Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rep. Carol Ammons and Sen. Kimberly Lightford…

Right now, 68% of jobs — a percentage that is rising — require a post-secondary credential, and workforce data shows that Illinoisans with college degrees contribute more to our local and state economy. So it is critical that we ensure every interested student can pursue and earn a degree.

In 2021, with COVID disruptions wreaking havoc on schools and universities, Illinois created the Commission on Equitable Public University Funding to address significant disparities in the college-going experience across lines of geography, race, ethnicity and income. Despite Illinois’ efforts in recent years to increase higher education funding, this work was necessary and urgent after nearly two decades of disinvestment in our four-year institutions.

The 33-member commission of agency heads, legislators, university leaders and community partners was charged with developing a funding model for public universities that would be adequate, equitable and stable. Such an approach is fundamental to cultivating a healthier university system, where strong outcomes follow sufficient, equitable and predictable state investment. […]

Specifically, the commission recommends Illinois adopt a student-focused university funding formula. The proposed formula first calculates what each university needs to meet its unique mission and serve its unique student population. This involves acknowledging universities will need to invest in evidence-based strategies to better recruit and support some students — those who attended poorly-funded high schools, are returning to school as adults, are first-generation or low-income students, and other students from underrepresented groups.

The formula then identifies what each university can afford to spend, based on current state appropriations, a reasonable estimate of tuition and fees that a university can and should collect from its students, and other resources that may be available to them. The difference between what each university should be spending and its available resources represents how far each institution is from full funding – its “adequacy gap.”

* We warned you…

You're not the only thing sweating…look at the high blob of humidity in the Midwest. That's from corn sweat! Corn releases a lot of moisture in the summer and that means high humidity. pic.twitter.com/WJMrWlwINJ

— Payton Malone WWL-TV (@paytonmalonewx) August 26, 2024

For real though, stay cool out there.

*** Statewide ***

* WICS | Gas prices in Illinois drop more than 40 cents in a month: Prices in Illinois are 40.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 43.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Illinois was priced at $2.93/g yesterday while the most expensive was $4.99/g, a difference of $2.06/g.

* WTVO | Hard Rock launches online sports betting app in Illinois: Hard Rock Casino Rockford announced the launch of Hard Rock Bet on Monday, an online sports betting app that is now live throughout the state of Illinois. According to a press release, Hard Rock Bet offers an integrated New Jersey online casino-sportsbook platform and also operates a sports-only experience in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and Virginia. The mobile app is available for download via iOS and Android.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | First day of school for CPS students: Mayor, CPS CEO greet students in person: The beginning of a new semester puts CPS an additional year removed from the COVID-19 pandemic, and in a sign of students finding some stability, Martinez is touting preliminary data showing more kids are proficient in reading than before the pandemic. These new test scores come on the heels of a national study that found reading scores increased more than any other large urban district.

* Chalkbeat | It’s the first day of school at Chicago Public Schools: Officials touted the district’s momentum in undoing some of the academic fallout from the pandemic and welcoming a larger, more diverse teacher workforce. But the kickoff to the school year was dampened by news that almost 2,000 students with disabilities are still waiting for a transportation route. Meanwhile, Chicago Teachers Union leaders sharply criticized district CEO Pedro Martinez over what they see as too little progress in negotiations over a new contract for educators, ratcheting up tensions over the bargaining process as the district faces looming budget deficits.

* Sun-Times | Chicago police officer charged with attacking cop girlfriend during drunken rampage at police station: An off-duty Chicago police officer was charged with attacking his cop girlfriend during a drunken rampage last week at a South Side police station, pulling her out of a marked squad car by her hair while carrying a loaded gun. Officer Francisco Galvan, 30, from Hegewisch, faces misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and driving under the influence, as well as a citation for illegally transporting alcohol. A police report notes that his girlfriend declined to pursue felony charges.

