Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Chicago Strong ! @Giannoulias …
Photo by Derick Smith #GreatLakeJumper pic.twitter.com/FbwlQ3xrmN

— Great Lake Jumper (@TheRealDtox) June 16, 2026

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You can’t make a data centers deal if nobody is talking

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Capitol News Illinois on the lack of any legislative progress whatsoever this past spring about data center regulation…

Rep. Ann Williams, D-Chicago, said lawmakers will continue negotiating data center regulations with stakeholders this summer, but no dates have been established.

“I support the pause while we get a handle on how we’re going to put some guardrails in place regarding data centers,” she said. “But I know some of my colleagues are very interested in the development and the job creation and the economic benefits that development on the scale of a data center can provide.” […]

A last-minute push among some lawmakers to pause tax incentives also failed because there was disagreement in the House Democratic caucus, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, said.

“Not only did it struggle, it wasn’t even close in my caucus. I believe it was similar in the Senate,” Welch told Capitol News Illinois. […]

Lobbyists from stakeholder organizations said they’ve been ready to meet at the negotiating table and they’re only waiting for lawmakers to set dates.

“I think it’s unfortunate that we didn’t actually really begin any stakeholder negotiations,” Brad Tietz, director of state policy for the Data Center Coalition, said. “We were prepared and able to do that. It just never came to fruition.” […]

He said the Data Center Coalition suggested language to amend the Illinois Water Use Act of 1983 and require all large water users to report their usage. They’ve also suggested making the “bring your own clean energy” provision voluntary and incentivizing data centers to do it by letting them connect to the electricity grid faster. The POWER Act made “bring your own clean energy” mandatory, but it also allowed data centers to connect to the grid faster for doing it, and for meeting other standards in the bill. […]

Tietz said he had some informal meetings with lawmakers to give them more information and to get a sense of their priorities, but real negotiations need to happen sooner rather than later. […]

[Jen Walling, the executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council] said she expects the POWER Act to be pared back in some areas, but she doesn’t have details because she hasn’t met with the Data Center Coalition. The IEC had some informal meetings with lawmakers during the session, but she said those never went into detail or involved other groups. […]

A key obstacle for getting regulations over the finish line, Walling said, was that both legislative chambers were rarely in session at the same time this year. Before May, the House and Senate were only in session at the same time for four weeks — two in February, one in March and one in April.

“And so there’s very little time to have in-person meetings that included leaders from both chambers. That made it really hard to get anything done,” Walling said.

* Related…

* Tribune | Illinois AFL-CIO puts off endorsements in rebuke to Democrats over stalled labor priorities in Springfield: “This past state legislative session was especially concerning, as Springfield not only failed to advance key priorities, but the process by which legislation was considered fell short of what working people deserve,” he said. “These concerns span the full breadth of our movement, with public sector, private sector, manufacturing, and building trades all expressing dissatisfaction.” In an interview with the Tribune, Drea called the decision more of a pause on traditional post-session endorsements and political organizing in order to hold further discussions with Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic legislative leaders House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch of Hillside and Senate President Don Harmon of Oak Park before deciding whether endorsements were warranted.

* WaPo | Why most politicians are not calling for data center bans despite voters’ anger: Democrats are divided because some trade unions support the centers, which create construction jobs, and because the powerful industry behind them has poured millions into attacking political opponents. Republicans have largely supported the centers, spurred by President Donald Trump’s enthusiastic backing, and have only recently been raising concerns as they hear from their enraged base. The data centers’ footprint encompasses states that are midterm battlegrounds and will be crucial to determining which party controls the House and the Senate next year. Ohio is home to more than 200 data centers, the sixth-most of any state, according to data compiled by the industry group Data Center Map. Georgia, Virginia and Texas host even more of the centers.

* Shaw Local | Illinois data center fight escalates as state regulation fails and communities push back: The lack of regulation currently at the state and federal level was a major point of contention at a May 26 meeting in Lockport, where residents spoke out vehemently against the possibility of using a specific parcel of city-owned land to build a data center. Mayor Steven Streit argued that if the city were approached about a data center project, the city could use its ownership of the property, known as the Star Innovation District, to impose its own restrictions on the development. Residents were skeptical, however, that local efforts would be successful without regulation at the state or federal level.

