Reader comments closed for Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * We’ll of course update if there’s a decision in the Madigan/McClain case. Until then, here’s Sojourner Truth’s Battle Hymn… Look there above the center, where the flag is waving bright;
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller …Adding.. Madigan trial update…
* Click here for some background. WTTW…
* State Fair update!… The Turnpike Troubadours have also been added to the grandstand lineup. * Sen. Chapin Rose | Time for UI to stop short-sheeting its flagship campus: “Even after spotting the UI’s Chicago campus its special taxpayer add-ons for the hospital that it manages, under President (Tim) Killeen’s general operations allocations, the students of the Urbana campus end up effectively subsidizing the UIC campus.” * SJ-R | New bill seeks more thorough review of officer candidates’ past employment: State Senator Doris Turner, D-Springfield, has introduced two measures in response to the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey in an unincorporated neighborhood of Springfield last July. Senate Bill 1953 would require law enforcement agencies to conduct a more comprehensive review of a prospective officer’s past employment to ensure that candidate is physically and psychologically fit for duty. The proposed legislation would include the creation of sheriff’s merit boards and sheriff’s merit commissions for counties with a population of at least 75,000. * Crain’s | Illinois Realtors unveils legislative agenda aimed at easing housing shortage: “The biggest pain point for consumers right now is housing affordability, housing options,” said Tommy Choi, president of Illinois Realtors, the statewide association. Choi is also co-owner of the Keller Williams OneChicago brokerage. “It’s super important to focus on solutions that can help,” he said. In the past two weeks, state legislators have introduced five bills they wrote in collaboration with Illinois Realtors, all intended to reduce obstacles to building, buying and renting housing. They include proposals that would allow construction of multi-unit homes on many lots now reserved for single houses, get rid of bans on accessory dwelling units and hold the line on impact fees homebuilders pay to municipalities. * WAND | ‘Illinois Grown’ program to spotlight locally produced foods, products: “The Illinois Grown initiative is not just about food – it’s about supporting local communities,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello II. “Consumers who buy Illinois Grown products can feel good knowing their money is going directly to Illinois farmers and producers.” Consumers who pledge to spend at least $10 of their weekly grocery budget on Illinois Grown items can sign up to receive a free shopping bag or sticker. * Sun-Times | Johnson warns of City Hall housecleaning triggered by disloyalty: ‘If you ain’t with us, you gotta go.’: Mayor Brandon Johnson says he should have “cleaned house faster” when he took office and now plans to correct that mistake by sending people packing. “If you ain’t with us, you just gotta go,” the mayor said. Johnson ominous warning that heads are about to roll before the mid-term benchmark came during an appearance Monday night at New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, 754 E. 77th St. It was the first in a series of appearances the mayor’s office is calling Johnson’s “Faith in Government” initiative. * Block Club | Heartland Alliance Health Shutting Down Clinics And Food Pantries, Affecting Thousands In Need: The clinics at 4009 N. Broadway and 5501 S. Halsted St. are no longer taking new appointments for patients and are directing people to other federally qualified health centers or clinics, according to Heartland’s website. After Block Club Chicago reached out, the nonprofit announced its closure on its website. There are 113 staff members at Heartland Alliance Health who will lose their jobs as a result of the organization shutting down, 50 of whom are in the union, Brieschke said. Between the low-cost clinics and the food pantries, the organization serves about 8,000 people a year, he said. * Block Club | Cabrini-Green Lot Vacant For 50 Years Closer To Being Redeveloped With Mixed-Income Apartments: The Committee on Finance approved $14 million in tax-increment financing (TIF) funds for a $52.9 million mixed-income housing development at 547 W. Oak St., a vacant lot owned by the Chicago Housing Authority. City officials approved the project in 2021. Last spring, the Community Development Commission authorized the $14 million in TIF funding, but it still required the City Council’s approval. With Monday’s committee vote, the funding now heads to the full City Council for a final decision next week. * Block Club | Chicago To See ‘Biggest Snow System’ So Far This Winter, With 3-6 Inches Expected Wednesday: By the end of it, there could be between three to six inches on the ground, a “pretty good bed,” said Gino Izzi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. […] It’ll start snowing lightly Wednesday morning — with a period of heavy snow in the afternoon, according to Izzi. * Tribune | Cook County prosecutors seek to unionize in first major drive in decades: In the first major union drive to reach the office in decades, a group of assistant Cook County state’s attorneys have asked the office to voluntarily recognize a bargaining unit that would represent hundreds of lawyers working for the country’s second-largest prosecutor’s office. A majority of Cook County assistant state’s attorneys in the proposed bargaining unit have signed union authorization cards with Teamsters Local 700, according to a letter sent Monday to State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke. Teamsters representatives declined to say what percentage of attorneys signed cards. * Naperville Sun | DuPage County Board votes to strip US Rep. Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse: The DuPage County Board voted 10-5 at its Tuesday meeting to remove the Republican congressman’s name from the building and related offices in Wheaton. While Democrats and Republicans voted along party lines on the issue, Democrats Lynn LaPlante and Lucy Chang Evans abstained from the vote and expressed disappointment that the matter was raised. […] “Here in DuPage County, public buildings serve all people, regardless of race, gender, faith or … economic status,” board Chair Deb Conroy, a Democrat from Elmhurst, said ahead the vote. “This resolution reinforces the notion that the buildings on this campus support the rights of all people to receive the services they need. … I believe our actions should reflect our values.” * Daily Southtown | Oak Forest group, Midlothian library team up to fight ‘bedlessness’: Dave King and Ed Copher were looking in 2018 for a way to make a difference in their community and found while there were agencies devoted to fighting homelessness, there weren’t as many resources available to help people turn housing into homes. “I didn’t realize there was a need but the more I learned, the more I realized “bedlessness” is not a real word but is a problem in almost every single city across America,” said King. * WAND | Pres. Lincoln’s bank ledger arrives in Springfield for display: Abraham Lincoln had to eat, sleep and put money in the bank just like everyone else. Now you can see the transactions and bank movements he made throughout his life in Illinois. […] The treasurers office used to be a JPMorganChase bank, who originally held the former presidents ledger on display. When the bank firm sold the building to the state for $10, they took the original copy with them and now display it at their New York City headquarters. * SJ-R | Here are the 10 most dangerous intersections in Springfield: When agencies look to invest in roadway safety, they analyze factors like the number of crashes, fatalities, injuries, and property damage, as well as the speed of a given roadway, said City of Springfield Traffic Engineer T.J. Heavisides. Heavisides said the city is aware that these intersections are seeing a high number of crashes. Safety funds have been awarded specifically for the intersections of MacArthur and Lawrence, and for South Grand and MLK. Consultants are working on designs to improve those intersections, he said. * WCIA | ‘Change is long overdue’: Urbana Police Chief calls for end to gun violence in the community: In a letter addressed to the Urbana community Tuesday morning, Chief Larry Boone said that for months, the police department has collected data, spoken out and urged action to prevent firearm related deaths. But, despite their efforts, Boone said they were met with “skepticism and accusations.” * SJ-R | Restaurant selling ‘Illinois Hot Chicken’ is opening first Springfield location: Pop-Up Chicken Shop, a Bloomington-based fried chicken restaurant known for its “Illinois Hot Chicken”, announced the restaurant is opening its first Springfield location in May. […] The menu ranges from chicken sandwiches to wings and whole buckets. The menu also offers the classic Springfield horseshoe sandwich with dill pickle fries, smoked gouda chipotle cheese and two chicken tenders atop Texas toast. * WSIL | Cats of Carbondale hosts Valentine’s Day event to fix cats: Organizers say people can donate $30; a cat getting spayed or neutered will be named after its ex. Cats of Carbondale says the reason is that “some people (and cats!) just shouldn’t reproduce.” * Rolling Stone | Alabama Shakes map out summer reunion tour: “This band and these songs have been such a source of joy for all of us. It is crazy that it has been 10 years since we released Sound and Color and eight years since we played a show. But, we didn’t want this to entirely be a look back. We wanted it to be as much about the future as the past. So we have a bunch of new music that will be released soon. We just can’t wait to experience that ‘feeling’ when we start playing those first few notes of ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’ or ‘Gimme All Your Love.’” * Crain’s | Judge orders Walgreens to pay nearly $1 billion in COVID test case: Under their contract, Walgreens used PWNHealth’s physician network to order COVID-19 tests requested from Walgreens’ website during the pandemic. But in 2022, PWNHealth initiated an arbitration with the American Arbitration Association, alleging that Walgreens breached the exclusive agreement when it used medical professionals outside the contract to order COVID tests. * Semafor | Fake, viral conspiracies on X stump politicians, media: Shawn Ryan built one of the country’s most popular podcasts, interviewed US President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, and attracted more than a million followers on X. It was there, on Monday morning, where he shared a conspiracy theory about the governor of Pennsylvania with one piece of commentary: “Wow.” That theory implicated Gov. Josh Shapiro — with no evidence — in the July 13, 2024 assassination attempt on Trump. Nonetheless, it went on an amazing journey — from a pro se litigant who posted TikTok videos about her multiple anti-Shapiro complaints, to a Facebook page that posts about explosive crime stories, to millions of shares on Elon Musk’s microblogging site. It got enough traction on Monday for Dan Bongino to urge his conservative radio audience to “hold on this” and be skeptical unless his sources could verify it. * WaPo | Kendrick Lamar’s performance was as Black and subversive as all get-out: Jackson as Uncle Sam was brilliant. Back in 2012, he played the role of a house slave, Stephen, in Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained,” who protects his master at all costs and tries to thwart the uprisings against the White masters led by the character Django. During the Super Bowl performance, his Uncle Sam chides Lamar for being too Black, “too ghetto,” and asks him to tone things down — trying to dictate the boundaries for Blackness in White spaces. * Latin Times | American Bar Association Condemns Trump Admin’s ‘Attacks’ on Constitution and Rule of Law: ‘This is Chaotic’: In a statement released Monday, ABA President William R. Bay said the administration is undermining the rule of law in ways that “most Americans recognize as wrong.” “Instead, we see wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself, such as attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID, and the attempts to criminalize those who support lawful programs to eliminate bias and enhance diversity,” Bay said.
