* From Rich: Background is here if you need it. The Illinois State Board of Elections voted 4-4 on party lines today on whether to accept Senate President Don Harmon’s appeal of an board hearing officer’s ruling that he pay almost $10 million in fines for violating the state’s campaign contribution limits law. All board actions require a 5-vote majority “for any action of the Board to become effective.” So, it’s all basically in perpetual limbo. I’ll have more for subscribers tomorrow. From Harmon’s spokesperson…

We are pleased with today’s results.

* Tribune…

As aldermen began to wrap their heads around Mayor Brandon Johnson’s budget proposal Tuesday, what lies ahead at City Hall came into focus: another long, uphill battle. […]

Pritzker told the Economic Club of Chicago Tuesday he is “absolutely, four-square opposed” to the tax, drawing emphatic applause from the assembled business leaders.

“It penalizes the very thing that we want, which is we want more employment in the city of Chicago, and it makes it very hard to attract companies from outside of Chicago to come into Chicago and harder for companies that are in Chicago to stay,” he said.

Pritzker said Johnson and the City Council should focus instead on fostering economic growth and finding “efficiencies,” a byword for budget cuts.

“I haven’t seen any of that in this budget so far,” Pritzker said. “I think that’s going to have to happen because there are going to be changes people are not going to like, certain kinds of revenue enhancements that he’s got in his budget.”

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* WAND…

A fight over federal funds, as the Urbana City Council narrowly passed an ordinance Monday night to accept a FEMA grant for its fire department.

Council members are concerned about requirements in the agreement.

Typically, state and federal grants require a city follow applicable laws.

However, this FEMA grant also requires the City of Urbana to cooperate with Homeland Security and immigration officials, along with abiding by President Trump’s executive orders.

“I think that there are still things that could either tie our hands or not be in line with Urbana values that could be related to this grant. Certainly the consequences of having funding clawed back, at this amount, is not the end of the world. But I think it’s just not a risk I feel comfortable taking,” said Ward 4 Councilmember Jaya Kolisetty.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Democratic lawmakers demand hearing on bill repealing restrictions on companies boycotting Israel: “This is a shame. This is a stain on our state’s history,” said Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid (D-Berwyn). “It’s something that ought to be repealed immediately. Immediately.” Rashid told reporters in Springfield he is elated there is a ceasefire in Gaza, but he argues the absence of continued genocide is not lasting peace or justice.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s proposed tax on social media companies likely to face legal battle: Mayor Brandon Johnson may want to find a $31 million budget fallback for his proposed tax on big social media companies. One constitutional expert predicted it’ll end up “a complete loser” when it’s inevitably challenged in court by opponents in the big tech industry. But Johnson’s office contends it’s a legal “amusement tax” that they’d be slapping on Meta, TikTok and other sites that many experts say can harm the mental health of young people. The mayor last week proposed taxing social media companies to help close a $1.15 billion shortfall, dinging at a rate of 50 cents per user after the first 100,000 users, similar to tax structures that have been floated — but not approved — in Minnesota and Washington state.

* Tribune | Immigration officials tell federal judge aggressive street tactics were response to agents being in danger: But at the same time, the officials told U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis that all agents had been fully briefed on the judge’s temporary restraining order restricting the use of tear gas and requiring body-worn cameras for all officers in the field to be turned on during enforcement actions. “We take these (temporary restraining orders) very seriously,” Kyle Harvick, deputy incident commander for Customs and Border Patrol, told Ellis, adding that in addition to being emailed to every agent in the field, Ellis’ orders have been discussed at length during daily morning briefings.

* Sun-Times | Judge permits questioning of top Border Patrol boss in lawsuit over treatment of protesters in Chicago: However, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis put strict limits on Bovino’s deposition, in which he’ll have to answer questions under oath from the lawyers who brought the case. Ellis said Bovino’s deposition will be limited to “how” federal officers are enforcing the law, and whether they are violating people’s constitutional rights. She said Bovino should not be asked, more broadly, “why” Chicago has been targeted.

* Sun-Times | Ald. Fuentes seeks $100K in damages after allegedly roughed up by ICE agents: The federal tort claim filed by Ald. Jesse Fuentes (26th) seeks $100,000 in damages and is a prelude to a federal lawsuit. Fuentes said she could “care less about the money,” adding her motive is to hold federal agents accountable for “terrorizing and brutalizing” her constituents in the name of immigrant enforcement. “What I want to prove is that federal agents who are supposed to be law enforcement are not above the law. They’re coming to Chicago and believing they can violate every single local law we have,” Fuentes told the Sun-Times.

