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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Block…
* From the motion…
* Capitol News Illinois | These 61 organizations will receive $3.5M in Illinois local food grants: The grants from the Department of Agriculture are part of a three-year-old program aimed at making it easier for local farmers to process and distribute food locally. In total, 61 organizations received grants, 16 of them in Cook County and the other 45 distributed among 34 other counties. “These awards will help farmers, food businesses, and community partners expand their capacity and reach new markets,” Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II said in a statement. “When we invest in local food infrastructure, we are creating economic opportunity for businesses while ensuring Illinois residents have greater access to fresh, locally grown foods.” * Sun-Times | State bill would make gunmakers pay if their weapons are recovered in shootings: Gun violence costs the state about $20 billion annually, according to estimates based on data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That figure includes direct costs like emergency services, medical care, law enforcement resources and funeral expenses. It also includes indirect costs like mental health treatment, loss of income and childcare. The Responsibility in Firearms Legislation Act, a bill coming before the Illinois General Assembly, would require gunmakers to contribute to a state fund that would help offset the costs shouldered by taxpayers and the individuals directly affected by a shooting. * Press Release | Illinois Supreme Court seeks applicants for first state public defender: The Illinois Supreme Court invites applications from individuals interested in serving as the initial Illinois State Public Defender, a new chief executive role overseeing an independent agency within the Judicial Branch. In this role, the selected individual will be the State’s leading advocate for Illinois’ public defenders and for the constitutional rights of people charged with offenses and represented by Illinois’ public defense system. The State Public Defender will also establish policies, practices, resources, and reforms necessary to ensure effective and meaningful representation of defendants across Illinois. Applications will be accepted beginning today, Wednesday, September 9, 2026. The deadline for submission is Friday, October 9, 2026. Submitted applications will be reviewed prior to selecting finalists, after which the Illinois Supreme Court will appoint an initial State Public Defender for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2027. * WTTW | Number of Unhoused Chicagoans Dropped 12% in 2026 But Remains Near All-Time High, Survey Found: However, approximately 1,641 Chicagoans were completely unsheltered on the city’s streets at the time of the survey, an increase of nearly 25% from the 2025 survey, according to the results. * Crain’s | Landlord groups pan concessions in Johnson’s latest renter protection ordinance: A new version of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed renter protection ordinance has exempted certain small building owners from some of its most contentious provisions, but the concessions aren’t winning over real estate groups. The updated language of the Protecting Renters Ordinance exempts owner-occupied buildings with six units or fewer from provisions in the legislation that require landlords to provide just cause for evictions and to pay thousands of dollars in relocation assistance to tenants whose leases aren’t renewed for reasons other than failing to pay rent or other violations. * Illinois Answers Project | Dozens of Chinatown residents, businesses face uncertainty as landlord’s empire crumbles: An analysis of court filings and property records by Chinatown Spotlight and the Illinois Answers Project found that Chen has borrowed money against his properties repeatedly, allegedly overstated his rental income to secure financing, and defaulted on loans totaling at least $119 million. His tenants have complained of property management problems and uncertainty over their leases as foreclosure proceedings are underway. * Daily Herald | ‘Something special’: The Grove at Bloomingdale takes big step with announcement of five new restaurants: Bloomingdale has announced the first five new restaurants that will anchor the $375 million mixed-use redevelopment project on the site of the former Stratford Square Mall. Suburban favorites GIA MIA and Hacienda Real will be joined by a yet-to-be-named contemporary Greek restaurant from Chicago-based Forte Hospitality Group and a pair of Boston imports — Game On! and Loretta’s Last Call. * Daily Herald | District 214 offering behind-the-scenes tours before $295 million referendum: Northwest Suburban High School District 214 will host a series of behind-the-scenes public tours of its aging school buildings ahead of a $295 