* WGLT | State Sen. Koehler on the end-of-session crunch and push for data center, insurance industry regulation: “You shouldn’t be taking drinking water out of the [Mahomet] aquifer to run a data center, so I hope that will make a difference. Unfortunately, this is not done statewide, and there was a bill that was introduced, but it didn’t really go anywhere,” Koehler said. Koehler said the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District is allowed to sell gray water [waste water from sinks and washing machines] to allow more clean water to go towards residents. Koehler said the state can create laws surrounding electric and water consumption, but local governments still need to decide where to zone the data center to minimize the noise pollution.

* Shaw Local | Bourbonnais trustees approve moratorium on data centers: “It doesn’t protect us outside our village boundaries. It’s just limited to the village boundaries,” said during a telephone interview Wednesday. The moratorium is a temporary fix that expires Jan. 31, 2027, according to the ordinance. Mayor Jeff Keast and Van Mill said last week the moratorium gives them time to protect the village from future data centers.

* Shaw Local | Data center moratorium coming to Bourbonnais: “Those regulations are going to take some time, and what we’re proposing here is a moratorium on any applications, any sitings of data centers,” Van Mill said. Trustees are scheduled to vote on proposed legislation at Monday’s board meeting. The moratorium gives officials a year to create or amend current ordinances. “The moratorium is basically a full stop, everything.” Van Mill said after the meeting.

* Daily Herald | ‘Taking this issue extremely seriously’: Lake County pursues data center moratorium: As that review and approval process can take time, the action is coupled with an “administrative deferral” of up to 120 days on data center applications to bridge the gap and make the pause immediate. Given the complexity and potential long-term implications of data centers, county staff says it needs time to evaluate and develop definitions, zoning classifications, performance standards and review procedures before data center proposals move ahead.

* Illinois Times | Area data center updates: Plans for CyrusOne’s $500 million data center in Sangamon County are moving forward, with construction expected to begin this summer, after approval two months ago in a County Board vote that crossed party lines. Meanwhile, debate on the potential Meridian Technology Park data center – 10 times more expensive and two miles west of Taylorville – is just beginning in nearby Christian County. The Christian County Board expects to formally discuss the issue for the first time on June 16, with official votes on plans by North Carolina-based Eagle Rock Partners expected in the coming months.

* WICS | CWLP requests change to large load rates amidst area data center speculation: Rogers says, “There’s no way we could provide power to a large center like that or to the 200 megawatts in excess today at that rate.” He continues, “If a data center is going to come in, we would have to have negotiations with them on how we’re going to serve them and what the costs are going to be.”

* 25 News Now | “It won’t be a data center.” Owner of the old AMC theater in North Pekin and village president address data center speculation: Although a vote on rezoning the now-abandoned AMC theaters in North Pekin from retail to light industrial won’t be taken until Tuesday night, residents in the area are concerned that rezoning could open the possibility of a future data center. North Pekin leaders assured the public Monday night that won’t happen. Residents showed up in “NO Data Center” t-shirts to fill the room, where usually only a small gathering of residents attends. According to North Pekin residents, this was the first meeting they’d attended, and it was due to data center rumors.

* Shaw Local | Lee County officials: No data center coming to 387-acre property near Nelson: Local residents’ negative reactions in recent weeks stemmed from a real-estate listing posted on the Lee County Industrial Development Association’s website – a listing that has since been removed – advertising a 387-acre property along Interstate 88 and U.S. 30 as being “prime data center development land.” Since then, a change.org petition has been gaining signatures from those against the possibility of a data center, a Dixon man was charged with threatening LCIDA’s executive director and county officials said it’s snowballed to the point where they’re receiving emails about it everyday.

