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Reader comments closed for Veterans Day
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Jimi will play us out… You know instead of killing
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Rep. Haas says she has malignant tumor, but ‘my prognosis is very good’
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Bourbonnais)…
Rep. Haas is a good legislator and a decent person, so I’m very much hoping the treatment works.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for some background. Bloomberg…
* Muddy River News | State Senator Jill Tracy: ‘I’ve never seen a veto session quite like it’: “I’ve never seen a veto session quite like it,” Sen. Tracy said. “And I wasn’t alone. In talking with other colleagues and other people who have been around the statehouse a long time, we took up a lot of issues that should have been addressed in the spring session when they had longer periods of time to vet them.” Tracy thinks the massive immigration bill that passed will be struck down eventually because it usurps the federal supremacy clause. * Sun-Times | Shell casings recovered, arrests made after shots fired at feds during chaotic scene in Little Village: Hector Gomez, 45, remains in custody accused of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, police said. Court records show he allegedly pointed a nine-millimeter gun from a black Jeep at a woman. […] Though Gomez is not charged with firing a gun, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that a man in a black Jeep fired shots at them and fled the scene as they conducted operations near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue. * Sun-Times | City Hall mulls deep cuts to domestic violence programs as funding dries up: The end of federal COVID money could mean a 43% reduction in city spending for domestic violence aid as fatal attacks jump. Mayor Brandon Johnson has tied future funding for programs to his proposed corporate head tax, which faces City Council opposition. * WTTW | 2 CPD Officers Suspended for 1 Year Each After 2019 Drunken Wrigleyville Brawl, Records Show: The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, the agency charged with investigating police misconduct, urged in 2021 that both Officers Moises Diaz and Salvador Perez be fired for their actions on May 23, 2019. Former Chicago Police Supt. David Brown agreed several months later. However, Diaz and Perez challenged their terminations, and before the Chicago Police Board could decide the officers’ fate, city officials agreed to allow Diaz and Perez to serve suspensions of 365 days each, according to records published by the agency better known as COPA. * Daily Herald | More than 440 flights canceled at O’Hare, Midway as snow flies, shutdown grinds on: Although the U.S. Senate reached a deal Sunday to end a 40-day impasse, the federal government shutdown remained in place Monday and has been a major contributor to fewer flights and frazzled passengers. Air traffic controllers are working without pay, which has resulted in more absences, officials said. “We are seeing signs of stress in the system, so we are proactively reducing the number of flights to make sure the American people continue to fly safely,” Federal Aviation Administrator Bryan Bedford said in a statement last week. * The Triibe | Cook County Public Defender’s new community legal hub to expand legal resources for South Siders: “For too long, access to legal assistance has depended on where you live or what you can afford,” Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell, Jr., wrote in a press statement. The free sessions will be held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Freedom Defense Center, located at 11437 S. Michigan Avenue. Walk-ins are welcome. * Tribune | Scrappy entrepreneurs are setting up cafes, coffee bars and stores in the Loop. ‘A recovery has started.: More workers are venturing to the Loop several days each week, and tourists flooded the Riverwalk and other top downtown attractions over the summer, boosting confidence and making it a bit easier for small-business owners to launch new ventures, said Colleen Wagner-Caulliez, co-owner of Léa French Café, which in May opened a new location at 20 N. Michigan Ave. “We do see foot traffic is better year on year, and even week on week, so it’s going in the right direction,” she said. “Even a few years ago, I would say there was a lot more risk, because we were all still wearing masks and had no idea what was going to happen.” * Sun-Times | Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre will restore original Sullivan and Adler elements, including stained glass atrium: The skylight and atrium at Chicago’s historic Auditorium Theatre will undergo a significant restoration project that aims to return key design elements to how architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler intended. Leaders at the 135-year-old landmark theater located at 50 E. Ida B. Wells say they plan to update the building’s iconic 108-panel stained-glass skylight and the surrounding atrium, located directly above the main balcony. “We know we’ve got our work cut out for us,” said architect Matt McNicholas, who is also an Auditorium board member. “We’re very excited about the way this is going to shock people, because it hasn’t been seen in anyone’s lifetime.” * Tribune | Cook County to pay $10M to 2 men wrongly convicted in 1994 slaying: The Cook County Board has approved $10 million in settlements for two wrongly convicted men who spent 23 years in prison for a 1994 slaying. Commissioners voted late last month to settle legal claims brought by Nevest Coleman and Derrell “Darryl” Fulton alleging wrongdoing by the Cook County state’s attorney’s office that led to their convictions. Each is to receive $5 million. The two men are still suing Chicago over allegations that police coerced them into false confessions and framed them in the gruesome death of Antwinica Bridgeman. * Crain’s | Chemical maker Ineos plans more layoffs near Joliet: Chemical manufacturer Ineos is laying off another 93 workers at its plant near Joliet. The company notified the state Oct. 31 of plans to lay off the workers by the end of the year, which would bring total announced cuts to 142 jobs in about 18 months. Last year Ineos cut 49 jobs when it shut down a facility at its Channahon manufacturing complex following “a lengthy unplanned shutdown imposed by our utilities’ contractor, combined with significant uncertainty in the market upon restart.” * Daily Southtown | Homewood and East Hazel Crest leaders want Pace buses to drive up to Wind Creek casino entrance: Many of Wind Creek’s hundreds of employees use Pace’s Route 352 bus, which runs up and down Halsted Street, to commute to work, Hofeld said. The buses stop at Halsted Street and 174th Street, not far from the casino’s main entrance. However, there’s no clear sidewalk or walking path between the stop and the entrance, which is primarily designed for cars. The stop is also immediately south of entrance and exit ramps for Interstate 80/294. * Aurora Beacon News | Batavia experiencing growth, Mayor Jeff Schielke tells business audience: “One of the news tidbits out there is that I have been informed by the Kane County Department of Transportation that their plan to rebuild the intersection at [Route 31] Batavia Avenue and Fabyan by the Holmstad facility — the money has been reduced, so they are not going to be able to do that intersection this year,” he said. “It’s kind of a disappointment because it’s an intersection where we have a lot of accidents and it needs to be redone.” * Daily Southtown | Dixmoor middle school football team qualifies for national championships but needs funds: The Grand Champions Elite team qualified for back-to-back