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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WGLT…
* WCIA…
* The Democratic Party of Illinois…
…Adding… The Illinois Gaming Board…
* Crain’s | Illinois insurers clash with states over regulation as profits soar: Illinois insurers State Farm and Allstate are putting on a full court press when it comes to regulation they say is hampering their ability to lower prices for customers. But while State Farm is asking for less, Allstate wants more. Overall, the insurance industry has been able to weather massive natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and hurricanes over the past few years, recording solid profits despite booking billions of dollars of losses and facing a U.S. market made up of regulations that vary by state. * KWQC | Illinois HIV funding: Black leaders call for equity as racial disparities persist: According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Black Illinoisans account for nearly 40 percent of new HIV diagnoses and more than half of existing cases, despite making up about 14 percent of the state’s population. Advocates also pointed to wide gender disparities in the data that show Black men are about 12 times more likely to be living with HIV than white men, and Black women are about 14 times more likely to be newly diagnosed than white women. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois attorney general wins state’s first civil hate crime lawsuit: The attorney general’s office was first given authority to try such a case in 2018. The legislature amended the Illinois Hate Crime Act to allow the attorney general to file civil lawsuits against residents for alleged hate crimes. Carroll County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Kane ordered the Hamptons to each pay a civil penalty of $5,000 and damages of $45,000 to Johnson. […] After Hampton was charged with a misdemeanor for the damage, the lynched effigy appeared in the Hamptons’ front yard, which Raoul labeled as an intimidation tactic and threat of racial violence in the complaint. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s public market plan slows to a crawl: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s marquee plan to increase access to fresh groceries on the city’s South and West sides — a plan that initially called for a city-owned grocery store and later evolved into a proposed year-round market — appears to have slowed to a crawl. Johnson first floated the idea of opening a publicly owned grocery store in 2023, just months after he took office. The idea, a novel one at the time for a major U.S. city, has since attracted the attention of progressives elsewhere, including Zohran Mamdani, who put city-owned grocery stores on the platform that won him the mayor’s office in New York City. * Crain’s | Chicago banks see loan demand return as tariff and labor woes ease: Fourth-quarter results showed banks regained their footing after tariff uncertainty slowed growth in the middle of the year and issues such as credit quality concerns proved to be one-offs rather than endemic to the industry. The increasing clarity of the tariff picture allowed banks’ business customers to apply for loans after they put together plans to deal with any cost increases, whether that meant changing suppliers or raising prices. * WTTW | CPD Policy That Does Not Ban No-Knock Warrants Leaves Anjanette Young ‘Frustrated’: Anjanette Young, a social worker who was handcuffed while naked during a botched raid in February 2019, told WTTW News’ “Chicago Tonight” she is frustrated with the policy. “I’m frustrated with the process,” Young said, vowing to continue to lobby state lawmakers this spring with the help of state Rep. Kam Bucker (D-Chicago). “I’m also learning in this journey of being in this space that change doesn’t happen overnight and that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.” * WTTW | Police Oversight Board to Top Cop: Explain Why CPD Officers Are Using Force More Often: “When we come up with a goal, one of the things that I believe in, especially coming from a training background, we don’t want to throw something together,” Snelling said. “We want to make sure that whatever we’re doing is comprehensive. We want to make sure that whatever we’re doing is going to be effective moving forward. And we want to make sure that there’s something in it for everyone, especially our officers who go out there and face these things every day, we want to make sure that our officers are prepared to go out and deal with these situations in the most constitutional, respectful manner possible. So, with that, I accept goal number four.” Snelling has repeatedly said that he does not believe that CPD officers are actually using force against Chicagoans more often but simply reporting those incidents accurately for the first time as compliance ramps up with federal court order that requires officers to stop routinely violating Black and Latino residents’ constitutional rights. * Sun-Times | Chicago software firm ActiveCampaign buys AI startup Feedback Intelligence: Chicago software company ActiveCampaign announced Tuesday that it bought AI startup Feedback Intelligence in San Francisco for an undisclosed sum. ActiveCampaign is a $3 billion AI-driven marketing platform used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses worldwide, according to the Loop-based firm. Founded in 2003, the company uses AI to automate tasks such as email and text message marketing. * Block Club | How The Great Migration — And Segregation — Built The South Side’s Black-Owned Lounge Culture: Restrictive covenants, redlining and vigilante violence, among other discriminatory and racist practices, made it almost impossible for Black people to live in certain parts of Chicago. So, a concentration of Black people settled along the State Street corridor in Bronzeville, creating what came to be known as the Black Belt, Todd-Breland said. Churches, markets, funeral homes, beauty salons and theaters sprouted in the neighborhood. Nightlife was also “huge,” leading to the founding of nightclubs like 47th Street’s The Palm Tavern, Club De Lisa on State Street and 55th Street’s Rhumboogie Club, Todd-Breland said. * Crain’s | Scottie Pippen auctioning $6 million of personal memorabilia: Chicago Bulls legend and six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen has hired Sotheby’s auction house to sell a selection of his personal memorabilia, including the jersey he wore during the championship-clinching game of the 1998 NBA Finals. Dubbed “The Scottie Pippen Collection,” the auction is set to begin in March and will feature items he personally wore during his 17-year NBA career. The collection is expected to be worth more than $6 million, with items ranging from $30,000 to over $1 million. * Sun-Times | Federal prosecutors fear tainted jury pool if public sees evidence in Broadview Six conspiracy case: Federal prosecutors in Chicago say they fear a tainted jury pool if the public is allowed to see evidence from the upcoming conspiracy trial of six people, including four Democratic politicians, involved in protests at an immigration holding facility in Broadview. U.S. District Judge April Perry said Thursday that, “we’re going to have to deal with that, regardless,” as she scheduled the trial for May 26. * Sun-Times | Trial set for May in ‘Broadview Six’ conspiracy case against Operation Midway Blitz protesters: Judge Perry agreed with parties from both sides that a questionnaire should be sent out to potential jurors beforehand, given all the sensitive issues surrounding the allegations and immigration policy more broadly. “It would be kind of nice to have a prescreened pool coming in that Tuesday,” Perry said. She said it would also be helpful to find out how jury selection was handled for the recent murder-for-hire trial of Juan Espinoza Martinez, who was acquitted on charges of putting a hit on Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino. * Press release | Reilly Campaign Demands Preckwinkle Apologize to Parents at School Districts That Lost Millions Thanks to Tyler Technologies Disaster: In an interview that aired last night on ABC 7 News, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle once again refused to take any accountability for the Tyler Technologies tax system disaster that is happening on her watch. Preckwinkle claimed that the county’s tax system is “fixed,” despite the fact that school districts throughout Cook County have been forced to spend over $120 million in unnecessary interest costs because they did not receive tax receipts from the county on time. Preckwinkle has not announced any plans to reimburse those school districts, which means that local taxpayers will be forced to pick up the tab for her mismanagement. The Reilly for Cook County Board President campaign is now demanding that Preckwinkle apologize to parents at school districts hurt by her incompetent management of county government. * Reilly has a new anti-Preckwinkle ad…
* 25News Now | Illinois Gaming Board tables Par-A-Dice redevelopment plan decision: The Illinois Gaming Board decided Thursday to table a controversial decision regarding the modernization of the Par-A-Dice Casino & Hotel in East Peoria. Boyd Gaming Company, the parent company behind the casino, also announced that they are ditching plans to build a land-based casino. Instead, the company’s current plan is to keep the casino on the river and move toward a “permanently moored barge design.” This structure would, according to Boyd, be located directly on the water and avoid a potential legal battle with Peoria. * BND | Recovery center’s halfway house finds rare support among Belleville neighbors: No one spoke in opposition to the project at a Belleville Zoning Board of Appeals hearing or a Belleville City Council meeting this month. In fact, some neighbors spoke in favor of it. “I just think (the partners) were very straightforward with us,” said Donald Cramer, 83, a retiree who has lived next door with his wife, Wanda, for 47 years. “That’s what convinced us.” The Cramers also were happy to see the partners fully renovate the former apartment building, which had fallen into serious disrepair. * Capitol News Illinois | Search warrant shows why FBI is investigating former metro-east police chief: The FBI is investigating Pingsterhaus, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, for possible wire fraud and theft of federal funds, according to the search warrant, obtained by Capitol News Illinois and the Illinois Answers Project. The FBI rents space in the Carlyle police station in downstate Clinton County. No criminal charges have been filed against Pingsterhaus, who resigned in December, and neither the city nor the FBI would discuss the nature of the allegations. * WMBD | Five Tazewell County students’ designs selected for new ‘I Voted’ stickers: A press conference was held to honor the five students, three from Pekin Community High School, one from Pekin Edison Junior High School and another from Washington Central Grade School. Out of a plethora of designs, the Tazewell County Board selected those belonging to the five students, most of whom created a sticker with the American flag embedded in some fashion. * NPR Illinois | Eagle Day events along the Illinois River this Saturday: The annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day, hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon and other partners, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 7 at multiple locations along the Illinois River in Fulton and Mason counties. The free public event offers visitors opportunities to learn about bald eagles and regional wildlife through live raptor programs, hands-on science activities, hiking and wildlife viewing. * NYT | Jeffrey Epstein’s Money Mingled With Silicon Valley Start-Ups: The billionaire Peter Thiel advised Mr. Epstein on potential investments in Palantir, Mr. Thiel’s data analysis company. Mr. Epstein put money into Jawbone, a popular wearable technology start-up, while his financial adviser was pitched on backing SpaceX. And Mr. Epstein tapped a Russian émigré who had become a public relations expert to help broker meetings with start-up founders and media outlets. Mr. Epstein’s connections to high-profile tech leaders including Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Reid Hoffman and Mr. Thiel have been well documented, and some have expressed regret for associating with the financier. The latest batch of files offer deeper insights into how Mr. Epstein made his money after his 2008 conviction and continued to fund a lavish lifestyle by amassing assets worth more than $600 million before his 2019 arrest, according to an audit of his finances within the files. Mr. Epstein was introduced to Coinbase by Brock Pierce, a crypto entrepreneur with a checkered financial past, who later sent him frequent updates on the state of the business that were signed by Mr. Ehrsam or Coinbase’s chief executive, Brian Armstrong. In 2018, an investment firm founded by Mr. Pierce sought to buy half of Mr. Epstein’s Coinbase holdings for $15 million. It is unclear if, or when, Mr. Epstein sold the other half.\\ * Brennan Center | Prison Gerrymandering Distorts Representation: Prison gerrymandering — the practice of counting incarcerated people at their detention facilities rather than their homes during redistricting — distorts political representation, inflating the clout of active voters living in districts with prisons at the expense of the communities from which incarcerated people come. This report assesses the level of distortion in state lower-house maps due to prison gerrymandering and illustrates how power could shift if all people were instead counted at their homes. [From Rich: Illinois will do this beginning with the next decennial census.]
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Catching up with the federal candidates
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Robin Kelly just rolled out a new ad…
Rate it. * The Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association sent out this pro-Juliana Stratton mailer recently…
One small problem: Rep. Marcus Evans has not endorsed Stratton. Evans told Rich he asked to be taken off the mailer a week before it went out. His name stayed on anyway. Oops. Click here for the full mail piece. * Moving on to the 9th Congressional District. Politico…
Click here for the press release Biss sent out after the forum. * In the 8th CD, Kevin Morrison responds to the pro-Melissa Bean super PAC ad we told you about yesterday….