* WSJ | Democrats Unveil Flood of AI Proposals in Potential Challenge to Tech Giants: Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) is proposing a bill that would ensure a human is involved when the Pentagon uses AI in weapons and protects against the technology’s use for domestic surveillance. The bill expands on existing Defense Department protocols. The proposal follows legislation that is similar in some ways to bills put forward recently by Sens. Mark Kelly (D., Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) and Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.). Many of the bills were spurred by AI developer Anthropic’s recent spat with the Pentagon, which raised questions about the Defense Department’s guardrails for keeping a human involved when AI is used. The introduction of powerful models capable of carrying out cyberattacks, a backlash against data centers that power models and challenges for recent college graduates finding jobs have sparked the flurry of new bills, lawmakers said.

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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

For over 30 years, Marc Maslauski has helped men look and feel their best at Jim Herron Ltd. in Springfield. Known for quality menswear and exceptional personal service, Marc takes pride in creating a shopping experience that keeps customers coming back. Whether you’re searching for a tailored suit, sport coat, or everyday style upgrade, Jim Herron Ltd. delivers timeless fashion with a personal touch.

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 Marc in Springfield who serve their communities with dedication and pride. Please visit https://WeAreRetail.IRMA.org/.

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Sen. Linda Holmes will withdraw from ballot, retire at end of term

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Sen. Linda Holmes…

After 20 years representing Illinois’ 42nd District, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Linda Holmes announced Monday that she will not seek reelection and will withdraw her name from the November 2026 ballot. Holmes, who was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 2006, said the progression of Multiple Sclerosis, a condition she’s lived with for 37 years, has led her to make the difficult decision to retire from public office at the conclusion of her current term. Senator Holmes issued this statement reflecting on her decision and her years of public service:

“This is a difficult letter to write to my friends, colleagues and supporters. It is with a heavy heart that I will withdraw my name from the November 3, 2026 ballot. As many of you know, I have had MS for 37 years. While I have been fortunate these past several decades to have been able to operate with few symptoms, Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is now forcing me to slow down.

“I am very grateful to have represented the 42nd District in the Illinois State Senate for the past 20 years. Serving constituents since I was elected in 2006 has been a true honor. It is a task I never took lightly. I have treasured being able to have been your voice in Springfield.

“I was pivotal in helping Illinois achieve the status of being one of the most pet friendly states in our nation. Because of MS and living with a chronic disease, I have fought for better health insurance for all people. As a past business owner, I carried legislation to help small businesses. I fought hard to protect and provide good paying jobs in Illinois. As a former Kane County Board member and neighborhood advocate, I fiercely protected local control for the 1,294 cities, towns and villages that make up Illinois. Throughout the pandemic, I was the Senate leader working on unemployment issues and ensuring we maintained a stable unemployment trust fund. That was a collaborative effort with both legislative chambers and both political parties, as well as representatives from both business and labor.

“The legislation of which I am most proud to have sponsored is Medical Aid in Dying (MAID). MAID allows terminally ill individuals with a prognosis of six months or less to live to have the choice to end their life with dignity. This was a passion project to honor my parents, who both passed from terminal cancer. That law goes into effect September 2026.

“I intend to serve the full remainder of my term and will be active from now until January 2027 to personally meet with the elected officials in my district who strive each day to build strong communities and neighborhoods. I cherish the opportunity to meet with as many constituents as possible and express my heartfelt gratitude for their trust in me and allowing me this opportunity of a lifetime.

* Capitol News Illinois…

Just who that somebody else will be on November’s ballot is up to the Democratic County chairs based on a weighted vote in the four counties where Holmes has constituents — Kane (about 41%), Kendall (about 29%), DuPage (about 19%), and Will (about 11%).

Holmes declined to mention who she’ll be backing for the nomination — though she does have a preferred candidate. That person would face Aurora Republican Edgardo “Eddie” Perez.

“We want to give people the opportunity to run,” she said. […]

[Kane County Democratic Party chair Mark Guethle] will wield 41% of the vote when the Democratic chairs sit down to name Holmes’ replacement on the ballot. Holmes’ opinion on her successor, he said, will carry a lot of weight, at least for him.

“She worked hard for this many years, and she’s entitled to what she thinks would be the best fit,” he said.