championships in Las Vegas and Tampa, which Elijah said has been a dream, but coach Dwayne Tyson, said the team needs funding help to get there. Tyson said it would cost about $50,000 to take the 50 team members and some parents across the country for the two tournaments. The team has started a GoFundMe fundraiser and made a plea for support Thursday night. Tyson said for much of the team, this is their “last ride,” as they’re aging out of the league. * Daily Herald | Metra to run holiday trains on five lines: Holiday train trips will be offered on the Metra Electric, BNSF, Milwaukee District West, Rock Island and Union Pacific Northwest lines. On the Metra Electric line, which will have two trips, the ticket will include a visit to a North Pole winter wonderland at Millennium Station, where families can enjoy treats, holiday music, face-painting, games and other activities. * WSIL | School bus camera upgrades lead to more tickets in Johnson County: The Johnson County State’s Attorney’s Office has reported an increase in tickets for passing stopped school buses. The Johnson County State’s Attorney’s Office said enhanced security cameras on school buses have led to a higher likelihood of identifying and charging drivers who commit this offense. * SJ-R | Officials say they’re keeping tabs on homeless encampment in Springfield: There are about a dozen makeshift structures over three lots just off an alley separating Ninth Street from Eighth Street. Ernesto Jr., who didn’t give his last name to The State Journal-Register during a recent interview, said he and most of the residents there were part of another encampment at Fifth Street and North Grand Avenue where the city removed items in September 2024. * WSIL | Williamson County turns potential financial woes from SAFE-T Act to generating new revenue: By securing partnerships to house federal inmates, Sheriff Diederich says he has transformed unused jail space into a revenue source following the Illinois SAFE-T Act’s impact on local jail populations. “In 2022, the jail generated only a few hundred thousand dollars annually from housing agreements,” Diederich said. “Today, that number exceeds two million dollars per year and we’re on track to top three million dollars annually by the end of 2026 based on proposed housing commitments.” * WGLT | Bloomington artist Angel Ambrose reflects on home during 25th annual Art Walk: As downtown Bloomington’s art galleries prepare for a milestone Art Walk, one of the event’s founders unveils an exhibition that is both new, and decades in the making. Angel Ambrose first debuted Reckoning Home this summer at Foster Gallery, a division of First United Methodist Church of Peoria. A version of the exhibition is on view for a month in the Monroe Building, where Ambrose has had her studio for more than two decades. […] Ambrose is a graduate of Illinois State’s art program, studying primarily with painter Harold Gregor. A large-scale, three-dimensional work hangs above a door frame in her studio that was part of her culminating show, depicted two houses — one dark, one light — slightly distorted. Home has been a recurring theme ever since. * NYT | As Low-Income Shoppers Tighten Belts Further, Businesses Worry: Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, Mr. Wright stocked his grocery store with the large birds, potatoes, stuffing and other foods for his customers in the community, about 28 miles northwest of Columbus, Ga. But with payments on hold for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and continued uncertainty around when or how much recipients may receive, Mr. Wright is anxious. As much as 45 percent of his store’s sales come from customers using the food-assistance program and he isn’t sure whether those customers will be buying a Thanksgiving meal this year. * AP | Supreme Court rejects call to overturn its decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide: The justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Kim Davis, the former Kentucky court clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples after the high court’s 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. Davis had been trying to get the court to overturn a lower-court order for her to pay $360,000 in damages and attorney’s fees to a couple denied a marriage license. * WSJ | Italian Pasta Is Poised to Disappear From American Grocery Shelves: Italy’s biggest pasta exporters say import and antidumping duties totaling 107% on their pasta brands will make doing business in America too costly and are preparing to pull out of U.S. stores as soon as January. The combined tariffs are among the steepest faced by any product targeted by the Trump administration. * Crain’s | Rivian gives CEO Scaringe pay package worth up to $4.6B: Electric-vehicle maker Rivian has approved a compensation plan for CEO R.J. Scaringe that could be worth as much as $4.6 billion over the next decade — one of the largest CEO pay packages on record — if the company meets a series of aggressive growth and profitability targets, Reuters reports. The package mirrors the structure of Tesla’s closely watched award for CEO Elon Musk, tying Scaringe’s potential payout to Rivian hitting a mix of stock-price milestones and new operating income and cash-flow goals. Under the plan, Scaringe could exercise options to purchase up to 36.5 million shares at $15.22 each, vesting only if Rivian’s stock rises to between $40 and $140 a share and the automaker delivers sustained profitability.
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Today’s quotable
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Last week…
* Today…
* He didn’t just call Pritzker a liar today…
Discuss, but please take some deep breaths first.
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Today’s must-read
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Tribune takes a comprehensive, balanced look at the omnibus energy bill passed by both chambers during the fall session…
* Meanwhile…
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Rural hospitals ‘hanging by a thread’
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. The Southern Illinoisan…
* Crain’s…
* The Hill…
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Unclear on the concept
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Evanston Roundtable has really upped its game…
Hmm. What might that lawsuit against the state be about?
The main problem with this lawsuit is that Pritzker did all of that Texas lawmakers’ stuff on campaign time. No government press releases were sent about the fleeing lawmakers. The relevant press conferences all emanated from his campaign account. He was asked about the fleeing lawmakers during state press conferences, but those events were not about that topic. You cannot FOIA campaign activities. Also, if you think he’s stupid enough to email his chief of staff about those political refugees on a state email account, you probably have another think coming. And his campaign and non-state activities are not considered FOIA-able. Also, too, I don’t think this applies, but this is from the exemptions listed by the attorney general’s office…
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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Pamela Frazier, owner of All In One Laundry Center & Services, has a message for lawmakers: “Come and visit to see the barriers and challenges with running a small business.” Pamela is firmly committed to serving her customers in Springfield, particularly those in her community needing access to clean, quality laundry services. Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments. Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Pamela are better equipped to meet local needs. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work.
