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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. Dave Dahl at Capitol City Now…
* Inside Climate News | States Say They Need More Help Replacing Lead Pipes. Congress May Cut the Funding Instead: The EPA released 2025 funding allocations in November, months late, obligating nearly $3 billion across the country. Illinois, the state with the most lead pipes in the nation, received the largest share. Another $3 billion was slated to be disbursed this year, the last for the funds. The slashed $125 million would be repurposed for wildland fire management. Safe drinking water advocates and some lawmakers have called for the funds to be restored, calling them critical for health and safety. Because lead pipes are a public health hazard, the EPA has mandated that all states replace them within about a decade, with some extensions for states with many pipes, like Illinois. * Tribune | Ex-ComEd CEO convicted in scheme to bribe Madigan joins onetime colleagues in federal prison: Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore has joined her former colleagues in federal prison nearly three years after they were convicted in a scheme to bribe then-House Speaker Michael Madigan. Pramaggiore, 67, reported Monday to a minimum-security prison camp in Marianna, Florida, about an hour’s drive west of Tallahassee, where she will serve her two-year sentence, records show. A release date has not yet been calculated, but federal prisoners typically have to serve 85% of their time. * Block Club | Chicago’s Domestic Homicides Surged Last Year Even As Overall Violent Crime Dropped: While homicide totals and most other violent crime figures dropped in Chicago last year, homicides that resulted from domestic violence increased by 15 percent, according to the city’s violence reduction dashboard. The dashboard tallied 52 domestic violence homicides in 2025, which doesn’t count 11 people included in police data Block Club obtained through a public records request. The dashboard, run by the Mayor’s Office, categorizes domestic crimes differently than the Chicago Police Department. Dashboard data also shows domestic fatal shootings alone spiked by more than 50 percent, the highest single-year increase since 2020. * WBEZ | Southeast Side residents face Friday deadline for lawsuit over horrible smells: Johnson said the smells were particularly intense just before Christmas. Even with the windows closed, the odor is so strong she said she has to spray air freshener and burn incense. “It’s not the money,” Johnson said. “We want to live a comfortable life. We would really like them gone.” * Tribune | Chicago video gambling legalization in flux as aldermen, Mayor Brandon Johnson weigh changes: Top Johnson advisor Jason Lee said the legalization of gambling machines in bars and restaurants across the city “requires more time and some judicious collaboration,” the clearest sign yet that it’s not a settled matter at City Hall. “There are a number of aldermen who are uncomfortable with the VGT expansion, particularly in the way it was done,” Lee told the Tribune. At the time the budget passed, all sides agreed the unprecedented aldermen-backed plan quickly passed to avert a city government shutdown would be a “living document.” And as talks emerge, millions of dollars are on the line. * Tribune | As Chicago Harbor Lock faces federal cuts, Illinois senators push for more funding: President Donald Trump proposed a funding cut of more than 90% for the Harbor Lock in his fiscal year 2026 budget request. The Tribune reported last fall that the Army Corps of Engineers, which runs the lock, had requested $3.85 million for its operation and maintenance this year. But Trump’s proposed budget allocated less than $300,000 to the lock, which is one of the nation’s busiest. Funding for the harbor goes through the congressional appropriations process, and is part of the energy and water appropriations bill. * WTTW | Family Fighting to Have Father With Seizure Disorder Released From ICE Custody: “They had guns and had one pointed right at me,” the woman recalled in an interview conducted in Spanish. “I remember my husband telling them, ‘We aren’t resisting,’ but they kept banging on the car window. They treated us like we were some delinquents, and I was just going to work. We weren’t doing anything bad.” […] “They asked me to sign this document so I could go get my kids,” the woman recalled. “I refused because I didn’t trust them to bring my children back or take them somewhere else. I told them I wouldn’t sign anything.” The family’s attorney, Angelika Charczuk, said agents were trying to pressure the mother of three to sign a form aimed at deporting the entire family. * Block Club | Blue-Collar Worker Finds Fame As ‘Cheese Grater Guy’ In Bears’ Iconic Playoff Win Over Packers: On the way to the tailgate Saturday, Martinez picked up beers and a $8.99 cheese grater with a plastic cover from Jewel-Osco. Security at Soldier Field didn’t stop him. A confident Martinez said he was loaded up on steaks, sushi and “Miller Lattes” as he strolled through metal detectors. “Not even a beep,” Martinez said. “I didn’t even think anything of it.” Martinez was also strapped with four cheese chunks that his wife put in Ziploc bags and stuffed into his pockets. * Daily Southtown | Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark absent from first meeting in two months; City Council approves budget, tax levy: Fifth Ward Ald. Dominique Randle-El, who chaired the meeting, defended Clark from criticism regarding his absence, saying for all the audience knew the mayor could be dealing with sickness or a loss in his family. “He’s not running, he’s not hiding, he’s not afraid,” Randle-El said. “He’s human.” Monday’s meeting was only the second City Council meeting in Harvey since the city declared a state of financial distress and a partial government shutdown last October. In that time, the city has instituted mass layoffs, including at the Police and Fire Departments, to address the emergency. * Tribune | Chicago among 5 Athletes Unlimited Softball League franchise locations announced for 2026 season: The teams announced Tuesday are the Carolina Blaze, Chicago Bandits, Portland Cascade, Texas Volts and Utah Talons. The Oklahoma City Spark had been previously announced as an addition to the league. The season will start June 9. […] The Bandits will play home games at The Stadium at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont. The Chicago Bandits name goes back to 2005. * WCIA | CUPHD’s administrator retiring after more than three decades with the agency: Julie Pryde has devoted almost her entire professional career to Champaign County. She said that she’s loved coming to work at the health department every day for the last thirty years. However, Pryde added that a part of leadership is knowing when to hand over the reigns, and she feels like CUPHD is in a great position, and it’s time for her to watch them grow from the sidelines. * Press Release | Illinois, Daktronics Install Largest Video Display in College Football: he Fighting Illini turned to Daktronics (NASDAQ-DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota, to design, manufacture and install the largest main video display in college football, totaling 17,300+ square feet. The project includes 16 LED displays that combine for more than 26,750 square feet and 30 million pixels at Gies Memorial Stadium on campus at the University of Illinois in Champaign. The project will be completed ahead of the 2026 college football season. * NYT | Six prosecutors quit after push to investigate ICE shooting victim’s widow: After Good was shot, the Justice Department decided to forgo a civil rights investigation that would establish whether the ICE officer’s use of deadly force was justified. That decision led several career prosecutors at the department’s civil rights division in Washington to resign in protest, MS Now reported Monday. Instead, the Justice Department launched an investigation to examine ties between Good and her wife, Becca, and several groups that have been monitoring and protesting the conduct of immigration agents in recent weeks. Shortly after Wednesday’s fatal shooting, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem referred to Good as a “domestic terrorist.” Becca Good said in a statement last week that she and her wife had “stopped to support our neighbors” when they got into a tense confrontation with ICE agents that led to the shooting. “We had whistles,” Becca Good wrote. “They had guns.” * MPR News | Trump administration moves to reverse mining ban near Boundary Waters: The Trump administration and northeast Minnesota Republican Congressman Pete Stauber are taking action to end a 20-year mining ban near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area that was imposed three years ago under former President Joe Biden. The move could pave the way for Twin Metals Minnesota, which is a subsidiary of the giant Chilean mining firm Antofagasta, to re-apply for state and federal permits to open a proposed underground mine for copper, nickel and other metals outside Ely and just a few miles south of the federally protected wilderness area. * 404 Media | Police Unmask Millions of Surveillance Targets Because of Flock Redaction Error: Completely unredacted Flock audit logs have been released to the public by numerous police departments and in some cases include details on millions Flock license plate searches made by thousands of police departments from around the country. The data has been turned into a searchable tool on a website called HaveIBeenFlocked.com, which says it has data on more than 2.3 million license plates and tens of millions of Flock searches.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: RRB; FOP; Croke; Porter McNeil
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Call and response (Updated)
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Fox News reports that the Illinois Republican Party is upset at the Obama Presidential Center’s “anti-racism” goals…
I asked the Democratic Party of Illinois for a response…
* Darren Bailey…
The Pritzker campaign sent a link to an MPEA report that estimated Fiscal Year 2025’s revenues from the hotel it owns (managed by Hyatt) to be about $102 million. From Alex Gough at the Pritzker campaign…
Discuss. …Adding… Back in 2022, the Pritzker campaign flatly denied any existing ties to Hyatt…
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Bears speculation: Don’t be silly
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * CBS 2…
* OK, first of all, Kansas City-area voters soundly rejected the Chiefs’ proposal to merely extend a 3/8th-cent sales tax extension for stadium renovations, etc. just a couple months after the team had won their second-straight Super Bowl. So, the premise is a bit off. Like off by a thousand miles. This plan is deeply unpopular and that opinion won’t change much other than maybe a post Super Bowl bump - if they make it that far (and I hope they do). * Secondly, the widespread sports radio/podcaster myth that the Bears are unable to secure infrastructure funding has now apparently spread to TV news. Not good. Isabel asked Gov. JB Pritzker about the premise that a playoff run would help the Bears cut some deal. His response included infrastructure plans…
Isabel followed up by asking if the Bears had put an infrastructure plan on the table…
His staff later told Isabel that the governor’s use of the word “recently” in the above quote doesn’t mean in the last week, it means since discussions have been going on. Pritzker continued…
* Meanwhile, Rep. Kam Buckner had this to say last night at an event…
* In related news, former Rep. Mark Batinick has published a white paper on a Bears stadium. Click here to read it.