* Block Club | Ald. Walter Burnett’s Rise To Power Between The ’96 And ’24 DNC: — In August 1996, two young Democrats joined forces to host a party for the Democratic National Convention in Chicago: one a freshman alderman who grew up in public housing, the other a billionaire political hopeful. Nearly 30 years later, the pair joined forces again — this time as vice mayor of Chicago and as governor of Illinois, preparing the city and showing it off to an international crowd for the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

* WTTW | From Politics to Performance and Everything in Between, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the DNC With WTTW News: WTTW News Director Jay Smith sat down with [WTTW’s] political team to reflect on the Democratic National Convention for a behind-the-scenes look at what covering the convention was like, and to help provide insights into the stories that emerged from the week.

* WBEZ | JD Vance called Chicago the US murder capital. Is he right?: Chicagoans are accustomed to hearing overblown descriptions of crime in their city, which has been plagued by the nickname “Chiraq” since Chicago rapper King Louie’s 2011 mixtape “Chiraq, Drillinois.” […] For years, Chicago has consistently led the nation in total homicides. In some years, like in 2018, Chicago witnessed more murders than both New York City and Los Angeles combined. But when it comes to the murder rate, Chicago ranks 15th, based on 2023 statistics from the FBI and the Chicago Police Department. Murder rates, or the number of homicides per capita, are more useful than absolute numbers for understanding residents’ chances of being murdered.

* WGN | ‘Skye the Lioness’ named new mascot of Chicago Sky: Skye replaces the longtime mascot Sky Guy. “Sky Guy, the team’s mascot since 2006, will share his experience and support Skye through the remainder of the 2024 season,” part of the release states.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Philanthropy has entered the race to save local news. Will it be enough?: These are tumultuous times at City Hall in south suburban Harvey. Last month, Mayor Christopher Clark ordered police to remove the audience from chambers after speakers critiqued the administration. In June, a preservationist and former planning commission member was arrested at a City Council meeting. At an earlier session, two local aldermen staged a walkout. You can read all about it in the Harvey World Herald, a young online publication started by town native and recent New York University graduate Amethyst Davis. An impoverished community 20 miles south of the Loop, Harvey has been without local news coverage for decades. “We’ve never really had any place for dialogue about policy issues, to be able to discuss the challenges faced in the community in a way and in a space where it doesn’t devolve into fighting,” Davis says. “So I decided to go out on a limb, quit my job in New York and come back to Illinois.”

* Shaw Local | Longmeadow Parkway completion to be marked with ribbon-cutting Thursday: The ribbon-cutting on the bridge will mark the completion of the 5.6-mile-long toll-free corridor that crosses through the northern section of Kane County from Huntley Road to Route 62 to the east. The corridor also includes a bike and pedestrian path that will connect to the Fox River Trail.

*** Downstate ***

* Capitol City Now | Grayson court hearing: Grayson and lawyer Dan Fultz appeared via video from the Menard County jail in Petersburg, where [Sean Grayson] is being held. One defense lawyer, Mark Wyckoff, cautioned reporters not to hold their breath waiting for the motions and appeals to be sorted out: “It’s a serious matter,” said Wyckoff. “No serious matter is going to be resolved in ninety days.” […] The next hearing is Oct. 21.

* BND | ‘She actually passed away,’ but a metro-east mayor brought her back, parents say: Thanks to quick thinking and a calm head, Cahokia Heights Mayor Curtis McCall Sr. was able to revive a 7-year old girl and give her a new chance at life. […] “I have been retired from law enforcement for 20 years and I received CPR training over 25 years ago. I never had to use it until now,” McCall said. “I am thankful, no. 1, that I received this training and that it kicked back in after all these years.

* Illinois Business Journal | Illinois Stewardship Alliance honors outstanding farmers: Illinois Stewardship Alliance presented two awards recognizing outstanding farmer leaders for their contribution to sustainable and local agriculture in Illinois. Breese, Illinois farmer Cliff Schuette received the second annual Woody Woodruff Conservation Award. The award is named in memory of Robert “Woody” Woodruff, a beloved conservation leader, Macoupin County farmer, and Illinois Stewardship Alliance staff member who passed away after a battle with cancer in 2020 and recognizes a farmer who exemplifies Woody’s passion for soil, water, and community.