million referendum in November that will seek voter approval for renovations. The tours of the six school campuses begin next week and continue through late October, in the lead-up to the Arlington Heights-based district’s first referendum in 55 years. * Heartland News | American Airlines set to begin service in Marion, Ill. on Sept. 9: It was a busy day for folks on Tuesday at the Veterans Airport as Contour Airlines took its final flight out of Marion before American Airlines takes over with nonstop service to Chicago on September 9. The transition has been underway all day with new signage going up and Contour equipment already headed out on semi-trailers. And while the airline may be changing, American Airlines officials say that nearly all of Contour’s employees in Marion were hired and are now a part of the American Airlines team. * Illinois Times | Mental Health Board faces forks in the road: Kelly Hurst, who served as managing director of the commission, addressed the Mental Health Board at its Aug. 26 meeting and expressed her concerns with how things were starting off. One example she gave was its 3 p.m. meeting time, which she said is at “a highly inconvenient time of day and that you actually could do a whole lot more with the community.” Hurst also expressed concerns to Illinois Times over the board’s early decision-making, contending “this Mental Health Board shouldn’t have to discover from scratch that compliance is not community or that procedure isn’t trust. * NPR Illinois | NIU fall 2026 enrollment down 1.7% from last year; 17% over past decade: An NIU release says it’s one of the largest freshman classes they’ve had over the past decade. This fall the university welcomed 2,301 new freshmen and 1,403 new transfer students. NIU says the incoming freshmen class has the highest high school GPA on record at 3.43. More than half of new freshmen are also first-generation college students. * NPR Illinois | Overall enrollment down at UIS, freshman students increase: The University of Illinois Springfield saw enrollment drop from a year ago, but there was some positive news. The fall semester count stands at 4,008 students, compared with 4,364 in fall 2025, a decline of 356 students. Campus officials said the result was due to fewer international graduate students enrolled. UIS also saw the number of international students go down in 2025 after the Trump Administration implemented stricter visa guidelines. * Press release | Illinois welcomes its largest freshman class ever in another record enrollment year: Freshman enrollment increased to 9,332, compared to 9,207 last year, which brought total student enrollment — undergraduate, graduate and online students — to 61,060 students, eclipsing the 61,000-mark for the first time in university history. * WCIA | Tolono Girl Scouts create new ‘Pawblic Library,’ provide free resources for pets: A group of girl scouts in Tolono are the masterminds behind the new “Pawblic Library.” Girl Scout troops 2452 and 2119 said they knew there was a need to help animals, and since they were working toward their bronze award, this was the perfect project. All of their materials were donated to them. One scout said they completed this construction in six hours, all on their own. * Bloomberg | ABA repeals diversity standards for law schools amid pressure from Trump administration: In the wake of pressure from the Trump administration, the American Bar Association has repealed the diversity standards it required for accredited law schools to remain eligible for federal recognition. The move comes as the ABA’s role as an accreditor of law schools is under attack from the Department of Education, part of the Trump administration’s offensive against the legal industry group it views as biased. The ABA been forced to slash hundreds of jobs over the past year and a half as it faces a multi-pronged assault from conservatives. * 404 Media | A Secretive DHS ‘Predictive Policing’ Unit is Analyzing Americans’ Financial Habits and Pulling Them Over: The DHS document obtained by 404 Media shows that Border Patrol is analyzing the financial activity of Americans to find people to pull over. The Associated Press’s investigation found the predictive policing program is also heavily using ALPRs to track potential targets’ movements. It is not clear how exactly Border Patrol is monitoring Americans’ financial activity. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) declined to answer what financial activity the agency was monitoring, and whether it obtained a warrant or not. […] Border Patrol’s predictive policing program has led to innocent people being pulled over and questioned. In the case of Alek Schott, who was pulled over on Interstate 35 by a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy in 2022, authorities claimed he had drifted between lanes and then tore apart his vehicle. They found nothing, according to the Institute for Justice, which represented Schott.