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Catching up with the congressionals
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * More congressional TV ads are popping up. Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
Transcript…
* Sen. Laura Fine has released her second TV and digital ad. Press release…
* Press release…
* Sen. Robert Peters took a rhetorical swing at Donna Miller in a 2nd CD fundraising email…
Miller shared a post on her instagram story with an AIPAC Proud microphone sticker…  * The original Instagram post…
The post…
* Meanwhile, as we reported in November, Donna Miller announced an endorsement from Dolton Mayor Jason House, even though House had already endorsed Sen. Willie Preston’s congressional campaign. House remains listed on Miller’s endorsement page. From the Preston campaign…
* Melissa Conyears-Ervin‘s 7th CD campaign…
* Press release…
* Politico…
* More… * Sun-Times | U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson discloses stock shares in ICE contractor Palantir: Jackson bought between $15,001 and $50,000 in Palantir Technologies’ stock on Dec. 22, according to a Jan. 8 congressional financial disclosure report. The trade happened in Jackson’s Morgan Stanley trust account, which benefits both the congressman and his wife. Palantir has received more than $900 million in federal contracts since President Donald Trump took office, according to public records obtained by the New York Times. The company also has a $30 million contract with ICE that helps the agency monitor self-deportation, place priorities on who should be removed first and streamlines the deportation process. Palantir has had contracts with ICE since 2013 and their software is also used by the Internal Revenue Service and the Defense Department. […] Jackson is uncontested in the March 17 primary. His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. * Press Release | Progressive Coalition Press Conference at Federal Plaza on PAC Influence in Illinois Elections: Bushra Amiwala joins Kina Collins (IL-07) and Joey Ruzevich (IL-06) to call attention to the growing influence of AIPAC and other big-money special interests in Illinois elections. Thursday, January 15th at 10:00 am at Federal Plaza, 100 S Dearborn St. * Evanston Now | Krishnamoorthi introduces bill at Evanston daycare: U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi visited the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston on Main Street Friday afternoon, announcing a new bill he intends to file that would force the Trump administration to unfreeze $10 billion in child care funding in five Democratic-run states. On Monday, the White House announced it would freeze the funding from HHS and the Administration for Children and Families, which includes funding to assist child care facilities, homeless shelters and other social services. Friday afternoon, a federal judge blocked the funding freeze after a lawsuit from New York, one of the states impacted. * Journal Courier | Four Democrats vying for Illinois’ 15th District House seat to speak at forum: Morgan County Democrats club said candidates Jennifer Todd of Edwardsville, Randy Raley of Highland, Kyle Nudo of Glen Carbon and Paul Davis of Collinsville will speak and answer questions during the forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 10 in Illinois College’s Sibert Theatre, inside McGaw Fine Arts Center. “People need to understand how important it is to participate and learn about the candidates,” said Judith Luckenbach Nelson, Morgan County Democrats president. “Democrats have four people to chose from. This is more than we’ve had in a long time.” * Austin Weekly News | Friedman talks 7th district congressional campaign: Friedman has long had a passion for public service. His earliest experience in politics was when he was 13 years old as a student volunteer for U.S. Sen. Paul Simon’s presidential campaign. He also campaigned for Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and, at age 18, worked on the 1992 Democratic National Committee. After attending Georgetown Law, Friedman worked in the West Wing during Clinton’s administration and for Sen. Dick Durbin on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I was enthralled by public service,” Friedman said. “This is a very unique experience, to get to have a second shot in life going back to your original passion. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to step up.”
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Peoria sheriff called out for ‘multiple factual errors’ in demand that SAFE-T Act be changed
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins…
* From the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice…
Discuss.
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Credit Unions: Financial Wellness For All
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] January is a natural fit for Financial Wellness Month, as credit unions have long treated financial literacy as a core part of their mission. Coming on the heels of the holiday spending season, the month offers an ideal opportunity for a financial “fresh start,” encouraging individuals to set meaningful goals and build healthy, lasting habits. Across Illinois, credit unions support financial wellness through workshops, digital tools, one-on-one counseling, and partnerships with schools, employers, and community organizations. These educational efforts commonly focus on:
• Credit building and debt reduction • Homeownership preparation • Saving for education and retirement • Fraud and identity theft prevention By meeting members where they are, Illinois credit unions help transform New Year’s financial resolutions into achievable, sustainable plans. Great Lakes Credit Union’s Jessica Obiala shares how their financial wellness education in schools makes an impact: Paid for by Illinois Credit Union League.
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The reality is, nobody knows what the coming deficit will look like
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * ABC 7…
* That $2 billion number comes from a recent Tribune article…
There is no doubt that the state has some fiscal problems ahead, particularly due to federal action. But that $2.2 billion number is from the state’s October five-year forecast. And there’s a big caveat in that forecast…
August is a long time ago. And the data in the August report is even older than that. Lots has changed since then. * Back to the Tribune story…
OK, but that totally ignores the overall tone of COGFA’s most recent report. As I told subscribers last week, the commission said this, with the caveat that things can always change…
So, yeah, things are definitely very rough. The Trump administration is trying to whack this state but good. Even so, revenues are being collected at twice the rate than was expected. And the projection cited by the Trib is based partly on outdated numbers and also doesn’t include changes that the governor wants to make to the tax code to further counter July’s huge federal corporate tax cuts. The truth is nobody knows what the heck is gonna happen. But what we do know is that the projections included in the Tribune story are essentially moot.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Tuesday, Jan 13, 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 Pete from Peru who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Trump administration hit with federal lawsuit over ‘occupation of Illinois and Chicago’. Sun-Times…
- The new lawsuit makes claims about the feds’ capture of biometric data, warrantless arrests, immigration enforcement at “sensitive locations” like courthouses and schools, the swapping of license plates and trespassing on private property. - It points out that, for decades, federal agents enforced immigration laws and arrested individuals subject to removal “without significant impact on public order and safety.” But since September, they “have imported interdiction tactics from the border into Chicago’s neighborhoods, and then, as one senior official put it … ‘push[ed] the envelope.’” * Related stories… * Gov. JB Pritzker will attend an 11 am groundbreaking for the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts transformation project at Illinois State University in Normal. Click here to watch. * AP | Court says Trump admin illegally blocked billions in clean energy grants to Democratic states: A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration acted illegally when it canceled $7.6 billion in clean energy grants for projects in states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. The grants supported hundreds of clean energy projects in 16 states, including battery plants, hydrogen technology projects, upgrades to the electric grid and efforts to capture carbon dioxide emissions. [….] Projects were canceled in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state. All 16 targeted states supported Harris. * ABC Chicago | Illinois House speaker pushing for new millionaire tax with looming $2.2B budget deficit: Speaker Welch suggested Mayor Johnson’s hopes for state approval for progressive taxes, such as one on professional services, may go nowhere. “We’re going to put those things through the hopper like we would any other idea. I don’t know if there’s an appetite for anything right now,” Welch said. A tax surcharge on incomes over a million dollars, modeled after Massachusetts, which Forbes reports saw a windfall of $5.7 billion during the first two years, is possible, he said. * Democrat Karim Lakhani is out with a new digital and streaming ad as he runs in the crowded 12th District primary. Four Democrats are vying for the Illinois House seat, which is opening up as Rep. Margaret Croke (D-Chicago) runs for comptroller…
* Press release | Applications Open Today for the Inaugural Porter McNeil Public Service Scholarship: For its inaugural year, the Foundation will award two (2) scholarships of $2,500 each to graduating high school seniors from Moline High School planning to enroll in a college, university, trade school, or post-secondary training program. * Press Release | Civic Leader Ahmed Karrar continues state Senate campaign momentum with Justice Coalition Action endorsement : In their announcement, the Coalition stated: “We are proud to endorse Ahmed Karrar. Ahmed is fighting to lower everyday costs for families through universal childcare, defend Medicaid and expand women’s healthcare, and build a fairer tax system where the wealthiest pay their fair share so every child can access a fully funded, high-quality public education. This is people-first leadership rooted in fairness, care, and opportunity.” * WGN | Darren Bailey talks Bears, immigration crackdown and family tragedy amid new gubernatorial bid: If state finances were better, there should be a conversation among legislators, Bailey suggested. When asked whether he supports using taxpayer money to fund stadiums for sports teams, however, Bailey said he has never been in the conversations. “I support keeping teams. It’s big business. It needs to stay in Illinois. Right now, I don’t think the people of Illinois would support that until we get our taxes down,” Bailey said. * WAND | IL law expands dual language education options: The law calls on the Illinois State Board of Education to adopt a comprehensive plan for school districts outlining steps to establish or expand dual language education in their schools by Dec. 15. House Bill 3026 also requires Illinois to establish an optional recognition pathway to recognize biliteracy at various levels before high school by July 1, 2027. That change would include milestones for bilingual students in Pre-K, fifth grade and eighth grade to encourage early language development. * Sun-Times | City’s planning agency to review Foundry Park zoning proposal: In a nod to those established areas, Letchinger’s plan includes low- to mid-rise buildings and even single-family homes. His tallest building would be about 40 stories, according to documents the Chicago Plan Commission released Monday. The commission, dominated by mayoral appointees, will meet Thursday and is expected to approve zoning for Foundry Park. The matter is on its posted agenda, indicating the project has signoff from the city’s planning staff. * Sun-Times | Chicago Loop Alliance CEO Michael Edwards to step down: Michael Edwards will leave his role as president and CEO on March 31. The member-based organization has hired a search firm and aims to name Edwards’ successor by April. “While it has been an extraordinary honor to serve this organization and our city for the past 13 years, I believe it is time for new leadership,” Edwards said in a news release. “Together, we have worked to shape the Loop into a vibrant, inclusive and economically resilient district that reflects the best of Chicago.” * Sun-Times | Todd Smith helped bring down Chicago’s biggest drug traffickers. Now he’s running the DEA here.: “To be honest, Todd was one of the reasons I decided to pursue law enforcement training and education,” says Flores, who served a 14-year prison sentence along with his brother. They pleaded guilty to importing tons of cocaine into the United States and got their lenient sentences for cooperating against El Chapo. * Sun-Times | Mayor Brandon Johnson will take your calls on ‘Ask the Mayor’ Tuesday: Mayor Brandon Johnson returns to WBEZ 91.5 on Tuesday to answer listener questions live on the morning talk show “In the Loop” with host Sasha-Ann Simons. Listeners can call in at 866-915-WBEZ to present their concerns directly starting at 9 a.m. * Tribune | Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot sued over credit card debt: Lightfoot was served in October at her Chicago home with a lawsuit from JPMorgan Chase Bank for allegedly failing to pay about $11,078 in bills, according to a copy of the complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The suit says that Lightfoot did not object to the bank’s last statement issued before it declared her debt a charge-off in March. Her last