Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I would hang out with these guys any day…

It smells like Christmas,
get out the tambourines!
Let’s party all over the world!

* Before I go, just one more reminder to please contribute to our annual fundraising drive to buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks, and don’t forget to tell a friend!

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* It’s Friday, the end of a long week, and before we all unplug for a bit I want to remind you why our LSSI Christmas fundraiser matters so much.

For so many of these kids, Christmas isn’t guaranteed to feel like Christmas. These kids are navigating so much in their young lives. A gift may seem small, but to them it’s a moment of joy, a reminder that someone out there actually cares.

Since Monday, we’ve raised $36,525, which is enough to buy presents for 1,461 foster kids.

But that’s still only about 57 percent of the foster kids in LSSI’s care system. And since it’s the weekend, we’re not going to be able to hype this fundraiser much until Monday. So if you have a moment today, please contribute. If you already have, please tell a friend or share the link on social media. The more people who hear about what this drive does for these kids, the more smiles we can bring to them on Christmas morning. Thank you so much!

* Bloomberg…

The Canadian government told Stellantis NV it’s in default on its taxpayer-backed financial aid after it moved auto production to its plant in Belvidere, Industry Minister Melanie Joly said.

Joly first threatened to take legal action in October, shortly after Stellantis announced it was canceling plans to make the Jeep Compass SUV in Brampton, Ontario, and moving that vehicle to Illinois. The automaker said it would invest $13 billion in the US over four years, partly to mitigate tariff costs.

Governments in Canada pledged more than $358 million to Stellantis to help pay for capital costs in its two assembly plants in the country. About $157 million of that pledge has been paid to date, according to testimony reported by the New York Times.

“Today, on Dec. 4, I’m formally announcing that we’re serving Stellantis with a notice of default under the contracts,” Joly told a parliamentary committee.

* Crain’s…

Lurie Children’s Hospital, Chicago’s pre-eminent pediatric facility, will be out of network for all Affordable Care Act marketplace plans in 2026, cutting off access for families who rely on the exchange for coverage.

The loss reflects broader upheaval in Illinois’ and others states’ ACA marketplaces, where several insurers are exiting, premiums are surging and families face shrinking options during the current enrollment period.

Lurie, a safety-net hospital, accepts Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans. But in 2025 its sole contract with an ACA marketplace insurer was with Aetna CVS Health’s Individual & Family Plan PPO. However, starting next year Aetna will exit the Individual & Family Plan business. […]

“Lurie Children’s has consistently cared for ACA exchange-covered children since 2014, despite most exchange insurers choosing not to contract with academic centers for in-network coverage,” [Lurie Children’s] statement said. “Our website clarifies that we are out-of-network with all 2026 exchange plans so families can understand their benefits. We continue to work with families and their payors when children need specialty care unavailable in their network.”

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois educators hope to tackle thorny issue of math competence: Even on the international stage, American students do not perform as well in math as their counterparts in many other industrialized democracies. Scores from the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, or TIMSS exam — a project of the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics — showed eighth grade students in the U.S., on average, scored below their peers in countries like Singapore, Japan, Sweden and Australia.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Pacific Legal Foundation | Following PLF’s Discrimination Suit, Pritzker Signs Bill Ending Illinois’ Race-Exclusive Scholarship: The law, House Bill 3065, which took effect November 21, struck racial classifications from scholarship eligibility in Illinois. “Illinois cannot disqualify students from competing for a taxpayer-funded college scholarship because of their race,” said PLF attorney Samantha Romero-Drew. “Race-based discrimination is a blatant violation of the Equal Protection Clause.”

* WAND | New year, new laws: Illinois to roll out measures on roads, libraries and government efficiency: One new law gives clarification on cheating on DMV exams, allows the Secretary of State’s Office to give written tests online and enhances bicycle safety. The measure clarifies that any attempt to have someone else give answers to someone taking a DMV exam, including trying to use a hidden microphone or cell phone, is cheating.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago headed for a bond rating drop if City Hall doesn’t get budget right, Civic Fed president says: In trying to salvage a proposed corporate head tax shot down by the City Council’s Finance Committee, Ferguson said Johnson has demonstrated an “almost willful blindness to the red flashing lights” all around him. One of those warnings was the recent decision by S&P Global Ratings to reduce Chicago’s credit outlook to negative, citing Johnson’s decision to cut in half — to $120 million — the city’s annual pension advance over and above the state mandated payment.

* Tribune | Chicago-based American Medical Association slams committee’s hepatitis B vaccine recommendations: The Chicago-based American Medical Association is blasting a federal vaccine advisory committee’s decision Friday to no longer recommend that all babies get the hepatitis B vaccine when they’re born. The committee’s decision “is reckless and undermines decades of public confidence in a proven, lifesaving vaccine,” said Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, an American Medical Association trustee in a statement Friday morning. “Today’s action is not based on scientific evidence, disregards data supporting the effectiveness of the Hepatitis B vaccine, and creates confusion for parents about how best to protect their newborns.”

* Sun-Times | Belmont Cragin restaurant owners say business ticking up — but not back to pre-immigration enforcement levels: “Some restaurants are starting to recover, but aren’t at pre-raid business yet,” said Alonso Zaragoza, a community organizer and founder of Belmont Cragin United, an online resource center for residents. “Things are looking up for businesses in the area though, and hopefully they are able to get back on track.”

* Sun-Tmes | Chicago’s 20-year development plan for Downtown calls for more nightlife, housing and greenery: The plan proposes extending the Chicago Riverwalk between Lake Street and the south branch of the Chicago River. It also proposes an extension between Wolf Point and the Wild Mile, as well as new water taxi stops. A southern extension would bring the Riverwalk to the Harrison Street bridge — and to Chinatown and The 78, where development of the Chicago Fire FC’s new stadium will soon take place.

* NBC Chicago | How the Bears-Packers rivalry began: A look at the oldest enemies in the NFL: “It’s almost like its own world championship on its own - Bears vs. Packers,” said former Bears player Israel Idonije, who played with Chicago for a decade. “I was here from ‘03 to ‘13. Chicago is always better when the Bears are winning, then you 10 times that when the Bears beat the Packers. It’s just another level of joy and excitement.” The two NFC North teams are founding members of the NFL and have played more games against each other than any other teams in the league.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Ninth District congressional candidate was convicted of sex crime against a juvenile, records show: Paul S. Friedman, 55, of Chicago was found guilty of misdemeanor fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan in 1999, public records show. The crime occurred in Washtenaw County in 1998, when Friedman was 27 and the victim was 13, records indicate. In a telephone interview, Friedman said the charge was filed after he greeted a young customer at an Ann Arbor skateboard and snowboard shop he co-owned by kissing her cheek. The girl made other accusations, too, he said. Friedman said he pleaded no contest to the charge and avoided a trial. He was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to register as a sex offender, documents show.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park $236 million budget calls for 18 new hires: The board also approved a property tax levy increase of 3.75% and signed off on a Dick’s Sporting Goods being added to the vacant Sears space at Orland Square mall. The village expects to spend $236 million and receive $201 million in revenues in 2026. The Police Department will receive a large portion of new funding to hire eight officers and one Freedom of Information Act clerk for an increase in requests for body camera footage, according to the village budget presentation.

* Aurora Beacon News | Preliminary plans for 900-unit residential development get approval from Campton Hills Village Board: The proposed development, called LaFox of Campton Hills, is set to be built on 962 acres generally bounded by Route 38 to the north, Keslinger Road to the south, Harley Road to the west and Brundige Road to the east. The area was previously unincorporated, but in September was annexed into Campton Hills in anticipation of the development. The area has weathered numerous proposals for development over the years, none of which have come to fruition. Proposals for developing the area have historically faced opposition by resident groups, but Shodeen’s pitch ultimately secured their support — through meetings with the local organizations and proposing a project with a lower density of homes and considerable open space.

* Daily Herald | Elgin manufacturing facility to close, eliminating 111 jobs: Printpack Inc. will close its Elgin manufacturing facility, resulting in the layoff of 111 employees. A statement from the Atlanta-based company, which manufactures flexible and rigid packaging for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries, said the company will wind down operations over the next six months. “It is never easy to make decisions that affect the lives and livelihoods of our associates,” Jack Austin, Printpack’s chief operating officer, said in the statement. “Our Elgin associates have demonstrated exceptional dedication and professionalism throughout the years.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘Just a milestone’: Massey Commission final report asks public to help continue the work: “You know, we’re structuring something new and try to figure out how many recommendations we’re going to have for 2026 and 2027 and for years to come. But I think that as long as we’re keeping Sonya at the at the forefront of it all, we’ll be just fine,” Sontae said. Sontae and members of the commission said the push for change now falls on the public. They said it’s not just county officials who should be reading the report.

* WGEM | Tax levy increase due to growing public safety pension demands, Quincy mayor says: Moore said public safety personnel are generally living longer and retiring earlier while facing increased costs of living, making their pensions a growing expense. “As more people retire, and we have fewer active duty officers than retired officers, what’s coming in isn’t offsetting what’s going out, you know. That’s part of the problem as well,” Moore added.

* WGLT | ‘Disappointment’: Central Illinois Scouting leader reacts to military’s possible breakup with Scouts:Hegseth claimed the group was no longer a meritocracy and is designed to “attack boy-friendly spaces.” “We’ve had girls involved in our exploring and venturing programs, and when we made the decision as a movement to allow girls to begin to join … that decision was based off our members’, our families’ desire to be able to have a character education program that served their whole family,” [Ben Blumenberg is Scout Executive and CEO of the W.D. Boyce Council of Scouting America,] said. “Their sons and their daughters.”

* BND | Metro-east superintendent moving from one district to another: Castelli was officially appointed as Roxana’s new superintendent during the school board’s Nov. 25 meeting. She will begin her role July 1 and said she accepted the district’s annual salary offer of $155,000. Castelli said the Smithton Consolidated School District 130 board will officially accept her resignation at a special meeting in December, at which point the search for a new superintendent will begin. She will replace current Roxana Superintendent Debra Kreutztrager, who is retiring at the end of this school year.

* PJ Star | ‘Panic’ gives way to relief after fire at Downtown Peoria shelter: Panic and uncertainty gripped the residents of a supportive housing homeless shelter in Downtown Peoria on Thursday after a third intentionally set fire at New Hope Apartments broke the building’s fire alarm system. Residents of the building had worried Thursday morning they might have to leave after the city of Peoria deemed it was unsafe without a working fire alarm system. However, city officials and outreach teams worked Wednesday night and Thursday to make sure that no one had to be put out on the street.

* News-Gazette | Homeless shelter for families with children opens in downtown Champaign: The first-come, first-served pilot program screens families at a remote facility at 307 S. Neil St. Once approved, they can check into the shelter, which is within a half-mile, also in downtown Champaign. The RPC isn’t releasing the shelter’s specific location in the interest of guests’ safety. The shelter can hold around eight households each night, with a capacity of 24 individuals. There is no limit to how often a family can stay.

* WREX | Area chamber of commerce to cease operations at end of year: The Oregon Area Chamber of Commerce announced on Facebook that it will suspend its current operations on Dec. 31. The Chamber said the decision was made after several years of financial hardship that made their current business model unsustainable. The Chamber said they made efforts to reduce costs, including selling their building and moving to Phelps Plaza, lowering spending, limiting software expenses, and cutting staff hours.

* WREX | Realtors say immigration fear is influencing Rockford housing market: Rockford realtor and broker Jeanette Solis says she has seen the impact firsthand. “A lot of my clients decided not to move forward with the purchase because they’re afraid that they may or may not be picked up by ICE, whether it’s by racial profiling or at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

*** National ***

* WaPo | Frank Gehry, who stretched architecture’s boundaries, dies at 96: Mr. Gehry was considered one of the most imaginative and expressive architects of his generation and ranked among the most important designers since Frank Lloyd Wright. His works became landmarks around the world, challenged the rigid formalism of modernist architecture, blurred the borders of architecture and sculpture, and impelled new methods of design and construction. The Guggenheim Museum and Walt Disney Concert Hall — audaciously curvilinear monuments to high culture clad in shimmering titanium and steel — became Mr. Gehry’s ravishing signatures. Architect Philip Johnson, whose works epitomized modernist cool, once proclaimed Bilbao “the greatest building of our time.”

* The Hill | Supreme Court to decide if Trump can restrict birthright citizenship : In an unsigned order Friday, the Supreme Court announced it would review one of those underlying lawsuits backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups. It is set to be heard during the justices’ current term, with a decision expected by summer. The Trump administration petitioned the high court to review the order’s constitutionality after judges blocked the executive order nationwide this summer.

* Indy Star | Indiana House passes Trump-requested mid-decade redistricting bill: It’s a significant milestone for the new congressional map proposal, drawn in direct response to a request from President Donald Trump after months of pressure, both direct and indirect. A dozen Republicans joined with Democrats in voting against the proposal.

* Politico | Trump-allied PACs target Indiana Republicans blocking redistricting push: Andrew Kolvet, spokesperson for Turning Point, told POLITICO that the group would partner with other aligned PACs to dedicate an “eight-figure spend” to “primary people that are standing in the way of the president’s agenda.” “We look at Indiana as a test case and a cautionary tale, potentially one or the other, it’s their choice,” Kolvet said. “This is a super high priority, and we’re going to be working with the local, grassroots to make sure their voices heard and their priorities are not steamrolled by an out-of-touch elected class.”

* KFF Health News | Health savings accounts, backed by GOP, cover fancy saunas but not insurance premiums: With the tax-free money in a health savings account, a person can pay for eyeglasses or medical exams, as well as a $1,700 baby bassinet or a $300 online parenting workshop. Those same dollars can’t be used, though, to pay for most baby formulas, toothbrushes — or insurance premiums.

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COGFA’s latest pension report

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* COGFA’s latest pension report gives us the ramp in a nutshell…

Chart 1 on the following page shows a 15-year history of the cumulative unfunded State pension liability and is based upon calculations performed by the retirement systems’ actuaries using the market value of assets for all years, including FY 2025. Overall, the aggregate unfunded liability has grown significantly over the past 15 years from $83.1 billion in FY 2011 to $143.5 billion in FY 2025.

Since the enactment of P.A. 88-0593 in FY 1996—commonly known as the 1995 funding law, which created the 50-year funding policy that governs annual required State pension contributions—the primary driver behind the growth in the combined unfunded liability has been actuarially insufficient State contributions determined under the current pension funding policy in P.A. 88-0593. As the actuaries for the State retirement systems have noted in their respective annual actuarial valuation reports, the funding plan under P.A. 88-0593 produces employer (State) contributions that are typically below what is considered actuarially adequate. As a result, the aggregate State contributions have historically not been sufficient to stop the growth in the combined unfunded liabilities, even under a hypothetical scenario in which all other actuarial assumptions were met. (Table 5 in a later section compares the statutory State contributions with Actuarially Determined Contributions (ADC).) Hence, there is a distinction between contributions that are statutorily sufficient and contributions that are considered actuarially sufficient. The annual reports of the State Actuary have noted this distinction as well

* Chart 1…

Narrative…

Over the recent five-year period, the unfunded liability on the market value of assets has increased from $129.7 billion in FY 2021 to $143.5 billion in FY 2025. In FY 2021, the unfunded liability saw a significant improvement, due in large part to exceptional investment returns across all systems. However, it has gradually risen again since then. Poor investment performances—below 0% on a market value basis from all systems in FY 2022—added upward pressure on the unfunded liability, and higher-than-projected salary increases across all five systems in FY 2023 also contributed to an increase as well. In FY 2024, the unfunded liability rose slightly to $143.7 billion, nearing its previous peak again. While all systems achieved investment returns above their assumed rates of return on a market value basis, which helped contain the growth of the unfunded liability, it was not enough to prevent it from increasing. Changes in actuarial assumptions by TRS and SURS were among the main factors contributing to the increase, as well as to higher-than-assumed salary increases from all five systems.

