* ICYMI: How the Illinois Senate’s housing proposals compare to Gov. JB Pritzker’s BUILD plan. Capitol News Illinois…

- With just days left in the spring legislative session, Illinois Senate Democrats unveiled an eight-bill housing package incorporating tweaked elements of Gov. JB Pritzker’s Building Up Illinois Developments, or BUILD, plan and a slew of progressive initiatives.
- All the bills in the Senate package passed out of the Senate Executive Committee Tuesday evening, though many faced tough questioning from lawmakers in both parties and acknowledgements from bill sponsors that amendments would likely be forthcoming.
- The IML is opposed to the two Senate BUILD bills as well as Feigenholtz’s faith-based housing bill. It supports Stadelman’s bill cracking down on broker’s fees and is neutral on the remaining four bills.
- The Illinois REALTORS — Pritzker’s top ally on the BUILD initiative — is opposed to the Senate package.

* Related stories…

• WAND: IL Senate Democrats push for new affordable housing plans despite growing opposition
• Press release: Illinois Senate Democrats outline housing affordability package
• Illinois Answers: A Proposed Law Would Push Wealthy Suburbs to Build More Affordable Housing. Mayors Are Pushing Back

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* At noon, Gov. JB Pritzker will attend Sen. Durbin’s Farewell Address. Click here to watch.

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WBEZ | 51 candidates are running for Chicago’s first fully elected school board: Of the incumbent board members, only Sean Harden, the current president who was appointed by Mayor Johnson, is not running. Two current board members — Jessica Biggs and Jennifer Custer — are giving up district seats to run for president. A total of five candidates are running for board president, a powerful position that holds sway over what the board debates and votes on. Four of them — Biggs, Custer, former board member Sendhil Revuluri and attorney Victor Henderson — submitted petitions on the first day and will face off in a lottery to get the top spot on the ballot.

* WGLT | Bloomington approves 6-month moratorium on data centers: The moratorium specifically applies to any facility designed with a capacity of greater than 5 megawatts. The Town of Normal approved a moratorium without such a stipulation earlier in May. At least two public hearings on the topic must take place during the moratorium that was passed without much discussion or debate — and by unanimous vote. “The idea behind this moratorium is so we can set up those regulations so we can do things like the city of Aurora has done, like the McLean County has done, and that I ask that we start those, those discussions and those set up immediately,” said council member Abby Scott.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President Mark Denzler | Not to take anything away from the governor, but Illinois could do even more: While Illinois has taken great strides to change our trajectory, there’s still a lot of work to do. Economic data shows that Illinois continues to lag the nation and our neighboring Midwest states in several key areas including job creation, gross domestic product growth and population. We also continue to face significant headwinds in the form of higher taxes, costly regulations and growing public pension obligations. We can meet these challenges with smart policy changes designed to keep Illinois moving forward.

* Capitol News Illinois | Former Republican strategist Collin Corbett files to run for governor as independent: “You’re going to start to see a lot of positive developments on our fundraising,” he said. “It’s not going to be too long before we pass the Republican candidate on fundraising. We’ll never pass the Democratic candidate, but we’re going to certainly have the funds to be able to compete.” His campaign has reported raising $40,000 since May 1, according to State Board of Elections records. Bailey has raised $121,500 since April 1 in addition to $81,000 he had on hand at the end of March. Tracy, Corbett’s former client, is among Bailey’s recent donors.

* Capitol City Now | State is Number One in kinship placements: Even the people holding the news conference Tuesday had to admit: it’s rare to mention the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is a national leader in something good. However, in the year since Gov. JB Pritzker signed the KIND (Kinship in Demand) Act into law, DCFS has put the state atop all others. “The federal Administration for Children and Families has identified Illinois as the Number One state for placement with relatives and kinship caregivers thanks in part to this historic legislation,” said DCFS director Heidi Mueller.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson’s strategy to combat hate crimes angers Jewish leaders: Johnson’s plan calls for creating a “Jewish Engagement Council to serve as a direct bridge for dialogue” between residents, community leaders and the mayor’s office, and an “Interconnected Chicago Council” to address “fragmentation between communities.” […] Silverstein called the mayor’s strategy “a watered-down version” of what the city’s Commission on Human Relations recommended and “a far weaker proposal” than needed to confront the magnitude of the problem.