payment on the card was in August 2025, amounting to $5,000, and her next court hearing in the case is in December, according to the complaint. * Chicago Mag | Revisiting City News Bureau, Chicago’s Trusted Agency: To set the record straight and to tell the real history of CNB, two former staffers have produced Sirens in the Loop: A History of the City News Bureau of Chicago, publishing February 1. The book was a passion project of Paul Zimbrakos, the legendary managing editor who worked at CNB from 1958 until its closing. Zimbrakos passed away in 2022 before finishing the book, but his friend and former employee James Elsener picked up and finished the project. * Gambling Insider | Hawthorne Silent for 2nd Straight Weekend; Fanatics Continues Without Interruptions in Illinois : To date, Hawthorne’s current meet has not started its third month of racing, which started on Nov. 7 and runs through Feb. 15. The track recently completed its latest thoroughbred meet (March 20-Nov. 3) and will run its next thoroughbred meet starting on March 29. “Nothing new to report. We draw Wednesday (Jan. 14) for this weekend’s races,” said Tony Somone, Executive Director, IHHA in an email to GamblingInsider.com Monday morning. “We are hopeful that Hawthorne will have their financing in order by then and that the bounced checks will be made good. They continue to tell us that they are working on a fix for this problem and anticipate that happening any day now,” * Tribune | Late tax bills have cost Cook County schools nearly $122 million, district leaders say: To bridge the gap in the meantime, school districts — particularly wealthier ones whose budgets rely more heavily on property taxes than on state aid — had to take out loans, cash out investments or forgo other investment income that would have built up on property tax revenues parked in the bank, the Tribune previously reported. According to a group of school leaders who have been surveying colleagues countywide, the interest and issuance cost of borrowing, plus cashed out and lost interest on investments, totaled $59.5 million for suburban school districts and $62.2 million for Chicago Public Schools. * Tribune | NFL commissioner tours potential new Bears stadium sites, including Arlington Heights and northwest Indiana: Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren and Chairman George McCaskey took Goodell on a tour of the Arlington Heights site the team owns, and two sites in northwest Indiana, including one near Wolf Lake in Hammond. […] Since the Tribune first reported the Bears’ interest in Indiana last month, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has been working with the team to build a new stadium in the Hoosier State. * ABC Chicago | Harvey mayor misses council’s 1st meeting in months as debt crisis continues, frustrating residents: And despite the south suburban city being in financial crisis, the mayor did not show up, leaving some residents feeling disrespected. The broader council meeting was preceded by a finance committee meeting at which auditors suggested the city is making some progress, but has a long way to go in digging itself out of a more than $150 million debt. Late last year, the town laid off almost half of the fire department and a third of the police force. The council previously declared financial distress, which could bring state oversight and help. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora marks record number of animal transfers from shelter: A transfer, which is different than a direct adoption, is when a different organization takes an animal from a shelter to adopt out on its own. The goal of transferring out is to lower the number of animals the shelter needs to keep itself, opening up kennel space for new ones to come in, according to Animal Control Manager Kameron DeBoer. Plus, other rescue organizations often have foster programs, so the animals can live in homes instead of in cages like they do at the shelter, which makes them happier and healthier, DeBoer said. These organizations also often have an easier time getting the animals adopted, she said. * Daily Herald | Rosemont raising ticket fees on shows at arena, theater: The village board Monday agreed to hike the fee tacked onto the price of each ticket sold for events at the Allstate Arena and Rosemont Theatre from $2 to $3. The higher fee will apply to tickets purchased online and at the box office as soon as Feb. 1. The ordinance allowing the hike gives Mayor Brad Stephens and Pat Nagle, executive director of the village-owned entertainment venues, authorization to eventually raise the so-called facility services fee to $4. * WAND | ‘Playing with our lives’: Decatur residents cite concerns over city’s ADM CO2 easement: Councilman David Horn said if the city had known about the leak, the council may not have approved the easement. “Had I known that there was a leak in March of 2024, I would have had a different view than I had in March of 2023. And I’m concerned for that. There would be at least several other council members that would have changed their vote,” Horn said. * 25News Now | Bloomington to focus on growth, services in 2026, says Mayor Brady: Brady said city staffers reviewed property assessments and revenue sources before deciding on higher property tax rates to fund services. On Dec. 15, the city council voted 7-2, with Sheila Montney from Ward 3 and Kent Lee from Ward 8 voting no, to collect $25.3 million in property taxes this year, up 13.44% from last year. The goals now are to adequately fund public safety, repair aging infrastructure, redevelop the downtown, add affordable housing, and improve the water system. * WGLT | Bloomington Election Commission seeks to fill vacancy: The Bloomington Election Commission is seeking applicants to fill the commissioner seat Terry Luce is vacating. Luce, a Republican, chose not to seek reappointment after her term expired on Dec. 31. The commission has three members who serve three-year terms. The board must have at least one Republican and one Democrat. The chosen candidate can be from either party. McLean County Judge Rebecca Foley will make the appointment. The term is set to expire on Dec. 31, 2028. * BND | Belleville officials determine former mayor’s City Market plan not ‘feasible’: Officials are looking at an alternative site in the downtown area and hoping the state will allow them to amend a grant agreement and still get $424,850 in matching funds, according to Eric Schauster, the city’s director of grants and special projects. “After more investigative work by engineers looking at the building, we determined that it’s not going to be feasible at (the original) site,” he said last week. * BND | Former Belleville mayor Rodger Cook’s public service continues after his death: Rodger Cook, who served Belleville as both mayor and a police officer, will continue contributing to public service even after his death with the donation of his brain for head injury research affecting former football players. Dallas Cook, a former Belleville city clerk, said his father died Saturday of a form of Alzheimer’s disease. He was 69 and passed away two days after his birthday. * The Atlantic | The Court Case That Is Allowing ICE to Stop Just About Anyone It Wants: In 1996, the Supreme Court decided Whren v. United States, which came about when plainclothes vice officers patrolling in the District of Columbia passed a truck in a “high drug” area and “their suspicions were aroused.” They had a hunch that the truck was involved in a drug operation. They chose to wait until it had violated a traffic ordinance (turning without a signal) and then used that violation as an excuse to stop the truck. In the course of searching the truck, they found crack cocaine. * LA Times | New California tool can stop brokers from selling your personal online data: Starting this year, a single request form will allow Californians to demand that data brokers delete their personal information and refrain from collecting or selling it in the future. Third parties are constantly lurking as you navigate the internet, collecting data they can later aggregate and sell, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center. These data brokers can gather your email addresses, Social Security number, as well as details about your income, political preferences and martial status — often without your knowledge — and offer that information to everyone from advertisers to landlords to debt collectors. * WSJ | X Faces U.K. Probe Over Grok’s Sexualized Images: The U.K.’s communications watchdog has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s X social-media platform over sexualized images created by its Grok artificial-intelligence chatbot. Ofcom said Monday that the use of Grok to create and share undressed images of people “may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography.” It also said that sexualized images of children “may amount to child sexual abuse material.”
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Good morning!
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * “He was a star wrangler .. a celestial skysage who traded fear for wonder”…
* Ancient footprints are everywhere… Train wheels runnin’ through the back of my memory Bobby was known to forget the lyrics to his own songs, but he rarely flubbed a Dylan cover. * He also rocked his cutoffs, and Brother Fido hung his own with some tie-dye in Springfield as tribute…  This one hits so hard. So hard.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Jan 13, 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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Justice Mary Jane Theis announces retirement from Illinois Supreme Court
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Thoughts?
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Suburban Chicagoland | Candidate Harrell joins regional Pastors to demand “freeze and rollback” of Cook County Property Taxes: John Harrell, a candidate for the 8th Illinois House District, joined a coalition of Pastors, mostly from the region’s south and West Sides and representing minority and low-income communities to demand that Cook County officials and the Illinois Legislature “freeze and rollback” the most recent property tax hikes. The pastors said that as a result of Assessment increases just in the past year, property taxes have skyrocketed more than 150 percent, and in some cases as much as 500 percent, choking the economies of local residents and making it “difficult for them to survive and put food on their tables.” * WTTW | Pay Family of Man Killed Struck by Driver Being Chased by Police $22M, City Lawyers Recommend: The City Council’s Finance Committee on Wednesday is set to consider the proposed settlement, which calls for taxpayers to pay $20 million and the city’s insurance company to pay $2 million. A final vote of the City Council could come Jan. 21. Angel Eduardo Alvarez Montesinos, 25, died in the crash that ended the chase launched by Officer Michael Spilotro just after 6 p.m. June 16, 2023, records show. * WTTW | City Lawyers: Pay $875K to 25 People Who Accused CPD Officers of Misconduct During 2020 Unrest: In all, Chicago taxpayers have already paid more than $6.8 million to resolve 59 lawsuits identified by WTTW News that were filed by Chicagoans who said they were the victims of misconduct by CPD officers during the protests and unrest, according to federal court documents and records from the Chicago Department of Law. An additional $5.1 million went to pay private lawyers to defend the conduct of CPD officers from late May until mid-August 2020, one of the most tumultuous periods in Chicago history, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools unveils calendars for the coming two school years: A tentative calendar for the following school year is also out, with an Aug. 23 start date and June 9 end date. As in the current school year, both calendars include 176 student attendance days, four professional development days, four Teacher Institute days, four school improvement days, and two parent-teacher conference days. Also in line with this year’s calendar, students and staff will be off for the entire week of Thanksgiving. They will get a two-week winter recess and a week off for spring break in late March. * Crain’s | Croke Fairchild bucks office downsizing trend in wake of hiring spree: A Chicago law firm that has grown quickly over the past few years with high-profile hires is expanding its workspace and moving it to a Loop office building overlooking the Chicago River. Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres has signed a lease for about 40,000 square feet on the fifth floor at 222 N. LaSalle St., the firm’s top partners confirmed. The new space will allow the practice to grow its downtown office footprint from the roughly 25,000 square feet combined it leases today and will leave behind at 180 N. LaSalle St. and 191 N. Wacker Drive. * Block Club | Want A Cheese Grater Hat? Wait List 10,000 Deep After Bears Comeback Over Packers: Houston-based Foam Party Hats received 2,000 orders for the hats in 24 hours — with over 10,000 prospective customers also put onto a waitlist, co-owner Manuel Rojas said Sunday. The company had to put a notice on its website Sunday saying the “overwhelming viral demand” has its production plant at “full capacity.” But the operation is scaling up, Rojas said. “We’ve hired four new people today,” he said. “We started doing overtime and overnight shifts just to keep up with everything. The challenging part is that if you look on our Instagram, you can see how we make the products. These are really handmade, so it’s really difficult to scale up, especially because we all know the manufacturing process.” * Daily Southtown | One Democratic Will County Board candidate removed from ballot, another reinstated: A Will County Electoral Board ruled 2-1 Wednesday that Homer Glen resident Kevin Koukol cannot appear on the ballot for County Board District 4 after he incorrectly listed the wrong district on his statement of candidacy. He is considering appealing that decision. A Will County judge ruled Friday Bolingbrook candidate Tyler Giacalone should be reinstated to the ballot for County Board District 11 after an Electoral Board removed him last month. Eight out of the 11 County Board districts, with two representatives each, are up for election next year. Challenges have been heard during the last month to see which names will appear on the primary ballots for a chance to run in November. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora earns statewide award for fleet sustainability: The Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation, a statewide nonprofit that promotes environmentally-friendly vehicles and cleaner air, announced that Aurora had won its 2025 Clean Transportation Leadership Award for fleet suitability at its annual program and holiday reception on Dec. 11, where the organization also gave out other awards. “We are honored to receive this award,” Aurora Superintendent of Fleet Maintenance Chris Linville said in a city news release. “We will continue to modernize our fleet, working hard to reduce emissions and support our sustainability goals.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Some Geneva residents still pushing to save structure at old Mill Race Inn site, with demolition vote looming: In a last-minute effort to save a landmarked structure along the Fox River from being torn down, a group of Geneva residents is proposing the structure be turned into a visitor information center. On Monday evening, the Geneva City Council is expected to vote on whether the limestone structure, formerly part of the Mill Race Inn, can be demolished. Last month, the city’s Historic Preservation Commission unanimously shot down a request by Dave Patzelt, the president of Geneva-based Shodeen Group, to demolish the structure. * Daily Southtown | Faithful gather to bid farewell to Bishop Ronald Hicks in Joliet, as he heads to New York: Joliet Diocese officials say there is no announcement for neither an interim bishop nor a replacement and said those decisions are up to the Vatican. Hicks has been Joliet’s bishop since 2020. During Hicks’ final homily as Joliet bishop, he talked about how throughout the years, he has asked people to pray for him, and he always prays for them. “I have taken that commitment seriously each and every time,” he said. “Please know that your prayers for me are one of the greatest gifts you have given to me. * BND | Metro-east families fear possible funding freeze could end their child care aid: If the freeze ultimately goes through and funds are not released, the effects will be far-reaching, said Janice Moenster, Brightpoint’s director of programs and operations for the southern region of the state. If families cannot pay for child care, child care businesses will close. Without accessible child care, parents may be forced to leave the workforce, causing local economies to suffer, Moenster said. She added that for some, not working is not an option, and that could lead to children being left alone or in otherwise unsafe situations. * WMBD | Peoria Fire Department receives $3M from FEMA to hire firefighters: The grant was received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Fiscal Year 2024 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program, Sorensen said. Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger said the department is very excited about the grant and that it is a “much-needed award.” “With the SAFER grant, the City of Peoria is able to hire eleven firefighters and sufficiently staff our three aerial trucks,” he said. “Thank you to all of our federal legislators, especially Congressman Sorensen, for keeping the FEMA SAFER and AFG grant mechanisms properly funded. * 25News Now | Tentative contract with Peoria firefighters includes higher pay, changes in residency rules: The Peoria City Council will vote Tuesday on the deal that calls for a 5% pay increase the first year, a 4% raise the second year, and a 3% pay boost the third and final year of the contract. Pay for paramedics would increase the first year by 3.5% and 4% in each of the final two years. Field training instructors would see a 4.5% increase in 2026 and a 5% hike in 2027 and again in 2028. * WIRED | Right-Wing Influencers Have Flooded Minneapolis: These creators have focused much of their content on how protesters are allegedly using personal vehicles and blocking traffic to obstruct ICE operations. In one video posted on Friday, Kevin Posobiec, a creator for the far-right Human Events website, highlighted how protesters seemingly shut down traffic in downtown Minneapolis. […] Once these clips are posted to platforms like X, right-wing aggregation accounts, like End Wokeness and other influencers, including Matt Walsh from the Daily Wire, repost them to their millions of followers. These clips then become talking points across social media, sometimes making it to cable television channels where they become primary evidence in attempts to justify the Trump administration’s surge on American cities. * NYT | E.P.A. to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution: The change could make it easier to repeal limits on these pollutants from coal-burning power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country, the emails and documents show. That would most likely lower costs for companies while resulting in dirtier air. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, refers to particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream. Ozone is a smog-causing gas that forms when nitrogen dioxide and volatile organic compounds are emitted from power plants, factories and vehicles and mix in the air on hot, sunny days. * ABC | The Trevor Project receives $45M from MacKenzie Scott after federal funding cuts: In July, the Trump administration stopped providing specific support for gay, trans and gender nonconforming young people who called the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Trevor Project was one of the organizations staffing that option and lost $25 million in funding, the nonprofit said. The Trevor Project continues to run an independent hotline for LGBTQ+ young people that Black said reaches about 250,000 young people annually, but they served another 250,000 callers through the 988 Press 3 option, which was tailored for LGBTQ+ young people.
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In sweeping new lawsuit, Illinois and Chicago demand end to widespread ‘lawless’ behavior by feds (Updated)
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * The state of Illinois and city of Chicago have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, US Border Patrol and Gregory Bovino “in his official capacity as Senior Officer of the Department of Homeland Security and Illinois tactical commander.” From the introduction…
It goes on and on like this for close to 100 pages, providing lots of detailed information and accounts of “lawless” federal government actions on things like the “Roving Patrol Policy,” the “Biometric Scanning Policy,” “Warrantless Arrests,” “Deployment of Riot Control Weapons,” “Arbitrary Enforcement Policy at Sensitive Locations,” “Concealing License Plates” and “Private Trespass.” * The conclusion…
The 10th Amendment claim for relief starts on page 76. Here’s some of the claim for relief on using the Border Patrol in Illinois…
…Adding… The press release just hit my in-box…
* From the governor…
* From Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias…
Giannoulias also posted a video.
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Today’s chart: Pritzker spent far more time on national news, podcasts in 2025 than ever before
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Capitol News Illinois…  A detailed list is here. * From the story…
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ISP: No fatal interstate shootings last year, and all interstate shootings down 80 percent from 2021
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Accompanying graph. The blue line represents all shootings, the orange line is for injury-related shootings and the gray line is for deaths…  This was a big issue in the past. Interstate shootings rose from 51 with three fatalities in 2019 to 310 with 28 fatalities in 2021.
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Daily Herald…
* Rep. Yolanda Morris filed HB4369 last week…
* HB4366 from Rep. Hoan Huynh…
Rep. Huynh is currently running for congress in the 9th Congressional District. * Click here for some more background. NBC Chicago…
* Last week, the Illinois Water Justice Coalition and Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation sent a letter to Gov. JB Pritzker urging him to support using the Medicaid 1115 waiver to fund lead-reducing water filters for Medicaid households…
* WTVO…
* ABC Chicago…
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Will changes actually be made to SAFE-T Act?
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Rate the new Dabrowski ad
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. This aired during the Bears vs. Packers game Saturday…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois, 4 other states targeted for $10B child care funding freeze win restraining order. Capitol News Illinois…
- At a Friday news conference, all five attorneys general said the administration did not offer any evidence or specific allegations of fraud in the letters they received. - The restraining order, issued by Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York, means the freeze can’t take effect while the full case plays out, unless an appellate court overturns the stay. * Related stories… * Capitol News Illinois | Oversight panel OKs rule on digitized prison mail in Illinois with new changes: The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which oversees administrative rulemaking, issued an objection to the rule in September, telling the department it needed to implement feedback from incarcerated people, families, attorneys and other stakeholders if it wanted to adopt the rule permanently. After a period of public comment and engagement with stakeholders, the department introduced amended rules, including some exceptions for photographs and used books, as well as clarifications for legal mail. Photographs must be unopened and sent directly from a vendor. Those in custody can also receive a physical printout of their mail upon request, at no cost to the individual, under the amended rules. * Sun-Times | As ACA tax credit debate continues in Congress, Illinois sees slight decrease in enrollment: The 4% decrease in enrollment is, so far, less severe than what many experts and advocates had anticipated, especially since enrollees in Illinois were expected to see an average increase of 78% in their monthly premiums. Anywhere from 2 to 4 million people across the country were expected to become uninsured if the tax credits weren’t extended. * Rockford Register Star | Gamblers lost $1.9B at Illinois casinos in 2025: Gamblers lost $1.9 billion at Illinois casinos in 2025, a 15% increase from the previous year. Newer casinos, including Wind Creek and Hard Rock Rockford, contributed to the state’s revenue growth. The casino industry generated over $408 million in state taxes and $121 million for local governments in 2025. * Capitol City Now | Harmon preps for new Senate year: A 2025 lowlight for Harmon: an accusation that he raised too much campaign cash in too little time, for which he was recommended for a $10 million fine. “It is fairly nuanced and, really, the result, I think, of a lack of clarity in how a couple of different provisions are supposed to work together. I’m gratified that that has been resolved as I expected it would be. I’m gratified the final vote to take it off the agenda was bipartisan.” * Crain’s | Illinois hospitals now on the clock to report policies on dealing with law enforcement: The Illinois Department of Public Health will begin notifying any general acute care hospitals who haven’t submitted their policies as part of the Illinois Health Care Sanctity & Privacy Law. A hospital that misses the deadline could face penalties of up to $500 a day if they don’t comply within seven days of hearing from IDPH. Other hospitals in the state have until March 1. Spokespeople for Endeavor Health and Rush University System for Health said both hospital systems have law enforcement policies in place and had complied with state reporting requirements as of the Jan. 1 deadline. * CBS Chicago | Former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore to report to prison: Former ComEd chief executive officer Anne Pramaggiore is scheduled to report to federal prison Monday. Pramaggiore was one of the “ComEd Four” who were convicted in 2024 of charges of conspiracy, bribery and falsifying documents. * Tribune | From AI to immigrant rights, here’s what to know about Illinois’ new education laws in 2026: The Illinois State Board of Education is now required to provide guidance to districts and educators on the use of artificial intelligence in K-12 settings. That includes explaining what AI is, how it works and how it could be used in classrooms. The state board must also include guidance on the impact AI systems and applications could have on student data privacy, including providing best practices for teaching students about responsible and ethical AI use. * Chicago Mag | Who Will Be Chicago’s Next Mayor?: Quigley hasn’t been shy to criticize the mayor’s fiscal management by calling for payroll cuts and union concessions to solve the city’s budget deficit. And his work in Congress has allowed him to position himself as a nemesis of Trump. Quigley holds the same congressional seat Rahm Emanuel did, but he’ll have to expand his appeal beyond the North Side in this race, the way Emanuel built relationships with Black voters as an Obama insider. * Bloomberg | Chicago mayor is losing grip on city as rivals build war chest: Illinois Representative Mike Quigley, a Democrat, has said he will run, as has Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas. State Comptroller Susana Mendoza, who had nearly $1.5 million in cash on hand at the end of the third quarter, has been cited as eyeing the mayoral spot. They are all Democrats. Tech executive Liam Stanton is also considering a run. * WBEZ | Chicago Education Alliance seeks to bring clarity to CPS’ toughest issues: Rivera, a former top official at CPS, is stepping into that fray with the launch of the Chicago Education Alliance, a new organization that’s seeking to help shape CPS policy. The organization will eventually hire more staff to conduct research and issue policy briefs and recommendations. But first he’ll go around the city listening to what issues parents, teachers and community members think are most important to tackle. His goal is to help board members understand both the short-term and long-term potential impact of their decisions. * Tribune | After Maduro’s capture, Venezuelans in the Chicago area face difficult choices: “People are afraid to stay and people are afraid to return,” said Ana Gil, founder of the Illinois Venezuelan Alliance. She said Maduro’s capture has further destabilized the country. Because of that instability, many Venezuelans in the Chicago area do not feel safe returning home, but also fear detention and deportation in the U.S. * Crain’s | Diana Rauner stepping down from helm of education nonprofit Start Early: Rauner began her lengthy career at Start Early in 2003 as a board member before being named executive director of the organization in 2007 and then president in 2011. She was also Illinois’ first lady while her husband, Bruce Rauner, was governor from 2015 to 2019. […] In an interview with Crain’s, Rauner said she’s not fully sure yet what’s next for her. But she said it’s time for her to clear the way for “new blood and new leadership,” in the form of her successor, Start Early’s current executive director, Celena Sarillo. * Block Club | Bears Beat Packers In Dramatic Playoff Comeback As Storybook Season Continues: It was the Bears’ largest postseason comeback and the largest comeback against the Packers in what is one of the most heated rivalries in the NFL. It was also the Bears’ first playoff win in 15 years. The game sent the city into a frenzy, with fans at The Staley, the South Loop sports bar owned by former Bear Israel Idonije, erupting in cheers of “GREEN BAY SUCKS!” as the game ended. * Horse Racing Nation | Hawthorne cancels harness racing for 2nd straight weekend: For the second straight weekend, Hawthorne has canceled harness racing. The track, located in the near southwest Chicago suburb of Stickney, hosts a fall and winter harness meet as well as a Thoroughbred meet that runs from early spring through early fall. In a text sent to harness horsemen on Saturday, Hawthorne said that “Hawthorne racetrack and the IHHA have mutually agreed that during this difficult situation, it would be best to vacate our races this weekend. These postponed days will be made up going forward.” A similar post was made by the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association to its website and its Facebook page Friday evening, adding that the organization is “hopeful this issue will be resolved soon.” * Daily Herald | Transforming Touhy: Gridlocked and hazardous, major suburban thoroughfare is getting a redo: But a county transformation of the congested Touhy corridor in the Des Plaines/Elk Grove Village area is coming this spring. Highlights include a grade separation at the railway tracks, revamped intersections and access to I-490, currently under construction by the Illinois tollway. […] The $87.2 million, two-year overhaul is being done in coordination with the tollway, plus other stakeholders, including federal, state and local agencies, and utilities. * Crain’s | Short-term rental owners suing over Glen Ellyn ban get a reprieve: It’s not clear from the short-term rental sites how many other offerings there are in Glen Ellyn, but last year Coleman wrote that short-term rentals represent about 1% of the overall rental pool in the village of about 28,800 people 25 miles west of the Loop in DuPage County. […] In granting the injunction, Coleman wrote that Blakelick “will suffer irreparable harm” financially if they can’t operate the property while awaiting resolution of a legal battle where they are “substantially likely to prevail” on at least some of the claims. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora considering loan program for sustainable upgrades to commercial buildings: The proposal, as heard by a committee of the Aurora City Council on Tuesday, would allow the city to participate in the Illinois Finance Authority’s Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy financing program, commonly called C-PACE. This type of lending has been available statewide since 2017, but individual local governments still need to approve its use within their boundaries. “This really supports both economic development and sustainability at the city of Aurora,” Alison Lindburg, the city’s director of sustainability, said of the proposed C-PACE program at the Rules, Administration and Procedure Committee meeting on Tuesday. * WCIA | New Champaign Township Supervisor talks future plans: “One of my goals is attempt to rebalance culture — make sure we are all aligned and working together,” Murray said. She said one thing the township office is missing is meeting on a regular basis. “It’s important to have those touch points,” Murray said. “It’s important to check in with staff and understand where they’re at.” * WCIA | Mahomet library launches new village website: After more than five years without a newspaper, people in Mahomet didn’t have a source for local information. So, the executive director of the Mahomet library, John Howard, came up with a solution. “What if we all worked together to provide one website that’s goal was to have everything you might need or want to know for people living in Mahomet,” said Howard. “Bring as much, aggregate as much information as possible into one place so people can go and find their one thing.” * WGLT | Downtown Bloomington reboots First Fridays with anchor events 3 times a year: The City of Bloomington will support three of the most popular themed First Friday events, beginning with Tour de Chocolat in February. In a press release, the city said waning participation in monthly extended evening hours for downtown businesses and galleries led them to rethink First Fridays around the three most popular ones. In addition to Tour de Chocolat, July and December First Fridays themed around Route 66 and the holidays will continue with city-support. * WCIA | New developments coming to Willard Airport in Savoy: here’s already progress being made in a new area of the University of Illinois Willard Airport. With more than five years of planning and a year of construction, the airport is months away from debuting its new TSA checkpoint. “That’s something we’re excited to have the capability to do, because today our checkpoint and where it is doesn’t allow for any expansion,” said the airport’s Executive Director, Tim Bannon. * NYT | Federal Prosecutors Open Investigation Into Fed Chair Powell: The inquiry, which includes an analysis of Mr. Powell’s public statements and an examination of spending records, was approved in November by Jeanine Pirro, a longtime ally of President Trump who was appointed to run the office last year, the officials said. The investigation escalates Mr. Trump’s long-running feud with Mr. Powell, whom the president has continually attacked for resisting his demands to slash interest rates significantly. The president has threatened to fire the Fed chair — even though he nominated Mr. Powell for the position in 2017 — and raised the prospect of a lawsuit against him related to the $2.5 billion renovation, citing “incompetence.” * Chalkbeat | Most teachers don’t have access to paid parental leave. These 2 states are leading the way: But more than seven years later, Delaware remains an outlier. Just 15 states and the District of Columbia guarantee any paid leave for teachers, according to a study released Monday by the National Council on Teacher Quality. Arkansas is the only other state that picks up the cost of substitutes. The United States is the only developed country without a national parental leave policy, and teachers aren’t alone in having to cobble together sick days, vacation time, and short-term disability when they have a baby. But just one-third of teachers reported access to any paid parental leave in a 2024 survey by the research group Rand Corp. — 14 percentage points lower than other workers. And even among those who had access to leave, fewer than half said the benefits were adequate. * AP | Some flu measures decline, but it’s not clear this severe season has peaked: New government data posted Friday — for flu activity through last week — showed declines in medical office visits due to flu-like illness and in the number of states reporting high flu activity. However, some measures show this season is already surpassing the flu epidemic of last winter, one of the harshest in recent history. And experts believe there is more suffering ahead. “This is going to be a long, hard flu season,” New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, in a statement Friday.
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Good morning!
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Bob on Bobby…
Bobby’s guitar playing was almost amorphous. But he elevated the second guitar role into a work of art and found a way to do it without drawing attention to himself. You just had to be there, I guess. * I have some Bobby stories that I’ll share this week. But here’s a long recording from The Mosque in Richmond many, many moons ago. If you don’t have a lot of time, just skip through it and you’ll see how right Bob was about Bobby… RIP
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Jan 12, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from freezing child care, family assistance funding
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Background from earlier today…
* US District Judge Arun Subramanian issued a temporary restraining order this evening. Press release…
* The Tribune…
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I’ve had fun this week. It’s good to be back. Check out the brand new Bruno Mars video… But, first, may I just say that your facе got me so intrigued?
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* Stateline | ‘Teaching us how to grow with our babies’: How prisons allow mothers and infants to nest for months: Across the country, fewer than a dozen states operate nursery programs that allow incarcerated mothers to live with their newborns. […] Newer programs — in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Ohio, Washington state and West Virginia — vary widely in size, eligibility and funding. Many rely heavily on nonprofit partners or donations to cover essentials such as diapers, cribs and parenting classes. * Crain’s | The alternative protein boom didn’t end. It just moved to Illinois.: Illinois is emerging as the nation’s alternative protein powerhouse. With more than 30 companies, millions in grants for research and a new state task force roadmap, the state is positioned to dominate the B2B side of a rapidly evolving industry. While plant-based burgers are losing shelf space at supermarkets, the alternative protein sector has quietly shifted upstream to ingredients, food inputs and industrial applications — a pivot that plays directly to Illinois’ strengths in agriculture, food manufacturing and fermentation technology. The state trails only California and New York in alt-protein companies and leads the nation in soybean production, the primary source for plant-based proteins. * Press release | Illinois leads Midwest in workforce development, ranks #3 in US: “Illinois’ rise to the top of workforce development rankings reflects our commitment to building the strongest talent pipeline in the nation,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “We’re aligning education and training with the real needs of employers so people can get good jobs and companies can confidently invest and expand right here in Illinois.”