* Some progress on whittling down the unfunded liability…

Specifically, SERS, JRS, and GARS have experienced actuarial gains from employer (State) contributions, meaning their actual State contributions have been sufficient to cover both the normal cost and the interest on the unfunded liability—a pattern that differs from historical experience. SERS experienced these gains from FY 2022 through FY 2025; JRS from FY 2021 through FY 2025; and GARS from FY 2020 through FY 2025. However, actuarial losses from TRS and SURS offset these gains, resulting in net actuarial losses from State contributions across the combined five systems, including in FY 2025.

State payments into the pension systems are projected to increase by a bit over $200 million next fiscal year.

* Buyout program…

(T)he “Big 3” systems’ buyout programs and salary-increase experience have reduced the unfunded liability by $1.528 billion and $1.466 billion, respectively. Although higher-than-assumed salary increases have generated actuarial losses in the most recent six years—particularly during FY 2023 through FY 2025— the cumulative effect since FY 1996 has resulted in a net actuarial gain

* More…

The two primary contributors to the FY 2025 increase were higher-than-assumed salary increases ($1.068 billion) and changes in actuarial assumptions ($982 million), which together increased the unfunded liability by $2.050 billion. While all five systems experienced salary increases above their assumptions, SERS and TRS accounted for most of the actuarial loss, with SERS contributing $573.9 million and TRS contributing $399.4 million. Regarding assumptions changes, only SERS, JRS, and GARS updated their economic and demographic assumptions—including inflation rates, general payroll increases rates, and retirement rates, among others. SERS also updated its assumed participation rate in the total buyout program from 3% to 4%. Of the $982 million attributable to assumption changes across these three systems, $963.2 million (98%) came from SERS, largely reflecting the significantly larger size of SERS relative to JRS and GARS.

However, the increase in the unfunded liability was largely offset by $2.005 billion in actuarial investment gains, resulting in a modest net increase. As mentioned earlier, all five systems experienced actuarial investment gains in FY 2025, with TRS accounting for $1.519 billion (76%) of the total.

* Related chart…

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Caption contest!

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ‘Tis the season…

Context is here.

* After you’ve come up with an appropriately funny comment, please click here and contribute to our annual fundraising drive to buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks!

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Some news

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Asked if he’s looking at a guaranteed income program, Pritzker says ‘No’

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let’s start with some background. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Cook County had about 663,000 people living at or below the poverty line at the beginning of 2023. That’s way down from its peak of 927,000 in 2012, but it’s still a lot.

From a press release…

The Cook County Promise Guaranteed Income Pilot provides unconditional $500 monthly cash payments to 3,250 low-to-moderate income families in Cook County for a period of two years. The County held an open application period in October 2022 and participants were selected by lottery in November 2022.

It’s basically a lottery program, except you don’t have to buy a ticket. And it’s open to people who are up to 250 percent of the poverty level, so the odds of getting in are pretty small.

* For those fortunate enough to be chosen, it’s been life-changing. Fox 32…

The Cook County government’s guaranteed income pilot program helped its thousands of recipients feel more financially stable and less stressed, according to a survey of participants. […]

• 75% reported feeling more financially secure
• 94% experienced a financial emergency or unexpected expense and used program funds to manage it
• 73% of participants believed the payments will continue to impact them after the program ends
• 56% reported reduced stress
• 70% say the program had a positive impact on their mental health

* But, since its reach is so limited, comparatively few people are being helped. There’s just no way that the county, or the state for that matter, could afford to turn this limited project into a broad-based program covering all eligible households. The $7.5 million put into the county program this fiscal year is only enough to cover 1,250 recipients at $500 a month.

* Center Square…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he is not planning to follow Cook County by implementing a guaranteed income program, and one Statehouse Democrat wants to prevent government units from funding such programs with taxpayer dollars. […]

When asked for his thoughts about Cook County’s program, he said it was not inappropriate for counties and municipalities to try things.

“It’s not a policy that we’re looking at doing for the state of Illinois but, on the other hand, sometimes things that you don’t imagine would work do,” Pritzker said.

The governor said it was important to make sure people have the basics they need in life.

“I am concerned, I think that we should be providing jobs for people so they can earn a good living, and the dignity of work really matters,” Pritzker said.

* From the transcript…

Q: Cook County is using $7.5 million for a guaranteed income program. Is that something you are looking at, or your team is looking at at the state level, the state taxpayer dollars when it makes sense?

Pritzker: No. No.

Q: Any other thoughts on the program for Cook County? Is it a good idea?

Pritzker: Listen, I think that you know you’ve heard the old expression that states are the laboratories of democracy, meaning, you know, that states can try things out that ultimately, sometimes end up being federal policy. Municipalities and counties trying things out to see how they work, I think it’s not inappropriate. It’s not a policy that we’re looking at doing for the state of Illinois, but, on the other hand, sometimes things that you don’t imagine would work do. I haven’t looked at the data, so I can’t tell you whether the program is an effectual program.

I am concerned, I think that we should be providing jobs for people so they can earn a good living, and the dignity of work really matters, and so I guess I would throw that into the question of, is a universal basic income type program going to work to give people the dignity that they want? Ultimately, though, what we want is to make sure that people have the basics that they need in life, right? A roof over their heads, the ability to buy the groceries that they need to survive.

* Except a tiny pilot project appears to be in this year’s state budget. Legislators appropriated $827,274 for a guaranteed income program out of the Fund for Illinois’ Future. Hat tip: Illinois Policy Institute.

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Catching up with the congressionals (Updated)

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sun-Times…

Federal prosecutors in Chicago are being asked to turn over “White House communications” by attorneys defending six people — including four Democratic politicians — charged with a conspiracy tied to protests outside an immigration holding facility in Broadview.

A defense attorney for congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, one of the six charged, also told a judge Thursday that a “selective prosecution motion” could be on the way in the case that’s one of the most high-profile to result from the feds’ “Operation Midway Blitz.”

Defense attorneys have yet to file any motions, and U.S. District Judge April Perry made no rulings during a brief status hearing in the case Thursday. It’s not even clear if any relevant communications exist between the White House and Chicago’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. […]

Charged along with Abughazaleh are Cook County Board candidate Cat Sharp, who is chief of staff to Ald. Andre Vasquez; Oak Park village trustee Brian Straw; 45th Ward Democratic committeeperson Michael Rabbitt; Andre Martin and musician Joselyn Walsh.

Evanston Now…

Federal prosecutors argue in the indictment, unsealed in late October, that the defendants “conspired with one another and others … to prevent by force, intimidation and threat,” federal agents from entering the ICE facility on Beach Street in Broadview.

The agent, who is not named in the indictment, was able to enter the facility in his vehicle early on the morning of Sept. 26, but “was forced to drive at an extremely slow rate of speed to avoid injuring any of the conspirators” in doing so.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri H. Mecklenburg told Judge Perry Thursday that she had taken the defendant’s counsel to the “garage” earlier this week, presumably in Broadview, to view the vehicle the government alleges was damaged in the encounter.

Although a key piece in the indictment, pointed out by [Abughazaleh’s attorney, Josh Herman,] last month, is that prosecutors don’t allege the six defendants are directly responsible for damaging the car itself, but rather it was part of a larger “conspiracy.”

* Also in the 9th CD, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss announced a new endorsement from U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal. From the press release…

Today, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) announced her endorsement of Daniel Biss in the Democratic primary for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. Since taking office in 2017, Rep. Jayapal has become a national leader on progressive issues and currently serves as the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“Daniel Biss is a bold, thoughtful, progressive leader who has been deeply rooted in the district, organizing people and challenging corrupt systems,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “He brings vision, compassion, and a deep understanding of the communities he serves. I’m supporting Daniel Biss for Congress because he will be a powerful partner in the fight for justice, economic fairness, and a democracy that works for everyone.”

The Congressional Progressive Caucus, chaired by U.S. Rep. Jayapal, endorsed Biss last month.

* Press release…

Congressional candidate Bushra Amiwala welcomed nearly a hundred volunteers into Bushra for Congress headquarters on Tuesday night to celebrate the momentum her campaign has built so far.

It was the largest volunteer gathering any candidate in the district has held to date.

“Look around this room. Every age, race, gender, ethnic background and geographic part of the district is represented,” Amiwala, an elected school board member, told the crowd. […]

Amiwala was joined by Miracle Jenkins, a former IL-09 candidate and lead organizer for Bernie Sanders. Jenkins recently endorsed Amiwala for Congress.

“I’m happy to endorse Bushra,” Jenkins told the attendees.

“Bushra understands, much like Zohran Mamdani, that the core issue of our day is affordability.

Amiwala is participating in a Skokie candidate Town Hall tonight at Skokie Sketchbook Brwery at 6:30. The event is hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America’s Chicago Chapter.

* Another 9th CD candidate, Sen. Mike Simmons announced a couple of endorsements this week…

State Senator Mike Simmons’ campaign for Congress has been endorsed by ATU Local 308 and their 4,000+ members. Mike has been a leader on investing and improving public transit in the State Senate, and will bring a much-needed voice for transit workers and services to Congress.

“Mike Simmons has always stood with train and transit workers, and we are proud to stand with him in his campaign to represent Illinois’ 9th District,” said ATU Local 308 President Pennie McCoach. “We need his authentic leadership and proven record of results in Congress, and Local 308 is ready to support him in every way.”

Sen. Simmons was also endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC.

* Politico…

In IL-07: State Rep. La Shawn Ford has been endorsed by fellow state Reps. Michael Kelly, Rita Mayfield, Justin Slaughter and Debbie Meyers-Martin in his bid for Congress.

— In IL-08: Junaid Ahmed has been endorsed by Unrig Washington, a national group advocating for getting big money out of politics and protecting the right to vote.

— In IL-06: Joseph “Joey” Ruzevich, a Democrat challenging Congressman Sean Castin in the primary, has been endorsed by DuPage County Board member Lynn LaPlante.

…Adding… Press release…

Laura Fine’s campaign for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District announced new endorsements today from local leaders, including former Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen, Buffalo Grove Village President Eric Smith, and Buffalo Grove Trustee David Weidenfeld.

“Laura Fine has been a strong stalwart in the Illinois General Assembly for progressive values. She’s thoughtful and reliably effective,” says Mayor Van Dusen. “She will follow in the great tradition of Sidney Yates and Jan Schakowsky. We need her brand of leadership in Congress today.”

…Adding… Press release…

This week, 6th Ward Alderman William Hall and 3rd District Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry endorsed Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin in her campaign for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, noting her record of delivering for communities across Chicago and Cook County.

The endorsements come on the heels of Conyears-Ervin announcing the support of former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and sitting Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia, joining the dozens of elected and community leaders across the 7th Congressional District supporting her run.

* More…

* Aftermath | Instead Of Relying On Wealthy Donors, Congressional Candidate Kat Abughazaleh Is Using A Twitch Stream To Raise Money – And Fight A Federal Indictment: “We did a big recap and looked at our [livestream] numbers as opposed to call time, but also specifically what stream segments were good, which were bad,” Buerk told Aftermath. “We got a lot of positive feedback from our audience and from constituents of not only how good a tool it was for soliciting donations, but for community connection and constituent connection as well.” Call time, Buerk said, is also only really an effective use of time if people are donating the maximum amount, which is $7,000 from an individual.

* Intelligencer | Seven questions with Senate candidate Robin Kelly: Kelly, who sat down with The Intelligencer for an interview on Oct. 4, believes she has what is needed to take on the job. “I’ve been an effective leader on every level of government — from municipal, to state representative, to chief of staff for the state treasurer, to chief administrative officer for Cook County,” she said. “I love my job. I love representing Illinois, and I know that I’m very ready and very able to move to this next level.”

* Intelligencer | Seven questions with Senate candidate Juliana Stratton: Stratton, a Democrat, was serving as the primary caregiver for her mother with Alzheimer’s when she decided to run for a position in the State House of Representatives in an effort to oppose state health-care cuts. Just six months into that role, she was tapped to be the lieutenant governor candidate during JB Pritzker’s successful campaign for governor in 2018. Now in her second term as lieutenant governor, Stratton says she sees another urgent need — a federal government she believes is failing to meet people’s everyday concerns.

* Intelligencer | Seven questions with Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi: Krishnamoorthi has represented Illinois’ 8th Congressional District for five terms, gaining a reputation for bipartisanship on issues, including U.S.-China competition. He said he’s seeking “a promotion” to the Senate to expand the effects of his core mission — ensuring that the opportunities his family found in the United States remain accessible to future generations.

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Question of the day: 2025 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2025 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican State Senate Staff Member goes to Nicole Besse…

This is a no brainer. A previous commenter noted that the Senate couldn’t run without her — couldn’t agree more. The institutional knowledge she’s come to possess over the past 26 years is priceless in an industry with high staff turnover rates. It’s clear that members and staff alike defer to her judgement for good reason. She’s a joy to work with, funny, a mentor and advocate to newer staff, and keeps staff and members in line and focused. The SGOP Floor Director deserves this award.

The votes were all over the place on that one. That’s a real credit to the caucus for having such a strong staff.

* The 2025 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic State Senate Staff Member goes to Maddie Wilkins…

Maddie Wilkins for Sen Dem Staff for her work on public transit. Maddie has been indispensable on this issue - from helping organize the Subject Matter Hearings last summer, meetings with stakeholders, bill negotiations, and helping draft what ultimately became SB2111.

Again, lots of very strong nominations.

Congrats to everyone, whether you won or not!

* On to today’s categories…

Best Democratic State House Staff Member

Dane Thull won it for the Republicans last year, but he’s no longer on staff. Kat Bray won last year and is therefore not eligible this year.

Make sure to explain your nominations or they won’t count. Also, please nominate in both categories. If you can’t do that, please tell us why so we know you’re not just tanking for one person.

Have fun!

* And after you submit your nominations, please click here and help buy Christmas presents for foster kids. Thanks!

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: DOJ lawyer says it’s ‘wrong to allege’ Operation Midway Blitz is over. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

• Tribune: Trump lawyer claims dismissal of Operation Midway Blitz suit would block future use-of-force claims
• Sun-Times: Agency was created to help immigrants. Now, it’s being turned against them
• Sun-Times: Durbin reintroduces DREAM Act in hopes of paving citizenship pathway for child immigrants

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* Good morning! Before the day gets away from you, please take a moment to think about foster kids who could really use a little brightness this season.

With your help, LSSI can turn $25 into a Christmas present for a foster kid. If you can help, now is a great time to do it. Click here today and give what you can. Thank you!