|
Why is this so difficult for some people to understand? (Updated x2)
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * We talked about this a bit last night as related to a different reporter, but the goofy topic keeps coming back. There is just so much wrong with today’s Politico story, but let’s look at this part…
Nobody has to study the law. I’d really like to know who claimed that was being done - if anyone. The law is super clear. The pardon changes nothing. Presidential pardons do not extend to state law, and states can remove a constitutional officer and ban that person from running again. To suggest otherwise ignores, well, pretty much all of American history. * As I reminded y’all last night, we just had a ruling last year on this very matter. From United States District Judge Steven C. Seeger’s 2024 ruling…
Exactly right. From the Illinois Constitution…
* Back to the judge’s ruling…
* We could easily stop there, but let’s keep going anyway…
Blagojevich refused to testify in his own defense, instead making a lame speech at the end of his Senate trial. Also, he was removed and barred from office long before he was convicted of anything. The federal conviction had no bearing on the impeachment. …Adding… Good point from Hannah…
…Adding… Just unreal…
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session update
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Magic phrase returns: ‘Forensic audit’
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Center Square…
* Almost 15 years ago, then Illinois Auditor General Bill Holland testified on Republican legislation that would’ve required him to conduct a complete forensic audit of Illinois government. Here’s some of what he said…
Miller’s (no relation) resolution would require the Auditor General to “conduct a forensic audit of all State spending, hiring, procurement, and contracts awarded from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2024. So, not nine years like the old one, but two. Even so, we’re looking at maybe 30 million transactions (and likely much more after 15 years) which would each have to be looked at individually? Magic phrases, magic beans. Same thing.
|
It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Illinois REALTORS…
Some background from the Belleville News-Democrat for context.…
* House Republican Organization…
* Sen. Craig Wilcox…
|
RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail creates more jobs in Illinois than any other private sector employer, with one out of every four workers employed by the retail sector. Importantly, retail is an industry in which everyone, regardless of credentials, can find a viable career path. Retailers, like Andrea and Fran enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker signs ‘Karina’s law’ to remove guns from domestic violence situations. Capitol News Illinois…
- House Bill 4144, also known as Karina’s Law, clarifies that local law enforcement must temporarily remove guns from a person who has an order of protection against them when the alleged victim successfully seeks firearm removal as a remedy in court. - Current law allows people asking a court for an order of protection to request a “firearm remedy” that would lead to law enforcement removing guns from the alleged abuser’s possession. - Karina’s Law closes the loophole that made it unclear who was responsible for removing the gun from the situation. * Related stories… ∙ WEHT: Illinois governor signs Karina’s Law to protect victims of domestic violence ∙ Block Club: Guns Will Be Taken Away From Domestic Abusers After Gov. Pritzker Signs ‘Karina’s Law’ ∙ Fox Chicago: Karina’s Law aims to prevent gun violence in Illinois domestic abuse cases * NBC Chicago | What’s open and closed this week on Lincoln’s Birthday? Illinois DMVs, USPS and more: Illinois Secretary of States facilities and DMVs will be closed this week, but it’s not because of President’s Day. It’s due to Lincoln’s Birthday — the day that honors Abraham Lincoln, the country’s 16th president who hailed from Illinois — which falls on Feb. 12 each year. However, Lincoln’s Birthday is not a federal holiday, which means the United States Post Office will still deliver mail on Wednesday. Still, DMVs across the state will be closed in observance, along with Illinois courts. * Sun-Times | City’s homeless shelters fail on accessibility for people with disabilities: Two homeless senior adults we have been working with for the last few months, one with a mobility disability requiring personal assistance from the other, have now been waiting for an accessible shelter bed for 47 days. In that time, they have been living in their truck and desperately seeking housing after an unexpected eviction from their apartment of eight years. * Sun-Times | Pritzker halts Joliet Great Lakes carp project until Trump promises not to yank federal funds: Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie on Monday wrote in a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the state will be postponing a “property rights closing” on Tuesday, “based on the anticipated lack of federal funding for the Brandon Road Project.” * AFP | AFP-Illinois Launches Campaigns Targeting Pension and Tax Proposals: oday, Americans for Prosperity-Illinois (AFP-Illinois) launched a pair of digital campaigns targeting various lawmakers for their lack of action to deliver meaningful property tax relief while at the same time considering various pension and tax proposals that would crush hardworking Illinois families. * Cook County Record | Plaintiff accuses Illinois Environmental Council of pregnancy discrimination: The situation escalated when Koerner announced her pregnancy in October 2023. Walling expressed concerns about how Koerner’s due date would coincide with an upcoming legislative session. By December 2023, after confirming that Koerner’s delivery would occur during this critical period, Walling sought to terminate her employment and pressured her to alter maternity leave plans to suit the legislative calendar. Despite being eight months pregnant and without any performance issues noted by HR, Koerner was terminated on February 29, 2024. * Statement from the Illinois Environmental Council: “The Illinois Environmental Council will fully defend itself against false allegations that are without merit and have been filed by a disgruntled former employee. The organization and its leaders prioritize providing a professional and respectful environment that supports our employees in their work to advocate for policies that support clean water, air and energy across Illinois. While we typically do not comment on personnel matters, because this former employee has made her case public, we note that she was terminated for legitimate reasons having nothing to do with her pregnancy status.” * Center Square | Black health advocacy group calls for more Illinois tax dollars for HIV care: “Despite the rate of infections going down across the state among other ethnicities, African Americans continue to comprise 47% of new cases,” said BLACHE Board Chair Creola Hampton. Hampton claims the state is withholding funds that were promised four years ago and believes white organizations are getting preferential treatment from the state. * Tribune | President Donald Trump pardons ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich nearly 5 years after commuting his sentence : Hours after the arrest, then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald detailed elements of what he called “a political corruption crime spree,” which also included attempting to shake down a children’s hospital for campaign donations, that he said “would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” It also prompted then-FBI Special Agent Robert Grant, who headed the Chicago office, to declare that if Illinois wasn’t the most corrupt state in the union, “it’s certainly one hell of a competitor.”