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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] At RejuveNate Plants & Wellness in Crest Hill, customers can find lush greenery, hand-painted pottery, and a welcoming space to slow down and reconnect. Ashley Searing turned her love of plants into a business that promotes healing and creativity. Every detail honors Ashley’s brother, Nate, whose memory continues to inspire the store’s mission. Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments. Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Ashley in Crest Hill are better equipped to meet local needs. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work. Please visit https://WeAreRetail.IRMA.org/.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * You gotta wonder if Team Bailey actually listened to the clip because lowering property taxes (which Bailey says Pritzker was right about in 2018) was predicated on implementing a graduated income tax…
Bailey’s usual silliness aside… * The Question: Should Gov. Pritzker forcefully return to demanding a graduated income tax for Illinois? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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Pritzker joins Texas Democrats, deflects questions about 2028 presidential race
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Bloomberg…
* The governor was asked during the press conference was asked what brought him to Texas if he wasn’t running for president…
* A reporter tried again later…
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Pritzker on White Sox stadium, Logan prison closure and DCFS audit
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * CBS Chicago…
The governor’s full quote…
Please pardon any transcription errors. * WGLT…
* The Governor was also asked about an audit that found DCFS made progress but failed to comply with Ta’Naja’s Law nearly six years after it went into effect…
* Related…
* WICS | Video: Governor Pritzker comments on DCFS audit results * 25News Now | Pritzker, ISU leaders celebrate College of Engineering’s Bloomington campus: “Today marks a defining moment in Illinois State University’s legacy. All of us gathered here today are witnessing history unfold,” said ISU President Aondover Tarhule. The nearly 400,000-square-foot complex on GE Road includes labs, collaborative classrooms, maker spaces and shops designed to give students hands-on experience. * CBS Chicago | All 6 recommendations in new DCFS audit were also made in 2022 — and still aren’t fully met: On Wednesday, state auditors released their second audit finding DCFS has made progress but failed to comply with Ta’Naja’s Law nearly six years after it went into effect. The 109-page audit conducted by Illinois Auditor General Christopher Meister covered 2023 to 2024. Under the law that went into effect in January 2020, home safety checklists must be completed within 24 hours before a child returns home. The checklists, a tool to evaluate a home for physical hazards, environmental risks, and basic living necessities before or during an open child welfare case, are required by law and the agency’s own policies. They should be completed again within five days after a child is returned home, then monthly until the child’s case is closed.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Legislative watchdog Mike McCuskey resigning in wake of complaints over handling of Benton harassment case. Sun-Times…
- McCuskey is resigning in the wake of complaints over his handling of sexual harassment investigations that have roiled Springfield, including accusations from one complainant that the former judge didn’t take notes or record their interview. - State Rep. Jeff Keicher, the Sycamore Republican who chairs the Ethics Commission, said they were committed to filling McCuskey’s position “in a timely manner.” They’re seeking applications through Oct. 31. * Related stories… * Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events in Illinois scheduled today. * Tribune | Gov. Pritzker launches congressional PAC and heads to Texas to rally Democrats as GOP holds Dallas convention: As Republicans convene a rare midterm national convention in Dallas on Wednesday as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to turn out presidential-year voters, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker is heading to rally Texas Democrats while he launches a new federal political action committee to fund potential pickup targets. * Block Club | Chicago Named The Most ‘Climate Resilient’ City On Earth: Chicago’s rank as the most “climate resilient” location was guided by the combination of its low physical exposure to a bevy of climate risks — inland flooding, coastal flooding, heat stress, drought, wildfires and hurricane winds — and the city’s high adaptation to those risks, including via infrastructure, early warning systems and policy responses. “Chicago is the most resilient major city in this analysis, benefiting from low coastal and tropical hazard exposure combined with robust urban infrastructure,” the report found. * Democratic Party of Illinois | Darren Bailey Heading to Texas to Cozy Up to Donald Trump: This week, as Donald Trump and his MAGA entourage descend on Texas, Darren Bailey and his running mate announced they’ll be joining them. In response, Democratic Party of Illinois spokeswoman Gwen Pepin released the following statement: “Darren Bailey is once again proving that he’s in the pocket of Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda. Instead of standing up to Trump – whose tariffs and war in Iran have driven up costs, who sent masked agents into our streets a year ago, and who has attacked our rights at every turn – Bailey is running straight into his arms. “Will Darren Bailey return from Texas with answers as to why Trump’s corruption and failed agenda has made life harder for Illinoisans, or will he continue pledging his loyalty to his president?” * Capitol News Illinois | ‘Ready for the Fight’: Why JB Pritzker is taking his slogan national with PAC targeting MAGA: “They may be in