* STL Today | Illinois congresswoman fulfills goal of commemorating 1908 Springfield race riot: While the dust was still settling from several divisive political primary races in early August, one Illinois legislator worked on healing measures. On Aug. 16, U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, saw the culmination of her ongoing efforts when President Joe Biden signed a proclamation designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. […] Budzinski, whose district takes in parts of St. Clair and Madison counties, has been pushing for the site designation since she was elected in November 2022.

* The Telegraph | Madison County raises public defender’s salary: A raise for Madison County Public Defender Mary Copeland was approved by the County Board at its Wednesday meeting. […] The salary increase was required because by state law the public defender’s salary is set as at least 90 percent of the state’s attorney’s salary. State’s Attorney Tom Haine recently received a cost-of-living increase from the state, to $206,715.95. Approximately two-thirds of that is paid by the state. With the increase, the public defender’s salary is set at $86,044.36.

*** National ***

* Sun-Times | Rick Steves, travel writer and PBS host, reveals prostate cancer diagnosis: In a lengthy statement posted to social media last week, Steves, 69, announced his diagnosis and shared with his fans what lies ahead for him in the coming months. Steves said his doctor told him that “if you’re going to get cancer, this is a good kind to get,” and scans have shown so far there is no sign of it having spread.

* WaPo | Meet the megadonors pumping millions into the 2024 election: The 50 biggest donors this cycle have collectively pumped $1.5 billion into political committees and other groups competing in the election, according to a Washington Post analysis of Federal Election Commission data. The vast majority of money from top donors has gone to super PACs, which can accept unlimited sums from individuals and often work closely with campaigns despite rules against coordinating their advertising.

9 Comments

It’s just a bill

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ProPublica…

Although federal law requires insurers to provide the same access to mental and physical health care, these companies have been caught, time and again, shortchanging customers with mental illness — restricting coverage and delaying or denying treatment.

These patients — whose disorders can be chronic and costly — are bad for business, industry insiders told ProPublica.

“The way to look at mental health care from an insurance perspective is: I don’t want to attract those people. I am never going to make money on them,” said Ron Howrigon, a consultant who used to manage contracts with providers for major insurers. “One way to get rid of those people or not get them is to not have a great network.”

There are nowhere near enough available therapists in insurance networks to serve all of the people seeking care. And although almost all Americans are insured, about half of people with mental illness are unable to access treatment. […]

It is often the insurers, not the therapists, that determine who can get treatment, what kind they can get and for how long. More than a dozen therapists said insurers urged them to reduce care when their patients were on the brink of harm, including suicide.

* Vox last year…

A recent survey of nearly 2,800 US patients found that 40 percent of patients who had sought in-network mental health care had to make four or more calls to find a provider who would see them — compared to just 14 percent for physical health care. More than half of patients said they had had a claim for mental health care denied three or more times, compared to about one-third who had the same experience with physical services […]

According to a Milliman research report, US patients were five times more likely to use an out-of-network provider in 2017 for both inpatient and outpatient mental health care than they were for all other medical services. One in five office mental health visits was with an out-of-network provider. Reimbursement rates for primary care were 20 percent higher than they were for mental health care, on average. And those disparities actually got worse over the course of the 2010s.

All in all, the US has made it hard to find a mental health provider and hard to pay for their services. (Even if your provider does cover some of an out-of-network bill, the patient’s share will be higher than it would have been in-network). And this is with the parity law in effect.

* Sen. Karina Villa has a bill in Assignments that aims to address this issue in Illinois. From the most recent amendment…

Provides that for all group or individual policies of accident and health insurance or managed care plans that are amended, delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, or any contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer, reimbursement for in-network mental health and substance use disorder treatment services delivered by Illinois providers and facilities must be equal to or greater than 141% of the Medicare rate for the mental health or substance use disorder service delivered (rather than on average, at least as favorable as professional services provided by in-network primary care providers). Removes language providing that reimbursement rates for services paid to Illinois mental health and substance use disorder treatment providers and facilities do not meet the required standard unless the reimbursement rates are, on average, equal to or greater than 141% of the Medicare reimbursement rate for the same service. Provides that, if the Department of Insurance determines that an insurer or a contracted third party administering the behavioral health benefits for the insurer has violated a provision concerning mental health and substance use parity, the Department shall by order assess a civil penalty of $1,000 (rather than $5,000) for each violation. Excludes health care plans serving Medicaid populations that provide, arrange for, pay for, or reimburse the cost of any health care service for persons who are enrolled under the Illinois Public Aid Code or under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Act from provisions concerning mental health and substance use parity. Makes other changes. Effective immediately.