[…] “As Illinois comes off a record year of economic growth, the latest economic development rankings are solidifying Illinois’ position as a global economic powerhouse,” said DCEO Director Kristin Richards. “With continued investments in workforce development, record-breaking investments incentivized through DCEO programs, and a collaborative effort to target emerging industries, momentum is building in Illinois.” * Utility Dive | Illinois sets 3-GW energy storage target, requires utilities to develop virtual power plants: The state has developed 6 GW of renewable energy since passing the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act in 2021, and has another 6 GW in development, officials said. The new law will grow storage resources and directs utilities to develop virtual power plants. It also lifts a moratorium on large nuclear reactor development in Illinois and creates an integrated resource planning process allowing for state agencies to suggest adjustments to energy programs and targets. * WTVO | New Illinois bill would require sex offenders to register their drones: Rep. Katie Stuart (D-112th) introduced HB4332 this week. The bill would amend the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act and require sex offenders register drone ownership, including make and model, with the Illinois State Police. Individuals on the Sex Offender Registry are already required to give authorities a current photograph, address, employer, phone number, email addresses, and instant messaging identities, and identities related to all other Internet communications. * Sun-Times | Feds agree to halt proposed national youth gender care ban while court weighs motion: The federal agency agreed this week to hold off on communicating its new regulations — which had only been announced, not formally communicated to agencies and healthcare providers across the country — while the motion that could shut down the proposed regulations is weighed by an Oregon District Court judge, per documents filed in an ongoing suit from a coalition of legal representatives and officials from 20 states, including Illinois, and Washington D.C. The federal government has until February 3 to respond to the motion and file its own motion against it, according to court documents. * Block Club | Alderman Urged Riders Not To Use Public Transit After Dark, But Data Shows CTA Crime Is Down: W. Robert Schultz III, a campaign organizer with the Active Transportation Alliance, said that while there have been a number of tragic attacks on public transit this year, “those outlying incidents really stand out in our mind” and can have outsized impacts on our perceptions of safety. He said telling riders to avoid public transit after dark “just doesn’t make sense.” “We live in a northern city, if darkness is your criteria for using CTA, half the year you better be home by 3:30 p.m.,” Schultz said. * Sun-Times | AI-generated bomb threat shuts down St. Ignatius College Prep on Near West Side: Chandler said the voice recording of the threat was “very robotic sounding.” Local investigators told him they suspect the recording was apparently AI-generated. Chicago police responded to a call of service at the school and the FBI were in contact with the school and local law enforcement. * Block Club | Opioid Task Force Moves Office To West Side Corner That’s ‘Epicenter Of Fentanyl Crisis’: Last year, there were 15 opioid overdose deaths within a half mile of the Lake Street and Pulaski Road intersection, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s dashboard mapping opioid-related cases. The greater West Side also sees a disproportionate number of opioid deaths. The area near CTA stops have become hotspots for drug use, with the trains and their stations often providing shelter for people suffering from drug problems, task force members said. Narcan vending machines have been added to several CTA stations across the city through a 2023 city pilot program, which last year expanded to include the nearby Harlem/Lake station. * TV News Check | WGN News To Launch New Nightly Political Show, ‘The Point’: Nexstar Media’s WGN-TV Chicago will debut a new political show, The Point, hosted by Political Editor Tahman Bradley, on Monday, Jan. 26. The show will air weeknights at 6:45 pm and will inform viewers about stories in politics that affect their daily lives. “Through original reporting and in-depth interviews, The Point will give viewers direct access to elected officials, candidates for office, senior aides/strategists, and interesting voices,” the station says. * Sun-Times | The Art Institute’s new acquisitions include German oil painting, a rare Indian textile and a Richard Hunt sculpture : Among last year’s standout acquisitions is the Schad portrait of the 20th-century Austrian composer Josef Matthias Hauer, who helped introduce 12-tone musical composition. Oehler said this piece, which is already on view at the museum, is “tremendously exciting.” While Schad, who helped usher in the avant-garde New Objectivity movement in Germany, is more widely collected and known in Europe, the Art Institute says this is the first of his portraits to enter a U.S. museum. * Crain’s | Bears-Packers grudge match might be the NFL’s hottest-ever Wild Card ticket: According to several ticket platforms and analysts, the Bears-Packers game is set to be the priciest NFL Wild Card Round playoff game in history for fans, with average ticket prices soaring to more than $753 apiece, according to Victory Live. That breaks a record previously held by the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams game in January 2024, the firm stated in a press release. * Sun-Times | Record-breaking rainfall leaves hundreds of streets and basements flooded: As of 9:02 a.m. Friday, 94 water in basement and 209 water in street calls were logged for Jan. 9, the data shows. Including both water in basement and water on street complaints from Thursday through 9:02 a.m. Friday, the Chicago Lawn neighborhood ranked first in complaints with 65 total, according to city data. Ashburn, Lake View, and Austin had the next most complaints reported with 47, 46 and 44 respectively. * Sun-Times | How a mild-mannered suburban Chicago delivery driver transforms into Bearman: “I was a little bit of a shy guy years ago,” said Wachter, 63. “When I put the costume on, I can change into somebody.” […] “Chicago gets the moniker of blue-collar, hard working, tough, gritty … They can take adversity,” Wachter said. “This team fights to the end, they don’t care if they are down, we’re gonna beat you somehow.” * Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County mulling regulations on short-term home rentals in unincorporated areas: Kane County is not alone in considering this sort of measure — Skokie has discussed regulations on them and Chicago aldermen have mulled giving themselves the power to ban short-term home rentals from opening in their wards. And Lake County, for example, has outright prohibited short-term rentals in unincorporated areas. VanKerkhoff noted that Kane County looked at regulations passed by area municipalities, and said the proposed additions to the county code do two things, broadly: require a rental to get a license from the county’s Development and Community Services Department, and allow for fines to be assessed if there are violations of the regulations on short-term rentals. He noted that all other aspects of the county code still apply to such properties. * Daily Southtown | Sports dome west of Brookside Marketplace moves forward; one of three planned in Tinley Park: The proposal from GK Development Properties LLC, approved last week by the Tinley Park Village Board, includes a 142,000-square-foot dome and a building that could house stores and restaurants on property where a 9-hole golf course once operated. Village Manager Pat Carr said construction on the dome could be underway in the next month. Trustee Michael Mueller said the property had been vacant for a while and that he’s happy to see the project moving forward. * Daily Southtown | Homicide rate dropped again in south and southwest suburbs, mirroring trends in Chicago and broader Cook County: The south and southwest suburbs saw a 35% decrease in homicides in 2025 compared to 2024, according to tracking by the Daily Southtown, reflecting a continuing downward trend in recent years. The same trend is apparent in numbers for Chicago and greater Cook County, according to a preliminary analysis published by the Cook County medical examiner’s office. According to that report, there were 541 homicides in Cook County as a whole last year, down from 792 in 2024 and 850 in 2023. Last year was the first year since 2014 that the medical examiner’s office handled fewer than 600 homicides in a year, the report said. * Crain’s | Amazon plans Walmart-style big box store in Orland Park: “We regularly test new experiences designed to make customers’ lives better and easier every day, including physical stores,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement. “The site in question is our planned location for a new concept that we think customers will be excited about.” Amazon also plans to sell prepared foods and have a “limited warehouse component” that will serve the store and not be a distribution center, according to village records. The store will sit on 35 acres that are currently home to a vacant restaurant. * Patch | Burr Ridge Mayor: Jan. 6 Riot ‘Stain’ On U.S. History: But Grasso, who is running as a Republican for chairman of the DuPage County Board, did not address President Donald Trump’s handling of the riot in his post. In a social media post, Grasso noted the rioters’ violence and property damage. In reflecting on the “historic ugliness” of that day, he said, some will undoubtedly grin. * STLPR | Draining water from Alton sinkhole has begun: Removing the water from the sinkhole, which formed in June 2024 after a limestone mine beneath the public park, is the first step the city government and mine company must complete to eventually fill and repair the massive pit. Video of the field collapsing went viral, and the city closed the entire park and nearby golf course for more than a month. The city wanted the water to be drained so its contracted engineers could inspect the sinkhole and double-check the proposed repairs by the mine company, New Frontier Materials. It will cost $35,000 to $53,000 to remove the water, and it’s not clear who will cover the initial costs. * WCIA | Ford, Iroquois Co.’s looking for mass transit solution after CRIS RMTD dissolution: WCIA’s partners at the Ford County Chronicle reported that the rural transportation committee that oversees Ford, Iroquois and Livington Counties met this week to discuss the matter. Officials said that while all options are still on the table, an intergovernmental agreement with Danville appears to be the most “streamlined” option. It was something Mayor Ricky Williams alluded to before that meeting. Right now, Danville Mass Transit does not have authorization to operate outside Vermilion County, but its director, Stephen White, seemed receptive to the idea. * WSIL | $170K grant aids SIU Carbondale in fight against harmful algae blooms: “Every year millions, if not billions, of dollars in recreational and health damage are caused by these microbes,” Hamilton-Brehm said. He explained that controlling these blooms could be as simple as spraying ponds, lakes, and rivers if their research is successful. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, can become harmful when they form high concentrations and produce toxins. Killing these blooms releases toxins into the water, posing a challenge for control. * WCIA | ‘We’re incredibly grateful’: U of I board chairman reflects on Killeen’s impact ahead of his departure: Killeen said being president at the University of Illinois was, “the honor of [his] professional life.” He added, “I am proud of the way we have been able to make world-class education affordable in a historically important time for higher education.” The chairman of U of I’s Board of Trustees, Jesse Ruiz, was with Killeen on Thursday. Killeen told Ruiz that he’s conscientious enough to know he’s had a good run, and that it’s also time for new leadership and to pass the baton. * WGLT | Peoria County sheriff urges Gov. Pritzker to revisit cashless bail: Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins said in a statement the SAFE-T Act has seen court-appearance failures increase, reflected in updated data for the Peoria County Jail tracking jail bookings from 2022-2025. Total jail bookings for 11 types of nonviolent offenses plus domestic battery have increased by 1,699, or nearly 28%, from 2022 to 2025, according to data provided by Watkins. The failure to appear rate has increased by 339 cases, nearly 16%. A report released Monday by the Peoria Police Department indicates shooting incidents were down 18% and gunshot homicides were down by 61% in 2025. * AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler | ICE Actions Are Putting Working People in Danger: The Trump administration’s reckless Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations are trampling on working people’s fundamental rights and freedoms: to work with dignity and raise our families without the threat of violence from our government, and to safely return home to our loved ones at the end of the day. The horrifying acts of this administration’s militarized immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and cities across this country are not about safety. They are about power, and they are putting innocent working people in danger. * AP | Meta lines up massive supply of nuclear power to energize AI data centers: Meta has cut a trio of deals to power its artificial intelligence data centers, securing enough energy to light up the equivalent of about 5 million homes. The parent company of Facebook on Friday announced agreements with TerraPower, Oklo and Vistra for nuclear power for its Prometheus AI data center that is being built in New Albany, Ohio. Meta announced Prometheus, which will be a 1-gigawatt cluster spanning across multiple data center buildings, in July. It’s anticipated to come online this year. * The Guardian | Grok turns off image generator for most users after outcry over sexualised AI imagery: The tool had been used to manipulate images of women to remove their clothes and put them in sexualised positions. The function to do so has been switched off except for paying subscribers. […] That means the vast majority of users of the platform cannot create images using Grok. Those who do have their full details and credit card information stored by X, so can be identified if the function is misused. The public @Grok account has had its image generation capabilities heavily restricted. However, there is also a separate Grok app, which does not share images publicly, on which non-paying users have reported still being able to generate sexualised imagery of women and children. * The Guardian | No 10 condemns ‘insulting’ move by X to restrict Grok AI image tool: Asked about the change, a Downing Street spokesperson said it was unacceptable. “The move simply turns an AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service,” they said. “It’s not a solution. In fact, it’s insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence. What it does prove is that X can move swiftly when it wants to do so. You heard the prime minister yesterday. He was abundantly clear that X needs to act, and needs to act now. It is time for X to grip this issue.
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Attorneys general lay out case against feds on funding freeze
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the Washington Post…
* Tribune…
* HHS General Counsel Mike Stuart…
* AG Raoul press release…
Discuss.
