* ICYMI: Pritzker pitches housing plan on podcast as real estate alliance deepens. The Real Deal…

- The full show won’t be out until later this week. In clips posted so far, Gov. Pritzker focused on the zoning overhaul, along with a down-payment assistance program his office started in March. He also dismissed concerns from local governments about sharp density increases as “misinformation.”
- The podcast appearance came together through Illinois Realtors, Chicago real estate broker Matt Laricy said. Pritzker also filmed an interview with Tommy Choi, who leads the Weinberg Choi Residential team at Keller Williams OneChicago, his office said.
- Laricy described the governor’s broader courtship of Illinois Realtors as straightforward politics. The trade group has significant muscle in Springfield, and aligning with it on a signature legislative agenda benefits both sides, Laricy said.

* Related stories…

• Daily Southtown: La Grange Park officials vote to decry state housing initiative
• WGN: Lawmakers have three weeks to act before budget deadline
• Smart Cities Dive: Illinois cities push back on state proposal to bypass local zoning

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* Gov. JB Pritzker has no public events scheduled today.

* BlueRoomStream.com’s coverage of today’s press conferences and committee hearings can be found here.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Cook County liable for property tax sale violations, judge rules: A federal judge ruled Monday that Cook County is liable to pay back potentially millions of dollars to people who lost their homes in the county’s annual property tax sales, three years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the system unconstitutional. Since 2020, nearly 2,500 homeowners not only lost their properties but also the surplus equity in those homes after their delinquent property taxes were sold.

* WGN | Mayor threatens $250K in state funding after WGN Investigates report: At 9:46 p.m. that same night, an email from Mayor Jones’ Calumet City account was sent to seven people, including the park district’s executive director. It read: “After Clerk Figgs nasty interview about me tonight on WGN, I am withdrawing my support for the $250,000 for the Park District.” […] Initially, his spokesman suggested the email may be fake.

*** Statewide ***

* Capitol News Illinois | ‘More than just a road’: Illinois communities celebrate Route 66’s centennial: “Route 66 is more than just a road, you know?” said Joan Sestak, member of the Federal Route 66 Centennial Commission and director of community and government relations at the University of Illinois Springfield. “It’s a shared American story about mobility, opportunity and connection. The centennial celebration gives us a chance to reflect on that and reflect on what still unites us about those shared values.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press release | Governor Pritzker Announces $2.5 Million in Grant Funding Available for Economic Empowerment Centers Across Illinois: The EEC Grant Program was developed to help create an inclusive business ecosystem within communities that have historically faced systemic barriers to entry and growth through dynamic partnerships, targeted outreach, and tailored programs and initiatives. DCEO has previously awarded $2.5 million in grant funding to 10 recipients through the EEC Grant Program who have helped launch 100 businesses, created over 160 jobs, and advised over 2,000 entrepreneurs.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Tax break for United Center’s 1901 Project advances amid union pushback: While negotiations are ongoing, there appears to be consensus the union would represent workers at the concert hall, hotel and in catering jobs, but the union is pushing for the right to collectively bargain for workers at restaurants outside the music venue. Union members packed a City Hall committee room today to oppose the project, criticizing the city for granting a tax break to the owners of the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Blackhawks while West Side residents face soaring property tax bills.

* Sun-Times | City Council panel backs tax incentives for United Center entertainment district: The tax abatement — which would be applied over 12 years — would be the first infusion of public funding for the privately-owned stadium and came as “a surprise to some of us,” said Ald. Nicole Lee (11th), since it wasn’t part of the initial announcement of the project. The tax relief would come in the form of a 7(b) incentive for the first phase, which allows the property to be assessed at a lower percentage than it would be otherwise.

* NBC Chicago | Chicago wines and dines DNC officials in push to host convention: They’ll also be taking in the sights on an architectural boat tour on the Chicago River, and they’ll also attend an event at the Obama Presidential Center, visiting with city luminaries, business leaders and more, according to officials. […] It’s unknown when Democrats will make their decision on a host site for the convention, but Republicans have already chosen their host city for 2028, with their convention heading to Houston, Texas.

