and soybean more expensive to grow. Since hemp products beyond a certain THC percentage will become illegal in November, the bureau said showing farmers how to grow for industrial uses — like grain and fiber — will be beneficial. * WLDS | Legendary local journalist Buford Green passes: Green passed away March 9 at The Grove Health and Rehab, bringing to a close a journalism career that spanned more than five decades in West Central Illinois. […] Green would graduate from Illinois College in Jacksonville in 1964, where he continued his baseball career through college. Also in college, Green began working for the Jacksonville Journal-Courier. Shortly after graduation, he became the paper’s sports editor— a role he would hold for 20 years, the longest tenure of any sports editor in the paper’s history. * WIRED | DHS Ousts CBP Privacy Officers Who Questioned ‘Illegal’ Orders: Labeling the document a “draft” would ostensibly bolster the agency’s ability to bury such revelations using an exception in FOIA that protects “advisory opinions” and “recommendations.” Sources say the privacy officials removed from their posts saw the tactic as legally incoherent, arguing that a completed compliance form could not be simultaneously signed and considered a draft. “This policy change is illegal,” says Ginger Quintero-McCall, an attorney at the public interest law firm Free Information Group, and former supervisory information law attorney at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a DHS component. “There is nothing in the FOIA statute—or any other statute—that allows the agency to categorically withhold Privacy Threshold Analyses.” * Bloomberg | War In Iran Is Creating a Fertilizer Crisis Like Never Before: We all know that the war with Iran has sent oil prices spiking. But it’s also pushing up the cost of all sorts of chemicals, including fertilizers like urea, ammonia and other nitrogen products that are essential for food production. This is all happening at the worst possible time — just before the spring planting season, when fertilizer is most needed.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign news
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Mar 11, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Mar 11, 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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