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Pritzker might want to take his own advice

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* My most recent newspaper column from two Sundays ago…

Gov. JB Pritzker last week squarely placed the responsibility for passing a Bears stadium bill on the team itself, and had some unsolicited lobbying advice for the Bears as he attempted to brush off his own session attendance issues.

The governor continued to downplay his own role in passing a stadium or stadium-related bill, saying it was Bears management which “decided to glom on to the megaprojects bill that I proposed.”

Um, he didn’t exactly resist that move, and the Bears’ addition became the most highlighted part of the bill, to the point where lots of members believed Pritzker was using the Bears to pass an idea that had long ago hit a brick wall in both legislative chambers.

Pritzker also said he’d be “happy” to call a special session, but only if the Bears “figure out how they can get the Legislature, both sides around the same bill.”

And then he offered some belated statehouse lobbying advice: “You’ve got to work the hallways, as you know, in a very, very busy session,” Pritzker told reporters after accurately saying the Bears made “some fumbles” the past few years. “You’ve got to really talk to every legislator if you want to get something done,” he said.

Pritzker said he’s received calls from the Bears since session ended, but didn’t say if he repeated that same advice.

My associate Isabel Miller pointed out to the governor that he had repeatedly urged the General Assembly to move more quickly on the megaprojects bill: “Looking back, do you think spending more time in Springfield working out issues might have produced a different outcome?”

As I told my newsletter subscribers on June 8, Pritzker was in Springfield for just 22 session days this spring.

“I spent a lot of time in Springfield,” the governor insisted, adding, “I’m not a legislator,” and said he has “a whole lot of responsibilities that aren’t legislative.”

According to his legislative calendar, Pritzker was in Springfield two days in January and two days in February, four days in March and three days in April. During the crucial final session month of May, the governor was in town 11 out of 19 session days.

The governor’s calendar also shows that he had just 14 scheduled in-person meetings with individual rank-and-file legislators in Springfield during all of spring session, including only one meeting on his calendar to talk about the Bears stadium with top negotiators Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, and Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Chicago, the day before session was scheduled to adjourn.

One top Pritzker insider explained that the governor often takes impromptu calls from members to talk about their projects and/or their bills, which wouldn’t be on the official schedule.

The insider also pointed to how the disjointed, deliberately uncoordinated legislative calendar made it difficult to schedule events at the executive mansion because the two chambers were so rarely in town together until May. He hosted four such events this year (Women Wear Pink, the Black Caucus, Latino Caucus and Asian American Caucus).

Pritzker has been sharply criticized for quite a while for focusing more on the national political front than on governing Illinois. And while all or parts of several bills on his priority list did pass, the danger for Pritzker is that this Bears failure will overshadow everything else and highlight his national ambitions because it’s something that transcends the statehouse. His attendance record, while not a complete look at his work, does him no favors.

Isabel also asked the governor last week if, going forward, he was “planning to be more present in Springfield.”

“I’m in Springfield a lot,” Pritzker replied, saying he often invites legislators to his appearances in their districts. However, his calendar shows he attended events outside Springfield on 18 different session days, which would make it difficult for legislators to attend.

Pritzker also said he called “several” Republican legislators “during the final portions of the session to make sure that they were on board” with the Bears bill. He did not say if he phoned any Democrats.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: The governor has a very good executive staff, if too overburdened. But there’s no substitute for a present governor. Legislators are generally a needy bunch. They see him on national TV during session and wonder why he isn’t attending to them. That’s simple statehouse reality and has been forever.

Pritzker was right when he told reporters, “You’ve got to really talk to every legislator if you want to get something done.” He might think about that advice during upcoming sessions.