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* STLPR | U.S. Steel to restart second blast furnace at Granite City Works: U.S. Steel will begin the process to restart its second blast furnace at Granite City Works, the company announced late Thursday. “After several months of carefully analyzing customer demand, we made the decision to restart a blast furnace,” David Burritt, president and CEO of U.S. Steel, said in a statement. “Steel remains a highly competitive and highly cyclical industry, but we are confident in our ability to safely and profitably operate the mill to meet 2026 demand. We look forward to partnering with all stakeholders, including the United Steelworkers and elected officials, to ensure a safe and efficient start-up and to discuss support for Granite City Works.”

* WGLT | Illinois Supreme Court justices want to see McLean County’s Family Treatment Court replicated: Justice Mary K. O’Brien joined Rochford in McLean County with a specific interest in observing Family Treatment Court. As part of her responsibilities for the Illinois Supreme Court, O’Brien serves as a liaison to the juvenile courts committee. “We have invested deeply in treatment courts [and] problem-solving courts for mental health, for drug use, for veterans,” she said. “But we have not done so statewide for families impacted with abuse and neglect — what we call a JA case.” McLean County operates the state’s only Family Treatment Court, a voluntary program offered to parents involved in child welfare cases involving substance abuse. The program launched in 2024, funded by a $750,000 federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

* News-Gazette | Sheriffs across Illinois inundated with FOIA requests: Champaign County Sheriff Dustin Heuerman said that he, like other sheriffs “all across the state,” has been inundated with Freedom of Information Act requests, placing a burden on the time of his staff. “Basically, individuals/organizations (usually under random gmail accounts, etc.) are requesting a month’s worth of calls for service, then FOIA’ing body camera footage for anything that seems interesting out of those calls,” Heuerman said in an email to the Ford County Chronicle on Thursday. “Then they will post these on a website and charge people to view (or get advertisers on the site due to many followers).”

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | Thousands leaving Illinois prisons face high risk of housing instability, new study finds: A significant portion of more than 10,000 people released from Illinois state prisons each year are at risk of housing instability, according to a new study by the Illinois Reentry Council and Loyola University’s Center for Criminal Justice. Policymakers, researchers and advocates have long been long aware of the need for housing for people leaving incarceration, with criminal records, poor credit history and no job. The survey, for the first time, links data to that need, said Dave Olson, professor and co-director of the Center for Criminal Justice.

* WGLT | Private vs. public debate persists at IHSA state football championships: Debates over perceived advantages private schools have over public schools in Illinois High School Association [IHSA] athletics continued as the state football championships played out in Normal and DeKalb. For IHSA sports, playoff classes are determined by the student enrollment of a school. Private schools that meet certain success criteria have their enrollments multiplied by 1.65 and then are placed in a class based on that number. This multiplier puts them into higher classes with bigger and often more difficult schools to face. Each of the seven private schools to earn a championship game appearance in 2025 had the multiplier applied.

*** Statehouse News ***

* ABC Chicago | New IL laws in 2026 address missing persons investigations, sexual assault victims, senior drivers: A new Illinois law will require landlords to include a summary of the special housing rights that survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault have under six state statutes on the first page of each written residential lease or lease renewal. A University of Illinois Chicago professor and her students from a domestic violence law course helped create the legislation.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration shoots down Council members’ alternate budget ideas: If there is room for compromise, it was tough to tell by the Johnson administration’s response. Virtually all of the ideas from a group of moderate and conservative alderpersons, with help from a brain trust of civic groups and former city finance experts, were dismissed as either unwise or unworkable. The proposal to nearly double a garbage fee that has been frozen at $9.50 a month since its inception to $18 a month — while charging eligible seniors $9 a month — was dismissed by the mayor’s team as politically untenable “at a time when communities are already experiencing substantial property tax increases through the recent property tax assessments” that hit hardest on the predominantly Black South and West sides.

* Crain’s | Johnson pours cold water on council bloc’s budget plan: Committee meetings that were scheduled for Dec. 8 to take up budget votes have been canceled, and it’s uncertain when Johnson will call for new votes. The mayor’s office also responded to a letter from Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th, today confirming his budget team would meet a portion of the group Dec. 6.

* Tribune | Chicago Tribune sues Perplexity AI for copyright infringement: The complaint challenges the unauthorized use of often fully reproduced Tribune reporting to provide answers on the Perplexity AI platforms – both a chatbot and newly launched search engine – essentially bypassing the need to link to the newspaper’s website. Using large chunks of the Tribune’s original reporting – sometimes inaccurately – diverts traffic away from the newspaper’s website, threatening its business model of paid subscriptions and advertising, the lawsuit alleges.

* NBC Chicago | Former student reacts to $17.5M sex abuse settlement with CPS: “I can move on and heal in peace,” the former student we’ll call “Jane” told NBC 5 Investigates during an exclusive interview. “No amount of money can take my pain away, but I do feel like I can heal in peace now and finally turn the page.” The woman, now in her 20s, sued CPS last year alleging that her former dean, Brian Crowder, at Little Village Lawndale High School had sexually abused her.

* Capitol News Illinois | ComEd launches new discount program for low-income customers: The Low-Income Discount program will provide price breaks starting Jan. 1, 2026, to qualifying households in its service area. ComEd delivers energy to more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, approximately 70% of the state’s population. “ComEd understands that families are struggling with a perfect storm of economic uncertainty and rising energy supply costs due to capacity auctions, which make up as much as half of ComEd bills, and we are committed to helping address these higher costs by providing practical support,” the company wrote in its announcement Monday.

* Tribune | Chicago Housing Authority head told HUD ‘we do not recommend’ Mayor Brandon Johnson ally as CEO: CHA board Chair Matthew Brewer wrote to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Oct. 1 laying out what he said were Johnson’s attempts to influence the agency to name former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. as CEO, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Tribune. The six-page message said the public housing agency’s board of commissioners never seriously considered Burnett, noting he lacked management experience, and only interviewed him as a courtesy. Brewer was first appointed to the board by Mayor Rahm Emanuel before Johnson named him its interim chair last year. The board appointed him interim CEO, too, when Angela Hurlock resigned that post in September. He then wrote to HUD’s public housing director just before the federal government shutdown in response to HUD’s request for additional information on the CHA CEO selection process.

* Block Club | Gale Street Inn Reopens Thursday, Bringing Back Its Famous Ribs: Villabona said reservations are already booked through the weekend “We’re really excited to meet everyone in the community. So many people have already reached out and given us such a warm reception on social media and in emails,” Villabona said during a Wednesday afternoon ribbon-cutting.

* Block Club Chicago | Humboldt Park Getting Upgrades — But No Pickleball Courts After All: In 2023, the district announced the park would get pickleball courts as part of its Pickleball Mania program, which aims to establish 50 pickleball courts across Chicago by this year. But after hearing from residents and community members, the plan was scrapped. A survey of more than 200 people from the area gauged interest on whether the community wanted the tennis courts to be rehabbed or converted into pickleball courts, district spokesperson Michele Lemons said this week. Results from the survey indicated there was a preference to rehab the existing courts for tennis.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Broadview conspiracy defendants want to see if White House played a role in their case: Federal prosecutors in Chicago are being asked to turn over “White House communications” by attorneys defending six people — including four Democratic politicians — charged with a conspiracy tied to protests outside an immigration holding facility in Broadview. A defense attorney for congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, one of the six charged, also told a judge Thursday that a “selective prosecution motion” could be on the way in the case that’s one of the most high-profile to result from the feds’ “Operation Midway Blitz.”

* Daily Herald | How a wrong turn led to a possible safe haven for abuse survivors: “The problem that we’ve been experiencing, which started with COVID but now has really continued, is the demand for our services far exceeds the supply that we have,” A Safe Place CEO Pat Davenport told us this week. “We have been seeing between 80 to 100 people (a week) that need emergency shelter, who are fleeing their homes because their lives are in danger, with their children, and they are the ones that we’re hoping that this new facility will be able to help.” The agency currently has shelter space for 33 people, which means others in need are put up in hotels. That isn’t financially sustainable at a time when federal and state assistance is waning, Davenport said.

* Daily Herald | Hanover Park prohibits use of village property for federal immigration enforcement: Village board members ultimately chose a more binding ordinance over a resolution. Though the peak of suburban activity by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers seems to have passed for now, Mayor Rod Craig believes Hanover Park’s action is far from too late. “I don’t think it’s over,” he said. “I just think it may become more strategic. The politics aren’t going to change in the next two years. We have to be honorable, representing the people of Hanover Park.”

* Daily Southtown | Arab American activists to continue protest after Oak Lawn settlement of lawsuit accusing cop of beating teen: In light of Oak Lawn’s settlement of a lawsuit alleging police in 2022 struck a 17-year-old more than 10 times in the face and head as he was lying face down in the street during his arrest, Arab American activists say they will continue to demand accountability at public meetings. “Remember when you all stood here and told us how we were liars and how we were wrong?” said Arab American Action Network lead organizer Muhammad Sankari, who led a protest of the Oak Lawn Police and Fire Commission meeting on Tuesday. “At the end of the day, the village just paid $825,000 of taxpayer money … because your officers beat a minor almost to death.”

* Daily Southtown | Will County Board taps reserves to cover $2.77 million deficit: The Will County Board voted Thursday to use just over $2.77 million from its cash reserves to balance its budget for its 2026 fiscal year that started Monday. The board voted 20-0 Thursday to reconcile its budget during a nearly two-hour special meeting after an unbalanced budget was approved two weeks ago. While all board members present agreed to use cash reserves to close the gap, some members said they did so reluctantly because there was no other choice.

* Daily Southtown | Harvey residents and officials try to piece together city finances in midst of fiscal crisis: Harvey residents gathered at a Thursday discussion event hosted by Alds. Colby Chapman and Tracy Key and City Treasurer Aisha Pickett to try to understand the city’s opaque finances. Pickett was elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. She said throughout her time as treasurer, she has not been provided the necessary information to understand the city’s financial situation and do her job. “My tenure as treasurer has not been the easiest. As they mentioned before, there are things I don’t necessarily have access to,” Pickett said. “It makes my job very difficult.”

* Tribune | Cook County property taxpayers get another shot at appeals: Every Cook County township will reopen for appeals to property tax assessments, the county’s estimate of a home or business’ value, through Dec. 12. Successful appeals won’t offer any immediate relief on the bills that just landed, however. Any savings would apply to next year’s second installment bills, which typically land in the summer. People who already appealed aren’t eligible.

* NBC Chicago | Park Forest police detective dies nearly 10 years after being paralyzed in shooting: The rookie cop was 24 when he was critically injured responding to a break-in in March of 2016. The shooting left Jones paralyzed as he underwent multiple surgeries and months of rehabilitation. His road to recovery was filled with unwavering love and support. The community stood by him every step of the way from his release to fundraisers to even a street dedication. “You drive around now, and you see stickers on people’s cars that say Tim Strong and that hashtag is going to live on forever—he’s just a tremendous young man,” said Hazel Crest Police Chief Mitchell Davis.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | AI error blamed for post wrongly reporting injured Springfield firefighters: Even though there were several fires Wednesday night, none of them resulted in injuries to first responders. An AI software shared two separate emergencies as one incident. According to [Springfield Assistant Fire Chief Julie Plun], Springfield Fire was transporting a patient to the hospital for a medical emergency. Around that same time, the Springfield Police Department had some problems with some individuals, and there were nine individuals.

* WGLT | Cannabis plant in Livingston County set to close: A cannabis cultivation operation in Livingston County is closing, putting 82 employees out of work. According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s monthly report of mass layoffs, PharmaCann has informed employees that it plans to close its plant in Dwight on Jan. 13.

* WGLT | Cybercriminals target vendor used by the Town of Normal: A cybercrime organization has breached a system used by the Town of Normal to send out emergency and event notices to subscribers. “Any people who have subscribed to Notify Normal or Code Red via a managed account, which means they created a password and used an email address, should go in, if they have reused that password with any other personal or business account, and change that password on those accounts immediately,” said town spokesperson Cathy Oloffson.

* WaPo | A widow and widower fell in love during water aerobics. They wed in the pool.: When they met in 2022, Parsons and La Rue were still grieving their respective partners: Dale, who died in 2020 of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Georgia, who died in 2019 after suffering from a blood disease Between stretches and jumping jacks during water aerobics classes at a YMCA facility in Maryville, Illinois, La Rue got a kick out of splashing the other 30 class members. While some people didn’t appreciate it, Parsons laughed and splashed him back. They visited a Chinese restaurant for their first date in December 2023 — the first date either had been on since their spouses died. They had similar hobbies: Cooking soup, reading and completing word-search puzzles. At water aerobics classes, they kissed when they didn’t think anyone was looking.

*** National ***

* CNBC | Layoff announcements top 1.1 million this year, the most since 2020 pandemic, Challenger says: The firm said layoff plans totaled 71,321 in November, a step down from the massive cuts announced in October but still enough to bring the 2025 total up to 1.17 million. That total is 54% higher than the same 11-month period a year ago and the highest level since 2020, when the Covid pandemic rocked the global economy.

* AP | Supreme Court allows Texas to use a congressional map favorable to Republicans in 2026: The Supreme Court’s order puts the 2-1 ruling blocking the map on hold at least until after the high court issues a final decision in the case. Justice Samuel Alito had previously temporarily blocked the order while the full court considered the Texas appeal. The justices have blocked past lower-court rulings in congressional redistricting cases, most recently in Alabama and Louisiana, that came several months before elections.

* Post Tribune | Indiana House advances redistricting bill to Friday final reading: The Indiana House voted against more than a dozen Democratic amendments to the redistricting bill Thursday, which allowed the bill to advance, as is, for final approval by the House Friday. House Bill 1032, authored by State Rep. Ben Smaltz, would allow the legislature to amend congressional districts “at a time other than the first regular session of the general assembly convening immediately following the United States decennial census.”

* WaPo | Trump’s attack on DEI may hurt college men, particularly white men: While much of the president’s recent scrutiny of college admissions practices has focused on race, these experts say his ban on diversity, equity and inclusion is likely to hit another underrepresented group of applicants: men, and particularly White men — the largest subset of male college applicants. “This drips with irony,” said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, or ACE, the nation’s largest association of universities and colleges, who said he expects that colleges and universities will end any consideration of gender in admission. “The idea of males, including White males, being at the short end of the stick all of a sudden would be a truly ironic outcome.”

* AP | MLB players union meets to prepare for potentially contentious labor negotiations in 2026: Clark said the MLBPA’s main focus continues to be centered on a few large issues heading into bargaining. One is finding more ways to encourage all 30 teams to spend on the free-agent market to make teams as competitive as possible. While the Dodgers have spent roughly $890 million over the past two years building back-to-back World Series champions, the Athletics have committed less than $150 million over the same period. MLB is the only major U.S.-based professional sports league without a salary cap. The players’ association is bracing to resist a renewed push for a cap. Demand for a cap from owners is what led to a 7 1/2-month strike in 1994-95 and the first cancellation of the World Series in 90 years.

* Market Watch | Manufacturers shrink for 9th month in a row, ISM finds. Tariffs hurt sales and keep lid on hiring.: A closely followed manufacturing index fell to a four-month low of 48.2% in November from 48.7% in the prior month, the Institute for Supply Management said Monday. Any number below 50% signals contraction.

