Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Members of the Texas National Guard are reportedly using a training site south of Joliet to prepare to be deployed in Chicago.

Military personnel in uniforms with the Texas National Guard patch at the U.S. Army Reserve Center in Elwood, The Associated Press reported.

Shaw Local News Network attempted to get confirmation from the Illinois National Guard, but the public affairs office referred all calls and inquiries to the U.S. Department of Defense. Inquiries to the DOD were not answered.

The Will County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement Tuesday saying, ‘The safety and well-being of our community remain our highest priority. While we have not received any official communication from federal authorities, we are aware of increased activity at the Joliet Local Training Area on Arsenal Road.

* The Electronic Frontier Foundation…

New documents and court records obtained by EFF show that Texas deputies queried Flock Safety’s surveillance data in an abortion investigation, contradicting the narrative promoted by the company and the Johnson County Sheriff that she was “being searched for as a missing person,” and that “it was about her safety.”

The new information shows that deputies had initiated a “death investigation” of a “non-viable fetus,” logged evidence of a woman’s self-managed abortion, and consulted prosecutors about possibly charging her.

Johnson County Sheriff Adam King repeatedly denied the automated license plate reader (ALPR) search was related to enforcing Texas’s abortion ban, and Flock Safety called media accounts “false,” “misleading” and “clickbait.” However, according to a sworn affidavit by the lead detective, the case was in fact a death investigation in response to a report of an abortion, and deputies collected documentation of the abortion from the “reporting person,” her alleged romantic partner. The death investigation remained open for weeks, with detectives interviewing the woman and reviewing her text messages about the abortion. […]

In the aftermath of the original reporting, government officials began to take action. The networks searched by Johnson County included cameras in Illinois and Washington state, both states where abortion access is protected by law. Since then:

The Illinois Secretary of State has announced his intent to “crack down on unlawful use of license plate reader data,” and urged the state’s Attorney General to investigate the matter.

*** Statewide ***

* WCIA | From the Farm: IL Ag Director talks shutdown, proposed research shifts: Farming and agriculture continue across the country amidst the government shutdown, but the folks who connect farmers to the world and the economy have been instructed to go home until further notice. It’s left Jerry Costello, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, quite incensed. “To furlough 50% of the employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the very first day that the shutdown is commenced, it’s ludicrous,” Costello said.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Subscribers know more. KWQA | Air Force veteran Josh Higgins to run for Illinois House District 94 seat : Josh Higgins, a U.S. Air Force veteran and West Central School Board member, has announced he will run for the Illinois House of Representatives in the 94th District. […] He will face incumbent Rep. Norine Hammond, who has represented the district since December 2010. Hammond currently serves as Deputy Republican Leader in the Illinois House and has served on the Rules, Human Services, Consumer Protection, Executive, Public Utilities, and Gaming committees.

* Herald Whig | Dabrowski encouraged by response of area Republicans to his candidacy: Buoyed by the response his campaign has received in a little less than a month, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski spent Tuesday in Quincy shoring up support from his party’s faithful and speaking to the media about his plans if elected to the governor’s mansion. On the third day of a four-day blitz through Central and West-Central Illinois, Dabrowski, who announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination Sept. 12, discussed what he deems are the most crucial issues the state’s voters face in determining who should be elected governor in November of 2026.

* WTVO | Pritzker threatens to exit governors association over Texas troop deployment to Illinois: “The credibility of the National Governors Association — and our integrity as state executives—rests on our willingness to apply our principles consistently, regardless of which administration attacks them. Should National Governors Association leadership choose to remain silent, Illinois will have no choice but to withdraw from the organization. I remain hopeful that principled leadership will prevail over political calculation and we can chart a path forward together,” Pritzker continued.

*** Chicago ***

* Fox Chicago | Chicago named best big city in US for 9th straight year: survey: The 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards, based on more than 750,000 votes, once again recognized Chicago’s mix of culture, architecture, dining, and hospitality. The city was also named one of the friendliest in the world by the U.K. edition of Condé Nast Traveller, the only U.S. city to earn that honor this year.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson says federal agents who break city law should be charged with crime: “It’s a crime. Here’s the thing, anyone who commits a crime should be charged,” Johnson said when pressed on his stance during a Tuesday morning news conference. “I mean, isn’t that the basic rule of what they ostensibly refer to as ‘law and order?’” But Johnson offered no specifics on how he thinks enforcement against such agents should work. And Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling said this week that cops will not and cannot arrest federal agents “because someone deems what they are doing is illegal.”

* Chicago Reader | The Hyde Park Jazz Festival defies federal defunding to shine brighter than ever: This year, I’d planned to cut town during the Hyde Park Jazz Festival—I thought I’d finally follow in the footsteps of notorious photographer Jim Marshall and shoot the Monterey Jazz Festival in California. After all, Chicago is so dangerous, as we’re constantly being told. And in May, the noisome Trump administration had withdrawn the HPJF’s grant from the National Endowment for the Arts—$30,000, or nearly a third of its core artist budget.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Judge to rule this week whether ICE security fence in Broadview must come down: During arguments in the lawsuit Tuesday, U.S. District Judge LaShonda Hunt began by warning both sides she didn’t want to get caught up in the politics of the moment. “It is very charged, it is very challenging,” Hunt said. “There are so many words we could use here, but it is volatile. But those issues are not before me.”

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan mayor intercedes in Border Patrol arrest: ‘I want to … make sure our residents are safe’: With a large Mexican flag on the hood of her car, Fajardo was in a line of vehicles on West Street, near Washington Street, in the vicinity of City Hall, unable to drive forward when agents approached her and told her to move her car. “I was driving around and told to leave,” she said. “I was boxed in. Two men were standing in front of me. I could not move. I told them I couldn’t leave, and they pulled me out of my car.” […] “The young lady called out to me by name,” [Mayor Sam Cunningham] said. “I know her parents. I told her to calm down, and do what they tell you. I said don’t worry about your vehicle, we’ll get it secured for you. I spoke to one of the agents, and let him know who I am.”

* Daily Southtown | Dolton settles sexual harassment lawsuit involving Trustee Andrew Holmes and former Mayor Tiffany Henyard: The settlement approvals come in the wake of another lawsuit filed against Holmes alleging he abused his power to sexually assault a 16-year-old when she was recovering from sex trafficking. Holmes was a prominent anti-violence activist before being elected a Dolton trustee in 2016. While Holmes tried to vote against the settlement for the former employee Monday, he was told he must abstain from both settlement votes due to being named in the lawsuit. The former employee’s settlement was approved 5-0, while the settlement for the other plaintiff was approved despite Trustee Stan Brown voting no and Trustee Kiana Belcher voting present.

* Daily Herald | ‘It’s an honor’: Attorney appointed as Glen Ellyn village trustee: Robert Duncan fills the seat made vacant by the passing of the late Trustee Steve Szymanski, who died only months into his first term. Duncan will bring “additional balance, insight and professionalism to our board, as well as empathy and understanding of what our residents experience in daily life,” Glen Ellyn Village President Jim Burket said.

* Daily Southtown | Sixth graders at Calumet City middle school given nicotine gum by teacher: Daphin March said she picked up her son Dae’jon, who goes by DJ, from school at about 11 a.m. on Friday after receiving a call from the nurse’s office that he was feeling nauseous. She heard he had been given a piece of gum in a prior class, along with about a dozen other children. District 149 issued a statement Tuesday that the teacher, who it did not name, was on leave while the case is reviewed. “While we cannot comment on personnel matters or ongoing investigations, please know that our District remains committed to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all students,” the district said in an emailed statement. “We appreciate the understanding and trust of our community as we address this matter responsibly and with transparency.”

*** Downstate ***

* IPM Newsroom | Virtual water: Inside Illinois’ data centers, water flows quietly — and unchecked: The steady hum inside the National Petascale Computing Facility (NPCF) [in Urbana] is so loud that it’s hard to hear anything else inside. But beneath this noise is a hidden current of water. “Today, it’s not much water,” said Mohammad Rantisi, the engineer monitoring NPCF operations. He pointed towards one of the pumps: “This is 575 gallons per minute.” On that day, at least three pumps were moving water in quantities ranging from 179 to 400 gallons per minute. This is a relatively small load, according to Rantisi.

* The Detroit News | Rivian CEO: New model, to be made in Normal, key to profitability: The Irvine-based EV maker is facing some challenges as it looks forwarding to launching in the first half of next year its smaller R2 SUV set to start at $45,000. The new model will be made in Normal, where the company is expanding its footprint and has produced all of its electric pickup trucks, SUVs and commercial delivery vans since 2021.

* WIFR | Northern Illinois University faces unfair labor law charges: Employees at Northern Illinois University file unfair labor practice charges against the school after management tried to exclude supporters of the union from attending negotiations. Management reportedly told union members that if they didn’t agree to restrict supporters from attending bargaining, the university would refuse to negotiate. The Illinois labor law says that management cannot dictate to a union who is present on its behalf during negotiations.

* BND | Negotiations stall on new contract for Cahokia School District teachers, staff: Monday marked the 37th day Cahokia Unit School District teachers have been working without a contract, and the 92nd day for the district’s secretaries and service workers. That’s an unprecedented for the district, both the Cahokia Federation of Teachers Local 1272 and Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said. As administrators and union members face sticking points with contract policies, there’s one thing both sides agree on: They want to avoid a strike.

* STL PR | Illinois American Water buys Madison’s wastewater system for $3M: The publicly traded company acquired the small town’s wastewater system for $3 million, the company announced. The sale will add roughly 1,500 customers to Illinois American’s network in the St. Louis area. In a public notice, the city said the current monthly charge for wastewater treatment customers using 3,500 gallons of water per month is approximately $67. After the sale, the average wastewater charge for customers using 3,500 gallons will be approximately $76.

* Harvest Public Media | Americans are drinking less. What does that mean for winemakers in the Heartland?: “I feel extremely optimistic about the next five years,” Phelps said, adding that Clad and Cordon and other wineries in southern Illinois are planting more vines to meet demand. But he emphasized that businesses need to offer more than one product and experience. Along with making wine and serving Illinois beer, Clad and Cordon plans to produce its own hard cider. Live music, event spaces and an on-site lake where visitors can catch fish are part of the model, as well.

*** National ***

* The Hill | America saw ‘essentially no job growth’ last month, Moody’s warns: With official data on hold due to the government shutdown, economists are turning to private reports, and the early signs, according to Moody’s, aren’t good. “This data shows that the job market is weak and getting weaker,” Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi wrote Sunday on social platform X.

* Politico | Supreme Court seems skeptical of Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy: Several justices also wondered whether a ruling allowing Colorado to ban so-called conversion therapy would amount to a green light to conservative states to ban similar counseling that encourages young people to affirm feelings about their gender identity, even if it differs from the one they were assigned to at birth. “It’s pretty important that we think about how this would apply to cases down the road. … Can a state pick a side?” Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked.

* AP | Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to support public TV stations after federal funding cuts: Bonhams in Los Angeles will auction three of Ross’ paintings on Nov. 11. Other auctions will follow in London, New York, Boston and online. All profits are pledged to stations that use content from distributor American Public Television. The idea is to help stations in need with licensing fees that allow them to show popular programs that include “The Best of Joy of Painting,” based on Ross’ show, “America’s Test Kitchen,” “Julia Child’s French Chef Classics” and “This Old House.”

* The Independent | ICE kept most offices open during the shutdown - but not the one that inspects facilities: Trump administration officials have vowed that there will be no change to “essential” ICE operations during the ongoing government shutdown - but the office that inspects detention centers to ensure humane standards has gone dark. ICE, thanks a massive $170 billion infusion of funds to its parent agency the Department of Homeland Security this summer, is in a better financial position than most government agencies at the moment, but that hasn’t stopped officials from temporarily shuttering ICE’s Office of Detention Oversight, despite an ongoing surge in detainee deaths Homeland Security confirmed to The Washington Post on Monday that the office was closed for the time being, blaming Democrats for causing the shutdown.

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Arguments for and against the ‘mega-projects’ bill

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* An argument for the so-called “mega-projects” bill by Illinois Economic Development Corp. Chair John Atkinson…

Currently before the Illinois General Assembly, this legislation would give qualifying megaprojects — those investing at least $100 million and committing to stay for 20 years or more — the ability to negotiate long-term, predictable property tax agreements with local governments. These agreements would provide companies with stable costs as they grow in Illinois, while schools and municipalities would gain a reliable revenue stream they can plan around with confidence.

This is not a one-sided incentive. Built into the legislation is the requirement that agreements must be reviewed and approved by representatives of school districts, park districts and other taxing bodies, ensuring accountability and guaranteeing that communities benefit alongside companies. If no agreement is reached, neither side is obligated to proceed, which builds collaboration and transparency directly into the process.

The proposed legislation would also ensure the jobs created by these projects are held by those affiliated with the local trades, guaranteeing that Illinois workers will be the ones bringing these transformative projects to life. Beyond construction, these projects have the potential to generate a wide range of career opportunities in our state’s workforce pipeline and strengthen local economies even further.