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Everything old is new again
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Federal shutdown nears end as Durbin joins Senate deal. Bloomberg…
- “This bill is not perfect, but it takes important steps to reduce their shutdown’s hurt,” Durbin said in a written statement. “Now that Democrats secured these wins, it’s time for Leader Thune to keep his promise to schedule a vote on the ACA tax credits in December.” - House passage is not guaranteed. Democratic leaders have spoken out against any deal that doesn’t include extending expiring Obamacare subsidies, which this bill does not do. * Related stories… * Crain’s | Illinois awaits word on $1 billion in Big Beautiful Bill cash for rural hospitals: Illinois joined the rest of the U.S. today in applying for a piece of the $50 billion the federal government will allocate to rural health over the next five years, with a plan that seeks $1 billion. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services instructed each state to apply for that exact amount, $200 million per year, the Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services said in a statement. * Block Club | Feds clarify prayer ban at Broadview: Restrictions only apply on federal property: A federal official on Saturday clarified that a directive that religious leaders and law enforcement interpreted as banning religious gatherings outside of Broadview’s immigration processing facility only applies to federal property. An anonymous representative from the Broadview facility, 1930 Beach St., told a group of faith leaders and activists in a phone call Friday that “There is no more prayer in front of [the] building or inside the building because this is the state and it’s not [of a] religious background.” * ABC Chicago | Chicago business, civic and faith leaders join together to call for end to immigration raids: “We know the president listens to business leaders,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition. “He’s extremely motivated by what the business community has to say. And so this is just to start, and businesses are making their voices heard.” Shi calls Operation Midway Blitz economically reckless. She says revenues for some businesses have gone down by 50%. * WGEM | Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office announces statewide transition to new National Emergency Reporting System: ByHeart baby formula has been recalled by the Illinois Department of Public Health after two Illinois babies show symptoms of suspected botulism. They said babies and children in ten other states have also shown symptoms. Botulism is an illness caused by a bacterial toxin, which can produce life-threatening symptoms including muscle weakness, fatigue, and gastrointestinal distress. Botulism can be in foods that look and taste normally, which means consumers cannot inspect food on their own for botulism safety. * State Rep. Suzanne Ness endorses Daniel Biss for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District…
* Daily Herald | CEO: Trucking industry will suffer ‘a miserable blow’ with toll hike; spikes also loom for all every 2 years: State lawmakers’ passage of Senate Bill 2111 on Oct. 31 saves Metra, Pace and the CTA from a massive shortfall leading to service cuts and layoffs. But tucked into the bailout is a toll hike that will devastate the trucking industry, raise the cost of goods and reduce safety, executive Mike Moran contends. “When I woke up on Friday (Oct. 31) they handed me a $360,000 cost increase,” said Moran, president of Elk Grove Village-based Moran Transportation Corp. “No notice, no word, no nothing. It’s the largest single cost increase I’ve seen from any vendor in 46 years of business.” * Tribune | Energy bill gives Illinois regulators new power over rates, how electricity is generated: Under the state’s new energy legislation, the Illinois Commerce Commission can not only delay the planned closures of fossil fuel sources, but also raise electricity rates to build both renewable and fossil fuel sources that the legislature hasn’t even considered. These expanded powers are controversial because the ICC hasn’t had them since Illinois deregulated its electrical generation market in 1997. At the last minute, lawmakers inserted a provision that allows them to suspend ICC rate hikes and then negotiate with the agency about modifying them. * WTTW | Federal Agents Say They Were Shot at in Little Village; Chemical Agents Used to Disperse Crowd: No one was injured in the shooting reported by federal agents, according to a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department. Masked U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, clad in camouflage uniforms and armed with military-style weapons, fired chemical agents at the crowd that flocked to the scene to protest agents’ attempts to detain at least three people, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) told WTTW News. * Fox Chicago | Father says feds sprayed his family, 1-year-old, with a chemical agent in Cicero: Rafael Veraza said he was going to get groceries with his family that morning and noticed a helicopter in the air and whistles being blown in the area. He said he realized that meant immigration agents were in the area and wanted to leave the Sam’s Club parking lot. Veraza said as the family was driving near the parking lot, a dark-colored pick-up truck driving in the opposite direction passed by them and someone in the truck sprayed them and other cars with a chemical irritant “for no reason.” * Block Club | Feds Pepper Spray 1-Year-Old, Use Tear Gas In Clash With Southwest Side Neighbors: ‘It Was A Reign Of Terror’: The family was in a Sam’s Club parking lot in Cicero when agents in a pickup sprayed pepper spray, which got into the family’s car, Veraza said. He was hospitalized, but his concern was for his daughter, 1-year-old Evelin. “Me, I’m a grown man, I can handle this. But my 1-year-old? We don’t know what [pepper spray] could do to her,” he said at a press conference Sunday. […] Chicago police responded to the area near 25th Street and Kedzie Avenue to help with crowd control following the report of shots fired at immigration agents, the department said in a statement. * Tribune | Inside Chicago’s growing resistance movement against Operation Midway Blitz: ‘Small acts have huge consequences’: In the beginning, the sight of it around Enriquez’s neck prompted questions and confusion in Little Village, one of Chicago’s proudest Latino neighborhoods. He remembers people asking him, perplexed: “What is a whistle gonna do?” “And we said, ‘Well, the whistle is in case immigration is around, and you start blowing. The whistle is for people who are undocumented to go away, to lock their doors, lock their gates and not open the door.’ “And it grew like wildfire. Now everybody’s using it.” * Ald. William Hall | Chicago loses with illegal ’sweepstakes’ machines: As chair of the Chicago City Council’s Subcommittee on Revenue, I convened a hearing on gaming a few months ago, and my fellow alderpersons have expressed the desire to end the presence of these deceptive doomsday sweepstakes machines. Unregulated and untaxed sweepstakes machines are a swindle, meant to mimic the legal and regulated video gaming terminals that you see everywhere else in Illinois and around our city’s borders — but not in Chicago. * Sun-Times | School leader from New York City is finalist for CPS top job after Denver chief says he’ll stay there: Alex Marrero, who has led the Denver Public Schools for four years, was one of two candidates left in the running, according to two sources with knowledge of the search process. But hours after the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ reported he was on the shortlist, Marrero said in a statement that he is dedicated to his job in Denver “where I am proud to continue serving as superintendent.” Sources said the other finalist is Meisha Ross Porter, who led public schools in New York City in 2021. She is scheduled to interview with the board next week. * Sun-Times | Artists highlight lasting impact of Chicago’s 1919 race riot with glass markers in the Loop: More than 100 years ago, [Paul Hardwick] was on his way to work at the Palmer House hotel when he was chased by a mob of about 30 white aggressors. He was shot in the chest, beaten and robbed. He was long forgotten as one of 38 killed in the Chicago Race Riot of 1919, which historians say is not often taught or discussed. Of the 19 markers installed so far, Hardwick’s plaque is one of the most recent. It was featured on a public walking tour Saturday following a panel discussion about the project at the Harold Washington Library Center. The remaining 19 will be installed over the next several months, said Peter Cole, a history professor at Western Illinois University and co-founder of the project. * Tribune | Jeffrey Tobolski, ex-McCook mayor convicted in corruption case, dies months before prison term was to begin: Jeffrey Tobolski, whose roughly decade in power as both mayor of McCook and as a member of the Cook County Board ended amid a massive federal corruption case, died Sunday, two months before he was scheduled to report to prison. He was 61. Tobolski’s lawyer, James Vanzant, said his client died Sunday morning after a short illness. He did not have any additional details, he said. Tobolski was scheduled to report to prison after being sentenced earlier this year to four years. Tobolski was hospitalized twice in October with heart and lung issues and pneumonia, with doctors later noting a suspicious spot on his pancreas, a court filing last week stated. He previously had been scheduled to report to prison on Nov. 3, but the judge in his case recently extended that to Jan. 16, records show. * Daily Herald | Can suburbs, counties enforce ICE bans on government property? Some say no: “Just to be clear. These signs have no legal binding,” DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, a Republican candidate for governor, posted on his social media page. “Please don’t let DuPage County theatrics create the expectation that any law enforcement agency will have any legal authority to enforce the message displayed on this sign.” DuPage County Board Chair Deb Conroy authorized the signs after the county board approved a resolution, largely along party lines, decrying recent operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and urging Congress to enact immigration reform. The resolution also recognizes the county’s right to declare certain county property private or for employee use only. […] A spokesman for the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office said Friday that the county can declare certain areas private or limited to employee-use only. However, there are no legal consequences the county can impose for disregarding the signs. * Sun-Times | Masked ICE agents put damper on Oak Park Girl Scout food drive: ‘It’s heartbreaking as a mom’: The scouts initially decided to continue with their food drive after Groulx explained to the girls that “just like a lifeguard blows a whistle to help somebody, these are neighbors that are blowing whistles to help somebody.” But after seeing more vehicles, presumably driven by federal agents, speeding past, she said the group decided it was not safe to continue with the food drive. * Daily Herald | District 211 fires two Hoffman Estates High teachers for inappropriate contact with students: The Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board of education Thursday unanimously fired two tenured male Hoffman Estates High School teachers over allegations of inappropriate contact with female students over a number of years. The Daily Herald is not naming either teacher because they have not been charged, though the allegations involve potentially criminal acts. One of the men was suspended in January of 2024 for two days without pay for similar behavior. Hoffman Estates police officials said Thursday there have been no criminal charges filed against any current or recent employees of the high school. It’s unclear if they are investigating the allegations, and no one from the department was immediately available Friday afternoon. * Crain’s | Laura Ricketts’ $13M list of complaints about Wilmette mansion withers in arbitration: A six-year legal effort by Laura Ricketts to get $13 million back from the builders of her lakefront Wilmette mansion over what she considered construction defects concluded with an arbitration panel determining she was due something more like $600,000. With the decision, delivered earlier this autumn, “we feel like we’ve been validated,” Brian Goldberg, principal of LG Construction Group, which built the house, told Crain’s. “Our construction quality and our reputation have been validated” after being pitted against a high-profile client who, after she moved into the house 10 years ago, compiled a list of more than 1,500 complaints. * Crain’s | Transit bill includes $3.8M for Springfield-Chicago air service: The subsidy was contained in a single paragraph tucked inside the 1,036-page transit legislation that passed during the early hours of Halloween and is awaiting Gov. JB Pritzker’s signature. American Airlines currently operates twice-daily service between the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport and O’Hare International Airport, but demand has been soft. “We are grateful to our partners at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for working closely with us to ensure it remains financially viable for us to maintain important air service between Chicago and Illinois’ state capital in Springfield,” American said in a statement. * WCIA | Budzinski meets with Champaign food assistance nonprofit about latest SNAP effects: On Thursday, WCIA reported a Rhode Island judge ruled the SNAP program needs to be fully funded for November. The USDA said it’s working toward fully complying with the order. As that news dropped, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski met with the Champaign nonprofit The Land Connection to discuss how this effects more than just consumers. * WSIU | Lieutenant Governor Stratton hosts rural healthcare roundtable: Hearing these concerns Stratton worries current economic conditions of the hospitals will be exacerbated reaching beyond healthcare, “The fact of the matter is, that means a hit to the local economy. It means people not being as healthy. It means some of our most vulnerable Illinoisans who won’t have access to the care that they need. And that is unacceptable.” She says tackling these challenges cannot be solved only by legislation from Springfield - local communities should have a voice in possible solutions, “And that’s what I heard today. They have ideas. They have real thoughts on the impact. And I think that we have to take those stories to the halls of the Illinois State Capitol and make sure that they are shared far and wide.” * WSIU | Illinois Report Card shows Carbondale High School grows graduation rate: The Illinois State Board of Education released school report cards at the end of October. Area school districts are looking at the data to understand where students have grown and need to improve. WSIU’s Brian Sapp talked with Carbondale Community High School to find out what the report card is showing them. * WREX | New apartment complex coming to downtown Rockford: On Friday, a ribbon was cut on Nu-State Apartments, a new development at 119 N. Church St. in downtown Rockford. It is said the building will have 35 units when it opens, ranging from studios to two bedrooms. The building will also include a fitness center, resident lounge, and City Center Market on the ground floor. There will also be parking in a lot north of the building. * Press Release | SIU’s Simon Institute to host former CNN chief White House reporter: Jessica Yellin, a former CNN chief White House correspondent with nearly three decades of journalism experience, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute for a virtual conversation on Thursday, Nov. 13. Yellin, the founder of the News Not Noise media platform, will discuss with John Shaw, institute director, the need for greater rigor, credibility and content in news reporting. She will also discuss her journalism career and Washington politics and national campaigns. * The Atlantic | Hundreds of Thousands of Anonymous Deportees: Judge Donoso Stevens yelled at a man to “stop talking!” while his own case was being heard and became frustrated with another who got confused when she referred to him as “the man in the green jacket.” (He wasn’t wearing a green jacket.) When a father said he was scared to leave the country without his 5-year-old, she ignored the comment and asked if he had enough money to pay for his ticket home. I was in court that day hoping to see how Trump’s new deportation mandate was playing out, but the hearings were moving so quickly that I was having trouble keeping up. * The Hill | DHS sees biggest jump in public approval among federal agencies: Gallup poll : Twenty-three percent in the Gallup poll said the job being done by the DHS was “only fair,” while 33 percent called the DHS’s job “poor.” * The Atlantic | The Best Postseason in Baseball History?: The early rounds of the postseason were enlivened by extraordinary feats from the game’s two biggest stars, but that was just baseball clearing its throat for the World Series, which earned its title—in English, Spanish, and Japanese; in the United States and Canada—as a genuine Fall Classic. Major League Baseball is 149 years old. The National League was founded a month before Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone. And the game somehow still delivers the unexpected and the unforeseeable.