Click here for a refresh on the pro-Bean ad. * Press release…
* More… * Evanston Now | Andrew, Biss go on offense in lively forum: State Sen. Mike Simmons, who was not in attendance Wednesday but in Springfield for a three-day legislative session, had also released a list of Fine’s donors with histories of supporting Republicans this week, writing in a statement, “Neighborhoods like the one I grew up in are never going to see real progress if we elect Democrats who accept contributions from Republican megadonors.” * Evanston Now | Fine on Super PAC: ‘I would love to know who’s funding it’: “I don’t know what the extent is,” Fine said, but when asked if she supports the group disclosing its donors, even before it’s required to by the FEC, she said, “Absolutely. I mean, transparency.” The Super PACs aren’t legally required to disclose donors until Mar. 20, three days after Illinois’ primary elections. * Fox Chicago | Illinois Senate primary debate: Submit your questions for the candidates: Among the large field of Democrats are three frontrunners who are slated to join Fox Chicago on Monday, Feb. 16, for a live debate about the major issues facing the country. * Press release | Statewide Coalition of Leaders Endorsing Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate Grows: “I am honored to have the backing of these local leaders who fight day in and day out to improve the lives of working families in their communities,” said Raja. “With their partnership, I look forward to bringing the needs and priorities of all Illinoisans — from Coffeen to Rockford — to the floor of the U.S. Senate.” * Press release | Collinsville Democrats and Tri-Cities Democrats Endorse Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate: Today, the Collinsville Township Democrats and the Tri-Cities Democrats (representing Democrats from Granite City, Nameoki, Venice, and Chouteau in Madison County) both announced their endorsements of Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate, strengthening a rapidly growing coalition of Metro East leaders and downstate organizations rallying behind his campaign. Their support underscores Raja’s deep connections to downstate Illinois and his commitment to delivering results for working families in every corner of the state. * Press release | Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorses Juliana Stratton for US Senate: Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) endorsed Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate. Senator Warren is the third sitting member of the U.S. Senate to endorse Juliana, in addition to Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). “Lieutenant Governor Stratton is a champion for working families with a strong record of delivering results — increasing pay for workers, lowering costs like health care, and expanding educational opportunities. I’m proud to endorse Juliana Stratton as the next U.S. Senator for Illinois,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “She is progressive fighter who is not taking a penny of corporate PAC money. We need real fighters in Washington right now, and I am confident that Juliana Stratton is that fighter for the people of Illinois.” * Daily Northwestern | Illinois Federation of Teachers endorses Biss for Congress: The Illinois Federation of Teachers endorsed Mayor Daniel Biss in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District race Thursday, adding to Biss’ repertoire of statewide and Chicago-area union supporters. IFT also announced that it would endorse Democrats Patrick Hanley for Illinois Senate and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate. * Press release | Laura Fine Endorsed By REALTORS® PAC: “We are proud to endorse Laura Fine for Congress. She is committed to supporting affordable housing by increasing housing supply and building in communities that need it most,” said Carrie Little, the 2026 RPAC Trustees Chair. “Her thoughtful leadership in the state house has helped make the communities she has served stronger and we know she will continue that great work in Congress.” * Press release | Illinois Congressman Brad Schneider Endorses Democrat Donna Miller for Congress in Illinois’ 2nd District: Today, U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (IL-10) announced his endorsement of Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District, citing her proven record of leadership, commitment to health care access and ability to deliver results for Illinois families “Donna Miller understands Illinois communities and knows how to get things done,” said Congressman Brad Schneider. “As Cook County Commissioner, she has led with integrity and delivered real results, especially when it comes to health care, economic opportunity and standing up for seniors and working families. Illinois needs leaders like Donna Miller and I’m proud to support her.” * Press release | Unbought, Unbossed, Unafraid: IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Receives Catch Fire Movement Endorsement: Today, Catch Fire Movement announced its endorsement of Anabel Mendoza in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District. Catch Fire, a national organization dedicated to advancing a foreign policy rooted in peace, diplomacy, and human rights, praised Anabel’s leadership, values, and unwavering commitment to working people. * Press release | Congressman Scott Peters endorses Melissa Bean for congress: Statement from Congressman Scott Peters: “New Dems are committed to breaking through gridlock to deliver real results for the American people, and that ethos is more important today than ever before. In a time of chaos, we need pragmatic leaders who know how to get things done – Melissa Bean embodied that spirit during her time in Congress, and I’m thrilled to support her as she runs to represent the people of IL-08 once again.”
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Caption contest!
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * From Alyssa Goodstein…
Alyssa said his name is Laddoo and he’s a green cheek conure…  What a cutie. Maybe needs more coffee, though. Or not so much.
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It’s just a bill (Updated)
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The House Republican Organization is targeting a bill from Democrat Rep. Murri Briel…
Republican Liz Bishop lost a very close race to Democrat Briel in 2024. Bishop is facing Crystal Loughran in the Republican primary. * Rep. Briel responded yesterday, calling the claims an “influx of inaccurate news.” Press release…
“With that being said I am currently working on an amendment.” Sigh. …Adding… GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey…
* Moving on to SB3368 from Sen. Sue Rezin…
* Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado…
* WAND…
* Patch…
* Sen. Karina Villa introduced SB3407 yesterday…
* Rep. Nabeela Syed filed HB5098 today…
* More…
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Big Tax-Exempt Hospitals Are Turning Patient Discounts Into Corporate Profits
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Across Illinois, large hospital systems and corporate PBMs are profiting from a program meant to help patients. The 340B program allows hospitals to buy medications at steep discounts, but those savings aren’t passed on to patients in need. Instead, large hospitals charge patients full price for 340B-discounted drugs, keep the difference, and share the cash with for-profit chain pharmacies and PBMs.
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Little boxes all the same
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * We’ve talked about it on the blog a little bit, but with AIPAC ads now hitting the airwaves in a few congressional districts, it’s probably worth digging into red boxing a bit more. The New York Times explains how it works…
* A lot of the pro-Fine ad content appears to come straight from her “media center.” Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
From Fine’s redboxing page…
* Daniel Biss’ redboxing page, updated this week, is here. Evanston Roundtable recently wrote about the super PAC backing Biss…
* Kat Abughazaleh’s media kit can be found here. From her redboxing page…
There haven’t been reports yet of a super PAC supporting Abughazaleh. Other candidates getting super PAC support today include 2nd CD candidate Donna Miller (ad here, redboxing here) and 8th CD candidate Melissa Bean (ad here, media center here). * In the 2nd CD, Robert Peters’ redboxing page goes after Donna Miller…
* 8th CD candidate Junaid Ahmed may have the most detailed redboxing I’ve seen…
The page also goes after Bean for being “Wall Street’s favorite Democrat.” * Anyway, what are your thoughts on these ’little boxes’…
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Support 340B Legislation This Spring: NO Budget Appropriation, NO Cost To Taxpayers
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] When it comes to healthcare, what’s at stake this legislative session? It’s the health of Illinois communities, large and small, urban, suburban and rural. Hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) serve patients and communities throughout the state, with FQHCs providing essential primary care and hospitals providing lifesaving care around the clock. Yet hospitals and FQHCs face increased costs—from supplies to staffing—just like everyday Americans challenged to make ends meet. What’s more, H.R. 1 will strip Illinois of up to $57 billion in federal Medicaid dollars over 10 years, leaving up to 500,000 vulnerable Illinoisans without health coverage. Over 30 years ago, the federal government created the 340B Drug Pricing Program to help hospitals and FQHCs that serve many uninsured and low-income patients expand access to care and provide more comprehensive healthcare services. Recent drugmaker restrictions have made it difficult for hospitals and FQHCs to offer the services historically marginalized communities deserve. With 340B savings, hospitals and FQHCs are investing in their communities. They’re offering free lifesaving health screenings, expanding critical healthcare services in underserved communities, providing free transportation to medical appointments, adding mobile clinics and new freestanding clinics, and more. Legislator support is critical to ensuring 340B survives and communities thrive—at NO cost to taxpayers and with NO budget appropriation needed. Stand with Illinois hospitals and FQHCs for 340B. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Building owner OK’d Trump administration’s raid of Chicago apartment complex, court records show. Sun-Times…
- Federal officials claimed the area surrounding the building in South Shore was a hub for Venezuelan gangs, but new arrests reports show it was targeted in the jarring raid because “illegal aliens were unlawfully occupying apartments.” - All remaining building residents were forced out in December after the complex was foreclosed on, along with two other South Side buildings owned by Flood. Sponsored by the Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals: Our Healthcare Backbone At Risk. Safety-net hospitals are the backbone of Chicago’s Black and Brown communities. They provide emergency and lifesaving care for families who rely on them. They also support thousands of good, local healthcare jobs, serving as economic anchors in neighborhoods that have faced decades of disinvestment. With federal support being reduced, safetynet hospitals need more resources – not less – to avoid further strain that could irreversibly damage local health systems and weaken the essential services our communities rely on. Now, these hospitals are under threat. This is not reform. It is a sell-off of community healthcare, driven by outsiders – not by the needs of patients, workers, or neighborhoods. Save safety-net hospitals. Protect our care, our jobs, and our communities. * The pro-Stratton Illinois Future PAC placed $7.1 million in new ad reservations yesterday…
* STLPR | Greater St. Louis Inc. took public officials on trips to tour huge data centers with Ameren in tow: One such trip took place in December, when officials from Greater St. Louis Inc. and Ameren traveled to a Google data center in Nebraska with city and county officials from communities in Missouri and Illinois, according to newly obtained documents. […] Madison County Board Chairman Chris Slusser, along with Cathy Hamilton, the county’s economic development director; Granite City Mayor Mike Parkinson; Troy City Administrator Jay Keeven; Jefferson County County Executive Dennis Gannon, and Festus City Council member Jim Trinnin attended the trip. Three Ameren employees from Missouri and Illinois were also on the trip. * Daily Herald | ‘All of us want them to stay’: GOP governor candidates opine on Bears’ threats to go to Hoosier state: “If I was governor, that property would be half-built by now,” said Heidner, who called the 326-acre site a “city inside of a city in Arlington Heights.” […] “I oppose giving any public money … directly to the Bears,” [Dabrowski] said. “Of course, for the infrastructure, this public infrastructure that would benefit all communities, I’m for that. But I’m not looking for deals that force our taxpayers to subsidize a big company like the Bears.” * Tribune | Illinois voter guide to the 2026 primary election on March 17: Primary elections for federal, state and local races will all be on the ballot with voters deciding who will advance to the general election for the following offices. To see who is already representing you, click here and enter your home address. * Crain’s | Chicago banks see loan demand return as tariff and labor woes ease: Chicago banks posted strong profit growth in the fourth quarter as loan demand returned, and expectations are high for the year ahead even as uncertainty on interest rates looms. “Banks exceeded expectations in all the right areas,” said Terry McEvoy, banking industry analyst with financial services firm Stephens. “That momentum is a result of expanding net interest margins . . . returning loan demand, managing expenses and maybe even more importantly credit quality trends.” * Block Club | Aida Flores Again Running For 25th Ward Aldermanic Seat: Aida Flores, born and raised in Pilsen, said in a Sunday news release she is again vying for the 25th Ward seat. Her announcement comes just days after incumbent Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez launched his bid for Congress — though he hasn’t yet said if he’ll also run