Crucially, there are no state dollars in play and no impact on our balanced budget. Instead, it gives control to local authorities and allows us to unlock investment that might not otherwise be possible.

Without this tool, Illinois is at serious risk of losing out to one of the 37 other states that already offer similar programs. In Ohio, New Albany granted Intel a 30-year, 100% property tax abatement to land a $20 billion semiconductor campus. In Texas, Samsung secured a package of long-term abatements for a massive chip plant. And in South Carolina, state leaders approved a 40-year tax abatement via the state’s FILOT (Fee in Lieu of Tax) Program to secure a new Scout Motors electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

Not mentioned in the piece is that the Chicago Bears are pushing this bill to help build a stadium in Arlington Heights.

* An argument against the mega-projects bill by Americans for Prosperity-Illinois’ deputy state director Brian Costin…

Atkinson highlighted a state program in Ohio that allowed the city of New Albany to give a “100% property tax abatement” break for 30 years to land a $20 billion semiconductor campus. Left out of the Pritzker appointee’s pitch: The measure empowers local officials to cruelly dump the corporate tax discount onto working families and Main Street via a property tax shift. The megaproject bill’s crony giveaways are similar.

Here’s how it works. The bill locks in assessed values of designated megaprojects for 23 to 40 years, while the real property values continue to climb. A parcel bought for $200 million but later built into a $5 billion complex would still be taxed on just the $200 million figure. That’s approximately a 96% tax reduction.

A $5 billion development in Arlington Heights would normally owe about $238.5 million per year in property taxes. With its equalized assessed value frozen at $200 million, it would pay only about $9.5 million per year, resulting in a break of $229 million per year. Over a 40-year designation (excluding the seven-year “investment” period), the developer’s break could easily exceed $7.5 billion.

Local governments aren’t complaining about this bill because they are protected by the provision that values megaprojects at full fair cash value for the purpose of calculating tax caps and bond limits. This allows the $7.5 billion property tax break to be shifted onto other property taxpayers in each jurisdiction.

Why would local governments agree to such a raw and unfair deal for residents? Because the bill lets them strike special payment side deals with developers, cash they can tout as new revenue, while sidestepping the voter-approval referendums normally required for higher taxes. These special payments don’t have to match normal taxes, don’t have to fund essential services and can even flow back to the developer in disguised subsidies, such as paying for parking garages and infrastructure that would normally have to be paid for entirely by the developer.

Your thoughts?

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign news (Updated)

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Catching up with the federal candidates

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* US Senate candidate Juliana Stratton…

Juliana Stratton raised over $1 million dollars in her second fundraising quarter as a candidate for U.S. Senate. This marks two consecutive million dollar quarters and brings Juliana’s total raise for the cycle to over $2 million.

Juliana is not accepting a dime of corporate PAC money in this race, and she has challenged her leading opponents to do the same. 92% of Juliana’s contributions for the quarter were under $200.

“Juliana’s campaign is about Illinoisans, not corporate special interests. It’s why she is refusing corporate PAC money in this race, and this quarter’s strong fundraising momentum reflects the powerful grassroots coalition that is uniting behind Juliana to send a true fighter to Washington,” said Juliana for Illinois spokesperson Allison Janowski.

Last week, Raja Krishnamoorthi’s campaign said it pulled in $3 million in the third quarter. Still waiting on Robin Kelly’s numbers.

* Capitol City Now…

It’s time to start holding “ICE” accountable. That’s according to most of the candidates running for a seat in the U.S. Senate from Illinois in next year’s election — the seat incumbent Dick Durbin is retiring from.

Among the nine candidates participating in the forum, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton says given recent incidents in Broadview, and given that President Trump is sending National Guard Troops to Illinois against Gov. JB Pritzker’s wishes, it’s important to continue to stand up and speak out. […]

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi says the filing of a federal lawsuit Monday by the Pritzker administration against the Trump administration is a great start, but…

“I have also proposed legislation in Congress that would bar the deployment of National Guard without the consent of the governor or the mayor in which they’re trying to deploy,” said Krishnamoorthi. “It doesn’t make sense for ICE — which is the 15th largest military force in the world — to come to Chicago and perform domestic law enforcement duties.” […]

Congresswoman Robin Kelly says she’s been paying attention to what has happened in the Chicago suburb of Broadview when federal ICE agents came in. Kelly says she was in her own district when she started to notice what was happening there.

“That was my district where the helicopters came down, and they did the gestapo tactics. My comments made me get on Donald Trump’s most favorite people list. I think I am number four for talking about gestapo tactics,” said Kelly. “We need to have immigration reform, and ICE needs to be a part of it. They are just doing what the leadership is telling them to do.”

* Tina Sfondeles at the Sun-Times…

As former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. stages a comeback that will upend the open race for the 2nd Congressional District, his competitors are prepared to pounce on his past. […]

Declared candidates in the race include State Sen. Robert Peters, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, State Sen. Willie Preston, Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Yumeka Brown, businessman Eric France, policy strategist Adal Regis and youth pastor and advocate Jeremy Young. […]

“I want him to run. I love it because it gives us an opportunity to be able to have real discussions about where Black Americans see themselves, and the type of leadership that we are craving, this year at this point in our history, in this country,” Preston said. “So I welcome him into the race. He’s frolicking with D.C. consultants. He is hosting fundraisers. He’s asking everyone to give him money. Something he’s familiar with doing, but he hasn’t announced. He hasn’t even set up a PAC, but he’s hosting fundraisers. So it’s going to be interesting to see if he’s drawing outside the rules again, like he did when he left.”

Preston, who has pushed Gov. JB Pritzker for a state commutation for Gangster Disciples co-founder Larry Hoover, said he believes in “redemption,” but said he doesn’t believe Jackson Jr. has fully acknowledged his actions.

“I believe in redemption. I come from a place where I felt for this state to be a state that recognizes that people do, and can, change. But I can tell you, when someone isn’t fully acknowledging the wrongs that they did, that’s not redemption,” Preston said.

* During a press conference in response to ICE staging at Yards Plaza, 7th Congressional District candidate Anthony Driver allegedly accused his opponent, Jason Friedman, of cooperating with federal agents. The Friedman campaign…

Members of the Chicago-area media,

At a news conference this morning, 7th Congressional District candidate Anthony Driver accused Jason Friedman and Friedman Properties for cooperating with ICE at Yards Plaza. The problem? Driver had the wrong Friedman, something a quick Google search could have revealed.

If you plan to cover this false attack, please contact the campaign or see the response below from Friedman for Congress:

”Jason’s family business, Friedman Properties, has zero affiliation and nothing to do with Friedman Real Estate, the owner of Yards Plaza, other than sharing a common last name. Neither Jason nor Friedman Properties condones Trump’s brutalizing of immigrant communities. We understand and share the deep concern over ICE’s harmful presence in Chicago, but Mr. Driver is mistaken.”

* Politico…

In IL-08: Dan Tully has been endorsed by Chicago Ald. Bill Conway in his campaign for Congress in the’ 8th District. Both Conway and Tully are attorneys who served in the military.

* Daniel Biss for Congress…

The Daniel Biss for Congress campaign announced it raised more than $600,000 in the third quarter of 2025 in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District primary. The campaign ended the quarter with more than $1 million on hand.

“Since the beginning of this race, the support we’ve received has been overwhelming,” said Daniel Biss. “Folks all across this district have made it clear that they want someone they can trust to not only take on Donald Trump, but also who has a proven track record of actually winning tough fights. I’m humbled that so many people see me as that candidate, and are ready to do what it takes to get us across the finish line to victory.”

* More…

Evanston Now | If Mr. Biss goes to Washington:

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MLB post-season open thread

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Figured I’d better post something now while an area team is still alive.

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Texas National Guard troops arrive in far southwest suburbs (Updated)

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Tribune…

The Texas National Guard has arrived in the Chicago area despite the repeated objections of Illinois officials, who have rejected President Donald Trump’s pledge to deploy the military domestically in response to increasingly heated immigration crackdown protests here and in other Democratic-run cities across the country.

Tribune journalists saw several military members, dressed in camouflage and carrying long guns, on federal property in Elwood, a far southwest suburb that is home to a U.S. Army Reserve training center. Soldiers, who had “T” patches on their arms identical to the ones shown in a picture tweeted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday, could be seen walking in and out of mobile sleeping units on the site.

On Monday, a defense contractor told the Tribune that he was setting up sleepers, showers and a dining hall for 250 people at the makeshift base. The contractor, who was working at the site but declined to give his name, said he was unsure how long the troops intended to stay.

From Isabel: The Tribune’s story was updated. The Texas Guard is stationed at a federal property in Elwood at a U.S. Army Reserve training center.

* New York Times…

It’s quiet outside a detention center in Broadview, Ill., where protesters have gathered in recent weeks. Light rain has been falling near the facility this morning, and mainly members of the media are gathered here at the moment. There are no signs of National Guard members.

* Yesterday from the Sun-Times…

National Guard troops could hit Chicago’s streets as soon as Tuesday after a federal judge refused a plea from Illinois’ attorneys to immediately block a deployment they labeled “illegal, dangerous and unconstitutional” in a highly anticipated lawsuit Monday.

U.S. District Judge April Perry acknowledged she was “very troubled by the lack of answers” Monday from a Trump administration lawyer about the deployment, including where in northern Illinois the troops might appear.

But she also said more than 500 pages of filings had suddenly arrived in the form of a lawsuit from Illinois and Chicago against the Trump administration, so she gave the Justice Department until midnight Wednesday to respond.

* Capitol News Illinois…

“If I were the federal government, I’d strongly urge holding off until Thursday,” [Judge Perry] said of the plan to activate troops. But she added, it’s “up to them.”

During the hearing, the DOJ confirmed that members of the Texas National Guard were scheduled to board a plane for Chicago at 4 p.m. But, attorney Jean Lin said, those out-of-state guardsmen would not be “in position to perform their federal protective mission” until Tuesday at the earliest. Members of the Illinois National Guard would similarly not be mobilized until later this week, pending pre-mission trainings, Lin said. […]

Christopher Wells of the Illinois attorney general’s office pleaded with Perry to grant “some form of interim relief” before Thursday’s hearing. He pointed to the “level of disregard the administration has shown” to a federal judge in Oregon who over the weekend ruled Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Portland exceeded his authority. Despite two rulings from the Trump-appointed judge, the feds have mobilized guardsmen anyway from California and Texas to the west coast city.

“This is all part of a concerted effort to target disfavored jurisdictions that the president doesn’t like,” Wells said, urging a temporary restraining order before the federal government “hostilely deploys troops from another state to a sister and equally sovereign state.’’ […]

Before adjourning, the judge told Wells she’s hopeful the state won’t see any of the “nonsense you’re worried about” between now and Thursday. But she said filing evidence of any altercations between National Guard troops and civilians would likely strengthen the state and city’s case.

* Related…

Crain’s | Judge declines to halt Trump’s National Guard plan yet, sets Thursday hearing:

* CBS Chicago | Former Illinois National Guard commander says he’s “never seen” troops called up from out of state before: Richard Hayes is a former U.S. Army Major and former Commander of the Illinois National Guard. He said in all his years of service, he’s never seen anything like this. “I’ve never seen that done before, to federalize a National Guard from another state to send them to another state,” he said. “In my 34 years, I’ve never seen that.”

* NYT | Texas Troops Head to Chicago as Trump Weighs Use of Emergency Powers: The president said he would consider using the Insurrection Act to bypass attempts to block National Guard deployments in Chicago and Portland, Ore. The governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, called the mobilization “an unconstitutional invasion.”

* Block Club Chicago | Federal Judge Won’t Immediately Block Troop Deployment After Illinois, Chicago File Lawsuit: In a memo to Illinois National Guard leadership Saturday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the troops could be called into service “effective immediately” and be used in the area for 60 days, according to the Tribune. The troops’ objective would be to guard ICE facilities in Illinois, the Tribune reported.

* Tribune | The National Guard has been activated to Chicago 18 times from 1877-2021. Here’s a breakdown: A review of the Tribune’s archives produced 18 events in which the governor activated the National Guard within Chicago. Two of them — both during the 19th century — involved a sitting U.S. president who acted in coordination with the governor. “The Pullman Strike (1894) and Railroad Strike (1877) were both considered state active duty,” said Adriana Schroeder, command historian for the Illinois National Guard. “Both of those involved the union, spread throughout the United States, and drew the attention of the president who was in close communications with the governors of the affected states.” On occasion, state and city officials have disagreed if a National Guard response was warranted.

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It’s Time To Bring Safer Rides To Illinois

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Waymo is ready to bring safe, reliable, autonomous rides to Illinois – but we need your help!

Waymo is designed to follow all traffic laws and obey speed limits, and the data shows Waymo’s autonomous vehicles are involved in five times fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans (as of 6/2025, see waymo.com/safety). Let’s bring safer rides to Illinois.