Discuss.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Charges dropped in ATF shooting case after video calls sworn complaint into question: ‘These are serious things’. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• Sun-Times: Video contradicts FBI agent’s account of shooting during undercover sting in Country Club Hills
• Tribune: What to know about US Attorney Andrew Boutros amid calls for his resignation
• WTTW: ‘Broadview Six’ Seek Special Prosecutor to Investigate U.S. Attorney’s Office Misconduct Allegations

* At 11 am, Gov. JB Pritzker will attend the Incobrasa ribbon-cutting ceremony in Gilman. At 2:15 pp, he will travel to Decatur for ADM’s facility modernization announcement. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Illinois hospitals owe the state more than $700M, sparking questions and calls for change: Across Illinois, 19 hospitals — mostly safety net hospitals like West Suburban and Weiss — owed the state nearly $705 million in taxes, penalties and advance payments, as of earlier this year, according to information obtained from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services through Freedom of Information Act requests. […] The money safety net hospitals owe Illinois falls mainly into two categories: unpaid hospital assessments, also known as provider taxes, and advance payments. […] Of the $705 million hospitals owed the state, about $478 million of that was from unpaid hospital assessments and related penalties, as of March.

* WAND | 2 dead, 5 hospitalized from severe weather in Jefferson County: The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said three homes were destroyed after a tornado reportedly touched down in the northeastern part of Jefferson County. Many others were damaged. News partner KFVS confirmed with Sheriff Jeff Bullard that two people died in the destroyed homes. One person died five miles southeast of Dix, Illinois. The second victim died near North July Road in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

* Daily Herald | ‘Not a record we want to break’: Illinois on track for most twisters ever in 2026: Recent twister activity in the suburbs contributed to the 140 confirmed tornadoes so far in 2026, Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford said. […] “Illinois is absolutely outracing everybody,” AccuWeather meteorologist Peyton Simmers said, adding the next closest state is Mississippi with 82 preliminary tornado reports.

*** Statewide ***

* Tribune | Illinois drivers could face higher tolls next year: The Illinois State Toll Highway Authority on Thursday proposed its first passenger toll hike since 2012. The proposal, which would increase passenger vehicle tolls by roughly 45 cents for I-Pass users, comes on the heels of the state’s landmark public transit funding bill, which called for the same toll increases. Commercial vehicle tolls would increase by 30% for I-Pass users. The transit funding bill, which took effect June 1, diverts some funds that would typically be used for road projects to public transit, which the proposed toll hikes are intended to offset.

* Tribune | In Illinois, getting oil and gas operators to pay for abandoned wells can take decades: All total, the state’s most recent list has nearly 3,900 abandoned or “orphan” wells, so-named because their owners are dead or unidentified, their companies bankrupted by a notoriously volatile global industry punctuated with booms or busts. The agency calculates the cost to plug them is around $155 million. An ongoing Tribune investigation has revealed that years of mismanaged fees and inadequate recordkeeping have hobbled the state’s efforts to reduce that number, while companies have been able to evade their legal obligations to plug nonproducing wells, exposing downstate communities to a host of contaminants, above and below ground.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WGN | The Workers’ Mic talk about why the IL AFL-CIO chose not to endorse a candidate: On this week’s Father’s Day show on The Workers’ Mic, Powered by the NCL, Ed Maher is joined by special guest hosts Rob Paszta, Associate General Counsel for Operating Engineers Local 150 and Ed’s daughter Emma. To kick off the show, President of the Illinois AFL-CIO, Tim Drea joins the conversation to discuss why the Illinois AFL-CIO chose not to endorse a candidate for the fall election. Throughout the show, the guys discuss the latest union related news surrounding Uber for teens, the misinformation surrounding data centers, updates with the NLRB and more.

* Daily Herald | Relief for older drivers arrives July 1 as state raises age mandate for road tests: There are about 350,000 Illinois drivers aged between 79 and 86, and approximately 55,000 of them take an annual driving test, officials said. Another significant provision lets immediate relatives of unsafe drivers, regardless of age, report problems to the secretary of state’s office. Issues could be a decline in driving skills or cognitive or medical issues.

* KFVS | Republican Party’s 59th Legislative District Committee selects Paul Jacobs to fill Ill. State Senate vacancy: The Republican Party’s 59th Legislative District Committee has selected Paul Jacobs to fill the vacancy in the Illinois State Senate following the resignation of former State Sen. Dale Fowler. Committee members met Wednesday evening, June 17, at the Herrin Civic Center and voted to appoint State Representative Jacobs to serve the remainder of Fowler’s term in the 104th Illinois General Assembly.