The bill was referred to Assignments in April, but picked up five co-sponsors in the Senate this month.

1 Comment

Question of the day

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Block Club Chicago…

Park 578, located blocks from the United Center at 1919 W. Maypole Ave., was home to the free speech zone established by the city during the DNC. It was meant to appease protest groups battling the city over plans to march near the convention, giving protesters a stage and sound system and opening it to 45-minute speaking time slots.

The stage, however, hosted sparsely attended speeches throughout the DNC, which ended Thursday.

Bike cops scrolling on their cell phones, wandering reporters and political gadflies largely outnumbered registered speakers and attendees at the park. A police helicopter buzzing above it all drowned out those who took to the makeshift speaker’s platform, surrounded by fortified fences and security guards in bright vests.

* The Question: Should Illinois and Chicago push for another national political convention in 2028? : Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.

online polls

34 Comments

Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - 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 Scott, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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Dan Proft removed from the board of Envision Unlimited (Updated)

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. Envision Unlimited Board Chair Mary Kay Krupka and President Mark McHugh…

At Envision Unlimited we wake up every single day on a mission to support people with intellectual, developmental and psychiatric disabilities with quality services that promote choice, independence and inclusion for all. Our members (how our clients prefer to be known) and caregivers represent an extraordinarily underserved and underinvested community of people who not only struggle with financial and medical burdens, but with the challenges of living in a world that all too often does not treat or accept them as equals.

We value all people with disabilities. Our members are our peers and participate in every part of the organization. Everyone benefits when we recognize and celebrate the unique strengths and perspectives that people with disabilities bring to our lives.

It was brought to our attention that one of our board members made comments that were wholly inconsistent with our values and code of ethics as an organization and at their core insensitive and insulting to the very people and families that we serve. We immediately convened our board’s executive committee to discuss the situation and unanimously decided to remove this individual from our board.

This action has everything to do with ensuring that we treat others, especially those who live with disabilities, with respect, understanding and kindness. We are proud to have a diverse board and staff that come from a variety of industries, lived experiences, political affiliations and geographies, as there are no boundaries when it comes to living with disabilities or serving those who live with them. Our loyalty and commitment lie first and foremost with the members and caregivers we serve, and it is our proud privilege to do so with empathy, every time and everywhere.

I’ve reached out to Proft for comment. I was told he raises $100K or so a year for the group, which does a lot of good work.

…Adding… Proft goes on long rant in response.

75 Comments

Today’s must-read

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Chicago Tribune launched a series on political corruption in Illinois…

Illinois nurtured the nation’s greatest president in Abraham Lincoln. It is the birthplace of iconic Republican President Ronald Reagan and the state where Democrat Barack Obama, the country’s first Black president, developed his political chops.

But Illinois is far better known for a more notorious political legacy: constant and persistent corruption. Four of its last 11 governors went to prison. Chicago, its largest city, is home to sweeping federal sting operations that put busloads of judges, aldermen, state lawmakers and other officials behind bars.

Even the state auditor — Illinois government’s financial watchdog — was once caught looting and squandering $2.5 million in public funds. One secretary of state famously amassed more than $750,000, including a shoebox stuffed with cash, that was found stashed in a hotel room after his death. The largest municipal fraud in U.S. history is credited to a small-town treasurer in Illinois who embezzled $54 million. […]

In reporting a series we’re calling “Culture of Corruption,” the Tribune found numerous other factors contributing to Illinois’ shameful record: Loosely regulated big-money campaigns. Domineering mayors letting shifty aldermen run amok. Cozy interactions between lobbyists and public officials. A ballot process power brokers often use to exclude newcomers. The largest number of governmental bodies in the nation, offering endless opportunities for graft amid little oversight.