Waymo’s autonomous vehicles can improve access to transportation for Illinois residents with travel-limiting disabilities like vision impairment, to reach medical care, groceries, and social activities. Waymo’s all-electric autonomous vehicles also provide a more sustainable way for people to get around, preventing 315+ tons of carbon emissions with every 250K trips provided through our ride-hailing service.

Ready to ride? Help bring Waymo to Illinois.

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Color me skeptical

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Official federal government background from Sunday is here if you need it. Sun-Times…

Body-camera video of a Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting of a woman who was allegedly chasing agents in Brighton Park over the weekend shows an officer saying, “Do something, b—-,” before pulling over and shooting the woman five times, the woman’s attorney said in federal court Monday.

The video appears to contradict the government’s allegation that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire on her late Saturday morning on Kedzie Avenue near 39th Street, her attorney, Christopher Parente, said at a detention hearing at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse.

U.S. District Judge Heather McShain denied a request by the federal government to detain Martinez and Anthony Ian Santos Ruiz, 21, pending trial. Martinez and Ruiz, who wore orange jumpsuits for the detention hearing, were charged Sunday with felony assault of a federal officer.

The judge said it “is a miracle to me that no one was more seriously injured” in the incident in which Martinez and Ruiz allegedly followed agents for more than 20 minutes as they drove after conducting an operation in Oak Lawn. But she said the defendants’ lack of criminal history and extensive family and community ties compelled her to release them pending trial.

* Tribune…

The attorney for the woman shot by ICE and accused by the federal government of assaulting agents with her car just said body camera footage shows federal agents rammed into her.

They are in court for an initial hearing right now. Follow here for more: https://t.co/hpSllYjbuD

— Jake Sheridan (@JakeSheridan_) October 6, 2025

One should always maintain a healthy level of skepticism whenever a governmental policing agency issues a statement. But the Border Patrol, ICE and DHS elevate that skepticism to a whole ‘nother level.

* Meanwhile…

Pritzker: At one point, state police asked cbp leaders for time to move the crowd to avoid any unnecessary confrontations. Rather than give state police time… Kristi Noem chose to drive her motorcade through the protesters to create clashes pic.twitter.com/KCKiTTl1Sd

— Acyn (@Acyn) October 6, 2025

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Protect the 340B Program to Enhance Healthcare Services in Low-Income Communities

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Drugmaker requirements are making it hard for hospitals like Franciscan Health Olympia Fields to turn savings on drug costs into healthcare services for patients. The hospital joined the federal 340B program “to help serve the uninsured and under-insured community residents in Olympia Fields and Chicago Heights.” The poverty rates in both Chicago suburbs are higher than the 11.6% state average—nearly 13% in Olympia Fields and almost 25% in Chicago Heights.

The hospital has put 340B savings toward healthcare services, including its:

Outpatient Infusion Center

Medication to Bedside program

Pharmacist-managed Anticoagulation Clinics and Pharmacotherapy Clinics

“The 340B program serves as a vital lifeline for safety-net providers to support critical health services in low-income or isolated rural communities, which are typically operated at a loss,” Franciscan Health said.

Since 2020, drugmakers have blocked access to lifesaving medications acquired through the 340B program, making it harder for Illinois’ 100 participating hospitals to invest in healthcare services—and patients.

Support House Bill 2371 SA 2 to prohibit drugmakers from interfering with hospital pharmacy contracts. Low-income communities deserve access to more comprehensive healthcare services, as the 340B program intended. Learn more.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: National Guard deployment moves ahead in Illinois after judge declines state’s suit to block Trump call-up. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Mayor Brandon Johnson calls for ‘dramatic’ response ahead of imminent National Guard deployment
• Press Release: Gov. Pritzker Presses Chair of National Governors Association to Denounce Deployment of Texas National Guard in Illinois
• NYT: Texas Troops Head to Chicago as Trump Weighs Use of Emergency Powers

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* Governor Pritzker will attend the North Star Summit for a panel with Governor Walz to discuss state leadership at 3:45 pm. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* American Prospect | How ICE Hides Detainees From Their Lawyers: Herrera left the facility that day with no idea where Giménez González was being held. The next morning, he returned to Broadview with elected officials, other advocates, and Giménez González’s wife to hold a press conference demanding information from ICE. At the end of the press conference, Giménez González’s wife received a phone call from her husband. He confirmed that he was being held in Broadview, just behind the building’s boarded-up windows and chain-link fence. “His wife handed me the phone. I was talking to him, and his tone changed, and someone asked him who he was talking to,” Herrera said. “And he said, ‘a lawyer.’ And then he told me later that he was made to get off the phone.”

* WCIA | Illinois retirees, federal employees share concerns as shutdown drags into 6th day: Unfortunately Innis just can’t get away from the shutdown. He is still receiving Medicare but if a problem comes up with his coverage no one is there to pick up the phone. He also likes to fly but shutdowns at FAA has him worried about overworked air traffic controllers. But that’s not all. “I am also a veteran, so all the VA stuff that you’re hearing about, that stands to affect me if I should have any problems that way. So you’re just getting hit from every angle,” Innis said.

* ABC Chicago | Journalists, unions sue ICE, DHS alleging ‘extreme force’ during Broadview detention center protests: Chicago journalists and unions have sued U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security, alleging the federal government has used “extreme force” against reporters and TV crews during protests in Broadview. The groups suing include NABET Local 41, which represents members of ABC7 Chicago and other local TV stations.

Click here for the proposed temporary restraining order.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Feds: Chicago gang member solicited murder of Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino: Juan Espinoza Martinez, 37, of Chicago, was arrested Monday morning and charged in a criminal complaint unsealed Monday with one count of solicitation of murder-for-hire. A court appearance has not yet been set, and it was unclear if Martinez had a lawyer. According to the complaint, Martinez, a ranking member of the Latin Kings, told a law enforcement source after an immigration agent shot a woman in the Brighton Park neighborhood “that he had dispatched members of the Latin Kings to the area of the 39th and Kedzie … in response to the shooting.”

* Tribune | Chicago police will respond to federal calls for help, Larry Snelling says, and denies cops were ordered to stand down: “We want to make sure when we show up, we’re keeping every single person in this city safe, and we want to keep the peace,” he said. Snelling spent about 10 minutes of the 50-minute news conference defending Chief of Patrol Jon Hein following furor over a Saturday dispatch attributed to Hein that “no units would respond” to a call for assistance from armed Border Patrol agents who said they were in the middle of a crowd in Brighton Park following the traffic crashes and shooting.

* Block Club | 27 Police Officers Among Those Injured By Tear Gas During Weekend Protest, Chicago’s Top Cop Says: Officers were also on the scene when federal agents began firing tear gas at the crowds. He said there weren’t any major injuries as a result, but 27 police officers were “affected.” “In order to help out at this location, we pulled officers from other places, and they did not have the equipment to fight off the chemical agent, and they were affected by it,” Snelling told reporters. “Our officers are resilient and tough. Those officers are doing good.”

* Block Club | Mayor Brandon Johnson Bans Use Of City Property For Immigration Enforcement: The order follows reports that federal agents recently used city-owned lots at Harrison and Kedzie and at 46th and Damen for immigration operations, actions that city officials said erode community trust and violate Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | Waukegan mayor steps in as federal agents detain woman outside City Hall: VIDEO: Video shows Mayor Sam Cunningham talking to federal agents. Cunningham told ABC7 he saw the woman being cuffed, and then, she started calling his name. Cunningham helped get her car towed while she was being detained. ABC7 spoke with the woman’s father. He says she is an American citizen and that she was charged with obstructing a federal investigation.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora Mayor John Laesch proposes campaign ethics reform measures: The proposed changes to city code would put a $500 cap on campaign donations from those doing business with the city or looking to, would expand required economic interest disclosures and would set limits on how city property can be used for political purposes, among other things. The Aurora City Council’s Rules, Administration and Procedure Committee is set to hear the proposals at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.

* Daily Southtown | Car crashes into Dolton Trustee Kiana Belcher’s campaign office: Kiana Belcher was using the office at 14200 Martin Luther King Drive as her campaign headquarters as she seeks election to the 5th District Cook County board seat in 2026. The office is no longer usable after the crash through the building’s main entrance, Belcher said Monday. “I don’t know if it was intentional or not,” Belcher said. “But at this point, I just know that the vehicle landed directly in the middle of the campaign office.” […] The driver was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries. No campaign staff members, volunteers or pedestrians were injured, Belcher said.

* Daily Herald | Colin Gilbert confirmed as new Arlington Heights trustee: Colin Gilbert, an Arlington Heights attorney known for his involvement in community organizations and businesses, was confirmed and sworn in Monday night as a village trustee. Gilbert was Mayor Jim Tinaglia’s pick to replace Scott Shirley, who resigned last week to spend more time taking care of his elderly family members and at his full-time job as an engineer.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Another aspect of the city-county-town dispute on sales tax money comes to light: A great deal of the public focus so far has been on the unspent mental health money in the Mental Health and Public Safety fund. Another approved use of money from the decade-old agreement is to replace an aging electronic record management system that integrates information for the courts, law enforcement, and other stakeholders. There has been a lot of unhappiness about that project too. The aging suite of programs called the county’s Electronic Justice System, or EJS, has tied together 14 McLean County police agencies, prosecutors, court services, circuit clerk, juvenile probation, and the coroner’s office with a common set of records and access. It also uses software that’s no longer supported and contains security vulnerabilities.

* WGLT | Normal Town Council approves $8M contract for new records management system: The council approved a 10-year agreement with Axon for an unlimited premium plan of an integrated ecosystem of connected hardware and software, with the town citing evolving technology needs for its law enforcement officers. The system includes an agreement for body worn cameras, in-car camera systems, interview room cameras, digital evidence servers and records management for the Normal Police Department.

* BND | Interested in a historic fixer-upper? Belleville may have a deal for you: The city of Belleville is buying two historic brick homes from St. Clair County’s delinquent tax agent with plans to either demolish or sell them, depending on local interest. Officials see the home at 102 N. 11th St. as the one most likely to become part of the infill program, which allows people to buy city-owned derelict buildings for $1 if they agree to renovate them.

*** National ***

* NYT | Trump to Unveil Farmer Aid as China Shuns U.S. Crops: Punishing Chinese tariffs that prompt painful retaliation. American farmers on the brink of bankruptcy. A multibillion-dollar bailout to keep farmers afloat. It is 2018 all over again as the Trump administration prepares to address the same policy crisis it faced seven years ago when President Trump, who imposed stiff tariffs on Chinese imports, had to shield the U.S. agriculture industry from the fallout of his trade war.

* Talking Points Memo | The Trump Admin’s Mostly Unnoticed Move to Crack Down on the Opposition: The orders have little legal grounding (the Antifa order, for example, applies a law that exists only for foreign groups to a poorly defined term for domestic protestors). But that does not fully blunt their effect. One former DOJ counterterrorism attorney argued to TPM that the threat of the orders comes not necessarily in the form of imminent charges but in the lengthy, resource-draining investigations that are set to begin. They could have other impacts, too, on opposition groups seeking to participate in politics or civic society: funders curtailing contributions to certain nonprofits, advocacy groups rolling back campaigns that differ from the White House’s view of social issues, and other firms like banks declining to work with organizations on the administration’s list.

* Financial Times | America is now one big bet on AI: The hundreds of billions of dollars companies are investing in AI now account for an astonishing 40 per cent share of US GDP growth this year. And some analysts believe that estimate doesn’t fully capture the AI spend, so the real share could be even higher. AI companies have accounted for 80 per cent of the gains in US stocks so far in 2025. That is helping to fund and drive US growth, as the AI-driven stock market draws in money from all over the world, and feeds a boom in consumer spending by the rich.

7 Comments

Good morning!

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is still a free country, so you don’t have to agree with him, and I wouldn’t ask you to do so because I don’t always agree with him, either. But your own personal opinion can’t diminish the fact that Kentucky’s Jesse Welles’ stunningly prodigious and well-crafted output of original songs about the week’s (or even the day’s) zeitgeist is truly something to behold. I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this guy. His latest timely lyric, from yesterday, hits local: get ready boys / look pretty / we’re goin into the city…

winter came
flyin on a black hawk
it was early for chicago
ice froze up the whole damn block

What’s up by you?

2 Comments

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comments Off

Live coverage (mostly)

Tuesday, Oct 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter.

We’re experimenting this week with a new app which feeds Bluesky posts. Still tweaking it…

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Governor JB Pritzker on the state’s lawsuit against Trump’s National Guard deployment to Chicago…

Pritzker: The [federal] court here has given the US Department of Justice two days to respond in writing to the state’s TRO motion. They have to respond by midnight Wednesday night, and the next hearing will be on Thursday.

The press conference is ongoing. Click here to watch live.