* Sun-Times | CFPB, saving Illinois consumers from corporate wrongdoing, goes dark in Trump attack on federal agencies: U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Evanston, the ranking member on the House Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee, which deals with consumer protection issues, is among the Democrats alarmed at the CFPB’s shutdown. They plan to march to the CFPB offices in Washington Monday afternoon. Schakowsky said it was hypocritical for billionaire and Trump adviser Elon Musk to target an agency that helps consumers with financial problems. On Friday, Musk had posted an emoji of a gravestone with the taunt, “CFPB RIP,” on his X platform. * Sun-Times | How Trump’s education plans might affect Illinois schools: rump cannot just close the Department of Education — or any other federal agency — through an executive order. That’s because Congress created the department and would have to shut it down. There are some early efforts in the U.S. House to dissolve the agency, but their prospects for passing both chambers of Congress are uncertain. * Block Club | Months After Axing ShotSpotter, City Seeks Proposals For ‘Gun Violence’ Detection System: “Over the testing period of no more than one week, the city will randomly initiate simulations and live gunfire within the demonstration area,” according to the document. “The chosen respondents will be judged on percentage of accurate notifications vs inaccurate or missed notifications.” * Sun-Times | Finance Committee signs off on Johnson’s $830 million general obligation bond issue: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to issue $830 million worth of general obligation bonds to bankroll a year’s worth of capital projects cleared a City Council committee Monday amid questions about borrowing that much money when federal funding is at risk and the impact of the city’s recently reduced-bond rating. Last month, Chicago suffered the borrowing consequences of a marathon budget stalemate that ended with no property tax increase and a tension-filled 27-to-25 vote to pass Johnson’s $17.1 billion spending plan. Standard & Poor’s followed through on its threat to drop the all-important bond rating that determines Chicago’s borrowing costs. It went down from BBB+ to BBB, just two notches above “junk bond” status. * Chicago Mag | The Next Mayor: Has there ever been a Chicago mayor as unpopular as Brandon Johnson? A new poll has his favorability rating at a cringeworthy 14 percent. As political consultant Tom Bowen delicately puts it: “This mayor is so weakened by his own hand that eight out of 10 Chicagoans would rather get punched in the face than reelect him.” Ouch. Even with the primary two years away, that kind of sentiment has already fueled early jockeying for who might succeed Johnson. We’ve ranked 11 speculated-about contenders in order of who we think has the best shot. * Tribune | Chicago says it hopes to open city-owned market instead of city-owned grocery store: A year-round public market, city officials said, would sell staple grocery items, such as milk and bread. The market would also contain retail spaces for local farmers and food retailers to sell their products, which the city said it would rent out at low cost. Still, details are scarce about when such a market would open, how it would be funded and operated and where it would be located. * Block Club | Chicago Public Schools Fair Aims To Prepare Students With Disabilities For Life After High School: The Student Transition FAIR — Fostering Access, Independence, and Responsibility — held last month at Malcolm X College in partnership with City Colleges of Chicago is one opportunity students with disabilities have to explore their options for life after high school. Over two days, teachers, counselors, and other school support staff from 46 high schools brought about 700 students, who could check out booths staffed by representatives from colleges and employers, as well as a virtual reality area related to trade jobs and a room for mock interviews. * Tribune | Chicago has not been immune from air traffic controller shortages in recent years: For example, in one facility that oversees planes coming to and going from Chicago, the number of fully certified controllers was about 70% of the target staffing levels recommended by the union and Federal Aviation Administration working group. At another regional facility, the number of fully certified controllers was 82% of the group’s recommendation. Shortages in Chicago were not as acute as those in some other major cities, like New York. Still, they can force air traffic controllers to work overtime and face fatigue in a busy air space that has been recognized as among the nation’s most critical because of the number of airlines and flights served. * Tribune | As Bally’s Chicago navigates challenges, south suburban newcomer Wind Creek becoming big player among state’s casinos: Wind Creek, owned by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, opened its permanent, 70,000 square foot casino in East Hazel Crest on Nov. 11 to large crowds and seemingly pent-up demand. The facility features 1,400 slot machines, 56 table games and other attractions, with a hotel set to open early this year. Last month, perennial leader Rivers Casino Des Plaines once again topped the list at nearly $39 million in adjusted gross receipts and 236,000 visitors. Hard Rock Rockford, which moved from a temporary casino to a larger permanent facility in August, ranked third with $11.3 million in adjusted gross receipts and 111,000 admissions in January. * Fox Chicago | Early voting opens in suburbs as Dolton mayoral race heats up: Among the key races is Dolton’s mayoral contest, where incumbent Tiffany Henyard faces a challenge from Jason House, a senior village trustee. Henyard has stirred up controversy in both Dolton and Thornton Township, where she was a supervisor, and now she’s facing an FBI investigation. * Daily Herald | Pace picking up for new businesses in and near Gurnee Mills: The busy pace in and around Gurnee Mills is picking up with the opening or planned arrivals of several new businesses at the Gurnee shopping center. […] Nearby, Ashley Furniture is replacing the former Toys R Us space and the onetime Baker’s Square has been demolished to make way for a Bank of America branch. Inside the mall, the former Bed Bath & Beyond space is being renovated for two businesses — international clothing retailer Primark and an expanded Boot Barn, which has an announced opening of May 31. There is no specific timetable for Primark’s opening. * Sun-Times | Into the heart of darkness for good crappie: Juan Macias capped off a Sunday of catching “amazing crappies” on the Fox Chain O’Lakes in a big way. He messaged that they were “biting constantly after sunset. Finishing with this beauty [of a] 15-incher. It swam back after a picture so it can go and produce lots of eggs when spawning time [comes].” * WLPO | Former State Representative Candidate Wants To Be La Salle’s Next City Clerk: Fresh off a close loss in her race to get a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives, Liz Bishop of La Salle is seeking a political seat closer to home. The Republican on Monday announced her intention to be a write-in candidate for La Salle City Clerk. Bishop says with no official city clerk candidate on the April ballot in La Salle, she’s hoping La Salle voters take a few extra seconds to write her name in on their ballots. * SJ-R | Former chamber of commerce CEO in central Illinois pleads guilty to theft: The former CEO of the Taylorville Chamber of Commerce has pleaded guilty after she was arrested in 2023 for allegedly stealing between $100,000 and $500,000 from the organization over multiple years. Patty A. Hornbuckle pleaded guilty last week to the charge of theft, which is a felony. Hornbuckle, who was 63 years old at the time of her arrest, was sentenced to first offender second chance probation with 24 months. * SJ-R | ‘No confidence’: Massey family have misgivings about citizens commission: Sontae Massey said he was “actively defying” his family’s wishes by staying as a member of the Massey Commission, formed in the aftermath of the July 6 fatally shooting of his cousin, Sonya Massey. Addressing the commission Monday, Massey said his family “sent me here today to leave this commission and take our name with it.” Massey told The State Journal-Register that family members he spoke with Monday, including Sonya’s mother, Donna Massey, “had no confidence in this (commission) whatsoever, but I do. I do see a glimmer of hope. * Unherd | JB Pritzker is replacing Newsom as anti-Trump figurehead: As a beleaguered Democratic Party grapples for ways to mount effective opposition to an ever-more assertive Trump administration, one governor has taken the lead in demonstrating how it may be done. It is not California’s Gavin Newsom, whose need to work with the President on disaster relief has muted his earlier posturing. Rather, the title of “Resistance governor” could go to Illinois’s JB Pritzker. Like Trump, he’s a billionaire-turned-politician with national ambitions; and aside from antics such as renaming Lake Michigan “Lake Illinois” and threatening to annex Green Bay, he’s been in the news for efforts to counter key items in the agenda of Trump 2.0. * American Bar Agency | The ABA supports the rule of law: It has been three weeks since Inauguration Day. Most Americans recognize that newly elected leaders bring change. That is expected. But most Americans also expect that changes will take place in accordance with the rule of law and in an orderly manner that respects the lives of affected individuals and the work they have been asked to perform. Instead, we see wide-scale affronts to the rule of law itself, such as attacks on constitutionally protected birthright citizenship, the dismantling of USAID and the attempts to criminalize those who support lawful programs to eliminate bias and enhance diversity.
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Feb 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
Blagojevich pardon react
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Durbin…
* Mendoza…
* Frerichs…
* Senate GOP Leader Curran…
* Daily Herald…
* US Rep. Darin LaHood…
Also, don’t be like this teevee guy and think the pardon somehow changes the terms of Blagojevich’s state impeachment and removal and permanent banishment from holding state office. From United States District Judge Steven C. Seeger’s 2024 ruling on the matter…
We’ll update as we get more.