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Good morning!
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Nov 10, 2025 - 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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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Fontine… I won’t find my way back to you
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* US Rep. Chuy García explains decision not to seek reelection…
* WCIA | Big changes in the state led to Illinois being ranked near the top for human trafficking survivor laws: The state is ranked number two and has improved from an “F” rating to an “A,” because of work from all levels across the state. A lot changed this past August. The Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act was passed, and Illinois State Police started a new task force. * Fox 2 Now | 11 sickened by raw milk outbreak in Illinois: The Illinois Department of Public Health reports an outbreak involving at least 11 people in the state who recently became ill after consuming raw milk. The IDPH has so far identified an outbreak of eleven cases of Campylobacter infection that appear to be linked to consumption of raw milk from a common source. The producer, according to IDPH, is taking steps to notify customers and is cooperating with the investigation. … Campylobacter, the suspected source of the outbreak, is a bacteria that can cause bloody and non-bloody diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. In more severe cases, the infection can lead to irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. * Capitol News Illinois | Federal shutdown, budget cuts challenge state policymakers: “Over the past several years, here in Illinois, we’ve passed balanced budgets that include rainy-day funds and contingency funds to help us get through emergencies,” State Rep. Anna Moeller told Capitol News Illinois during a podcast interview this week. “But certainly, we don’t have the resources at the state level — no state has the resources — to fully make up for the lack of federal participation in these programs.” Moeller, D-Elgin, chairs the House budget committee that oversees funding for health and human services. That panel held an informational hearing during the recent fall veto session to update members on changes happening in the federal government and how they affect state agencies and policymakers in Illinois. * Crain’s | Ald. Villegas to introduce $1.25 delivery fee ordinance in Chicago: Hoping to replace some of the new taxes included in Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion 2026 budget proposal, a Northwest Side alderman wants to charge a $1.25 fee on packaged deliveries, with exemptions for groceries, medicine and restaurant deliveries. Ald. Gilbert Villegas, 36th, will introduce the ordinance at the Nov. 14 City Council meeting and hopes it will be included in the ongoing budget negotiations. Chicagoans have an easy option to not pay the fee: limit their online shopping, Villegas told Crain’s. * Sun-Times | CPS school board signs NDAs, faces criticism about transparency in CEO search: The board also formed a community panel composed of students, parents and teachers, as well as a central office administrator and an elementary and high school principal, to interview finalists and provide input. The board is also requiring that group to sign NDAs. But officials at other large school districts have not only chosen to publicly identify their top choices — some have held interviews open to the public. * Tribune | Gregory Bovino claims agents operate ‘legally, ethically and morally’ same day injunction issued in federal court: The agents piled back into their convoy as neighbors screamed at them and spent much of the rest of the afternoon driving haphazardly around Chicago’s Southwest Side and south suburban Summit. Driving away from the gas station down Western Avenue, one group of agents fired a round of pepper balls at a black sedan that pulled up alongside their vehicle. * Block Club | Arrest Of Daycare Worker At Preschool Violated Consent Decree, Attorneys Say: Last month, a federal judge concluded dozens of recent warrantless immigration arrests were made in violation of a consent decree banning warrantless arrests unless agents have probable cause to believe someone is in the United States unlawfully and is a flight risk. Attorneys representing Santillana Galeano said her arrest violates the consent decree. Her attorneys wrote that detaining Santillana Galeano “without a bond redetermination hearing to determine whether [she] is a flight risk or danger to others violates [her] right to due process.” * WTTW | Pay $17M to Man Who Spent 27 Years in Prison After Being Beaten Into Confessing to Murder by Disgraced Ex-Detective, City Lawyers Recommend: Chicago taxpayers should pay $17 million to a man who spent 27 years in prison after he was beaten and coerced by a disgraced former Chicago police detective into confessing that he killed two brothers in 1990, city lawyers recommended. Jose Maysonet Jr. was convicted and sentenced to life in prison after being investigated by Reynaldo Guevara, a former Chicago police detective accused of routinely framing suspects. * The Triibe | Kevin Jackson was falsely convicted, and now his innocence certificate is being opposed by a prosecutor whose past includes prosecutorial misconduct: That prosecutor is Fabio Valentini, a 30-plus-year law practitioner, former Cook County prosecutor and former head of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. He is a staunch opponent of the state’s torture inquiry panel. He was also named in a $31 million settlement paid out to four Black Chicago men who were exonerated in 2011 after being falsely imprisoned for a crime in 1995. * Tribune | CPD sergeant sues city over discipline delays in internal affairs cases: The lawsuit in Chicago’s federal court was filed by CPD Sgt. Carrie Costanzo, who joined the department in 2015. “Costanzo’s story is but one example of the significant harm that the City’s unlawful policy imposes on its brave police officers who dare exercise their rights,” the lawsuit states. “Costanzo and the class she seeks to represent bring this action to reform the policy to ensure that what happened to (Costanzo) does not happen to other sworn female officers.” * Sun-Times | O’Hare leads nation in flight cancellations amid FAA cuts: O’Hare International Airport was leading the country with the most flight cancellations of any U.S. airport Friday, hours into the the Federal Aviation Administration’s unprecedented flight cuts amid a prolonged government shutdown and shortage of air traffic controllers. But flight operations at O’Hare appeared smooth, despite 80 canceled flights and being listed as having the most cancellations in the country by the website FlightAware. The vast majority of travelers told a Sun-Times reporter that their flights were unaffected. * Tribune | Cook County property tax bills will be mailed out on Nov. 14: After months of uncertainty and delay, Cook County officials announced Friday that property tax bills will be mailed on Nov. 14 and due by Dec. 15. Homeowners will thus be able to include those tax payments on their annual income tax filings, while ensuring taxing bodies will see much-needed revenue before the end of the year, though they might be less stoked to make massive payments to the county right around the holidays. * Evanston Roundtalbe | FBI investigating recent incident involving feds in Evanston, tries to