* Capitol News Illinois’ Hannah Meisel was in the courtroom…

…as to where the troops will be and what they’ll be doing once here (combined with their ask for seven days to file a brief), she said the Feds’ assertion that it’ll take a few days once here to officially be truly deployed gives enough time. Oral arguments set for Thursday.

— Hannah Meisel (@hannahmeisel) October 6, 2025

* The Texas National Guard is on its way…

* Sun-Times…

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson signed an executive order Monday setting designated protest times outside a federal facility used to process detained immigrants in the west suburb.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center at 1930 Beach Street has become a hotbed for protests since President Donald Trump’s administration aggressively ramped up his deportation campaign in the Chicago area last month under the name “Operation Midway Blitz.” Since then, protesters have arrived at the facility in the early morning hours, sometimes as early as 5 a.m., and have clashed with federal authorities into the late night hours.

The new protest hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, according to the executive order, which cites public safety concerns. The executive order is in effect immediately and will be until it is “deemed no longer necessary to protect residents’ health, safety, and welfare.”

*** Statewide ***

* Huff Post | The Supreme Court Is About To Hear A Case That Could Change Elections: The Supreme Court will wrestle with a question on Wednesday that, depending on the answer, could open up broad avenues for President Donald Trump to manipulate elections and the courts while continuing his assault on the nation with bogus claims of election fraud. […] The case in question is Bost v. Illinois, which focuses on mail-in election ballots and specifically addresses who has the right to challenge them. The court will weigh whether allegations of a possible or future injury to a federal candidate’s campaign –– like costs associated with counting or verifying mail-in ballots up to two weeks after Election Day — are enough to give that person the right, or “standing” to sue. The case originates from Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), a Trump ally involved in the effort to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory, and Republican presidential electors Laura Pollastrini and Susan Sweeney, all of whom sued the Illinois State Board of Elections in 2022.

* WGLT | Illinois manufacturers look for more certainty amid ongoing tariffs: Mark Denzler, president of the Illinois Manufacturers Association [IMA], said many companies are deciding whether they can afford to absorb those costs or pass them on to their customers. “Some companies have reduced [capital expenditure] spending, they’ve put a free on hiring new people, particularly when we see companies that are making a product that’s sold to consumers, you think food products for example,” Denzler said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.

*** Statehouse News ***

* SoS Alexi Giannoulias | Time to slam brakes on discriminatory car insurance rates: We’re over halfway through our town hall push, where more than 800 Illinoisans took time out of their busy schedules to speak out about skyrocketing insurance rates. While the town halls are confirming what the data indicated, we’re also uncovering new issues to explore, including how ride-hail and delivery app drivers are potentially being double charged for auto insurance.

* McHenry County Blog | Former State Rep. DeLoris Doederlein 100 Today, Passed Driver’s Test at 99: Elected in 1986 to the Illinois House to replace Jill Zwick, East Dundee’s DeLoris Doederlein served six years. Today is her 100th birthday. Yesterday at the West Dundee VFW Post, there was a glorious celebration of her life. Not that there was a lot of public speaking. Doederlein’s best line was “See you next year.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois sues to block Trump’s National Guard deployment to Chicago: Illinois filed its lawsuit hours after Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he will send 400 guardsmen to cities around the country, including Chicago, and after a federal judge in Oregon blocked National Guard deployments to Portland. The order is “effective immediately for an initial period of 60 days” and subject to extension, according to the memo, signed by Hegseth. It comes a day after Pritzker confirmed Trump’s intention to federalize 300 members of the Illinois National Guard.

*** Chicago ***

* NBC Chicago | Chicago mayor signs order to stop federal agents from using certain city-owned spaces: The order, which is set to take effect immediately, will prohibit federal immigration authorities from using “city-owned or controlled parking lots, vacant lots, and garages as staging areas, processing locations, or operations bases for civil immigration enforcement activities,” it states. “In recent weeks, federal agents used several City-owned properties—including parking lots near Harrison and Kedzie, and a vacant lot at 46th and Damen—as staging sites for immigration enforcement,” the mayor’s office said in a release about the order. “Such use of City property undermines community trust and runs counter to Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance, which ensures that all residents—regardless of immigration status—can live, work, and seek services without fear.”

* Economist | What a Chicago immigration raid says about Trumpism: One of the residents who remains is Alicia Brooks, a 33-year-old American citizen. By her account, at around 1am on the night of the raid she heard a helicopter right outside her window on the fifth floor. “I started to get my key, and I was grabbed,” she says. “I was zip-tied in front of me and escorted outside the building.” Dozens of men in military-style uniforms carrying assault rifles evacuated the complex “like it was on fire”, she says. They lined up the inhabitants outside, zip-tying the hands of the adults, and put them on buses. By law, to question somebody, immigration officers must have reason to think they could be an illegal immigrant. To arrest somebody, they need probable cause. Ms Brooks, who is black, with an American accent, says she repeatedly asked officers why she was being arrested, and pointed out her citizenship. Nobody asked her any questions. When she continued to object to her arrest, an officer knocked her to the ground, removed the zip-ties and replaced them with handcuffs, locked as tightly as they would go. By the time she was released, together with several other citizens, she says the sun was coming up.

* Bloomberg | Credit score shake-up slams Chicago’s TransUnion: Fair Isaac Corp. will now sell credit scores directly to mortgage resellers, a move that sent shares of third-party credit bureaus like Chicago-based TransUnion plunging. Through a new program, mortgage resellers will be able to calculate and distribute credit scores directly to customers, reducing their reliance on credit bureaus. This will bring more price transparency and savings for mortgage lenders, mortgage brokers and other industry participants, FICO said in a statement.

* ABC Chicago | Walgreens to close Chicago Old Post Office location: Walgreens announced it will close its office space at Chicago’s Old Post Office, a spokesperson told ABC7. The company said it will keep its headquarters in Deerfield, where the company has been rooted for decades. “As we renew our focus on our stores and customer experience, we have made the decision to exit our office space at the Old Post Office,” a spokesperson said.

* ABC Chicago | Uber Eats brings robot food delivery to some Chicago neighborhoods: The robots can only go on the sidewalk and are emission-free. They will be used in Austin, Belmont Cragin, Dunning, East Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Little Italy, Logan Square, Near North Side, Near West Side, Uptown, West Garfield Park and West Town initially.

* Tribune | CPS students celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month amid time of tension: ‘We deserve to be here’: Despite the fear in many communities as intimidation and arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ramp up across the Chicago area, students such as Rodriguez, 16, are finding solace and joy by honoring the holiday. Sharing cultural traditions is not new for Lane Tech or Rodriguez, who hatched the plan to lead the pinata workshop. A year ago, when the fear of ICE sweeps and arrests was palpable, but the action was not as intense, Rodriguez hosted a workshop for schoolmates to make picture frames to place on an ofrenda, an altar traditionally set up to honor family and loved ones during Dia de los Muertos.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | Journalists, unions sue ICE, DHS alleging ‘extreme force’ during Broadview detention center protests: The groups suing include NABET Local 41, which represents members of ABC7 Chicago and other local TV stations. There have been multiple incidents where ABC7’s teams have been affected by the use of tear gas and pepper spray balls fired into crowds. Neither ICE nor DHS immediately responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora-area school districts modify Title IX policies as federal regulations shift: ‘People are at the center of this’: Following a recent court ruling, some Aurora-area school districts are revising their Title IX policies to align with a federal rule that eliminates protections for transgender students, among other provisions, in line with regulations created during President Donald Trump’s first term. Reversing a more recent version of the federal rule under former President Joe Biden’s administration, changing guidance at the federal level is creating a sort of patchwork of Title IX procedures in local school districts, including those in Aurora, as they adopt policies to remain in line with federal requirements.

* ABC Chicago | Car crashes into campaign office in Dolton, village trustee confirms: Dolton Village Trustee Kiana Belcher said the building is her campaign office. She’s running for 5th District County Commissioner. Firefighters say three people were taken to the hospital but are expected to be okay. No word yet on what caused the crash.

* Evanston Now | Panel set to vote on new council rules: In June the committee voted 5-4-1 to require a two-thirds supermajority to choose an acting mayor. But the draft language in the Council Rules ordinance for Monday night’s meeting simply adopts the procedure outlined in state law for naming an acting mayor — which only requires a simple majority vote. With Mayor Daniel Biss currently running in the Democratic congressional primary, the process for selecting an acting mayor could become an active issue.

* Daily Herald | New, $7.5 million reservoir expands water reliability, capacity in Vernon Hills: The reservoir holds 2 million gallons and is designed to increase reliability of the Vernon Hills water system, which serves about 33,000 residents and businesses in the village, unincorporated Libertyville Township, Knollwood, Rondout, Mettawa and a portion of Long Grove.

* Daily Herald | State Sen. Castro secures more than $12 million for 7 local infrastructure projects: The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Multi-Year Program will invest $50.6 billion over six years, continuing an unprecedented investment in safety, mobility and quality of life made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program, according to the release. “These local projects will not only improve the quality of life in Illinois – they are also critically needed for the safety of our infrastructure,” Castro, an Elgin Democrat, said in the release. “I am grateful that, because of this Rebuild Illinois funding, the city of Elgin will be replacing the Kimball Street Bridge, which is a vital artery in our downtown in need of improvement.”

* Daily Herald | ‘Our goal is goodbye’: Suburban shelters seek forever homes amid surge in surrendered pets: “We’ve had a lot more requests (from owners relinquishing their pets) this year,” said Sally Hubbard, animal welfare manager for Save-A-Pet in Grayslake. “As a no-kill shelter, we only have so much space … but we work with people to help find them options.” In 2023, the Lake County shelter had 121 relinquish requests from owners. So far this year, the shelter has received 260 such requests, Hubbard said.

* Daily Herald | Naperville flag display to return to Rotary Hill: Operation Support our Troops - America and the Naperville Park District are hosting the “Healing Field of Honor” — a display of American flags — Nov. 7-12 at Rotary Hill next to the Millennium Carillon. The multi-day event will also feature the Vietnam Wall of Remembrance, bearing the names of more than 58,000 service members who died in Vietnam between 1957 and 1975. Organizers will hold an opening ceremony at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, and Vietnam veterans will share stories and answer questions at the memorial.

* Daily Herald | Elmhurst native wins Nobel Prize in medicine for key immune system discoveries: Fred Ramsdell, originally from Elmhurst, along with Mary E. Brunkow and Dr. Shimon Sakaguchi uncovered a key pathway the body uses to keep the immune system in check, called peripheral immune tolerance. Experts called the findings critical to understanding autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In separate projects over several years, the trio of scientists — two in the U.S. and one in Japan — identified the importance of what are now called regulatory T cells. Scientists are currently using those findings in a variety of ways: to discover better treatments for autoimmune diseases, to improve organ transplant success and to enhance the body’s own fight against cancer, among others.

*** Downstate ***

* IPM Newsroom | Urbana will explore alternatives to mental health crisis intervention without police involvement: At the Oct. 6 City Council meeting, stakeholders from law enforcement, health care and advocacy groups will begin discussions on building an alternative crisis response model. The discussions will be facilitated by a nonprofit organization, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), that has worked with communities across the U.S. to establish similar models.

* WCIA | Illinois Extension offering support, education for caregivers of farmers with dementia: The University of Illinois Extension has worked alongside researchers in Iowa and Illinois to develop a program designed for caregivers of farmers showing signs of dementia. Older agricultural workers have a higher risk of developing dementia — which increases the chances of becoming injured, especially for those living or working on farms. Because of that, researchers at the University of Iowa, University of Illinois Chicago, community members and Extension experts created Farm Families Coping with Dementia (FFCD).

* Chicago Mag | We’re the Great Pumpkin State, Charlie Brown: In a recent year, Illinois grew 634 million pounds of pumpkins, making it a $200 million industry in the state. In second place? Indiana, with 161 million pounds. […] Why Illinois? The soil is rich here, and the land is flat, making it ideal for pumpkin patches. Also, the state has a moderate climate. Pumpkins thrive in the summer, but too much heat stunts their growth. Farmers call this midland region “the orange belt.” For that reason, the world’s largest pumpkin processing plant, Nestle Libby, is in Morton, a small town near Peoria. Morton, which calls itself the Pumpkin Capital of the World, holds an annual Pumpkin Festival.

* WSIL | Applesauce spills on I-57 after semi-truck crash: No injuries reported after a semi-truck crash blocked lanes of I-57 on Monday morning. The Illinois State Police said the incident happened at 4:38 a.m., on October 6, in the northbound lanes of I-57 near the 76 mile marker in Franklin County. State police said a truck tractor semi-trailer crashed and rolled over which shut down both northbound lanes. […] Rick’s Towing, which responded to the scene, said 46 thousand pounds of applesauce spilled during the crash.

*** National ***

* NPR | The CDC says people must consult a health professional before COVID shot: Unlike in earlier years, the new guidelines call for people to talk to a doctor, pharmacist or some other health care provider about the risks and benefits of getting vaccinated before they get a shot. This extra step is called “shared decision-making,”or “individual-based decision-making” according to the language in the press release. The move is the final action necessary for implementing the new guidelines, which affect who can get and give the COVID shot, and whether vaccination will be covered by private and government insurance without copayments.