for reelection as alderman. The 25th Ward covers Pilsen, University Village and a portion of Little Village. The 25th Ward election is Feb. 23, 2027. * Block Club | South Side Irish Parade Names 2026 Grand Marshal And Honoree: Bill Letz, chair of the 2026 South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade, said the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has been “honoring those who have given their lives or been seriously injured in the line of duty for decades.” “We are pleased to name Tunnel to Towers Foundation as grand marshal, honoring the significant financial impact the foundation makes by helping the injured and their families across the country, in the Chicago area, and right here in our own community,” Letz said in a press release. * Chicago Reader | Chicago housing workers call the city’s encampment closures ‘unconscionable’: The closure of the Chicago Avenue encampment “literally made no sense whatsoever,” said Ali Simmons, senior case and street outreach worker at the Law Project at Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness. In an interview, Simmons pointed to the closure as an example of what he sees as the futility and waste of encampment evictions more broadly. “If one person on a block is making a ruckus, [authorities] don’t come in and force the whole block to move,” he said. “So, why is it any different for somebody experiencing homelessness? [The city] collectively blamed everybody and displaced the whole encampment.” * Crain’s | Willis Tower tenant nears big expansion: Trading firm IMC is close to adding about 100,000 square feet of new workspace in Willis Tower, a deal that would give the Dutch company one of the largest trading-firm footprints in Chicago as the downtown office market struggles with rampant vacancy. The Amsterdam-based company is in advanced discussions to drastically expand its footprint in the 110-story tower at 233 S. Wacker Drive, according to people familiar with the matter. IMC would lease more than 250,000 square feet in the skyscraper if the deal is completed, making United Airlines the only larger tenant at the property. * The Real Deal | Not in this town: More Chicago suburbs crack down on short-term rentals: Skokie officials passed an ordinance Monday setting up a pilot program to ban new investor-owned short-term rentals in the village. And the Evanston City Council is considering passing tighter regulations to cap the number of short-term rentals in the city. The changes add to a growing list of local governments aiming to clamp down on the number of vacation rentals offered through apps like Airbnb and Vrbo. Neighbors have complained that dedicated vacation rentals create noise, disruptions and drive up costs in an already strained housing market. * Aurora Beacon-News | Indian Prairie school board OKs almost $26 million in renovations at Neuqua Valley High School: In 2024, voters approved a proposal from the district to sell up to $420 million in bonds to pay for facility improvements. The bonds are to be paid for using a continuation of an existing 37-cent property tax per $100 of equalized assessed value that would otherwise have expired at the end of 2026, meaning the tax rate for residents in terms of their contribution to capital projects will effectively remain flat as a result of the referendum question’s passage. * Daily Southtown | Flossmoor approves production studio development plan on village-owned land: The Village Board approved an agreement last month with the production company Only Believe Entertainment to develop abandoned village-owned land into a studio and production space. Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson said the project will benefit the town by drawing in production crews and revenue for every new project. “Each one of these films has their own crew, contractors and whatnot, and artists and actors, so it’ll bring in a fresh new crew to the village whenever there’s a production happening,” Nelson said. * WGLT | Community leaders are apprehensive about prospects for insurance regulation: Patrick Hoban, head of the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council [EDC], last week expressed some alarm about the prospect of such regulation and its potential impact on employment and the economic base. “Some of this needs to settle down because what that will do to our community is unheard of. It’s not to scare everybody, but they at least are talking. But the concept that one industry makes up a third of our economy is terrifying. A quarter of all jobs rely on insurance,” said Hoban at an EDC presentation on the housing market. * WGEM | Quincy Public School Board reconsiders superintendent salary after candidate feedback, reopens search: Despite the challenges, Arns reaffirmed the board’s commitment to filling the position. “It’s a required position in the district, it’s something we have to have, and it’s the one job of the board to hire the superintendent. So we’re committed to doing that, finding that right person.” Because the original salary range ($200,000) was insufficient to attract qualified candidates, the Board is working with their search firm, Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates (HYA), to reopen the position for two weeks. * TEXT:WIFR | Dept. of Education Secretary Linda McMahon to visit Illinois school for History Rocks! tour: The History Rocks! tour is organized by the U.S. Department of Education in collaboration with Turning Point USA and other organizations as part of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition. […] The event, planned for 2:30 p.m. Feb. 5, was arranged by the student organization “Club America,” the high school’s chapter of Turning Point USA. The calendar event hosted on the school’s website says Genoa-Kingston High School was selected as a host for the History Rocks! tour which will feature “national-level speakers.” No further details about the identities of the speakers have been officially announced. * WGLT | Normal could dust off an old idea for a community sports complex: Mayor Chris Koos said one idea that has come up periodically over the last couple of decades is back again. “Surprisingly there’s a lot of chatter that I’ve heard, not just second hand from the focus groups but from studies and focus groups that the Chamber has done, is a sports complex,” Koos said in an interview with WGLT. Past sports complex initiatives have failed because of finances, and/or a lack of a public-private partnership. The last such initiative was in 2019-2020. It’s unclear given the interest rate climate and rising construction costs whether this time could be different. * WCIA | Effingham neighbors pack city council meeting, share concerns about halfway home: At the city council meeting on Tuesday, neighbors said their small street isn’t the right location for a transitional house that focuses on helping people recover from addiction. Meanwhile, others in attendance said the tenants aren’t bothering anyone and this is just another example of “not in my backyard.” “I didn’t wake up one day and (say), oh, (I’d like to) use drugs today,” said Merl Moulton, who showed up to the meeting to tell his story and alleviate fears over the new house. “We just got to stop that kind of mentality with that — (just put) people in prison (who) suffer from an addiction problem.” * WCIA | Macon Co. Beltway project on pause : The project was planned to be a 22-mile loop around the City of Decatur. Now, work is temporarily stopped as officials figure out what roads they should pay for and work on first. The original plan was for the roadway to be created in stages, starting with Busch College Road. But now, the city is looking at a different area to re-start construction. * WIRED | Measles Is Causing Brain Swelling in Children in South Carolina: ncephalitis is a rare but severe complication of measles that can lead to convulsions and cause deafness or intellectual disability in children. It usually occurs within 30 days of an initial measles infection and can happen if the brain becomes infected with the virus or if an immune reaction to the virus causes inflammation in the brain. Among children who get measles encephalitis, 10 to 15 percent die. It’s not known how many children in South Carolina have developed this serious complication. Under state law, measles cases must be reported to the South Carolina Department of Public Health, but measles hospitalizations and complications do not need to be disclosed. * Swarthmore | Understanding the Political Disconnect: To find out why lower-income people vote at significantly lower rates than other Americans, a group of Swarthmore researchers conducted in-depth interviews with a diverse group of 144 Pennsylvanians who do not vote regularly. Respondents described a deep sense of disconnection from politics, saying they don’t believe elected officials are sincerely interested in helping them or their families.
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Good morning!
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sometimes our commenter Dotnonymous x posts videos late at night. They’re usually pretty good. This one was excellent. Don Nix wrote it, Leon Russell produced it and Freddie King belted it out… Let me down This is an open thread.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password) (Updated)
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Feb 5, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ProPublica…
* Senate President Don Harmon’s response to Illini Republicans social media post that we told you about earlier this week…
The now-deleted post was an illustration of a masked gunman holding a weapon to a kneeling man’s head, with the caption “Only traitors help invaders. * Sun-Times | USPS postmark change could ‘threaten’ mail-in voters, Cook County officials warn: “While this change has been described as ‘minor,’ its impact on elections could be anything but,” Gordon said. Because mail is often processed days after it is dropped off, if ballots are postmarked after Election Day it could jeopardize whether votes are counted. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received within 14 days to be counted. The policy change went into effect Dec. 24. * Illinois Pork Producers Association | Illinois Crowns Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Sandwich: Buford’s Pub stood out among nominated restaurants statewide, capturing top honors for its oversized, hand-breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and its loyal following among pork tenderloin enthusiasts. “It’s always good to be rewarded for hard work. We make hundreds of tenderloins each week and to be nominated and awarded the best in Illinois is just unbelievable,” said Jeff Buckler, owner of Buford’s Pub. “There are hundreds of restaurants out there making delicious tenderloins. It’s still hard to fathom the following of this sandwich. People will travel hours for one and then to hear they loved ours brings tears to my eyes.” * Capitol News Illinois | State looks to expand manufacturing training at community colleges: As the U.S. sheds manufacturing jobs, Illinois is accepting applications for $24 million in grant funding to establish training facilities at community colleges aimed at bolstering the state’s manufacturing labor pool. The funding is for six “manufacturing training academies” at downstate community colleges that will add to two existing academies that opened in 2024. The new grants will be awarded through a bidding process. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced that the latest application window opened in January. Community colleges outside of Cook and the collar counties can apply for grants ranging from $3 million to $6 million. * NYT | State Fiscal Chiefs Protest Federal Immigration Chaos: Other states have also experienced extended Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence, including Illinois, where Operation Midway Blitz took place in the fall. Mike Frerichs, the state’s treasurer, said sales and income taxes dipped during that period, as people fearing federal officers avoided restaurants and shops in neighborhoods like Chicago’s Little Village “If you’re terrorizing people, and they think they’re going to be arrested or shot, they’re going to stay home, and they’re not going to be spending money,” Mr. Frerichs said. “Donald Trump and Stephen Miller may not care about immigrants to this country, but the fear and chaos that they are sowing in our cities are having ripple effects on taxpaying Americans.” * Block Club | City Sues For Millions In Damages After ‘Worst Landowner’ Property Auction Fails: When the woman dubbed Chicago’s “worst landowner” was forced to sell off her real estate empire of vacant lots on the South and West sides as part of a legal settlement, city officials had hoped the deal would generate millions of dollars for its coffers and slow the spreading blight. But the sale fizzled. And the city didn’t get a dime out of it. Now, the city is suing the company that ran the auction, claiming the firm was negligent and incompetent and overvalued the land, which left the city hanging out to dry when the sale flopped. * Tribune | Federal judge dismisses whistleblower lawsuit from former COPA investigator: The lawsuit brought by Matthew Haynam claimed that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was fired by former COPA chief administrator Andrea Kersten in August 2024 after he reported her alleged malfeasance to the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and the city’s Office of Inspector General. Federal court records show the two-count suit was dismissed on Jan. 29 by U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow for Haynam’s failure to state a claim. A lawyer for Haynam did not immediately comment. * Sun-Times | Experts baffled over how teacher with child sex abuse record could pass Chicago Archdiocese background check: But experts told the Sun-Times it’s hard to believe a person’s lengthy criminal record wouldn’t come up in a background check. “I find that almost impossible,” said Mike Leonard, a Chicago-based criminal defense attorney who specializes in state and federal criminal matters and civil employment. “Especially with a fingerprint check. There is no possible way you couldn’t come up with some sort of record. … Even a Google search would likely pull something up.” * Tribune | Cook County court clerk piloting electronic traffic tickets: Drivers pulled over for traffic violations in a growing number of Cook County suburbs will