* Tribune | Chicago’s Legion Park encampment was cleared out. Residents and activists question the city’s next steps: Park District policy says the agency takes a “housing-first” approach to encampments, and it says it doesn’t engage in sweeps, which it defines as a closure in which residents may not be connected with resources. However, the policy doesn’t explicitly specify if an encampment closure will always include a housing event. The Park District hasn’t yet returned a request for comment to the Tribune.

* ABC Chicago | CPD officer shot, critically injured at Swedish Hospital making progress; family ‘remaining hopeful’: Chicago Police Officer Nelson Crespo’s family says he is still in the ICU, but the good news is that he is able to breathe on his own for several hours at a time, according to his doctors. […] “He’s still in the ICU and he is able to breathe on his own now for eight hours at a time. The doctor wants him to exercise his diaphragm, and he is improving each day,” she said.

* Crain’s | Englewood renewal effort takes whole-block approach to reversing housing inequity: Tonika Johnson is taking a whole-block approach to reversing Chicago’s long-held inequities in housing, concentrating her resources on buying vacant lots, repairing people’s homes and bringing murals and sculpture all to single block in Englewood. “Because of the devaluation of everything around here, you have to invest in all of the block if you want to stabilize it,” Johnson said on a recent walk along the 6500 block of South Aberdeen Street. “It has to be all of it, not part of it.”

* WBEZ | Man’s bid for a retrial in boy’s murder hinges on ex-Chicago cop’s alleged ties to Gitmo torture: The attorney, Jennifer Blagg, argued that retired Detective Richard Zuley, 79, coordinated her client’s torture. She tied the case to alleged Zuley-led coercion in a string of cases from 1987 to 2003, including four murder convictions that were later thrown out. “He’s never in the room when the worst stuff happens, but he doesn’t have to be [because the officers] are all working together,” Blagg said.

* Block Club | Baby Eagles’ Nest Gets Extra Protection As Park District Blocks Far South Side Trail: News of the two eaglets broke last week, with many Chicagoans celebrating the rare occurrence. Now, the Park District has restricted trails at Park 597, 2690 E. 126th Place, near where the nest containing two eaglets resides, according to the Park District. “To minimize disturbance and for the protection of the nesting area, we have temporarily closed access to the woodland path for the foreseeable future,” spokesperson Irene Tostado said in a statement.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Kane County state’s attorney: Aurora police acted appropriately during anti-ICE school protest: Aurora police officers acted within the scope of their authority and didn’t use excessive force during a February student walkout protesting federal immigration tactics, the Kane County state’s attorney announced Monday. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said in a news release that her office launched an investigation following allegations that Aurora police used excessive force during the Feb. 9 protest, which involved hundreds of Aurora students leaving school and walking toward the downtown area and City Hall. The walkout resulted in the arrest of three students.

* Harvey World Herald | Out of ‘shared concern for the community,’ Southland influencers expand political awareness: In 2022, Henyard was appointed Thornton Township Supervisor, following the death of longtime head Frank Zuccarelli; Henyard held dual roles as Dolton’s mayor and the township’s supervisor. By then, Allen’s optimism had dwindled. Allen’s content was originally personal, “but when Tiffany Henyard came into power, I felt a responsibility to document what was happening in real time,” she said.

* Daily Herald | ‘Most pressing needs’: After public scrutiny, District 214 cuts potential referendum ask in half: Northwest Suburban High School District 214 has cut its possible referendum ask in half — from more than $900 million at one point, to as much as $450 million now — as officials continue to gauge public appetite for a tax hike to fund building updates. “The district has carefully considered the community’s feedback and adjusted its approach to reflect the community’s wishes,” according to a facilities planning presentation on the district’s website. “Moving forward, this process will focus only on the highest-priority projects, based on community feedback and district evaluations.”