Of course, not all of the state’s politicians have been crooks, with many seeing government service as an honorable profession and a way to address society’s problems. But even they are tarnished by the misdeeds of those who view corruption as the end to their personal means.

Federal prosecutors have kept busy for decades putting Illinois officials on trial, sometimes after lengthy investigations with names like “Operation Haunted Hall,” “Operation Silver Shovel,” “Operation Board Games” and “Operation Greylord.” A federal prison in nearby Oxford, Wisconsin, has become such a regular destination for convicted Illinois politicians that, at one point, it housed four Chicago aldermen, a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District board member and a state representative. When they bumped into one another, the six men would jokingly yell “quorum call!”

Go read the rest.

Click here for the next story in the series and here for more information on the convicted, indicted or generally notorious public officials the Tribune compiled.

Thoughts?

26 Comments

Stop calling up narratives from the past

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My weekly syndicated newspaper column…

Since the 2022 election, far too many Illinoisans have been far too eager to pine for a repeat of the past.

It started with nonstop rumors about Gov. J.B. Pritzker running for president. Every word he spoke, every position he took, every out-of-state trip he made was examined for signs of what everybody thought they knew. And they played it up for all it was worth whenever they could.

For many, the talk brought back those heady years when Barack Obama captivated the nation and eventually won the presidency, taking lots of local folks with him to Washington, D.C. Turns out, he wasn’t even the Democrats’ “Break glass in case of emergency” guy.

Around the same time, we saw the Chicago Bears drag out its 30-year-old playbook to demand a new stadium and use a town outside Chicago (Gary way back when, Arlington Heights in late 2022) to put pressure on the city and state to cave in to the team’s demands. Lots of folks just assumed it would work again. Nope.

And then White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf decided to defend his state stadium subsidy against the Bears by promising to build a new ballpark as long as he kept receiving state welfare.

Too few people failed to see the members of the current General Assembly simply weren’t going to literally stop the clock again so the governor and the House speaker (or Senate president, for that matter) could twist enough arms to seal a new deal before a dramatic midnight deadline. Those days are over.

These days, it’s a half-billion dollars for quantum computing or an equal amount of state cash to spark investments by the electric vehicle industry.

And, of course, for months we were constantly reminded of the notorious 1968 Democratic National Convention violence as last week’s Democratic National Convention approached.

There were some valid concerns, of course. I mean, the Chicago Police Department doesn’t have the greatest reputation.

There was also no doubt that some protesters would come to town itching for a street fight with the cops, using the Gaza war as a pretext and trying to manifest the angry spirit of 1968 again this year.

And lots of young people throughout the nation have been angry about this war, as many were about Vietnam (without the added personal threat of a compulsive military draft, of course).

But while antisemitism has been intensely ugly since last October, we hadn’t seen any truly violent protests, even though Cook County has more Palestinian Americans than any county in the nation.

A smallish block-long protest the Sunday before the convention was intensely covered by the Chicago and national media, but the cops seemed to outnumber the protesters.

Still, references to 1968 dotted the coverage, both on social media and in subsequent news stories, including the protesters came near the General John Logan Memorial statue, which was the scene of an epic battle between protesters and law enforcement back in 1968. At one point, protesters chanted the old line, “The whole world is watching!” during a scuffle that didn’t actually involve the police. It was almost silly.

The comparisons to 1968 kicked up a big notch when the news media reported rumors that 150 members of the National Guard had been deployed to the city. The National Guard, of course, battled protesters in the streets in ’68. Those fights are a big reason why Chicago mayors have been super-reluctant to call out the Guard in the decades since.

It turns out that far more than that were actually called up, but most had nothing to do with protest violence. It was mainly about terrorism or other disruptions. Hundreds of cybersecurity task force members, communications experts, chemical and biological response troops and explosive device experts were activated. Even some veterinarians were called up to care for bomb-sniffing dogs.

“They’re not called up to beat up protesters in Grant Park,” said one exasperated state official.

One protest outside the Israeli consulate turned violent when street fighters attacked a police line. Just a couple of protesters claimed minor injuries. Dozens were arrested, about a tenth the number arrested on the single most violent day of the 1968 convention.

It just didn’t pan out as some people clearly hoped.