be able to pay tickets online for the first time under a new pilot from Circuit Court Clerk Mariyana Spyropoulos. The clerk’s office, long buried in paper, historically relied on a wholly manual process where officers that wrote drivers up on patrol would take a batch of handwritten tickets back to the station and mail it to the clerk’s office. Once they arrived at the clerk, they were typed up to be entered into the court’s system. That process meant it took sometimes a week or more for that information to make it into the system. Drivers anxious to pay their tickets right away were unable to because clerks couldn’t yet match their payment with violations. At times, violators would mail in checks and clerks would have to try to track down their citation later, Spyropoulos said. * Naperville Sun | Naperville council votes to pause contract talks with electricity provider IMEA: Contract renewal discussions have been ongoing for nearly two years, and in August the council voted to negotiate independently with IMEA on a number of provisions that could be included in a future contract with the agency. On Tuesday night, the council heard from Naperville residents in favor of and opposed to extending the IMEA deal, with more than 20 people speaking on the topic. * Daily Southtown | Orland Park Village Board approves $12 million in pool renovations at fitness center, discusses legislative priorities: The Village Board also discussed its 2026 legislative priorities, though no set list was approved. While William Healy suggested additions to the running list of priorities, such as repealing the SAFE-T Act, that eliminated cash bail in Illinois. Other board members emphasized building relationships at the state level and funding local projects. Listed priorities include requesting funding for the remainder of a Southwest Highway/143rd Street road project, including $40 million needed to complete 143rd Street from Wolf Road to West Avenue, $3 million needed to complete 143rd Street from West Avenue to Southwest Highway and $3.6 million to complete 143rd Street from Wolf Road to Will-Cook Road. * Evanston Now | Hundreds knit hats as ICE protest: Organizers say the event raised over $5,000 for three immigrant aid groups — Sanctuary Evanston, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the National Immigrant Justice Center. The hat protest was inspired by actions of Norwegians in the 1940s who made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of protest against the Nazi occupation of their country. * Illinois Times | Both data center plans move forward: A public hearing on CyrusOne’s plan to build a 636-megawatt data center complex covering 1.4 million square feet on 230 acres of farm ground in the 13000 block of Thayer Road in Talkington Township, 14 miles southwest of Springfield, is scheduled Feb. 19 in front of the Sangamon County Zoning Board of Appeals. The ZBA will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Sangamon County Board chambers, Room 222 of the Sangamon County Complex, 200 S. Ninth St., Springfield, to hear testimony on the plans and consider making a non-binding recommendation to the County Board. * WCIA | Transportation company looks to buy new Urbana facility: The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is working on bringing a new downtown Urbana transfer facility to the city. With a price tag of $25 million, the company said it needs money and is applying for a federal grant. If they are awarded the grant, they say the new building will be near the old Urbana Civic Center. * WAND | Several central Illinois small businesses awarded through research grant program: Through competitive awards of up to $75,000, the program helps companies pursue research and development projects in partnership with a qualified Illinois university. “The Innovation Voucher Program is enhancing research and development across key sectors - solidifying Illinois’ reputation as a center for innovation. These investments grow our economy, empower our small businesses, and encourage collaboration between startups and Illinois’ renowned universities,” said Governor JB Pritzker. * WAND | Springfield District 186 announces death of former superintendent: Springfield Public School District 186 announced the death of a former superintendent on Tuesday. District 186 shared in a Facebook post that Diane Rutledge died following a battle with ALS. The district said Rutledge helped shape the district for more than three decades and advocated for public education even after her retirement. * NYT | Supreme Court Clears Way for California Voting Map: The unsigned order did not include a vote count or the court’s reasoning, which is typical in such emergency decisions. “Donald Trump said he was ‘entitled’ to five more congressional seats in Texas,” Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said in a statement on Wednesday. “He started this redistricting war. He lost, and he’ll lose again in November.” * Texas Tribune | Texas Tech struggles with new rules that changed what students learn about race, gender, sexuality: When Henry Carter opened the syllabus for a spring class at Texas Tech University, he found “DO NOT READ” stamped next to page numbers in the middle of a required text. Another professor assigned a new textbook, then days later told students not to buy it. The syllabus for a third class labeled some readings as “censored.” This is Carter’s fourth semester at Texas Tech but the first under restrictions set by the system’s new chancellor, Brandon Creighton, limiting how race, gender and sexuality can be discussed in classrooms.
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Caption contest!
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Senate elevator in the newly refurbished Statehouse wing has “Yes” and “No” buttons… 
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Illinois Credit Unions: Working With You
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Many Americans still operate outside the traditional banking system. Some face barriers like:
• Lack of trust in financial institutions • Limited access to branches or digital tools • Language barriers • Poor or nonexistent credit history Without access to safe financial services, people often turn to payday lenders, check cashers, or high fee alternatives that trap them in cycles of debt. Credit unions recognize this gap and are designing solutions that meet people where they are. Fellowship Baptist Church Credit Union’s Winifred Jamon shares how credit unions are “a big brother or sister looking over your shoulder”: Learn more at www.betterforillinois.org Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Pensions; McCombie; Endorsements; Kifowit
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Keep Insurance Affordable
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Illinois General Assembly is considering legislation (HB 3799, SA 2 &3) that could make homeowners insurance unaffordable for many Illinoisans. The proposal would destabilize a healthy, competitive market, creating a regulatory framework that is more extreme than what exists in any other state. This will increase premiums and reduce competition. Our robust insurance market has kept homeowners’ rates middle-of-the-pack nationally, even though Illinois has more hail damage claims than any other state except Texas. To protect affordability and consumer choice, lawmakers should VOTE NO. For more information, visit www.KeepInsuranceAffordable.org
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Catching up with the congressionals (Updated)
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * AIPAC ads are apparently hitting the airwaves in a few congressional districts. Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
The Daniel Biss campaign…
* The ad supporting Melissa Bean in the 8th CD…
…Adding… Junaid for Congress…
* The spot supporting Donna Miller…
2nd CD candidate Sen. Robert Peters…
* Meanwhile, the Laura Fine campaign dropped a new internal poll. Evanston Now…
* In the 4th CD, US Rep. Delia Ramirez has endorsed Patty García. Press release…
* A person connected to the García campaign found minimal support from in-state donors for Independent opponent Mayra Macias…
Click here for a breakdown of Macías’ contributions. * More… * Press Release | Don Tracy Responds to Krishnamoorthi’s and Kelly’s Votes Against Ending Government Shutdown: The House voted this afternoon to end a partial government shutdown, funding most federal agencies and providing a 10-day extension for the Department of Homeland Security. The funding package included key Democrat demands, including restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol agents during operations, new investigative requirements, and revised use-of-force guidelines. Even after securing those concessions, Democratic leadership opposed the bill to reopen the government. The package passed by a narrow, bipartisan 217–214 vote, with only 21 Democrats voting to end the shutdown. Not a single one was from Illinois. * Press Release | Rep. Anna Moeller has endorsed Yasmeen Bankole for the 8th CD: “Yasmeen brings fresh leadership that is exactly what our community needs in this moment. She combines proven public service with a practical, people-first approach that will champion working families—fighting for good jobs, fair wages, and affordable essentials. I wholeheartedly endorse Yasmeen’s candidacy for Congress in the 8th Congressional District.” * Press Release | IL-07 Congressional Candidate Anabel Mendoza Endorsed by Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption: Today, Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption announced its endorsement of Anabel Mendoza in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, citing her commitment to rejecting corporate PAC money and challenging the outsized influence of AIPAC and other similarly powerful lobbying groups in American politics. The endorsement comes amid growing concern about the flood of outside political spending in the IL-07 race, with special-interest donors seeking to shape the outcome of a district they do not live in or represent. * Press Release | Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption (Track AIPAC) Endorses Reed Showalter in IL-07: In IL-07, Reed Showalter has been endorsed by Citizens Against AIPAC Corruption, also known as Track AIPAC, a grassroots national network working to end the outsized Israeli influence on United States politics. The organization supports candidates who reject money from AIPAC, the Israel lobby, and corporate PACs, and who publicly stand against the genocide in Gaza and demand an end to U.S. funding of ongoing war crimes. Reed Showalter, who has raised over a quarter-million dollars from thousands of individual donors, is facing opponents, such as Jason Friedman and Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who are supported by the pro-Israel lobby.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Matt and Sabrina in Rantoul who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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It’s just a bill
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for some background. SB3276 from Sen. Elgie Sims…
* GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey…
* Failed 2022 Republican attorney general candidate Tom DeVore…
DeVore is also backing GOP primary challengers to House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, Rep. Charlie Meier and Rep. Norine Hammond. That’s part of why McCombie accused DeVore last summer of acting like a “Democrat operative”. * HB4849 from Rep. Will Guzzardi…
* Sen. Laura Fine…
* Sen. Ram Villivalam introduced SB3285 yesterday…
* SB3268 from Sen. Laura Ellman…
* More…
* Center Square | Lawmaker says adopting federal ‘no tax on tips’ would help workers: A growing debate over how tipped income is taxed in Illinois has resurfaced as state Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, introduced legislation aiming to align Illinois law with the federal “No Tax on Tips” policy. […] “We all know that Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem, so we should be looking for every opportunity to cut taxes for Illinois citizens while simultaneously cutting government spending,” Deering said. * WAND | Illinois lawmakers, advocates hope House passes 340B reform plan: The 340B drug pricing program was created in 1992 to improve access to care at safety net hospitals and clinics, helping low-income and uninsured patients get critical prescription drugs. However, Illinois hospital leaders say Big Pharma has limited their access to medications, as 340Bs can only sign one pharmaceutical contract. * Post-Tribune | Ban on gratuities for public officials approved by Indiana House: A bill addressing gratuities in response to the federal case against former Portage Mayor James Snyder passed the Indiana House Monday and heads to the Senate for consideration. House Bill 1065 would make it a Class A misdemeanor for a person to offer a payment to a public servant as a reward for an official act taken by the public servant or a public servant to solicit or accept a payment as a reward for performing an official act. * North by Northwestern | Amid Native American mascot controversies, Willie the Wildcat continues to raise no red flag: In April, Illinois lawmakers passed the Prohibit Native American Name bill in the House of Representatives that would ban the use of Native American mascots in K-12 public schools. The ban includes an exemption for schools that form an agreement with a tribal council which preserves the importance of tribal sovereignty, said Aaron Golding. Golding is the co-chair of the Education Committee for the Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative. In June, prior to the closure of the legislative session, the bill was stunted in the Senate due to cost concerns from several Illinois lawmakers. These concerns stemmed from the large financial output that would be needed from public schools to change their mascots and possibly their entire brand. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, has expressed that her efforts to get more support for the bill are far from over. The evolution of this bill follows a similar trend to other proposals relevant to concerns within the Native community. “When there’s a racist mascot, the incidence of racism across all communities goes up, Golding said.” That’s why having a neutral mascot like Willie creates a more welcoming environment for local communities.
