* ICYMI: Illinois lawmakers face budget deadline, Bears stadium fight and insurance battle with 3 weeks left. Tribune…

- Lawmakers have been hashing out whether to grant the state more power to block insurance rate hikes, write new rules for driverless cars, lower electric bills inflated by the rise of data centers and clear a path for the Chicago Bears to build a new stadium in Arlington Heights before Indiana lures the franchise across the state line.
- Right now, Illinois’ budget picture is steadier than many feared. A report last week from the legislature’s bipartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability (COGFA) showed state revenues were stable. April deposits into the general fund totaled just over $7.3 billion, the second-highest month on record and a 2% gain over April 2025.
- A coalition of progressive Democrats used a Capitol news conference last week to renew calls for higher taxes on the wealthy, including closing offshore corporate tax loopholes, severing the state from certain federal tax breaks for corporations under Trump’s new law and imposing a billionaire wealth tax.

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Chicago health department leaves millions of federal COVID dollars on the table: But two of CDPH’s biggest ELC grants still had a combined $94 million left at the time, according to an internal August spending report released in a public records request. The federal government’s grant tracker says about $81.4 million in ELC funds for the city remains unspent as of this month. […] The staffer then alleged that since 2024, Ige has “singled out staff with disabilities” and stalled approval of their reasonable accommodation requests. Ige said, “This is where unions cannot protect you,” during a 2024 all-hands meeting in which she insinuated her staffers were abusing telework, according to records.

* Crain’s | DNC scouting party tours Chicago this week to weigh 2028, 2032 convention picks: A statement sent out by the Chicago 2028 Host Committee says both officials will be participating in the site visit. Among highlights will be a visit to the proposed United Center convention locale, and meetings with financial backers and other local stakeholders, the statement says. Also on the list are a visit to the observation deck at 875 N. Michigan Ave., an architectural boat tour, and a large reception and pre-opening tour of the Obama Presidential Center.

* CBS Chicago | How is Karina’s Law working to remove guns from accused domestic abusers one year later?: No one tracks the number of domestic violence survivors requesting guns be removed, but the Circuit Court Clerk’s records showed only 85 gun seizure warrants were granted. In the year since Karina’s Law was passed, there were 148 gun seizure warrants tied to that legislation. […] But that data also shows nearly half of the warrants issued in the past year – 70 of them – were thrown out. Sources said one problem is that survivors have to fill out their own warrants, which is not always a simple process. In total, 58 guns were taken away through Karina’s Law in Cook County last year.

*** Statewide ***

* IDPH | Illinois Rises to Top Tier in National Emergency Preparedness Rankings: The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced Illinois has been named a “high-performance” state for emergency preparedness, the highest ranking a state can receive, in a newly released report by Trust for America’s Health. The annual report evaluates states on their ability to respond to various public health emergencies using ten key indicators including incident management, patient safety, and health security surveillance, among other measures. This year, Illinois received a top tier ranking after being ranked in the middle performance category in 2025. The advancement reflects improvements driven by ongoing investments in emergency preparedness infrastructure, workforce preparation, and response systems. The state previously achieved high-performance rankings in 2020 and 2022.

* Capitol News Illinois | How Illinois county clerks are combating election misinformation: But letting the public witness and experience how an election is operated and what the procedural policy is goes a long way in increasing trust and confidence, Gray said. “I think the chief responsibility of the election authority is to be that advocate of exposing how we operate, and that goes a great distance in giving people real, firm confidence,” Gray said. “I spend a lot of time analyzing that (disinformation) and refuting what’s being said that’s disturbing people.”

* Capitol News Illinois | How do data centers benefit the places where they’re built? Local mayors give mixed reviews: Across three properties, 60.9% of Meta’s property taxes are paid to School District 428 in DeKalb, according to records. Barnes said that revenue allowed the district to build a new school, Mitchell Elementary, which opened in 2025. […] In March, Aurora enacted ordinances that would require data center developers to conduct and submit studies dealing with noise, water consumption and energy needs. The ordinances also require future data centers to meet standards for noise, vibrations, water use and energy use. They will also need to get power from renewable energy sources.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WGLT | Community schools worry about future funding, which might lead to service cuts: ACT Now, a statewide coalition promoting afterschool and youth development programs, is suing the federal government to pay the $18.5 million worth of grant money that was awarded to Illinois community school programs. […] Susan Stanton, executive director of ACT Now Illinois, said Illinois should fund these programs even with a tight budget this year because these programs will save Illinois money in the future.