block city from releasing records: In the incident in question, a federal vehicle driven by U.S. Border Patrol agents was reportedly driving “erratically” while being followed by residents, and witnesses said the agent driving ran a red light while turning from Oakton onto Asbury before coming to a sudden stop behind a car in front of them. This led to a female driver behind them, who was not believed to be part of the group following the agents, rear-ending the federal vehicle, after which the agents got out and forcibly detained both the driver and two resident bystanders. * Sun-Times | Fourteen suburban moms arrested in sit-in protest outside Broadview ICE facility: Fourteen mothers jumped over the barricades and sat in a circle on Beach Street to “demand an end” to the immigration raids that have swept through the Chicago area since the Trump administration launched “Operation Midway Blitz.” Less than a minute later, the women were arrested by Cook County Sheriff’s deputies. The sheriff’s office confirmed the arrests and said charges were pending. * Naperville Sun | Naperville teens grow community service project into successful nonprofit Kits4Kids: When it all began about two years ago, Raya Ajmere and Abby May wanted to do a service project through which they would bring care packages to children spending substantial time in the hospital. The gift bags included small toys, activity books and stuffed animals to bring comfort during challenging times, they said. The girls reached out to family and friends for donations, raised $1,000 and bought supplies online. * WJBD | ICC approves improvements to Gessell Road railroad crossing: ICC Commissioner Michael T. Carrigan says Illinois’ Grade Crossing Protection Fund makes it possible to install modernized safety infrastructure at rail crossings in all parts of the state. He says the project in Marion County is a perfect example of how the agency is putting GCPF dollars to work. The total estimated cost of the signal design and construction is $446,502. The Grade Crossing Protection Fund will be used to pay 95 percent of the signal costs. Union Pacific Railroad will pay the remaining 5 percent and any future maintenance costs related to the signals and circuitry. * WCIA | ‘We’ve done a lot of work’: Danville parks get major improvements: Dozens joined Danville Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. for the “Mini-Park Tour,” showcasing the improvements the city has made to the playgrounds. The tour kicked off at Elmwood Park, where Mayor Williams said he is not just working to have a better park, but also a better neighborhood. “In Elmwood, in particular, we’ve done a lot of work to improve the roads. The main road and the main thoroughfare that connect all those have been completely overhauled. The folks have new sidewalks. They are not walking in the streets anymore,” Williams said. * WICS | University of Illinois SNAP-Ed launches holiday food drive in Champaign County: Community members are encouraged to contribute non-perishable food items from Monday, November 10, through Wednesday, November 26. Donations can be made at 801 North Country Fair Drive, Champaign, from Monday to Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. * The American Prospect | OpenAI Is Maneuvering for a Government Bailout: In 2024, it lost about $5 billion; in the first half of 2025, it lost a reported $13.5 billion; and in the last quarter alone, it lost another $12 billion. For artificial intelligence to ever pencil out, some truly enormous revenue streams will be required—$2 trillion by 2030, according to Bain & Company. As the company at the center of the AI boom (along with Nvidia), OpenAI would represent a sizable chunk of that money. * Market Watch | Anxiety over government shutdown pushes consumer sentiment down to near-record low: The University of Michigan’s consumer-sentiment index fell to 50.3 in a preliminary November reading, down from 53.6 in the prior month. That’s the lowest level since June 2022, which was the lowest level on record. Economists polled by the Wall Street Journal had expected sentiment would slip to 53.0 from 53.6 in October. * Reuters | Meta is earning a fortune on a deluge of fraudulent ads, documents show: A cache of previously unreported documents reviewed by Reuters also shows that the social-media giant for at least three years failed to identify and stop an avalanche of ads that exposed Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp’s billions of users to fraudulent e-commerce and investment schemes, illegal online casinos, and the sale of banned medical products.
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A taste of things to come
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Thursday…
* Also yesterday…
In the video, Mendoza refers to Pritzker as “Governor Suicide.” Pritzker has said he hasn’t made up his mind about whether to sign the bill. Partial transcript…
Please pardon any transcription errors. * Wednesday…
* Tuesday…
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Musical interlude
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * The late, great Illinoisan John Prine… But I’ll hang around as long as you will let me
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Report: Illinois domestic violence deaths increased in 2024
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WAND…
* From the report…
* ICADV is hoping Karina’s Law, which took effect on May 11, will cut down on domestic violence deaths involving firearms. The report…
* Related… * WGLT | Contacts to statewide domestic violence hotline rose 26% last year — with sharpest increase in Central Illinois: A new report says contacts to the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline rose 26% compared to 2023, with the greatest change registered in Central Illinois. According to data compiled by the statewide domestic violence advocacy group The Network, the hotline received 16 contacts [via phone, text or chat] from Logan County, up 81% from 2023. Livingston County contacts increased from 23 to 30 [77%]. And there were two contacts from Piatt County, compared with none the previous year. * ProPublica | Amid Increasing Domestic Violence, Illinois Struggles to Review Fatalities: The first reviews began only late last year, and key deadlines have been missed. An initial report of statewide policy recommendations based on reviews by the panels was expected to be delivered to lawmakers in April 2024. But that has yet to happen. The most glaring absence from the program is Cook County, which is home to Chicago and accounts for nearly 40% of the state’s population. Discussions between organizers of the initiative and agencies that could take charge of a local review panel in the county have failed to yield a commitment.
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Abe Lincoln’s devotion to Black man highlighted in job-seeking letter recently donated to ALPLM
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * ALPLM press release…
The letter… 
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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood is home to Mestiza, a shop that delivers memories of culture, family pride, and traditions in the heart of Chicago’s Latino community. With a commitment to their Pilsen neighborhood and a passion for women-owned business, Mestiza owners Lorena and Sugieri provide a Mexican American shopping experience visitors are sure to remember. Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments.
Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Lorena and Sugieri 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
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Partial SNAP benefits expected to reach Illinois residents starting Friday. Sun-Times…
- However, it warned some customers’ benefits will be reduced to nothing by President Donald Trump’s administration even with the updated payment schedule. - At most, recipients are expected to receive 65% of what they typically receive for the month, but some households will receive less or nothing at all, according to IDHS. * Related stories… * Crain’s | O’Hare, Midway impacted by FAA flight reductions: The FAA plans to reduce the volume of flights at these airports by 4% beginning Nov. 7, gradually increasing to 10% by next week. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been warning of potential staffing and fatigue problems since the beginning of the federal government shutdown on Oct. 1. Air traffic controllers are considered essential staff who are working but not getting paid. * Crain’s | Trump’s HHS orders state Medicaid programs to help find undocumented immigrants: Advocates say the push burdens states with duplicative verification checks and could lead people to lose coverage just for missing paperwork deadlines. But the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Mehmet Oz, said in a post on the social platform X on Oct. 31 that more than $1 billion “of federal taxpayer dollars were being spent on funding Medicaid for illegal immigrants” in five states and Washington, D.C. […] Illinois Medicaid officials blasted Oz’s comments. “Once again, the Trump administration is spreading misinformation about standard uses of Medicaid dollars,” said Illinois Medicaid spokesperson Melissa Kula. “This is not a reality show, and there is no conspiracy to circumvent federal law and provide ineligible individuals with Medicaid coverage. Dr. Oz should stop pushing conspiracy theories and focus on improving health care for the American people.” * Tribune | Rejecting corporate PAC money earns Juliana Stratton endorsement in Senate race from End Citizens United: End Citizens United, a decade-old group taking its name from the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened the floodgates to unlimited campaign spending from corporations, labor unions and other outside groups, announced its support for Stratton on Thursday in her bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. Running with the backing of Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir and her two-time running mate, Stratton vowed in July that her campaign would not accept money from corporate PACs, the conduit through which corporate interests can contribute directly to candidates’ political funds. * WGLT | State Rep. Sharon Chung wants Gov. JB Pritzker to back off State Farm: Chung noted the community’s long history with two of the area’s top employers, State Farm and Country Financial, in opposing price controls. “We have a really rich history here with State Farm, and I wanted to make sure that whatever we did wasn’t going to regulate it in a way that would make it not friendly for State Farm to be viable here in Illinois,” Chung said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. * Muddy River News | Former lobbyist Michael McClain is still waiting for facility assignment to serve sentence: “The Bureau of Prisons has not provided information about what facility he is to report to,” McClain’s attorney, Patrick Cotter, told Muddy River News Thursday. “Over a week ago, we informed the court, and the court agreed to extend his report date until next Thursday, which is November 13th.” Cotter said the bureau did not give a reason as to why it had not provided a location yet. * Press release | Make America Affordable Now PAC Endorses Nick Uniejewski for Illinois State Senate: he Make America Affordable Now PAC today announced its endorsement of Nick Uniejewski, Democratic candidate for Illinois State Senate in the 6th District. The PAC—aligned with the mission of One Fair Wage to address the affordability crisis facing working families—has named Uniejewski its first endorsement in Illinois. “Nick Uniejewski isn’t running to manage the system as it is—he’s running to change it,” said Richard Rodriguez, Treasurer of Make America Affordable Now PAC. “Working people in Illinois are tired of politicians who talk about affordability while wages stagnate, sub-minimum wages persist, and costs skyrocket. Nick has lived the struggle, and he has the spine to fight for real solutions. He knows true economic dignity comes from raising wages, eliminating the sub-minimum wage, expanding affordable housing, and respecting labor. That is the leadership Illinois needs right now.” * Sun-Times | Chicago police withhold Border Patrol shooting videos, citing probe of chief accused of calling off cops: Police officials are citing that one complaint to block the public release of videos tied to the shooting, which drew international headlines and stoked the political divide surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration blitz of the Chicago area. The police department says releasing the body camera and drone footage would hinder the ongoing investigation of the complaint against Hein. A spokesperson won’t comment. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget includes money for ShotSpotter replacement: Officials identified a $5 million line item in the mayor’s 2026 spending plan as money for a “gunshot detection system” when pressed by aldermen during budget hearings. The item’s written description only said the money was for “software maintenance and licensing.” But despite the revelation, the plan to spend on a replacement for the controversial acoustic gunshot detection technology that sparked a long, heated clash between Johnson and the City Council is likely no surprise for aldermen. Johnson announced his administration was seeking proposals for “gun violence detection technology” in February. * ABC Chicago | Chicago Mayor Johnson stands firm on proposed city budget, corporate head tax plan: Despite the opposition from at least half of the council, Governor JB Pritzker, civic and business groups, Mayor Brandon Johnson refuses to budge. “It is deeply disturbing right now that we have leaders in this state that are prepared to defend millionaires and billionaires and not the people in Austin and not the people in Roseland, what is wrong with us?” Johnson said. * Sun-Times | Former Ald. Walter Burnett unlikely to lead CHA, as agency considers 5 other CEO candidates: The candidates include Gregg Fortner, of the Anniston Housing Authority in Alabama; Jillian Baldwin, of the Housing Authority of the city of Bridgeport in Connecticut; Keith Pettigrew, of the District of Columbia Housing Authority; and Eugene Jones Jr., currently at the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and who was the CHA’s CEO until 2019. Jones was first reported as a candidate by the Chicago Tribune in June. * Crain’s | World Business Chicago reboots economic development strategy: World Business Chicago has refreshed its economic-development strategy with a mix of new and old ideas. The top-line goal of Chicago 2050 is to grow the region’s economy to $1.4 trillion in annual output and 5.05 million jobs by 2034 from $924 billion and 4.8 million today, primarily through attracting more outside capital for both developments and companies. * Block Club | Chicago Laundromats Targeted By Immigration Agents Struggle With Low Sales, Fearful Employees: At least four laundromats in the city have been targeted by federal immigration agents in recent weeks. Some laundromat owners and workers said they’ve seen fewer customers, while others have had employees call out due to concerns about federal agents. “Local businesses are now suffering — [agents] are messing with people’s livelihoods,” said a worker at Su Primera Lavanderia at 3100 S. Pulaski Road, a laundromat that was targeted by federal agents last month. “People depend on those incomes. People have families.” * Daily Southtown | Lemont residents allege Citgo facility is harming air quality: Lemont officials said they have reached out to representatives of Citgo following resident complaints alleging the company released high amounts