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Federal Cuts Challenge State Budgets, NO Taxpayer Dollars Needed For 340 Bill
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] While high-income earners are fueling consumer spending, weakness in the labor market, halting business investment, and massive federal budget cuts point to a $2.2 billion budget deficit for the state’s 2027 fiscal year, according to the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget. H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will negatively affect Illinois’ financial trajectory through its devastating Medicaid cuts and changes to the federal tax code. Amid the past year’s economic upheaval, many Illinoisans have found themselves pinched by higher prices for groceries, housing, and insurance premiums. Illinois hospitals continue to serve as strong economic engines in the communities they serve—generating a $135.5 billion statewide economic impact annually—even as they face similar cost challenges that impact their ability to care for patients. Hospitals also continue to partner with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to ensure FQHC patients have access to needed specialty care. A bill during the spring session will ask legislators to support Illinois hospitals, FQHCs and the patients who depend on them for lifesaving care. Requiring Big Pharma to pass on drug discount savings to providers, and the pharmacies their patients use, means no taxpayer dollars are needed. For over 30 years, the 340B drug discount program has been key to saving lives and enhancing health. Stand with hospitals and FQHCs for 340B. Learn more.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers were told about this yesterday. ICYMI: Pritzker sticking to proposal to fully fund pensions. Capitol News Illinois…
- Pritzker’s plan calls for fully funding pensions by 2048, rather than 90% by 2045. He also calls for devoting extra revenue to pensions and ensuring Tier 2 complies with Social Security requirements. - The We Are One coalition, a group of unions asking lawmakers to reform Tier 2 to comply with “Safe Harbor” and make benefits more attractive to workers, said Pritzker’s continued push for his plan ignores “the growing recruitment and retention crisis driven by the inadequate Tier 2 pensions.” * Related stories… Sponsored by the Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals: Our Healthcare Backbone At Risk. Safety-net hospitals are the backbone of Chicago’s Black and Brown communities. They provide emergency and lifesaving care for families who rely on them. They also support thousands of good, local healthcare jobs, serving as economic anchors in neighborhoods that have faced decades of disinvestment. With federal support being reduced, safetynet hospitals need more resources – not less – to avoid further strain that could irreversibly damage local health systems and weaken the essential services our communities rely on. Now, these hospitals are under threat. This is not reform. It is a sell-off of community healthcare, driven by outsiders – not by the needs of patients, workers, or neighborhoods. Save safety-net hospitals. Protect our care, our jobs, and our communities. * Daily Herald | Voting by mail? Don’t wait until the last minute: Thursday, Feb. 5, is the earliest ballots could start going out for those who have requested to vote by mail. However, some counties, including Cook and DuPage, may get theirs in the mail later. The DuPage County clerk’s office has announced that vote by mail and early voting in the county may not begin until early next week. That’s because officials are waiting for rulings on unresolved candidate objections from the appellate court. […] As a result of the postal changes, mail won’t be postmarked until it is processed, often meaning a postmark is not issued the day the mail is dropped off. * Tribune | Illinois Rewilding Law, first in US, a step toward state wetland protection: The Illinois Rewilding Law, which took effect last month, empowers the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to pursue projects that restore land to its natural state, said Illinois Rep. Anna Moeller, an Elgin Democrat and primary sponsor of the bill. The law could encompass the reintroduction of keystone species that improve ecosystems, like beavers and bison. But officials and environmentalists say closing the federal gaps in wetland protection is their focus right now. Largely symbolic, the Rewilding Law is the first step toward enacting legislation with permitting powers, they say. * WCIA | Driving under influence of marijuana ‘still a DUI,’ IL Sheriff’s Association reminds: “Impaired is impaired, but too often drivers under the influence of cannabis are making a selfish choice that puts them, their passengers, and the public at tremendous risk,” said Jim Kaitschuk, ISA executive director. “Our message is simple: if you’re impaired from cannabis and need to get somewhere, call an Uber, call a friend, call your mom, but do not get behind the wheel if you’re under the influence.” * Daily Herald | GOP state House candidate says he’s not a Holocaust denier: “Let me be unequivocally clear: I have never denied the Holocaust. The Holocaust is a historical fact and one of the most horrific acts of genocide in human history. Any attempt to deny, minimize or exploit such an horrific event is truly reprehensible,” he said in a statement. […] When she asked him whether he thinks it’s a false claim that six million Jews were killed, he replied, “I think the number is exaggerated,” adding, “Not saying that people weren’t wrongly killed or injustice didn’t happen.” * Press Release | Community Concerned Clergy to Announce Endorsement of Holly Kim for Illinois Comptroller: Community Concerned Clergy: A coalition of Chicago-area pastors and churches, including Chief Apostle William McCoy: Head of IPAE Network of Churches, Pastor Marvin Hunter, Apostle Joseph Franklin, Bishop Douglas Jackson, Bishop Gerald Anderson, Bishop Kenneth Coleman, Pastor John Harrell, Apostle Jeffrey Holiday, Pastor Isaiah Simpson […] February 4, 2026 12:00 PM * The Daily Northwestern | Ruttenberg takes slight fundraising lead over Hanley in state senate race: Hanley’s campaign held a steady lead for most of those months, raising $124,808 to Ruttenberg’s $91,415 prior to October. But between then and December, Ruttenberg doubled her amount of cash on hand and pulled ahead of Hanley. * Farm Week | Profitability top priority for IFB: While lawmakers opted to omit farmer economic support and a year-round E15 provision from a federal spending package in late January, Illinois Farm Bureau continues to push for solutions as farm operations remain caught between high operating costs and low commodity prices. The farm economy is the No. 1 issue Illinois farmers bring up to IFB President Philip Nelson. * Tribune | Chicago schools, transit, public housing remain rudderless under Mayor Brandon Johnson: Chicago’s schools, its train and bus system and its public housing agency have all been without permanent leaders for at least a year now under Mayor Brandon Johnson, complicating their mission to deliver essential services without someone setting clear goals and funding priorities at the top. As Johnson is about to reach the three-year mark in his first term, he has not named heads of the Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Housing Authority or Chicago Transit Authority, amid political challenges and sea changes in governance structures. * Center Square | Chicago mayor defends ICE order, calls for progressive revenue from state taxpayers: Johnson said he was looking at all forms of progressive revenue, even after several ballot measures failed. “In the meantime, we’re going to be focused in on our efforts in Springfield to draw more progressive revenue so that we can continue to make the necessary investments to build safe and affordable communities,” Johnson said. * Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson defends executive order aimed at holding ICE accountable for alleged abuses: Johnson said the executive order he outlined last weekend is “not something we thought we would have to do as a local municipality.” Under normal circumstances, Johnson said the federal government would “hold itself accountable” by investigating agents carrying out the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign. * CBS Chicago | South Shore Line plans $2.75 million in safety improvements after Chicago journalist’s death: After Bentkowski’s death, the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District — which operates the South Shore Line — installed yellow warning signs reading: “See tracks? Think train.” But the family said that was not enough. South Shore Line said more changes are coming. “Twelve, 14 months, I think, is a reasonable time frame to get this all installed,” said Michael Noland, president and CEO of the South Shore Line. He said gates, lights, and bells are part of a $2.75 million project coming to the Hegewisch Station. * Capitol News Illinois | ‘My own government attempted to execute me,’ Chicago woman shot by Border Patrol testifies: Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen and Chicago resident, was shot Oct. 4 during a confrontation with Customs and Border Patrol agents in Brighton Park in southwest Chicago. Court documents state that Martinez’s vehicle collided with a federal agent’s, although it is undetermined which vehicle initiated the collision. Martinez’s lawyers maintained she was not at fault for the accident and never intentionally hit the CBP agent’s vehicle. But the Department of Homeland Security quickly spun the incident as an “ambush” on federal agents, and Martinez was charged with assault — a charge that a judge has since dismissed with prejudice, meaning it can’t be refiled. * Sun-Times | Marimar Martinez goes to Washington, says she wants Trump officials to admit she’s not a ‘domestic terrorist’: A Homeland Security spokesperson told the Chicago Sun-Times this week that it “stands by our press releases and statements. The facts of what happened did not change.” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also released a statement Tuesday complaining about the politicians who held Tuesday’s forum. She said there’s been an increase in violence against federal agents. * Mediaite | Congressman Reads Texts From Border Agent Who Bragged About Shooting Chicago Woman: ‘5 Shots, 7 Holes’: “After being at the hospital for less than three hours, I was discharged from the hospital into custody of the FBI. As we left the hospital, I was escorted out through the back in a wheelchair. I observed over dozens of Border Patrol agents waiting outside the hospital,” Martinez said. “One of the agents came up to me with his cell phone and took a photograph of me. It was the same agent who had previously kept coming in and out [of my hospital] room, and I had to repeatedly tell him to leave.” * Crain’s | Chicago’s quantum park lands another global player: Quantum Machines is the sixth tenant that has said it expects to set up shop at the 138-acre research park under construction on the former U.S. Steel South Works along Lake Michigan near the Indiana border. Quantum Machines makes software that’s used to control quantum computers and interact with traditional systems. The company, headquartered in Tel Aviv, says its technology is used by more than half the companies developing quantum computers. * Cook County Assessor Kaegi accuses his opponent of taking money from a Trump donor “whose family cheered when ICE killed Alex Pretti”…
Kaegi appears to be referring to social media posts by Tony Loquercio, the brother of donor Bob Loquercio. Tony Loquercio did not contribute to Hynes’ campaign. The Hynes campaign…
* Daily Herald | ‘Indiana is moving fast’: Arlington Heights group rallies to keep Bears in Illinois: Touchdown Arlington, the coalition of business owners who support the team’s move to town, announced Tuesday plans for a public event “to show broad, visible community support” for tax break legislation that would bring a stadium and mixed-use district to the Arlington Park property. They’re cohosting it with Meet Chicago Northwest, the convention and visitors bureau covering the Northwest suburbs. Dubbed “Springfield Kickoff: Bring the Bears to Arlington Heights,” the event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 11, at the DoubleTree Arlington Heights hotel. * Daily Southtown | Orland Park Village Board member questions ethics surrounding approval of Amazon retail plan: William Healy raised concerns about a social media post made by Inform Orland Park, a political action committee, before the village Plan Commission voted in favor of the Amazon development, prompting outrage from other board members. Healy presented a copy of what he said was posted by Inform Orland Park Jan. 2, that the committee was “excited to share that an Amazon facility is coming to the corner 159th Street and LaGrange Road.” * Daily Southtown | More than 200 turn out for premiere of Park Forest documentary ‘Revisiting Utopia’: More than 200 current and former Park Forest residents crowded their way into the village’s Freedom Hall auditorium Saturday to view a 90-minute documentary about the community’s integration efforts. Produced by former resident Phil Rockrohr, “Revisiting Utopia” tracked the village’s efforts from its first Black resident to a sometimes contentious merger of students from Park Forest and Chicago Heights to the success of an “integration maintenance” program. * ABC Chicago | Retired CFD firefighter thanks Niles paramedics who saved his life: “I found out today I stopped breathing, and they did CPR. They did their job, thank God for them,” O’Connor said. And O’Connor had the chance to thank them in-person. The firefighters and paramedics were honored at a ceremony at their firehouse. * WAND | ISP releases body camera footage from fatal O’Fallon shooting: Illinois State Police have released disturbing body camera footage of the moment an O’Fallon police officer shot an armed suspect while responding to a disturbance call. […] On November 25, 2025, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office announced that no charges would be filed against the officer involved in the shooting. * WCIA | Decatur City Council hopes to bring jobs, money & industry with proposed power plant: It was standing room only as city council members voted six to one at Monday’s meeting in favor of letting Broadwing Energy construct a gas-fired, electricity and steam producing processor near the Archer Daniel Midland campus. Some in attendance pushed back and said there are too many risks involved with moving forward. […] “Everybody’s getting away from fossil fuels and getting what they’re adapting to,” said Jaquay Owens, who was one of the first speakers during public comment. “What’s going on 20, 30 years from now. That’s just what it’s going to be. So, let’s add that.” * WCIA | Springfield Green initiative returns as city prepares for busy tourism year: Buscher announced the program’s return on Monday, stating the focus will be on litter cleanup and beautification. Priority will be given to the downtown area, which is home to many of the city’s historic sites. The 100th anniversary of Route 66 and America’s 250th birthday are also expected to help bring in a record-breaking number of tourists to the capitol city in 2026. * SJ-R | Lobbyist