All I’m saying here is we need to live more in the present than in the past. Our aging president has dropped out of the race, and now our aging news media narratives need to do the same.

20 Comments

Open thread

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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

4 Comments

Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Members of Midwest farming community connect with shrimper, researchers in Gulf dead zone visit: Six members of Midwestern farming communities huddled around Louisiana fisherman Lance Nacio earlier this month as he showed family photos and spoke about the shrimping business he inherited from his father and grandfather. “It’s very much a culture, just like farming,” said Megan Dwyer, a fourth-generation farmer and the director of conservation at the Illinois Corn Growers Association.

* Sun-Times | Man charged in theft of laptops from Cook County state’s attorney’s office: A man has been charged in the thefts last month of laptops possibly containing confidential information on criminal cases from the Cook County state’s attorney’s offices at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. Jordan Jose Ocampo, 44, is charged with felony counts of burglary and theft after detectives identified him on surveillance video allegedly wheeling a cart out of the main lobby of the courthouse on the night of July 22.

*** Statewide ***

* Journal Courier | Illinois launches training initiative for those who help LGBTQ+ seniors: Free training known as OUTSafe is being offered by Springfield’s AgeLinc, the Area Agency on Aging serving central Illinois. The initiative is using state funds obtained by state Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. The training is an introductory course to educate groups including health care providers, caregivers and law enforcement officials. It is meant to be the start of continued education on violence prevention and improved competency on LGBTQ+ relations.

* NBC Chicago | What is Illinois’ official state pie? There’s a reason it is this very popular flavor: In 2015, then-Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill making pumpkin pie the official state pie of Illinois. It makes sense given Illinois produces more pumpkins than any other state in the country. Ninety five percent of the pumpkin crop in the U.S. intended for processing is grown in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. If you buy canned pumpkin, chances are it was processed in Illinois too.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Nearly 20% of CPS students with disabilities have no bus ride on the first day of school: The district prioritizes busing for students with disabilities, as well as unhoused students, as required by law. Some 10,695 students with disabilities have requested transportation — an increase of 33% compared to last year, according to the district. The percentage of disabled and unhoused students enrolled in CPS has also been going up.

* Tribune | Some CPS parents take transportation into their own hands, as busing woes continue for 2024-2025 school year: Since busing was not provided for selective enrollment CPS students last year, the two-hour commute each way on public transit was the best option for Lichwick-Glesne, who has epilepsy and cannot drive her 7-year-old son Laike to school. Midway through the school year, a carpool relieved some of the stress. But, a year later, Lichwick-Glesne’s family found themselves in the same position. Still not guaranteed busing for this school year, the family was scared to repeat the same routine. After spending months on the waitlists of selective schools closer to home, Laike is switching to a new school this year, Beaubien Elementary School’s Regional Gifted Center in Jefferson Park, just a 12-minute CTA bus ride or 10-minute drive from home.

* Tribune | Chicago White Sox lose their 100th game — and now need to go 12-19 to avoid tying the most losses in a season: The Sox became just the second team in the modern era of Major League Baseball history to lose 100-plus times over the first 131 games of a season after falling 9-4 on Sunday in front of 16,928 at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Sox joined the ranks of the 1916 Philadelphia A’s — who were 29-101-1 after game 131.

* Crain’s | Want to catch a coastal cruise from Navy Pier? You can in 2025.: The two Victory Cruise Lines vessels, Victory I and Victory II, will return to Chicago after a yearlong hiatus. The 190-passenger vessels were out of commission in 2024 after their previous owners went bankrupt and were forced to sell the ships at auction in April.

* Sun-Times | Behind Kamala Harris’ DNC balloon drop was a tribute to a Chicago artist battling cancer: Balloon-industry titan Treb Heining helped gather more than 50 volunteers on short notice to ready 100,000 balloons for the big drop as well as to honor Tommy DeLorenzo, a local balloon artist who is fighting stage 4 cancer.