of harmful chemicals in the air without notifying the public, and hope to get more answers at a Nov. 20 meeting. The complaints are a part of an decades-long dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and Citgo facility near Lemont over alleged violations to the Clean Air Act, including an almost $2 million civil penalty in 2016, and a more than $700,000 fine for alleged Clean Air Act violations in 2013 following a failed compressor incident and dating back to an EPA citation in 2001. * Daily Herald | Elgin resolution bans federal immigration agents from staging, gathering on city-owned property: Council member Tish Powell said the move was necessary because of “unprecedented” circumstances with numerous documented instances of masked immigration agents operating in the city. “We wouldn’t tolerate our local officers behaving the way federal officers are behaving in this town,” Powell said. “The abuse, the disrespect, the aggression, the violence, the total disregard for people’s civil rights, we would not tolerate that. And it floors me that our federal government thinks that this is OK. It’s not OK.” * Evanston Now | Housing plan won’t make December deadline: Community Development Director Sarah Flax told the Housing and Community Development Committee Thursday that the city won’t make its December deadline for finishing Evanston’s strategic housing plan, which is already nearly a year behind schedule. Flax said staff had an “aggressive goal” of getting it done by the end of the year, but after the past several weeks of engagement with various community boards and stakeholders, the HCDC agreed there was a bit more work to do before it’s ready for the City Council. * Daily Southtown | Forest Preserve District of Will County’s 500-acre purchase is second largest land buy in its history: The Forest Preserve District of Will County has acquired nearly 500 acres in eastern Will County that expands the Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve to 1,386 acres, making it the district’s second largest preserve. The district recently bought 495.27 acres of land north of Illinois 394 and adjacent to the Goodenow Grove preserve in Crete Township for $4.3 million. “It’s not too frequently a forest preserve or conservation foundation has the opportunity to acquire that much acreage,” said Dave Robson, the district’s natural resource management supervisor. “That’s a pretty unusual occurrence. We make acquisitions all the time, but not at this scale. This is a huge win.” * Daily Herald | Cook County unveils plans for Quentin Road revamp at public hearing in Palatine: Cook County officials unveiled planned improvements to Quentin Road between Dundee Road and Lake-Cook Road Thursday night at the Cotillion Banquets in Palatine. The centerpiece of the public hearing was the unveiling of what officials called the preferred alternative. It calls for Quentin Road to have one 11-foot-wide travel lane in each direction with the addition of a 10-foot center turn lane that will safeguard left turns and provide a dedicated lane for emergency vehicles. * WGLT | Trade and regulatory impacts mixed and volatile for Rivian: In the third quarter, Rivian produced 10,720 vehicles and delivered 13,201 from the plant in Normal. That’s likely to be the highest quarter for the year even with a plant shutdown for retooling for R2. The company full-year projection remains at a maximum of 43,500 units. Automotive gross profit was negative $130 million, also affected by the plant shutdown. “Despite this headwind, we saw strong progress in our unit economics with one of the best quarters even in automotive cost of goods sold per unit delivered driven by improved material costs,” said McDonough. * WCIA | U of I reorganizes leadership, says it will lead to ‘stronger foundation’: The Chancellor of the University of Illinois announced plans to make several changes to the university’s leadership structure, including blending departments, restructuring and renaming the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and more. Chancellor Charles Lee Isbell Jr. made the announcement via Massmail on Nov. 6. He said that as higher education changes, there’s a need to position the U of I in a way to “seize opportunities” and “strategically address challenges.” * BND | New $1.2 million MetroBikeLink trail opens in Fairview Heights: The trail spans three-quarters of a mile and cost $1.2 million. Construction was managed by Stutz Excavating after an impact and feasibility survey from TWM Inc. A major consideration in expanding the trail, said Ken Sharkey, managing director of the St. Clair County Transit District, is safety. The trail is fully paved for accessibility, with five cameras installed along its length and multiple wayfinding stations to help travelers orient themselves if they get lost. “We’re committed to improving our multi-modal forms of transportation in St. Clair County,” Sharkey said at the opening on Thursday. “We look forward to moving forward with this project in the future and working with other agencies to improve access in our communities.” * WSIL | Veterans Day memorial unveiling at Southern Illinois airport: Next Tuesday, the airport will unveil a veterans memorial sculpture on the flagpole island in front of the airline terminal. The event will start at 11 a.m. in the terminal lobby with coffee, donuts, and a short presentation. Following the presentation, attendees will move outside for the unveiling of the sculpture. * WIRED | Google, Microsoft, and Meta Have Stopped Publishing Workforce Diversity Data: The broad loss in transparency, which has not been previously reported, could obscure the impact of President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI policies on the tech workforce. It could also raise barriers for workers and civil rights groups seeking to reshape tech companies to better reflect the makeup of the countries in which they operate. The decision of these three companies, which collectively employ hundreds of thousands of people globally, also stands in contrast to industry peers. Apple, Amazon, and Nvidia all released new diversity data this year. * AP | Supreme Court weighs longshot appeal to overturn decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide: The justices could say as early as Monday what they’ll do. In urging the court to take up her case, Davis’ lawyers repeatedly invoked the words of Justice Clarence Thomas, who alone among the nine justices has called for erasing the same-sex marriage ruling. * NYT | Hundreds of U.S. Flights Are Canceled as Shutdown Hits Air Travel: A wave of flight cancellations hit the United States on Friday, bringing home the effects of the government shutdown to many more Americans, though major airports appeared to be working largely as normal in the morning. The cuts were announced by Federal Aviation Administration this week to limit air traffic as the shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history, leaves air traffic controllers working without pay. Major airlines said that most customers would not be affected and that travelers who wanted to change or cancel a flight for a refund could do so. International flights were unlikely to be affected. * NPR | 50 years ago, the Edmund Fitzgerald, a ‘rock star’ ship, sank in Lake Superior: No one was more surprised than Gordon Lightfoot when his ballad “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” became one of the biggest hits of 1976, less than a year after the disaster it commemorates. The Canadian musician had agonized over writing the song in the first place. “He feared being inaccurate, corny or worse, appearing to exploit a tragedy for profit,” writes John U. Bacon in his new bestseller, The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald. “But more than that, as a fellow sailor and a child of the Great Lakes … this song — whatever it was — was deeply personal.”
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Good morning!
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I love this song and I especially love this version… I myself have seen my wilder days * Tell us what’s happening by you.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Nov 7, 2025 - 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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