for motorcycle rights organization weighs in on Egan sentencing: A lobbyist [Josh Witkowski] for a motorcycle rights organization said a sentence given on Jan. 30 to a retired Springfield Police sergeant who caused a 2024 collision that seriously injured a motorcyclist and a passenger near Lake Springfield was insufficient. * BND | Education Matters: Optimists raise thousands to help cover Belleville school costs: The Optimist Club of Belleville recently presented Belleville School District 118 with $8,000 it raised through its recent holiday movie partnership with Lincoln Theater. The money will help teachers purchase additional supplies to enhance their curriculum that are not covered in the district’s budget. Often, teachers use their own money to foot those costs. * BND | New plans, grand opening date unveiled for Belle-Clair Speedway’s comeback: * AP | Immigration agents draw guns and arrest activists following them in Minneapolis: “There’s less smoke on the ground,” Gov. Tim Walz said, referring to tear gas and other irritants used by officers against protesters, “but I think it’s more chilling than it was last week because of the shift to the schools, the shift to the children.” At least one person who had an anti-ICE message on clothing was handcuffed while face-down on the ground. An Associated Press photographer witnessed the arrests. * WaPo | Several states move to ban local cooperation in immigration arrests: At least eight other states have already either prohibited or set restrictions against local police and sheriff’s offices entering into what are known as 287(g) partnerships, which enable those agencies to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement take into custody people they say are in the country illegally. New Mexico, New York, Hawaii and Virginia are considering similar bans during their 2026 state legislative sessions. * AP | X offices raided in France as prosecutors investigate child abuse images and deepfakes: The French investigation was opened in January last year by the prosecutors’ cybercrime unit, the Paris prosecutors’ office said in a statement. It’s looking into alleged “complicity” in possessing and spreading pornographic images of minors, sexually explicit deepfakes, denial of crimes against humanity and manipulation of an automated data processing system as part of an organized group, among other charges. * ARS Technica | Newborn dies after mother drinks raw milk during pregnancy: A newborn baby has died in New Mexico from a Listeria infection that state health officials say was likely contracted from raw (unpasteurized) milk that the baby’s mother drank during pregnancy. In a news release Tuesday, officials warned people not to consume any raw dairy, highlighting that it can be teeming with a variety of pathogens. Those germs are especially dangerous to pregnant women, as well as young children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems. * Independent | Pentagon threatens to pull military support from Boy Scouts unless they restore ‘core values’: Scouting America has evolved vastly since its inception as the Boy Scouts. They began allowing girls to join Cub Scouts, its program for younger children, in 2018 and then expanded its Boy Scout program in 2019, allowing girls to become Eagle Scouts. The organization has become more welcoming toward transgender youth, openly gay members or adult leaders, and accepts members of all religions. But since reclaiming the White House, Trump has pressured higher education institutions, public organizations and private businesses to conform to traditional beliefs on gender identity, rescind policies on affirmative action, cease certain education programs and more.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Grammy Award-winner Buddy Guy… Saw a man down on the street This is an open thread.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Feb 4, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Feb 4, 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
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Tribune’s Alice Yin has some more information on a new super PAC…
* Rich and I are wishing the Illinois Credit Union League’s Keith Sias a speedy recovery!…
* Center Square | GOP candidates for Illinois governor challenge Pritzker on state finances: “I believe that when we crack this budget open and start showing the people where all this is going, I think we’re going to have most of what we need to work with to start tamping down on property taxes, energy prices and especially working with our pensions,” Bailey told The Center Square. Bailey said the state budget rose from around $32 billion in 2017 to more than $55 billion this year. * Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson says up to Cook County state’s attorney to prosecute federal agents: Speaking at a City Hall news conference, the mayor sought to redirect focus from his office’s authority by saying it’s up to Burke to approve criminal charges. But he declined to say whether any specific incidents fit the bill, a sign that his office does not have imminent plans to test out the order. “So I personally, I’m not looking at cases,” Johnson told reporters when asked if he was going to act on his new decree. “I don’t have jurisdiction authority over the state’s attorney, right? … We’re prepared and willing to always lead and to go first to create a pathway for accountability, and then, like any other case, the state’s attorney has their jurisdiction to decide if they’re going to move forward with prosecution. But that’s the autonomy that the state’s attorney has.” * Chicago Mag | The Battle of O’Hare: Industry analyst Robert Mann Jr. characterizes the conflict as a battle of press releases and big egos: “Mr. Kirby is attempting to essentially extend United’s lead in Chicago, and this put up a marker for [American CEO] Mr. [Robert] Isom, who has decided that he would like to even the score.” The professional history between Kirby and Isom may color the acrimonious relationship. In 2016, American pushed Kirby out as president, sending him packing with a $13 million severance package, and promoted then-COO Isom. Kirby quickly landed at United, where he started as president, then ascended to CEO in 2020. * Block Club | Families Scammed By Convicted Mortgage Fraudsters Are Still Fighting For Their Homes: * WTTW | Push to Expand CPD’s Curfew Power Stalls After Last-Minute Revision: However, Hopkins introduced a significantly revised measure moments before the City Council was set to vote on his third effort to expand the city’s curfew to stop teen gatherings. Hopkins said the revised measure is “vastly improved” and “avoids the constitutional question” raised by the original version. The new proposal does not mention the city’s curfew, but gives the city’s top cop the power to issue what it calls “a dispersal declaration” in areas where police leaders have determined they have probable cause to believe there will be a “disruptive youth gathering.” * Sun-Times | Only 1 in 4 of Chicago’s indie music venues is profitable. Owners say that data spells potential trouble: Adds Bruce Finkelman, the founder and managing partner of the hospitality collective 16” on Center, whose portfolio includes Empty Bottle, SPACE, Thalia Hall and the Salt Shed: “If we don’t get some of our business and government leaders to understand what the economic state of these venues is and the importance to the economic and cultural engine of Chicago, as the study clearly reports, then we’re in some trouble.” The biggest issue for many independent venue owners are the skyrocketing operating costs that have been affected by rampant rates of inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s something that everybody is feeling with the cost of living increases,” said Finkelman. And as he’s seen with 16” On Center’s varied portfolio, the predicament affects rooms of all sizes, no matter the capacity: “It’s plaguing everybody in the independent infrastructure.” * Crain’s | Plan for 28-story apartment tower adds to growing number of high-rises in Lincoln Park: A venture of Chicago-based Honore Properties and Elmhurst-based Peerless Development is seeking city approval for a 340-unit rental building at 1415 N. Dayton St., which currently holds a four-story loft office building. The team had initially targeted the property for an adaptive reuse project, like the office-to-residential conversion it’s completing at 811 W. Evergreen Ave., but the building’s configuration proved too challenging. Instead, the developers intend to use air rights from three nearby properties for a much denser development, something Honore founder Michael Shenouda said was “quite the puzzle” to put together. * * Tribune | Northwestern will open the new Ryan Field on Oct. 2 vs. Penn State — its 3rd home game of the season: Northwestern will open the new $862 million Ryan Field on Oct. 2 against Penn State, the athletic department announced Tuesday. The Friday night game will be played 100 years to the day of the first football game at the original stadium, then known as Northwestern Stadium. It will be the first of five games this season at the new stadium, followed by Ball State on Oct. 10, Rutgers on Oct. 24, Iowa on Nov. 7 and Illinois on Nov. 28. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County’s Kevin Bickner headed to his 3rd Olympics for ski jumping: ‘There’s nothing like it’: Out of retirement and ready to prove himself again, national ski jump record-holder and Wauconda native Kevin Bickner is returning to the Olympic stage for a third time this month, sharing what it’s like going from rookie to team veteran, and how he balances the sport with a “normal life” after reigniting his motivation. Bickner previously competed in the 2018 and 2022 Olympics. In 2017, he set the current American national ski jumping record, flying 244.5 meters, about 802 feet, during a jump in Vikersund, Norway. That’s a distance of nearly two and a quarter football fields, and just 80 feet short of the entire length of the Titanic. * Naperville Sun | Naperville ranks No. 12 in US for number of remote workers, study finds: The third-largest city in Illinois was recently recognized for having one of the highest rates of remote workers in the country, according to a study by SmartAsset, a company that provides educational content for consumers to make better financial decisions. SmartAsset ranked 357 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage of people working from home. The study used data from the 2023 and 2024 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. * Capitol News Illinois | Search warrant reveals FBI is investigating former Carlyle police chief: The FBI is investigating Pingsterhaus, a 30-year law enforcement veteran, for possible wire fraud and theft of federal funds, according to the search warrant, obtained by Capitol News Illinois and the Illinois Answers Project. The FBI rents space in the Carlyle police station in downstate Clinton County. No criminal charges have been filed against Pingsterhaus, who resigned in December, and neither the city nor the FBI would discuss the nature of the allegations. * WGLT | Normal refutes the need for extra fire station at town council meeting: The Normal firefighters union, Local 2442, has repeatedly claimed in town hall settings and at town council meetings that closing the College Avenue station would negatively impact response times and has urged the council to keep it open after the new east side station came online. At Monday’s meeting, a presentation was made that focused on town staff surveying response times for the 2024 calendar year, plotting response times for each incident, overlayed with expected response times calculated from a prediction model. The model did not account for traffic. * WCIA | Willard Airport, 700 homes left without power in Champaign-Urbana: The outage affecting the most customers is concentrated in Champaign and Urbana between I-74 and U.S. Route 150. The outage at Willard Airport started at 11:40 a.m., according to Ameren’s outage map. The first homes to lose power in Champaign and Urbana went dark at noon, growing over the next 45 minutes to include about 700 homes. Equipment damage was blamed for starting one part of the outage. The causes of the other outages were not made clear. * WaPo | U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t Helping: Manufacturers shed workers in each of the eight months after Trump unveiled “Liberation Day” tariffs, according to federal figures, extending a contraction that has seen more than 200,000 roles disappear since 2023. An index of factory activity tracked by the Institute for Supply Management shrunk in 26 straight months through December, but showed a January uptick in new orders and production that surprised analysts. The Census Bureau estimates that manufacturing construction spending, which surged with Biden-era funding for chips and renewable energy, fell in each of Trump’s first nine months in office. * WaPo | Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon: Homeland Security is not required to share how many administrative subpoenas it issues each year, but tech experts and former agency staff estimate it’s well into the thousands, if not tens of thousands. Because the legal demands are not subject to independent review, they can take just minutes to write up and, former staff say, officials throughout the agency, even in mid-level roles, have been given the authority to approve them. * Ken Klippenstein | Feds Identify “Leader of Antifa”: Twenty-nine year old Chandler Patey has been regularly protesting outside his local ICE facility in South Portland for months, offering up his apartment to fellow protesters to use the bathroom or wash off pepper spray, according to local news. To the Department of Homeland Security, “he is the leader of Antifa in Portland, OR.” […] The government’s elevation of an ordinary citizen like Patey to terrorist mastermind is the result of a subtle bureaucratic process revealed in this and other DHS documents I’ve obtained. They show that since almost the beginning of the Trump administration, DHS has been desperate to pull together evidence—no matter how thin—of an epidemic of left-wing domestic terrorism. * NYT | How the Supreme Court Secretly Made Itself Even More Secretive: Over the years, journalists and authors have sought to penetrate the court, and the justices have tried varying methods to guard its secrets. Some generations of clerks, but not others, said they were asked to sign a different kind of confidentiality pledge. The New York Times has not reviewed the new agreements. But people familiar with them said they appeared to be more forceful and understood them to threaten legal action if an employee revealed confidential information. Clerks and members of the court’s support staff signed them in 2024, and new arrivals have continued to do so, the people said. * Tech Crunch | Firefox will soon let you block all of its generative AI features: Firefox will begin catering to those who don’t want AI in their browser. On Monday, Mozilla announced that Firefox will soon let users block all current and future generative AI features. Users will also have the option to block certain AI features in Firefox, while keeping others, Starting with Firefox 148, which is rolling out on February 24, users will find a new AI controls section within the desktop browser settings.