23 Comments

Good morning!

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Pretenders…

In these frozen and silent nights
Sometimes in a dream, you appear

Isabel’s plea worked yesterday afternoon. We raised about $4,000 after she pointed out to folks that we’d only raised $700 all day.

But we still have a very long way to go. Please, click here to chip in whatever you can so we can help by Christmas presents for more than 2.500 foster kids. Thanks!

* This is an open thread.

7 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Dec 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* We’ve raised less than $700 today. We can do better!

We’re still at $28,705 total, and LSSI needs a whole lot more to make sure every foster child gets a Christmas gift this year. Every dollar goes straight to gifts, and the average one costs about $25.

So please, if you can give, click here and help turn this day around. We really need to pick it up. Thank you!

* Bloomberg…

A group backed by financier Michael Sacks has started funding ads against Chicago’s plan to bring back a tax on large corporate payrolls, drawing the ire of Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Common Ground Collective, which has raised $11 million to drive change at City Hall years before the next mayoral election, is financing six-figure digital and streaming ads, including one that characterizes the proposed levy as $100 million in new taxes. The group is backed by Sacks, chairman of asset management firm GCM Grosvenor and a prominent Democratic donor, and has more than 100 contributors.

Johnson, who is struggling to pass a budget before the Dec. 31 deadline, has proposed charging companies with at least 100 employees a tax of $21 per worker per month. The tax, once dubbed a “job killer,” would raise $100 million for community-safety programs.

“Frankly I think it’s beneath these so-called business leaders to lie to the public about the community safety surcharge,” Johnson said at a press conference this week, naming Sacks specifically. “My challenge to them is to just explain their reasoning and debate the pros and cons of this proposal.”

* Illinois Bankers Association CEO Randy Hultgren is retiring …

Illinois Bankers Association CEO Randy Hultgren has informed his board of directors he will be retiring from the helm of the statewide business group at the end of the 2026 Spring legislative session.

“The IBA is in strong financial shape. We’ve had record participation in recent conferences and we’re coming off legislative and legal wins to protect our members and their customers,” Hultgren said. “We’ve united as an industry to battle the ill-conceived Interchange Fee Prohibition Act that would cause financial losses to Illinois small businesses, hurt consumers and make Illinois banks an outlier in the nation’s banking system. We’ve invested in programs to build talented future leaders for the banking industry; and our organization helped draft the “Access to Credit in Rural Economies Act” which made it into federal law this year and will make it easier for farmers and rural homeowners to access low-cost credit. […]

The Board of Directors says a search will begin immediately to succeed Hultgren.

“While we would have preferred Randy stay, we respect his decision to step down next year and we’re thankful for his accomplishments on behalf of Illinois bankers. He has led the IBA through a period of unprecedented success and his legislative expertise as a former state and federal lawmaker made us the most effective voice for banks in Springfield, Washington, D.C. and Chicago,” said IBA Board Chair T.J. Burge, president and CEO of the Community Partners Savings Bank in Salem, Illinois. “We’re grateful for the time Randy is committing to our search process, participating in the spring legislative session in Springfield and helping the next leader transition into office. Randy’s successor will have big shoes to fill.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Greg Hinz | Who — and what — do voters want in the Legislature? Here’s a race to watch.: An interesting test of that proposition is shaping on Chicago’s North Side, where four contenders are vying in the March Democratic primary to succeed state Rep. Margaret Croke, a Democrat who is giving up her seat to run for Illinois comptroller. Such vacancies rarely arise in that part of town. Three contenders have more or less conventional political pedigrees, from activity in ward political organizations and local school councils to work in the Barack Obama White House and at City Hall. The fourth has little connection to the district beyond living there but is staked by a ton of family money. And to boot, in his college days a little over a decade ago, he headed Cornell University Students for Mitt Romney.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | CPS Board approves $17.5 million settlement for former student sexually abused at Little Village high school: The Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday approved a $17.5 million settlement for a former student who was sexually abused by a former dean at a Little Village high school. It’s the largest settlement for a school sex abuse case in Illinois history, according to the law firm representing the former student.

* ProPublica | Chicago Promoted Two Police Officers After Investigators Found They Engaged in Sexual Misconduct: The officers’ promotions this spring were not due to an oversight. Department officials knew about their disciplinary records, but those records could not be considered as the department evaluated their fitness for promotion. The main qualifying factor was their test scores from a two-part exam That Chicago police officers can rise in the ranks in spite of significant problems in their records reflects a decadeslong failing that the Chicago Police Department has been repeatedly called on to fix, an investigation by the Invisible Institute and ProPublica found.

* Tribune | State/Lake ‘L’ station to close Jan. 5 for demolition, construction: Throughout construction, the city said, Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple Line Express trains won’t stop at State/Lake. Riders can use nearby stations at Washington/Wabash and Clark/Lake, the city said, as well as the Lake Red Line subway station, which will remain open. The rebuild will also impact Loop drivers. Starting Dec. 8, eastbound Lake Street between State Street and Wabash Avenue will have intermittent closures during off-peak hours, CDOT said. Starting Jan. 5, Lake St. will be limited to local traffic only between Dearborn Street and Wabash.

* Crain’s | Foxtrot is reopening its old Loop location: LaVitola seemed unfazed by downtown foot traffic being down and retail vacancies being up — dynamics that have prompted some business leaders to shy away from the Loop. “The building is doing really well,” he said of Willis Tower. “And the store was really starting to build a loyal following in that part of the Loop prior to everything that happened.”

* Crain’s | Coming soon to a screen near you: a documentary tracing Schwinn bike history: Schwinn, founded as Arnold, Schwinn & Co. in Chicago in 1895, served as a classic rags-to-riches-to-bankruptcy story through four generations of family ownership, while signaling the painful post-industrial transition of many Chicago firms hammered by overseas competition in the late 20th century. The book, “No Hands: The Rise and Fall of the Schwinn Bicycle Company, an American Institution,” by former Crain’s staff journalists Judith Crown and Glenn Coleman, was published in 1996.

* Block Club | Bucktown, Logan Square UPS Stores Reopening This Month Under New Ownership: A year after the city shut down two UPS Stores in Bucktown and Logan Square over licensing issues, a new franchise owner is reopening them. The UPS Stores at 1658 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Bucktown and 2020 N. California Ave. in Logan Square will reopen this month, a company spokesperson confirmed. The stores have been shuttered since December 2024, when they were ordered closed by the city for operating without business licenses under previous franchise owner The Neely Group.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* The Chicago Federation of Labor endorsed Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle for reelection over Ald. Brenden Reilly….

The CFL has announced endorsements for the General Primary Election on March 17, 2026. After a thorough vetting process, CFL affiliates voted to endorse pro-labor candidates who will be strong, consistent voices for working people across Cook County. https://t.co/Oqx1RaZYuE

— Chicago Federation of Labor (@chicagolabor) December 3, 2025

Click here for all of CFL’s endorsements.

* Forest Park Review | Hosty, former Forest Park leader, named RF township clerk: Former Forest Park Village Council member Mark Hosty was appointed River Forest Township Clerk on Nov. 18 to replace Margaret Detmer who resigned her post effective at the end of that day. Detmer, who was appointed Township Clerk in 2024 when the previous clerk John Becvar was appointed Township Supervisor. Becvar replaced Carla Sloan who had resigned her post. He was reelected to a full four-year term earlier this year. Detmer said that she resigned because of the time commitment of the part time job and the pressure of being the mother of three small children.

* Daily Herald | 178 single-family homes proposed in Crystal Lake where Amazon warehouse was planned: Atlanta-based Pulte Homes is proposing to build 178 single-family homes at 275 S. Main St., where Amazon originally planned to build a 180,000-square-foot distribution center on the 63-acre parcel. Amazon received approval by the city, but the company walked away from the plan in 2022 before it formally purchased the property. The residential plan, called Lakeland Farm, includes a center passive park area with walking paths throughout the development. Developers plan to have three access points off Main Street, Exchange Drive and Commonwealth Drive, said Karen Weber, attorney representing Pulte Homes.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville council passes new e-bike age restrictions, fines for parents: The new rules, proposed last month, were unanimously approved. State law already governs the use of such vehicles, but many suburban communities are adopting stricter rules to govern e-bike and e-scooter usage, citing issues with young people in particular not following the rules of the road. Similar to state law, Naperville has three classifications for e-bikes: Class 1 low-speed electric bicycles, which are pedal assist and can reach speeds of up to 20 mph; Class 2 low-speed electric bicycles, which are both pedal assist and throttle and have a maximum speed of up to 20 mph; and Class 3 low-speed electric bicycles, which are pedal assist and can reach speeds of up to 28 mph.

* Daily Herald | Geneva committee recommends $59.4 million police station referendum: A group of Geneva alderpersons has recommended that the city place a question on the March ballot that would ask voters to approve a plan to borrow $59.4 million for a new police facility. The alderpersons have also recommended asking voters whether they support the city becoming home rule in a referendum that could appear on a ballot within two years. At Monday’s Geneva Committee of the Whole meeting, alderpersons voted 7-2 in favor of pursuing the police facility question. Third Ward Alderperson Larry Furnish was absent.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Hearing on proposed Sangamon Co. data center brings hundreds of supporters, opposers: “We’re going to need every union trade that’s available to us locally. We’ve committed to signing a project labor agreement. It’s not lip service,” said Bradd Hout, CyrusOne’s director of location and power strategy. Union members dressed in orange were the project’s most vocal supporters at Wednesday’s public hearing

* Illinois Times | Sober living house for LGBTQ+ in the works: Casey Prather credits a sober living home run by Springfield resident Julie Benson to playing a part in the longest stretch of sobriety he’s experienced in his adult life. Prather calls Benson’s Home Sweet Home Sober Living home, which he began living at almost two-and-a-half years ago, “unlike any other” he’s experienced. Now, the pair are working together to find a new residence to create a sober living space for LGBTQ+ individuals.

* BND | Freeburg area farmer vows to resume egg sales after bird flu decimates flock: “I was shocked at how fast it went through,” farmer Joel Funk said Wednesday. “It’s devastating.” Funk noticed some chickens had died last weekend and initially thought the deaths were caused by the cold weather that had moved into the metro-east. By Sunday he suspected the deaths were due to something deadlier than low temperatures.

*** National ***

* Reuters | Chicago Fed sees November unemployment rate steady at 4.4% as alternate data shows job losses: The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged around 4.4% in November, the Chicago Federal Reserve estimated on Thursday, while closely watched data from a private provider added to the evidence that the U.S. labor market is slowly weakening. With official unemployment reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics still delayed following the government shutdown in October and November, the new reports could add weight to arguments at next week’s Federal Reserve meeting in favor of cutting the benchmark policy rate another quarter of a percentage point.

* Bloomberg | Trump’s AI Push May Hinge on Renewable Energy: The Trump administration is moving to fast-track the construction of power-hungry data centers as a matter of national security. At the same time, it’s adding roadblocks for new solar and wind farms. But the two policies could be at odds: Hindering renewable energy projects risks slowing the AI boom — and could exacerbate rising electricity prices, a slew of data suggests. “It’s an all-hands-on-deck moment right now to get the power to supply this,” said Robert Whaley, director of North American power at Wood Mackenzie, an energy consultancy. “In the next 10 years, there’s really nothing to replace renewables.”

* Automotive News | Rivian’s next phase hinges on mass-market R2 and advanced autonomy, CEO says: Four years after the California automaker launched its high-end R1T pickup and R1S crossover, Rivian begins a new growth phase focused on the more affordable R2 crossover, an evolving software-defined platform and self-driving. “Right now we’re just completely heads down, focused on the development of our technology platform sets,” Scaringe said in an interview on Dec. 1. “That’s the big tactical focus, and then the big product focus is R2.” The midsize crossover will have a starting price around $45,000 before shipping when it launches in the first half of next year, about half the average selling price of Rivian’s bigger R1 vehicles, Scaringe said.

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Pritzker on medical aid in dying bill: ‘It’s a hard issue… but most of all, it’s about compassion’

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. During yesterday’s press conference, Gov. JB Pritzker was asked about the medical aid in dying bill [End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act] that’s sitting on his desk…

I’ve been listening to everybody that has a view on it. I have not announced anything or decided anything.

You know, every time I talk to somebody has a little bit of an effect, you’re sort of cumulatively gathering information. And I know there are people who feel passionately on both sides. I have said before that I have friends who’ve gone through this with their relatives, and it’s painful for the person who’s experiencing the pain in the last six months of their lives, as well as for the entire family, and sometimes with the, you know, competent decision-making on the part of somebody who’s suffering. It feels like for them it was the right thing to do. I’m talking about a specific circumstance I can think of in another state.

And then at the same time, I understand people who have religious values that say that this is inappropriate and that we should just provide hospice care and maybe make it as comfortable as we possibly can for somebody who’s dying.

So it’s a hard issue. And I don’t want anybody to think that making up your mind about this is very easy. I think there’s a lot to consider, but most of all, it’s about compassion. And again, there’s evidence and information on both sides that leads me to think seriously about what direction to go.

* He was also asked if he discussed the bill during his recent meeting with Pope Leo XIV…

It’s actually something that I brought up, and we didn’t have a conversation about it, because we were just, you know, at the beginning of our conversation, I think he and I were both kind of dismissing to each other the things that we may disagree about, because there are very few, honestly. But kind of acknowledging that there may be things that we disagree about. Obviously, we are members of different religions. Don’t really disagree so much. It’s just had differences in that way. So we kind of it, was a kind of a brief part of a conversation in which we were dismissing all those things and then getting to the things that we really have so much in common. And I so much respect who he is and what he represents. And of course, the fact that he’s from the state of Illinois is a great point of pride for all of us.

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Federal news coverage roundup: O’Hare raid warnings, Feds drop more charges, propaganda suit, hospitals’ safety-net fears

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Tribune…

The city of Chicago ignored concerns raised by an advocate about immigration raids at O’Hare’s rideshare parking lots for weeks before federal agents swept up more than 70 people there, emails obtained by the Tribune show. […]

An advocate for rideshare drivers first emailed the city on Sept. 19, saying she was concerned federal agents might target a parking lot near O’Hare International Airport where rideshare drivers wait for ride assignments. But the city did not appear to take any action in response to her warning until U.S. Border Patrol agents first conducted a raid at the parking lot three weeks later, on Oct. 10. […]

In an interview, [Lori Simmons, lead organizer for the Chicago Gig Alliance,] said she had not received any communications from Stastny or other Aviation Department officials between the time of her first email and the day of the first raid on Oct. 10.

Simmons said she had been worried the feds would target rideshare drivers because she knew many of them were immigrants. “And sure enough they did,” she said.

The city, Simmons said, “did nothing” with her warning, “and then acted surprised when it happened.”

* Click here for some background. Sun-Times federal courts reporter Jon Seidel…

JUST IN: The Trump administration responds to the bid to dismiss the case challenging Operation Midway Blitz in front of Judge Ellis.

It says plaintiffs seek to "throw in the towel" with "procedural gamesmanship," and insists a dismissal with prejudice prevents future claims. https://t.co/SjdP83CuLU pic.twitter.com/0I1C66lh3U

— Jon Seidel (@SeidelContent) December 4, 2025

* Tribune…

Federal prosecutors moved Wednesday to drop charges against a comedy club manager accused of shutting a car door on a federal immigration agent’s leg in the Lakeview neighborhood, the latest in a string of dismissals in high-profile cases that resulted from the Trump administration’s so-called Operation Midway Blitz.