* Block Club | A Chicago High Schooler Had Just Returned From Chemotherapy. Then ICE Arrested Her Father: On Saturday afternoon, Ruben Torres was coming out of a Home Depot at 8650 Dempster St. in Niles when federal agents called for him by name, family members said. Photos and video show signs of forced entry to Ruben Torres’ truck. The passenger-side window was cracked in multiple spots. […] Ruben Torres, 40, has no criminal record apart from minor traffic infractions, according to court records his attorney filed. He’s been his family’s sole provider, working for the same boss for 20 years, while Sandibell cares for their children, Ofelia and 4-year-old Nathan.

* Crain’s | O’Hare sets record for summer travel: This summer was the busiest ever for O’Hare International Airport, with 24.3 million passengers passing through the city’s largest airport between June and August. The three-month total topped the previous record, set before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, by 1.2%, the Chicago Department of Aviation says.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* ABC Chicago | Repairs may have been made to SUV CBP agent drove to Maine after alleged Brighton Park car-ramming: Federal prosecutors on Monday acknowledged that a Customs and Border Patrol agent’s SUV that was involved in an alleged “ramming” incident, which led to the agent shooting a woman on Chicago’s Southwest Side earlier this month, was released to the agent and driven back to his home base in Maine before the woman’s defense attorneys could inspect the vehicle. A prosecutor also told the court that repairs to the SUV had been authorized but he couldn’t say whether the repairs had actually taken place because they don’t yet have a report from the mechanic.

* WGN | Hazel Crest school board under fire for travel, hotel spending: Records show nearly $100,000 was spent on food and hotel costs between Jan. 2024 and June 2025. Notable charges include more than $7,700 at the Bellagio Hotel in Oct. 2024 for board members to attend the Cube Conference. […] The district paid more than $15,000 to the Marriott in Oak Brook last month for a team-building retreat, $13,317 to the Marriott in Schaumburg in July 2025 and over $10,000 at the Oak Brook Marriott again in Feb. 2025.

* Daily Herald | District 203 board member censured for second time in less than a year: Kelley Black, who was first censured in January, rebuked the latest reprimand by questioning its legality. She says she wants an independent review by the Regional Office of Education or the Illinois State Board of Education to determine if the board’s action is retaliatory. She also questioned what she described as a “lack of evidence” against her.

* Daily Herald | Schaumburg launches new 24/7 AI assistant, a resource for residents with questions: The village of Schaumburg is launching a 24/7 AI assistant on its website to help answer community related questions and refer residents to resources. “Serena Says” is named after Serena the swan, who lives in a pond at the village Municipal Center. The chatbot launched publicly Tuesday after a “soft launch” on Oct. 9, according to Schaumburg’s Director of Communications and Outreach Kassondra Schref.

* Daily Herald | Shift in work hours for Arlington Heights patrol officers, under new contract: Arlington Heights police officers will get a 3% raise — and those who patrol the streets will work a slightly different schedule — under a new one-year labor agreement approved Monday. The new schedule for beat cops puts in place a nine-hour work day, in which they’ll report for duty five days straight, then get three days off.

*** Downstate ***

* Capitol City Now | Witness testimony discussed at Day 2 of Sean Grayson trial: Because twelve jurors and three alternates were picked quickly Monday, that left Tuesday to deal with some motions filed by the prosecution and defense this past Friday. They’re essentially motions in limine — or, motions that often limit the restrictions of certain witness testimony. Three witnesses were of concern. At issue was what those witnesses could say and not say during testimony. Defense attorneys were concerned with the ability of some witnesses to be able to describe medical-related issues, while others dealt with the use of words like reasonable and justified, among others. In one case, terminology in law enforcement standards nationally, versus those in Sangamon County, were discussed.

* WQAD | Court testimony: Some Mercer County students’ medical records shared with district’s teachers union rep: According to testimony from an Aledo Police Department detective, the high school nurse was in contact with the local health department regarding hand, foot and mouth disease spreading in the school. The nurse said she was advised that if the cases reached a certain threshold, she would be required to disclose that information to the health department but would not have to disclose names or identifying information. It was at that time that Farquer allegedly demanded names, contact information, the date the student was diagnosed and vaccination status from the nurse, the detective’s testimony claimed. According to charging documents, Farquer accessed these records in early September of this year. There is currently no vaccine for hand, foot and mouth disease.

* KFVS | Pulaski County, Ill. to hold bid auction real estate sale: Pulaski County, Illinois will hold a sealed bid auction for delinquent real estate properties that are now available to the public for sale. There will be around 101 items available. All sealed written bids must be in the Pulaski County Treasurer’s Office at 500 Illinois Avenue in Mound City, no later than the close of business on October 31.