districts that are R+5 or R+7, where perhaps because of the national mood and the desire for change will lead to a Democrat getting elected in a district that you might not have otherwise expected,” Pritzker said, referring to Cook Political Report’s Partisan Voting Index. “So that’s where we’re focusing our resources.” * Sun-Times | Independent governor candidate Collin Corbett aims to give voters ‘a home again’ in polarized Illinois: As a political consultant, Corbett knows the odds are stacked against an independent, though he says his polling shows he’d do better in a head-to-head matchup with Pritzker than Bailey would. Corbett says his campaign is more about building a bridge away from two-party tribalism. “There is a lot of hope for our movement beyond my run for governor, a lot of hope that we can create a space where people can lead in their communities, even if that’s somebody who isn’t on the far end of the spectrum on either the right or the left,” he said. “We need that because there’s a lot of really good people who want to step up and lead in the state.” * The County Chronicle | Rep. Miller spars with Farm Bureau over endorsement snub: The Farm Bureau, and several local farmers, told The County Chronicle that legislator endorsements are not made by the Bureau’s state office in Bloomington. Farmer representatives within Miller’s own district made that determination. One farmer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Miller missed a lot of votes. “It didn’t come out of Bloomington,” he said. “That should tell Chris Miller something.” He added that the criticisms leveled by Miller, linking legislators that IFB endorsed to IFB policy, can all be disputed. “I’m pretty sure we never said farmers should stop driving pickup trucks.” Another farmer suggested that Miller “should do your job.” * WSIU | New Illinois law targets tech harassment, expands remote court access for survivors: “Tracking devices, electronic communication, sharing private information, and even AI images that can be put out there on the internet for everyone to see,” Odom said. “IDVA being modernized actually takes those things into account. It updates the definition of domestic violence.” The law expands the legal definition of harassment to include digital tracking and nonconsensual online content sharing, while requiring offenders to remove prohibited material. * Sun-Times | With Ald. Rodriguez not seeking re-election, Johnson loses key City Council ally: Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd), the Workforce Development Committee chair who helped Johnson deliver two of the proudest accomplishments on his progressive to-do list, has decided not to seek re-election. “My daughter’s entering high school. I’ve got four years left with that beautiful baby. I’ve got an ailing father. I’ve got a chess champion son… It’s the right time for me” to step back, said Rodriguez, who all but endorsed 10th police district council member Elianne Bahena as his replacement. * Press Release | Wilson Takes Aim at Giannoulias, Johnson in New TV Ad: Dr. Willie Wilson is debuting a new television and digital ad that takes aim at both Mayor Brandon Johnson and fellow candidate Alexi Giannoulias, among others, for their role in the city’s long history of corruption, self-dealing and insider politics. The ad targets Mayor Johnson for his record of selling out to special interests and putting their concerns over the needs of Chicago taxpayers. Meanwhile it highlights Giannoulias’ decision to seek two different elected positions at the same time, disingenuously advancing his own political agenda rather than serving the people of Illinois in his role as Secretary of State. The ad is available here and began running on local television networks and digital platforms today. * Tribune | Residents and elected leaders protest proposal to move the Chicago White Sox: Hundreds of residents from Bridgeport, Chinatown and Armour Square gathered at Rate Field Tuesday morning to protest plans by Amtrak and billionaire Justin Ishbia to establish a giant railroad maintenance facility nearby and possibly move the White Sox out of the team’s longtime home on the South Side. Ald. Nicole Lee, 11th, said residents were blindsided by the proposal, announced in August, and don’t want to lose the White Sox or see the railroad move into Bridgeport. “We’re obviously seriously alarmed, that yard is going to be right over your shoulder,” Lee told the crowd at 35th Street and Shields Avenue. “Our community feels pretty disrespected. If it’s approved, it would drive a knife through the heart of this community.” * Chicago City Wire | If Bridgeport stops the Amtrak facility, the rail yard doesn’t go away. It goes back to Union Pacific: Largely missing from the debate is the question of what happens to the 60 acres of elevated railroad land between 25th Place and 35th Street if they succeed. The answer is that it stays what it has been since 1880: a freight yard owned by a railroad, on an active main line, that the City of Chicago has no legal authority to zone. Stopping Amtrak does not return the yard to the neighborhood. It returns it to Union Pacific, which is in the middle of an $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern, and which decided on its own in 2019 to idle the property for reasons that had nothing to do with Bridgeport. * Chicago Mag | Why Does Chicago Hate Food Carts?: New York has 6,880 licensed street food vendors (a number that includes food trucks) and is adding 11,000 more licenses over the next five years. By contrast, Chicago has an estimated 3,000 food cart vendors, and only 12 are licensed. […] And yet the city, which didn’t legalize these carts until 2015, seems intent on making it near impossible to actually operate one. Among the rules and regulations? The food must be prepped in a licensed retail food establishment. That means you’ll have to fork out a few hundred bucks — $330 for two years — for a shared kitchen license. That’s on top of the $100 for the two-year vendor license. The food must also be prepackaged and sealed before being