Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I’ve been spending a considerable amount of time near the Quad Cites the past couple of months (a parental unit thing). Because I’ve been so near the river, this song has often popped into my head…

Well I heard my dream went back downstream,
cavorting in Davenport
And I followed you Big River when you called

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Charges withdrawn, but Chicago FOP President Cantanzara agrees to voluntary leave of absence as First VP of Illinois State Lodge during probe

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Letter from Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois State Lodge President Chris Southwood to Chicago FOP Lodge 7 President John Cantanzara…

Dear Brother Cantanzara,

At the State Lodge Board meeting held on September 25, 2025, you were served with charges filed by State Lodge Secretary Donald “Ike” Hackett. Following discussion, and in the best interests of the Order, you have requested and agreed to take a voluntary leave of absence from your office and duties as First Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois State Lodge. This leave shall continue until the resolution of any ongoing investigations of alleged misconduct by outside law enforcement authorities.

In light of your voluntary leave of absence, Secretary Hackett has withdrawn his charges against you without prejudice, meaning they may be refiled at a later date should circumstances warrant.

On behalf of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, I wish to thank you for taking this step. Your decision reflects a commitment to the unity of our Order, the integrity of our processes, and the trust of our membership during this challenging period.

We look forward to a timely resolution of these matters and remain united in our shared mission of service to our members and the law enforcement profession.

Fraternally,

Chris Southwood
President
Fraternal Order of Police, Illinois State Lodge

Odd.

I tried to reach Southwood earlier this afternoon without success.

“People don’t attack others at the bottom of a mountain,” Catanzara philosophized when I contacted him this afternoon.

“My conscience is clear,” Catanzara added.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Illinois Education Association…

With great sadness, the Illinois Education Association (IEA) shares that IEA President Albert J. “Al” Llorens died Thurs., Sept. 26, at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.

Llorens, who spent more than 30 years as a high school math teacher and head girls’ track and cross-country coach at Thornridge High School, had been an IEA member since 1985. Prior to that, he taught fourth-grade phonics and middle school reading in Champaign, and as a math and science teacher in Kankakee and Chicago.

He married the love of his life, Wanda, in 2018. He was the father of three children and two stepchildren.

Always leading with empathy, Llorens will be remembered for his kindness, his passion for public education and unions, his ability to put what’s best for students first, his dedication to the members of IEA and his devotion to his wife, Wanda.

Llorens always referred to Reginald “Reg” Weaver, IEA president from 1981 to 1987 and former NEA president, as his mentor. Weaver said he will miss Llorens and all he brought to his lifelong work.

“Al Llorens was a true friend and a man of the people. He believed strongly in public education and fought diligently for union members, their students, families and the community. Al believed in the power of sports and was an excellent coach. He will be deeply missed.”

Gov. JB Pritzker said Llorens was a caring leader who focused on what was best for IEA members and what was best for our state’s public school students.

“MK and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Al Llorens – a teacher and coach, an advocate for our children’s education, and a truly good man,” the Governor said. “Whether in the classroom or leading the Illinois Education Association, Al cared deeply about empowering the next generation and worked tirelessly to invest in their future. He molded the minds of countless students and leaves behind a more equitable, supportive, and enriching education system. May his memory be a blessing to us all.”

* Illinois Federation of Teachers President Dan Montgomery…

“I am profoundly sad at the loss of my friend, union brother, and longtime educator, Al Llorens. His passing leaves Illinois emptier and less whole. The labor movement has lost a fierce advocate, and those of us who knew him have lost a steady, compassionate pillar who made our lives and our schools better.

“Al was a passionate unionist and educator who dedicated his life to students, public service, and the teachers and staff in Illinois’ public schools. As president of the Illinois Education Association (IEA), he led with compassion and an unwavering commitment to making Illinois schools their very best.

“Al was not only a dear friend, he was also a remarkable leader and teacher whose legacy will live on in the students he taught, the classrooms he fought for, the educators he uplifted, and the movement he strengthened. The IFT sends our deepest condolences to Al’s wife, Wanda, his family, and all the members and staff of the IEA.

* Sun-Times…

Democratic members of the Illinois congressional delegation say a Friday meeting with the Chicago field office director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been rescheduled to a yet to be determined date — as they pressed the director to let them conduct oversight at the agency’s Broadview facility and answer detailed questions about President Donald Trump’s Chicago deportation operations.

Members of the delegation were scheduled to meet Russell Hott on Friday but were told the meeting had to be rescheduled to a later date. Sen. Dick Durbin and Reps. Delia Ramirez, Robin Kelly, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, Sean Casten, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Jan Schakowsky, Bill Foster and Mike Quigley had planned to attend the meeting in-person.

Led by Durbin and Ramirez, the delegation on Friday penned a letter to Hott, asking him to “promptly schedule a meeting” to discuss conditions at the ICE Broadview detention facility, which they say is “desperately needed as legal service providers and our constituents have raised concerns about the poor conditions at Broadview.”

* Daily Herald…

Huntley has officially replaced all lead service lines the village was aware of that delivered water to residences, the village has announced. […]

[T]he timeline the state gave municipalities is less strict and varies from 2042 for towns with fewer than 1,200 affected lines, which includes Huntley, to 2077 for towns such as Chicago, which have 100,000 or more lead lines. […]

Huntley officials say the village was among the first communities in the state to comply with the required phase-out of lead pipes and ensure safe water to residents.

Public water lines were already lead-free, Huntley officials said. The work to replace the lines going into homes took about a month, and there was a low volume of pipes, officials said.

*** Statewide ***

* IPM | As tick-borne illnesses rise, Illinois is taking steps to increase surveillance: A new study led by Becky Smith, an associate professor of entomology at the U of I, examined three different species of ticks in Illinois and found the black legged tick, the lone star tick and the American dog tick have been moving to different regions of the state when they used to be more consolidated. “It used to be that you would only find lone star ticks down in the Shawnee National Forest. I have colleagues up in Chicago who are finding them in the Chicago area,” she explained. “You would only find the black legged tick up in the Chicago area, up along the Wisconsin border, and now we’re finding them in the Shawnee National Forest. So they’re moving across the state.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Streetsblog Chicago | GOP State Rep. and Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens on solving the transit fiscal cliff: “This can’t be a city-versus-suburbs thing.”:” This can’t be a city-versus-suburbs thing. This isn’t about, “That wasn’t fiscally conservative enough,” or “That one they gave great contracts to this union.” That’s not what this is about. We’re where we’re at, at a place in time. We need to address it and figure out how we’re going to keep transit safe, clean, and at a level that it gets people to and from their jobs, to and from their leisure activities, still affordable, in a civil manner.”

* WGLT | During B-N stop, conservative governor candidate Ted Dabrowski vows to fight for economic change in Illinois: “One of the things we should do is move immediately to 401[k]s for all new workers. We should stop digging the pension hole,” Dabrowski continued. [Note from Rich: Moving newbies to 401k’s would mean Social Security payments and no employee contributions into the system.]

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Ald. Gardiner Rejects Apartment Building Pitched For Edgebrook After Tense Meeting: More than 200 people crowded into the Edgebrook School gym to hear Drexel Properties’ plans for the commercial property at 5500 W. Devon Ave. Speakers who opposed the apartment building said it didn’t fit with the character of the neighborhood, would worsen already-bad traffic and create spillover traffic. Supporters said the project could help revitalize the neighborhood’s struggling downtown, bringing more foot traffic to businesses.

* Sun-Times | Starbucks to close hundreds of stores, lay off 900 workers. Here are some stores closing in Chicago: The company’s Edgewater store, at 5964 N. Ridge Ave., is among the locations closing Saturday, according to Starbucks Workers United. The labor group represents 12,000 baristas and recently won its 650th union election. Workers picketed outside the Edgewater store on Thursday morning. The rally was planned before Starbucks’ announcement. Workers had aimed to press for a fair contract with the company.

* Crain’s | Chicago crypto software firm Zerohash valued at $1B in new funding round: The funding values the company at $1 billion, making it one of a handful of venture capital-backed “unicorn” companies in Chicago. The cryptocurrency sector is taking off, fueled by the Trump administration’s embrace of the industry and regulations that have paved the way for traditional banks to get involved.

* Block Club | South Side Hotels Near Obama Center, XS Tennis Center Get City Council Approval: The 303-foot-tall building will feature a fifth-floor swimming pool, green roofs and outdoor terraces on the fifth, 13th and 20th floors. The developer owns three parcels at the development site, while the other two are city-owned. The city intends to sell its properties to the developer “at fair market value,” Planning Commissioner Ciere Boatright wrote to Plan Commission officials in January.

* WBEZ | The man behind the organ at the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel has been pulling the stops for 25 years: A great forest of zinc pipes — the longest of them stretching 16 feet — soars along the east chancel wall. All is quiet until Weisflog, hidden behind an oak console, goes to work, his fingers stroking keys and pulling stops. He reaches for a stop labeled “tuba mirabilis.” Thunderous notes fill the chapel, rattling the woodwork.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Arrests made after rooftop agents fire rubber pellets, tear gas at crowd outside Broadview ICE facility: Meanwhile, two people were led away in handcuffs as of about 11 a.m. and a black bus with tinted windows filled with apparent detainees left the facility around the same time. […] In turn, federal officers have often pushed demonstrators and fired rubber bullets and chemical munitions into crowds. Rubber pellets began flying through the air shortly after 8 a.m. A Sun-Times photographer was hit by one of the pellets and a window of a nearby business was broken by one of the projectiles about 9:45 a.m.

* Crain’s | Housing plan for long-vacant Solo Cup factory site in Highland Park advances: Seventeen years after the Solo Cup company closed its Highland Park factory, a plan to redevelop the 28-acre site with homes is headed for the city council next week. At 227 units, the Habitat Company’s proposal is less than half what another developer was proposing in 2018, initially 518 units and later increased to 534. It’s also less than the 262 units in the first-draft proposal Habitat unveiled in October 2024. The proposed units are all attached townhouses.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Oswego panel not in favor of residential project proposed for former site of Traughber Junior High School: The Oswego Planning and Zoning Commission recently recommended denial of concept plans to redevelop the old Traughber Junior High School site in the village into a 239-unit residential project. The commission’s primary concern at its meeting earlier this month was the density of the proposed redevelopment project. Oswego officials said the developer is working on site plan modifications based on public feedback before bringing the proposal to the Village Board, which has the final say on the project.

* Tribune | Paul Noland, a former judge and attorney who represented Tylenol amid 1982 cyanide poisonings, dies at 91: Paul Noland was a DuPage County judge who in his earlier career as an attorney represented the makers of Tylenol in the aftermath of the still-unsolved Chicago-area poisoning deaths in 1982 that were caused by drug tampering. Noland became involved representing the makers of Tylenol because Dave Collins, the chairman of Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil Consumer Products unit in 1982, had been close friends with Noland dating back to their high school days and also had been Noland’s college roommate.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | ISU president cites fiscal challenges, lauds campus achievements in annual address: “Institutional costs are rising at twice, twice! our rate of revenues,” said Tarhule, who called the situation “difficult.” Tarhule told the assembled crowd the financial pressures include state disinvestment in higher education, and a need for more affordable tuition, higher compensation, and new student support programs. He said cost containment, re-prioritizing funding, and improving student retention and graduation rates can all continue to help ISU address the pressures all colleges and universities face.

* STLPR | Illinois EPA says Bethalto water is safe, but residents want more done: After months of Bethalto residents dealing with brown water, tests by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency show the drinking water is safe. Three rounds of testing by the IEPA over the past few weeks found the drinking water in the Metro East community “meets all state and federal water quality standards,” according to a letter and subsequent results from the state agency. The early September letter addressed to state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Godfrey, and the latest results come as Bethalto residents have complained for months, or in some cases years, of brown water coming from their faucets and independent tests by concerned residents found elevated levels of manganese.

* WCIA | Ameren Illinois introducing new ‘smart switch’ devices in Vermilion Co.: On Thursday, Ameren announced it would be installing 69kV Viper®-HV reclosers, also known as “smart switches.” These devices detect problems on the electric system and help determine if power should be re-routed from another source. The introduction of these switches is aimed at modernizing Ameren’s electric grid in Vermilion County.

* WICS | University of Illinois homecoming draws over 60,000, boosting local businesses and economy: The University of Illinois will celebrate homecoming this weekend, and the Champaign-Urbana area is expecting thousands of visitors. The football game is sold out, and with FOX Big Noon Kickoff in town, events surrounding the game are also expected to be huge. From sold-out hotels to packed restaurants, this weekend is expected to bring in more than $4 million to Champaign-Urbana’s economy. It’s a sold-out weekend across the board.

*** National ***

* Crain’s | Medicaid cuts will deepen a growing strain on ERs treating gunshots: study: Annual costs for the initial emergency department and inpatient treatment of people injured by firearms nationwide ran about $1.2 billion a year from 2016 to 2019, but jumped to $1.6 billion in 2021. The 33% increase, researchers said, coincided with a rise in gunshot wounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s more, the annual cost of treatment for pediatric patients grew 54% from 2019 to 2021, the study said. The total cost of initial treatment of firearm injuries for U.S. hospitals was $7.7 billion from 2016 to 2021. Of those costs, more than half were billed to Medicaid.

* AP | Sinclair brings Jimmy Kimmel’s show back to its ABC-affiliated stations, ending blackout: “Our objective throughout this process has been to ensure that programming remains accurate and engaging for the widest possible audience,” Sinclair, which operates 38 ABC affiliates, said in a statement Friday afternoon. “We take seriously our responsibility as local broadcasters to provide programming that serves the interests of our communities, while also honoring our obligations to air national network programming.”

* NYT | Des Moines Schools Superintendent Detained by ICE, School Officials Say: Jackie Norris, the president of the board, she did not know why federal agents took Ian Roberts, the superintendent, into custody. Ms. Norris said that an associate superintendent, Matt Smith, would lead the system temporarily.

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Catching up with the congressionals

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Jesse Jackson Jr. is fundraising in DC as he explores running for the Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. Politico…

* The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund has endorsed Sen. Mike Simmons for the 9th CD…

Today, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to electing LGBTQ+ people at all levels of government, announces its endorsement of Illinois State Senator Mike Simmons in his race to represent Illinois’ ninth Congressional District.

“Mike Simmons is a proven leader and a time-tested champion for equality and for the communities he serves. His local, state and national work has driven change for communities of color, LGBTQ+ people, working families, and more” says Evan Low, President & CEO of LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. “We urgently need Mike’s voice in the U.S. House to combat radical-right-wing politics and anti-equality policy, and we know he will be a loud and proud voice for IL-09 in Washington.”

Simmons is a history-making elected official and an award-winning public servant. He is the first LGBTQ+ person elected to the Illinois State Senate. He has a long history of fighting for LGBTQ+ and other disenfranchised communities, including work on Capitol Hill and with the Obama Foundation. As State Senator, he has worked hand-in-hand with constituents and community organizers to pass over 50 pieces of legislation.

* Fox Chicago…

Federal agents used pepper pellets and gas canisters to disperse protesters outside the ICE facility in Broadview on Friday, where demonstrators were attempting to block operations tied to a recent enforcement sweep. […]

Bushra Amiwala, a congressional candidate who joined the protest, said she was struck by pepper pellets while attaching signs to a security fence.

“The residue that comes up makes it incredibly difficult to breathe,” Amiwala said. “There was nothing provoked on our side. The three of us were literally signing on the fence and we were the direct targets of the shooting.”

Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, who was also present, said agents fired without warning.

“We were standing here with a group of people literally doing nothing,” Biss said. ” There was no disturbance. There was no chaos. There was no effort to move a car in or out. They just shot at us as though for sport. They are trying to dominate and intimidate, and we are not going to be intimidated.”

…Adding… Bushra Amiwala…

U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents fired chemical agents and pepper bullets at peaceful protesters outside a federal facility in Broadview, Illinois on Friday morning. Bushra Amiwala, the first Gen Z elected official in the country and candidate for Illinois’ 9th district, was struck by the bullets. She released the following statement:

“Everything was peaceful before the pepper bullets. I was helping people tie handwritten notes of encouragement to detainees to the fence outside.”

“Then, I heard a popping sound from the rooftop. I saw a blur of projectiles in my peripheral vision. The pepper bullets exploded in front of me. I felt the sting of chemical irritants all over my skin. It was incredibly difficult to breathe. I couldn’t stop coughing. Residue from the pellets drenched my clothing, and you could see the powder all over my hijab. Everyone was in shock. This was an unprovoked assault. They indiscriminately fired upon people on the other side of a fence.”

“ICE agents have stopped trying to justify their use of violence against peaceful protesters, against law-abiding citizens and against our local leaders. Why? Because violence is the point. Cruelty is the point. Inflicting pain upon minorities and political opponents is the point. This was never about making us safer. If ICE cared about the safety of the American people, they wouldn’t behave this way.”

* Fox Chicago also interviewed 2nd CD candidate Sen. Robert Peters outside of the Broadview ICE facility…

* Meanwhile…

Friendly reminder that Dan Proft lives in Florida. His little show airs in Chicago.

And for the record, ICE is taking people from across Chicagoland—including Evanston—to this facility, which is why we need everyone to speak out about it. https://t.co/okc0U8lGO6

— Daniel Biss (@DanielBiss) September 26, 2025

* Wired profiled 9th CD candidate Kat Abughazaleh…

Early in the campaign, Abughazaleh’s relationship with former reporter Ben Collins, who became CEO of the Chicago-based satirical newspaper The Onion last year, came under the microscope. When the Chicago Tribune reported that the couple had rented an apartment for $4,000 a month when they first arrived in the city, it was a mini scandal. How dare these coastal elites splash out so extravagantly while Abughazaleh fashioned herself a woman of the people! (She acknowledges that Collins provides her a financial cushion; he’s also one of the campaign’s largest individual donors.)

The pair have since moved to a modest walk-up near Abughazaleh’s office. In an effort to prove that she’s not rich, Abughazaleh posted a photo of what she said was her checking account to social media: $4,947. She demonetized her social accounts when she started her run for office, so her only income comes from a Patreon account she set up solely to sell subscriptions for photographs of her orange cat, Heater. It brings in around $650 a month.

* Related…

Starved Rock Media | US Senate Candidates Vying To Replace Dick Durbin Will Speak In Utica:

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Wirepoints’ deficit spending continued as assets were further depleted ahead of staff exodus

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Earlier this month, Wirepoints announced that its president Ted Dabrowski would leave the organization to run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. The website’s founder Mark Glennon said he, too, would stop writing for the website and said their research director was leaving to work on Dabrowski’s campaign.

As I told you last year, the organization has been in some fiscal hot water.

* And those problems have persisted in the group’s latest 2024 IRS filing…

Investment income has dropped from $12,600 in 2023 to $4,122 last year.

Wirepoints has managed to reduce its deficit spending, but it persisted last year at $194K (down from $394K).

“Net assets or fund balances” plunged to just $64K, down from $258K in the previous year.

“Savings and temporary cash investments” were listed as $233K at the beginning of 2024, but that fell to a mere $232.00 by the end of the year.

“Loans and other payables to any current or former officer, director, trustee, key employee, creator or founder, substantial contributor, or 35% controlled entity or family member of any of these persons” were not reduced by the end of last year from the $68,400 claimed at the start of the year.

Dabrowski’s income was reduced to $85K last year, from $100K the year before. His average weekly work hours increased to a whopping 75 last year, from 40 the year before.

Discuss.

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Softball

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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It’s just a bill

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Illinois Economic Development Corp Chairman John Atkinson…

Recently, Illinois has developed significant economic development momentum by targeting projects in future-defining sectors while strengthening our established industries. Our unmatched infrastructure, diverse workforce, top-tier education, central location and coordinated strategy are helping fuel impactful growth and rewrite the narrative on our business climate. This turnaround is also a testament to the creativity and effectiveness of Gov. JB Pritzker and the General Assembly in creating incentives — such as the REV program, MICRO Act and AIM Credit, to name a few — that give CEOs the confidence to choose Illinois.

But in today’s marketplace, we need every tool available to continue winning. That’s exactly what a new bill, introduced by Rep. Jay Hoffman, assistant majority leader, would provide.

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

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

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

* Evanston Now…

Four key Illinois legislators say that the upcoming veto session in Springfield will end with a solution in place for the $771 million “fiscal cliff” facing Chicago-area mass transit. […]

Rep. Kam Buckner, another Chicago Democrat, said “we got the bill at 11:47 p.m.” on the last day of session, making it impossible to bring it to a vote.

However, both Democrats [Rep. Buckner and Sen. Ram Villivalam] agreed that there will be a vote, and a positive vote, later this fall.

Buckner pointed out that “some people are saying we can wait, but for the sake of our transit systems we have to get this done now. I think we will do it.” […]

Both Metra and PACE leaders are now saying they should be able to make it through 2026 with no service cuts, and CTA may be able to avoid cuts until midway through the year, in part because of increased internet sales tax revenue, which helps fund transit.

But Villivalam said the long-term needs are still very real, and the projected 40% service reductions without a cliff resolution are out there, even if they’re a bit farther away.

* WAND…

State lawmakers are reviewing multiple proposals to help lower utility bills and increase energy capacity during veto session. Storage will play a key role in any plan lawmakers try to pass next month.

Illinois could create virtual power plants by having solar-powered batteries installed at homes and commercial buildings. People would receive rebates if they purchase a battery and agree to let the state access the stored energy during some of the hottest days of the summer.

“With the help of this legislation, we can get a lot of storage online fast,” said Bryan McDaniel with the Citizens Utility Board. “Large scale battery storage can be deployed very quickly compared to traditional sources of power. This speed to market attribute is really important, as we are already experiencing the cost of inaction.”

Advocates said the Storage for All program would run similarly to the state’s Solar for All program. The state would also establish consumer protection requirements to prevent misleading marketing and abusive practices by vendors.

This legislation also calls on the Illinois Power Agency to conduct procurement events to award incentive contracts to energy storage developers, aiming to bring three gigawatts of new storage projects online by 2030 and six gigawatts by 2035.

* It’s not a bill…yet. Legal Action Chicago, Catholic Conference of Illinois, Citizen Action Illinois, Woodstock Institute and others…

The Illinois Supreme Court yesterday let stand an Appellate Court’s decision upholding an arbitrator’s decision allowing an out-of-state company to charge an Illinois resident 483% APR to borrow money – more than ten times the State’s 36% rate cap. The Supreme Court declined to take up the case, effectively allowing Illinois residents to be subject to the laws of the state where an online lender does business: in this case Utah.

Utah is considered the Wild West in the world of consumer lending. Predatory lenders set up shop there to enjoy the state’s lack of an interest cap. By contrast, consumers in Illinois are protected – or were meant to be protected – by the Predatory Loan Prevention Act (PLPA) – which caps the interest rate on consumer loans at 36%.

In this case, Silver Financial, a company doing business in Utah, made a loan to Joseph Morgan, an Illinois resident, with an APR of 483% in April 2022. Under the PLPA, that APR is illegal, and the loan is null and void on its face. Silver Financial was able to get away with charging whatever it wanted through two legal mechanisms: (1) forced arbitration, and (2) choice of law. “Forced arbitration” is fine print buried in a contract forcing you, the consumer, to take any disputes to arbitration, instead of court. “Choice of law” means the company gets to choose which state’s laws apply. In this case, the company chose…. You guessed it… Utah!

On June 30, 2023, an arbitrator found that the PLPA and the public policy of Illinois were inapplicable, and the Illinois Appellate Court for the 1st District, on February 4, 2025, affirmed the arbitrator’s decision, finding that applying Utah law did not violate the public policy of Illinois.

“It has long been common knowledge that you don’t forfeit your rights when you log on to your computer and shop on the internet, but like so many other things these days, a new normal is descending upon us,” said Brent Adams, Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy at Woodstock Institute. “The implications of this decision are not confined to consumer lending. We are routinely forced to sign arbitration clauses when deciding to receive goods or services from a particular company; cell phone service, internet, and credit cards, in addition to loans, are among the types of industries that use forced arbitration clauses. We are all at risk of being subject to an arbitrator who will enforce a ‘choice of law’ clause drafted by a company who wants to stack the deck in its favor.”

Illinois is not entirely powerless in this situation. The Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) issued a cease & desist order on May 19, 2025. Silver Financial had ten days to request a hearing and refused to do so. If Silver Financial is still offering loans to Illinois consumers, the Attorney General’s Office may go to court seeking an injunction to enforce IDFPR’s order.

Today, Mr. Morgan’s attorneys filed a Petition for Rehearing with the Illinois Supreme Court noting that IDFPR’s order is in direct conflict with the Appellate Court’s decision.

Meanwhile, this coalition is working with policy experts to develop state laws to stop forced arbitration. Another possible reform is to create a Restitution Fund funded by fines paid by other licensees. The Restitution Fund would be used to pay restitution to consumers who are harmed by financial predators who fall outside the State’s reach.

Unfortunately, the final takeaway is buyer beware. When you buy a good or service or borrow money over the internet, you are taking a risk. If something goes wrong, you might find yourself in arbitration with an arbitrator selected by the company applying the laws chosen by the company. The laws could be the laws of Utah, the Virgin Islands, Isle of Man, or China, and, if you lose, you might have no remedy or recourse.

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Competition Works: Lower Bills. Reliable Power. Say NO To Right Of First Refusal

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Illinois families are sweating through heat and higher electricity bills this summer. Across the Midwest, some relief from energy inflation is in the forecast. Thanks to competitive bidding, dramatically lower costs have resulted compared to no-bid Right of First Refusal (ROFR) proposals.

Here’s the proof:

$87 Million Saved

Fairport to Denny Transmission Line (MISO – Missouri)

• Competitive bidding cut MISO’s initial estimate from $161 million to just $74 million – saving Missouri Customers millions!

$6 Million Saved

Reid EHV to IN/KY Border Transmission Project (MISO)

$14 Million Saved

Matheson–Redbud Transmission Line (SPP – Oklahoma)

In many cases, incumbent utilities won these bids, proving that when they compete with other qualified builders, consumers win. It saves money and drives better results.

Competition Works.

Legislators should choose competition and protect Illinois families.

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Isabel’s morning briefing (Updated)

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Republican Darren Bailey launches second bid for governor with strategy to connect better with Chicago voters. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• WGLT: Republican Darren Bailey visits Bloomington as he joins race for governor a second time
• WMBD: Darren Bailey launches 2026 campaign for Illinois governor with statewide tour
• CNI: Darren Bailey enters Illinois governor’s race, pledging new approach to Chicago area

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Crain’s | Lead sponsor calls off vote to legalize video gambling in Chicago: Despite being advanced by the License & Consumer Protection Committee, Ald. Anthony Beale, 9th, told Crain’s he was delaying a vote to amend the legislation to allow the terminals in taverns in the hopes of shoring up more support. The ordinance was approved in committee over the objection of Mayor Brandon Johnson and opposition from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

* Evanston Now | Lawmakers optimistic on transit funding: Rep. Kam Buckner, another Chicago Democrat, said “we got the bill at 11:47 p.m.” on the last day of session, making it impossible to bring it to a vote. However, both Democrats agreed that there will be a vote, and a positive vote, later this fall. Buckner pointed out that “some people are saying we can wait, but for the sake of our transit systems we have to get this done now. I think we will do it.” The “wait awhile” school of thought is surfacing because the fiscal cliff may not be as imminent as originally projected.

* Sun-Times | Illinois braces for more patients as Wisconsin Planned Parenthood pauses abortions over Medicaid cuts: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and 22 other attorneys general took to the courts Thursday seeking to halt the administration from pulling the funding. “Without access to the medical care they receive at Planned Parenthood health centers, thousands of Americans will simply opt to defer or even forgo critical preventive care like screenings for cancer,” Raoul said in a news release.

*** Statewide ***

* WGLT | ‘Visionary leader’ Ryan Whitehouse remembered for his advocacy and service: Ryan Whitehouse, the Illinois Farm Bureau’s [IFB] director of national legislation, died Wednesday following an accident in Michigan. He was 43. “This is a tremendous loss, personally, of an amazing man. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and co-workers,” IFB President Brian Duncan said in a statement. “Ryan excelled in everything he did at Illinois Farm Bureau and throughout his work in the Bloomington-Normal community. He leaves a lasting impact and a true legacy of service.”

* Shaw Local | Illinois food banks worry USDA decision to stop tracking food insecurity will lead to people being overlooked: “Food banks and pantries rely on the USDA data to understand the scope and location of need,” Alex Hurd, executive director of the Kendall County Community Food Pantry in Yorkville, said in response to the USDA’s decision. “It may be harder to adequately prepare for and respond to an increase in demand.” The Kendall County Community Food Pantry serves not only Kendall County, but also DeKalb and La Salle counties. It serves an average of 450 families a week. “It may become more difficult for advocacy groups and nonprofits to demonstrate the need for increased funding or support for food assistance programs,” Hurd said. “When data is missing, it’s harder to make a strong case for investment in battling hunger.”

* Daily Herald | ISBE seeks feedback on first draft of numeracy plan: The Illinois State Board of Education will conduct a series of listening sessions across the state to gather feedback on the first draft of the Illinois Comprehensive Numeracy Plan, which will provide guidance to support educators, schools and districts in advancing student success in math. Educators, instructional coaches, administrators, regional offices of education, counselors, other education leaders and community partners are invited to participate in the listening tour.

*** Statehouse News ***

* The National Association of Social Workers Illinois Chapter…

At a time of deep division and growing threats to vital programs, the NASW-Illinois Chapter cannot afford to wait until petition season is over to act. The decisions made in the next few years will determine whether our state continues to support vulnerable families, protect critical services, and uphold our shared values.

That’s why the NASW-Illinois Chapter is taking the unprecedented step of making early endorsements for the 2026 election cycle. In this time of crisis, it is essential that we elect ethical leaders who understand the challenges facing our communities. There
is no better voice to lead that fight than a social worker. […]

As the only licensed social worker (LSW) currently serving in the Illinois State Senate, Senator Karina Villa has been a tireless advocate for social workers and the communities we serve. Her work has shaped policies that directly strengthen our profession and expand access to critical services across the state. […]

Join us in supporting Senator Karina Villa for Illinois Comptroller, a true champion for social workers and the communities we serve.

…Adding… Holly Kim for Comptroller…

Holly Kim, Lake County Treasurer and candidate for Illinois Comptroller, has been endorsed by four Illinois branches of the National Association of Letter Carriers – including two of the state’s largest, Branch 825 in Oak Brook and Branch 4016 in Tinley Park. As Treasurer, Kim is already doing the kind of fiscal oversight and accountability work that the Comptroller’s Office demands. Her experience is earning trust across the state with additional endorsements from Branch 2076 in Des Plaines and Branch 31 in Peoria.

“Coming out of the gate with strong union support is such an honor,” said Holly Kim, Candidate for Illinois Comptroller. “I’m grateful to the Letter Carriers for their endorsement. Together, we’re building a movement for working people of Illinois, and I’m ready to fight every day to make their voices heard.”

* Center Square | Illinois lawmaker, physician pushes back on Trump Tylenol announcement: State Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, is pushing back against the Trump administration’s handling of recent claims linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy to autism. He called the rollout “political” and “dangerous.” Hauter said the announcement lacked new evidence and contradicted established medical consensus. “There was no new evidence, only a rehashing of older studies that medicine has already addressed,” Hauter said. “If there was a true risk, the FDA would issue a black box warning. That hasn’t happened because the science doesn’t support it.” Hauter warned that telling women to avoid Tylenol during pregnancy could put mothers and babies at greater risk, since high fevers are a proven danger to fetal health.

* Press Release | Gov. Pritzker Joins Multi-State Launch of PJM Governors’ Collaborative to Increase State Representation to Address Electricity Affordability and Grid: “For far too long, PJM has made decisions with minimal input from the states, leaving families and businesses to bear skyrocketing energy costs and rising reliability risks,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I’m proud to join this bipartisan collective to ensure states have a meaningful voice in shaping the region’s energy future. Together, we’re sending a clear message that PJM must prioritize affordability, reliability, and accountability for the people it serves.”

* Crain’s | Pritzker forms panel to counter RFK Jr.’s autism data efforts: The group, created earlier this year by executive order, will provide the state with recommendations throughout next year. Pritzker’s order came in May following the first of what he referred to as concerning statements and proposals by U.S. Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including diminishing the abilities of people with autism and “the specter of a national autism patient registry.”

* The Southern | Brown pledges to represent Southern Illinois families on autism panel: “Honestly, I’m humbled and excited,” Brown said. “As a mom of a son with autism, this feels very personal. I want to make sure families like mine have a voice when it comes to protecting our kids’ information.” Brown, president and founder of the Autism Society of Southern Illinois, has been named to the advisory group established by Gov. JB Pritzker under Executive Order 2025-02. The panel will guide state policy on how autism-related data is used, with an emphasis on safeguarding privacy and protecting civil rights.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Chicago Fire net City Council approval for new South Loop stadium at The 78: The 22,000-seat stadium is being bankrolled by billionaire Chicago Fire owner Joe Mansueto, who pitched the new stadium project in June, but tens of millions of public dollars would still be needed to prepare the long-dormant site for development. City Council members, without debate, unanimously passed a zoning amendment allowing the new stadium to be built. Mansueto, a Chicago native who bought the Fire in 2019, hopes the soccer-only stadium will be ready in time for the 2028 season.

* Sun-Times | Veteran activist pleads for City Council’s help fighting pollution in Chicago neighborhoods: Johnson is pushing for an ordinance named after her late mother Hazel Johnson that would change the rules on how polluting businesses can locate in low-income communities of color. The proposed law would force the city to consider the health impact on neighborhoods, including Riverdale where Johnson lives, when new sources of pollution are added. The ordinance was introduced in April, is backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson and is an outgrowth of a federal civil rights investigation that found the city has long discriminated against its own residents who live in neighborhoods overburdened by air pollution and other health threats.

* Crain’s | Environmental zoning ordinance back on track, but opposition remains: Since being introduced in April, the measure has faced stiff resistance from the business community and organized labor and has been stuck in the Rules Committee, which blocks it from a vote, ever since. The Johnson administration circulated an amendment last week seeking to address those concerns, but opponents say further tweaks are needed. Those changes included seeking to clarify that a new board to review applications for industrial projects is only an advisory body and would not supersede city departments.

* Tribune | US Border Patrol boats dock along Chicago Harbor Lock as part of immigration blitz: It was not clear how long CBP officials planned to dock at the Army Corps facility, nor what their purposes in doing so may be. Lake Michigan is located entirely within the United States and is the only Great Lake without a foreign border.

* Tribune | Lawsuit accuses Loyola University Medical Center of doing risky organ transplants to boost revenue: Patrek Chase, former executive director for Loyola’s Solid Organ Transplant Programs and Outpatient Dialysis Clinic, alleges in the lawsuit that Loyola had area hospitals transfer “their sickest patients” for transplants. “Loyola would then list these patients on the organ donor list as status 1A, meaning the patient was unlikely to live more than a few days without a transplant,” the lawsuit said. “This put the patient at the top of the donation list, and they were regularly able to match with the needed organ.” But the Maywood hospital did not properly screen patients before carrying out the transplants, according to the lawsuit. Instead, the suit contends the hospital focused on billing and profitability, noting that Medicare would reimburse the hospital for discharging the patient “even if the reason for discharge was death.”

* Daily Herald | Judge rejects American’s pitch to retain gates at O’Hare: In a letter to employees, United President Brett Hart called the decision “a powerful validation of United’s growth, investment and incredible workforce here in our hometown of Chicago.” Chicago Department of Aviation Department officials said the decision allows the city to move forward with reallocating gates at O’Hare as planned. “Ensuring that gates are allocated effectively is essential to keeping O’Hare competitive, fostering growth, and providing travelers with more choices and better service,” CDA Communications Director Kevin Bargnes said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Protest heats up again outside Broadview ICE facililty: A group of protesters has swelled from a handful to at least two dozen by 6:30 a.m. outside the 25th Street entrance the facility, 1930 Beach St.. A handful are standing near the new silver gate that was erected earlier this week, some yelling toward passing vehicles on the other side of the gate.

* Sun-Times | Cook County’s top prosecutor is pushing for pretrial detention for anyone charged with machine-gun possession: Soon after taking office Dec. 1, O’Neill Burke said her prosecutors would seek pretrial detention for anyone charged with possession of a machine gun or an extended magazine — asking judges to keep them in jail while they await trial. She pointed to a “15-fold” increase in recoveries of weapons with illegal machine-gun conversion devices since 2019 in Chicago. Forty of the devices had been recovered in 2019. That figure rose to 604 in 2024, according to federal statistics.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County Board panel shoots down strategic plan contract cancellation idea, amid budget shortfall talks: Originally, the $100,000 for the strategic plan contract, which is included in the county board’s proposed budget, was set to be paid from the county’s general fund. The general fund, however, is facing a multimillion-dollar gap that the county board is attempting to close. When Kane County Board Chair Corinne Pierog presented the board’s proposed budget for the coming year, the board discussed how it was going to reduce a deficit in its budget, with the strategic plan contract coming up as one possible expense that could be paid for with other funds or terminated.

* Daily Southtown | State denies Orland Fire Protection District’s request to bring back ambulance at half capacity:
The Orland Fire Protection District board’s waiver request to put a district ambulance back in operation for 12 hours daily, after the district took the ambulance offline in June, was denied by the Illinois Department of Public Health, said board member Tina Zekich, which a spokesperson for the board president later confirmed. The board unanimously voted on July 22 to resume 12-hour daily operation of the ambulance after public concern over the district’s ability to respond to rising call volumes without the vehicle.

* Daily Herald | Top flight: Gurnee police are on the leading edge of drone technology: So when the theft report came in, police quickly deployed the drone from its climate-controlled base atop Gurnee Fire Station 1, located the suspect pedaling away from the business on a bicycle and tracked him until an officer could drive there and make an arrest. “It can get us to a location before an officer can arrive,” Detective Shawn Gaylor told us this week. “It’s like another officer we can use as a resource, but from the air.”

* Daily Herald | Charging stations coming to downtown Mundelein after all: The village board this week voted to amend the 2026 fiscal year budget to come up with $473,610 for the equipment. The budget initially included $135,000 for the project. The difference will be made up with grant funds and property tax revenue, Trustee Kara Lambert said during Monday’s board meeting at village hall. The budget change comes two weeks after the board agreed to a deal with Vernon Hills-based Powerlink Electric that covers the purchase and installation of the equipment.

*** Downstate ***

* WQAD | Mercer County School District superintendent, employees make first court appearance following arrests: Law enforcement officials announced Wednesday that Superintendent Tim Farquer and IT employees Amberly Norton and Andrea Long were arrested after allegedly accessing student medical records illegally. Norton and Long are sisters. Each is charged with unauthorized access to medical records (class A misdemeanor), computer tampering (class A misdemeanor) and official misconduct (class 4 felony). According to court documents, Norton and Long allegedly gained access to the unauthorized records in question on July 19, 2019, while Farquer did not access them until Sept. 1 of this year. The documents further allege that Farquer “demanded a school nurse to disclose vaccination information to him, compiled it into a Google document, and shared with an unauthorized individual.”

* Pontiac Daily Leader | Illinois grain tour brings global buyers to Midwest farms: The Illinois Department of Agriculture is preparing to host its second Illinois grain tour of 2025. The event will welcome international buyers from six countries including China, Vietnam, Egypt, Jordan, Singapore and the island of Mauritius, according to a community announcement. The four-day tour, scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 2, aims to foster relationships that could boost export sales of Illinois agricultural products. Last month, buyers from Latin American countries participated in a similar tour. This year, the groups were split due to the program’s success and the high number of interested participants.

* WAND | State regulators unanimously approve OSF Healthcare cuts: The Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board unanimously approved the plan 9-0 during a meeting Thursday. The cuts are part of OSF’s proposal from earlier this summer to merge its Urbana and Danville locations into one hospital with two campuses. State staff added that the services OSF plans to eliminate in Urbana are available at Carle Foundation Hospital, located one mile away.

* WAND | ‘We need so much food’: Northeast Community Fund counting on Decatur for WSOY Food Drive: “It’s a ton of food. I mean, we need so much food,” said Sharon Bunch, assistant director of the organization. “If every day was the 225 patrons coming through the door on the days we’re open, the market is only so big. [The market] is quickly depleted throughout the day as we have availability of products.”

* WCIA | Outgoing Decatur City Manager hired by Davenport, Iowa government: As the fallout continues in Decatur over the resignation of City Manager Tim Gleason, another city has announced it hired him for a position in its government. WCIA’s sister station, WHBF in the Quad Cities, reported that the City of Davenport, Iowa, announced its hiring of Gleason as its Interim City Administrator. He will serve in this capacity for six months starting in November, but Gleason has expressed interest in taking the position permanently.

*** National ***

* WaPo | Trump announces new tariffs on trucks, furniture and pharmaceuticals: In a post on social media, Trump said the new tariff for heavy trucks would be 25 percent and would seek to help companies such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner and Mack trucks. New import taxes of 50 percent will be imposed on “all Kitchen Cabinets, Bathroom Vanities, and associated products,” Trump added. Upholstered furniture will be subject to a 30 percent rate, he said.

* Politico | ‘Let’s have a trial’: Comey proclaims innocence as Trump revels in grand jury indictment he demanded: Comey has selected as his defense attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, a longtime friend, former U.S. Attorney in Chicago and former DOJ special counsel. “Jim Comey denies the charges filed today in their entirety. We look forward to vindicating him in the courtroom,” Fitzgerald said in a statement.

20 Comments

Open thread

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

13 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Addendum to today’s edition

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Live coverage

Friday, Sep 26, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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340B Program Savings Help Patients In Need – Vote YES On HB 2371 SA 2

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Every day, hospitals go above and beyond for their patients. Take the case of a critically ill patient who received 47 days of care at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria for a serious brain infection. The patient had no insurance, so the hospital’s care team coordinated a Medicaid application.

At discharge, the patient needed antibiotics and antiviral drugs costing $16,000 for self-pay, which the hospital could offer for $12,000 through the federal 340B program. It was still beyond the patient’s means, so the hospital secured a donor to cover the cost.

While hospitals are working to ensure the best possible patient outcomes, pharmaceutical companies are devising ways to limit the positive impact of the 340B program, which was created to increase access to care and enhance healthcare services for uninsured and low-income patients.

In just one year, OSF HealthCare experienced a 31% decrease in drug discount savings because of drugmaker restrictions, such as limiting hospitals to only one contract pharmacy within a defined mileage radius. “The reduction in revenue directly impacts our ability to consistently fund programs aimed at improving access to healthcare in our rural communities or fund patient assistance programs,” the health system said.

Vote YES on House Bill 2371 SA 2 to support optimal health for Illinoisans. Learn more.

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ABC Chicago…

A man says he was hit by a pick-up truck near the ICE processing facility in Broadview Wednesday night. […]

“Broadview police officer requested to speak with the ICE agent who had claimed to witness the incident. The agents at the gate post stated they were unaware of any such agent and had no knowledge of an agent being involved in striking a pedestrian,” police said in a statement.

Broadview police said as they were investigating, ICE agents began deploying pepper balls toward protesters.

“The deployment of pepper spray began affecting Broadview officers. Due to visibility issues and no further identification of a suspect vehicle, we departed the scene without further incident,” police said.

Jose Ocegueda said he was walking to a gas station when he said the truck drove up on the sidewalk and hit his friend.

* DuPage County Forest Preserve Commissioner Tina Tyson-Dunne is running for Rep. Terra Costa Howard’s House seat…

We told you this morning DuPage County Board member Lynn LaPlante has thrown her hat in the ring for the 42nd House District. Glen Ellyn Trustee Sonia Bhagwakar has also applied for the replacement appointment and is prepared to run for the seat.

* US Senate candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi is out with more endorsements…

Today, a dozen current and former elected leaders from across the Quad Cities region announced their endorsement of Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate, adding to his long and growing list of downstate supporters backing his Senate bid. […]

New Quad Cities endorsements include:

- Rock Island County Treasurer Nick Camlin
- Blackhawk Township Supervisor & Rock Island County Board Member Chuck Layer
- Rock Island Township Supervisor John Brandmeyer
- South Rock Island Township Supervisor Grace Diaz Shirk
- Moline Township Supervisor Bonnie Johnson
- Hampton Township Supervisor Gail McIntyre
- Moline Alderperson James Patrick Schmidt
- Moline Alderperson Matt Timion
- Moline Alderperson Dan McNeil
- Rock Island Township Trustee Vince Thomas
- Former Rock Island County Treasurer Louisa Ewert
- Former Rock Island County Board Chair Jim Bohnsack

These officials join a growing roster of Quad Cities leaders supporting Raja — including Moline Mayor Sangeetha Rayapati and former Congressman Phil Hare, both of whom hosted Raja to kick off his Summer Listening Tour in Moline.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson’s plan to remake City Council leadership crumbles: A Rules Committee meeting scheduled this morning ahead of the full City Council was delayed by over two hours as the Latino Caucus and other council members scrambled at City Hall to revive a lineup proposal that only came together this week before “crashing and burning,” according to Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th. During the meeting, Walter “Red” Burnett was unanimously confirmed to take over the 27th ward seat and was sworn in with his hand on the bible of his father and predecessor, former Ald. Walter Burnett, but no committee chairmanships were voted on.

* CBS Chicago | Homeless shelter on Chicago’s North Side offering first-of-its-kind dorm room model: Shelter leaders said providing clients with their own personal space offers much more than a place to sleep inside a former Rogers Park medical clinic. “It’s just a stepping stone. It’s just a place to help me move forward in life,” Resident Ray Smith said. Instead of sleeping in a large room on cots like other men’s shelters, the residents share a room with one other person.

* Block Club | Vacant Pilsen Lot Could Become Affordable Housing For Seniors Under Developer’s Plan: Developer Teo Scorte plans to build a seven-story, 106-unit apartment building for people 55 and older at 1606 S. Wolcott Ave. All apartments would be rented at affordable rates and all units would meet accessibility standards, Rolando Acosta, the developer’s lawyer, said at a community meeting Monday. The building, dubbed Casa Bienestar, would have 94 one-bedroom and 12 two-bedroom units. People 55 and older whose income is at 30, 60 and 80 percent of the area median income could apply. Rents would range from $675 to $1,800, Acosta said.

* Block Club | As Domestic Violence Surges, City Funding To Fight Crisis Set To Drop Dramatically: During the hearing convened by the council’s Committee on Health and Human Services, advocates representing a range of local organizations pushed alderpeople to support a significant increase in resources for gender-based violence services. Mayor Brandon Johnson is expected to release his 2026 budget recommendations next month, which will kick off weeks of discussions and negotiations with City Council members. Overall violence in the city has decreased significantly in recent years, according to Chicago police figures. Yet domestic violence remains higher than pre-pandemic levels, Ald. Daniel La Spata (1st) noted at the hearing.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools enrollment drops, preliminary data show: Chicago Public Schools enrollment has dipped to roughly 313,000 this fall — a decrease of about 12,000 students, assuming preliminary data analyzed by Chalkbeat holds steady until the 20th day of school on Sept. 15 when the district takes its official count. The early numbers, which are posted publicly on the CPS school profiles and updated daily based on the district’s student record system, show drops in the number of English language learners and Black students.

* WTTW | ‘Lights Out,’ Chicago. Bird Migration Will Be Intense Thursday Night and Millions Need Safe Passage: Half a billion birds will be on the move across the U.S. tonight as migration begins to hit its peak, with some 25 million expected to pass over Illinois, putting the entire state on high alert to reduce collision risks. That means “lights out” for all non-essential outdoor lighting between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Shades should be closed, as well.

* Tribune | Leo High School finishes in 4th place for ‘America’s Got Talent’: After months of competing for first place on “America’s Got Talent,” the Leo Catholic High School choir fell just short at the conclusion of the NBC reality talent show’s 20th season, broadcast Wednesday night. The all-boys choir from the South Side Catholic school placed fourth. Singer Jessica Sanchez was crowned the winner.

* Sun-Times | Chicago musicians leave Spotify over concerns about data privacy and AI: In an open letter published on Monday, the artists cite CEO Daniel Ek’s venture capital investment in and chairmanship of Munich-based military AI company Helsing, Spotify’s compensation model for artists, the proliferation of unlabeled AI-generated music, and the company’s algorithm-driven model that relies heavily on user data collection as core reasons. The authors of the letter point to journalist Liz Pelly’s book “Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist,” released in January, as a significant influence.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora to hold its last Food Truck Festival of the year on Friday: The summer Food Truck Festival held on July 18 received strong support after being offered for the first time, city officials said. The summer event joined the longstanding spring Food Truck Festival held during the first week in May. The fall Food Truck Festival set for Friday is the second year an autumn version of the event will be held. Similar to the summer event, organizers said the Food Truck Festival on Friday will offer about 35 vendors with a large number not seen before in Aurora. Aurora Community Events Coordinator Christina DiCristofano said adding new faces “is a way to make sure we keep things interesting.”

* Naperville Sun | People giving up pets for financial reasons need help, DuPage officials say: The problem, they said, is more people are facing economic crisis and are unable to keep their pets. Whether because of the high cost of pet fees in rental housing, the fast-rising price of veterinary care or other reasons, many pet owners are making the difficult decision to surrender their animals. “People can no longer afford their pets,” said Marc Ayers, Illinois state director for Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States. “There are so many reasons — mainly economic — that are creating the situation that people can no longer have a pet in their home. And so they’re making that decision to surrender.”

*** Downstate ***

* BND | Is Collinsville’s water safe? City changes its answer after new PFAS tests: Collinsville has reversed its previous guidance that the city’s drinking water is safe after new tests revealed rising levels of so-called “forever chemicals” in groundwater and treated water, which exceed federal limits. The city is now recommending that residents filter city tap water before drinking or cooking with it, contrary to assurances it gave just five months ago. Exposure to the contaminants known as PFAS has been linked to certain types of cancer, fertility and child development issues and other health problems.

* PJ Star | City of Peoria wins Exposition Gardens property at public auction: The winning bid of $1.2 million comes one day after the Peoria City Council gave Urich the approval to spend up to $2 million on the property. Peoria’s aim for the more than 70-acre property, which sits at 1601 Northmoor Road, is to bid it out to housing contractors in hopes of seeing up to 200 homes constructed there, Urich said Wednesday.

* WGLT | Industry leaders convene in Normal to talk economic challenges facing Illinois truckers: Matthew Hart became the executive director of the Illinois Trucking Association [ITA] in 2011 and has since been working to bring awareness to freight companies on economic shifts. The nonprofit organization holds an annual meeting in various locations to connect owners and employees of trucking companies from all around. Hart said his focus remains in Springfield and Washington, D.C. “That’s one of the key things that our members ask us to do—to be their voice in Springfield because they’re all running trucking companies back home,” Hart said.

* WSIL | Drought-breaking rain brings some relief to farmers: Leon McClerren, a farmer in Franklin County, said the biggest benefit of the rain right now is the reduced fire danger in Southern Illinois. The rainfall, although welcome, comes after irreversible damage has already been done. “We would normally see this whole field maturing evenly,” McClerren says. “So we are going to be impacted on the timing of harvest because we’re going to have plants like these versus plants like these right here that are still very green.”

* WCIA | Another burglary suspect arrested with help of Sangamon Co. drone: When deputies arrived, Wilhite said they deployed the Sheriff’s Office drone to assist in the search for the suspect. Using a thermal imaging camera, the drone’s operator located the suspect lying in the field and directed deputies on the ground to his position.

*** National ***

* VICE | Concert Tickets Aren’t Expensive Enough Actually, Says Live Nation CEO: Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino recently claimed that concert tickets should cost way more, actually, while speaking at CNBC and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference. According to Rapino, who has a net worth of $997.1 million, concert tickets have been “underpriced” for “a long time.” Rapino compared popular concerts to sports games, insinuating that sports fans actually enjoy spending thousands of dollars on tickets. By this logic, concertgoers should embrace higher prices, or at least learn to like it.

* AP | Starbucks to close hundreds of stores, lay off 900 workers as part of turnaround plan: The company wouldn’t give a number of stores that are closing, but the bulk of the closures appear to be in the U.S. and Canada. Starbucks said it expects to have 18,300 North American locations when its fiscal year ends on Sunday. As of June 29, the company had 18,734 locations. In a research note Thursday, TD Cowen analyst Andrew Charles estimated Starbucks will close around 500 North American stores in its fiscal fourth quarter.

* The Atlantic | The Black Hole That Could Rewrite Cosmology: In the deep sky, beyond the most ancient fully formed galaxies, astronomers have now found a mysterious and colossal object that may be a primordial black hole. Earlier this month, a team of them posted an analysis of the object based on observations made by the James Webb Space Telescope. If their account holds up, the standard view of how the universe evolved will need serious revamping.

6 Comments

Some bold polling claims

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This is a bold statement, considering Bean is only receiving support from 10 percent of voters in her own poll…

Former Congresswoman Melissa Bean is the clear front-runner in the Democratic primary election for Illinois’s 8th Congressional District.

* The results…

In a field of nine candidates where none is well known or has a base of support, Bean leads with 10% of the vote, followed by Junaid Ahmed at 8%, Kevin Morrison at 5%, Yasmeen Bankole at 3%, Dan Tully at 3%, and Neil Khot and other candidates at 1% each.

Um, Bean was in Congress and she’s only two points ahead of Junaid Ahmed in a poll with a margin of error of ±4.9 percent?

Like I said: bold.

* More…

She begins with a lead that only increases as voters get more engaged. […]

In a race this open, simulating later stages of the race, when voters have more information, is crucial to understanding where a race wants to go. In the IL-08 Democratic primary, it wants to break towards Melissa Bean.

When voters hear just the current job and the hometown of all nine candidates, Bean’s lead doubles to 20%.

Curious whether the poll said she is CEO of Mesirow Wealth Advisors. Also, home town? That’s a question?

* More…

Moreover, when we simulated communication for the five candidates in the race who have or will raise significant resources, Melissa Bean dominates. She gains another 11 points up to 31% and separates herself from the pack.

No disclosure about what that “simulated communication” was.

* Politico…

The survey also shows 68 percent of voters remain undecided, according to the polling memo obtained by Playbook.

Not saying at all that Bean won’t or can’t win. Just saying I got a chuckle out of reading these bold claims.

11 Comments

Stratton breaks from Schumer

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

*** UPDATE *** This story was originally about the bland sameness of the three major US Senate candidates in Illinois. But Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s US Senate campaign sent me the full statement they gave to Politico. She has most definitely shifted…

While I respect and applaud the work that Senator Schumer has done, I also believe it is time for new leadership and new ideas – that’s why I’m running for Senate. Voters have made it clear that they are looking for something different from Democrats, and I think they are right.

Emphasis added.

And Stratton said this to the Washington Post…

“While I respect and applaud the work that Sen. Schumer has done, I also believe it is time for new leadership and new ideas,” Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a Democratic Senate candidate in Illinois, said in a statement. “I do not agree with every decision Sen. Schumer has made — particularly his approach to the budget vote in the spring.”

So, I changed the headline.

[ *** End Of Update *** ]

* Late last month, I asked the three major Democratic US candidates if they would vote for Chuck Schumer as the Senate’s Democratic/chamber leader (depending on the outcome of national races). As I told you at the time, I figured there wouldn’t be a whole lot of space between them, but thought there could be a chance that somebody might stand out.

They all blandly dodged the question, as I mostly expected.

* Politico (national, not state) took that an entirely different way…

Chuck Schumer is losing support among a key constituency: The Democrats who want to join his caucus.

In Maine, four of the Democrats running to unseat the GOP’s most vulnerable senator have already pledged not to support Schumer as leader. Three other candidates refused to commit.

In Illinois, the three leading Democrats vying to succeed Schumer’s retiring No. 2 say they’re keeping their options open.

~~Their answers were similar to what they gave me.~~

Non-committal may be a news story in DC, but here it’s just a sign that the three major candidates won’t stick their necks out on almost anything. And as long as that continues, the person spending the most money (Raja) has the best shot at winning.

Also, some of the folks Politico talked to were downright hostile to Schumer. ~~Not so here.~~

This reminds me of the 2020 Illinois House races, when most Democratic candidates just issued bland, non-committal statements about Speaker Madigan. Most every one of them voted for Madigan in the first round, but he came up short because 19 Democrats stood firm and the House wound up with a different Speaker.

* I’ve been spending quite a bit of time in the Quad Cities area the past couple of months because I need to be with my parents (for the first time, I’m missing the annual Illinois vs. Missouri legislative softball game at Busch Stadium tonight for that very reason).

Anyway, Raja is all over the TV airwaves here. It’s quite something.

Speaking of which, here’s a Raja Poll…

In a recent survey of 1,143 likely voters in next year’s Democratic primary in Illinois, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi continues to expand his large lead over his closest opponent. Raja heads into October leading the field by 24 points.

All publicly-released polling shows the same trend: Raja is continuing to grow his lead, increasing his margin from 13 points in early June, to 20 points in mid-August, to now 24 points in mid-September.

Raja’s advantage in this race is broad. He leads among men and women, across the ideological spectrum, and both inside and outside of the Chicago media market.

I’ve had this poll for a few days, but forgot to post it. Methodology…

Polling was conducted online from September 17-19, 2025. Drawn from a list of past Democratic primary voters and using Dynamic Online Sampling and SMS text messaging to attain a representative sample, Change Research polled 1,143 potential Democratic primary voters in Illinois. Post-stratification was performed on age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and region. The survey has a margin of error of 3.0 percentage points.

17 Comments

Bailey launches 2026 campaign for governor, DPI labels him ‘extreme MAGA Republican’ (Updated)

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Former state senator Darren Bailey kicks off his second run for governor today with three campaign stops…

His 6 pm campaign appearance at Oakbrook’s Drake Hotel will be live-streamed on BlueRoomStream.com.

* The Democratic Party of Illinois reacted…

Today, Donald Trump wannabe Darren Bailey made it official: he’s in. In response, the Democratic Party of Illinois issued the following statement:

“After being rejected by Illinoisans across the state for his extreme views, this supposedly new and improved Darren Bailey is back for another run for Governor. He may have deleted his most extreme Facebook posts and videos, but Illinois voters haven’t forgotten: Darren Bailey is an extreme MAGA Republican, a Donald Trump loyalist, and has no business anywhere near the Governor’s Office.”

Bailey’s destructive record speaks for itself: cozying up to fringe extremists, supporting abortion bans, cheering on Trump’s Tariffs that raise prices for Illinois families, and voting against increased funding for public schools and law enforcement.

And he’s not alone. In this race to the bottom, Bailey joins Ted Dabrowski, who managed to accelerate the collapse of a failing nonprofit, a county sheriff whose fundraising numbers would be impressive only in a countywide race, and a little-known conspiracy theorist.

* So did the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association…

The state of Illinois got a jump scare this morning when perennial loser Darren Bailey announced he is once again running for Governor. Fresh off a failed Congressional run where his biggest “achievement” was securing the endorsement of former Congressman and accused sex offender Matt Gaetz – Bailey has decided it’s time to lose another race.

“If this three-time loser is Republicans’ best option to challenge a wildly popular incumbent Democrat…” says IDCCA President Mark Guethle, “Fine by us!”

Bailey’s campaign is shaping up to be a rerun of his greatest hits: attacking reproductive rights, parading weapons of war through otherwise peaceful towns, and groveling for approval from his authoritarian idol, Donald Trump. He celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, voted against the Reproductive Health Act while in the General Assembly, and even claimed that abortion is “worse than the Holocaust.” He peddled Trump’s lies of election fraud, invited nepo-baby Donald Trump Jr. to headline a fundraiser, and called for Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Johnson to be imprisoned for opposing Trump’s threats of militarization of Chicago.

Despite his claims of hyper-conservative and “pro-family” policies, Bailey seems eager to hitch his wagon to Trump once more, even amid the storm of Epstein drama surrounding the President. “For a guy who touts conservative values and family-focus, he sure does love to seek approval from accused sex criminals and flaunt the weapons that are killing our school children,” added IDCCA President Mark Guethle. “I’ve got a feeling this race will go the same as the last two.”

* Illinois comptroller candidate Rep. Margaret Croke…

Darren Bailey is a MAGA extremist who wants to take away a woman’s right to choose & reverse our assault weapons ban. An Illinois led by him is not where I want my 3 kids growing up. I’ll always support Gov. Pritzker because he’s fighting for the best future our children deserve.

— Margaret Croke (@crokeforIL) September 25, 2025

…Adding… DGA…

DGA spokesperson Izzi Levy released the following statement in response to Darren Bailey launching another run for governor in Illinois:

“Darren Bailey has returned for another attempt to drag Illinois backwards and bring Donald Trump’s chaotic, destructive, and deeply unpopular agenda to the state. Bailey’s toxic record includes opposing sensible measures to reduce gun violence, aligning himself with the far-right, and supporting extreme plans to ban abortion.

“On the other hand, Governor Pritzker has delivered for Illinois families. Under his bold leadership, Illinois has secured major economic development projects, created good-paying jobs, expanded access to affordable health care, made historic investments in education, and eliminated the state tax on groceries.

“Bailey’s nothing more than Donald Trump’s puppet and has already proven why he’s too extreme to be governor.”

40 Comments

Maybe it’s time for these owners to sell their teams?

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Ridiculous…

Please sell the team, Jerry.

The Sox are not close to the in-a-row-record yet, but they are one more 100+ loss season away from the four in a row by the New York Mets expansion team.

* On the other end of the financial spectrum…

The NFL’s finance committee approved the sale of 2.35% of the Chicago Bears to existing owners of the team in a deal that sets a league record and values the Bears at $8.9 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter.

The deal closed several days ago, according to one of the people.

The stake was held by the estate of Andrew McKenna, according to two people familiar with the deal. McKenna died in 2023.

The Bears were valued at $6.4 billion just a year ago in CNBC’s Official NFL Team Valuations — No. 10 among the league’s 32 teams.

Time to cash in, McCaskey fam.

Your thoughts?

39 Comments

It’s just a bill

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* WTVO…

State Representative Kam Buckner is introducing a bill to address outdated recidivism data in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The bill aims to modernize the department’s systems and ensure that recidivism rates are updated regularly. Currently, the state prisons report that nearly 37% of inmates reoffend within three years of release, but this data has not been updated in over two years due to a computer programming issue.

“The prison system is ‘flying blind’ when it comes to tracking recidivism rates,” said State Representative Kam Buckner. […]

Buckner’s bill would require the department to not only fix the existing issues but also to implement a system that ensures regular updates to the recidivism data.

* Daily Herald…

While individual suburbs should have a role in specifying local laws on e-bikes and e-scooters, they optimally would start from the state’s general guidance, according to a panel of experts at a Northwest Municipal Conference summit Monday. […]

“The state has to fill in the gaps with one set of rules that are consistent,” said Benjamin Schuster, a partner in the law firm of Elrod Friedman, which specializes in local government legal issues.

Dave Simmons, director of Ride Illinois, said his advocacy organization has identified the issue as its top priority for the 2026 legislative session.

“I think the state can really help solve this,” he said. “Because these things are new, regulation always trails.” […]

Simmons said Ride Illinois’ recommendation to suburbs that haven’t taken action is to wait out the coming winter to see what the state legislature will do.

I reached out to Dave Simmons to get a better sense of what the legislation could include. His response…

Ride Illinois’ current focus is e-motos - devices with electric motors greater than 750 watts capable of traveling faster than 20mph without pedaling. E-motos have been the subject of recent media appearances and the focus of the Guidance that Ride Illinois developed for municipalities. High speed (>10mph) e-scooters are often included in the same discussions and are part of the micromobility landscape that the state and municipalities are figuring out how to integrate.

At this time, Ride Illinois’ primary goal is to clearly distinguish between legal classes of e-bikes and e-motos in the Illinois Vehicle Code – and also in common lexicon and the public. One option that has been discussed is to expand the current definition of moped in the Illinois Vehicle Code to include e-motos. Doing so would also require a Class L or M driver’s license to operate an e-moto.

Regarding potential sponsors for legislation, we’ve been in touch with several legislators regarding this matter – all of whom have expressed interest in sponsoring legislation. Though, it’s too soon to confidently name reps or senators who may sponsor a bill. We hope to have more clarity in the next week or so, especially since there’s some interest in passing legislation during the fall veto session.

* Sen. Michael Hastings…

In the wake of insurance rate hikes throughout Illinois, State Senator Michael E. Hastings has filed legislation aiming to prohibit insurance companies from engaging in “cost shifting” and to strengthen protections for Illinois consumers against unfair insurance rates. […]

Cost shifting is the practice of passing the costs of out-of-state catastrophes, such as hurricanes, wildfires or floods, onto Illinois policyholders. Hastings’ measure is designed to address this practice by ensuring residents are not forced to subsidize disasters outside the state’s borders.

In addition to banning cost shifting, Senate Bill 2692 would set standards to ensure rates are not excessive or unfairly discriminatory. The measure would require that rates reflect actual risk and costs for Illinois consumers. Rates are considered unfairly discriminatory when price differences between policyholders cannot be reasonably explained by differences in risk or expenses. […]

Hastings also filed separate legislation, Senate Bill 2691, directing the Illinois Department of Insurance to study the effect of banning non-driving factors in rate-setting, including education, credit scores and occupation. The study would determine whether eliminating these factors could reduce costs for consumers while preserving a competitive market.

* Rep. Lisa Davis filed HB4131 last week. Synopsis…

Amends the Election Code. Provides that a political committee may make expenditures to provide for personal security services and security enhancements to a candidate’s personal home or office, including, but not limited to, security systems, cameras, walls, fences, or other physical structures, if the expenditures are reasonably related to protecting the candidate from harm. Provides that the provision applies to all expenditures made by a political committee after the 2024 general election. Makes a conforming change.

* Canary Media…

Illinois could start turning homes and businesses into “virtual power plants” with solar-powered batteries aiding the grid. […]

HB 4120, an ambitious bill that Illinois lawmakers may consider during an October veto session, would create a basic virtual power plant (VPP) program while mandating that the state’s two largest utilities — ComEd and Ameren — propose their own VPP programs by 2027.

The bill’s plan would offer a rebate to customers who purchase a battery, if they agree to let the battery be tapped for several hours a day during the summer months, when air conditioners drive up electricity use.

The Illinois proposal is less nuanced and comprehensive than VPP programs in other states. For example, in Vermont, Green Mountain Power subsidizes the purchase of batteries, which the utility can then tap while also controlling customers’ smart thermostats, EV chargers, and water heaters whenever the grid is stressed.

But stakeholders in the solar and energy storage industry say Illinois’ proposal is an important first step, opening the door for more ambitious VPP services.

Rep. Jay Hoffman introduced HB4120 earlier this month.

* Subscribers know more. WAND…

Some Democratic lawmakers believe Illinois should be the first state to require voting for all eligible residents. A plan in Springfield would treat voting as a civic duty.

State leaders estimate there are fewer than 10 million people eligible to vote in Illinois. Roughly 8.1 million Illinoisans are registered to vote, but only 5.7 million people cast ballots in the 2024 general election.

“That reality raises an important question for us as elected leaders,” said Rep. Maurice West (D-Rockford). “What can we do as a state to foster greater and more consistent participation in the Democratic process?” […]

“Part of our electoral process and part of being a free people is the right not to engage,” said Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis). “We have the freedom of speech. We also have the freedom not to speak.” […]

House Bill 2718 was filed in February but never moved out of the House Ethics & Elections Committee. The proposal has been locked in the House Rules Committee since March. Sponsors hope the idea will gain traction over the coming months.

44 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Immigration Enforcement Conditions Placed on Federal Disaster Aid for Illinois and Other States ‘Unconstitutional,’ Judge Rules. WTTW…

* Related stories…

• Reuters: US judge blocks Trump from tying states’ disaster aid to immigration enforcement
• NYT: Federal Judge Rejects Administration Efforts to Tie State Disaster Funds to Immigration Cooperation

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If you know of someone who is struggling to pay their energy bill, please encourage them to visit www.AmerenIllinois.com/PathToSavings for information on available financial assistance and energy saving programs.

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | NFL approval of Bears’ sale of minority stake raises valuation to $8.9 billion: report: The Bears are valued at $8.9 billion after the NFL approved the sale of a minority stake in the team, CNBC reported Wednesday. It’s the highest official valuation for any team in the league, though CNBC’s unofficial estimates have six other teams ahead of them: the Cowboys ($12.5 billion), Rams ($10.7 billion), Giants ($10.5 billion), Raiders ($9.3 billion), Patriots ($9.3 billion) and Jets ($9.1 billion).

* WTVO | Illinois prisons face criticism over outdated recidivism statistics: State Representative Kam Buckner is introducing a bill to address outdated recidivism data in the Illinois Department of Corrections. The bill aims to modernize the department’s systems and ensure that recidivism rates are updated regularly. Currently, the state prisons report that nearly 37% of inmates reoffend within three years of release, but this data has not been updated in over two years due to a computer programming issue.

* WCIA | U of I study finds majority of Illinois wetlands no longer federally protected: From their research, the team estimated that about 72% of Illinois’ remaining wetlands is non-WOTUS — meaning that it is not protected by the Clean Water Act. 79.5% of non-WOTUS wetlands have no alternate protections from county, state or federal regulations, the researchers added.

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | New federal clean energy policies hamper some Illinois companies: At the start of 2024, clean energy was projected to be one of the fastest-growing parts of the U.S. economy. But new federal policies threaten the growth of clean energy jobs and the country’s economic health, said a new report from E2, a Washington, D.C.,-based nonpartisan business group. In 2024, Illinois ranked 10th in the nation for clean energy jobs with 132,239 across sectors, such as solar, electric vehicles, wind, battery storage and biofuels, E2 said. The state had nearly 10,000 wind energy jobs, second only to Texas. Since 2020, clean energy jobs in Illinois have grown more than 15%. But new federal policies that revoke clean energy incentives, cancel permits and add red tape puts the sector’s growth “at serious risk,” according to E2’s report released last week.

*** Statehouse News ***

* With Rep. Terra Costa Howard appointed circuit judge, DuPage County Board member Lynn LaPlante is first in the 42nd House District race…

* Fox2 Now | Illinois Republicans admit impeachment effort of Pritzker likely to go nowhere: State Representative David Friess is among the nine of 40 Republican House members who have now signed onto the impeachment resolution. […] He expects the resolution to be discussed on the House floor but admits it likely will never come up for a vote with a Democrat supermajority in control of the General Assembly.

* Center Square | Illinois lawmakers clash over election consolidation and compulsory voting: State Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, warned that mandatory voting could erode core freedoms. “Part of our electoral process and part of being a free people is the right not to engage,” Windhorst told the committee. “We have the freedom of speech. We also have the freedom not to speak. We can encourage voting without making it compulsory.”

* NBC Chicago | GOP candidates for governor call for repeal of Illinois TRUST Act: Darren Bailey, who is set to launch his candidacy for governor this week, said in a statement: “The TRUST Act has been an unmitigated disaster for our state. The idea that law enforcement would be directed to not cooperate with federal agents is a testament to how politics has crept into the basic functions of our government. We need to repeal this terrible policy and return to sanity in our state.”

*** Chicago ***

* CNN | Trump administration to hold back millions from NYC, Chicago and DC area school districts over transgender policies: Chicago schools were further told to abolish a program that provides remedial academic resources to Black students, which Trainor labeled “textbook racial discrimination.” School officials estimated a total of about $8 million would be lost for initiatives that have expanded staffing, technology and enrichment opportunities like field trips and after-school programming.

* Sun-Times | Trump administration pulls millions from Chicago Public Schools: In relation to the district’s roughly $10 billion budget, the grant is relatively small. But pulling this funding could signal the Trump administration’s willingness to come after more of the district’s federal funding, which is projected to make up around $1 billion of the district’s 2026 budget. Just a week ago, Trainor demanded CPS take action to change these policies, which he maintains discriminate against non-Black students and students who do not identify as transgender. Trainor first gave CPS til Friday Sept. 19 and then Tuesday Sept. 23 to comply.

* Capitol News Illinois | Durbin hopes to meet with ICE this week about Chicago-area raids: Durbin said there is a “chance” that changes this week, adding he has a lot of “basic” questions for ICE. “What’s happening to the people that you’re sweeping off the streets, the detainees?” Durbin said. “Many times, their families don’t know what happened to them and can’t come up with any information as to where they’re even located.”

* CBS Chicago | Immigrant rights group says ICE agents targeting Chicago homeless shelters for arrests: The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights said ICE agents detained and released two people who were outside the shelter at 3034 W. Foster Ave. in the North Park neighborhood. The building was once a U.S. Marine Corps reserve training center, but was purchased by the city in 2023 to transform into a shelter for asylum seekers, and now assists anyone experiencing homelessness in Chicago. The group said targeting shelters is a new tactic ICE is using to arrest people.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing to reorganize City Council chairs; aldermen unsure of votes: Johnson administration officials are lobbying aldermen with a plan to install a progressive Zoning Committee chair while winning over the council’s powerful ethnic caucuses with upgrades of their own. But the final result of the mayor’s push to reassign chairmanships remains in question, aldermen said Wednesday. “I don’t think it’s a done deal until it’s in writing, passed by committee and passed by the full City Council,” Ald. Daniel La Spata said at City Hall Wednesday. “I’ve seen too many things go sideways when actual voting happens.”

* Sun-Times | Man whose murder conviction was overturned files federal lawsuit alleging misconduct: The lawsuit claims police detectives fabricated witness statements through coercion, created fake polygraph results and suppressed truthful statements, and prosecutors ignored exculpatory evidence during the initial investigation and again years later during a reinvestigation. The detectives and prosecutors also are accused of disregarding an alternative suspect in the shooting.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago City Council to take up settlements, Obama Center housing ordinance: The City Council Finance Committee unanimously approved a $90 million settlement for the 176 civil rights violations cases involving former disgraced Chicago Police Sergeant Ronald Watts. That goes before the full council Thursday. Watts was convicted and sentenced for shaking down residents in the Ida B. Wells Public Housing Complex.

* ABC Chicago | Chicago residents struggle with delays, denials for disabled parking spots: “We keep getting denied, and I don’t know the exact reason why we keep getting denied,” homeowner Murshed Rab said. The latest complaints come after ABC7 viewers saw Bridget Vann’s story. Vann was denied because she has a small, detached garage. However, that garage could not fit her injured husband’s SUV, and it’s further from the home then a designated street spot. After an I-Team report, a spot was eventually installed.

* Tribune | ‘A number you don’t want to get to’: Chicago White Sox reach 100 losses for the 3rd consecutive season: It’s the seventh time in franchise history the Sox have lost at least 100 games in a season. “It’s definitely a number you don’t want to get to,” Cannon said. “But I think there’s so many positives (this year). When you look around the locker room, look at all the guys here, guys that have had success here throughout the year, I think it’s very exciting.”

* NBC Chicago | Loyola’s beloved Sister Jean retires at age 106: Sister Jean rose to the spotlight during Loyola Chicago’s trip to the Final Four in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. She was spotted cheering courtside throughout the Ramblers’ improbable run. She published a memoir in 2023, “Wake Up with Purpose! What I’ve Learned in My First 100 Years,” sharing lessons she’d learned throughout her life and offering spiritual advice. Sister Jean turned 106 on Aug. 21.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Crystal Lake park board president wears bulletproof vest to meeting amid heightened security: The president of the Crystal Lake Park District board wore a bulletproof vest to the panel’s meeting Monday, one of several heightened security measures taken amid hostile sessions that have included yelling, personal jabs and booing from the public. […] Tiesenga said being he’s been characterized as a “Nazi” and “fascist” on social media and that “is right out of the Democratic liberal playbook on how to demonize somebody.” […] Many residents, along with board members in the minority, have been critical of the new majority’s swift actions. Those include replacing the longtime park district attorney with former board member who chose not to seek reelection this year, at a higher pay rate; ending an intergovernmental agreement with Crystal Lake and Lakewood in favor of a new contract; reconstituting a lake advisory panel with a lakefront homeowners group; and ending the district’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policy.

* Tribune | Broadview ICE facility becomes backdrop for candidates to signal immigration stance and raise campaign funds: This past Friday, at least five Democrats campaigning for federal office made appearances at the facility, including an activist who for weeks has been promoting her presence at the spot, a north suburban mayor, a south suburban member of Congress and Illinois’ lieutenant governor. The candidates have shared their appearances on social media, and some have even used them in fundraising appeals, eliciting criticism from Republicans and, in one instance, from Broadview’s Democratic mayor.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora City Council calls special meeting Thursday on data centers, warehouses: Chief Development Services Officer John Curley told the Aurora City Council on Tuesday that the moratorium would allow staff time to research ways to mitigate the various impacts of data centers and warehouses then report recommendations back to City Council. If approved by the Aurora City Council at the special meeting Thursday, the temporary moratorium would be in effect for 180 days, so until late March 2026, but could be extended an additional 30 days.

* Sun-Times | Toni Preckwinkle responsible for ‘failed Far Left social experiment,’ her Democratic primary opponent says: Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) took off the gloves against incumbent Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in his bid to unseat her, accusuing her of using the massive windfall earmarked for pandemic relief to “balloon” the county budget. Preckwinkle called Reilly’s remarks “either a reflection of his ignorance or deliberate misinformation.”

* Tribune | Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce director resigns amid discrimination complaints: According to the Illinois Department of Human Rights, Marion-Burton’s resignation came after two women, a current employee and a former employee, filed separate complaints against the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce with the agency on Aug. 28 and Sept. 4. IDHR referred to the complaints as “unperfected charges of discrimination” and declined to release the complaints because they are still under investigation. Marion-Burton declined to comment when asked why he resigned or whether his leaving his job was related to charges of discrimination filed with the state agency.

* Daily Herald | Planned industrial buildings in Schaumburg require demolition of 19 unincorporated homes: The company has all 25 properties under contract to buy, including the 19 homes and vacant land, some of which is owned by the village. Homeowner Dina Menini said she never thought she’d leave the property she’s lived on for the past 25 years, but the presence of Experior has changed the peaceful, rural atmosphere she and her neighbors sought. “Once they approved the truck stop, nobody’s going to want to buy our houses,” she said. “There’s no peace anymore. It was very disappointing.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Decatur mayor, council member disagree amidst city manager resignation: Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe said “toxic” actions from Council Member David Horn led to City Manager Tim Gleason’s resignation. WCIA received Gleason’s letter of resignation through a Freedom of Information Act request. His letter cited “ongoing actions from one councilmember” as a reason for his departure. “I had been trying to work with him on not leaving,” Moore Wolf said. “It became, to the manager, a very toxic work environment.”

* News-Gazette | First-ever Illinois-led space mission successfully launches: A capacity crowd of 400-plus at the UI’s Campus Instructional Facility counted down in unison the last 10 seconds, awaiting the first University of Illinois-led NASA mission to blast off into orbit — all thanks to two UI scholars. The project’s principal investigator, Lara Waldrop, the UI’s Y.T. Lo Fellow in Electrical and Computer Engineering, watched the launch from the observatory deck alongside her family at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

* WGLT | Federal grant to Chestnut Health Systems supports research on drug addiction and the justice system: Chestnut’s research arm called the Lighthouse Institute received a $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop evidence-based strategies for safe and effective treatment and recovery services at various points in the legal system. “About one in four people with an opioid use disorder are involved with the legal system during any give 12-month period,” said Lighthouse Institute Chief Research Officer Michael Dennis. “So, it’s one of the easiest ways to find out-of-treatment opioid users.”

* WCIA | Charleston redefining music education: Students at Charleston High School are putting their new recording studio to use. Their new recording studio lets students create and play with music in the non-traditional sense. Charleston High School’s band director, John Wengerski, said that there are a lot of careers that have nothing to do with touching an instrument, but everything to do with using technology and recording equipment.

*** National ***

* Wisconsin Public Radio | Planned Parenthood, family planning clinics in Wisconsin face cuts under new federal law: Speaking to reporters last week, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s Chief Strategy Officer Michelle Velasquez said that while the full extent of the impact on Wisconsin isn’t yet known, the cutbacks will be significant. She warned that the changes will make it harder to provide a range of services — not just abortion. “[The bill] would make Planned Parenthood essentially a prohibited entity, meaning it could not seek reimbursement from Medicaid for services like contraception care, gender affirming care, STI [sexually transmitted infection] treatment, testing, cancer screening,” Velasquez said at a news conference. “The list goes on and on.”

12 Comments

Open thread

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on?…

7 Comments

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

1 Comment

Live coverage

Thursday, Sep 25, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

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