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Madigan trial has rolled into its 9th day of jury deliberations…
* CBS Chicago…
* A quick reminder! This is the last week to vote for your favorite Illinois flag design. The Under Rocks podcast recently sat down with “wanna-be state symbologist” John Kokoris to chat about the flag commission. Click here to listen. * Center Square | Del Mar teases run for ‘higher office,’ sparking 2026 Illinois governor speculation: “I’m strongly considering a statewide run for governor. That’s not something that’s been a big secret. We’re evaluating all the different opportunities and putting together a team statewide,” Del Mar told The Center Square. “We’re going to each of the 102 counties in Illinois and listening to see what the issues are. One of the biggest challenges with our current governor is he only governs Chicago. He doesn’t govern the rest of the state.” * Ralph Martire | Illinois should tax consumer services to fix its fiscal problems: Taxing consumer services would generate roughly $2.6 billion in new General Fund revenue. That nearly eliminates the projected deficit for next year. And because it aligns Illinois tax policy with today’s economy, it would also help sustain investments on core public services into the future. * SJ-R | How much snow will Illinois see this week? Here’s the forecast: A snowstorm this week is predicted to bring at least four inches of snow to a sizable part of Illinois. Most places near and west of Illinois 55 are expected to receive at least four inches of snow Wednesday, according to latest predictions from the National Weather Service. * Sun-Times | $1.25M settlement to family of Dexter Reed stalls in City Council committee amid heavy opposition: Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) said he, too, is “hearing” the settlement was pulled for lack of votes. Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) has condemned the settlement for the “dangerous” message it sends to Chicago Police Department officers, His Far South Side ward is home to scores of Chicago Police officers, and O’Shea, too, is “guessing” that the settlement was held because the Johnson administration was uncertain it had the votes to pass it. * Block Club | Months After Axing ShotSpotter, City Seeks Proposals For ‘Gun Violence’ Detection System: “Through this RFI process, the City of Chicago will be able to aggressively look at equitable alternatives to help first responders acquire the absolute best community safety resources to aid them in reaching and responding to emergency scenes,” Johnson said in a statement. That announcement came shortly after Johnson likened ShotSpotter services to “walkie-talkies on a stick.” Last week, he again expressed skepticism about the technology during a WTTW town hall event. * Block Club | West Side Manufacturer Announces $4 Million Investment To Spur Growth, Add 50 Jobs: Freedman Seating Company is making a $4 million capital investment as part of a state tax credit program to upgrade its nearly 100-year-old West Side facility and add 50 full-time jobs, the company’s leaders and Gov. JB Pritzker announced Friday. The longtime West Side manufacturer has committed to getting new equipment, preserving its existing 676 full-time jobs and adding 50 full-time positions as part of an agreement through the state’s Economic Development for a Growing Economy program, which provides annual tax credits to qualifying businesses. * Crain’s | West Side community center sees its economic impact in real time: The $40 million North Austin Center, or NAC, is bringing new economic vitality to an area that has long needed it. At least $9 million in new consumer spending has come into the community, according to an analysis of credit card data within a half-mile radius of the facility, which offers sports, education and wellness activities. * Sun-Times | 15 trapped passengers rescued from CTA Green Line train after derailment in Englewood; 3 hurt: Some service has been restored but delays persist after a CTA Green Line train derailment, which happened at a “high elevation” about 2:40 a.m. near 63rd and Halsted streets, where one of the train’s wheels left the track, according to the transit agency and Chicago fire officials. * Tribune | Two major winter storms expected to hit Chicago area this week: Two major winter storms are expected to hit the Midwest this week, with moderate to heavy snowfall in the Chicago area. Between the two storms, residents could see close to a foot of snow from Wednesday through Saturday. The first storm could begin as early as Wednesday morning, although the brunt of the storm is expected to come later Wednesday while people are on their commutes home, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Doom. Chicago could see up to 7 inches of snow Wednesday, with much of that snowfall in the evening. * WBEZ | Chicago will be home of global COVID-19 monument to honor victims, front-line workers: The 25-foot stainless steel monument, titled “COVID-19 Memorial Monument of Honor, Remembrance & Resilience,” will be built at 2023 W. Ogden Ave., on the one-acre triangle at West Polk Street, South Damen Avenue and West Ogden Avenue and nestled between Stroger Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. Its unveiling is planned for the fall. * WGN | Nearly all catalytic converters stolen from suburban district’s bus fleet: “Early this morning, during routine preparations by our dedicated transportation team, it was discovered that over 90% of our bus fleet had fallen victim to vandalism, resulting in the theft of catalytic converters. This unfortunate act has rendered the majority of our buses inoperative, despite the implementation of robust security measures, including surveillance cameras, enhanced lighting, and secure fencing,” the district said in a press release. * Daily Southtown | Landmarks: Potential church closure could put Park Forest history at risk: Situated in two of Park Forest’s signature rental townhomes just north of the old Park Forest Plaza, the property would soon change hands and the owners “didn’t want to have to get someone to grandfather us in,” Nicoll said. The kitchen, looking much the same as when the rental units were erected in the late 1940s with the exception of a ’70s-era countertop, was loaded onto a platform, affixed to a freestanding wall and delivered to an unused classroom at the former St. Mary Catholic School at the southern outskirts of the village. * Daily Herald | ‘We get no relief’: Why is neighborhood miles from O’Hare enduring jet noise?: For years, communities near the south airfield have typically taken the brunt of jet noise from O’Hare while a runway modernization project unfolded. The parallel runways were intended to spread jet noise evenly around the region when completed in late 2021 but it’s been a slow, complex evolution. “I have made constant complaints over the years via the various complaint portals and nothing has ever been addressed,” Lubas said, adding his home isn’t eligible for soundproofing aid. * WAND | Central Illinois school administrator breaks down role of U.S. Education Department facing potential elimination: Superintendent Mark Jontry, who oversees schools in McLean, Livingston, Logan, and DeWitt Counties, said the federal government is responsible for several grant-funded programs and protections, including gender discrimination, low-income services, and special needs education. […] “We are subject to the federal laws around students with special needs, and elimination of the department isn’t going to make those laws go away,” said Jonty. “It kind of comes down to where that oversight is going to be administered at the federal level absent change in the [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act].” * SJ-R | Massey family, Sangamon County reach agreement to $10M settlement: The settlement, in the amount of $10 million, would need final approval from the county board at its Tuesday meeting. The agreement followed extensive confidential discussions involving legal representatives for the county and the Massey family. * Bloomberg | Rivian broadens sales of plug-in van once exclusive to Amazon: The EV maker’s commercial vehicle can now be purchased by fleets of any size, the company said in a statement on Monday. Rivian has primarily produced the van for Amazon under an exclusivity deal that expired in late 2023. It has also deployed the van to a number of unnamed pilot customers to prepare for the mass market, Rivian said. * ABC Chicago | Trader Joe’s limits egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day: In a statement, the grocery store chain said it’s limiting egg purchases to one dozen per customer, per day, at all locations across the country. […] More than 150 million poultry birds have been killed in an attempt to combat the virus, known as H5N1, which has caused egg prices to soar and supply to be limited. * Tribune | USAID staffers turned away from offices even after court suspends leave order: A front desk officer told a steady stream of agency staffers — dressed in business clothes or USAID sweatshirts or T-shirts — that he had a list of no more than 10 names of people allowed to enter the building. Tarps hung over USAID’s interior signs. A man who earlier identified himself as a USAID official took a harsher tone, telling staffers “just go” and “why are you here?”
|
Federal judge grants injunction to block Trump cuts to NIH research grant payments
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * First, some background from NPR…
* A biomedicine program manager from Boston University explained how each state could be affected… ![]() * Attorney General Kwame Raoul and others filled for injunctive relief this morning…
* Judge John McConnell Jr. granted the injunction this afternoon…
* More…
* Forbes | NIH Cuts Back Its Payment Of Indirect Costs For University Research: Indirect costs involve a myriad of necessary overhead expenses that universities take on when they conduct research. They are typically divided into two categories – “facilities” and “administration” — and include items like maintenance of equipment, facility upgrades, the operation of labs, depreciation, employment of support staff, accounting, research compliance, legal expenses, and the salaries of key administrators in charge of an institution’s research enterprise. * ARS Technica | National Institutes of Health radically cuts support to universities: The new policy is described in a supplemental guidance document that modifies the 2024 grant policy statement. The document cites federal regulations that allow the NIH to use a different indirect cost rate from that negotiated with research institutions for “either a class of Federal awards or a single Federal award,” but it has to justify the decision. So, much of the document describes the indirect costs paid by charitable foundations, which tend to be much lower than the rate paid by the NIH. * STAT | Here’s how big a hit some universities may take if NIH slashes support for indirect research costs: “If this goes into action on Monday, it actually, literally has the ability of stopping and grinding research to a halt — soon,” said Robert Winn, the director of the Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. “How does an institution now climb out of a multimillion-dollar hole? Tens of millions. How does that just happen, overnight?”
|
Here we go again
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release from the Illinois State Rifle Association…
I mean, if we want to talk about fees, the right to petition the government for redress of grievances is in the First Amendment, and pretty much every government charges lobbyists fees - sometimes enormous fees well above and beyond what it costs to maintain their databases. * Anyway, this case has had a bizarre history. From a 2022 Illinois Supreme Court ruling…
The new order is here.
|
Caption contest!