* Post-Tribune | Lake and Porter officials in Indiana wait and see on taxes for potential Bears stadium: The state has asked Lake and Porter counties to adopt a 1% food and beverage tax and for Lake County to pass a 5% innkeepers tax. The counties have until June 30, 2027 to approve the taxes, according to the bill’s fiscal note. If both counties approve a 1% food and beverage tax, they could generate between $12 million to $18 million annually. The innkeeper’s tax could generate $5.4 million annually, according to the fiscal note. Lake County Council President Christine Cid, D-East Chicago, said the council has time to pass the food and beverage tax and the innkeepers tax.

* Stateline | As Trump looks to punish foes, Democratic states find ways to push back: Since Trump took office last year, Illinois alone has led or joined more than 60 lawsuits against the administration. Those suits run the gamut, challenging deployment of the National Guard, immigration enforcement and the withholding of disaster funding. Democratic attorneys general say they are winning in most of the cases that have reached court decisions.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools cut hundreds of custodian jobs last year. Staff say their schools are dirtier: Then, three months into this school year, complaints rolled in through a district survey of 168 principals and 423 custodians: Three-quarters of principals indicated they didn’t have enough custodians on staff to meet their cleaning needs, and at least 40% asked the district for more staff. Nearly two-thirds of custodians said their tasks were difficult to manage given the size of their buildings and the number of people on their team.

* Cook County Record | Deal avoids trial over accusations CPD coerced confession in double murder: The second of two men who claim Chicago detectives coerced them into confessing to the “heinous” murder of a Chicago couple to allegedly help a woman steal the couple’s baby has apparently reached a settlement with the city, just days after it was revealed Cook County’s controversial former chief prosecutor had allowed them to obtain a key court document that allowed them to sue the city and former officers, even though she still believed he and his once-convicted accomplice were guilty.

* WTTW | Jury Rejects Lawsuit Filed by Uber Driver, Passenger Injured in Chicago Police Pursuit: After a two-week trial, the jury determined that the injuries suffered by Bhuwan Rai, who was driving for Uber, and his passenger, Musherruddin Mohammed, were the fault of the driver who refused to stop for police. “This verdict reflects the jury’s clear conclusion that the crash resulted from the fleeing offender’s own actions, and not from the city’s lawful pursuit,” Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said.

* WBEZ | About 60% of Chicago arts workers report earning less than $40,000 annually: Slightly more than half of the respondents identified as women and about 60% were white. […] But an arts career lacks stability, artists reported in the survey. The census found that 88% of arts workers strongly believed their work was valuable. However, fewer than half felt that they had a strong sense of job security. And while nearly all of the respondents (95%) said they were compensated for their work in the field, only 57% said they typically receive payment promptly. About 37% said they are only occasionally or never paid on time.

* Sun-Times | Obama Presidential Center helped by $123 million in public infrastructure improvements:And there’s still more work to be done. The final public infrastructure costs are likely to approach $200 million. The costs are not part of the presidential center’s privately-funded $850 million price tag. “The Chicago Department of Transportation has delivered a series of roadway and mobility improvements in and around Jackson Park in coordination with the Obama Presidential Center,” CDOT said in a statement to the Sun-Times.

* Tribune | Davis Martin, 2nd in majors in ERA, has emerged as the ‘rock’ of the Chicago White Sox pitching staff: Martin’s 1.62 ERA trails only New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler’s 1.35. “Davis is the longest-tenured White Sox and has seen some stuff — the good and the bad — and taken on a leadership role,” bench coach Walker McKinven said before Sunday’s game. “Another exceptional human being that guys look up to. “He’s a very confident player just because he’s been through it now. He knows exactly what he wants to do. He knows what it takes for him to be successful personally. And so watching him grow even further this season into a leadership role has been pretty cool.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Homewood-Flossmor Chronicle | Flossmoor board agrees to extend state, federal lobbying contracts: The board authorized a renewal of its agreement with Matthew O’Shea Consulting, which has assisted the village since 2019 in pursuing state funding opportunities and monitoring legislative activity. According to a village memo, the firm has helped secure multiple funding allocations, including $2 million for capital improvements, $1.1 million for downtown improvements and several additional grants tied to roadway, bridge and infrastructure projects.

* Evanston Now | Alders to consider rental price-fixing ban: Evanston’s City Council is set to consider a proposed ordinance Monday from Ald. Juan Geracaris (9th) that would ban the use of price-fixing software in the city’s rental housing market. The measure, also by Alds. Bobby Burns (5th), Shawn Iles (3rd) and Mayor Daniel Biss, would prohibit price coordination through the use of the price-setting software, which uses non-public information about competitor prices to recommend price adjustments based on that information.

* Crain’s | Skokie tech park buildings go up for sale as demand cools for life sciences space: Singerman capitalized relatively quickly with some leasing success, noting in 2024 that the two properties were a combined 96% occupied. But the buildings have lost some tenancy since then, including the relocation of biotech company Cour Pharmaceuticals to Evanston. The ISTP buildings and are 64% leased today, according to the JLL flyer. The offering does not list an asking price.