Nathan Griffin, 24, was charged in late October with assaulting, impeding or interfering with a federal officer during one of many skirmishes between federal agents and U.S. citizens that punctuated the Trump administration’s wave of illegal immigration enforcement in and around Chicago. […]

The motion to scrap the case against Griffin without prejudice follows prosecutors’ move to drop charges against Marimar Martinez, the 30-year-old woman who was shot five times by a Border Patrol agent in Brighton Park who claimed Martinez “rammed” a federal vehicle with her own car in an Oct. 4 standoff.

In a nine-page opinion regarding another one of those cases, against a U.S veteran charged with assault, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes wrote he could not “help but note just how unusual and possibly unprecedented it is” for Chicago’s venerable U.S. attorney’s office to bring charges “so hastily” that, once more facts came out, they were unable to obtain an indictment in the grand jury or were forced to dismiss the case as not provable.

More from WTTW…

The incident began when two Border Patrol agents were searching for a body-worn camera near Broadway and Belmont Avenue that had been lost during a previous immigration arrest, according to court records.

Video captured by the agents’ body-worn cameras showed Griffin closed a car door on a U.S. Border Patrol agent’s leg as the agent was trying to get out of his vehicle, causing a “small gouge and scrapes,” according to the criminal complaint filed against Griffin.

But Curtis Flagg, the Laugh Factory’s president of operations, told the Chicago Tribune that Griffin was walking with his mother when he saw a man getting detained.

When Griffin intervened by asking the agents to leave the man alone, agents tackled him to the ground, triggering a melee caught on video by bystanders before Griffin was detained and taken away.

* Sun-Times…

President Donald Trump’s administration is facing a lawsuit seeking the release of all video footage filmed during the high-powered overnight immigration raid of a Chicago apartment complex in September.

The images captured by a government camera crew were later used in highly edited Hollywood-style videos — which experts called “propaganda” — that were published by the federal government to win support for its deportation campaign.

Democracy Forward, a Washington D.C.-based legal organization that has challenged the Trump administration, state and local governments and right-wing movements over the past decade, filed a public records request for all original footage from the raid in the South Shore neighborhood. That request has gone unfulfilled, the group said, so it filed a seven-page federal complaint in the U.S. District court in D.C. late last month. […]

A camera crew of at least nine people filmed the South Shore raid, according to security footage from a nearby elementary school that was obtained by the Sun-Times through a public records request. The photo and video team wore street clothing, some with neon Department of Homeland Security Office of Public Affairs vests.

Click here for DHS’ social media video of the South Shore raid and here for the lawsuit.

* Crain’s…

Four Chicago-area hospital leaders laid out their fears that worsening burdens stemming from massive federal funding cuts will severely fray the health care safety net.

At yesterday morning’s Crain’s Hospital CEO Breakfast, executives said Medicaid spending cuts, combined with expired tax credits for Affordable Care Act plans and rising costs for employer-based insurance, threaten the quality and availability of care across the region — not just at traditional safety net hospitals. […]

[Dia Nichols, president of Advocate Health Care,] spoke of OBBA being just one “domino” that will fall. He said before impacts of Medicaid work/volunteer requirements and twice-yearly redeterminations kick in at the end of 2026, hospitals and health systems will already be feeling the pressure.

[Dr. Erik Mikaitis, CEO of Cook County Health,] noted hospitals are finding that people are avoiding and delaying health care as a result of immigration enforcement activity and that some Medicaid recipients believe restrictions are already underway.

* More…

* CBS Chicago | Trump administration seeks detailed information on SNAP recipients from democratic states, including Illinois: States, including Illinois, have until Monday, Dec. 8, to formally respond to the federal government. It remains unclear how quickly or if residents or food banks might feel any impact. “The truth is the administration does not have the ability to do this, and I think it’s reprehensible to use food and food insecurity as a weapon to try to effectuate a policy that is completely unrelated to it. The courts have ruled such, and I believe if we have to take them to court again, we will,” Pritzker said.

* Block Club Chicago | How The Feds Used Propaganda To Frame Their ‘War’ On Chicago: ‘They’re Lying Constantly’: As Trump’s Operation Midway Blitz swept through Chicago this fall, federal leaders and agencies issued statements and social media posts that contradicted what reporters and witnesses saw on the ground. They’ve attempted to discredit journalists even after a federal judge ruled that Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino, a face of the operation, lied and the federal government had deceived the public and made false claims. Experts who study propaganda and state media say the pattern goes beyond spin. In press releases and social media posts, the Department of Homeland Security has built a narrative meant to project control and valorize its agents, the experts said. At the same time, it has cast protesters and bystanders as threats or obstacles.

* Tribune | Federal funding cuts threaten Chicago Harbor Lock, one of the nation’s busiest: The Army Corps requested $3.85 million for the operation and maintenance of the Chicago Harbor Lock and Dam next year, Corps spokesperson Emily Helton said. But in his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, President Donald Trump allocated under $300,000 for the harbor, leaving a shortfall of more than $3.5 million, Helton said. In order to try to close the gap, Helton said, the Army Corps will use just over $1 million in leftover operating funds from this year. It will also reallocate some money it had previously planned to use for electrical rehabilitation work at the harbor.

* South Side Weekly | Fraudsters target immigrants seeking legal help: Sometimes, notarios defraud people in immigrant communities by trading on the names and reputations of upstanding organizations. The American Bar Association does not represent clients in court. […] Fear, lack of familiarity with the U.S. immigration process, and the acute need for affordable immigration services all make immigrants susceptible to fraud, experts say. And immigration raids by federal agents are likely to exacerbate the problem, as victims may be hesitant to seek help from law enforcement agencies. “With the aggressiveness of ICE and the apprehension that people have to come out and be public—these notarios are bottom feeders, and they make something bad worse,” Wildes said.

* WaPo | Illinois can set its own vaccine guidelines, bypassing Trump administration: State lawmakers say the new law is the first of its kind. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) signed it just days before a federal vaccine panel plans to vote on a major change to America’s childhood immunization schedule. Illinois is among several Democratic-led states developing their own systems to assess vaccines, an attempt to address warnings by some public health officials that the Trump administration has politicized vaccine science.

* The 21st Show | Breaking down Northwestern University’s $75 million settlement with the Trump administration: Northwestern University has announced an agreement with the Trump administration over a discrimination investigation. The university will pay $75 million to the federal government, and make commitments to comply with Trump preferences in admissions, hiring, campus protests policies, and trans health care. In exchange, the administration is dropping its investigations against the school and restoring federal funding.

* Tribune | Enterprise Rent-A-Car license plate revoked after immigration agents illegally swapped it out, records show: The penalties for displaying an unauthorized plate or obscuring or modifying license plates in any way include fines and potential jail time. License plates may also be suspended or revoked by the secretary of state. That’s what happened to an Enterprise vehicle, according to a revocation letter from Giannoulias’ office to the business’ parent company, EAN Holdings LLC, obtained by the Tribune. The company must now request a new plate, under state law.

* Tribune | Operation Midway Bliss redefines blitz with gift drive for families affected by immigration enforcement: The gift haul was coined Operation Midway Bliss as a way to reclaim the name from the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz, which wreaked havoc on the city’s immigrant community. “When I saw those Angel Trees blowing up (on social media),” said McNiff, who lives in the Gold Coast, “an idea sparked of something I can do for my neighbors here in Chicago, aside from just yapping on TikTok or going to a protest, something that can actually have an impact directly.”

7 Comments

Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.

We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like the Hagers, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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Question of the day: 2025 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2025 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Democratic Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Liz Moody…

She is always on top of everything, so quick to respond and offer help to anyone who asks. She always keeps her members organized, and handles all the daily chaos with kindness and a smile.

Honorable mention goes to Mike Wasielewski, who emerged as a late favorite.

* The 2025 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best House Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager is a tie: Amanda Daley and Brandy Loftus…

They do an excellent job managing the Leader’s schedule and assisting the staff and the many personalities that make up an average day in 316. They do it with smiles on their faces and can always get a laugh out of anybody, no matter how bad or long a session day it may be.

All of those folks above are top-notch. Congrats!

* On to today’s categories…

* Best Democratic State Senate Staff Member

Nominees can come from the government and campaign sides. Bill Schneider won last year and is not eligible. Mary Hanahan was the other winner, but she’s now with a law firm.

As always, please explain your nominations or they won’t count. This is more about intensity than numbers. Also, do your very best to nominate in both categories. If you can’t, you can’t, but please tell us why.

* After you’ve entered your nominations, please click here to contribute to our annual Christmas toy fundraiser for foster kids. We raised more than $6,000 yesterday, but Lutheran Social Services of Illinois has more than 2,500 foster kids in its care and they must raise more than $62,000 to buy all of them modest presents. As I write this, we’ve raised $28,455. That’s not bad, but it’s way below the threshold. Those kids count on us, so, please do your best to chip in whatever you can.

Let’s help spread some genuine Christmas joy as widely as we possibly can.

Thanks!

33 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Illinois unveils plans to celebrate 250 years of American independence. Capitol News Illinois…

* Related stories…

• First Listen: The state of Illinois is ready to celebrate the United States’ 250th birthday
• Tribune: Illinois to celebrate United States’ 250th birthday with public art, history initiatives
• Daily Herald: How Illinois plans to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.

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

* At 11 am Gov. Pritzker will attend an event to celebrate the 119th birthday of American Postal Workers Union Local 1.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Investigate Midwest | Pesticide drift is catching schools off guard. Lawmakers want to require notice before spraying.: House Bill 1596 would require certified pesticide applicators to provide written notice, 24 to 72 hours before spraying, to private and public schools, daycares, and public parks and playgrounds within a half mile of the application site. The notification requirement would apply only to large-scale operations over five acres that use boom sprayers, tractor-mounted sprayers and airplanes to apply weed killers — not residential applications. Violators would face a $250 fine, which increases to $500 for a second violation and $1,000 for additional infractions. Bill sponsor Rep. Laura Faver Dias, a Grayslake Democrat, said the bill could change during the next legislative session, which begins in January.

* Tribune | Federal funding cuts threaten Chicago Harbor Lock, one of the nation’s busiest: The harbor lock is one of the nation’s busiest for both commercial and recreational use; more than 900,000 passengers and 80,000 vessels traveled through it last year. But looming federal funding cuts have become a source of worry for boaters who rely on the lock. […] The Army Corps requested $3.85 million for the operation and maintenance of the Chicago Harbor Lock and Dam next year, Corps spokesperson Emily Helton said. But in his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, President Donald Trump allocated under $300,000 for the harbor, leaving a shortfall of more than $3.5 million, Helton said.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Illinois State Board of Education extends timeline for public comment on school accountability overhaul: Sanders wrote in a weekly message on Tuesday that the Illinois State Board of Education will keep the current public comment window open until Jan. 7, instead of Dec. 7. There will also be opportunities for the public to weigh in on the proposal’s drafts between January and April. Under the new timeline, state board members would discuss the final plan during the March board meeting and vote on new accountability metrics in April, instead of discussing the plan in December and voting in January.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Former Sen. Roland Burris has endorsed Rep. Margaret Croke for comptroller. Press Release…

Today, former U.S. Senator, Illinois Attorney General and Illinois Comptroller Roland Burris announced his endorsement of State Rep. Margaret Croke in her campaign for State Comptroller. Burris, who made history as the first African American elected to statewide office in Illinois when he became Comptroller in 1978, went on to serve in multiple statewide offices before being appointed to the U.S. Senate. He cited Croke’s steady leadership, strong fiscal judgment, and commitment to responsible, ethical government as key reasons for his support.

“Throughout my career and lifelong commitment to public service, I have seen firsthand what true leadership requires,” said former Senator Roland Burris. “Margaret Croke exemplifies the strength and fiscal discipline needed to serve as Comptroller. She is not only prepared to keep our state financially secure, she is prepared to move it forward. From my hometown of Centralia to the heart of Chicago and every community in between, I have absolute confidence that she will fight for every Illinoisan and lead with unwavering integrity and purpose.”

* Sun-Times | Illinois secretary of state bolsters REAL ID services to help residents avoid new TSA fee: State officials are partnering with Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon’s office to streamline processes to obtain birth certificates, marriage licenses and the other additional personal documents needed to get a REAL ID. Clerk’s offices will have designated cashiers for REAL ID-related requests, as well as a new appointment system.

* Rep. La Shawn Ford | I survived prostate cancer. Without ACA tax credits, other Americans may not be as lucky: Black men are nearly twice as likely to die from prostate cancer as white men. In neighborhoods like Austin, Englewood, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale — where poverty, food insecurity and limited access to specialists already shorten life expectancy — this kind of policy failure isn’t just immoral. It’s lethal. I was lucky. I had insurance. I had a health care team that moved quickly. But I also had fear, and I some sleepless nights. I had to tell my daughter that I had cancer. And I had to fight — not just for my health, but for my peace of mind. No one should have to fight for access to health care on top of fighting for their life.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Council bloc urges Johnson not to brush off budget overhaul: A day after a bare majority of the City Council signed on to a letter outlining $441 million in potential alternatives to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s $16.6 billion budget, it’s unclear if the defiant move will force the mayor back to the table. The alternative proposal stripped out Johnson’s proposed corporate head tax, reduced borrowing costs and increased an advance pension payment through a grab bag of increased garbage, rideshare and liquor taxes and $90 million in spending cuts that the mayor has argued are not feasible in 2026.

* Crain’s | Hospital CEOs warn health care safety net will begin unraveling next year: Endeavor’s O’Grady criticized OBBA, saying the legislation is anything but beautiful for hospitals. He said as emergency rooms fill with sicker, uninsured patients who have delayed care, all patients will face longer wait times and other disruptions. Hospital finances will take a hit from rising levels of charity care and bad debt, especially in Illinois where medical debt cannot damage a person’s credit rating, O’Grady noted.

* Tribune | Sweeping ban on hemp products in Chicago advances in City Council: Proponents argue the proposed ban would make Chicago safer by speeding up a pending congressional prohibition on the products that get users high. But Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has urged aldermen to rework the ordinance with narrower regulations. Hanging in the balance are dozens of small businesses like Rubina Mirza’s Ukrainian Village shop, Kizmah CBD. “This proposed ban on these products will put me out overnight and destroy all the hard work I spent with my family building a small business,” Mirza told aldermen as the meeting started in a room packed with hemp supporters.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools finds buyers for three vacant schools: The district is seeking the Chicago Board of Education’s approval at its next meeting on Dec. 18 to sell the old Bontemps Elementary in Englewood on the South Side for $75,000, the old Henson Elementary in North Lawndale on the West Side for $25,000, and the former Shedd Elementary, which last served as a satellite building for Bennett Elementary, in Roseland on the Far South Side for $25,000. All three buildings closed in 2013. The proposed sales come after CPS put 20 properties on the market in May. Stephen Stults, the district’s director of real estate, said they got bids for 12 properties.