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rep. Kelly Cassidy checked off firing a t-shirt cannon in an evening gown at the Equality Illinois Gala… Caption?
|
Pritzker signs Karina’s Law
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* G-PAC President and CEO Kathleen Sances…
…Adding… Amanda Pyron, President and CEO of The Network…
* During the press conference, reporters asked about the logistics of the law…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
|
It’s just a bill
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen Burke…
* Poker Fuse…
* Sen. Doris Turner…
* SB2305 from Sen. Omar Aquino…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* Rep. Jed Davis…
* HB3351 from Rep. Tracy Katz Muhl…
|
Some tough sledding ahead, and it could get much worse
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
Also, as subscribers know, I checked into Rep. Mayfield’s idea. It doesn’t really provide much cash.
|
Open thread
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. ICYMI: Some Head Start childcare programs in Illinois impacted by funding freeze despite promises otherwise. WGN…
* Tribune | Behind-the-scenes staff acrimony mirrors public tension between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker: On Jan. 6, Anne Caprara sent a curt email informing the chiefs of staff to the mayor and Cook County Board president that she was opting out of their “scenario planning” meetings organized shortly after Trump’s November win. “I won’t be participating in these meetings going forward,” Caprara wrote in the exchange obtained by the Tribune via an open records request, adding that she intended to later “catch up separately” with County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s chief of staff. * Illinois Answers | Champaign County Jail Begins Tracking and Reporting Use of Restraint Chairs to the State for the First Time: An Illinois Answers Project investigation into the use of restraint chairs in county jails raised questions about how Champaign County documents, tracks and reports use of the devices. Now, the facility has updated its record-keeping practices and is submitting required reports to a state oversight unit for the first time. […] When first asked by Illinois Answers in 2023, the Champaign County Sheriff’s Department could not say how often jail staff restrain people in chairs. The jail—which relies heavily on handwritten and paper records—didn’t have any way to easily search for or track restraint chair use. It also hadn’t been reporting restraint chair incidents to the state for years, despite state requirements. * State Sen. Craig Wilcox | Fiscal storm is brewing in Springfield. We must protect funds for local governments: When Pritzker presents his annual Budget Address in February, I will be listening closely for his pledge to leave the LGDF untouched. These revenues are a lifeline for municipalities, particularly as local leaders grapple with their own strained budgets. Rather than taking more and more of these funds that are earmarked for local use, lawmakers must tighten the belt and focus on real, sustainable solutions to the state’s budget crisis. * Tribune | Illinois Senate chamber back in business under colorful skylight as part of ongoing Capitol renovations: The $350,000 skylight project is a small but striking part of a larger, ongoing $350 million renovation of the Illinois State Capitol and its surrounding property that has been underway since 2021 and is slated to wrap up by the end of this year. The work has focused on the building’s north wing, which includes the third-floor Senate chamber. The chamber was shuttered for about three years because of the makeover, forcing the state’s 59 senators to temporarily convene in the Michael J. Howlett Building south of the statehouse. The newly renovated Senate space made its public debut on Jan. 8 when senators were sworn in by Gov. JB Pritzker during the first day of the General Assembly’s new session. * WBBM | Faction of the Illinois Republican Party feels the party needs to be bolder: Downstate Representative Blane Wilhour said Republicans need to be bolder and forge new coalitions, especially in the Chicago area. “Identifying those voters that were not really trying very hard to get right now. President Trump upped his numbers in the city of Chicago substantially. That’s a good place to start,” Wilhour said. * Center Square | Judge Chang considers Madigan jury question with Blakey ‘unavoidably’ absent: Chang said the second question involved “things of value” as described on pages 78 and 96 of Blakey’s instructions to the jury. Chang said jurors wanted to know if a bona fide salary is considered under the law to be “something of value” and if it is considered to be “a valuable thing.” […] The note sent Friday was the first from the jury that involved legal instruction. One prior note involved a question about a transcript and the others involved scheduling or supplies. * CBS Chicago | Jury in Michael Madigan trial raises question, but still no verdict: CBS News Chicago legal analyst Irv Miller said the question the jury asked about their instructions goes to the heart of the prosecution’s case. “They needed substantial qualifications as to what constitutes having these no-show guys working, and getting paid, and determine whether or not that was done with intent – the magic word intent – to influence a public official to do some type of official action, which could be considered bribery,” Miller said. * Tribune | The United Center hasn’t been served by a Pink Line station since it opened. Could redevelopment plans change that?: Building a new station won’t be without challenges. It would likely take years, and wasn’t included among plans to privately finance the first phase of the development, which includes construction of a new music hall, hotel and green space in the area. Ald. Walter Burnett, whose 27th Ward includes the neighborhood, raised the possibility of exploring whether there is tax increment financing available for the station. * Sun-Times | CTA not liable in death of woman who tried to retrieve cellphone from tracks in 2019, appeals court rules: A Cook County circuit court ruled the CTA was not liable for her death, and the state appellate court upheld that ruling in a decision released Friday. The court also found that the CTA wasn’t liable for the actions of Dowd and AGB, who were not part of the appeal. In the complaint, Cole alleged that Hamilton was negligent while driving the train, and he should have seen Smith on the tracks and stopped the train before striking her. The suit also alleged that CTA was responsible for not properly hiring and training its conductors. * WBEZ | Immigration advocates rally in Little Village in response to Trump administration sweeps: The Trump administration has carried out a blitz of operations in the Chicago area in the last two weeks in attempts to fulfill the president’s campaign promises to arrest and deport immigrants who are living in the country without legal status. Trump has claimed federal agents are targeting dangerous criminals, but attorneys working with detainees, and a review of known cases, show many of those arrested did not have criminal records. Chicago officials say there have been more than 100 arrests in the city since Trump took office. * Sun-Times | Soldier from Chicago gets 9 years in prison for trafficking guns that fueled South Side gang war: Brandon Z. Miller, 25, presided over a crew that bought more than 100 guns, some used in a murderous South Side street war, federal prosecutors say. He also was sentenced in military court to 30 months in prison for a sexual assault and was accused of plotting to steal COVID-19 pandemic relief money. * Crain’s | Judge blocks effort to nix Bally’s IPO offering for women and minorities: The judge’s denial of a request to block the IPO came in the Glennon case. (The Texas investors did not seek such emergency relief.) Valderrama said the key question on whether to grant a temporary restraining order was whether Bally’s was a “state actor,” meaning it was acting with government authority under the arrangement. “The court disagrees with Glennon’s contention that, through the agreement, the City compelled Bally’s to ’discriminate to fulfill the government’s discriminatory policy goals,’” the judge said. * ABC Chicago | Equality Illinois’ Chicago gala honors activist who led charge to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015: At Saturday’s gala, the group honored the person who led the charge 10 years ago to legalize same-sex marriage in the U.S., Jim Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in a U.S. Supreme Court case. While it’s considered a triumph, LGBTQ+ advocates said their fight is not over. “For us, it’s a reminder that we have a solid foundation of victories upon which to build,” Equality Illinois CEO Brian C. Johnson said. “It is good for queer folks that these rights remain stable.” * Tribune | Chicago’s Chinatown marks Year of the Snake with Lunar New Year parade: Lunar New Year is considered the most important holiday in Chinese culture, although other countries such as Korea, Vietnam and Malaysia observe the holiday. The Chinese tradition is accompanied by a 12-year cycle with each year represented by an animal. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake, and according to Chinese tradition, those who are born under the snake are supposed to have a resilient and courageous personality. The Chinatown festival dates back to Chicago’s first Chinese immigrants, who settled first in the Loop and then moved farther south to the area around Cermak Road and Wentworth Avenue. Parade participants and organizers said the Lunar New Year Parade is important because it teaches people about Chinese traditions. * Shaw Local | Geneva alderpersons question $55K pricetag for lobbyist, bid to drop fails: The Geneva City Council prepared to approve its nearly $143 million budget following a public hearing Monday when Fifth Ward Alderperson Robert Swanson suggested they save $55,000 by stripping out the cost of the Springfield lobbyist. […] Mayor Kevin Burns said the lobbyist has been working with the city “for some time now.” “He has been, I believe, successful with respect to not only securing funds but re-securing funds representing our voice in Springfield on issues ranging from energy, transportation, housing LGDF (Local Government Distributive Fund)– you name it,” Burns said. * Daily Herald | Democrats far outspent GOP rivals in suburban U.S. House races — none more than Raja Krishnamoorthi: Democratic U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg spent nearly $5 million from his main campaign account to win reelection to a fifth term, more than any other House candidate in the region. That sum was nearly 28 times what his Republican opponent, Mark Rice, spent. All but one of the eight Democratic incumbents spent at least $1 million to retain their seats. No Republican challenger came close to that threshold. * Shaw Local | ‘Delayed far too long’: Volo Bog natural area among state sites targeted for improvements: After decades on the wish list, long-sought improvements at the Volo Bog State Natural Area in Ingleside have been funded and are expected to proceed. Replacing the existing boardwalk and floating trail has been designated by the Illinois Capital Development Board as part of a $60 million effort to address key deferred maintenance projects at five Illinois Department of Natural Resources facilities and parks. * Daily Herald | DuPage County Board resolution would remove Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse: “While Henry Hyde was a very well respected Republican elected official, the Hyde Amendment is very offensive to women, particularly women in Illinois,” said Conroy, a Democrat from Elmhurst. “I think overwhelmingly women in Illinois believe that all women have the right to health care, regardless of their ability to have private insurance.” Conroy said she told a Daily Herald editorial board in 2022 that she would take this action if elected chair. * WAND | Closure of Illinois-led soybean lab due to USAID funding cut: According to a social media post from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Professor Peter Goldsmith, The Soybean Innovation Lab is set to close April 15th. According to the lab’s website, its goal is to give researchers, non-governmental organizations and the private sector information and technology needed to advance soybean development in Africa. The lab has more than 100 soybean experts from 24 countries. * WCBU | Pekin City Council candidates speak out on the new 5% utility tax and other hot issues: The candidates answered questions about the residency requirement for some Pekin city employees; the 5% utility tax enacted by the council last year; the state and city pension crisis; Pekin’s ownership of the school bus department; how to create head-of-household jobs in Pekin; public voting on large city spending; conflict at the council table; and repairing Pekin’s roads. The question that drew the most passionate responses was the utility tax, which was passed in April by the council. “I’ve attended a lot of council meetings. That was the most disrespectful meeting I’ve attended,” Johnson said. “Passing the tax was anti-public. Home rule was abused that night. Why weren’t there spending cuts instead?” * WAND | Sangamon County Board Democrats asking Massey Commission for independent investigation: In a letter to the Massey Commission, the Sangamon County Board Democrats are asking the group to renew efforts for an independent investigation into the hiring practices and policies of the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Department. This comes after the Department of Justice announced it closed its investigation in January. * WCBU | Boyd CEO floats $100 million price tag, 2026 construction kickoff for new Central Illinois casino: Construction on a new $100 million Central Illinois casino project could begin next year. That’s according to Keith Smith, the CEO of Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino parent company Boyd Gaming. “We anticipate replacing our 30-year-old riverboat casino with Par-A-Dice with a compelling new entertainment destination. While it is still early in the design process, we could begin construction as early as the first half of 2026 pending regulatory approvals,” Smith said in prepared remarks during an earnings call Thursday. * WCIA | UI researchers develop new imaging tool aiming to lower re-operation rates after cancer surgery: Boppart and his team have worked with Carle Health for the last 20-25 years to develop the imaging system. It isn’t for commercial use yet, but he said they’re looking to expand and are starting to collaborate with the Mayo Clinic. He hopes surgeons can use it on patients within the next five years. * WCIA | McKenzie leads Illini to sixth-straight win: The Illini won their sixth-straight game in a 74-51 road triumph over Wisconsin. Five players scored in the double-digits, with Adalia McKenzie scoring a team-high 18 points and Kendall Bostic logging her 50th career double-double. * The Atlantic | What Kendrick Lamar’s Halftime Show Said: The event framed itself in self-conscious terms. “This is the great American game,” Samuel L. Jackson, dressed as Uncle Sam, announced at the start. He probably wasn’t just referring to football. Lamar himself was about to run a familiar artistic gantlet: the struggle to keep one’s integrity intact while entertaining the masses. The stage was set up in a tic-tac-toe design, and Jackson popped up at various times to score the proceedings. Lamar rapped with intense focus, nailing every bit of elegantly herky-jerky choreography. But his face also conveyed anxiety, even fear. We knew that he knew he was being watched. * Reuters | Trump pauses de minimis repeal as packages pile up at US customs: U.S. President Donald Trump paused his administration’s repeal of duty-free treatment of low-cost packages from China on Friday, giving the Commerce Department time to make the order workable, after the rapid change created disruptions for customs inspectors, postal and delivery services and online retailers. The eventual cancellation of de minimis means the more than 1 billion small-value e-commerce packages arriving annually in the United States with goods coming directly from China must switch to an entry process that requires additional information and duties, adding time and cost. * AP | Trump official’s directive tying transportation grants to birth rates could hinder blue states: All administrations set their own rules for choosing which transportation projects to prioritize. But some of Duffy’s directives were received as highly unusual. “Distributing transportation funding based marriage and birth rates is bizarre and a little creepy,” said Kevin DeGood, senior director of infrastructure and housing policy at the left-leaning Center for American Progress. “States and regions with aging populations tend, on average, to have lower birth rates … Are they somehow not deserving of transportation investment?”