* Pioneer Press | Lake Forest City Council transitions to new era as two aldermen depart, new members sworn in: At the May 4 City Council meeting, Alderman Edward “Ted” Notz, 2nd, and Alderwoman Eileen Looby Weber, 4th, said their goodbyes after serving the city’s customary terms in office for council members. Later in the meeting, Rosemary Kehr and Lloyd Culbertson were sworn in to succeed them.

* Daily Herald | $7 million grant to help ease gridlock at major Mount Prospect intersection: Reaching that goal was helped out last week when U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Evanston Democrat, handed out a symbolic $7 million check at Randhurst Village representing Community Project Funding dedicated to the project. The total project cost is about $19.6 million including engineering, right-of-way acquisition and construction, officials said. The estimated cost of construction alone is about $13.8 million.

*** Downstate ***

* NPR Illinois | Sangamon County announces nominees for new mental health board: The application and review process was extensive. The county received 103 applications from residents interested in serving on the board. Applicants were asked to submit resumes, letters of interest and supporting materials for consideration. Members of the review committee spent countless hours reviewing applications, evaluating professional experience and identifying candidates with the background needed to help guide the county’s mental health funding priorities.

* WMBD | Pekin data center project scrapped as company ends agreement: Western Hospitality Partners, which was looking to build a data center in Pekin, will not move forward with its project. That’s according to City Attorney James Vasselli, who said at Monday’s Pekin City Council meeting that WHP terminated its agreement with the city and is no longer planning to build a data center in the 321 acres north of Lutticken Lake.

* WMBD | Bloomington airport project close to take-off thanks to federal dollars: U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood on Monday delivered a $1.5 million grant for an airport plan that could bring more jobs to the Twin Cities. The federal funding will help build a cargo road to separate truck traffic from airport traffic. The goal is to build a truck exit of sorts off Airport Road to the FedEx warehouse. FedEx is the largest employer housed at Central Illinois Regional Airport right now.

* WCIA | EIU tests emergency alert system after armed person hoax caused ‘panic’ in the fall: “That’s why we worked this spring to to figure out a better solution for the campus. So, [the IT staff] has been working to make sure — and actually, it’s been ready for a little bit, but we wanted to wait until the students were gone to do this test — to make sure that the one button solution for our campus audio, the text messages, and the emails were all ready to go for this afternoon,” Bierman said.

* WGEM | Major improvements to Water Treatment Plant approved by Quincy City Council: Several improvement projects, including a nearly $1 million valve replacement at the Water Treatment Plant, were given the green light by the Quincy City Council. “This is actually a replacement of the intake valve. It’s water that comes in from the river,” explained Quincy Public Works Director Jeffrey Conte. The water valve being replaced is around a hundred years old according to Conte, which makes it necessary to completely replace it instead of repairing it.

* WSIL | Trigg Tower closing for repairs in Shawnee National Forest: Repairs are expected to take approximately one month, no more than 90 days. The work includes replacing the fencing around the top of the observation platform, replacing deck boards and stair treads, stabilizing the lower stairway, sandblasting and repainting the tower, and other general maintenance work as needed.

*** National ***

* Sun-Times | Justice Department can no longer pressure Facebook, Apple to remove ICE-sighting apps, judge rules: The preliminary injunction ruling, issued last week by U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso, stems from a lawsuit filed in February by Kassandra “Kae” Rosado against former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. Rosado alleges that both federal agencies coerced Facebook into removing her “ICE Sighting-Chicagoland” group, which aimed to keep residents informed about where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were seen in the Chicago area.

* WSJ | An FCC Commissioner Tells Disney the Agency Is on a Campaign to Censor It: ABC has been a victim of a “sustained, coordinated campaign of censorship and control” by the Trump administration, Federal Communications Commissioner Anna Gomez told Josh D’Amaro, chief executive of Disney, the network’s parent company. The FCC under Republican Chairman Brendan Carr has been weaponized to pressure “a free and independent press and all media into submission,” Gomez wrote in a letter sent to D’Amaro on Monday and viewed by The Wall Street Journal.