* Sun-Times | Business concerns stall plan to let Chicagoans flag crosswalk, bus and bike lane parking scofflaws: Everyday Chicagoans will have to wait for the right to use their cellphones to provide recorded evidence of bus, bike lane and crosswalk parking violations, thanks to concerns raised Wednesday by business groups. First Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata initially proposed a measure that would allow citizens to report parking violations by both commercial and passenger vehicles.

* WTTW | Feds Drop Charges Against Laugh Factory Manager Accused of Assaulting Immigration Agent in Lakeview: Nathan Griffin, 24, is now the latest person to have been charged during what the federal government called “Operation Midway Blitz” in a blaze of publicity only to have prosecutors quietly dismiss the case after failing to get an indictment or determining that there was not enough evidence to go forward. Griffin was charged with one count of forcibly assaulting and interfering with a federal agent in the performance of his official duties in connection with a melee that occurred on Oct. 24, hours before a team of masked immigration agents tear gassed a crowd in Lakeview.

* Sun-Times | Museum of Science and Industry workers ratify first union contract: The contract with the Hyde Park museum covers roughly 120 employees, and includes an average 8% pay raise and 3% annual increase over the next two years, according to a Wednesday statement from the Museum of Science and Industry Workers United. The contract also adds holiday pay for part-time employees, policy changes on remote work, just cause for discipline, a grievance procedure and a joint committee on paid parental leave.

* Sun-Times | Killings of Black Panthers dedicated with plaque in Chicago 56 years later: It’s the latest of 12 plaques to be placed around Chicago, as well as another in Peoria, as part of the Black Panther Heritage Trail that denotes historic sites in Illinois. “We have to remember the people who stood up and gave their lives,” Nefahito said. “We see where we’re at now. … We can’t be complacent, we can’t take the liberties and rights we have for granted. We have to fight, work and be kind to each other. We always have to help others and look for opportunities to get involved.”

* Press Release | CTA and Chance the Rapper Team Up to Launch New “Enjoy the Ride” Campaign: “I think this partnership is so important because I grew up taking the Red Line train from 79th,” said Chance. “All of the train lines create a pathway to connection and an opportunity for people to build community, and that’s what STAR LINE is about. It’s about us forming together to fight anything that’s going against us. This is an important time in the city for people to stand up, be brave and protective of each other.”

* Crain’s | Ken Griffin’s last remaining Chicago condo lands a buyer: The last piece of Citadel chief Ken Griffin’s portfolio of Chicago condos went under contract to a buyer today, nearly two and a half years after he began selling his units in various downtown towers after moving his business empire and family to Florida. The condo, on the 67th floor of the Park Tower on North Michigan Avenue, was Griffin’s longest-held property in Chicago. He bought it in 2000, when the building was new, for $6.9 million, according to the Cook County clerk. That’s the equivalent of paying $12.98 million in 2025 dollars.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Will 2026 be the year for this stalled downtown Arlington Heights apartment project?: Facing rising interest rates, difficulty in raising equity capital and higher construction costs, a developer’s plan for a six-story, 135-unit apartment building with a ground-floor restaurant in Arlington Heights remains in limbo two years after receiving zoning approvals. But Joe Taylor of Barrington-based Compasspoint Development expressed confidence that 2026 will be the year to get shovels in the ground and transform the long-vacant office building site on the edge of the village’s downtown.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Geneva considering bond referendum in March for new police station, mulls vote on home rule by 2028: The possibility of selling bonds to construct new public safety facilities is not new in Geneva — the city had initially planned to put the question to voters last April, but pulled it from the ballot in January after discovering a calculation error that would have doubled the projected property tax payment. Now, the Geneva City Council is again considering a referendum — with a particular emphasis on constructing a new police station for the city.

* Daily Herald | ‘Vendors, volunteers and vibes’: Why Arlington Heights Farmers Market is ranked top in the state: The competition of 1,263 farmers markets nationwide tallied more than 60,000 votes by the public.“That is really something to be proud of, because I know a lot of people enjoy it, and it doesn’t happen easy,” said Mayor Jim Tinaglia, who recognized farmers market committee members at this week’s village board meeting. “These are people who work really hard to make it happen.”

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Sonya Massey’s family breaks silence following Sean Grayson’s request for new trial: Sonya Massey’s cousin, Sontae Massey, told me his family is not surprised that Grayson’s lawyers are filing for a new trial. Sontae said his family doesn’t want to make a big deal out of Grayson’s defense team trying to accomplish certain procedures at the last minute. He said Grayson is guilty and everyone saw the crime he committed through the body camera footage. Sontae said Grayson is now a convicted felon and he got the conviction he deserved.

* News-Gazette | Champaign council unanimously rejects ban on public camping: The city council unanimously voted down a proposed ban on public camping after hearing two hours of public comment on the ordinance, which Cunningham Township Supervisor Danielle Chynoweth called “draconian and regressive.” Chynoweth, who also chairs the Champaign County Continuum of Service Providers to the Homeless, said that the city broke trust by not communicating with its partners in the continuum about the proposal. “This is a reactive and uncollaborative approach,” she said at Tuesday’s lengthy Champaign City Council meeting. “That may seem an unfair accusation, but I looked up how many times I have met with staff members on your senior team and a council member in the last three weeks. Seven meetings, 10 hours of meeting with your staff members, and I did not know about this till I woke up this morning.”

* WGEM | SAFE-T Act, conservatism debated in race for 8th Judicial Circuit judge’s position: Over the years, Pratt has advocated for the change on the basis that it doesn’t let people without a large bank account sit in jail while only the wealthy walk free. […] Under the SAFE-T Act, judges are allowed the discretion on whether to allow a defendant in a case to be jailed or to be granted pretrial release. During a pretrial hearing, a defense attorney and a prosecutor can both make the case on why a defendant should or shouldn’t be detained. […] Bass voiced his displeasure with the SAFE-T Act.

* WAND | Sangamon Co. residents voice concerns over proposed $500 million data center: “We don’t know the effect that it’s going to have on our utility bills, but we do know that everywhere these things have been built. Utility bills have gone way, not just a little,” said community member Don Hanrahan. The county is partnering with a company called CyrusOne. The project includes six data centers on one large campus, which could take six to 10 years to complete. Illinois has multiple data centers. These facilities represent more than $1.2 billion in infrastructure investment. Many people are concerned their electric bill will skyrocket, but the rural electric cooperative says rates will not increase.

* PJ Star | What to know about East Peoria emergency alert system breach: The data taken from Crisis24’s systems includes people’s names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and passwords used to create their profile for CodeRED, which notifies people about emergencies such as boil orders, weather-related closures and police and fire events. The city said that the CodeRED system was immediately decommissioned, with a new platform being created through Crisis24 using backed-up data. Any resident signed up for CodeRED through March 31 was immediately transferred over to the new platform.

* WAND | Free skating returns to downtown Springfield: The rink, located in Union Square Park, opens for the season on Wednesday with a special grand-opening celebration featuring historic re-enactors portraying Abraham and Mary Lincoln. The event begins Dec. 3 at 4:30 p.m. and will include ALPLM leaders and special guests. According to the ALPLM unlike traditional ice rinks, this skating surface is made of artificial material, giving visitors an ice-like experience even in above-freezing temperatures. Guests can bring their own skates or borrow a pair at Union Station at no cost.

* SJ-R | Residents spent millions on these gaming machines in Springfield: 833 video gaming terminals live in Springfield, spread across 151 establishments. What establishments are most popular, and which pay out the most? Gamblers in Springfield wagered $596.4 million in 2024, according to data from the Illinois Gaming Board. The capital city wagered more than any other Illinois city in that year, winning $544.3 million.

*** National ***

* AP | Steve Cropper, guitarist and member of Stax Records’ Booker T and the M.G.’s, has died at age 84: AP) — Steve Cropper, the lean, soulful guitarist and songwriter who helped anchor the celebrated Memphis backing band Booker T. and the M.G.’s at Stax Records and co-wrote the classics “Green Onions,” “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay” and “In the Midnight Hour,” has died. He was 84. […] Cropper’s very name was immortalized in the 1967 smash “Soul Man,” recorded by Sam & Dave. Midway, singer Sam Moore calls out “Play it, Steve!” as Cropper pulls off a tight, ringing riff, a slide sound that Cropper used a Zippo lighter to create. The exchange was reenacted in the late 1970s when Cropper joined the John Belushi-Dan Aykroyd act “The Blues Brothers” and played on their hit cover of “Soul Man.”

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Good morning!

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Keb’ Mo’…

Lift up your voice and sing

* We raised about $12,000 on Monday to buy Christmas presents for foster kids cared for by Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. We raised about $10,000 on Tuesday. On Wednesday, we raised less than $6,500.

Let’s be clear, these are not horrible numbers. But we’re at $28K and the total needed to buy presents for more than 2,500 foster kids is $62,500.

People, please, click here and dig deep. Thanks!

* Anyway, this is an open thread.

2 Comments

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

We’ve raised $4,000 so far today. Thank you! But that’s not enough.

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois needs a lot more to make sure every foster child in its care receives a Christmas gift this year. All the money goes directly to gifts, and the average gift costs about $25.

So this is the moment to step up. If you can give, please click here and help us close that big gap. Every dollar truly counts. Thanks!!!

* AP…

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said this week that the federal government would start withholding money to help run the SNAP food aid program from states that don’t provide data on participants, including their immigration status.

The department said the government needs the data to spot fraud in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps 42 million Americans, or about 1 in 8, buy groceries.

The plan to withhold the administrative funds is an escalation of a legal battle that’s been going on since shortly after President Donald Trump took office. It’s decidedly partisan. Only states led by Democrats have failed to provide the information the administration seeks. […]

USDA plans to notify states that have not provided the requested information that they’re not in compliance as soon as next week. The states would have more time to comply.

And after that, they could appeal.

Governor JB Pritzker was asked about the threat to withhold SNAP benefits at an unrelated news conference today…

Pritzker: As you know, they’ve been gathering databases that are— people should deserve privacy, whether they’re a SNAP recipient or not. It should not be information that gets gathered by and then disseminated by the federal government. But we’re obviously following all the rules around SNAP. We always have nothing that they’re requesting would reveal anything that’s untoward about the program. And again, this is all about effectuating a policy that’s bad for the United States, bad for the state of Illinois. All we’re trying to do is feed people. And everybody in the United States deserves to have a decent three squares a day, and SNAP is really not very much money to provide to people. I don’t know why they’re going after this problem. You want to go after want to go after fraud. I mean real fraud. There are lots of people who are Medicaid providers, Medicare providers out there that the federal government should be looking into to ask what kind of fraud that they’re perpetrating. And indeed, that kind of fraud gets exposed every once in a while, but it seems to me, they’ve taken people off of that job, out of the FBI and then other jobs like the DEA and ATF all, to move them over into immigration work that is ineffectual, inappropriate. We need comprehensive immigration reform, not hunting people down based upon the color of their skin. So I reject the idea that the federal government is doing something that’s good for the country by gathering these databases, because we know that’s not what it’s all about.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Volts | How Illinois passed its third big clean-energy bill in a decade: David Roberts, Kady McFadden and John Delurey talk about the state’s decision to empower its utility commission to directly procure clean energy. We discuss why capacity markets are too slow for the current environment and their strategy of aggressively framing renewables and storage not just as green, but as the only “fast and cheap” way to protect ratepayers from price spikes.

* Sen. Robert Peters | Our IVF experience heightened awareness of threats to access: Somehow, the Republicans didn’t anticipate the tidal wave of national outrage that their attacks on IVF would create. The dream of starting or expanding a family isn’t a partisan issue, and access to IVF is extremely popular across both parties. In 2023, nearly 96,000 babies were born from IVF, up from the year before, accounting for almost 3% of all births in the U.S. Yet Republicans continue blocking a bill sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., that would protect IVF nationwide.

* Chicago Reader | Righting systemic wrongs of Illinois prisons: Even though Illinois abolished the death penalty in 2011, we allow for “death by incarceration.” Most incarcerated people over 20 in Illinois have no opportunity to earn parole or early release, since the state abolished discretionary parole in 1978. In 1998, the state passed the so-called “truth-in-sentencing” laws, which have restricted most people from earning time off their sentences. This means those with life sentences without parole or de facto life sentences will likely never see life outside of prison again.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | SEIU looks to beef up CPS ranks amid dispute with teachers union: The Service Employees International Union is looking to beef up its ranks within Chicago Public Schools, a development with significant implications for the workers it is looking to organize — and for city politics. SEIU Local 73 filed a petition to add about 1,600 school-based CPS workers to its ranks with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board on Nov. 10. But the union’s one-time ally, the Chicago Teachers Union, contends that some of those workers rightfully belong to CTU. The dispute is the latest development in a feud between the two progressive labor unions that has its roots in a turf war over other jobs within the school district.

* Legal Newsline | CTU can’t sue group for campaigning in union elections: At issue is the federal Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, a 1959 law that bars a union or an employer from spending money promoting candidates for union office. CTU and member Moselean Parker accused a rival group, Educators 4 Excellence, of violating that law by recruiting and promoting candidates during a May 2022 CTU election cycle. After U.S. District Judge Edmond Chang dismissed the complaint, CTU took the issue to the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Michael Brennan wrote the panel’s opinion, filed Nov. 19; Judges Joshua Kolar and Nancy Maldonado concurred, with Maldonado writing a brief special concurrence.

* WBEZ | Trump administration sued for South Shore raid footage that fed propaganda videos: Democracy Forward, a Washington D.C.-based legal organization that has challenged the Trump administration, state and local governments and right-wing movements over the past decade, filed a public records request for all original footage from the raid in the South Shore neighborhood. That request has gone unfulfilled, the group said, so it filed a seven-page federal complaint in the U.S. District court in D.C. late last month. The suit seeks to compel the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to search for and release any available footage.

* Block Club | Little Village Chamber Leader Thanked Border Patrol As Agents Arrested Neighbors, Video Shows: The staffer, Olman Chaheine, was the chamber’s director of outreach and community development, tasked with connecting and supporting Little Village businesses and the Latino-majority community. Little Village — a famed enclave for Mexican Americans and Latino immigrants — has been hit hard in recent months as federal agents targeted the area during Operation Midway Blitz, taking employees as they worked inside local restaurants and snatching people off the streets. Businesses have struggled as workers and would-be customers stayed home out of fear. … In an emailed statement Tuesday night, the Little Village Chamber of Commerce leaders said they strongly condemn the statements made “by a former staff member.”

* Block Club | South Side’s 1st Youth Crisis Center Opens At Renovated Englewood Community Service Facility: The $3 million overhaul includes a new mental wellness clinic, a family resource hub and a “Golden Years Program” for seniors with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The mental wellness clinic hosts the first Youth Crisis Stabilization Center on the South Side, McKinley Community Services CEO Jamal Malone said. The Sophia Cafe, an addition to the Englewood center named in honor of the nonprofit’s founder, will provide healthy food options to the community while employing people with disabilities when it opens to the public in the spring, Malone said. Food served at the cafe will be sourced from the nonprofit’s outdoor urban farm on 18th Street and Wabash Avenue, Malone said.

* Sun-Times | Chicago torture victim imprisoned 33 years for double murder now in line for $15 million settlement: Smith was released from prison in 2020 after spending 33 years behind bars, and has since been granted a certificate of innocence. The settlement amount being weighed by the Council pales in comparison to the $66 million that he sought in his lawsuit filed in 2021 in federal court in Chicago. Smith was 39 when he was arrested in September 1987 for the murder of his wife’s mother and her grandmother. According to his lawsuit, officers placed Smith “in a small windowless interrogation room and handcuffed him to a ring on a wall” before they “beat him in the chest, threatened and choked him.”

* Sun-Times | Illinois Medical District getting its first park in 80 years: The park would occupy a triangle of land bounded by Ogden Avenue, Polk Street and Damen Avenue. The project’s officials and architects said the park would act as a place of activity and rest, despite its busy locale. And it will be the site of the previously announced permanent memorial to COVID-19 victims and workers — one of the nation’s first.

* Tribune | Bruce Dold, former Chicago Tribune editor and ‘consummate newspaperman,’ dies at 70: Bruce Dold, who rose from suburban reporter to editor and publisher during his prodigious four-decade career at the Chicago Tribune, had only a handful of bylines after his name took its place on the masthead. But the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist left an indelible mark on the newspaper and the city, tackling the issues of the day, promoting civil discourse and influencing public policy. From clearheaded editorials that found common ground to the groundbreaking endorsement of Chicago’s own Barack Obama for president, Dold led the Tribune into the new millennium with a reverence for the newspaper’s storied history, and an open mind for the future.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Federation of Labor backs Pat Hynes over Fritz Kaegi for Cook County assessor: The umbrella organization for Chicago unions is backing Pat Hynes for Cook County assessor against incumbent Fritz Kaegi in the March Democratic primary and taking sides in various contested county board races. The Chicago Federation of Labor announced its endorsement of Hynes and other Cook County candidates in a Wednesday morning release, saying the Lyons Township Assessor and a former employee of the assessor’s office “knows how to get the job done.”

* Progressive Railroading | New panel to study passenger rail along Wisconsin-Illinois lakeshore: The meeting will focus on establishing the commission’s organizational structure and beginning the early coordination necessary to explore the feasibility of future passenger-rail service in southeastern Wisconsin, connecting the downtowns of Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee to Chicago and communities along the northern shore of Lake Michigan, according to a press release issued by Racine city officials.

* Daily Southtown | ‘Extremely dangerous for the citizens’: Harvey Fire Department staffing down to 40% after new layoffs: Before the city announced a financial emergency and began mass layoffs, the Fire Department had 37 staff, said Keith Freeman, secretary of Harvey Firemen’s Association Local 471. Now, they’re down to just 15, and have gone from three active fire stations to just one. “This is very potentially going to cost injury or the lives of the citizens,” Freeman said. “The manpower that we have in the city, we agreed upon because it’s the required manpower to do the best we can for the citizens, to keep the citizens safe. That’s our top priority.”

* Daily Herald | Wheeling special census postponed due to government shutdown: The historic federal government shutdown that cost millions of Americans paychecks and financial aid before ending in mid-November had another casualty — Wheeling’s long-planned special census. The census was supposed to begin in October. It was commissioned by the village board to prove Wheeling has grown since the 2020 federal census put the town at 39,137 people.

* Daily Herald | Des Plaines, Buffalo Grove set restrictions for e-bikes and e-scooters: In Des Plaines, e-bikes, e-scooters and similar vehicles that are capable of exceeding 28 mph are forbidden on public streets, public sidewalks and in public parking lots. Riding through a city parking lot to reach a destination is OK, however, officials clarified before Monday’s unanimous vote. Among other rules, anyone under 16 years old is prohibited from operating less-powerful e-bikes or similar vehicles on public streets or public sidewalks and in public parking lots. Motorized vehicles that are considered toys for young children and can’t go more than 10 mph may only be operated on sidewalks, within crosswalks or on private property.

* Daily Herald | Neighbors helping neighbors: Des Plaines area volunteers cook, deliver 700 Thanksgiving dinners: The Des Plaines Community Foundation, Sysco Chicago and Sunrise Grill all worked together to provide and deliver Thanksgiving Day dinners. As a result, more than 700 recipients, including homebound seniors and people with disabilities, had a very happy Thanksgiving. “This is our 15th year making the meals and delivering the turkey dinners, and 700 is the highest number of meals to date,” said Dina Argus, executive director of the DPCF. “It’s a group effort. Turkey dinners were delivered to those in wheelchairs, on oxygen and the blind — all those who have difficulty leaving their homes.

* Shaw Local | Joliet renews prison lease amid questions from residents: The City Council approved a lease extension on the Joliet Correctional Center property on Tuesday but not without facing questions from the public. City officials said they are willing to work with the Forest Preserve District of Will County, which is interested in buying 135 acres of open land on the site.

* Crain’s | Lakefront homes lose millions in value from Winnetka bluff protections, lawsuit claims: Of the four examples, the steepest drop in value, 64%, is for Barbara Irwin’s blufftop home on Taylorsport Lane. The pre-ordinance value was $7.54 million, but under the ordinance it dropped to $2.69 million, according to Cohn Reznick’s analysis. It’s because the ordinance renders about 17,700 square feet of her 44,600-square-foot lot unbuildable.

*** Downstate ***

* WAND | EMS workers accused of killing Earl Moore Jr. will be tried separately: Attorneys for Cadigan and Finley said there are too many differences between the actions of the two EMS workers, and a jury would have a hard time convicting one defendant for the other’s actions. The judge ultimately agreed to separate the cases. The state now has to decide which case to bring to trial first. The first trial will start in May, and the judge wants the second to follow soon after.

* WICS | Illinois State Police highlight Scott’s Law after snowplow crash on US Highway 36: Monday afternoon on U.S. Highway 36, near the Moultrie and Piatt County line, a driver hit an IDOT snowplow from behind. The driver of the car was rushed to a local hospital with injuries. […] ISP says the crash is being investigated as a Scott’s Law violation.

* Sun-Times | Fenwick shocks East St. Louis to win the 6A state title: Tuesday in the Class 6A state championship game, Fenwick junior Jake Thies put his name into Fenwick history right next to the former Notre Dame great. Thies’ two big plays, a 74-yard TD run in the third quarter and an interception in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, were the key moments in the Friars’ 38-28 win against heavily favored East St. Louis at ISU’s Hancock Stadium.

*** National ***

* NYT | Private Employers Cut Jobs in November, the Latest Sign of a Slowdown: Private employment fell by 32,000 jobs last month, the payroll processing company ADP said on Wednesday. It was the third decline in four months and, taken at face value, would be a clear sign that the labor market, after months of cooling, had entered a new, more worrying phase.

* NPR | The use and misuse of the word ‘ideology’: Today, “ideology has essentially become a form of name-calling,” said Jason Blakely, a political scientist at Pepperdine University and author of Lost in Ideology. He argues conservatives often deploy the term to describe what they view as faddish beliefs that threaten traditional moral orders, while liberals use it to criticize inherited hierarchies they see as limiting human flourishing.

7 Comments

Kinda looks like magic money

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As you probably know, a group of Chicago alderpersons proposed a competing budget idea to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s fiscal plan yesterday. Click here for the synopsis. The proposal makes $441.4 million in adjustments including eliminating the mayor’s $100 million corporate “head tax,” restoring $139.9 million in advance pension payments and funding $166 million in firefighter back pay without borrowing.

The council proposal includes $441.4 million in revenue sources. The greatest single amount, $150 million - about a third of the entire proposal - is an undefined “Improved Debt Collections” line.

* It’s not at all clear how the city is supposed to do that. It has had real trouble for decades collecting debt, much of which is deemed uncollectible.

The idea was mentioned briefly and mostly down deep in some news stories. Tribune…

The aldermen’s budget also relies on a number of untested ideas: $26 million to come from licensing city property for “augmented reality” advertisements, $150 million from “improved debt collection” and $31.6 million from improved revenue projections based on data released Friday.

Crain’s…

The $441 million replacement package includes at least $153 million in new or increased taxes, a staggering $150 million in improved one-year debt collections and $31.6 million from an improved revenue forecast.

WTTW…

The alternative plan calls for the city to collect $150 million more in debt from residents than the mayor’s plan projects, and urges the city to increase its estimates on tax revenue collection by $31.6 million, saying the mayor’s plan is too conservative.

ABC 7…

The alternative budget includes over $90 million worth of efficiencies and $150 million in debt collections.

Discuss.

24 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Another supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Pritzker says he has no regrets about wearing bullet-proof vest on Jimmy Kimmel show to mock Trump’s statements on Chicago crime

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve always said that politicians should leave the comedy to comedians. This advice comes from watching decades of “jokes” backfire badly on some of them. I’ve also made it clear that I really don’t like this whole idea of responding to criticism of Chicago crime by going downtown and posting pretty pictures and videos. Yes, it’s a gorgeous city. A great city. But Chicago has problems that can’t be whitewashed with how spectacular downtown is.

You may disagree, but that’s just what I believe.

* Anyway, the two warnings came together last month during the Thanksgiving break…

As @GovPritzker jokes about crime and violence, Chicagoans are being killed, violated and traumatized.

Check out the contrast between his Kimmel skit and the reality for Chicagoans on the ground.

2026 is a change election. Vote @tedforillinois #twill @ilgop #crime pic.twitter.com/m7BCkUCmMX

— Ted For Illinois (@TedForIllinois) November 24, 2025

Ted is being overly dramatic, of course, but that’s the job of a candidate. So don’t get too hung up on him. He’s being used here mainly to illustrate the context.

* From today’s presser…

Isabel: Governor, in early October you appeared downtown for a Jimmy Kimmel show wearing a bulletproof vest to mock Trump’s claims that Chicago is a lawless battle zone. But last month, a teen died and others were injured outside the Chicago Theater on State Street. Do you regret that choice of satire?

Pritzker: People that call Illinois a hell-hole or Chicago a hell-hole, people that denigrate our state deserve to be mocked. And that is what I was trying to do.

The fact is that this is a great city in the greatest state in the nation, and we should be showing it off, and not having a President of the United States denigrating it, by the way, with facts that are old or inaccurate. And so that’s what I was trying to do, and I don’t regret that at all.

I think everybody needs a laugh, even in the midst of, frankly, in the onslaught that comes from The White House every single day

Thoughts?

53 Comments

Catching up with the federal candidates (Updated)

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* NBC…

Mayra Macías is a lifelong Democrat and Chicago native who has worked on Latino advocacy and promoting former President Joe Biden’s agenda. She announced her candidacy Wednesday to run as an independent in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District. If elected, Macías said she would caucus with Democrats.

“I’ve really focused my whole career on building and serving and making sure that we’re fighting for quality education, health care and affordable housing,” Macías said. “Under the Trump administration, we’re seeing a lot of this progress rolled back.”

[Democratic Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García’s] surprise retirement announcement in early November created a firestorm and drew a rebuke from his own party. His plans were known only to his chief of staff, Patty Garcia (no relation). Because the congressman announced his retirement after the filing deadline, Patty Garcia was the only one to file the required signatures before the deadline to run as a Democrat in March.

But there is still time to run as an independent in a general election, with signatures not due until May. Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, another potential candidate, confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times that he launched a committee to explore a run as an independent.

Reuters…

In an interview, Macías credited Gluesenkamp Perez for bringing attention to the issue and said she is eager to engage voters and let them know they will have a choice next fall.
“We can’t turn a blind eye to anti-democratic practices here in our own backyard because they’re perpetuated by our own party,” she said. “We have to hold each other accountable if we’re seeking to uphold our democratic institutions and the democratic process nationally. We can’t just do it when it’s convenient.” […]

She highlighted affordability, immigration and democracy as key planks of her campaign and framed herself as a fighter who will stand up to President Donald Trump’s administration to protect those in her Latino-heavy district.

“Seeing the impact, or sometimes what feels like the lack of impact, members of Congress have, I did think deeply about this decision,” Macías said. “It’s rooted in wanting to make sure that I’m fighting so that people like my family don’t feel like they work hard and they keep working harder and yet things are getting more and more expensive because of Trump’s tariffs and there’s no respite in sight.”

According to the State Board of Elections, Marías and Sigcho-Lopez would need 10,816 valid signatures to run as Independents. They could collect up to 17,304 signatures.

*** UPDATE *** Very important list…

Today, Progressive Democrat Patty García announced a broad coalition of labor support, including new endorsements from unions representing over 1.5 million members in Illinois and nationwide (see below), underscoring García’s long-standing partnership with labor. Their support reflects her long-standing advocacy for protecting workers’ rights, strengthening collective bargaining, and expanding economic opportunity for working Americans.

“I am honored to receive the support of the hardworking men and women who keep our communities running every single day,” said Patty García. “In Congress, I will fight for fair, livable wages, safer workplaces, stronger unions, and an economy that uplifts workers. We’re building a campaign rooted in the workers and families of this district, and I’m proud to have labor by my side.”

Labor Coalition Endorsing Patty García for Congress:

LIUNA Laborers’ Local 4
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWED)
Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council
Teamsters Joint Council 25 (JC25)
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
SEIU Illinois State Council,
SMART Transportation Division
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET)
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)

“Patty has a long history of standing with unions and workers,” said Thomas Stiede, President of the Teamsters Joint Council 25. “Patty has fought for increased wages, affordable healthcare, and lower costs for working families being squeezed by the affordability crisis. Patty will attack the challenges confronting working families head on and our members will work hard to elect her the next Congresswoman from Illinois’ 4th.”

“Some might think Patty is a new face, but trust me: those of us who know her know that the 4th Congressional office wouldn’t run without her,” said Brenda Bedolla, City and County Political Coordinator for SEIU. “She’s not new to the work. Patty García has been the backbone behind Congressman Chuy García’s success.”

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Politico…

—In IL-08: Yasmeen Bankole has been endorsed by the Congressional Black Caucus PAC in her bid for Congress in Illinois’ 8th District.

— In IL-07: State Rep. La Shawn Ford has been endorsed by state Reps. Carol Ammons, Michael Crawford, Fred Crespo and Thaddeus Jones in his bid for Congressman Danny Davis’ seat.

— Also in IL-07: Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin has been endorsed by Ald. William Hall and Cook County Commissioner Bill Lowry in her bid for Congress.

— In IL-02: Patrick Keating, a trial and appellate attorney, is kicking off his campaign Thursday for the Democratic primary for Congress in the 2nd District.

* The Sun-Times…

U.S. Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi on Tuesday released a lengthy economic policy blueprint that includes a nationwide free lunch program, expanding the child tax credit and helping first-time homeowners get a refundable tax credit.

Krishnamoorthi’s “Restore the American Dream” plan includes policies for all stages of life — from children to those in retirement. The fundraising leader in the heated race to replace outgoing Sen. Dick Durbin in August unveiled a “Trump accountability plan” for his Senate campaign that includes pushing to restrict ICE agents from wearing masks and introducing constitutional amendments to block self-pardons and a potential presidential term.

U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton are also vying for the Durbin seat. Kelly in September released an economic policy blueprint aimed at affordability that calls for taxing the ultra rich, raising the minimum wage and expanding Medicare. And Stratton in October released an economic agenda that includes expanding Medicare and bringing Illinois Birth Equity Initiative to the federal level to reduce maternal mortality.

Just as with the bulk of Kelly and Stratton’s plans, the success of many of Krishnamoorthi’s policy positions rely heavily on Democrats being able to clear substantial measures through the Senate.

* US Senate Candidate Juliana Stratton…

I’m proud to be endorsed by @StopBigMoney, and I’m joining their Unrig Washington campaign to enact lasting reform to our political system.

It’s simple:
✅ Refuse corporate PAC money
✅ Support a stock trading ban
✅ Crack down on dark money#ecuunrigwashington pic.twitter.com/4XjuHQAwdl

— Juliana Stratton (@JulianaStratton) December 2, 2025

GOP US Senate candidate Don Tracy’s response…

In yet another X post today, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton repeats her campaign talking point that she rejects corporate PAC money. Right around the same time she made her initial pledge, however, billionaire Governor JB Pritzker launched a super PAC for the benefit of her campaign. It’s just another political maneuver.

Here’s how the game works: Stratton repeats her talking point about refusing corporate PAC contributions while Pritzker builds the PAC infrastructure behind her. Direct donations to her campaign face federal limits and require public disclosure. The Illinois Future PAC? Unlimited amounts, anonymous donors (aka:“dark money”), zero accountability for Stratton.

“Stratton and Pritzker are running a political two-step on Illinois voters,” Don Tracy states. “She makes the pledge. He builds the machine. Stratton keeps her hands clean with public promises, while Pritzker’s operatives do the heavy lifting through the Illinois Future PAC.”

Voters hear “no corporate PAC money” and think they’re getting reform. Meanwhile, special interests and lobbyists give her unlimited money through Pritzker’s super PAC.

“Career politicians like Pritzker and Stratton know exactly what they’re doing: maintaining the same power structure while telling voters they’re getting something different.

“I am running for Senate because I’ve had enough of Illinois and Chicago Democrats’ political double-talk, and I believe Illinoisans have too. It’s time we had a strong leader in Illinois who focused on doing the right thing and standing up for Illinois working families rather than continuing to play these tired political games.”

* More…

The Intelligencer | Seven questions with Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi:

10 Comments

Question of the day: 2025 Golden Horseshoe Awards

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The 2025 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager is a tie. Tara Horn…

Sen. Sue Rezin’s LA is one of the most competent, responsive, organized and friendly LA in the capital. She greets everyone who comes in kindly even when she is insanely busy managing all of Sen. Rezin’s meetings. She also helps with other members given she has 20 years of knowledge. Definitely should be this year’s winner!

And Tracy Weiters…

Tracy Weiters in Senator DeWitte’s office is an institution in the Capitol, going back to her time with House Republican Leadership. She has retained the institutional knowledge necessary to be helpful to both lobbyists and staff in many more ways than just managing her member’s office and calendar in Springfield. Not to mention, it’s been a big year for transportation and revenue, both issues Senator DeWitte serves as MS for, and she stayed on top of it all. She’s very deserving of this year’s Golden Horseshoe.

* The 2025 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Senate Democratic Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager goes to Trisha Ray…

She’s truly great. She’s incredibly organized and keeps her Senator on track. But she’s also kind and always willing to help. Sen Peters takes on a lot of big issues, and often controversial ones, and she’s able to handle the steady stream of in-person visits and calls (which are often vitriolic) with incredible grace.

Honorable mention goes to Emily Ozier.

Congratulations!

* OK, let’s move on to today’s categories…

Best House Democratic Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager

Remember to explain your nominations or they won’t count. This is about intensity, not numbers. Also, do your very best to nominate in both categories. Breeann Steinacher and Caitlin Anderson won last year and are not eligible this year.

* After you’ve made your nominations, please click here and help us buy Christmas presents for more than 2,500 foster kids in the care of Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. They count on us every year, and we just cannot let them down. Thanks!

32 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: After ominous signs from 7th Circuit, attorneys abruptly move to dismiss lawsuit restricting use of force by immigration agents. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• NYT: Lawsuit Challenging Border Patrol’s Use of Force in Chicago Area Is Dropped
• AP: Protesters move to end their lawsuit over immigration officers’ tactics in the Chicago area
• Sun-Times: Lawyers challenging aggressive Chicago immigration enforcement move to dismiss case

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* Governor JB Pritzker will be at Navy Pier at 10:30 am to “highlight Illinois’ plans to celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary.” Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Appeals court weighs release of immigration detainees to electronic monitoring: The judge ruled in response to immigration and civil rights lawyers’ allegations that Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly violated a 2022 federal consent decree restricting the use of warrantless arrests for undocumented immigrants. But the Trump administration appealed, and on Tuesday argued to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals that the judge overstepped his authority by modifying the consent decree. At least one of the three judges on the panel — Trump appointee Thomas Kirsch II — seemed to agree. He criticized Cummings’ November order to release detainees along with his Oct. 7 order extending the consent decree until February. Cummings was appointed by President Joe Biden.

* NBC | Illinois officials warn rental car companies that it is illegal for immigration agents to swap license plates: The office’s review of more than 600 public complaints alleging the practice has so far led to one license plate revocation, according to another letter obtained via the FOIA. That revocation was of a license plate belonging to a 2026 Chevy Tahoe that had been rented by immigration agents, according to a statement from the Illinois secretary of state. The rental company targeted in the Nov. 10 letter, EAN Holdings LLC., which is the parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and other brands, can request a hearing to challenge the decision. A company representative did not respond to a request for comment.

* Tribune | Ray LaHood, former GOP congressman and Obama’s transportation secretary, named head of Edgar Fellows program: He was named distinguished director of the program by the nonprofit board Wednesday and will take on a larger role in outreach and civic engagement as well as in supporting the financial sustainability of the organization’s initiatives. “Edgar Fellows is Jim’s living legacy to the State of Illinois,” former Illinois first lady Brenda Edgar said in a statement. “The entire Edgar family is pleased that longtime friend and respected Illinoisian Ray LaHood will be joining the organization in this important role.

*** Statehouse News ***

* CNI | Pritzker signs bill allowing Illinois to issue state-specific vaccine guidelines: IDPH will now be able to form guidelines using a combination of the CDC’s guidance, recommendations from the World Health Organization and other medical and scientific disease prevention experts — and require that immunizations recommended by the state be covered by state-regulated insurance plans. House bill sponsor Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, emphasized the timeliness of the issue, referencing breaking news from Tuesday morning that indicated the CDC vaccine advisory committee planned to discuss child immunization schedules and the efficacy of Hepatitis B vaccines when it meets on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5.

* WTVO | Illinois extends financial aid to undocumented students starting January 1st, 2026: Beginning January 1st, 2026, undocumented students living in Illinois will become eligible for state and local financial aid under a new law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in August. House Bill 460 extends eligibility for grants, scholarships, stipends, and other state funded student aid to all Illinois residents regardless of immigration status. Bill sponsor Celina Villanueva (D-Chicago) said, “If you live in Illinois and are pursuing higher education, you should have access to the same opportunities as your peers.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | First, ICE raided their Chicago apartment building. Now, they’re being forced to vacate it: The Circuit Court of Cook County granted an order on Nov. 24 from Wells Fargo Bank to have residents at 7500 S. Shore Drive to vacate by Dec. 5 for those with valid leases and all other occupants were instructed to leave by Dec. 12 of this year. The South Shore Tenants Union, supported by the Metropolitan Tenants Organization and Southside Together, said they were blindsided by the court order, which was granted without tenant input and leaves members “scrambling to find housing in bitterly cold weather.” “This is my community and I should not be forced out especially at a time like this when it’s literally freezing outside,” said Travaris Ivy.

* Sun-Times | Mayor Brandon Johnson makes emotional plea for embattled corporate head tax proposal: Johnson began his weekly City Hall news conference with defiance, but ended it emotionally as he talked about his father, now fighting Alzheimer’s, who taught him the work ethic and drive to protect everyday people, something that has guided the mayor through this second straight budget stalemate. “There are lines of Chicagoans, right now, of people who do not have food. … And if you’ve never gone hungry, you wouldn’t know why I have that urgency — if you’ve never opened up your refrigerator and there’s nothing in it. Poverty sucks,” the mayor said.

* Block Club | Mayor Johnson Doubles Down On Corporate Head Tax As Majority Of Alders Pitch Alternative Budget Plan: “Corporations are making a killing right now, and we have alders that are more interested in defending these big corporations than families like mine who went without food and electricity and could not afford rent and mortgage,” Johnson said. “The vast majority of the people in this city are struggling every single day just to make the ends meet. And we have alders that are playing games with those families.”

* Crain’s | Breakaway aldermen offer counter-budget that kills head tax: The plan, presented in a letter to be sent to Johnson and provided to Crain’s, accounts for hundreds of millions in changes to Johnson’s $16.6 billion plan and includes new or increased taxes on rideshare trips, garbage collection, liquor sales — with an exemption for bars and restaurants — and an additional $90 million in potential savings the mayor has previously said would not be feasible in 2026.

* WBEZ | As cold weather settles over Chicago, advocates call out Trump’s new homelessness policies: Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced plans to shift $3.9 billion in long-term housing to transitional housing requiring work and addiction treatment. More than 7,500 Illinoisans could be at risk of losing housing.

* Crain’s | Illinois EPA signs off on revamp of old South Works site to quantum campus: The site had previously received a letter from the IEPA requiring no further remediation at the vacant former U.S. Steel South Works, but the developers voluntarily enrolled in the state’s site-remediation program. […] The IEPA’s approval clears the way for construction to begin at the quantum park, which takes up 128 acres of the site south of 87th Street. Work on a facility for PsiQuantum, which plans to build one of the world’s first commercial-scale quantum computers on the site, will begin this month, along with remediation work. Clayco is building PsiQuantum’s facility.

* Higher Ed Dive | University of Chicago nearly halves its budget deficit to $160M: The University of Chicago cut its fiscal 2025 budget deficit by about 44% to $160 million after years of belt-tightening measures amid financial headwinds, it announced last week. The private nonprofit’s operating loss fell by over half to $86.4 million, per its latest financials.

* Daily Herald | O’Hare ‘conundrum’ could upend when Global Terminal, new concourses are built: The challenging logistics are why Chicago might revise a hard-won 2024 deal with United and American airlines that prioritized building a Global Terminal and a new satellite “Concourse D.” A second, satellite “Concourse E,” would come last. Instead, the city might construct both satellite concourses first and put the Global Terminal, which replaces Terminal 2, on temporary hold. “O’Hare planners face a conundrum,” DePaul Professor Joseph Schwieterman and analyst Samantha Rouzan wrote in “O’Hare’s Traffic Trajectory,” a study released Wednesday.

* Sun-Times | DuSable Black History Museum, CEO misused public funds, whistleblower alleges: The lawsuit is the latest in an ongoing whistleblower campaign by Kim Dulaney, a retired Chicago State University professor who joined the South Side museum in 2021 as director of education and programs. She later became the vice president of the same department. Dulaney alleges in her suit, filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, that she was retaliated against after “questioning DuSable’s irregular fiscal practices.” Dulaney claims in the suit that she was excluded from meetings, harassed and ultimately terminated in October. The lawsuit brings the claims forward under the Illinois Whistleblower Act.

* Block Club | Should Christkindlmarket Move? Mayor Floats Idea, But Vendors And Organizers Not So Sure: Johnson did not share details about where the popular market could go. “We want to make sure that we have a safe mechanism in which people can enjoy Downtown, and so that may include looking at a much larger space,” he said. “And that’s a good thing for our economy.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Cook County’s top prosecutor touts increase in pretrial detention, urges electronic monitoring reform: Since taking office, judges have granted detention in 80% of violent crime cases, 85% of aggravated domestic battery and 76% of machine gun cases, all higher than under the previous state’s attorney, Kim Foxx, according to the state’s attorney’s office. “We are not asking for detention on every case,” Burke said. “We are asking for detention when someone presents a danger to the community, and we will continue to do that on each and every case when someone is a danger.”

* Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi released his first video ad of his reelection campaign…

Our first ad is live!

Big corporations have been gaming the property tax system for years. When their bills go down, yours go up to make up the difference — just like a seesaw.

The system is rigged. That’s why I'm fighting to make it fairer for you. pic.twitter.com/e0gjrRUGyf

— Fritz Kaegi (@fritz4assessor) December 2, 2025

* Daily Herald | Hanover Park police officer detained by ICE returns to active duty: Department leaders previously stated that Bojovic’s hire in January was made in full compliance with federal and state law. Officials said Bojovic presented the village with a valid Work Authorization Card issued by the federal government’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additionally, both FBI and Illinois State Police background checks revealed no criminal history, officials said. Bojovic returned to active duty Monday, and village will provide him back pay for the time he was on administrative leave.

* Tribune | Lake Bluff trustees closer to a vote on policies on possible federal agents’ immigration actions in the village: At their Nov. 24 meeting, trustees unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance outlining village procedures in light of Operation Midway Blitz, a controversial federal immigration crackdown in which officers have detained numerous people, including some in nearby communities.

* Daily Herald | DuPagePads receives historic $5 million grant from Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez Bezos: The 40-year-old organization plans to use the $5 million over the next five years to expand outreach, create a year-round family overflow shelter and accelerate rapid rehousing for families, officials said in a grant announcement. The funds will also sustain educational and transportation supports for children experiencing homelessness.

*** Downstate ***

* Illinois Times | Grayson’s attorneys ask for new trial: Former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson’s lawyers say he deserves a new trial for the 2024 murder of Sonya Massey because the presiding judge erred when allowing the jury to hear Grayson’s disparaging remarks about Massey after the fatal shooting. “As a result, the events following the shooting had no relevance to the issues in the case,” attorneys Daniel Fultz and Mark Wykoff wrote in their Nov. 26 motion for a new trial. “The only purpose served by the introduction of that evidence was to improperly inflame the passions of the jury – which was substantially prejudicial to the defendant.”

* WGLT | Connect Transit awarded $5 million grant for planned Bloomington transfer center: Officials have said the project has been targeted for a late 2026 opening. Transit officials were unavailable for comment Tuesday. “This funding is a welcome addition to the resources we are investing in our new Downtown Bloomington Transit Center, which is a major step forward,” Connect Transit Board Chair Julie Hile said in a statement. “We are eager to deliver on its modernized infrastructure, expanded access, and improved efficiency and safety as a member of the downtown business community. We are grateful for the federal support that makes this possible.”

* WCIA | U of I researchers get $1M FDA grant to study foodborne illness: In a news release, the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences announced that a U of I research team will use the grant money they received to monitor meat products for resistant bacteria. “These pathogens can cause disease, and they can transfer their antimicrobial resistance properties to other pathogens. We risk being surrounded by ‘superbugs’ which are difficult to kill by using traditional, anti-microbial drugs,” said principal investigator Pratik Banerjee, associate professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.

*** National ***

* NYT | 5 Years After His Death, John Prine Gets a Cinematic Send-Off: For someone so close to his family, friends and community, John Prine’s funeral was an uncharacteristically distant affair. The memorial service for the singer-songwriter, who died from complications of Covid-19 in April 2020 at 73, had been made strange by the pandemic. “We had to beg for the opportunity for the immediate family to even gather at the funeral home here in Nashville,” recalled his wife, Fiona Whelan Prine. “We were literally sitting eight feet apart. There was no hugging. There was no commiserating.”

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Good morning!

Wednesday, Dec 3, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I love this song…