* Daily Southtown | Planned addiction recovery horse ranch in Crete offers short-term jobs for people leaving treatment:
O’Connor launched the First Furrow Fund in February, working with the Recovery Community Center of Joliet to provide part-time employment on the ranch. He is on the Recovery Community Center’s board and aims to help people leaving 28-day residential substance use disorder treatment facilities work toward financial independence. He said while the organization provides resources to help ease the transition from inpatient facility to recovery housing, rebuilding remains difficult for people recovering from substance use disorder.

* Fox Chicago | Stickney mayor, ex-police officer Jeff Walik dies, village says: “Long before he served as Mayor, Jeff served this village as a Stickney Police Officer. He wore the badge with pride, dedication, and a genuine love for the people he protected. Even after a career-ending injury, his commitment to Stickney never faded. He simply found another way to continue serving the town he cared so deeply about.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Tension from ISU’s AFSCME strike lingers, even after new contract ratified: But at the university’s quarterly board of trustees meeting Friday, union president Chuck Carver said that while they are happy about returning to work, they are still upset with university leadership. “All of this is not well, so we urge you, the members of the board of trustees, who have the ultimate responsibility for the guidance and direction of this institution, to take a hard look at the top leadership you have chosen and the decisions they made that took this university down a very problematic path,” he said.

* WCBU | LaHood opposes using public money for White House ballroom project: “We need a full listing of who’s giving money and how it’s going to [be spent],” he said. “We do that when we do presidential inaugurations, for instance, either a Democrat or Republican. That is funded privately and we know where every nickel and dollar comes from for our presidential inauguration. We should have that same process of full transparency for the ballroom.”

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford police pay large sums to officers facing criminal charges: With an authorized strength of 302, the Rockford Police Department has 276 officers on its active seniority list, a number that fluctuates with retirements, resignations, terminations and new hires. Of those, three are currently on administrative leave or restricted duty after being accused of a crime or DUI and two more recently resigned or were fired. Another 15 are on leave because of injury, military service or other approved reasons, according to information obtained by the Rockford Register Star through a Freedom of Information Act request.

* WREX | Former Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy charged with stalking, official misconduct: 33-year-old Tyler C. Bryan, of Cherry Valley, turned himself in to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office Friday morning, according to ISP. He faces two felony stalking charges and two felony charges of official misconduct. Bryan was a part-time Cherry Valley Police Officer and a full-time Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputy. He has resigned from both offices. ISP began their investigation in March after Cherry Valley Police heard a complaint about Bryan. Investigators found that Bryan allegedly committed offenses over multiple years while both on and off-duty in his posts.

* WICS | Motion to reduce Sean Grayson’s sentence denied, appeal looms: Sean Grayson will not receive a reduced sentence for the murder of Sonya Massey. The Sangamon County court denying his motion to reconsider or reduce his sentence Friday afternoon. However, Grayson and his legal team have signaled they will appeal.

* Capitol City Now | Buscher launches re-election campaign: “I try very hard,” the mayor said in an interview after her formal announcement. “For political purposes, there are some aldermen who do not want to support me. I believe there was one (Ald. Roy Williams) protesting – tonight – my mayoral campaign because they want to play politics. In that horseshoe, we should not play politics; we should play policy. A sign two protestors held across Dirksen Parkway from Boondocks accused Buscher of censorship and militarizing the police department, the latter referring to the purchase of a military-style vehicle.

* BND | Forecasters eye ‘very strong’ El Niño: What it could mean for the metro-east area: The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center reports there’s a 61% chance of an El Niño pattern emerging between May and July, and if it does develop, it could range anywhere from very light to very strong, Melissa Delia, meteorologist with the NWS St. Louis office, told the News-Democrat in a May 8 interview. “When we talk about how strong it is or how weak it is, it’s really talking about how strong or how cool or warm our sea surface temperatures are,” Delia said.

*** National ***

* LA Times | Amazon halts high-speed e-bike sales in California following fatal crashes: Amazon has reportedly agreed to stop California sales of certain e-bikes that can go faster than state speed limits following a series of fatal collisions. The announcement, first reported by KCRA, comes on the heels of an April consumer alert by California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta that highlighted a rise in deaths related to crashes of electric bikes and motorcycles. “We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks, and streets,” Bonta said in a statement. “To ride a motorcycle or moped, you need to have the appropriate driver’s license and comply with rules of the road.”

* WaPo |:On Polymarket, just 1,200 people took more than half the profits — $591 million, or more than $100,000 each. When you dabble in prediction markets, you’re competing against these sophisticated players who consistently win. Most of those 1,200 big winners didn’t place just a few smart bets. They appear to be pros making thousands of trades, mostly in the past year and a half, that were probably automated.