* WGLT | McLean County Chamber pitches new healthcare plan to business groups statewide: Moore says since Health Alliance announced plans to end coverage, the chamber has found another provider, United Healthcare, and an opportunity to make it available on a larger scale, across the state, through the Illinois Chamber of Commerce. “In talking with Illinois State Chamber of Commerce, we realized that if we could pool our resources and put lives together, we could have better buying power and a better opportunity for businesses if we join forces,” Moore said.

* WCIA | Danville School Board will consider dismissing administrator: Narcissus Rankin currently holds the position of Director of Business for the Danville School District. But, according to the Board of Education’s meeting agenda, board members will discuss several changes relating to Rankin’s position on Wednesday night. First, the board will discuss a motion to adopt a resolution to dismiss Rankin from her position immediately. Next up is a motion to adopt a “Notice of Charges and Bill of Particulars” authorizing the dismissal of Rankin as a tenured teacher in the district. Finally, the board will discuss a motion to place Rankin on unpaid administrative leave, pending her dismissal as a tenured teacher.

* WSIL | Cave-in-Rock Ferry shuts down due to high winds: The Cave-in-Rock Ferry closed temporarily at noon on Tuesday, Oct. 21, due to high winds. The ferry authority stated they will update the public about its reopening on their Facebook page. The ferry connects KY 91 with Illinois Route 1 across the Ohio River between Crittenden County, Kentucky, and Hardin County, Illinois.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. Drug Court graduates ready to take next step back into normal life: On Monday, the Champaign County Drug Court recognized and celebrated seven people who have much to be proud of thanks to their hard work. Even though there weren’t any caps or gowns, it had the same excited faces. The graduates didn’t just receive a piece of paper, but a whole new mindset and outlook on life.

* WGLT | Normal council purchases 4 sculptures for planned park at One Normal Plaza: The cost is $69,750 for the art pieces, all crafted by Illinois artists and are planned to be installed this spring with a grand opening soon after. The planned sculpture park was approved by the council in June 2024. The contract with Hitchcock Design Group was to create a master plan for the green space in the center of the circle drive at 1110 Douglas St. After costs exceeded estimates, the council in April rejected new bids that also were seen as higher than anticipated. In July, the work was awarded to Otto Baum company after a second bidding process.

* WGLT | Roundabout at College and Rivian raises farm concerns: Right now, it’s a T-intersection, although the intersection is closed this season. Rivian is extending facilities to the west of Route 150, which will make College Avenue a four-way intersection. Instead of traffic signals, there will be a roundabout. Farmers have used Rivian Motorway by preference over some township roads. McLean County Farm Bureau Director Anna Ziegler said it offers advantages over some township roads.

* WCIA | ‘This is like a museum that came to you’: Holocaust exhibit debuts in Champaign: Alex Lyon is a board member for the Jewish Federation and is on the Holocaust Education Center Committee. She said students are not learning about the Holocaust in depth. “[It’s] also an opportunity to really think about our place in the world. How can we all fight for a more just society and learn from the mistakes of the past,” Lyon said.

* WSIL | Video: Longtime radio broadcaster Tom Miller talks with News 3 about retirement

*** National ***

* AP | Newspapers closing, news deserts growing for beleaguered news industry: An estimated 365,460 people worked at newspapers in 2005, and now that number is down to 91,550, the report said. Two decades ago, 71% of journalists worked at newspapers and now just 29% of the nearly 42,000 working journalists are at newspapers.

* Bloomberg | Millionaire Tax That Inspired Mamdani Fuels $5.7 Billion Haul in Massachusetts: In the two years since the state started charging a 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million, the effort has created a $5.7 billion windfall, with the surplus being used to fund bridge repairs, bolster literacy programs and address the transportation system’s budget deficit.

* Bloomberg | Supreme Court Is Told Trump Tariffs Are Illegal $3 Trillion Tax: The justices are set to determine if Trump legally issued the tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that gives the president a panoply of financial tools to address national security, foreign policy and economic emergencies. The US trade court ruled against Trump in a decision that was upheld by a federal appeals court. Trump says his tariffs are authorized legally under the law, known as IEEPA, because a key provision of the statute says the president can “regulate” the “importation” of property to address an emergency.

* The Atlantic | ICE’s ‘Athletically Allergic’ Recruits: More than a third have failed so far, four officials told me, impeding the agency’s plan to hire, train, and deploy 10,000 deportation officers by January. To pass, recruits must do 15 push-ups and 32 sit-ups, and run 1.5 miles in 14 minutes. “It’s pathetic,” one career ICE official told me, adding that before now, a typical class of 40 recruits had only a couple of candidates fail, because the screening process was more rigorous.