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ILGOP Chair Salvi: ‘The partisanship of Democrats has reached the level of undeniable insurrection’ (Updated x1)
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi…
Discuss. …Adding… Democratic Party of Illinois…
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Catching up with the federal candidates: More details emerge of efforts to push Leon, Amiwala out of CD9 race (Updated)
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Evanston Now…
* Evanston Roundtable…
* Meanwhile, Evanston Now’s Mathew Eadie found that Leon wasn’t the only candidate who was pressured to drop their bid for the 9th CD…
…Adding… Bushra Amiwala…
* Pastor Roosevelt Watkins claims he never endorsed Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, despite Krishnamoorthi saying he did. From his Facebook page…
Click here for Krishnamoorthi’s original press release. * Politico…
* More… * Forest Park Review | Rep. Underwood endorses Dr. Fisher in 7th District Dem. primary : One key endorsement came on Jan. 8 from Rep. Lauren Underwood — who represents Illinois’ 14th district that covers an area southwest of Chicago, including DeKalb and Joliet — when she declared her approval of Dr. Thomas Fisher in the race for the 7th district’s Democratic primary. She cited his credibility on health care policy and eagerness to address national threats to democracy and public health. *Daily Herald | GOP congressional candidate falls one signature short, removed from ballot: A suburban congressional candidate’s name was struck from upcoming primary ballots Thursday after the Illinois State Board of Elections decided her petitions fell one signature short of the legally required 799. But Palos Park Republican Tedora M. Brown’s campaign in the 11th District may not be over. Thursday afternoon, her attorney announced he’s filed for a judicial review. * Shaw Local | Sorensen challenger officially removed from Illinois 17th Congressional District race: The Illinois State Board of Elections on Wednesday upheld an objection to Montez Soliz’s candidate petition and officially removed him from the ballot. Soliz filed his nomination papers Oct. 27. A Peoria resident filed an objection to Soliz’s candidacy Nov. 10, reportedly claiming Soliz’s petitions were not properly notarized and that several signatures were from people who either were not registered to vote at the listed address or by people who resided outside of the 17th District.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* CBS Chicago…
More on the bill from ABC Chicago…
* HB4334 from Rep. Rick Ryan…
* HB4281, sponsored by Reps. Lisa Davis and Michael Crawford, would let any Cook County municipality with at least 25,000 residents use speed cameras in school zones and parks. Synopsis…
* Rep. Curtis Tarver filed HB4262 earlier this week…
* HB4318 from Rep. Charlie Meier…
* More…
* Alton Telegraph | Illinois bill would require warning labels on non-vented natural gas appliances: A bill proposed by Democratic Illinois state Rep. Michael Crawford would prohibit a “non-externally vented natural gas appliance” from being sold or offered for sale without a properly placed warning label. The requirement would apply to appliances manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2027. […] “The label required shall be attached to the gas appliance in a conspicuous location. The label must be in a type size no smaller than the largest type size used for other consumer information on the product,” the language of Illinois House Bill 4272 reads.
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‘Juice’s’ Dabrowski fact-check is fact-checked by GOMB and he’s mostly right
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Earlier this week, the commenter known as “Juice” fact-checked Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski, who was bemoaning an $11 billion increase on spending for human services since Fiscal Year 2019…
* I asked the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget to fact check Juice’s fact check. From the governor’s office…
* Yesterday, Juice posted this…
We may have an early leader for the 2026 Wordslinger Golden Horseshoe Award for Best CapitolFax.com Commenter.
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Investing In Illinois
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois American Water is more than just a utility. We’re your neighbor, committed to the long-term health and vitality of the communities we serve. Our employees live and work locally, investing their expertise right where it matters most, to modernize water systems and strengthen water quality, reliability, and public health for the long term. Environmental stewardship is also central to who we are. Illinois American Water is committed to protecting the environment and using our most precious resource wisely. Across our footprint, our state-of-the-art treatment facilities and team of water quality experts help ensure we go beyond compliance, holding ourselves to standards that not only fulfill expectations but set new benchmarks for our industry. Community partnership and clean water go hand in hand. We’re dedicated to safeguarding both the resources and the places our customers call home, today and for generations to come. Our community is one worth investing in, and we are proud to spend every day working to help ensure the water we deliver is of the highest quality. Learn more about us.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker signs major energy reform bill amid projected shortages. Capitol News Illinois…
- The law grants new authority to the Illinois Commerce Commission, the state body responsible for regulating utilities. The ICC will now have the power to set long-term plans for managing energy supply and demand in the state through approval of an integrated resource plan. - It additionally adds new requirements for energy efficiency programs at electric and natural gas utilities and places new air regulations on backup generators used by data centers. * Related stories… * WTTW | After Fatal Minneapolis Shooting, Chicago Judge Raises ‘Concern’ Over Dismissing Lawsuit on Federal Agents’ Use of Force: “It doesn’t give me much comfort in reading news reports that someone who in some news reports was described as a legal observer was shot yesterday in Minneapolis,” Ellis said. “So that’s my concern.” […] The lawsuit was filed last fall after journalists, protesters and clergy members in and around Chicago claimed they had been targeted by federal immigration agents, who subjected them to a “pattern of extreme brutality” through their usage of riot control weapons without justification. * Tribune | Republican candidate for governor Darren Bailey distances himself from President Trump but defends immigration crackdowns: Voters, Bailey said, are “going to have to get over the federal (Trump administration) situations. Then we’re going to understand we have our own problems in Illinois. I am my own person and I’ve proven that regardless of who I like, who I support.” “I’m running this campaign. I believe we’ve got an avenue to win. If it comes, great. If it doesn’t, fine. I’m here for Illinois,” Bailey said. “This (campaign) doesn’t revolve around Donald Trump and I want the people of Illinois to truly understand that. I want them to come and have a conversation with me. We’ve got our own unique problems and solutions and it’s time that we stop this political divisiveness. * Sun-Times | Can state officials prosecute the feds? Calls grow after Minneapolis shooting: Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke’s office said in a statement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations “have resulted in unnecessary deaths, broken relationships between law enforcement and our citizens, and an untold amount of terror unleashed on communities.” Still, it insisted the office “does not conduct independent investigations into criminal conduct. We do not have jurisdiction over federal agencies or facilities.” Instead, it reviews “evidence appropriately collected by law enforcement” and makes charging decisions. […] Pathways exist for state-level prosecutors like Burke to file criminal charges against federal agents under certain circumstances. The key legal question is whether federal agents are acting reasonably in fulfilling their duties, experts say. * BND | IL reports child flu death as virus surges at ‘very high’ levels. There’s a new variant: “Illinois is facing a significant winter surge in seasonal respiratory illnesses with flu activity at very high levels,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a Jan. 5 news release. “Vaccinations remain the most effective tool to prevent severe illness from flu, COVID-19, and RSV. Simple steps like covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands regularly, staying home when sick if you are able, and improving ventilation are also critical to preventing further spread. * WTTW | Four Illinois Sheriff’s Offices Ignored Sanctuary Laws by Transferring People Into Federal Custody, AG Report Finds: Despite that, in 2024, after receiving civil detainers or warrants, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office reported transferring 18 individuals into Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations custody; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported three; the Kane County Sheriff’s Office reported two; and the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office reported one. * WaPo | Five Democratic-led states sue HHS over frozen welfare funding: Five Democratic-led states, New York, California, Colorado, Illinois and Minnesota, are suing the Trump administration for freezing their share of federal food, housing and child care assistance dollars, saying officials failed to justify the sweeping actions that could strip billions in aid from needy families. * WAND | Pritzker signs Clean & Reliable Grid Affordability Act into law: Yet, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association argued the law will leave businesses and families with a $7 billion bill to pay for battery storage. “Rather than bailing out battery storage developers and their hedge fund owners, the bill should utilize the Illinois Finance Authority to fund these projects at below market rates so developers assume the risk, not everyday Illinoisans,” said IMA President and CEO Mark Denzler. * WTVO | DHS accuses ‘sanctuary’ leaders of fueling anti-ICE violence with rhetoric: DHS pointed to remarks from Democratic officials that compare ICE to a “modern-day Gestapo,” including comments from Gov. Pritzker that the United States is “essentially” becoming Nazi Germany as a result of ICE’s enforcement efforts. On Wednesday, Pritzker demanded the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, saying, “For months, Trump’s DHS has wreaked lawless havoc in our neighborhoods. Tear gassing infants, families, and police. Firing their weapons at peaceful citizens. Killing innocent people. It’s brutal, unconstitutional, and out of control. It must stop. Kristi Noem must go. Now.” * Crain’s | The other Medicaid cut: Illinois stares down as much as $1.5B less in provider taxes: Illinois faces a $239 million drop in hospital and managed care organization provider tax revenue, an important mechanism for funding the state’s Medicaid program, in 2028 and as much as a $1.5 billion cut over the next five years, according to a new assessment of looming budget challenges for the state. The issue of diminishing provider taxes and the somewhat-corresponding payments back to hospitals is another multiyear, cost-cutting change to Medicaid rules contained in the federal Big Beautiful Bill Act. * NBC Chicago | Utility costs, affordability messages dominate Illinois governor race: On Thursday, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act, which aims to lower monthly utility bills. It’s expected to save customers $13.4 billion over next two decades, according to the Illinois Power Agency. […] On the Republican side, gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey held his news conference Thursday outside of the governor’s office. He laid out his “Blueprint for Illinois,” which would freeze new utility rate hikes to help lower utility bills and offer property tax relief. * Capitol News Illinois | Bailey proposes ‘Illinois DOGE’ as Republican governor’s race focuses on spending: Bailey also announced a plan to address cost-of-living issues and other areas that relies on DOGE-style governing to achieve results. The commission under a Bailey governorship would be led by his running mate, Aaron Del Mar. Bailey and Del Mar did not specify any cuts they’ve already identified but stressed it would not be a tool to lay off large numbers of state employees or make cuts based on partisan politics — a difference from Trump’s and Musk’s approach. “We’re not going in here with a chainsaw,” Del Mar said. “We’re going in here with an X-Acto knife. We are doing this as a purely public policy effort. This is not politically driven.” * Illinois Review | Tax-Exempt Wirepoints Breaks IRS Rules to Smear Bailey and Boost Dabrowski’s Governor Run: The article, written by Mark Glennon, frames Bailey as the preferred opponent of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and portrays him as a weak candidate easily manipulated by Democrats. It goes further, suggesting Republican voters are naive for supporting Bailey. […] Wirepoints is not a private media outlet free to engage in partisan combat. It is a federally recognized tax-exempt nonprofit. Under IRS rules, 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from participating or intervening in political campaigns for or against any candidate for elective office. That prohibition is clear, strict, and well-established. Dabrowski appeared to recognize this reality in September 2025, when he resigned as president of Wirepoints, explicitly citing the need to comply with 501(c)(3) restrictions ahead of his gubernatorial campaign. * Jim Dey | Is Pritzker trying — again — to pick GOP opponent in November election?: Four years ago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker, working with the Democratic Governors Association, spent millions of dollars to promote a Republican gubernatorial candidate — Darren Bailey — whom he was sure he could defeat in the 2022 general election. With Pritzker’s help, Bailey won a contested GOP primary and then went on to sound defeat against Pritzker. Four years later, Pritzker is running for re-election while Bailey, again, is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge him. * Center Square | Signature shortfalls knock multiple candidates off Illinois ballot: Lamar Chapman challenged U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s candidacy, alleging he is not a citizen. Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg, was born in India and his family moved to Peoria as a child. “The candidate filed a motion to strike and dismiss the objector’s petition, attaching a certificate of citizenship and a U.S. passport,” Malowitz said in a December 2025 hearing. * News-Gazette | Champaign County auditor fails to qualify for state comptroller’s race: But successful challenges to some of his signatures left him 657 short of the 5,000 minimum. Danos said he does not anticipate appealing the decision. “There is (an appeal process). But I’m not inclined to pursue it. I don’t think the courts want to overturn a decision by the state board,” he said. * Daily Herald | GOP race for governor tightens up after Severino removed from ballot: Board members removed Republican Joseph Severino from the ballot after finding that the Lake Forest resident and his lieutenant governor pick, Rantch Isquith, had insufficient signatures on their nominating petitions.“The candidates submitted 4,748 ballot signatures, which is 252 fewer than the minimum of 5,000 signatures required for ballot access,” board of elections general counsel Marni Malowitz said. * Tribune | Record property tax increases slam Chicago homeowners as downtown owners see cuts: The long-awaited second installment of Cook County property tax bills was mailed to property owners on Friday and is due Dec. 15. Across the county, residential and commercial property owners are being billed a total of $19.2 billion, a nearly 5% increase from last year. But the burden is falling unequally. Audrey Pierce, 71, last year paid about $3,300 in property taxes for the greystone three-flat she has owned on Christiana Avenue in North Lawndale since 2000. On Thursday night, she logged onto the treasurer’s website to discover her new annual bill now is nearly $7,000. * CBS Chicago | Police oversight commission hears from Chicagoans frustrated with CPD’s interactions with ICE: The Community Commission for Public Safety & Accountability held the meeting after receiving a petition with at least 2,000 signatures demanding an investigation into how CPD interacted with the feds. People demanded commissioners hear the countless accountants of what Chicagoans have endured and witnessed during the immigration enforcement. “Why is it that CPD, who claim to protect and serve Chicagoans have engaged in crowd control for ICE?” one woman said. * Block Club | Before Feds Killed Minnesota Mom, They Killed A Man And Shot A Woman 5 Times In Chicago: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson voiced his support for Frey and the Minneapolis community Wednesday afternoon, calling the shooting “deeply disturbing and unfortunately all too familiar to incidents that have transpired here in Chicago.” “It is incidents like these that demonstrate why we have pushed back against reckless and racist militarized immigration enforcement in Chicago,” he said. * Tribune | Federal judge postpones ruling on detained father of sick teen: Attorneys for Ruben Torres Maldonado, a 40-year-old Portage Park man detained by federal immigration agents last Saturday while his 16-year-old daughter, Ofelia, is undergoing cancer treatment, petitioned the court for him to be freed as his deportation case works its way through the system. Federal Judge Jeremy Daniel heard arguments from Torres’ attorney and a lawyer with the United States attorney’s office but postponed a ruling until Friday. Torres’ lawyers argued for his immediate release due to the hardship his absence is creating for Ofelia; his wife, Sandibell Hidalgo; and their 4-year-old son, Nathan. * Daily Herald | ‘I will not back down’: DuPage clerk’s dispute with county board heads to appeals court: According to a notice of appeal filed on Wednesday, the clerk’s office is seeking the reversal of two rulings last year from DuPage County Judge Bryan Chapman that both sided with the county board. Chapman ruled in August that DuPage County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek and her office must follow the county’s accounting procedures. Then, in December, the judge denied the clerk’s request for summary judgment, in which Kaczmarek argued that two election-related contracts were exempt from bidding rules. * Lake County News-Sun | Officials continue push to remove Waukegan coal ash ponds: ‘I’m not giving up’: Shortly after NRG introduced its initial plan, state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Gurnee, introduced legislation in the Illinois General Assembly to require the removal of all coal ash ponds and other deposits of the material along Lake Michigan. She remains five votes short of passage. “It would be 10 times worse than Flint,” Mayfield said in June 2022, referring to the lead contamination of the drinking water in that Michigan city in 2014. “We’re not looking for solutions for today. We’re looking toward tomorrow.” * Daily Southtown | Bill aimed at settling Ford Heights debt to Chicago Heights signed, though concerns remain: Signed by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Dec. 12, the legislation allows the state comptroller to collect debts between local governments if the entities reached an agreement or filed a court order. It takes effect June 1, according to the governor’s office. Ford Heights owes Chicago Heights, its water supplier, nearly $2 million in unpaid water bills. Chicago Heights has attempted to collect the money for about a decade, including suing Ford Heights. State Reps. Thaddeus Jones and Anthony DeLuca came together to revive the bill after it was pulled from the statehouse floor in April. Jones expressed concern state intervention could further hike water bills for Ford Heights, which already has some of the highest water bills in the south suburbs, after Chicago Heights threatened to turn off the water in 2018. * Elgin Courier-News | Angry, frustrated residents flood Elgin immigration forum: ‘We can’t ignore what is happening here’: Attended by about 250 people, the forum at the Edward Schock Centre of Elgin was in response to a Dec. 6 incident in which a man escaped U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement custody and barricaded himself for several hours in an apartment on Maple Lane. A large group who gathered to protest the actions that day were sprayed with chemical weapons, residents said. “I was tear-gassed by ICE,” Zack Hislip said. “(ICE) is lying about everything that happened that day.” He refuted allegations that federal agents were hit by bottles and rocks in a riot-like atmosphere. * Daily Herald | ‘It just hurts’: Community members express anger, fear and frustration over immigration enforcement in Elgin: Hislip said his fear is that this is only the beginning. “They’re going to be more violent,” he said. “They’re going to kill people like they did today (in Minneapolis). They’re going to kill people in Elgin. They’re going to kill our neighbors.” * Daily Herald | Elgin police chief says changes needed to TRUST Act: Lalley told the crowd at the meeting that she’s working with Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser and others to propose amendments to the Illinois TRUST Act, which restricts local law enforcement from collaborating or interfering with federal immigration enforcement. Lalley said she heard the disappointment from the community that officers did not stay on the scene longer during an immigration enforcement action at Maple Lane on Dec. 6, but explained that they had to deal with the gray areas of the TRUST Act. * Evanston Now | Women’s pro soccer team wants to play at new Ryan Field: Club president Karen Leetzow told a virtual 7th Ward meeting on Thursday night that “we view Ryan Field as a lifeline” as the team works long-term for a separate, soccer-only facility at an undetermiined location. The team says that a survey done by 2040 Strategy Group for the Stars “shows 82 percent of Evanston residents are in favor of the team playing at Ryan Field” … and “overwhelmingly believe the team would reinforce Evanston’s values, and promote gender equity.” * WICS | Danville steps in to provide critical rides after CRIS transit services halt operations: “For the entire Vermillion County, anyone who was being transported to their dialysis appointments by CRIS senior services as of starting last Saturday, they closed on Friday, on Saturday, my team was on it, and they’ve made sure that all their patients have been able to make their appointments,” said Rickey Williams, Mayor of Danville. Williams said city staff immediately stepped in, coordinating rides for critical appointments, some as early as 5:30 a.m. * Advantage News | Godfrey may purchase Geofencing software: The Village of Godfrey is considering the purchase of software that can help them see where people are spending time in the village. Called Geofencing, the program does not identify you or harvest your personal information but can tell the village where you came from by using Wi-Fi and your smartphone. Godfrey Economic Development Director Jim Mager says he and Park and Rec Director Chris Logan recently had conversations about such a product. No decisions were made at this week’s Village Board meeting, but trustees were asked to consider the possibility of such a purchase being brought up at a future meeting. This version of the software has a price tag of $10,000 per year, but there are other versions that are more costly. * The Telegraph | Alton’s Dan King wins ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ takes home $60,648: It was a busier-than-normal night in Alton Sports Tap as over a hundred gathered to watch King compete on “Wheel of Fortune.” With friends, family, customers, and even his personal hairstylist in attendance, King celebrated the big win with celebratory cheers. * 25News Now | Caterpillar, NVIDIA announce AI-powered collaboration: Caterpillar, celebrating 100 years, announced an AI ecosystem for machines, job sites, factories and supply chains in a collaboration with NVIDIA. “As AI moves beyond data to reshape the physical world, it is unlocking new opportunities for innovation — from job sites and factory floors to offices,” Creed said. NVIDIA‘s Jetson Thor platform enables real-time AI inference on Cat construction, mining and power equipment, laying the foundation for next-generation autonomy and intelligent in-cab experiences. Caterpillar said the platform would provide customers with personalized insights and use voice activation to enable settings, guide troubleshooting and connect users to the right resources across Cat apps and websites. * 404 Media | Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods: Commercial location data, in this case acquired from hundreds of millions of phones via a company called Penlink, can be queried without a warrant, according to an internal ICE legal analysis shared with 404 Media. The purchase comes squarely during ICE’s mass deportation effort and continued crackdown on protected speech, alarming civil liberties experts and raising questions on what exactly ICE will use the surveillance system for. * Oregonian | ICE officers impersonating utility workers, Oregon lawmaker says: Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham, on Tuesday posted on Facebook that the NW Natural notice came after he spoke to utility officials about the reports. Ruiz said he also reached out to Portland General Electric with the same concerns. Ruiz said members of a Gresham family told him that immigration agents wearing bright vests asked one of them to come out of their house to show him where the gas meter was. […] The person was released after several hours because he proved he has legal status, Ruiz said. The family members asked him not to release their names out of fear of retaliation, he said. * WaPo | After 25 days, ICE releases Maryland woman who says she is a US citizen: Slatton said the case against Diaz Morales has not yet been dismissed by the government and she could still face deportation proceedings. But Slatton is confident her client’s claim to citizenship has been established. “She is a U.S. citizen. She was born here. I think that we’ve presented more than enough evidence, but we will continue to fight it until every single court accepts and acknowledges it,” she said. * Mother Jones | Cops Are Taught Not to Shoot Into Cars. ICE Keeps Doing It Anyway.: Instead of shooting, law enforcement officers are taught to do something much safer for everybody involved: Get out of the way. But the federal agents enforcing President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign seem not to be following this rule, and are taking a far more dangerous path. * Mother Jones | Grok Deepfaked Renee Nicole Good’s Body Into a Bikini: In several posts, Grok confirmed that the chatbot had undressed the recently killed woman, writing in one, “I generated an AI image altering a photo of Renee Good, killed in the January 7, 2026, Minneapolis ICE shooting, by placing her in a bikini per a user request. This used sensitive content unintentionally.” In another post, Grok wrote that the image “may violate the 2025 TAKE IT DOWN Act,” legislation criminalizing the nonconsensual publication of intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes. * Bloomberg | J&J Reaches Deal With Trump For Drug Discounts, Tariff Reprieve: Johnson & Johnson reached a deal with the US government to lower drug prices for some Americans, joining a cadre of major pharmaceutical companies to make price concessions in exchange for tariff exemption. The American drugmaker was one of 17 companies President Donald Trump called on last summer to lower prices, and among the last ones to announce a deal. The two remaining companies are AbbVie Inc. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., which previously said they are in talks with the White House. * WaPo | A study offers a surprising reason for plunging U.S. overdose deaths: The paper suggests that the illicit fentanyl trade — which drove a historic surge in drug deaths during the past decade — experienced a large-scale decline in supply. Overdose deaths had surpassed 100,000 annually during the Biden administration but began to decline in mid-2023 and plunged further in its final year. They have kept falling under President Donald Trump, who invokes drug trafficking as he imposes steep tariffs on other countries and unleashes missile strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.
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Good morning!
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some campaign news
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Jan 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Jan 9, 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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