* Muddy River News | Illinois Republican Darren Bailey sees path to secure Governor’s office in Springfield: Bailey says it means that voters have to show up at the polls. Adams County GOP Chair Jon McCoy has raised a similar concern. “The republican party is notorious for slacking off on voting,” McCoy said. “If they would turn out and vote, we would turn this state back red. Predominantly during non-presidential election years, so many republicans stay home.”

* Tribune | New protections on the way for patients against sexual abuse, misconduct by healthcare workers: The bill creates an obligation for healthcare businesses and individual healthcare workers to promptly report to the state if they witness or hear about allegations of sexual or intimate conduct involving healthcare professionals and patients. The state would be able to discipline licensed workers ranging from doctors and nurses to dentists and massage therapists for failing to report such incidents. The bill also expands on previous reporting requirements for hospitals and allows the state to fine them for failing to properly report incidents where healthcare workers engaged in sexual or intimate conduct with patients. That money would go into the Sexual Assault Services and Prevention Fund. “Reckless failure to report” such incidents would also put healthcare organizations’ certificate to operate in jeopardy.

* WHBF | Illinois bill expands school bullying to include AI content: House Bill 3851 updates and expands how bullying and cyberbullying are defined, particularly to include the use of artificial intelligence. Lawmakers say the update reflects growing incidents nationally of inappropriate AI-generated content. The move gives school districts clearer authority to step in when those situations interfere with a student’s well being or education.

* CBS Chicago | Video: State, local leaders remember trailblazing Illinois lawmaker Barbara Flynn Currie: Currie was first elected to the state house in 1978. She held her seat for 40 years, becoming the longest serving woman in state history and THE first woman to serve as house majority leader.

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Street Vendor Ticketed By Police, Then Detained By ICE: ‘We Don’t Know Who We Can Trust’: Perdomo made her first court appearance Tuesday. As she and her nephew, Fabian Cocha Toapanta, were leaving a courthouse on the West Side, federal immigration officials arrested them. Another vendor witnessed the arrest, Gama said. Perdomo is in a detention facility in Kentucky while Cocha Toapanta is in a facility in Indiana, records show. The two are from Ecuador, Gama said. Perdomo has been selling fruit in Millennium Park for about three years, he said.

* CBS Chicago | Lawsuit filed against Illinois DCFS over teen sex abuse at Aunt Martha’s foster care facility: On Thursday, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was added as a defendant in a lawsuit accusing the foster facility of failing to protect a 17-year-old foster child from sexual assault by an Aunt Martha’s employee. In March, a Cook County jury convicted former Aunt Martha’s youth center manager Trulon Henry of sexually assaulting that teen. There were also allegations involving five other girls, as young as 12. A lawsuit filed earlier this month claims those sexual assaults and other abuse allegations at the state-funded foster care center went unchecked by DCFS for years.

* WTTW | Chicago Has Spent at Least $225M to Resolve Police Misconduct Lawsuits, Just 6 Months Into the Year: The city’s 2026 budget set aside just $82.5 million for police misconduct settlements, and authorized officials to borrow an additional $283.3 million to cover the soaring cost of lawsuits alleging wrongdoing by police officers, records show. Mayor Brandon Johnson said Tuesday that the city had an obligation to compensate those who had suffered because police officers had committed a “violation of trust and abuse of power.”

* Crain’s | Midway Airport starts to claw its way back: Total passengers at the South Side airport increased nearly 1% through the first three months of 2026 from a year ago, according to the most recent data from the Chicago Department of Aviation. During the same period in 2025, passenger volume at Midway fell 12%. “The slump appears to be over at Midway,” says Joe Schwieterman, a DePaul University professor who studies the transportation industry.

* Tribune | Amid Chicago budget crunch, more schools lean on dollars they raise independently: In recent years, the principal has rented out the South Side high school’s campus to churches, nonprofits and sports leagues, and leaned on a new parent group to drum up donations. The effort to supplement what the school receives directly from Chicago Public Schools has paid off. Kenwood spent $418,983 in outside money in fiscal year 2025, compared with a low of about $90,000 in 2021, according to an analysis by Chalkbeat and the Tribune.