* Sun-Times | CTA L mapmaker Dennis McClendon, who found a calling in cartography, dead at 67: He also was a Chicago history expert tapped by WTTW-Channel 11 host Geoffrey Baer for answers. As a mapmaker, his vast output also included creating the Chicago Bike Map. His last project was creating the maps of the Near West Side that were provided to all delegates to the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights planning chief who prepped for Bears and reshaped downtown set to retire: The municipal planner who has shaped downtown Arlington Heights into a mixed-use entertainment destination and worked behind the scenes on the Bears’ now-stalled Arlington Park redevelopment plans will retire from his long-held position at village hall this fall. Charles Witherington-Perkins is a rare breed in suburban planning and community development circles, having spent nearly 35 years out of a four-decade-long career as department director overseeing the review and permit processes for projects large and small across the Northwest suburb.

* Daily Herald | Four already expressing interest in three Buffalo Grove village board seats: With the candidate filing period still months away, a contested race already is shaping up for three four-year terms on the Buffalo Grove village board. Incumbent village trustees Joanne Johnson and Lester Ottenheimer III have both said they will seek additional four-year terms in the April 2025 election. They’re expected to be joined on the ballot by Trustee Denice Bocek, longtime village volunteer Paulette Greenberg, and perhaps others.

* Tribune | Proposed dam removals on Fox River pit environmental groups against some residents: To improve water quality and habitat by restoring the river of its natural state, while lowering the risk of flooding, the state and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have recommended removing nine dams along the Fox River through the far western suburbs. […] [T]he corps has agreed to further study the impacts of dam removal, including how it would affect water levels and what sediments might be released. The environmental analysis will take longer, but the corps is not stopping its program. Officials aim to make a final decision on most of the dams in 2025 and start removal in 2027

* Daily Herald | ‘She is my wildest dreams’: DNC women delegates envision female president: “I think having a woman become our next president is historic for so many reasons but for me as an African American woman … she is my wildest dreams,” delegate and Hanover Park trustee Yasmeen Bankole said. “She inspires me to reach for the stars,” Bankole added Thursday, hours before the vice president accepted her party’s nomination.

*** Downstate ***

* STL PR | Green Party candidate did not qualify for U.S. House race in Illinois’ 13th: Chibu Asonye of Urbana did not gather enough signatures to appear before voters in the election for the congressional district that stretches from the Metro East to Springfield and Urbana-Champaign. Asonye gathered 1,557 signatures, according to the state’s top election authority. However, 12,710 is needed under state law.

* WSIL | Illinois asks for resident feedback on abandoned mines: The state of Illinois has asked residents for feedback surrounding recent funding from President Biden for abandoned mine reclamation. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) first announced the funding on August 6. This is the second year Illinois has received money through Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The IDNR says the $75.7 million awarded to the state will focus on 40 mines across Illinois that were abandoned on or before Aug. 3, 1977.

* WCIA | Monticello Railway Museum working to fix tracks: Right now, the tracks will lead you into a dead end. The plan is to connect them so trains can eventually run more efficiently. “It’ll give us another route that we can take with a museum or potentially what we have Railroad Days coming up,” Museum Ticket Agent John Downing said. “You could have one train heading to White Heath and another train coming back and pass each other then.”

* WSIL | Phineas and Ferb creator to appear at SIU Carbondale: SIU’s Student Programming Council has announced Dan Povenmire as the featured guest for Saluki Family Weekend 2024. is most well-known for the creation of the hit Disney Channel show, “Phineas and Ferb.” The cartoon ran for four seasons and a movie from 2007 to 2015. A reunion movie premiered on Disney+ in 2020, and the show is set to return for two more seasons on the streamer soon.

*** National ***

* NYT | Latino Civil Rights Group Demands Inquiry Into Texas Voter Fraud Raids: A Latino civil rights group is asking the Department of Justice to open an investigation into a series of raids conducted on Latino voting activists and political operatives as part of sprawling voter fraud inquiry by the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton. The League of United Latin American Citizens, one of the nation’s oldest Latino civil rights organizations, said that many of those targeted were Democratic leaders and election volunteers, and that some were older residents. Gabriel Rosales, the director of the group’s Texas chapter, said that officers conducting the raids took cellphones, computers and documents. He called the raids “alarming” and said they were an effort to suppress Latino voters

1 Comment

Live coverage

Monday, Aug 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.