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Um, Sid?
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * This is such an “effective” tool that Sid Blumenthal apparently doesn’t even realize that the Illinois General Assembly has been doing this very thing for years…
The 17th Amendment did pass, however, and now these resolutions are purely symbolic. I cannot remember one resolution that had a demonstrable impact on federal decision-making. Discuss.
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Catching up with the congressionals
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Chicago Tribune’s Editorial Board endorsed Sen. Laura Fine today. Her press release…
Emphasis added. While Sen. Fine was a hyphenated co-sponsor of the Healthcare Protection Act (HB5395), Sen. Robert Peters was the bill’s chief sponsor. * The Tribune crunched the fundraising numbers for Illinois’ five open congressional seats, including a look at the 8th CD…
* Campaign consultant Dana Houle weighs in on 9th CD candidate Kat Abughazaleh’s fourth quarter expenditures.…
Though Abughazaleh did spend a lot on consultants, she never said she wouldn’t use any. Abughazaleh’s original pledge was “no consultants who haven’t won an election this century.” Her campaign page says “no useless consultants,” which I guess is TBD. * Press release…
Macías didn’t include her fourth-quarter numbers in her press release, which was $125,000. Democrat Patty García pulled in $123,000, and Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, who just launched an independent bid, reported $7,000. * In the 7th CD, Melissa Conyears-Ervin announces her fundraising haul for the first four weeks of the year…
* More…
* Evanston Now | Supermajority vote for acting mayor to stay, for now: While the need to appoint an acting mayor has seldom arisen in Evanston, Biss’ run for Congress raises the possibility that the City Council may need to appoint an acting mayor if he win a hotly contested Democratic primary next month and the general election in November. If that happens, Biss told Evanston Now late last year, he intends to resign as mayor early enough to have the mayor’s race appear on the April 2027 ballot. If he were to wait until less than 130 days before that election to resign, an acting mayor appointed by the city council would serve until May 2029. * Press Release | Former Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot, Endorses Donna Miller for Congress: Congressional candidate Donna Miller’s campaign continues to build momentum as she heads into the final full month before the primary election, March 17, 2026. The 6th District Cook County commissioner has received the endorsement of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Mayor Lightfoot has come to know Commissioner Miller over the years and knows she is the right person at the right time to represent Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District “This endorsement is a no brainer,” says former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. ‘’Donna Miller is a proven leader who serves with integrity and effectiveness. She is exactly the kind of selfless public servant we need in Congress. Go, Donna, go!” * Press Release | Illinois Progressives Endorse Morgan Coghill as Grassroots Support Keeps Building: Morgan Coghill’s campaign for Congress today announced an endorsement from Illinois Progressives, adding to a growing list of organizations backing his candidacy in Illinois 10. The endorsement follows recent support from Northside Democracy for America, The Justice Coalition, the Illinois Muslim Action Network, and Cook County Latino Democrats. These endorsements reflect a growing rejection of the centrist strategy that has dominated this seat for years. * CBS Chicago | Who is running for the U.S. House in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition (Updated x3)
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Thanks, Debbie
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Great news…
* Back in the day, Illinois state Sen. Debbie Halvorson pushed hard to mandate the HPV vaccine in Illinois. But her proposal was met with an awful and ridiculously inappropriate pushback from the far-right Illinois Review publication and its anti-vax, witch hunt ilk. ArchPundit, among others, covered the story…
Wut? “She could discuss ways to avoid rape”? Are you freaking kidding me?
* OK, so why do I say “witch hunt?” Well, because an element of the far-right wanted females to suffer and even die for their behavior…
I just can’t with them.
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340B Drug Pricing Legislation Helps Patients At NO Cost To Illinois Taxpayers
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] As we anticipate Gov. JB Pritzker’s Feb. 17 budget address, one thing is sure: H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will have a negative impact. Just last month, University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs noted that “federal policy changes are expected to decrease health-care-related funding and pose a serious long-term challenge for Illinois.” They also pose serious challenges for hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Our state’s hospitals are 24/7 care providers, major employers and economic engines in the communities they serve. They partner with FQHCs to ensure seamless continuity of care. Yet many Illinois hospitals are struggling to survive in the face of rising costs and H.R. 1’s massive cuts. According to KFF, those cuts in Illinois will amount to:
• Up to $57 billion in lost Medicaid funding over 10 years. The expected Medicaid cuts aren’t just about money; they’re about individual lives. Many Illinoisans are struggling financially as food, electricity and housing costs have risen. Created in 1992, the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program helps hospitals and FQHCs that serve many uninsured and low-income patients invest in needed healthcare services. This spring, legislators will be asked to protect the 340B program—at NO cost to taxpayers and with NO budget appropriation. Patients across Illinois are counting on you. Learn more.
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* WCIA…
* Sen. Robert Peters…
* SB2804 from Sen Michael Halpin…
* More… * Sen. Graciela Guzmán | Illinois families can’t keep paying the bill for climate change damages: The Climate Superfund proposal would change that. Major fossil fuel producers would contribute to a state fund based on how much pollution they produced in the past. Those dollars would go directly to work that communities can see and use, including stronger stormwater systems, a more reliable power grid, cooling in schools and public buildings, and protection for infrastructure along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. Because the contributions are tied to past production, not current sales, they cannot simply be tacked onto families’ utility bills. Energy prices are set in global markets, not by what one state decides to do. * Axios | Illinois considers glitter ban over microplastics concerns: “Microplastics in personal care products are manufactured at a size that easily enters our waterways and our environment,” state Rep. Kimberly DuBuclet (D-Chicago), the author of the bill, said in a statement. DuBuclet used to be a commissioner for Chicago’s water department. […] The bill would prohibit the sale of glitter-based personal care products like makeup and hair products, but would not regulate glitter sold for celebrations. * NBC Chicago | Illinois lawmakers introduce bill to expand voter registration for high schoolers: Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., is a trailblazer, pioneer and icon who fights for voter rights and democracy, and a new bill seeks to honor his legacy in a unique way. House Bill 4339 is known as the Jesse Jackson, Sr., Young Voter Empowerment Law, and if passed it would require Illinois high schools to provide students with opportunities to register to vote. Participation on the part of students is voluntary, and the bill explicitly prevents partisan organizations from getting involved, making it a neutral and student-centered experience.
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Big Tax-Exempt Hospitals Are Turning Patient Discounts Into Corporate Profits
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Across Illinois, large hospital systems and corporate PBMs are profiting from a program meant to help patients. The 340B program allows hospitals to buy medications at steep discounts, but those savings aren’t passed on to patients in need. Instead, large hospitals charge patients full price for 340B-discounted drugs, keep the difference, and share the cash with for-profit chain pharmacies and PBMs.
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Oppo dump!
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I’m not sure who commissioned this Democratic US Senate poll, but I have my suspicions since one of these topics (post offices) was used in a debate. Anyway, I can’t vouch for many of these accusations, but it’s definitely worth noting because this is likely where we are heading…
  
 
The “happiness and joy” comment is here. The stuff about her cutting out on the 2019 session is here. To the newbies: Polls like this one are standard. Campaigns need to know if their attacks will work and if their opponents’ anticipated onslaughts will succeed. They’re important to us because they give us an idea about where the race might go. I shouldn’t have to explain this, but campaign season always brings out the novice experts.