* Block Club | Crackdown On Airbag Resellers Passes Council As Thefts Surge: Introduced this spring by Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), the ordinance is an attempt to deter thieves by stifling the black market around stolen airbags by raising fines on resellers caught with them. […] A recent analysis of Police Department data by the Sun-Times found there were about 1,200 airbag thefts reported from January through April, compared to about 70 total from 2023-2025, with police suspending many investigations due to lack of evidence.

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s Black cowboys celebrate Juneteenth with South Side horseback ride: “I made a commitment that I wanted to bring horseback riding back to the inner city of Chicago, and that’s what I feel like I’ve done,” said Murdock, founder of the Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Club.

* Sun-Times | Will Venable shares how he’s progressing as manager while White Sox develop into contender: “I’m happy about where this whole thing’s at,” Venable said Sunday in the visiting manager’s office at Comerica Park. “And I’m OK with whatever the result is, as long as we continue this process of coming to the ballpark with a good attitude, giving everything that we have, bringing a ton of energy, learning from our mistakes and the experiences in the game and doing the same thing the next day. That, for me, is what this is all about. I believe that has happened every day this year.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Cook County deficit projected at $550 million: Her financial team blamed fallout from a costly lawsuit the county lost over its infrastructure spending, growing payroll and benefit costs awarded in previous years and federal cuts to healthcare coverage. “This is going to be a really tough budget year, but we begin it from a position of strength,” Preckwinkle told reporters Wednesday. “Over the last 15 years, we’ve balanced our budgets, strengthened reserves, improved our bond ratings … and we’ve made some real progress on our pension funding. But even strong internal fiscal management can’t shield us from external events — court decisions, federal policy changes and rising costs across the economy.”

* Aurora Beacon-News | Oswego board OKs issuing up to $27.2 million in bonds for work connected to bringing in Lake Michigan water: The planning process between the three municipalities began in 2014. The three communities have been on notice from the Illinois State Water Survey that the region’s aquifer is at “severe risk” of depletion, village officials have said, driving the push to find a new water supply. “General obligation bonds are a piece of the overall funding strategy for the village’s connection to Lake Michigan as a water source. Debt service payments will come from water and sewer fund revenues,” Oswego Finance Director Andrea Lamberg said in a report to Oswego Village Board members.

* Daily Herald | Group holds anti-ICE protest at Hoffman Estates police station: Protesters criticized police for not resisting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in the village since last fall. The demonstration focused on a video showing ICE agents arresting a young woman Oct. 10. Cristobal Cavazos, executive director of Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, mentioned concerns about the agents’ presence at the police station and the absence of signs against ICE using public property. “We’ve seen ICE in Hoffman Estates about 40 times,” he said. “We’re convinced there’s still a problem in Hoffman Estates. We just want to keep track of the humanity of that police department.”

* Aurora Beacon-News | Kane County will no longer get elm tree donation meant for celebration of America’s 250th, board chair says: Last week, at a Kane County Board committee meeting, board chair Corinne Pierog informed the board that the local Daughters of the American Revolution has rescinded its offer to donate an elm tree to Kane County, which the county was planning to make part of a “Declaration Square” behind the courthouse site in Geneva in honor of America’s 250th. […] Since then, however, the project has generated some concern among board members in relation to its planned location and potential cost.

* Daily Herald | After uncertain times, Tool Library of Lake County thrives at 5: The library offers about 2,300 tools to borrow at no charge, though it is supported in part by 705 dues-paying members. In May, 94 patrons checked out 494 tools from the facility. “And (June) will be a busier month,” said Van Miller, a Mundelein resident and retired physical education teacher who, after seeing a similar operation in Portland, Oregon, championed what became the first-of-its-kind tool library in Lake County.