sold. Want to operate out of a desirable area like the Mag Mile? Forget it. Carts are prohibited there. You aren’t even allowed to stay in one location for too long. Violate any of these rules and you risk being ticketed, arrested, and sent to court and seeing your inventory and equipment confiscated. * WGN | Clash over credit cards continues in Calumet City: Records show [Mayor Thaddeus Jones] charged tens of thousands of dollars over a two-year span on Uber rides, gas, travel, meals and more. The mayor denies he misused any taxpayer money. He recently turned over more than 1,000 pages of documents to back up his claim. […] WGN Investigates found charges to the mayor’s city credit card in 2024 and 2025 totaled more than $35,000 at restaurants and $46,000 for travel for himself and others. […] On a monthly statement from last year, it shows airline tickets to Florida for two of Jones’ family members were charged to the credit card. * Press release | ICJC Applauds Lake County for Taking Action on Data Centers: In response to the Lake County Board unanimously approving a temporary data center moratorium today, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition released the following statement: “The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition applauds the Lake County Board and community advocates for standing up against unchecked data center expansion,” said Mayra Mendez, Executive Director of Clean Power Lake County and member of the ICJC. “Lake County joins a growing number of municipalities across Illinois that have taken action to hold data centers accountable or ban them entirely. This patchwork of local actions makes it all the more clear that we need leadership from the General Assembly to enact the strongest comprehensive protections on data centers in the nation. That’s why the ICJC proposed the POWER Act (SB4016/HB5513), which will keep data centers from driving up utility bills, protect our water and communities, and end backroom deals.” * Daily Herald | To boost housing supply, Lake County could ease rules for accessory dwelling units: In partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, the county has been coordinating Housing Lake, a regional initiative to evaluate needs and identify strategies to address scarcity, development costs and limited diversity in housing options. Besides those broad targets, county planners say they have received interest from residents looking to build accessory dwelling units (ADU) on their properties. * Daily Herald | Bartlett assistant village administrator steps down after employee complaint: According to documents obtained by the Daily Herald, Skrycki was facing an employee complaint when he attended a June 11 meeting with Village Administrator Paula Schumacher. Police Chief Ryan Conway also attended to take notes. * Daily Herald | Geneva one of many high school football programs relying on drone technology: “It gives you a nice view of what your kids are doing, and how to correct them for Friday night, in practice,” he said. Video gathered by the Geneva football program’s own drone, used for Tuesday and Wednesday practices, accompanies what’s gained from the end zone camera used during games, secured high on a pole behind the uprights. Geneva uses its drone mainly for filming segments of its run game, pass game, third-down plays, two-minute drill and sometimes for 1-on-1 drills, Thorgesen said. * WGLT | Normal Town Council begins process for new TIF, approves $1.2 million bridge replacement: The TIF under consideration includes the area immediately south of Interstate 55 and along the West Raab Road corridor. The Business 51 and West Raab Road TIF Redevelopment Project Area would include about 215 acres and 94 parcels of property of varying zoning uses. The public hearing was set for Nov. 2. The plan could be adopted as soon as early 2027. * WMBD | Peoria Main Street TIF district passes despite opposition from streets main council member: Alex Carmona, a 2nd District councilman, was the sole no vote on the TIF that aims to fill Main Street’s vacant buildings and invest in public infrastructure. The measure passed on a 9-1 vote. 5th District Councilman Dennis Cyr is on medical leave and therefore wasn’t there to vote. Carmona has consistently voted against TIF’s or similar measures that could give public money to private developers. Since joining the council, Carmona said the city has approved too many TIFs and sales tax increases in specific areas like Glen Hollow and Westlake shopping centers. * Muddy River News | Behavioral health care providers rebrand to Centerstone: Behavioral health care providers in Quincy and Hannibal under the Centerstone umbrella have begun doing business as Centerstone. This rebranding means Burrell Behavioral Health, Preferred Family Healthcare and Clarity Healthcare offices and clinics in Hannibal, Quincy and surrounding communities will be rebranded as Centerstone. The shift addresses a core challenge: as demand for behavioral health services grows, fragmented branding can confuse the community and limit awareness of available care. * WCIA | City of Springfield launches BEACON Project to improve response efforts: The City of Springfield is launching its BEACON Project (Bridging Emergency and Community Outreach Network) in an effort to improve emergency response efforts and connect with residents. An event was held at Springfield Fire Department Station 6 Tuesday morning, with city officials, fire personnel and BEACON team members in attendance. The project marks a new approach to responding to mental health, substance abuse and opioid-related emergencies in the community.
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Good morning!
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Just one of thousands of reasons why Carol Marin is a Chicago (and national) treasure… Yeah, it’s not a music video, but wow. What up by you?
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (live updates)
Wednesday, Sep 9, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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