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Live coverage
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Feb 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Leadbelly… I’m gonna sing this verse, I ain’t gonna sing no more
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WCIA…
* WBEZ…
* Heh…
* Crain’s | Illinois revs up more EV incentives amid uncertain fate of federal rebates: While Donald Trump is trying to figure out a way to unplug the $7,500 federal electric-vehicle tax credits, Illinois is motoring ahead with a new round of its own incentives of $4,000 per vehicle. Incentives are important in getting traditional car buyers to make the switch to EVs, especially as the pool of customers moves beyond early adopters. EV sales increased 7% nationwide last year, after a 49% jump the previous year, according to Cox Automotive. * Crain’s | Pritzker takes aim at Trump, Bondi over immigration lawsuit: Pritzker said he found out about the lawsuit from media reports and took another shot at the White House. “They come and try to attack the state of Illinois, and that’s what they’re doing. . . .The lawsuits are against laws on the books in Illinois,” Pritzker said this morning during a press conference to announce an expansion at a West Side manufacturer, Freedman Seating. * Robert Vargas and Tony Christiano | What rolling back Medicaid expansion would do to Illinoisans: Imagine standing at the pharmacy counter, knowing you need an inhaler to breathe and being forced to choose between spending the rest of your paycheck on an inhaler or rent. Thousands of uninsured Chicagoans have been in this position before, and Medicaid expansion — passed in January 2014 through the Affordable Care Act — provided much needed relief to thousands of Chicagoans. If Congress follows through on the plan by President Donald Trump’s administration to roll back Medicaid expansion, 900,000 Illinoisans could lose their health insurance, and millions more would lose coverage across the country. * Crain’s | Illinois sees gains in tax revenue generated through casinos and sports betting: State and local governments earned more than $1.7 billion in tax revenue (excluding December sports wagering numbers) from Illinois’ 16 licensed casinos, about 8,700 video gaming terminals and 14 operating sportsbooks in 2024, the board announced today. The state brought in $1.5 billion while localities accounted for $270 million. * NPR | Illinois AG warns residents to be careful when placing Super Bowl wagers this weekend: According to a news release, Kwame Raoul tells residents if they choose to bet on the Super Bowl or any other sporting event, they should use a licensed operator authorized by the Illinois Gaming Board. He warns that betting with an unlicensed service can put personal information and money at risk. Even with a licensed site or app, he says it’s important to read the terms of any promotional offers to avoid unexpected costs or conditions. * WTTW | Illinois Farm Workers, Consumers on Alert Amid Mass Deportation Threats: “Immigrants are critical to the farming industry,” said Rebecca Shi, CEO at the American Business Immigration Coalition. “I mean, I’m having a hard time finding eggs right now, and I’m sure a lot of viewers are as well. We appreciate having avocados and milk, and if you were to just remove a significant part of our farm workforce, we’re going to start seeing $20 lettuce, $16 cartons of eggs, or no milk. Because nearly all of the dairy farmers and farm workers here in our nation, including in Illinois and the Midwest, are immigrants.” * Press Release | Gov. Pritzker Announces Investments in Freedman Seating Company’s Chicago Manufacturing Facility: Today, Governor JB Pritzker joined Freedman Seating Company and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to announce new investments in the company’s Chicago manufacturing facility that will create 50 new full-time jobs and retain 676 full-time jobs. Freedman Seating Company’s $4 million investment in capital expenditures, bolstered by an Economic Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) agreement, will enable the company to make site improvements to accommodate new manufacturing equipment at its nearly 100-year-old facility in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. * Block Club | Fallen Beam At Radius Was Missing Bolts, Showed ‘Deterioration’ As Patrons Slam Venue’s ‘Hostile’ Security: It’s unclear when the venue’s infrastructure was last inspected. After initially saying someone would reach out to a Block Club reporter, Radius operators did not respond to multiple requests for comment and did not return calls made to the venue. Owner Nick Karounos couldn’t be reached for comment. * Click here for some background… * ABC Chicago | Rivian at Chicago Auto Show for 1st time, along with new Overlanding exhibit: The 117th edition of the Chicago Auto Show is here with hundreds of vehicles for all types of drivers and a fan favorite! The Subaru puppies are back! New to the show this year is made in Illinois Rivian. Enjoy a spin in one around two EV tracks this year! * WTTW | Photo Essay: Exploring Ida B. Wells’ Memory in Chicago: In 1893, Ida B. Wells first traveled to Chicago for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Standing at the entrance to the Haitian Pavilion, Wells handed out pamphlets to fairgoers that described “a clear, plain statement of facts concerning the oppression put upon the colored people in this land of the free and home of the brave.” * Crain’s | Wednesday Journal undergoes leadership changes as nonprofit faces financial difficulties: The nonprofit made money in its first three years but posted a $345,875 loss for the year ending June 2023, according to its most recent tax filings. Growing Community Media reported revenue of $1.6 million in 2023, a decline compared with the previous two years, and also had higher expenses than in prior years. The organization is aiming to increase its donor contributions, which represent 24% of its overall funding. In earlier years, donations comprised nearly 40% of its revenue, according to Reinsdorf. * Daily Southtown | Will County election disputes may be decided in court: Candidates Kevin “Kollins” Hedemark, who was running for Lockport Township highway commissioner, and Cesar Guerrero, who was running for Joliet Township supervisor, said their township’s Democratic precinct committee persons voted this week to nominate them to fill vacancies created when they were removed from the ballot for being in violation of the Illinois Campaign Disclosure Act. Both candidates filed paperwork with their respective township offices to get back on the ballot, however it may be up to a Will County judge to reinstate them. * Daily Southtown | Thornton Township trustees fire 2 employees, Tiffany Henyard allies at first meeting since brawl: Neither Henyard nor Trustee Darlene Gray-Everett showed up to vote on the short agenda, and trustees spent much of the time in closed session discussing two members of Henyard’s administration, Kamal Woods and William Moore. The board voted unanimously to fire the two employees, who were previously put on paid administrative leave. Wiedeman said Woods’ participation in the prior meeting’s brawl warranted his termination. * IPM News | U of I aims to clarify protocols on campus amid federal policy changes: The group will be looking at federal updates on immigration, representation, research and impacts on the U of I workforce. The school has also created a website to host official guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions. If a new executive order affects work on campus, community members should continue as normal until the university offers updated guidance, the website stated. * IPM News | Danville Election Commission repeats meeting to retain city council candidate on April 1 ballot: The Danville Election Commission voted Wednesday to keep city council candidate Jaleel Jones on the April 1st ballot, in a repeat of the group’s decision in December. […] This time around, the three-member panel — including new member Catherine Osterbur — once again rejected York’s argument, on the grounds that the Ward Seven alderman doesn’t live in Ward One, where Jones is running, and thus has no standing to raise an objection. * WGLT | Faculty file unfair labor charge against Illinois State University: Amid nearly a year of ongoing contract negotiations with Illinois State University, the union representing tenure and tenure-track faculty filed a charge against ISU on Thursday with the state Educational Labor Relations Board [IELRB], alleging ISU has violated the Illinois Labor Disputes Act. The charge comes after a demonstration United Faculty of ISU [UFISU] members held nearly a month ago, ahead of the first day of contract negotiations held in the presence of a federal mediator. * The Guardian | Prince estate blocks release of Netflix documentary by Oscar-winning director Ezra Edelman: Netflix said in a statement to the Minnesota Star Tribune: “The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive. As a result, the Netflix documentary will not be released.” * BBC | Member of Musk’s Doge resigns after reports of racist posts: Musk himself acknowledged the departure, posting a poll on X, the social media platform he owns, asking followers whether he should bring back the Doge staffer who made “inappropriate statements via a now deleted pseudonym”. […] So far, 78% have voted in favour of his return. Responding to one user who said Musk should have a talk with Mr Elez “about the racist stuff. Not cool”, the billionaire replied: “True.”
|
It could take a while, or maybe not
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Some excitement at the MJM trial today… ![]() * False alarm… ![]() * So, what’s this about?… ![]() The jury instructions on this point are here. * More… ![]() * So, when will this thing end? Nobody truly knows… ![]() Hang loose.
|
Pritzker asks Canadian, Mexican ambassadors not to retaliate against products important to Illinois if tariffs are implemented
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and here for some background. Gov. JB Pritzker was asked about his conversations with Canada’s and Mexico’s ambassadors during an unrelated news conference…
|
Judge denies bid to extend swipe fee injunction to credit card companies, applies it to out-of-state banks
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Bloomberg…
Click here to read Judge Virginia Kendall’s motion. Last week, Kendall ruled two Illinois merchant trade groups couldn’t join the defense.
The next hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for March 6.