*** Downstate ***

* WGEM | Denman teachers accused of spanking, taping kids’ mouths agree to teaching license suspension: The two teachers who were accused of giving Denman Elementary students birthday spankings and putting tape on their mouths have had their teaching licenses suspended. According to Shelley Arns, Quincy Public Schools were notified by the Illinois State Board of Education regarding the Agreements for Licensure Sanctions of Kim Kirby and Jennifer Oitker. In the agreements, Kirby and Oitker denied the ISBE allegation but agreed to have their teaching license suspended for 60 calendar days ‘in order to resolve the matter without further administrative action.’ The suspension began on Thursday, June 18.

* WGLT | Chiddix teacher agrees to delay detention hearing as he awaits trial on felony grooming, solicitation charges: Bloomington Police arrested Miller on Wednesday during a traffic stop. A McLean County grand jury returned indictments against Miller earlier in the day. Police began investigating in February after a victim reported Miller has exchanged with them photos that were sexual in nature and when the victim was still a minor.

* WGEM | Record-breaking storm season causing delays for local farmers: While the rain has proven to be a nuisance for Schmidt and other farmers, he is more more worried about the record-breaking increase in tornadic activity throughout Illinois. As of June 19, 143 tornadoes have touched down in the state, breaking the previous record of 142 set in 2024. “It’s definitely concerning. I mean… it’d be devastating to have a tornado here and take out all the sheds and, you know, everything you’ve built your entire life for,” Schmidt said.

* WGLT | Town of Normal expects residential BESS to grow along with industrial systems: There has been one permit pulled for the installation of a [Battery Energy Storage Systems], at Rivian. It encompasses less than an acre, according to the town planning and zoning department, and would not be visible from a public street. A couple other inquiries have come in. “We have been asked about one larger BESS within our extraterritorial jurisdiction, which would have served the grid [not a specific use], and we have been asked about a small BESS [0.25 acres] that would also support the grid. Neither are official,” said Mercy Davison, director of planning and zoning.

* PJ Star | Peoria Riverfront Museum explains participation in Freedom 250 events: Riverfront Museum CEO John Morris emphasized to the Journal Star that the museum’s representation of Illinois in the event, which Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic governors backed out of, is in no way an endorsement of any political party over another. “We are a nonpartisan organization. We are not interested in any of the partisan activities or partisanship of what’s going on,” Morris said. “We are interested in proudly representing the greatest state in the Union — Illinois — and doing so in the same values and same multi-disciplinary mission that the museum as a nonpartisan enterprise has had since day one and will continue to have.”

* WAND | Visually impaired fans experience America’s pastime at Robin Roberts Stadium: Personal vision coach Ann Schonhoff, who has impairments herself, said audio description technology makes events like these possible. “Normally, when we come to a baseball game we’re just sitting as spectators, but here we can really get involved a little more because we have audio description that’s telling us what’s going on,” Schonhoff said.

*** National ***

* BBC | Young women now have ‘close to zero’ risk of cervical cancer death after HPV jab: The first study of its kind shows deaths have fallen sharply since school-age girls began being offered it in 2008, and around 200 lives have been saved in England so far thanks to the vaccine. Between 2020 and 2024, no cervical cancer deaths were recorded in women aged 20 to 24 - the first time that had happened over a five-year period. Without vaccination, around 23 deaths would have been expected.

* Tribune | Microplastics linger inside people and animals, multiple studies show. But regulation is still far off: Out of more than 300 patients who had their neck arteries scoured, Italian researchers reported, those with higher levels of plastics-laden plaque were more likely to suffer strokes, heart attacks or sudden death during the next three years. The 2024 study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, is among a growing amount of human and animal research suggesting plastics pose health hazards that only now are coming into focus.

* Crain’s | Real estate data firm CoStar, major brokerages accused of rent-fixing: A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that real estate information company CoStar Group and five major brokerages are conspiring to fix commercial rent prices. The complaint, filed last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, argues that competing commercial real estate brokers and landlords are participating in a “hub-and-spoke” conspiracy facilitated by CoStar that allows them to exchange confidential data on lease terms, driving up rents. The brokerages named in the suit are CBRE, Jones Lang LaSalle, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers and Newmark, all CoStar clients.

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Good morning!

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Let it be…

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How’ve you been?

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Monday, Jun 22, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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