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Keep Insurance Affordable
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Illinois General Assembly is considering legislation (HB 3799, SA 2 &3) that would make homeowners insurance unaffordable for many Illinoisans. The proposal would destabilize a healthy, competitive market, creating a regulatory framework that is more extreme than what exists in any other state. This will increase premiums and reduce competition. Our robust insurance market has kept homeowners’ rates middle-of-the-pack nationally, even though Illinois has more hail damage claims than any other state except Texas. To protect affordability and consumer choice, lawmakers should VOTE NO. For more information, visit www.KeepInsuranceAffordable.org
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Child care funding freeze could worsen shortage in Illinois, providers say. Capitol News Illinois…
- The Trump administration froze $10 billion in child care funding for Illinois and four other Democratic-led states in early January. The freeze has been blocked twice, and the most recent block expires on Feb. 6. - The administration said it was because of suspicions about fraud but provided no details or proof. But the five blue states targeted in the freeze say it’s a political move, that they already protect against fraud, and the administration intentionally gave them “an impossible task on an impossible timeline.” * Related stories… Sponsored by the Association of Safety-Net Community Hospitals: Our Healthcare Backbone At Risk. Safety-net hospitals are the backbone of Chicago’s Black and Brown communities. They provide emergency and lifesaving care for families who rely on them. They also support thousands of good, local healthcare jobs, serving as economic anchors in neighborhoods that have faced decades of disinvestment. With federal support being reduced, safetynet hospitals need more resources – not less – to avoid further strain that could irreversibly damage local health systems and weaken the essential services our communities rely on. Now, these hospitals are under threat. This is not reform. It is a sell-off of community healthcare, driven by outsiders – not by the needs of patients, workers, or neighborhoods. Save safety-net hospitals. Protect our care, our jobs, and our communities. * Tribune | Illinois joins World Health Organization network, after Trump administration withdraws from group: The Illinois Department of Public Health this week officially joined the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), which provides resources and information intended to help control outbreaks and public health emergencies around the world. California announced that it was the first state to join the network late last month. Illinois’ decision to join GOARN follows the U.S. resigning from the World Health Organization late last month, citing the organization’s “mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic,” a “failure to adopt urgently needed reforms” and “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S., among other things, in an order signed by Trump a year ago initiating the withdrawal. * Subscribers know more. Crain’s | Pritzker draws a line on pensions ahead of tight budget: Two weeks before he’s scheduled to present his next budget, Gov. JB Pritzker is laying down a marker that keeping the state’s sprawling pension burden in check is a top priority. In a policy paper released late Monday, Pritzker repeated his proposal from two years ago that lawmakers commit to 100% funding the pensions owed to state workers by 2048. Under a 1994 pension fix, the state committed to getting 90% funded by 2045. He also laid out several other ways to put a dent in future pension costs. * Politico: Bumped: Cook County Circuit Court has dismissed an appeal by incumbent Omar Aquino, upholding the Illinois State Board of Elections’ decision to remove him from the ballot for Democratic State Central Committeeman in the 3rd District. The ballot challenge by Kirk Ortiz found Aquino failed to properly serve the board as required under election law. Ortiz is now unopposed and will assume the role of committeeman. From Isabel: We told subscribers Friday that Rep. Aquino planned to appeal to the state appellate court, which he did yesterday. So it’s not accurate to say Ortiz is guaranteed to win the seat. * Lake County News-Sun | First-generation Americans face off in state House D52 primary: Erin Chan Ding of South Barrington and Maria Peterson of North Barrington are competing in the March 17 Democratic primary for their party’s nomination to represent the 52nd District in the Illinois House of Representatives. Both Peterson and Ding share similar views on issues like affordability, education and property taxes, but they have one major disagreement — who is the best candidate to unseat state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, in the Nov. 3 general election. * Block Club | Historic Roseland Church, Once On Verge Of Demolition, To Become Black-Women-Led Medical Center: “It’s phenomenal,” said Arlene Echols, a Pullman resident who regularly attended hearings regarding Reformation Lutheran Church and advocated for more than a year for the church to be saved from demolition. Onyx has locations in South Shore and South Chicago where patients can receive primary care, sexual health services, addiction medication, post-sexual assault and gynecological care, pap smears and infusions for those with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other conditions. * Tribune | Illinois appeals court to review order sealing video in Krystal Rivera shooting: * Daily Herald | Car-tastic: The Chicago Auto Show is back with 2,000 tires to kick: For truck afficionados, Ford’s revealing a revamped Maverick Lobo. The street truck is sporty and “something young buyers might be able to afford, and it would be fun to own,” Appel said. Morand can’t wait to see the latest Kia Telluride SUV. “We’re really excited because it’s going to be the first time that many folks will be able to see it,” she said. As a mom with busy kids, “it’s a great vehicle, it’s large, it’s safe, it’s sharp … and it can fit a lot of equipment in there from dance to sporting.” * Block Club | Buddy Guy Says He’s ‘Just Trying To Keep The Blues Alive’ After 9th Grammy Win: The 18-track album dropped in July and took home the win for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 68th Grammy Awards ceremony, marking Guy’s fourth time winning the category. The win comes more than a decade after Guy was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2015. Guy last won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album in 2019. * Daily Southtown | Harvey City Council deadlocks, fails to select acting mayor following death of Christopher Clark: Both 1st Ward Ald. Shirley Drewenski and 5th Ward Ald. Dominique Randle-El were nominated for acting mayor, but the City Council split down the middle. Drewenski was supported by 6th Ward Ald. Tyrone Rogers and 3rd Ward Ald. Telanee Smith, while Randle-El was supported by 2nd Ward Ald. Colby Chapman and 4th Ward Ald. Tracy Key. Neither had the four votes necessary for majority approval of the six-member council. * Tribune | Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s security team fleet to get upgrade: Preckwinkle’s executive protection detail is budgeted to cost up to $1.5 million in 2026 for the “salaries, benefits, duty-related personnel expenses and other necessary non-personnel expenses of seven members,” according to Forest Preserves of Cook County documents. The district has handled her detail since 2019. That’s up from $1.3 million in 2025. The 2026 budget included up to $130,000 to buy a new Ford Expedition to replace a 2019 model SUV in her seven-vehicle security fleet. * Tribune | Cook County state’s attorney’s office reviewing legality of mayor’s immigration executive order: But the announcement quickly led to a back-and-forth between Johnson and Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, who posted on the social media platform X that her office “did not receive the Executive Order until it was released to the public. We do not provide legal approval of any matter until we’ve reviewed it.” In response, Johnson’s office said the mayor’s team received feedback on some of the order’s language from Burke’s policy chief, Yvette Loizon. But Burke’s office fired back again, saying it “never received draft or final language from the Mayor’s office.” * Unraveled | Cook County State’s Attorney has “taken no action whatsoever” against feds, new lawsuit alleges: The lawsuit points to several examples of potentially unlawful acts committed by federal agents where Burke’s office has taken no action, such as a warrantless raid on a South Shore apartments building, the killing of Silverio Villegas González in Franklin Park, and the shooting of Marimar Martinez in Chicago. Burke’s failure to investigate individual agents’ deeds is either because she is “absent” or lacks the resources to do so, according to the petition. […] Attorney Sheryl Weikal filed the lawsuit against Burke in the Circuit Court of Cook County on Friday. * Daily Herald | ‘Land saved’: The Conservation Foundation steps in to help preserve property once eyed for warehouses: The Conservation Foundation, with the help of two benefactors, purchased the 122 acres last year for $6 million, effectively taking the land between Carpentersville and West Dundee off the market for development. When the banner first went up, drivers expressed their support. “They were rolling down their windows saying good job, thank you and honking their horns,” recalled Brook McDonald, president and CEO of The Conservation Foundation. “It really felt good to hear them say that.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Presentation in Batavia focuses on links between quilts and the Underground Railroad: Martin’s presentation included 12 replica hand-sewn quilts that she said were made by her mother who was regarded as a master quilter. She said that an 1865 Martin family Bible recorded the secret messaging system in quilts. “I’ve been doing presentations for 10 years. My mother, a historian, Dr. Clarice Boswell, created this presentation and performed this presentation for 16 years and then she gave it to me when I retired from teaching,” Martin said before the event began. “I recreated it and changed a few things and made a PowerPoint presentation. It’s the story diving into our family history, dating back six generations.” * WMBD | 5-5 vote continues Peoria City legal challenge with Boyd Gaming: The Peoria City Council chamber was so quiet you could hear electronic static as a 5-5 vote meant the defeat of a settlement with Boyd Gaming and the likely continuation of Peoria’s legal challenge to a proposed land-based casino in East Peoria. “I’m disappointed with this decision,” said Mayor Rita Ali. “Boyd is not coming to Peoria.” The mayor added that continuing the legal fight against Boyd’s development of the Par-A-Dice Casino Hotel could leave the city with “literally nothing.” * Tribune | U. of I. Republicans club faces backlash for post supporting ICE: ‘Only traitors help invaders’: The illustration was later deleted from the post, as first reported by the Daily Illini. But it prompted a complaint to the university’s Title VI Office, and drew a slew of criticism from U. of I. students online, who argue that it glorified the deaths of Pretti and Good as well as the unrest engulfing Minnesota. “My first initial reaction was just disgust, horror and nausea,” said sophomore Rylee Graves, 19, a member of Illini Democrats. “For them to say that that post was not violent or they weren’t condoning violence is a lie, and they know exactly what they’re doing.” […] Illini Republicans wrote in an email to the Tribune that the image was removed “to prevent misinterpretation while we review concerns,” but it was “not an admission of wrongdoing.” They declined a request for an interview. * SJ-R | ‘It’s unfair.’ Crash victim speaks out against retired officer’s sentencing: A Springfield woman involved in a serious collision near Lake Springfield on Sept. 5, 2024, with a drunk driver who was a retired Springfield Police sergeant said those officers needed to be held more accountable for their actions. Chelsey Farley was angry “but not surprised” at a 90-day jail sentence for Michael Egan, who caused the crash and by state statute faced up to 12 years in prison. * WCIA | Vermilion Co. tiny home project eyes fall of 2026 for construction: “In May this was all still Hope’s crazy idea,” Garrett said. “What was once an idea is actually now a real legal entity.” Garrett said her foundation is now recognized by the state, and she’s applying to get her non-profit 501(c)3 status approved. She hopes to rent out the houses between $300-400 per month, after building them with grant money. * WCIA | U of I College of Education providing mental health service to the community: They are launching a healing, training and research clinic offering free mental health services. The program matches people in the community with graduate students who are training to become clinicians. […] “The students learn how to do counseling. They learn all the theory. They learn all the research. And then they got to learn how to do it because you’re sitting with real people” Lydia Khuri, clinical professor, said. * NYT | Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search: Behind closed doors, Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, met with some of the same F.B.I. agents, members of the bureau’s field office in Atlanta, which is conducting the election inquiry, three people with knowledge of the meeting said. They could not say why Ms. Gabbard, who also appeared on site at the search, was there, but her continued presence has raised eyebrows given that her role overseeing the nation’s intelligence agencies does not include on-site involvement in criminal investigative work. What occurred during the meeting was even further outside the bounds of normal law enforcement procedure. Ms. Gabbard used her cellphone to call Mr. Trump, who did not initially pick up but called back shortly after, the people said. * WIRED | The Tech Elites in the Epstein Files: But Musk himself now shows up in the DOJ’s Epstein files well over 1,000 times, including direct correspondence between the two. In 2012 Epstein emailed Musk to ask, “Is there any one at Solar City that my guys can talk to about electriying the caribean island? or the new mexico ranch.” (SolarCity was a solar installation company founded by two of Musk’s cousins, with Musk as chairman and largest shareholder; Tesla acquired it in 2016.) Musk appeared willing to help, forwarding the email to his cousin Peter. * WaPo | Inside Musk’s bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator: The biggest AI companies have typically placed strict limits around creating or editing AI images and videos, to prevent users from making child sexual abuse material or fake content about celebrities. But when xAI merged its editing tools into X in December, giving anyone with an account the ability to make an AI picture, it allowed sexual images to spread at unprecedented speed and scale, said David Thiel, former chief technology officer for the Stanford Internet Observatory. Grok “is just completely unlike how any other image altering [AI] service works,” he said. * Reason | The NRA and NORML Unite To Oppose the Federal Gun Ban for Marijuana Users: The NRA likewise notes that “the combination of intoxicants and firearms is a problem that has persisted since the eighteenth century.” But historically, legislators addressed that problem with laws aimed at inherently dangerous conduct rather than broad bans on gun possession by people who consume intoxicants. Those laws, the NRA notes, “did not disarm individuals when they were sober simply because they chose to become intoxicated when not carrying or shooting firearms.” When gun laws address a longstanding problem, the Supreme Court said in Bruen, the lack of a “distinctly similar” historical analog is especially telling. But although “the nation has long faced the social problem of armed drunks,” the NRA says, “there is no ‘distinctly similar’ historical law that justifies [Section 922(g)(3)] as it applies to marijuana.” * CBS | Google to pay $68 million over allegations its voice assistant eavesdropped on users: While Google stated that its voice assistant would only register people’s speech when consumers uttered an activation phrase, such as “Hey Google,” the consumers claimed that their devices recorded them even without using such language. Some claimants alleged the Google devices recorded private conversations about financial issues, personal decisions and employment. If the settlement is approved, Google will place $68 million in a fund that will pay all consumer claims, as well as court-approved attorneys’ fees and other costs.
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Good morning!
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Feb 3, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
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