|
It’s just a bill
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WTTW…
* Rep. La Shawn Ford…
* Rep. Maurice West…
* WCIA…
* HB3108 from Rep. Nicholas Smith…
|
Open thread
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois cannabis sales hit record high 4th year in a row. WAND…
- ales taxes collected at Illinois cannabis dispensaries totaled more than $490 million in 2024. - In total, a record-setting 56,318,082 cannabis items were sold to customers in 2024, which shattered the previous record set in 2023 by more than 13%. * Tribune | Illinois Gaming Board cements ban on certain NFL wagers: Licensed sports wagering operators will now continue to be prohibited from offering bets relating to player injuries, fan safety, player misconduct, penalties, replay results, officiating assignments, the first play of the game, a player missing a field goal or an extra point, the quarterback’s first pass to be incomplete and any other wagers that can hurt consumers, players and game integrity. * Capitol News Illinois | Judge declines to extend ‘swipe fee’ injunction to credit card companies: Leaders of banking organizations said Thursday they will continue to fight the law. “Today’s ruling illustrates the fundamental flaws of this misguided state law that will inflict chaos on all participants in the Illinois payments system and the customers they serve,” Ben Jackson from the Illinois Bankers Association and Ashley Sharp from the Illinois Credit Union League said in a joint statement. “We will continue our efforts to ensure that all consumers, businesses and financial institutions are spared the mayhem IFPA will trigger.” * Tribune | No tea leaves from silent Madigan jury as deliberations head into 8th day: The jury’s deliberations kicked off the final phase of a landmark four-month trial. Its discussions have lasted longer than those in two other recent high-profile corruption cases: The jury in the “ComEd Four” bribery case, which featured evidence that overlapped significantly with some of the evidence in the Madigan trial, reached a verdict after about 27 hours. And jurors in the racketeering trial of former Ald. Ed Burke found him guilty in about 23 hours. * Crain’s | Proposal aims to tie public funding for new Chicago stadiums to team success: “Our primary goal with this bill is not to punish teams, but to ensure that Illinois taxpayers’ dollars are spent responsibly,” Morgan said in a statement today announcing the proposal. “No one wants to see taxpayer dollars wasted by billionaire team owners that are not investing in their teams’ competitiveness.” The Chicago Bears, White Sox and Stars, all of whom had losing records in their last respective seasons, are among the teams looking for public funding for a new stadium. The White Sox had a particularly tough season, setting a single-season record for modern baseball with 121 losses. Despite this, the team is proposing a new ballpark as part of The 78 project in Chicago’s South Loop. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois locked in legal battles with Trump administration over immigration policy: “What’s coming out of Washington, D.C. can be summed up in one word: fascism,” House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, said during a speech on the House floor as he chastised Republicans for walking out. “They should be here to speak out against fascism. We cannot be silent.” Speaking at their own impromptu news conference outside the House chamber, however, Republicans accused Democrats of ignoring more urgent issues facing the people of Illinois. * WIFR | ‘Absolutely, positively stupid’: Stateline lawmaker shares reasons behind Republican walkout during legislative session: “What they did was absolutely, positively stupid,” Cabello said. “Those resolutions were nothing but bashing the President of the United States, Donald Trump,” […] State Representative Dave Vella, D-68th District, however, explains Democratic lawmakers were acting as the voice of concerned constituents. He says Democrats believe the president is making decisions that are not in the best interests of the American people. * WAND | IL House Dems approve resolution condemning Trump for Jan. 6 pardons, GOP walk out: “There’s no good reason to pardon somebody who’s going to take a shield and try to cut some law enforcement officer’s head off,” said Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Highland Park). “There is no reason. There is no reason. There is no reason to ever pardon someone who is going to attack a police officer.” * Tribune | Illinois braces for impact of new and potential tariffs: ‘Who will feel the consequences? Everyday Americans.’: * Illinois Answers | The Promises and Pitfalls of Quantum Computing in Chicago: Developers promise a quantum hub will bring good paying jobs to South Chicago and revitalize the community. The state is investing hundreds of millions. But some wonder if a commercial quantum computer can even be built and if the jobs will really be for South Siders. * Tribune | Illinois SEIU passes resolution declaring itself ‘under attack’ by CTU: The teachers union has been negotiating its contract with Chicago Public Schools since April, and as part of its proposals has pitched language that SEIU 73 said would allow certain classroom assistants who are CTU members to do work that is currently done by special education classroom assistants. Special education classroom assistants are represented by SEIU 73, not CTU. * WBEZ | CPS needs an educator as its leader, says School Board member Che ‘Rhymefest’ Smith: “It’s time for us to have leadership that is education-focused, not business-focused, looking at schools as business or children as commodities,” Smith said. He expects the board to consider a resolution at the next school board meeting on Feb. 27. If it is supported by the majority of the board, Smith says he believes state lawmakers will be open to making the change. State Sen. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) says he’s open to exploring the idea. “The advantage of a superintendent is that they ask, ‘What do we need to do to educate our children and what resources do we need?’ “ he said. “While a CEO might say, ‘What resources do we have and how can we use them to educate children?’ It is somewhat of a different focus.” * Sun-Times | Save A Lot grocery stores’ struggles threaten hopes for Chicago food deserts: Since its highly anticipated reopening in September, the renovated Save A Lot grocery store in West Garfield Park has angered neighbors because of its overflowing dumpsters and insufficient rodent prevention measures — problems that have resulted in new city citations and fines. Meanwhile, expired produce and jugs of milk a week past their sell-by date sit on the shelves. The Save A Lot, at 420 S. Pulaski Road, is the first of six city-funded stores that promised to offer quality groceries in neighborhoods historically lacking fresh food options. * Tribune | Trump, Musk move to oust EPA staff in the Great Lakes region, including dozens responsible for protecting drinking water for 30 million in U.S. and Canada: The EPA’s Midwest office traditionally has been one of the agency’s biggest and busiest, prosecuting companies that pollute the air, water and land in Illinois, Ohio and four other states around the Great Lakes. Trump purged dozens of career officials in the Chicago office during his first term. His latest attempt to cull the workforce is led by billionaire Elon Musk, whose companies Tesla and SpaceX have been fined by the EPA for multiple violations of environmental laws. * Crain’s | Bears succession plan beckons as new ownership era begins: The death of longtime team owner Virginia McCaskey this week at age 102 brings to the forefront questions that have hovered over the franchise for years as National Football League team valuations have soared by the billions: How will ownership stakes change among her several generations of living progeny? What will that mean for the family’s control of the team? And how might it impact the Bears’ pursuit of a new stadium? * Block Club | 26 Ways To Celebrate Black History Month In Chicago: From groundbreaking museum exhibitions and neighborhood tours to family craft sessions and scholarly lectures, these events honor African American heritage while fostering dialogue about identity, resilience and progress through February and beyond. * Evanston Now | Chow calls for lobbying ban in jab at Suffredin: Ald. Tom Suffredin (6th), of being a “walking conflict of interest.” Chow accused Suffredin Thursday of “cutting Springfield backroom deals” that benefit private corporations and other organizations over the City of Evanston while in office. But her proposed solution — a city ordinance to ban lobbying by elected officials — would apparently be illegal under state law — which bars any municipality other than Chicago from adopting its own lobbying regulations. * Daily Herald | Police are using AI to write reports. Is it a high-tech time-saver or cause for concern?: The Elgin Police Department thinks it’s found that magic wand — or at least some of it — through the power of Artificial Intelligence. The department in 2024 became the first in Illinois to test new technology enabling a handful of officers to produce AI-generated police reports. It went so well that the Elgin PD is expanding the capability to all its officers in coming weeks. * Daily Herald | New affordable housing development opens in Palatine: Development partners, including Northpointe Development, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Inc. and the Housing Opportunity Development Corp., attended a grand opening Tuesday. […] The development is intended for people who work in the area but can’t afford the region’s housing options. * Crain’s | Bolingbrook clinic owner to pay $2.2M, serve three-year sentence for Medicaid fraud: LaTeena Smith, 38, former owner of Power Positive Youth Development, a clinic in Bolingbrook, pleaded guilty in December to submitting fraudulent bills for psychotherapy services for Medicaid managed care patients, according to a press release from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office. Following sentencing by DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Mia McPherson, Smith was immediately remanded into custody to begin serving her sentence, the release said. She also paid $1.5 million of the restitution after being sentenced, it said. * WCIA | ‘Just a lot of uncertainty’; Federal funding orders leaving some Central IL cities concerned: Both Champaign and Urbana count on millions of dollars in federal funding. Champaign’s budget for the last fiscal year had about $10.7 million in grant revenue. Urbana’s budget for this year has about $7.4 million planned. * WSIL | Organizers sell ribs ahead of the Superbowl to raise money for charity: On Friday, February 7th, and Saturday, February 8th, the organization will be outside of the Sam’s Club in Marion from 10 a.m. to close, or until supplies last. The team will offer hot and ready or pre-cooked and ready-to-reheat ribs. Ribs will be $25 a slab or $23 if you buy two or more. * WCBU | Plans for new East Peoria TIF district in riverfront area around Par-A-Dice casino take shape: East Peoria is moving forward with the process at least several months in the making to create a new tax-increment financing (TIF) district along its riverfront surrounding the Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino. The move comes as the city of Peoria is openly courting Boyd Gaming on building a new land-based casino across the river after the company announced plans to expand to the Illinois Gaming Board. * Chalkbeat | Trump executive orders on DEI and schools big on drama, but impact will take time to emerge: Taken together, these actions show the Trump administration is ready to lean on various levers of power — from the bully pulpit to federal investigations to threats of withholding funding — to convince or coerce schools to comply with its worldview, whether or not the federal government has the legal authority to do so. Disappointing national test scores and state-level wins for Republicans could also be fueling Trump’s ambitions to stake a greater political claim on K-12 education. * Reuters | Exclusive-US food purchases for foreign aid halted despite waiver, sources say: The freeze in purchases of wheat, soybeans and other commodities produced by U.S. farmers could hinder or halt the operations of organizations that provide millions of tons of food each year to help alleviate poverty in countries such as Madagascar, Tanzania and Honduras, the sources said. It also means added pain for U.S. farmers, already facing low commodity prices and uncertainty from potential tariffs in an emerging trade war, and who see foreign aid programs as opportunities to promote their farm products abroad, four of the sources said.
|
Live coverage
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here and here to follow the Madigan trial. Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Feb 7, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
|
« NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |