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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Gov. Pritzker responds to reports that Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was uninvited from a bipartisan White House dinner…
* Crain’s | Even though marijuana is legal in Illinois, clearing old criminal records still a challenge: Statewide data, however, suggest that most people don’t follow through. According to the Paper Prisons Initiative, a legal research group, an estimated 2.2 million people in Illinois were eligible for expungement or record sealing in 2021, but only about 10% had filed petitions. Legal experts refer to this disparity as the “second chance gap,” and they attribute it to a combination of factors, including a lack of awareness, fear of the legal system, filing costs and long wait times. However, they say this gap may narrow as Illinois prepares to implement the Clean Slate Act, signed into law earlier this year, which will automatically seal nonviolent criminal records for over 1.7 million adults beginning in 2029. * Crain’s | House subpoenas Blue Cross Illinois parent in ACA fraud probe: The House Judiciary Committee has issued subpoenas to eight health insurance exchange carriers, including the parent of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, as part of an ongoing fraud investigation. The panel is demanding information and documentation from Chicago-based Health Care Service Corp. as well as Aetna parent company CVS Health, Elevance Health, Centene, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan parent company Kaiser Permanente, Florida Blue parent company Guidewell, Ascendiun subsidiary Blue Shield of California and Oscar Health. The committee announced the subpoenas in a news release Tuesday. * Governor JB Pritzker | The State of Illinois is Being Loud for America: Illinois and Minnesota are standing up to the bullying. Other patriotic Americans are too. But it’s going to take more of us to emerge victorious. Next week I will deliver my 2026 State of the State address. It’s still coming together, but I know one thing I’ll want to make known: Illinoisans love this nation too much to let MAGA tear down our constitutional republic. We’re standing up, speaking out, and showing up, and I could not be more proud. * WGLT | Illinois lawmakers not sure there’s more higher ed money in a ‘tricky’ budget: State Rep. Sharon Chung, a Democrat from Bloomington, said she does not think there will be an increase in higher education funding because of what she called a “tricky” budget. “When it comes to funding for fiscal year 2027, I’m not quite sure what that’s going to look like. We have so many needs throughout the state, especially with a lot of the federal funding cuts,” Chung said, adding she would support a funding increase for higher ed if it can be supported by this year’s budget. Chung said she supports evidence-based funding for higher education, but it would require more funding. * Capitol News Illinois | ‘More listening and less talking’: Darren Bailey insists results will be different in 2nd run for governor: Should Bailey find his way to the governor’s office, he will almost certainly have to work with a supermajority of Democrats in the legislature. He argued he can find success in that environment because of relationships he had during his four years in the General Assembly. “My door’s always open … that table in the governor’s office will be available,” Bailey said. “There will be seats.” * Tribune | Parents push back on school closures after archdiocese says time to mobilize has passed: ‘We were blindsided’: But according to the archdiocese, the window to save their schools has passed — and its decision to close the schools is final. That leaves parents at St. Jerome and another school, Sts. Bruno and Richard School in Archer Heights, insisting they were blindsided. At St. Jerome, some parents say they weren’t told the school closure was on the horizon, before the archdiocese’s Jan. 22 announcement. “Parents were never given the opportunity to get these efforts put into play,” Ferro told the Tribune. “Now, you’re just here scrambling — trying to figure out what you’re going to do with your kids. They basically tied your hands.” * ABC Chicago | Election officials show off new Chicago voting supersite ahead of Illinois Primary: “As you can see, we still got the new car smell around here,” Max Bever, director of public information at the Chicago Board of Elections, said. “It’s an absolute new facility built out just for this purpose.”Slightly larger than the original Supersite at Clark & Lake, the brand new facility holds 80 voting machines, a few more than its predecessor. The reason for the move, Max Bever with the Chicago Board of Elections says their lease simply ended with the Secretary of State and they were looking more space for the public. * Crain’s | Head of Morgan Lewis’ Chicago office decamps for King & Spalding: King & Spalding, which has 57 lawyers working out of its Chicago office, said Tinos Diamantatos will be a partner in its business litigation practice group. […] “The group here, they are great trial lawyers,” Diamantatos said. “It was just incredibly enticing to come to a firm (where) one of the cornerstones of what they do is trying cases.” * Block Club | Grant Park 20-Year Plan Calls For Public Bathrooms, Better Lake Access And More: Some of the major projects outlined in the plan include new pedestrian walkways over DuSable Lake Shore Drive, expanded landscaping and seating, permanent public restrooms, lakefront “park rooms” designed for recreation and art and changes to surrounding streets to better prioritize people who are walking and biking. * Tribune | Catching, starting pitching and center field are 3 spots to watch as Chicago White Sox spring training begins: “We feel really good about the direction we’re headed,” Getz said Monday at Camelback Ranch. “And to get everyone in this building right now, working towards what we want to accomplish here in the future, is really valuable, and rewarding, and exciting for the next steps for the Chicago White Sox.” Getz said manager Will Venable is focused on starting from zero as the buildup begins toward opening day. * Sun-Times | The Art Institute of Chicago just hung its first Norman Rockwell, and it depicts the Cubs: The historic piece is a gift to the Downtown museum from former Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and his wife, Diana. According to an online listing from the auction house Christie’s, “The Dugout” last sold in 2009 for $662,500. The company estimates its present-day value between $700,000 and $1 million. Other Rockwell works have fetched as much as $46 million. * WIRED | ICE Is Expanding Across the US at Breakneck Speed. Here’s Where It’s Going Next: And in Oakbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, ICE is moving into the Oakbrook Gateway, an office building located near both a Bright Horizons daycare center and a hospice center. * Daily Southtown | Harvey still lacks acting mayor; aldermen approve road improvements, FOIA settlement: The selection of an acting clerk and a resolution to update the city’s bank signatories have been deferred until an acting mayor is selected. “I understand that there’s no timeline,” resident Amanda Askew told aldermen Monday. “But I do believe that the sense of urgency needs to happen, like, yesterday, so those people can lock in and do their job properly.” Drewenski said the mayoral vacancy will be addressed at the City Council meeting at 7 p.m. on Feb. 23. Since not everyone who wanted to attend the last meeting was able to fit in the council chambers, Drewenski said, the aldermen are seeking a venue that will accommodate more people. * The Daily Northwestern | Late Northwestern professor maintained long-term relationship with Epstein, released government files show: Late McCormick Prof. Roger Schank maintained close contact with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and was offered access to “a girl,” according to newly released files from the Department of Justice. Throughout his life, Schank issued public statements in support of Epstein, who was convicted by a Florida state court of soliciting a minor for prostitution and of soliciting a prostitute in 2008. Epstein was later arrested on federal sex trafficking charges in 2019 before dying in jail. Schank’s name appears over 1,500 times in the newest batch of files related to Epstein, released by the DOJ on Jan. 30. * Daily Herald | District 15 picks new superintendent: Palatine Township Elementary District 15 school board members chose a candidate with extensive superintendent experience to succeed Superintendent Laurie Heinz. They voted Monday to name Flossmoor School District 161 Superintendent Dana Smith to the post. He will start work July 1 under a three-year contract at an annual salary of $283,000. * Naperville Sun | District 5 Dem candidates for the DuPage board discuss county’s biggest issue: Incumbent Sadia Covert is facing challengers Ian Holzhauer, a Naperville City Council member, and Marylee Leu, president of the DuPage County Regional Office of Education Board of School Trustees. The winner will face Republican nominee Chris Jacks, a Naperville Park Board member, in the Nov. 3 general election to fill a single four-year board seat. Democratic incumbent board member Dawn DeSart and Republican challenger Daniel Lomeli will face off in the general election for a two-year District 5 seat. * WJBD | Centralia approves new collective bargaining agreements with police unions: There are other changes in the union agreements, such as safety time, an additional day off awarded to officers who avoid on-the-job accidents for a full calendar year. Holiday pay rate was changed to only apply to the “family five-pack” of New Years’ Day, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, and Memorial Day. The new agreements also offer a $1500 annual payout to officers who decline health insurance coverage from the city for which they are eligible. Per the agreements, starting base pay for a patrolman is now $63,508 per year. Starting pay for a dispatcher is $50,589. * WGLT | Illinois awards more grant money toward McLean County’s Route 66 celebrations and landmarks: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity gave Bloomington-Normal’s tourism organization $513,378 to enhance attractions and visitor experiences in McLean County. VisitBN cited its regional partners in helping shape a proposal for the award. Those include the Town of Normal, McLean County Museum of History, Friends of the Constitution Trail, City of Chenoa, City of Lexington, Village of Towanda and CORE McLean. “This grant is a powerful example of what can happen when a community works together toward a shared vision,” said Beth Whisman, the chair of the VisitBN board of directors. * WAND | Bailey Zimmerman coming to perform at Illinois State Fair: Illinois native Bailey Zimmerman is coming to perform at the Illinois State Fair this summer. Zimmerman is a country singer best known for his singles like, “Fall in Love” and “Rock in a Hard Place.” He is a multi-platinum, chart-topping artist. * WaPo | Republicans are pushing to drastically change the way you cast ballots: As President Donald Trump calls for sweeping changes to election law — including saying that Republicans should “take over the voting” — Republicans in Congress are planning to vote this week on the SAVE America Act, which would make massive changes to how Americans vote ahead of November’s midterms. They want to require all Americans to prove they are citizens when registering to vote, and to show an ID when voting in person or by mail, as well as make mail voting more difficult. * NYT | Georgia Ballot Inquiry Originated From Election Denier in Trump White House: “The FBI criminal investigation originated from a referral sent by Kurt Olsen, Presidentially appointed Director of Election Security and Integrity,” the affidavit said. Mr. Olsen played a central role in Mr. Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, including speaking to the president multiple times on Jan. 6, 2021. He has continued to push false claims about elections, and was recently appointed to a key role in the Trump administration. Many of the claims in the affidavit refer to long-held — and consistently debunked — conspiracy theories about elections in Georgia, including arguments about fraudulent and duplicate absent ballots, election machine tabulator tapes and missing ballot images. * Politico | How ICE defies judges’ orders to release detainees, step by step: Sometimes, ICE has raced detainees across state lines in ways judges say are designed to thwart legal proceedings. Other times, they’re detaining people for days or weeks after judges have ordered them released. ICE officials have at times ignored other arms of the federal government trying to ensure compliance with court orders. And sometimes the administration has given judges bad or incomplete information. […] “There has been an undeniable move by the Government in the past month to defy court orders or at least to stretch the legal process to the breaking point in an attempt to deny noncitizens their due process rights,” U.S. District Judge Michael Davis, a Clinton appointee from Minnesota, said in a recent order. * The Guardian | ‘They always gave us the heaviest work’: how Maga billionaires relied on Mexican labor: Now, for the first time, a former Uline employee named Christian Valenzuela, 42, has come forward to share his experience in the shuttle program, including stints in Allentown, where Vance spoke in December. Uline travel itineraries, which Valenzuela shared with the Guardian, show he made at least five trips to the US beginning in early 2022, and worked in the company’s facilities in Pennsylvania, Florida and Wisconsin. “They told us we had to go to the United States because there were not many people who were working at that time. It was around the time of the pandemic,” he said in an interview. Uline did pay the Mexican workers a bonus and gas money, and paid for accommodations, but they were paid their usual Mexican wage, Valenzuela said. The Guardian has previously reported this was a fraction of what their American counterparts earned.
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Catching up with the federal candidates
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Politico…
Click here for some background on the United Democracy Project. 7th CD candidate Anthony Driver Jr…
Another Democratic opponent Reed Showalter…
Anabel Mendoza…
* Moving on to the 8th Congressional District, Junaid Ahmed is out with his first TV ad. Press release…
* US Rep. Eric Sorensen has endorsed US Senate candidate Juliana Stratton…
* More… * Press release | Latino Leadership Council Endorses Raja Krishnamoorthi for U.S. Senate: “I am proud to have earned the support of the Latino Leadership Council,” said Raja. “Their leadership in expanding opportunities and increasing economic mobility for Latino communities strengthens our entire state. In the U.S. Senate, I will carry that fight forward — making life more affordable, creating real pathways to prosperity, and holding government accountable to the people it serves. Together, we will create an Illinois where every family can realize their full American Dream.” * Jewish Insider | AIPAC super PAC launches ads supporting Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin’s House campaign: Friedman, who is Jewish, has a record of support for and engagement with Israel through the JUF, including leading numerous JUF delegations to the Jewish state. He’s seen by some as an unconventional candidate for the historically Black-dominated district. A pair of recently created super PACs began running ads last week backing moderate pro-Israel women in several other Chicago-area districts. Those groups are rumored to be supported by UDP or other pro-Israel backers, but the 7th District is the only one in which UDP is directly and publicly involved.
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Reports: Trump administration moves to claw back hundreds of millions from Illinois
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The New York Post…
* The New York Times…
* A Pritzker spokesperson said they have not received any notice of the cuts…
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Keep Insurance Affordable
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The Illinois General Assembly is considering legislation (HB 3799, SA 2 &3) that could make homeowners insurance unaffordable for many Illinoisans. The proposal would destabilize a healthy, competitive market, creating a regulatory framework that is more extreme than what exists in any other state. This will increase premiums and reduce competition. Our robust insurance market has kept homeowners’ rates middle-of-the-pack nationally, even though Illinois has more hail damage claims than any other state except Texas. To protect affordability and consumer choice, lawmakers should VOTE NO. For more information, visit www.KeepInsuranceAffordable.org
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sen. Graciela Guzmán and Rep. Will Davis…
More from the Sun-Times…
And a bit more from Chalkbeat Chicago…
* Sen. Don DeWitte…
* The National Federation of Independent Business…
* Chicago Bars…
Unlike past efforts, Rep. Dan Didech’s bill hinges on Missouri and Iowa. If they act, Illinois would drop daylight saving time immediately. * Fox 2 Now…
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Big Tax-Exempt Hospitals Are Turning Patient Discounts Into Corporate Profits
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Across Illinois, large hospital systems and corporate PBMs are profiting from a program meant to help patients. The 340B program allows hospitals to buy medications at steep discounts, but those savings aren’t passed on to patients in need. Instead, large hospitals charge patients full price for 340B-discounted drugs, keep the difference, and share the cash with for-profit chain pharmacies and PBMs.
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Pritzker says if data centers are ‘in any way’ driving up electricity prices, ‘they should pay for that increase, not the consumers’ (Updated)
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Gov. Pritzker was asked about data center regulations yesterday at an unrelated press conference. I’ve highlighted the most relevant parts of his response…
…Adding… Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition…
* More…
* BND | Granite City residents pack forum to press officials about data center proposal: “Everybody here wants the same thing,” [Chris Hankins, business manager and financial secretary for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 309 in Collinsville] said. “We want to see Granite City prosper again.” Hankins said data centers will be built in the United States regardless, and Granite City should reap benefits in the form of property tax revenue and other community contributions that could be negotiated. Resident Taylor Wyatt disagrees. She said data centers are not retail or manufacturing facilities that bring many permanent jobs, do not increase tourism or foot traffic, rarely create secondary businesses and often raise water and electric bills. “What economic value will this bring to Granite City?” she asked. * Tribune | Amid chaotic data center debates, industry warns Illinois will miss out unless privacy law weakened: It’s the only state law in the U.S. that allows people to sue and recover damages for the misuse of their biometric profile, which is unique to each individual and cannot be changed. As they try to defend it, Illinois trial lawyers will first have to win over the state’s fractious Democratic Party, said Hugh O’Hara, executive director of the Will County Governmental League. “It’s going to be a weird, weird fight between labor, the environmentalists and trial lawyers on this one,” O’Hara said. AI data centers gather biometric information at the same time they’re collecting vast arrays of other information on people’s location, buying habits and political sympathies to micro-target them with advertising and other services. They’re also working with governments and banks to one day use biometric data as a replacement for driver’s licenses, passports and credit cards. * WEEK TV | Firefighters prepare for unique challenges should data centers locate in places like Pekin: “Data systems themselves, they cannot have water applied to them, so it takes clean extinguishing agent systems, which are usually fixed into the facility,” said firefighter and union member Matt Hill. “It makes a whole bunch of different challenges to just even know that those systems are there, let alone know that they are going to operate when they’re supposed to, who is in charge of operating them, and the facility specialist and subject matter experts to be able to tell us how we’re going to work with them,” Hill said. He said the length of time required to extinguish a data center can also differ significantly, sometimes taking days to get rid of the fire. * WAND TV | Champaign County moves forward with moratorium on ‘big data centers’: The Champaign County Environment and Land Use Committee voted to put a year-long moratorium on “big data centers” Thursday night. This will only apply to projects that are 10,000 square feet or larger. There are already four data centers in Champaign County, including the National Petascale Computing Facility at the University of Illinois and Colocation Plus, a.k.a “The Fortress” in Rantoul. “None of them were more than 2000ft² in area. So we’re anticipating a new hyperscale data center could be easily, 50,000ft² of processing area,” said John Hall, planning and zoning director for Champaign County.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign news (Updated)
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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340B Unites Patients, Providers And Community Leaders
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois hospitals and Federally Qualified Health Centers are united behind 340B. This was clear at a Feb. 1 rally in Chicago that brought together nearly 1,000 Illinois patients, healthcare providers, community leaders and lawmakers to celebrate this vital federal program. Why is the 340B Drug Pricing Program so important? Because it helps health centers and hospitals provide affordable medications and essential services to vulnerable patients, improving individual health, the health of communities, and our state’s overall healthcare system. 340B does this by allowing healthcare providers serving large numbers of low-income and uninsured patients to invest drug cost savings into chronic disease management, behavioral health, and more. Yet drugmakers are unilaterally imposing restrictions that serve to boost their bottom lines while low-income Illinoisans lose healthcare access. The Illinois Health and Hospital Association, Illinois Primary Health Care Association, and Association of Safety Net Community Hospitals are fighting for 340B. We agree with the lead House sponsor of HB 2371, State Rep. Anna Moeller, who said at the rally that drugmaker “restrictions hurt the very people this program was designed to help.” “During a time when the federal government is cutting funding for healthcare for families across the state, we should be doing everything we can to bring vital resources to support patients and their healthcare providers—resources like 340B that cost nothing to taxpayers or the state of Illinois,” Rep. Moeller said. Stand with patients, hospitals and FQHCs for 340B. Learn more. 
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Rate the new Don Tracy digital ad
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Press release…
* Here you go… * Script…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois appeal for summer storm disaster relief denied by Trump administration. Sun-Times…
- Pritzker on Monday called the denial “a politically motivated decision that punishes thousands of Illinois families in a critical moment of need.” - The White House has defended its decision, saying the president responds to federal aid requests “with great care and consideration, ensuring American tax dollars are used appropriately and efficiently by the states to supplement — not substitute, their obligation to respond to and recover from disasters.” * Related stories… * At 9 am Gov. JB Pritzker will give remarks at the Choose Chicago annual meeting. Click here to watch. * Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker talked Bears with NFL commissioner, says progress is being made to keep team in Illinois: * Sun-Times | Cook County prosecutors drop charges against 19 arrested during clergy-led protest at Broadview ICE facility: As the demonstrators moved closer to the facility, in the hopes that those inside would hear their prayers, scuffles broke out with local law enforcement, and 21 people were arrested. The Cook County sheriff’s office said the group left the “designated protest area,” and was “unlawfully assembling in the roadway.” The Cook County state’s attorney’s office has now dropped charges in 19 of those cases. […] Of the two people arrested that day whose cases were not dropped, one is charged with mob action and the other is charged with resisting a police officer. * Crain’s | Moody’s sees Illinois slipping: Fewer jobs, fewer people: Jobs will fall statewide this year and next, registering an annual decline for the first time since the pandemic hit the economy in 2020, according to a forecast prepared by Moody’s for the Commission on Government Forecasting & Accountability, which provides budget information to legislators. * Daily Herald | Illinois House hopefuls Peterson, Chan Ding spar over ethics: Maria Peterson criticized opponent Erin Chan Ding over campaign activities that brought her a reprimand from Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board, on which Chan Ding has served since 2021. […] “I’ve been absolutely transparent about that from the very beginning,” she said in response to Peterson’s remarks. “I’ve owned it. I’ve apologized for it.” Chan Ding, of South Barrington, later criticized Peterson for attacking her rather than “standing up to MAGA.” * WAND | Illinois expands STAR bond eligibility for municipalities across the state: Pritzker told reporters Monday that current STAR bonds are expected to generate $1 billion in sales and more than 5,000 new jobs. The number of projects available for each area is based on the population within economic development regions. North central Illinois is eligible for three different projects, while sections of the state with fewer than 600,000 people could apply for one STAR bond project. * Sun-Times | Mayoral aides explain Chicago’s cash flow crunch that triggered partial pension payment: Craig Slack, chief investment officer for the city treasurer’s office, said the city has been promised the rest of that money by April 1, though he expressed wariness — since several previous deadlines have come and gone. “The fact that the money is coming in large chunk amounts tells me the system is still broken. There’s not a fix in sight,” Slack told the City Council’s Finance Committee. * Sun-Times | Despite business community concerns, Council committee backs parking enforcement by citizens: In the first phase of implementation, the Department of Finance would create a “Street Operations Task Force” made up of parking enforcement aides “primarily focused on issuing violations for parking in crosswalks, bike and bus lanes “ outside of the current Smart Streets footprint, he said. In the second phase, City Hall would work to develop a “dispatch system that will allow for 311 complaints about parking violations to be immediately dispatched to active parking enforcement aides, who will be able to arrive immediately and issue a violation,” he said. * ABC Chicago | Leadership exodus continues at Chicago’s US Attorney’s Office: After at least eight top prosecutors left their positions in the Northern District of Illinois, the I-Team has learned at least two more are leaving. […] The I-Team has learned, since new U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros took over, seven section chiefs have left with one reassigned, including a prosecutor who resigned after serving as the chief of the criminal division, along with a top national security prosecutor. * Sun-Times | Tracking every known federal prosecution in Chicago tied to Trump’s immigration blitz: Federal prosecutors in Chicago have accused 32 known defendants of nonimmigration crimes tied to Operation Midway Blitz. Many were accused of assaulting or resisting federal agents or officers. Fifteen of those defendants have already been cleared. Grand jurors refused to indict at least three of the 15. And another member of that group was found not guilty at trial. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora to host open house on data centers amid moratorium: The Data Center Open House is planned to take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at the city’s Public Works building, 2185 Liberty St. Not only will Aurora residents and businesses have the chance to ask questions and provide feedback, but they will also get to learn about some of the considerations going into the development of potential requirements on future data center development in the city. * Lake County News-Sun | Lake County homeless count revised due to funding questions: ‘A period of federal uncertainty’: While Lake County’s PIT counts have included the unsheltered portion every year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which mandates the annual PIT count, only requires it every other year. Lake County successfully conducted an unsheltered count in 2025. This year, the release said the Lake County Continuum of Care team and homeless management information system administrator collected the required data for people experiencing homelessness staying in emergency shelters, transitional housing and permanent housing programs. That data will be released in the spring. * Pioneer Press | Lake Forest City Council members mull water and sewer rate increases to cover rising costs: The council unanimously approved the first reading of an across-the-board 6.75 % increase in water and sewer rates at its Feb. 2 meeting. “Average residential homeowners should expect to see an annual increase ranging from $34 to $110 per year, or $8.50 to $27.50 per quarterly bill, depending on the volume of water consumption,” Finance Director Katie Skibbe explained in an e-mail. City officials estimate the increase will generate just over $620,000 in additional revenue in fiscal year 2027. * Daily Herald | Early voting to begin Tuesday in DuPage County after delay: The county clerk’s office will also send out its first batch of mail-in ballots by the end of the week to residents who requested to vote by mail. The county is expected to send ballots to about 70,000 residents in its first mailing, said Adam Johnson, chief deputy clerk for the DuPage County Clerk’s office. * Daily Herald | Hanover Park reports another record-low year for major crimes: The 175 “Part 1” crimes — an FBI benchmark that includes murders, sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated assaults, thefts and arson — represent a 10% decline from 2024’s previous historic low of 194. It’s the fewest since at least 1974, when the department began keeping a record of those offenses, and reflect a continuous decline of major crimes over the past decade. * WMBD | Pekin residents oppose city council’s data center proposal: Despite no item on the agenda mentioning the data center, Monday’s meeting continued the protest, with locals taking turns speaking out against a data center they said will negatively impact their health, increase noise pollution, use their water and raise utility bills. Most of them were aligned with one single message. “We don’t want this.” * WGLT | Bloomington OKs swapping police department guns after amendment fails: * WCIA | Champaign Co. school getting back on track after half of school out sick: Viruses kept more than half of one Central Illinois school at home last week. However, after hours scrubbing the building down, they’re getting back on track. Only 22% of students were absent on Monday at Heritage Elementary and Junior High School — and that’s an improvement. * WCIA | Champaign School District selects new superintendent: In a news release, the school district said Monday it had selected Dr. Geovanny Ponce as its new superintendent, succeeding Dr. Shelia Boozer. Ponce was selected after the district received input from the community before starting a nationwide search. 31 people applied for the position, followed by a review of all of them and interviews with the top applicants. * AP | Trump’s immigration chiefs are set to testify in Congress following protester deaths: Todd Lyons, the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Rodney Scott, who heads U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Joseph Edlow, who is the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, will speak in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security. […] Lyons is likely to face questioning over a memo he signed last year telling ICE officers that they didn’t need a judge’s warrant to forcibly enter a house to arrest a deportee, a memo that went against years of ICE practice and Fourth Amendment protections against illegal searches. * NYT | When Trump Officials’ Claims About Shootings Unravel in Court: In four of the shootings where prosecutors brought assault or other charges, including against Mr. Brown, the cases fizzled after evidence emerged that contradicted the administration’s initial description of events. The charges were either dismissed or prosecutors dropped the case. Charges against six other people who were shot at by immigration agents are pending. Five of the defendants have denied aspects of the D.H.S. accusations or presented differing accounts in court. Two cases are going to trial in April.
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Good morning!
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers were the first to know this morning. Capitol News Illinois…
React from one of Croke’s Democratic opponents Rep. Stephanie Kifowit…
The answer: Former Gov. Bruce Rauner, who appointed Leslie Munger after the death of Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka. * Mother Jones | What Being a Billionaire Scion Taught JB Pritzker About Standing Up to One: “You’re suggesting that if you have money, that somehow that makes you evil, you know, that—I mean, that’s the suggestion behind your question,” he said, with a sort of incredulous laugh. “That somehow having resources or being successful in business necessarily means that you have no values, or that you would work against the majority or against individual rights. And I think that’s just false. I don’t think it’s about how much money you have—I think it’s about what your personal values are, it’s about how you were raised, it’s about what you believe in and fight for, and what you’ve demonstrated during your life that you’ll fight for.” * Press release | Gov. Pritzker Highlights Expansion of STAR Bond Program: Governor Pritzker expanded STAR bond eligibility to municipalities statewide through SB1911, which was signed in December 2025. This legislation empowers municipalities in every region of the state, providing them with additional financing options to meaningfully invest in capital projects that will attract visitors and spur additional revenues in local economies. Municipalities who are accepted into the program and approved for projects are permitted to issue STAR bonds to finance large-scale projects. * Journal Courier | Gubernatorial candidate Bailey to visit Jacksonville: The former state legislator will be in town from 9 to 10 a.m. Feb. 18 at Rudi’s Grill, 1913 W. Morton Ave. Bailey’s visit will wrap up two hours before Gov. JB Pritzker, who’s trying to win a third term as governor, gives his yearly budget address in Springfield. * Crain’s | Under Trump, HUD hardens the policies behind a program meant to shelter the city’s homeless population: Under the Trump administration, the Department of Housing & Urban Development wants people down on their luck to be housed only transitionally, treated and returned to the workforce, presumably able to feed and shelter themselves. In November, HUD issued a policy change with a cap on funds for permanent housing that stipulates Continuum of Care programs can’t spend more than 30% of their total funding on this type of long-term shelter. Implementation of this dramatic reversal in care for the homeless population has been put on hold by a court order. But the administration has signaled where it’s heading. And like the wrenching cuts to the food assistance program SNAP and to Medicaid, it will take a toll on the most vulnerable people in the Chicago area. * Sun-Times | City Hall faces another $29.1 million in settlements tied to corrupt Chicago police Det. Reynaldo Guevara: n the Watts settlement, 176 cases were settled for an average of $511,363 apiece. The latest wave of Guevara cases carry an average settlement price tag of nearly $7.3 million. Guevara, 81, is accused in lawsuits of framing people for murder. Forty-three people, including three women, have been exonerated after they were sent to prison on murder convictions in cases handled by Guevara in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of them lived in Humboldt Park. * Block Club | Temporary Homeless Shelter At Uptown’s American Islamic College To Close This Summer: The closure is part of a planned shelter decompression, where the city rightsizes the number of its shelter beds to meet current demand, said Linsey Maughan, a spokesperson for the Department of Family and Support Services. There are currently 424 people at the shelter, which is below the maximum capacity, Maughan said. The shelter hasn’t been at full capacity for more than a year, she said. * Sun-Times | Cardinal Blase Cupich calls for White House to apologize for racist video depicting Obamas as primates: Cardinal Blase Cupich is calling on the White House to apologize after President Donald Trump shared a racist social media post that depicted former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as primates. “Portraying human beings as animals — less than human — is not new,” Cupich said in the statement. “Our shock is real. So is our outrage. Nothing less than an unequivocal apology — to the nation and to the persons demeaned — is acceptable.” * Crain’s | American Airlines CEO faces union no-confidence vote amid O’Hare battle with United: The board of directors of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants issued a unanimous vote of no confidence in Isom on Monday, according to a letter sent to the union representing 28,000 flight attendants. The move marks the first time the union has ever taken such action against an American Airlines head. “The time for excuses is over. Flight Attendants, Union Siblings, and supporters will soon gather to demand accountability, improved operational support, and leadership change at American Airlines — starting at the top,” the union’s board wrote in the letter. * Tribune | Pitcher Erick Fedde returns to the Chicago White Sox on a 1-year deal: Fedde joined the Sox in 2024 after a season pitching in the Korea Baseball Organization. He went 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts for the Sox before being dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in late July that year as part of a three-team trade that also included the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fedde had a 3.72 ERA in 10 starts for the Cardinals in 2024. He had a rocky 2025, going 4-13 with a 5.49 ERA in 32 outings (24 starts) for the Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. * Daily Southtown | Despite efforts to correct, Midlothian Mayor Village President Gary L’ Heureux received tax exemption on 2 houses in 2024: Gary L’ Heureux said he was made aware of double exemptions he took during the 2022 and 2023 tax years in October 2024, after being contacted by the Daily Southtown. He said he took immediate action by contacting the Cook County assessor’s office, and a certificate of completion shows he submitted documentation to a county erroneous exemption specialist in December 2025. But county property records continue to reflect that L’Heureux saved nearly $3,000 on his taxes for each of his homes across the 2022 and 2023 tax years. Records show he received exemptions on both homes in 2024 as well, reducing their equalized assessed values, but do not say how much he saved on his taxes for that year. * Aurora Beacon-News | Black History Month breakfast in Aurora puts emphasis on education: The first Saturday of Black History Month was celebrated in Aurora over the weekend at the Prisco Community Center as the Quad County Urban League hosted its annual Black History Month Pancake Breakfast. The two-hour event, a scholarship fundraiser, was touted “as being more than a meal,” according to Theodia Gillespie, president and CEO of the Quad County Urban League. “It’s an opportunity to celebrate Black history, uplift our students and invest in their future,” Gillespie noted in a press release. * WSIL | Rend Lake College Reports Double-Digit Enrollment Growth for Spring 2026: According to the college, overall headcount enrollment increased by 12.42%, rising from 1,932 students in Spring 2025 to 2,172 students this spring. Full-time equivalency (FTE), a measure of total credit hour enrollment, also showed strong gains, climbing 10.28% from 1,227 to 1,353.17 FTE. “These enrollment numbers are extremely encouraging,” said Rend Lake College President Lori Ragland. “Continued education beyond high school is critical to increasing future earnings and strengthening our communities. The same educational path is not right for everyone, but pursuing some level of education or training after high school is essential for long-term success.” * WGLT | Education unions rally in Uptown Normal for increased state funding: The “People Over Profits” rally featured members of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois Education Association [IEA], the Illinois Alliance for Retired Americans, ISU Labor Coalition and the United Faculty of ISU. Ashley Farmer is the president of United Faculty of ISU, UPI Local 4100. She said budgets in higher education are moral documents. “Budgets show where priorities are, and not just what, but who is valued,” she said. “Workers in Illinois have been undervalued for far too long. Funding for education, healthcare and social services should be a top priority.” * CBS | Less than 14% of those arrested by ICE in Trump’s 1st year back in office had violent criminal records, document shows: For example, while Mr. Trump and his aides often talk about immigration officials targeting murderers, rapists and gangsters, the internal data indicate that less than 2% of those arrested by ICE over the past year had homicide or sexual assault charges or convictions. Another 2% of those taken into ICE custody were accused of being gang members. Nearly 40% of all of those arrested by ICE in Mr. Trump’s first year back in office did not have any criminal record at all, and were only accused of civil immigration offenses, such as living in the U.S. illegally or overstaying their permission to be in the country, the DHS document shows. Those alleged violations of U.S. immigration law are typically adjudicated by Justice Department immigration judges in civil — not criminal — proceedings. * WSJ | Immigration Raids in South Texas Are Starting to Hit the Economy: The result? Homes are months behind schedule, and contractors face an uphill battle to recruit more workers to finish them. “They hear Monte Cielo and say ‘No, no. You can pay me whatever you want, but I’m not going to go work there,’” Alejandro Garcia, one of several builders with homes under way in the development, said of the challenges in trying to hire workers. The situation is becoming familiar across the Rio Grande Valley, where trade groups are raising alarms about aggressive immigration enforcement wreaking economic havoc. Construction delays threaten higher prices for buyers and lower margins for builders. Some builders said they just hope to break even on delayed projects. Materials suppliers are laying off employees. One local concrete company filed for bankruptcy protection, citing a drop-off in sales because of immigration raids as the reason.
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Pritzker expresses optimism about Bears deal, while report has it ‘close to agreement’
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. Pritzker was asked about the Bears today…
* Fox 32…
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Preckwinkle says she didn’t pursue a CTU endorsement, while union stays neutral in two key congressional races
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Tribune…
Click here for the CTU’s endorsement list. * The CTU did not endorse in a few hotly contested congressional races including the 2nd CD. More from the Tribune…
* Another one from Tribune reporter Gregory Pratt…
We were told Garcia had been recommended for endorsement by the political committee. One reason the union may have passed is that Ald. Byron Sigcho Lopez, a stalwart CTU ally, is also hoping to get on the ballot as an independent. I reached out to the CTU for comment and will update if I hear back.
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Catching up with the federal candidates (Updated x2)
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * From national Politico this weekend…
The DLGA is backing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s US Senate campaign. …Adding… More from national Politico about the DLGA’s unsuccessful attempt to donate the tainted money…
Yikes. * Last year, after facing criticism from Stratton, Raja Krishnamoorthi donated campaign contributions he had received from Palantir’s chief technology officer to immigrant rights groups. The Raja campaign’s response to the Politico report…
Ouch. …Adding… The Stratton campaign…
* GOP US Senate candidate Don Tracy…
* Tribune…
* Evanston Now’s Matthew Eadie…
* Politico… — In IL-07: State Sen. Willie Preston is out with endorsements, including from Rev. Corey Brooks, a Republican who speaks out about crime and violence. Preston is running in the Democratic primary. The full list of endorsements is here. * More…
* Press release | Alderman Debra Silverstein Endorses Laura Fine for Congress: “Laura Fine has a backbone of steel and she’s a leader who listens and gets things done. At a moment when our community needs to come together to tackle the threat of rising antisemitism, Laura is exactly the kind of leader we need standing up for our community,” Ald. Silverstein said. “We know she will always keep her word and be a voice for everyone she represents.” Silverstein represents West Ridge and most of Rogers Park, home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the Chicagoland area. * Daily Northwestern | New super PAC, reportedly tied to AIPAC, spent more than $570K to boost Fine, filings show: New super PAC Elect Chicago Women spent $400,000 on television advertisements and more than $50,000 on mailers this week in support of State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview)’s campaign to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, Federal Election Commission filings show. The group spent at least $285,000 on Feb. 3, one week after its creation, to air its first TV commercials in support of Fine. * Daily Herald | More than $12 million pouring into 9th Congressional District race: Five of the 14 active candidates running to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Evanston have reported at least $1 million in receipts, reports show. One of them, Chicagoan Kat Abughazaleh, crossed the $2 million threshold during the last quarter of 2025. * The Daily Northwestern | Democratic congressional candidates discuss immigration, anti-AAPI racism at PAVE forum: Fifteen percent of people living in Illinois’ 9th district are Asian, according to 2024 American Community Survey data. Over 50 audience members representing various local advocacy groups attended the event. […] Biss, Abughazaleh and Amiwala were the only candidates to call for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Huynh, however, who identified himself as the “only refugee in this race,” said he wants to “dismantle” the agency. All candidates criticized ICE activity and supported some kind of immigration reform. * The Daily Northwestern | Congressional candidates face off at NAACP forum, marking start of Black History Lecture Series: Throughout the forum, Simmons invoked his personal experience as the race’s leading Black candidate. In 2021, he became the first Black person to represent his Chicago-based district and the first openly gay member of the Illinois Senate. “I don’t read about these struggles. I don’t hear about these struggles,” he said. “These are struggles that me and my communities have survived.” * Daily Herald | Most GOP candidates for 9th Congressional seat oppose Trump’s suggestion to nationalize elections: Of the four GOP candidates, only Rocio Cleveland — an ardent Trump supporter who called the president “a real solid man, a real alpha male” — backed the idea. Candidates John Elleson, Paul Friedman and Mark Su opposed Trump’s proposal. The candidates discussed Trump’s proposal, immigration and other issues in a group video interview with the Daily Herald last week. The Democratic candidates in the 9th District participated in separate group interviews. * WGLT | Despite concerns, LaHood doesn’t break with administration over vaccinations: “I do. I would tell my constituents to rely on their own doctor, their own medical advice that they get. This is a personal decision. They ought to be able to have the right to do that,” said LaHood. He stopped short of saying physicians and the government should largely agree on the question. * WGLT | Rep. LaHood praises federal immigration policy: “That has been a success, also, of focusing on people that are currently in our federal and state jails, that have been convicted, that are illegal immigrants, sending them back to their country of origin, whether that’s Venezuela, whether that’s El Salvador, whether that’s Guatemala. That has been, I think, working well,” LaHood said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. He expressed reservations about some enforcement activities in urban areas such as Minneapolis and Chicago. “I don’t think the optics have been very good,” said LaHood.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign stuff (Updated x2)
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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It’s just a bill
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* Press release…
More from CBS Chicago…
* HB5539 from Rep. Ryan Spain…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* The Illinois Coalition on Legal Reform…
* WTVO…
* WTVO…
* HB5478 from Rep. Mary Beth Canty…
* Rep. Anne Stava…
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Roseann in Tinley Park who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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The state budget needs to go on a ‘war footing’
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * I told subscribers about this development starting last Tuesday…
* Also, when I wrote “All new spending ideas really should be put on hold,” I meant new stuff, not increasing spending on existing programs. The hard truth is, Illinois does everything half-way, if that. The state has lots of programs, but can’t even begin to match the funding of those programs with the actual need. The government should focus itself on protecting its budget, but also making sure the promises it makes don’t ring hollow. For example, here’s WAND TV…
If legislators weren’t constantly inventing new ways to spend money, then maybe programs like that one could be adequately funded.
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HB 3799 Raises Premiums And Destabilizes A Stable Insurance Market
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Illinois’ competitive system protects consumers and keeps carriers investing here—let’s not break what works. Independent research shows slow, uncertain rate reviews push insurers out and costs up. HB 3799 was already defeated in Veto Session—keep it that way. Vote NO. Protect affordability. Vote NO on HB 3799.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Illinois attorney general reaches agreement to protect $1.4 billion in education funding. Sun-Times…
- The agreement resolves a lawsuit filed by a group of states after the U.S. Department of Education in April 2025 threatened to withhold federal funds from schools that refused to certify compliance with new restrictions on DEI programs. - “The Trump administration attempted to illegally stop the allocation of congressionally mandated funds to push a vague, anti-diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility agenda at the expense of some of the most vulnerable children in Illinois and across the country,” Raoul said in a press release Friday. * Gov. JB Pritzker will be in Belleville at 11 am to celebrate the expansion of the Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) program. He’ll then head to Granite City at 2 pm for an event marking the centennial of Route 66. Click here to watch. * Sun-Times | Chicago Tribune owner Alden wants to acquire publisher of northwest suburban Daily Herald: Alden Global Capital, aggressive as a buyer and cost-cutter at American newspapers, declared its desire for the Daily Herald via a full-page ad in Sunday’s Tribune. The Herald, long a dominant source of northwest suburban news, has shared the misfortune of traditional media outlets struggling to keep an audience and advertisers in the digital age. * Sun-Times | Teams of lawyers put drivers back on the road by reinstating suspended licenses: Without a valid license, Caldwell says she has been spending nearly $80 a day on Uber rides to get herself and her children to work and school. “I’m crying tears of joy because I’ve waited years to get my license back,” Caldwell said. “I’m racking up more debt than I’m able to pay working one job.” The driver’s license reinstatement expo provides Cook County residents with free legal assistance to help restore suspended or revoked Illinois driver’s licenses. Saturday’s event was hosted by the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council at Malcolm X College. * Former legislator and lobbyist Jack Kubik has passed away. His obituary is available here. * Tribune | Two challengers attempt to unseat Sen. Emil Jones III in Democratic primary for 14th Senate District: Karrar, the son of Sudanese immigrants, is an attorney and an advocate for community development. He received his law degree from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Law, and a master’s degree in public policy from Northwestern University. “In the past six years I’ve worked in the social impact space, helping companies invest in struggling neighborhoods throughout the Midwest and using research and community engagement to connect large institutions to folks on the ground,” Karrar said. * Tribune | Rep. Bob Rita testifies in trial over alleged obscene text messages, harassment by Tinley Park political operative: Timothy Pawula, a former political ally of Tinley Park Mayor Michael Glotz, was charged in October 2024 with two counts of both electronic harassment and transmitting obscene messages. Both charges are misdemeanors and carry a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and an up to $1,500 fine, according to Cook County Associate Judge Mohammad Abedelal Ahmad. * Sun-Times | Ald. Beale says Johnson team is working behind the scenes to repeal video gambling: Johnson has yet to provide the official notification to the state needed to trigger the licensing process. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th), who’s leading the charge for video gambling, thinks he knows why. “They’re behind the scenes secretly trying to repeal this. Why? I don’t know. The mayor has an obligation to execute the budget that we passed. That is his responsibility as mayor. Not to pick and choose what you want to enforce and what you don’t want to enforce,” Beale told the Sun-Times. * WBEZ | Chicago-area Asians were arrested in Midway Blitz. They kept quiet about it, for a while.: Amin’s father is one of more than 140 Asians in Illinois arrested during the second Trump administration, according to a WBEZ analysis of data obtained by the Deportation Data Project through a public records request. That makes up about 4% of all immigration-related arrests in Illinois. The majority of Asians arrested were from three countries: India, China and Kyrgyzstan. The numbers only include arrests through Oct. 15, 2025, before the peak of Operation Midway Blitz. * WTTW | A Tunnel Under DuSable LSD and Parkland Over Rail Tracks Among the Ideas in Updated Vision for Grant Park: The new framework, presented to the public via Zoom on Wednesday evening, has been three years in the making and will guide development in Chicago’s “front yard” for the next two decades, building on a 2002 plan that delivered additions including Maggie Daley Park. Several of the plan’s biggest swings tackle Grant Park’s wonky layout: 300-plus acres bisected by streets and railroad tracks. To create cohesion and a friendlier environment for pedestrians, one audacious proposal would send a portion of DuSable Lake Shore Drive underground in order to connect Buckingham Fountain with the lakefront. * Tribune | Convenient ordering option or ‘sidewalk hog’? Food delivery robots get mixed reception in Chicago: Anthony Jonas, 33, said he was trying to catch the bus when he tripped over the robot , making contact with its visibility flag as he fell. The Lincoln Park resident said he needed stitches and a tetanus shot. “My eye was swollen for about two weeks,” he said. He retains a scar near his left eye. Jonas, a speech language pathologist, said that separately from his own case, he had concerns about the impact robots have on his neighbors who use wheelchairs or strollers. Serve has downplayed the severity of the collision. * Sun-Times | One of the most expensive paintings by a living artist hung unnoticed in a Downtown hotel lobby: It was “Domplatz, Mailand (Cathedral Square, Milan)” by Gerhard Richter, who is still alive. In fact, Monday, Feb. 9 is his 94th birthday. Richter is having a banner year, with a big show in Paris, and since my going is out of the question, the second best thing is to tell how one of his major works ended up next to the front desk at the Park Hyatt Chicago on Michigan Avenue, and why it is now gone. […] The painting hung in the lobby for 15 years, except during 2002, when the hotel lent it to the Museum of Modern Art for a traveling retrospective of 40 years of Richter’s work that included the Art Institute of Chicago. * Sun-Times | Chicago Auto Show’s Chi-Town Alley celebrates best of the city’s ‘hidden’ car culture: A new attraction this year, Chi-Town Alley also features a variety of vehicles owned by local enthusiasts, including a sleek, 1975 Datsun and an eye-catching 1995 Porsche 911 RWB Sandstorm. Also on display is a row of gleaming Mustangs and tricked-out lowriders from car clubs in the region. The exhibit was created to encourage community-building and celebrate Chicago’s car scene, which participants say is full of talent but not widely recognized. * Sun-Times | Joy fills Humboldt Park during ‘Benito Bowl’ halftime show watch party: ‘It’s a good day to be Puerto Rican’: In Humboldt Park, Chicago’s largest Puerto Rican neighborhood, organizers of the annual Fiestas Puertorriqueñas hosted a watch party at their VIP Residencia pop-up space at 2701 W. Division St. The event drew dozens who cheered for the singer and sang along to his top reggaeton hits throughout the 13-minute performance. Instead of wearing their favorite team’s jersey, partygoers wore Puerto Rican flags, Bad Bunny T-shirts and pavas, traditional Puerto Rican straw hats. Organizer Melissa Gomez said she wanted to create an event that would bring the community together, and Bad Bunny’s performance provided the perfect occasion to do just that. * Sun-Times | County’s top prosecutor calls Mayor Brandon Johnson’s ICE executive order ‘wholly inappropriate’: In an email to employees obtained by the Sun-Times, O’Neill Burke said Yvette Loizon, the chief assistant state’s attorney for policy and external affairs, sent a memo to the mayor’s office calling the executive order “not only wholly inappropriate, it also jeopardizes our ability to effectively prosecute and secure convictions when federal law enforcement agents have committed a crime.” * Tribune | Toni Preckwinkle didn’t seek Chicago Teachers Union’s endorsement. Why not?: “I didn’t seek their endorsement,” Preckwinkle told reporters Thursday, before rattling off a list of unions like the Chicago Federation of Labor and other left-leaning groups who are backing her campaign. “And I’m proud of those endorsements,” she said. “I’ve also been endorsed by the governor of the state, JB Pritzker, the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate.” Preckwinkle didn’t elaborate on her reason. Nor did she mention Mayor Brandon Johnson, who has not endorsed her reelection bid so far. * Tribune | Late Cook County property tax distributions spell trouble for libraries: Village library leaders have added their voices to the chorus of complaints about delayed and sporadic distributions of Cook County property tax revenues, saying the situation has drained their reserves, making it harder to hire or buy new books. And in the latest complication in Cook County’s ongoing property tax woes, about $175 million in excess money was sent to taxing bodies that weren’t expecting it. * CBS Chicago | Trusted Chicago judge takes Tuskegee Airman’s cash, then flips it into bitcoin for herself: Patricia Martin, a lawyer turned judge who spent 24 years on the bench, rising to become the top judge in Cook County’s Juvenile Court, seemed to have the credentials to be trusted handling the finances of Oscar Lawton Wilkerson as he reached his mid-90s. She had been related to the former Tuskegee Airman and agreed to help. Instead of helping Wilkerson, court records show Martin instead helped herself to his cash, moving money from his accounts and buying bitcoin. * Crain’s | Bankrupt First Brands cutting nearly 400 jobs in McHenry: First Brands is cutting 389 Illinois jobs as it shutters its Brake Parts facility in McHenry as part of its bankruptcy proceedings, according to a filing the bankrupt company made with the state. […] The company told the state in a letter it sent earlier this week that 332 employees would be laid off Feb. 3. The remaining 57 will be let go by April 10. The layoffs include 206 order fillers and 113 forklift operators, according to the letter. * BND | Granite City residents pack forum to press officials about data center proposal: Opinions were plentiful and divided. Trade union leaders spoke in favor of the facility, touting it as a job creator and economic development tool. Other residents expressed concerns about utility costs, environmental impacts and transparency. Several speakers questioned whether the project was a “done deal,” noting that city officials appeared to have been laying groundwork without public input. One suggested placing a referendum on the ballot. * BND | EPA dismisses resident concerns over Cahokia Heights sewer repair timeline: “I feel like the city is waiting for us to die before they do anything,” resident Michael Hayes, 80, wrote in his comments on the plan before court approval Jan. 20. “I have had to seriously consider moving out of this area, and I should not have to.” Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. and the city’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also did not respond to multiple requests since Jan. 23. In court filings, the agency largely dismissed residents’ concerns and suggested changes to the plan. * Leland Grove Police Chief on leave after ISP investigation:WICS |The Chief of Police for Leland Grove has been placed on administrative leave, following his arrest on charges of DUI and Domestic Battery. It seems from an incident that happened in 1000 block of Elliot in Springfield, early Thursday morning. The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office was at the scene at 12:15 AM, when they called for assistance from the Illinois State Police. After ISP investigated, they arrested Daniel Ryan for Driving Under the Influence and Domestic Battery. Ryan is currently the Police Chief for Leland Grove. * PJ Star | East Peoria threatens to sue Peoria as clash grows between cities: East Peoria, according to multiple Peoria city officials, has been threatening to sue Peoria on a claim that a 1991 intergovernmental signed between the cities about revenue sharing from riverboat gambling also applies to revenue brought in from video gaming terminals. * ABC Chicago | Sheriff’s deputy released from hospital after traffic stop shooting in Peoria County: As Peoria County Sheriff’s deputies approached the vehicle, a passenger got out and fled the scene on foot, police said. The suspect fired multiple shots at a deputy, striking him twice. Deputy Jack Evans underwent surgery for multiple gunshot wounds. One week after the shooting, Evans was released from the hospital. * WCIA | Attendance in Homer schools falls to 50% as illness circulates: After attendance at the elementary and junior high school dropped to around 50%, one Champaign County school district is implementing “enhanced cleaning protocols” and encouraging students showing signs of illness to stay home. Dr. Kimberly Norton, superintendent at Heritage CUSD #8 in Homer, said during the past two school days, about half of the students at Heritage Elementary and Junior High School were absent. Norton added that there has been a viral illness circulating in the community. Symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a cough. * NBC Chicago | The maker of Hot Wheels and Barbie is planning huge new indoor waterpark in Illinois: One of the confirmed park locations will be in Orlando, Florida, Mattel said. Bradley, in Kankakee County, appeared to be another, with local reports saying the Village in December voted to approve the park. “Local excitement continues to grow around Mattel Wonder Indoor Waterpark coming to the Village of Bradley, with plans to become one of Illinois’ premier indoor waterparks,” a statement from Michael Watson, Village of Bradley Mayor read. “We view this venture as the perfect opportunity to showcase our great town alongside Mattel’s iconic brands.” * WCIA | Decatur soup kitchen receives $240K+ from community to continue service: This soup kitchen feeds around 200 people each day, seven days a week. The executive director said in less than two months, they have received more than $240,000. She said most of that money was from community members. “It’s definitely shifted my narrative and my thought process of, ‘no, the community sees how much we do every day,’” said executive director Tanya Melendez. “They see how much it is needed; they see the benefit that it provides. And so, it is so incredibly heartwarming.” * The Atlantic | ‘The Trust Has Been Absolutely Destroyed’: “The trust,” Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows told us, “has been absolutely destroyed.” The sentiment is not confined to Democrats. Some state-level Republican election officials, who, like others interviewed for this story, requested anonymity to speak freely, said that federal officials’ activities involving elections have become so unusual that they are starting to question the federal officials’ competency and motives. These state officials wonder whether the feds are trying to do what Trump has accused others of doing: rig an election. * WaPo | Trump plans to keep Democratic governors out of traditionally bipartisan meeting: According to the governors’ offices, the president also revoked invitations sent to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D), the NGA’s vice chair; and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to attend a second White House event scheduled to occur around the summit: a dinner for governors. “This week, I learned that I was uninvited to this year’s National Governors Association dinner — a decades-long annual tradition meant to bring governors from both parties together to build bonds and celebrate a shared service to our citizens with the President of the United States,” Moore said in a statement Sunday. “… It’s hard not to see this decision as another example of blatant disrespect and a snub to the spirit of bipartisan federal-state partnership.” * WaPo | The AI boom is so huge it’s causing shortages everywhere else: Electricians are getting harder to find, and some construction projects are on hold. Smartphones are expected to get pricier for potentially years to come. And promising innovations are being starved of investment funding. Those are just some of the domino effects from the technology industry’s insatiable spending on artificial intelligence, which is diverting resources and attention from other sectors of the economy. * WaPo | Can these Super Bowl ads make Americans love AI?: Americans are using artificial intelligence apps more but surveys show they doubt the technology is good for them or the world. A growing number of their elected officials are moving to restrict the industry. Companies are trying to exorcise the bad vibes and spent more than $1.7 billion on AI-related advertising last year — an ongoing marketing blitz that will be inescapable during Sunday’s Super Bowl. […] The Washington Post asked experts in marketing and political campaign messaging to analyze four AI TV commercials set to air during this year’s Super Bowl or that appeared in recent months to see how the messages are trying to win over an AI-skeptical public. The campaigns tout how AI might improve a young man’s love life, help a mother and son decorate their new home or preserve jobs in small-town America. * AP | Health costs are fueling voter stress and powering Democratic campaigns: Republicans last year cut about $1 trillion over a decade from Medicaid and declined to extend COVID-era subsidies that had lowered the cost of health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Democrats are filming campaign spots outside struggling hospitals, spotlighting Americans facing spiking insurance premiums and sharing their own personal health care stories.
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Good morning!
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * AP…
Richard Dent won the XX Super Bowl MVP (during a season when he was paid just $90,000 base salary by the cheap ownership). * So, OK, this ain’t the greatest rap song ever, but it’s about the greatest running back ever who, in my opinion, should’ve been given a shot at the MVP award by Coach Ditka.… This is not a gimmick How was your weekend?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition and some other stuff
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Feb 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…
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