* NYT | Groups Sue E.P.A. Over Canceled $7 Billion for Solar Energy: The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Rhode Island, accused the agency of illegally revoking the money under the Solar for All program without congressional approval. It expanded an ever-widening legal battle over President Trump’s efforts to claw back billions of dollars in climate funding that had been approved by the Biden administration. The lead plaintiff is the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, a group of labor unions that had trained electricians and other workers to install solar panels in the state. While the unions did not directly receive funds under the Solar for All program, they had been counting on work that would have followed a $49.3 million grant to the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources.

6 Comments

Everything’s dry, everything’s dusty and everything’s flammable on farms these days

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WCIA last week…

[Central Illinois Farmer Marty Wilson] is taking his empty tanks and filling them with water to have in the fields in case of a fire. Because it’s so hot, dry, and windy, it’s a recipe for concern for farmers all over. They’re even thinking static electricity on combines could be starting fires. […]

Wilson has filled his empty 2,000 gallon tank with water. Homer and Sidney’s Fire Protection District Chief, Don Happ, said that it’s so important right now. […]

Taylorville, Owaneco firefighters battle field fire near Assumption [Happ] said that they have trucks designed to fight field fires. However, they only carry 450 gallons of water. […]

Wilson’s choice to fill the tank was the right move at just the right time. […]

He had another combine fire Tuesday morning, despite blowing off the equipment like they do every day. Wilson also said that the tank will now follow them to each field they’re in.

* WCIA yesterday…

Last week, one Central Illinois farm had three equipment fires in the fields within three days.

Both Sidney’s and Homer’s volunteer fire departments responded to help put them out.

* If it looks like your neighbor’s cornfield could double as a bonfire, you’re not wrong. The drought is intense. Check out the USDA drought monitor…

* Yesterday in Beecher via the Patch…

Dry conditions, gusty winds and terrain complicated efforts to combat a brush fire that quickly spread in Beecher Saturday afternoon, fire officials said.

The fire started in tall grass and ran into woods nearby, consuming nearly 40 acres before being brought under control. Crews were on scene for eight hours, working late Saturday night to ensure all hot spots were out, Beecher Fire Protection District Chief Joseph Falaschetti said. […]

Difficult terrain and limited access points complicated efforts, Falaschetti said. Firefighters used residential driveways to get access. As the fire spread, it was escalated to a third alarm, calling for additional resources from neighboring communities. A Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) drone was called in to gain an aerial view to help with placement of crews and equipment, Falaschetti said. […]

In total, more than 52 firefighters, 3 engines, 5 tenders, 9 brush trucks, and 8 chief officers from multiple agencies operated at the scene. The fire was brought under control by approximately 5 p.m., though crews remained on site until around 10 p.m. to cut through dense brush and fully extinguish remaining hot spots. There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported.

* Ford County battled its own field fire yesterday. WCIA…

At least 40 fire departments battled a massive field fire for hours on Sunday. Officials said the fire started in a Ford County bean field and traveled several miles.

The fire began near 3500 North and 1700 East Road at 1 p.m. But, Kempton’s fire chief said it spread — jumping to a corn field, a field of stalks, then to standing corn, and then to a standing bean field. The fire burnt around three homesteads — but firefighters and farmers were able to keep the flames from reaching all three. […]

The last of the firefighters were able to clear the scene around 8 p.m. Fire officials remind the public that burn bans remain in effect.

* More drought side effects via WCIA…

Drought conditions and harvesting season are proving to be a dangerous combination, kicking up dust and reducing visibility across some area highways in Central Illinois.

Ed Shimon, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said drivers should know what to do in case they encounter a localized area where harvesting activities are kicking up localized dust events.

“Those really dry crops, because of the low moisture content, is creating more of that dusty debris that’s actually reducing visibility across roadways more frequently this year,” Shimon said. “The guidance on that is to pull off to the side of the road as far off the road as you can get.”

It’s not the only negative coming out of this year’s drought though. U of I agronomy professor Giovani Preza Fontes said it’s so dry, farmers are looking at potential yield losses. He said soybean fields are supposed to be harvested at 13%.

“Most of the fields will be harvested with moisture below 10%,” Preza Fontes said.

* There’s at least some rain on the way, though not much…

* WAND | Rain chances and turning much cooler: Ahead of a cold front moving through the Midwest this morning, highs today will top out in the 80s again. That front will bring scattered showers and storms to the area this afternoon into Tuesday morning. While rainfall amounts for most of us will stay under one-half inch, we’ll take it.

* WTVO | Northern Illinois to welcome scattered rain chances after long dry spell: Rain should wind down before mid-morning Tuesday. As previously discussed, this won’t put much of a dent in the drought situation. Most locales should end up with a quarter to a half inch of rain. Highest totals look to occur to our north and west.

* More…

WCIA | Crews respond to Philo field fire with heavy smoke Sunday afternoon:

* Lawrence County Post | Illinois drought monitor says dry conditions to continue: No large rains are in the immediate forecast for next week. A windy, hot, dry weekend is in store which will lead to high fire danger across the area. Lawrence County fire officials remind residents that a burn ban continues until further notice.

* KWQC | Roads back open after large field fire breaks out in rural Knox County: The Knox County Sheriff’s Office said roadways are back open around Rio, Illinois after a large field fire near the village. Around 2:20, large plumes of smoke could be seen in fields between Knox Road 200 East and Knox Road 100 East. As of 3:15, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office said there are road closures on Knox Highway 33 from Knox Highway 34 to Rio and Knox Highway 2 from US Highway 150 N to Rio due to the fire.

* QWAD | Multiple cornfield fires erupt in Knox County: Three standing cornfields were reported burning in the area of Knox Road 100 East. Firefighters issued a Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) Box 31 call, summoning additional tenders and brush trucks from surrounding departments to help contain the flames.

* River Bender | Field Fire Near Lamb Road Draws Multi-Department Response: Firefighters arrived to find flames moving quickly through the area, prompting calls for multiple tanker trucks due to limited water availability. Departments seen on the scene was Olive, New Douglas, Worden, Hamel, Alhambra, Staunton, and Medowbrook assisted in containing the blaze. The fire was reported to be under control by approximately 4:15 p.m. No injuries were reported.

* WCIA | One injured, nearly 200 without power after combine, field fire in Clinton: A combine and field fire injured one and left almost 200 people without power Tuesday afternoon in Clinton. At approximately 12:02 p.m., Clinton firefighters were dispatched to the area of Reagan Road and Illinois Route 54 for a combine and field fire. Firefighters arriving on the scene found a fire in a bean crop and a combine fully engulfed under power lines.

* WCIA | 16 fire trucks respond to field fire near St. Joseph; 30-45 acres burned: No one is hurt following Friday’s field fire near St. Joseph, fire officials said. The fire burned an estimated 30 to 45 acres of land before it was extinguished at around 3:30 p.m. Officials from the St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Protection District said on Facebook that despite the dry conditions, standing corn and a breeze, firefighting efforts by first responders and farmers’ work to create firebreaks kept the fire from being any worse.

* WAND | Macon county field fire: A huge field fire sparked up between Blue Mound and Macon near Blue Mound Road leaving smoke to rise throughout the area. WAND has reached out to Blue Mound Fire Protection District is waiting to hear back about details. This was not the only incident in which Central Illinois saw a field fire on Sunday and might not be the last, however, improving conditions are expected to be on the way.

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A look back at last week’s extraordinary federal raid

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve seen this same sort of hot take in other places. This particular version is from Jeanne Ives’ “Breakthrough Ideas” newsletter…

[Last] week’s drama started early on Tuesday morning when ICE agents descended on a run-down apartment building in Chicago’s south shore neighborhood. They broke into apartments, rustled people out of bed, including children, held them until they could confirm citizenship status, and arrested 37 illegals, including suspects connected to the Tren de Aragua gang, who have been terrorizing the community.

The Left focused on apartments that were busted into and people detained temporarily to determine their status. Like it or not, ICE agents have broad authority to target and detain people they suspect are here illegally. This website explains in detail what they can do. For example, “The INA grants ICE agents the authority to question any person they believe to be a noncitizen about their right to be or remain in the U.S. This is a broad power that doesn’t require any specific suspicion of wrongdoing.”

* From that last link Ives herself provided…

Reflecting some of these Fourth Amendment constraints, DHS regulations provide that an immigration officer may question an individual so long as the officer “does not restrain the freedom of an individual, not under arrest, to walk away.”

The full DHS regulation is here.

* Gov. Pritzker over the weekend…

Jake Tapper: The federal agents this week carrying out this massive raid on this apartment complex in Chicago, reportedly, they used drones, helicopters, military style vehicles, a Border Patrol officer told The New York Times. And snipers rappelled down to the roof of the building during the raid from a helicopter. What more can you tell us about this?

Pritzker: Well, let me also mention that the Border Patrol shouldn’t be there either. They’re claiming that the shores of Lake Michigan are the border of the United States, and therefore they should be in Chicago. They belong on the borders, truly on the borders.

The feds claim enhanced governmental rights of searches and seizures 100 miles from a border. Most of the US population lives within that zone. But, geographically, Chicago does not…

Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located fully in the United States

Click here for a map.

The feds claim that since the Northeastern tip of Lake Michigan is within 100 miles of the Canadian border, then all cities within 100 miles of the lake are within its zone of influence. I’m told some discussions are being held about challenging the federal interpretation in court.

* A South Shore raid news coverage roundup from Isabel…

Press Release | Governor Pritzker Directs State Agencies to Evaluate Treatment of Children During Federal Raid in South Shore:

* Sun-Times | Pritzker calls on state agencies to investigate feds’ treatment of children at South Shore raid: Pritzker said the two state agencies will contact families and children impacted by the raid to gather information. If they receive allegations of suspected abuse or neglect by federal agents, the governor said the state will move to hold the agents accountable, which could include “collaborating with local law enforcement as necessary.”

* ABC Chicago | ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground: “My building is shaking. So, I’m like, ‘What is that?’ Then I look out the window, it’s a Blackhawk helicopter,” said witness Dr. Alii Muhammad. […] DHS said 37 people were arrested. ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later. “They just treated us like we were nothing,” Fisher said.

* Fox Chicago | ‘ICE is not about safety’: Chicago residents, lawmakers condemn raid in South Shore: First District Congressman Jonathon Jackson, who led the tour, told reporters: “Residents were terrorized, children were thrown to the ground.” The press event took place on the same day Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D), speaking out about the raid, told CNN, “They were going after a few criminals, instead they broke windows, they broke down doors, they ransacked the place and there were people that were held, I mean elderly people and children zip-tied.”

* Sun-Times | After military-style raid on South Shore apartment, Congress members rally around residents: Ramirez and U.S. Sens.Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth have requested a meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office director Russell Hott to discuss oversight of the Broadview processing facility that has become a de facto detention center and the center of anti-ICE protests. Hott rescheduled the meeting, Ramirez said.

* CBS Chicago | Elected Illinois officials call for transparency into South Shore apartment raid: Rep. Delia Ramierz, among other elected officials, is calling for more oversight and transparency into what happened at the building and all actions taken by the federal agents. “As a member of the committee on Homeland Security, we are demanding oversight of Broadview. We are requesting and demanding a meeting with the Chicago field office director, Russell Hault, and we want a full investigation into what is happening across the city of Chicago and the entire state of Illinois,” she said.

* People Magazine | ICE Agents Rappel from Helicopter in Overnight Chicago Raid, Dragging Kids from Beds to U-Hauls: Ebony Sweets Watson, who lives across the street from where the raid occurred, said she saw what seemed like hundreds of agents outside her front door. She said she witnessed agents dragging residents, including children — some naked or improperly clothed — out of the building and into U-Haul vans. Children were separated from their mothers, she said. “It was heartbreaking to watch,” Watson said. “Even if you’re not a mother, seeing kids coming out buck naked and taken from their mothers, it was horrible.”

* Reuters | US Border Patrol raid sweeps in citizens, families as Chicago crackdown intensifies: Naudelys, a 19-year-old Venezuelan woman, says she was in her apartment with her 4-year-old son and another couple with a baby when agents knocked down their door during the raid early Tuesday. Agents told them to put up their hands and pointed guns at them, she said. Naudelys, whose husband was arrested and detained by immigration authorities three months ago, said she tried to record the scene but an agent knocked away her phone. The Spanish-speaking agents told them to go back to their country and made a sexualized remark about Venezuelan women, she said. One of the agents hit a man in front of her son, and she begged him to stop, she said. […] Gil Kerlikowske, who was commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection from 2014-2017 and a former Seattle police chief, said border agents have different training and protocols than local police and worries more aggressive tactics could erode trust. “Policing an urban environment is totally, completely different,” he said.

* AP | Using helicopters and chemical agents, immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago: Agents then went door to door, woke up residents and used zip ties to restrain them, including parents and children, according to residents and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, which canvassed the area. Rodrick Johnson was among the U.S. citizens briefly detained and said agents broke through his door and placed him in zip ties. The 67-year-old was released hours later. “I asked if they had a warrant, and I asked for a lawyer,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times. “They never brought one.”

* The Triibe | Feds detain dozens of immigrants in ‘massive’ South Shore apartment building raid in Chicago: On Tuesday, photos of ransacked apartments show doors kicked in and belongings tossed around in the aftermath of the raid. Initial reports of gunfire at the location turned out to be flash grenades launched by federal agents. Videos shared to social media show a significant number of FBI agents among the mix.

* Block Club | Feds Detained 4 Children Who Are US Citizens During Controversial ICE Raid: The building has long had issues, neighbors said, but agents broke open its doors, allowing others to come in and steal from tenants in the hours after the raid. On Wednesday, walls on the building’s second floor were spray-painted with “Venezuela,” but it was unclear how long the graffiti had been there. Many of the floor’s units had broken doors and appeared to be home to young children.

* Block Club | South Shore Residents Return To Ransacked Apartments After ICE Raid: ‘It Looks Like Hell’: The Army veteran, who went blind recently and asked not use his name, said the agents moved on to the next apartment after coming to his home. “I was trying to protect myself,” he said. “My nerves were shook.” By Wednesday afternoon, the building appeared largely abandoned by residents. […] The property was most recently estimated at an under $3 million market value, according to the Cook County Assessor’s Office. An online listing has it up for sale for more than $15 million as part of a “Jackson Park Portfolio” with two other South Shore buildings. The listing agent, Finley Askin, did not return a request for comment.

* CWB | Report: City knew of squalid, unsafe conditions at South Shore apartments before immigration raid: According to the [Real Deal], the building’s lender, Wells Fargo, has been pressuring its owner to “re-assert control over the building.” In a recent court filing, the bank claimed “the building is unsecured, which allows non-tenants to access the interior. There has also been increased criminal activity and shootings at the property, which is located across the street from an elementary school.”

* Tribune | ‘This could be very significant’: Federal judge in Chicago set to rule on alleged ICE violations in ‘Operation Midway Blitz’: Instead, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cummings said he will issue a written ruling “in the coming days.” Leaders of the National Immigrant Justice Center and the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the original lawsuit against Trump’s first administration in 2018, are hopeful that Cummings will extend the consent decree and help curb the tide of what they call “increasingly violent and dangerous arrests by DHS and other federal officers” in Chicago.

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News coverage roundup: Illinois, Chicago sue Trump over National Guard deployment (Updated)

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Tribune…

The state of Illinois and city of Chicago sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday to block the deployment of Illinois and Texas National Guard troops, which the White House claims is necessary to protect federal immigration personnel and facilities amid its escalated deportation actions.

The legal action, filed in federal court in Chicago, comes as Trump has federalized up to 300 Illinois Guard members over the objections of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and as Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has agreed to send troops from his state.

In its 69-page filing, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office asked the federal court to find the federalization and deployment of National Guard troops unconstitutional and to block Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth from deploying troops to the state over Pritzker’s objections. Late Sunday, Hegseth also authorized sending 400 National Guard troops from Texas to Illinois, Oregon and potentially other states.

“The Trump administration’s illegal actions already have subjected and are subjecting Illinois to serious and irreparable harm. The deployment of federalized National Guard, including from another state, infringes on Illinois’s sovereignty and right to self-governance,” the filing stated. “It will cause only more unrest, including harming social fabric and community relations and increasing the mistrust of police. It also creates economic harm, depressing business activities and tourism that not only hurt Illinoisians but also hurt Illinois’s tax revenue.”

* From the complaint…

The American people, regardless of where they reside, should not live under the threat of occupation by the United States military, particularly not simply because their city or state leadership has fallen out of a president’s favor. To guard against this, foundational principles of American law limit the president’s authority to involve the military in domestic affairs. Those bedrock principles are in peril. Secretary Hegseth, on October 4th, invoked 10 U.S.C. § 12406 to federalize and bring under Department of Defense control up to 300 members of the Illinois National Guard, over the objection of the Governor of Illinois (“Federalization Order”), and, on October 5th, another up to 400 National Guard from the State of Texas to deploy into Chicago.

These advances in President Trump’s long-declared “War” on Chicago and Illinois are unlawful and dangerous. The Court should enjoin the Federalization Order, Texas Mobilization Order, and any subsequent effort to achieve the same end with the National Guard of the United States or other U.S. military, immediately and permanently.

* Crain’s…

“To the extent that defendants have offered any basis at all to deploy the military to Illinois, it is based on a flimsy pretext: protests outside a two-story ICE processing facility in Broadview, a suburb of Chicago with less than 8,000 residents,” the suit says. “But far from promoting public safety in the Chicago region, Defendants’ provocative and arbitrary actions have threatened to undermine public safety by inciting a public outcry.”

The suit also says the “deployment of federalized troops to Illinois is patently unlawful” because it violates the Posse Comitatus Act that prohibits the military from participating in civilian law enforcement activities. The city and state also say the conditions for the president to federalize Guard troops have not been met.

The suit warns the deployment “creates economic harm, depressing business activities and tourism that not only hurt Illinoisans but also hurt Illinois’s tax revenue.”

The lawsuit accuses Trump of attempting to use National Guard troops “to punish his political enemies.” The deployment infringes on the state’s sovereignty and right to self-governance, according to the filing.

* The AP…

In Portland, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut granted a temporary restraining order sought by Oregon and California to block the deployment of guard troops from those states to the city.

There has been a sustained and low-level protest outside the Portland ICE facility, but it’s been less disruptive than the downtown clashes of 2020 when demonstrations erupted after George Floyd’s killing.

Immergut, a first-term Trump appointee, seemed incredulous that the president moved to send National Guard troops to Oregon from neighboring California and then from Texas on Sunday.

“Aren’t defendants simply circumventing my order?” she said. “Why is this appropriate?”

…Adding… Sun-Times federal courts reporter Jon Seidel…

NEW: U.S. District Judge April Perry has set a 2 p.m. status hearing for Illinois' National Guard lawsuit against the Trump administration. https://t.co/O7d0Obbs4L

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) October 6, 2025

…Adding… The Tribune’s Jason Meisner…

The National Guard lawsuit has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Judge April Perry, who as you may recall had her nomination for US attorney blocked by JD Vance Perry has set a 2 p.m. status hearing for the suit, which could initially proceed under a magistrate. https://t.co/vnkXK0y7da

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) October 6, 2025

* More…

The Hill | Illinois, Chicago sue to block National Guard deployment:

* Sun-Times | Illinois sues Trump over National Guard deployment: California Gov. Gavin Newsom has had mixed success suing Trump over the deployment in his state. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer sided with Newsom in early September, accusing Trump of a “serious violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.” […] However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled earlier that courts must be “highly deferential” to the president on the matter — a ruling cited during Friday’s arguments in Oregon. The 9th Circuit also put Breyer’s September ruling on hold to preserve the status quo while considering a fuller record generated by a bench trial in August. The appellate court is now unlikely to rule before the end of the year. Meanwhile, it’s been nearly four months since Trump deployed troops to California.

* CBS Chicago | Illinois and Chicago sue to block Trump deployment of National Guard: Pritzker and Raoul will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. Monday. CBS News Chicago will stream that news conference live on our 24/7 news stream and on air.

* CNN | Illinois and Chicago sue Trump administration over deployment of National Guard: The lawsuit asks the court to order the administration to stop federalizing or deploying any National Guard troops to Illinois, and to declare the federalization of National Guard troops more broadly as unlawful.

18 Comments

Catching up with the federal candidates

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Not at all unexpected. Politico…

Jesse Jackson Jr., once a rising Democratic star who saw his congressional career unravel in scandal, is returning to the political stage. He will announce his bid this week for the same Illinois congressional seat he vacated over a decade ago.

“Jesse has been meeting with residents whose concerns about the economy convinced him to run,” according to a person close to his campaign granted anonymity to speak freely. “He feels the district needs results fast and he is uniquely qualified to deliver.”

Jackson will spend the coming weeks unveiling his economic plan and policy platforms to address the cost of living, joblessness and health care access, according to the person. […]

Still, his path may not be smooth. Jackson’s opponents include notable Democrats in the state, including state Sen. Robert Peters, who’s been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and David Hogg’s political group. Also running are state Sen. Willie Preston, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, Water Reclamation Board Commissioner Yumeka Brown, management consultant Eric France, policy expert Adal Regis and community engagement expert Jeremy Young.

* Yesterday, House Speaker Chris Welch endorsed La Shawn Ford for the 7th Congressional District. Press release…

Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch will officially endorse State Representative La Shawn K. Ford for Congress in Illinois’ 7th District. Congressman Danny K. Davis will join Speaker Welch and Ford for this important announcement.

He will be joined by Congressman Danny K. Davis, community leaders, seniors, and veterans at a Veterans Memorial Garden to highlight the devastating local consequences of a federal government shutdown — especially for veterans, seniors, and working families who rely on critical federal programs and services.

WHEN:
Sunday, October 5, 2025, 10:00 a.m.

* In the 8th CD, Dan Tully’s campaign says it’s raised $635,000 since launching. From an email to supporters…

I want you to be the first to have our status report in this campaign’s mission to defend the rule of law and take our country back. Since the start of this race, we’ve raised $635,000 because of hundreds of donors like you who believe in making a difference.

I’m deeply grateful for your help in gathering the resources to get our message out to voters, but the work isn’t over yet.

Donald Trump plans to use cities like Chicago as military “training grounds.” House Republicans want to cut crucial healthcare benefits and leave millions without health insurance. The rule of law is under grave threat.

The way to fight back is by an overwhelming victory at the ballot box. You will be hearing more from me over the next six months so that we can raise the resources to send Trump and the MAGA Republicans a message: we will never give up on America.

* Politico…

Senate race: Raja Krishnamoorthi has been endorsed by Madison County Democratic Party Chair Andrew Asadorian in his bid for the U.S. Senate, according to his campaign. […]

In IL-09: Mike Simmons is being endorsed by the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 in his bid for the 9th congressional district open seat.

* Tribune…

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate received the endorsement Friday of EMILYs List, a group that plays a major role in the party’s political infrastructure by backing women candidates who support abortion rights.

The endorsement of Stratton was the group’s first involving 2026 U.S. Senate candidates nationally and also marks a departure for the organization, which traditionally does not make a choice in primaries featuring multiple women candidates backing abortion. […]

A dozen members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including its chair, U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York, joined other [Robin Kelly] allies in writing a letter to EMILYs List expressing “profound concern” over the group’s action. Clarke had endorsed Kelly in May, and several caucus members had been lobbying the group to stay neutral in the race.

“We are dismayed that in a time of crisis and chaos in our country, EMILY’s List would choose to divide Democrats rather than celebrate two Black women running to make history again in Illinois and the U.S. Senate,” the letter said.

The full letter…

Dear EMILYs List Leadership,

We write to express our profound concern with EMILYs List’s decision to endorse a candidate in the Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate in Illinois.

As local leaders as well as women elected to represent voters across the nation, we are shocked EMILYs List would find it fair and appropriate to weigh in on a race with two Democratic women candidates vying for the seat. We’re disappointed EMILYs List is endorsing in a Democratic primary instead of investing time and energy into supporting women in battleground districts who could help us take back the House and Senate majority.

Some of us placed calls to your organization requesting you remain neutral because making an endorsement unevenly and unfairly tips the scale in a highly contested race.

Furthermore, we worry it could have a chilling effect on other women considering mounting similar campaigns for public office. We were told EMILY’s List wouldn’t make an endorsement, but it seems we were misled.

Two qualified Black women are vying for this seat: Congresswoman Robin Kelly, a pro-choice Democrat who served on the Board of Planned Parenthood in Peoria, Illinois and who has a long career of public service — including more than 12 years in Congress and her national profile on gun violence prevention legislation, maternal health initiatives, and standing up to special interests. And Juliana Stratton, a pro-choice Democrat, former state representative, lawyer and JB Pritzker’s lieutenant governor.

We are dismayed that in a time of crisis and chaos in our country, EMILYs List would choose to divide Democrats rather than celebrate two Black women running to make history again in Illinois and the U.S. Senate. We’re interested in understanding the process you used to make this decision.

It is hard for us to believe this endorsement is anything other than money and influence winning again in politics. We should allow voters and grassroots supporters to have their say. We cannot let billionaire backing or political gamesmanship strip away from EMILYs List’s long record of fairly and thoughtfully lifting up qualified women for higher office.

We firmly believe women should support other women running for public office, and we believed EMILYs List did too. We are extremely disappointed you chose otherwise.

Sincerely,

- Congresswoman Janelle Bynum
- Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke
- Former Congresswoman Val Demings
- Congresswoman Lois Frankel
- Congresswoman Jahana Hayes
- Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
- Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman
- Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove
- Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
- Congresswoman Lucy McBath
- Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan
- Congresswoman LaMonica McIver
- Former Congresswoman Marie Newman
- Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley
- Congresswoman Terri Sewell
- Honorable Sandra Slayton
- Erin Slone, Park Forest Village Trustee
- Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland
- Laurie Summers, Will County Coroner
- Camiella Williams, community activist

* More…

* The Intelligencer | Full interview with Senate candidate Robin Kelly

* The Hill | EMILY’s List backs Illinois Lt. Gov. Stratton in race to succeed Durbin: A senior Black Democratic strategist told NBC News the PAC endorsed Stratton over Kelly due to her proven statewide reputation after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives and becoming the first Black woman to be elected as lieutenant governor. A win by Stratton or Kelly would follow in the footsteps of former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.), who was the first Black woman elected to the upper chamber. And with Sens. Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), three Black women would be concurrently serving in the Senate.

* Evanston RoundTable | Congressional candidates line up at Edgewater forum: Eleven of the 15 active Democratic candidates were present, with absences from state Sen. Laura Fine (9th District), 50th Ward Committeeman Bruce Leon, Army veteran Sam Polan and economist Jeff Cohen. Republican Mark Su also attended, and the race’s other Republican candidate, Rocío Cleveland, was listed as participating but did not appear at the event.

17 Comments

Say No To Anti-Competitive Transmission Legislation

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Voters and the Governor already rejected lawmakers’ push for anti-competitive “Right of First Refusal” (ROFR) legislation that hands transmission contracts to incumbent utilities.
Now, the same principles that would raise costs on ratepayers are back. They are trying to rebrand ROFR and pretend it’s about protecting Illinois.

Gatekeeping legislation with the principles of ROFR limits competition and raises the barrier for other qualified transmission operators – all which increases the power of ComEd and Ameren while passing on higher rates to consumers.

The new approach won’t fool voters. Let’s remember:

82%

76%

75%

The message is clear: voters want more competition, not less.

Voters’ concerns about higher energy prices are rising fast. Since this poll, they’ve endured a sizzling summer with skyrocketing prices, and a new report says the cost of heating a home this winter is expected to jump nearly 8%.

Illinois families are feeling the squeeze of energy bills. Competition is the key to relief

Voters have made their voice clear: Say no to energy inflation. Don’t hand more power and control to ComEd and Ameren. Say no to ending cost-cutting competition.

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COGFA: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ appears to be undermining state’s corporate tax forecast

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* COGFA’s September revenue report…

After a mediocre start in the first couple months of the fiscal year, September revenues deposited into the General Funds came in much higher, providing a solid first quarter of collections for FY 2026. For the month, revenues rose $413 million or 8.6% thanks to strong growth in Personal Income Tax receipts, Sales Tax revenues, and Federal Sources. Through the 1 st Quarter of FY 2026, revenues are now up $450 million or 3.7%. September’s totals were aided by an additional receipting day this month as compared to a year ago.

After a subpar performance to start the year, Personal Income Tax gross receipts grew $307 million as compared to last September, for growth of 10.3%. On a net basis, when subtracting out distributions to the Refund Fund and the Local Government Distributive Fund, these receipts were up $260 million. This month’s gains were despite the fact that the “true-ups” from the annual reallocations of business-related income are and will be notably less than last year (discussed in greater detail on page 8 of the monthly). While the details behind this month’s growth will not be released for a few days, the timing of withholding tax payments and the “extra” receipting day is believed to be the main cause of the strong showing this month.

Sales Tax receipts continued its recent upward trend by rising $54 million or 5.6% in September. Even when accounting for non- General Funds distributions to the Road Fund and certain transportation funds, net receipts were still up a positive $21 million or 2.3% for the month.

Also contributing to the strong month of receipts was a bounce-back month in revenues received from Federal Sources. These deposits grew $239 million or 199.2% in September. As noted in last month’s briefing, Federal Sources are highly volatile and subject to irregular receipting patterns. September’s gains easily erased the $114 million deficit that was present after the first two months of the fiscal year.

The growth in these prominent revenue sources overshadowed the disappointing month for Corporate Income Tax receipts. For the month, gross revenues were $196 million lower than last September, resulting in a decline of -18.1%. On a net basis, revenues were down $157 million. This is despite the fact that true-up reallocation adjustments (including the first of five adjustments that occurred in September) will be a net positive for Corporate Income Tax receipts this fiscal year (see page . A possible explanation for the disappointing revenue totals for this source so far is discussed on page 5.

In the category of “All Other State Sources”, revenues were a combined $19 million higher, though the performance of individual sources was mixed. Revenues from the Estate Tax grew the most with a gain of $22 million. Other Sources were up $9 million while Interest on State Funds & Investments improved by $3 million. Losses in individual revenue sources this month were relatively minor. Insurance Taxes were down $7 million. Corporate Franchise Taxes were $5 million lower. Liquor Taxes fell $2 million, while Public Utility Taxes were $1 million behind last September’s pace.

It was also a positive month for Transfers In. Overall, these transfers were $31 million higher in September. Lottery Transfers improved from its earlier declines with growth of $16 million. Gaming Transfers were up $11 million and the Sports Wagering Transfer added an additional $7 million. Other Transfers slipped $3 million this month, while Cannabis Transfers were flat.

* More on the corporate income tax…

While the majority of revenue sources have performed reasonably well to start the fiscal year, the same cannot be said for the Corporate Income Tax. Following September’s declines, receipts from 5 this source are now down $270 million through the first quarter—a drop of 18.9%. On a net basis, the decline stands at $215 million.

As discussed in the July Monthly Briefing, this revenue stream was originally projected to grow by 10.8% over FY 2025 actuals, largely due to several revenue-enhancing provisions enacted at the end of the spring session via P.A. 104-0006. These provisions include a tax amnesty program scheduled for October and November, a shift from the “Joyce” to the “Finnigan” method for apportioning certain business income, and changes to the treatment of foreign-source dividends under the Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) & 80/20 Safe Harbor provisions. At the time of the FY 2026 budget introduction, the Governor’s Office projected a positive net impact of $438 million from these corporate tax changes.

However, the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in July—after the State budget had been finalized—may offset much of the anticipated corporate tax revenue growth from these state-level reforms. Key components of the Act, including the permanent reinstatement of 100% bonus depreciation for qualifying property and expanded deductibility of business interest expenses, will reduce federal taxable income. Because Illinois conforms to many aspects of the federal tax code, these changes are likely to lower State Corporate Tax Revenues relative to earlier expectations. While proponents argue that the federal provisions could spur economic growth and eventually boost tax revenues in the future, the near-term impact in FY 2026 may be a net reduction in State Corporate Income Tax collections.

As a result, the Corporate Income Tax will remain a particularly difficult revenue source to forecast for the remainder of the fiscal year. It remains unclear how businesses will react to the various changes and whether the positive revenue effects of the state-level changes will outweigh the declining revenue impact of the federal changes. The sharp 18.1% decline in September may reflect a correction in estimated tax payments made earlier in the year, possibly in response to the recent tax changes, but it could also serve as an early warning of continued weakness in this revenue source for FY 2026.

* But…

While the potential reduction of Corporate Income Tax receipts this fiscal year is a concern for State coffers, revenue totals are expected to get a boost from other areas (beyond original budgetary expectations) and could mitigate or even outweigh these losses. For example, the Income Tax Refund Fund Transfer was conservatively forecast in May to provide $450 million in revenues for FY 2026. Based on June’s end-of-year balance, this transfer is now anticipated to total nearly $800 million (including the $150 million transferred in August) or approximately $350 million more than the assumed budgetary value. Additional General Funds growth may also come from newly enacted measures, such as the per-wager tax on online sports betting, which will flow into the General Revenue Fund via the Sports Wagering Transfer.

In short, while the decrease in Corporate Income Tax receipts is concerning, other revenue sources may offset these declines.

Discuss.

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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

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Worries over deteriorating business climate after agreed bill process abandoned

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column was sent to the papers Friday afternoon…

The announcement last week that the Illinois AFL-CIO was withdrawing from the “agreed bill process” at least 40 years after its inception took almost everyone by surprise, but nobody was really shocked.

For years, whenever the group engaged in carefully constructed negotiations with business interests on workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance, labor leaders would grumble privately that most other states don’t have a similar process.

Unlike elsewhere, their hands were tied by a long-ago edict that the two sides would have to work out their differences and that the state’s executive branch would help referee the talks by providing research into the issues under discussion, and members from all four caucuses would participate. After that, the two parties in both legislative chambers would examine the final bills and agree to put votes on them.

The process hasn’t always worked well. But it has had some notable successes. For years, the state’s inordinately high workers’ compensation costs were the talk of the nation (almost like the pension issue eventually became). But everyone hunkered down, and now Illinois’ workers’ compensation costs are about in the middle of the state rankings.

The Illinois AFL-CIO leadership claimed in its letter to the governor, Democratic leaders and negotiators that the agreed bill process has been honored except during the 89th General Assembly, when Republicans controlled the governor’s office and both legislative chambers. That GOP bill cut unemployment insurance taxes by $120 million. Not mentioned, however, was that labor had its payback after Rod Blagojevich was elected governor and both chambers were controlled by the Democratic Party and set aside the agreed bill process.

The AFL-CIO focused mainly on its frustration with Republican-controlled states and the Trump administration taking rights and benefits away from workers. As one top labor official told me: “At the national level, we’re seeing the national Republicans just roll over labor rights. I mean, [expletive deleted] Trump canceled 800,000 peoples’ collective bargaining rights, and nobody says a word. And I’m supposed to sit here and work with the same [expletive deleted] people who put Trump in? I can’t do that.”

The union official pointed to the House Republicans’ inability to put the agreed number of votes on a bill last year to slightly raise workers’ compensation rates to make sure the Workers’ Compensation Commission could continue to operate. The bill passed overwhelmingly, but that’s not the point. An agreed bill is supposed to have a structured roll call to make sure vulnerable members can opt out. “So that’s kind of, you know, it’s like, what are we doing?”

Other Democrats and union officials I talked to said the labor organization’s withdrawal from the age-old process probably won’t change what happens at the statehouse.

“It’s kinda just semantics,” said one prominent Democratic legislator who has also worked in the agreed bill process. “We can still put a table together and negotiate [stuff] with labor and business no matter what name we give the process.”

Another union official said much the same: “I think it’s going to be an agreed bill process without being called the agreed bill process,” the union official said.

And Senate President Don Harmon’s official statement via his spokesperson seemed to agree with that sentiment: “The Senate Democrats will continue our ongoing commitment to look out for working families and their rights while also engaging the business community in an effort to bring prosperity to all.”

But the “business community” is most definitely spooked. During a recent background conversation, business leaders pointed to what they said was the reason why the agreed bill process was created. A 1982 bill cut benefits and increased employer costs, which resulted in some legislative defeats. Legislators, particularly Democrats, were looking for some political cover, so the process was created.

“On workers’ comp, we went from third-highest in the country to 23rd-highest in the country,” a business group leader pointed out.

But now they’re very worried that the unions will use their overwhelming pro-labor Democratic super-majorities to muscle through changes that could force Illinois back into the bad old days of high costs for workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance.

And they’re frustrated that organized labor is using the national political climate to justify withdrawing from a process that has actually worked here.

“They can’t point at Illinois as a problem, so they’re pointing at the national,” observed one biz leader.

The AFL-CIO has a proposal to maintain funding for workers’ compensation administration, and some say that an unemployment insurance package is on the horizon. So I guess we’ll see pretty soon how this all plays out.

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Protect the 340B Program to Enhance Healthcare Services in Low-Income Communities

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

The hospital has put 340B savings toward healthcare services, including its:

Outpatient Infusion Center

Medication to Bedside program

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Isabel’s morning briefing (Updated)

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois, Texas National Guard troop mobilization to Chicago to begin ‘immediately,’ last 60 days: Pentagon. Sun-Times…

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Gov. JB Pritzker says Texas National Guard expected to join troops from Illinois as deportations escalate
• AP: Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump administration from sending National Guard troops to Oregon
• WGN: Pritzker gears up for legal battle with Trump over federal troops, responds to personal insults
• Daily Herald: Trump plans to federalize 300 troops in Illinois, as judge blocks a similar mobilization in Oregon

*** UPDATE *** Illinois has sued the Trump administration in federal court to block the deployment of National Guard troops over Gov. JB Pritzker’s objection. Click here for the complaint.

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*************************************************

* At 2 pm, Governor JB Pritzker will address federal deployments to Illinois. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Transit fiscal cliff much smaller than projected, but severe CTA cuts still expected next year: Asked about the timing of the revised projections after the meeting, Dillard said he was “surprised” by the pushback. “They ask us for revised fiscal cliff numbers, and we’re just providing what the legislature themself asked us to do,” he said. […] “The service cuts we may be forced to make beginning in 2026 will be the single-largest transit service cut in the modern history of the Chicago Transit Authority,” Leerhsen told the RTA board.

* Crain’s | Chicago biz groups push back on Trump’s National Guard plan: The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago and the Civic Federation highlighted the progress that the city has made in fighting crime and argued that the Trump administration’s posture toward the city is undercutting public safety — and hurting business. “Chicago has assembled a broad coalition of public, private, and civic stakeholders who have been working collaboratively in a ‘one table’ approach to try to make our city safer over the last several years. We are making meaningful progress through these collective efforts,” the organizations wrote in a Saturday press release.

* Tribune | Illinois Democratic lawmakers take on activist role amid President Trump’s immigration crackdown: State Rep. Lilian Jiménez, who represents parts of Chicago including Humboldt Park, used Facebook on Friday to alert constituents that ICE was nearby a local grocery store close to her district and had “armed agents stopping people in the streets, Walmart, Home Depot, all the places people congregate.” “It gets tiring at times to talk to people and not have the solutions that they’re looking for, which is to have a humane immigration policy that allows families to stay together. It’s exhausting to have to explain how unfair our system is,” Jiménez said in an interview prior to the Friday escalation. “Action and engagement really does get me through the day.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* High Speed Rail Alliance…

On the last business day before the Illinois General Assembly convenes for its Veto Session, elected officials and transportation advocates will assemble to marshal support for passenger rail. This luncheon gathering, organized by the High Speed Rail Alliance, will spark vital conversations shaping the future of transportation, locally and nationally. […]

Date: Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Place: The Collective, 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Chicago, IL 60606 (in-person only)

Speakers:

- State Sen. Ram Villivalam
- State Rep. Kam Buckner
- Amy Rynell, executive director, Active Transportation Alliance
- David Kralik, director of planning and programming, Metra
- Peter Williams, senior project manager, Quandel Consultants

* Capitol News Illinois | 7th Circuit denies Madigan’s bid to stay out of prison while he appeals corruption conviction: The former speaker was convicted in February on 10 federal corruption charges — including bribery — after a lengthy trial in which he was accused of trading legislative action for jobs and contracts for his allies along with introductions to potential clients for his property tax appeal law firm. The Chicago-based appellate judges did not sign their order or explain their ruling Friday, but it affirms the decision from Madigan’s trial judge in August, who wrote that the ex-speaker’s “entire motion rides on routine, and meritless” objections and had “not come close” to meeting the “high burden” he’d need to argue to stay out of prison.

* Chronicle | 97th State House district will see a rematch: It appears State Rep. Harry Benton and GOP challenger Gabby Shanahan will reprise their 2024 race for the 97th House in 2026. […] Benton won the seat in 2022 by just 1,163 votes, 51.7 to 48.3 percent against Republican Michelle Smith. The Democratic pick-up became possible when Batnick, of Plainfield, declined to run for reelection after four terms. The 2024 race saw a marked increase in voter turnout of more than 50 percent, from 35,027 in 2022 to 52,745 in 2024. Benton improved on those totals against Shanahan in 2024, doubling his winning margin with 2,335 votes, 52.2 percent to Shanahan’s 47.8 percent.

* Daily Herald | After spending millions on Bailey in 2022, GOP megadonor Uihlein backs Dabrowski for governor: Late last month, Uihlein donated $250,000 to Wilmette Republican Ted Dabrowski’s campaign, Illinois State Board of Elections records show. Uihlein hasn’t contributed to Bailey’s campaign or any other candidate in the race. “We’re excited that our campaign is coalescing common-sense, conservative support with Dick Uihlein as a donor,” Dabrowski said in an email. When asked about Uihlein’s shift in allegiance, Bailey campaign adviser Jose Durbin expressed gratitude for the billionaire’s past generosity.

*** Chicago ***

* NBC Chicago | Kennedy Expressway express lanes back to normal for Monday morning rush : The announcement by the Illinois Department of Transportation follows the reopening of all outbound Kennedy lanes on Sunday as construction crews wrap up the final days of the three-year expressway overhaul. But construction work will continue through late October on several outbound ramps.

* Tribune | After a rough first year, Chicago Sports Network has Comcast, a new CEO and hope that fans will watch : “The content is fully available, the teams are in the hopeful preseason mode and the fans are excited,” said Mike McCarthy, the new president and CEO of CHSN. “We have nowhere to go but up with this.” The price is certainly going to go up for Comcast subscribers who want to tune in. The cable giant put CHSN on its more expensive Ultimate tier, which costs an additional $20 per month — on top of a $20.25 regional sports fee.

* Block Club | City Will Not Be Plowing Sidewalks Anytime Soon As Measure Fails In Council: The movement gained traction in 2023, when City Council passed an ordinance to create a Plow The Sidewalks working group to determine how and where the pilot could be implemented. That group released a report in May 2024 recommending four pilot zones be created for the city-run sidewalk clearing operation. But despite the City Council allocating $500,000 to the program in the 2025 budget, it had yet to be fully approved.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WBEZ | Are Illinois State Police helping ICE in Broadview?: “The agencies involved in this operation will neither assist nor obstruct enforcement of federal immigration statutes in compliance with state and federal law,” said Illinois State Police spokeswoman Melaney Arnold. But State Police officers were seen on video controlling the crowd – standing alongside federal officers in camouflage gear as multiple agencies, local and federal, attempted to control the protest.

* Block Club | Broadview Sues Feds Over ‘Illegal’ Fence Near Suburban ICE Facility: The suit, filed Friday by the Berwyn-based Del Gado Law Group, accuses ICE and Homeland Security officials of illegally blocking the public way outside ICE’s processing facility, creating issues for emergency services trying to get to the facility or to nearby businesses. After days of protests outside the facility at 1930 Beach St. in Broadview, ICE on Sept. 23 erected an 8-foot-tall fence north of its building. The fence bisects Broad Street and cuts off commute routes for several private businesses located on the southern end of the street. Prior to the fence going up, demonstrators sought to gather on Beach Street to prevent federal vehicles from entering the gated parking lot of the facility.

* CBS Chicago | Broadview police chief accuses ICE agents of making false 911 calls: According to an incident report, an ICE agent called police for help. Mills believes it was a bogus call. An ICE agent claimed someone was trying to force their way into a door, but it was just a CBS News Chicago photographer filming the exterior of the building. “It’s disturbing. It’s ridiculous,” Mills said.

* Evanston RoundTable | The view from the ground in the Broadview ‘free arrest zone’: At 9:09 a.m. (according to my camera clock), a phalanx of federal police officers marched toward the crowd. At 9:10, I saw and photographed Gregory Bovino, commander at large for the Department of Homeland Security, tell the crowd: “You have one more warning.” Eighty seconds later, agents headed into the crowd, pushing people back and onto the grass. A few, including the woman standing next to me wearing a red top that read “Make racists afraid again,” was tackled around the neck from behind. It could as well have been me.

* Tribune | After her husband was deported, Skokie woman and 3-year-old are leaving US to keep family intact: The family doesn’t plan on coming back, though Ann Salas and the couple’s 3-year-old son are U.S. citizens, and Antony Salas has lived in the U.S. for decades. After Antony Salas spent a grueling month, from his seizure on Aug. 13 to his deportation Sept. 13, in three different ICE facilities in three states, Ann Salas was troubled. “Racism has always run deep and it’s getting worse against more people… I don’t want to put my son back into a situation like that again,” Ann Salas said.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County resident files lawsuit against Sugar Grove over TIF district for controversial Crown project: While the mainly residential portion of the development is facing Sugar Grove, where the village already has neighborhoods, the business park portion is proposed for the other side of I-88, further away from the village boundary, according to past reporting. Mixed-use areas that would allow for retail, office, civic or residential development are set to be across the street from a single-family neighborhood in Blackberry Township, according to proposed site plans. That’s led to some criticism from Blackberry Township residents, including Dale Essling, the plaintiff in the most recent lawsuit. The suit against Sugar Grove was filed on Sept. 9 with the 16th Judicial Circuit Court by Essling, who says in the suit he lives less than 250 feet from the site of the proposed development. Essling is representing himself in the lawsuit.

* Aurora Beacon-News | New Oktoberfest celebration draws crowd to Riverfront Park in North Aurora: ‘I hope this becomes a tradition’: North Aurora Community Relations Coordinator Natalie Stevens said the new Oktoberfest celebration was something that was planned in an effort to offer more community events and “bridge a gap between other events we hold in the village.” “One of the Village Board goals from our strategic plan guiding us this year was to increase community events whether they are big or small, and we have a little bit of a gap between North Aurora Days in early August and our next Christmas event,” she said. “We have some smaller things like our ‘trunk-or-treat’ but we threw out the idea of doing an Oktoberfest in the fall as an option as it was something different.”

*** Downstate ***

* BND | ‘Deeply concerning.’ PFAS cleanup delayed at Scott Air Force Base : Cleanup of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS at Scott Air Force Base will be delayed by five years, according to new timetables released recently without explanation by the U.S. Department of Defense. PFAS is shorthand for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The synthetic chemicals have been used for decades to make products that repel oil and water such as nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, stain resistant furniture, food packaging and cosmetics, as well as firefighting foams used by the military.

* Tribune | In rural southern Illinois, an NPR affiliate tries to fight on amid federal cuts: WSIU’s NPR affiliate already operated at the margins, out of a basement studio — unrenovated and unchanged for decades — that staffers affectionately referred to as “the dungeon.” Upstairs, resources for the PBS affiliate, part of a joint public media operation subsidized in large part due to its ties to Southern Illinois University, weren’t any more robust. Upon the news of the funding cuts, anxiety rippled throughout WSIU, as it did at public media affiliates everywhere. Hunter often found himself crunching numbers. Trying to comfort nervous employees amid uncertainty. Even if they were secure, for now, how would they continue their mission of serving a part of the state that is more and more underserved by local newspapers and commercial broadcasters long mired in their own cycle of consolidation and cuts and offering less and less? Hunter calculated the loss of $1.4 million to be about a quarter of WSIU’s budget.

* WGLT | Fewer Bridgestone workers than expected are losing jobs: Beckett said 60-64 workers accepted buyout offers of a lump sum $35,000 severance. That’s about a couple dozen people less than the company first targeted for a workforce reduction that could have involved involuntary separations. The workers will depart on various dates through the end of the year

* Herald-Whig | Illinois plant ecologists fight to restore Midwest biodiversity: Assistant professor in natural resources and environmental sciences Jeffrey Matthews and Jack Zinnen of the Illinois Natural History Survey recently published a database of thousands of plant species found in historic prairies — and that’s just one part of their comprehensive investigation of Midwest plant biodiversity. To build the database, called RELIX, the team gathered and centralized existing data from studies of prairie remnants. In addition to uncovering the biodiversity of a bygone era, the project is helping ecologists understand whether restored ecosystems fill the same roles as remnants, especially whether they provide sufficient habitat and food for key species.

* Herald-Whig | Newly released IDOT plan shows major work in region over next five years: On Wednesday, the Illinois Department of Transportation released their proposed list of projects for the next five years, including work that will cover all of Adams County and beyond. The largest and most notable project on the list remains the replacement of the Quincy Memorial Bridge, which IDOT Public Information Officer Paul Wappel said remains on track.

* WGLT | Pantagraph plans to stop Monday print edition in November : In a statement from Central Illinois Executive Editor Allison Petty, the change allows Pantagraph staff to focus on the products that readers use most. “Our commitment to delivering the news hasn’t changed,” Petty said. “We work hard to bring you news, sports and features content when and where you want it, and we’re constantly evaluating the best ways to do that. We know that as reader habits change, we must adapt to meet their needs.”

*** National ***

* Bloomberg | Gas Turbine Shortage Is Forcing Companies Back to Coal: Rising power demand from data centers for artificial intelligence has led to a shortage of the gas turbines needed to generate electricity. This shortage might not seem the most obvious climate story, but it’s having impacts across the entire energy sector. This week on Zero, Bloomberg’s Stephen Stapczynski joins Akshat Rathi to look at what’s causing the bottleneck in gas turbines, if the shortage will make companies look to renewables or coal, and whether natural gas is really a “bridge” fuel.

* Semafor | Jim Farley’s ‘essential economy’ drive at Ford : “If you listen to technology companies, the answer is, just buy more AI products from them and we’ll be fine,” he says. But as he learned more about the difficulties facing Ford’s commercial customers, “I just realized, oh my God, we are in deep trouble here.”

* AP | Legal setbacks mount for President Trump’s birthright order before likely Supreme Court review: The U.S. Supreme Court is almost certain to have the final word on birthright citizenship. The Trump administration has already asked the high court to take up the issue. Federal judges have made clear how much his order conflicts with Supreme Court precedent, to say nothing of the Constitution. The Supreme Court is not bound by what those lower court judges have said or even its own past rulings. Nonetheless, those losses could mean an uphill fight for his administration even in front of the justices, who have so far sided with the president on many legal challenges to his effort to remake the government.

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Open thread

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

11 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Monday, Oct 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)