* Tribune | Chicago Media Report: CBS News Radio anchor signs off, record ratings for CHSN and WGN-TV anchor finds new gig: It also silenced, at least for now, radio veteran Jennifer Keiper, who for the past 5½ years has anchored the network’s afternoon and evening newscasts from her Chicago studio. She signed off Friday as the penultimate voice of CBS News Radio, which ceased broadcasting at midnight. “I’m sad about it,” Keiper said. “It’s rich history that’s gone, and another newsroom that’s not filled.”

* Sun-Times | Chicago’s giardiniera headed to Pope Leo with Mayor Johnson: The gift to the pope comes ahead of J.P. Graziano’s 89th anniversary. The company opened on June 7, 1937, at its original and current location at 901 W. Randolph St. The wholesaler imported products from Italy and Sicily and also distributed domestic products. In 2007, Graziano opened a sub shop inside the store and its sandwiches became wildly popular. Sandwiches have become J.P. Graziano’s best-selling item, followed “hands down” by giardiniera, Graziano said.

* Financial Times | America’s most exciting jazz scene is in Chicago: People say jazz was born in New Orleans, grew up in Chicago, and reached full bloom in New York. I’d counter that both coasts — Los Angeles is now solidly in that mix — still look to Chicago for marching orders. Many of the audacious, often genre-fluid artists defining those scenes cut their teeth in Chicago, from trumpeter Marquis Hill to guitarist Jeff Parker. This is probably America’s most unselfconscious major city, a place where you can relish the poise of period swing or the total improvisation of free jazz. Grind hard, talk less, keep an open mind and we’ll probably have a place for you.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Robbins Mayor Darren Bryant seeks accountability in traffic stops after arrest, Calumet Park police says he was uncooperative: But Calumet Park attorneys defend the arrest, saying Bryant made an illegal turn and refused to give officers his license and proof of insurance after the officers asked at least 10 times, according to Burt Odelson, an attorney for Calumet Park. Bryant said he wanted to know why he was pulled over before handing over his driver’s license and registration. “I have no problem following the law if you can first tell me and educate me,” he said. “It’s so disheartening because now my image is out there, my image is the one being questioned about being a law-abiding citizen.”

* Tribune | Hawthorne Race Course alleges Illinois official steered funds to rival track amid bankruptcy battle: About three months after filing for bankruptcy, representatives for Hawthorne Race Course are alleging they are losing out on state funding because a top official in Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration — with the influence of his brother, a lobbyist — has been steering money to a rival racetrack, according to court papers filed last week. On Tuesday, lobbyist John Costello, the brother of Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello, called the allegations “defamatory” in a prepared statement.

* Tribune | Faith leaders, doctors press for West Suburban reopening, as hospital’s fate remains undecided: “We need to have a serious call to action,” said Bishop Dwight Gunn of Heritage International Christian Church in Austin, noting that his two children were born there. “Not so long ago this hospital stood as a place of hope for many.” It can again be the type of hospital that provides quality heatlhcare to the Austin community, he said. “In order for that to happen, there needs to be a sense of urgency about reopening this hospital,” Gunn said. He said it’s crucial that, if the hospital is reopened, the community becomes involved in leadership and oversight.

* Daily Southtown | Flossmoor library sinking floor fix in limbo as library and village disagree on responsibility: Because the library leases the building from the village, the library board decided May 12 to ask the village to pay for repairs, Bergeron said in her email. Two estimates the village received place the cost for repairs at about $50,000, she said. The relationship between the village and the library is managed by an intergovernmental agreement. Bergeron said in her email the agreement states that the library is responsible for all repairs, rehabilitation and maintenance of the building and its components, including fixtures and personal property. She said the agreement does not include structural or foundational damage. However, the Village Board voted against paying for the repairs at its most recent meeting, sending the issue back to the library board, Brumke said.

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Christian County residents voice opposition to data centers: Sam Lacey, a resident of the county, addressed the board during public comment, “I am asking that you do your due diligence, and you search your conscience, and you remember these faces in the crowd when you do inevitably come up on a vote on this. Because there will be a point of no return and that will be shortly after your vote.” County Board Chairman Bryan Sharp reminded everyone of the resolution already in place, one that temporarily restricts data center construction.

* WAND | Christian Co. residents voice concerns over proposed Eagle Rock Partners data center: Dozens of Christian County residents filled a county board meeting to discuss the proposed Eagle Rock Partners data center. Some residents urged county officials to do more research, while others called on officials to reject data centers altogether. “The one asset that large industries want from small communities is ignorance. I am proud to see so many members of our community here tonight to prove them wrong,” one county resident said.

* WAND | Pritzker, local leaders dedicate new all-abilities activity hub in Champaign: Governor JB Pritzker and local leaders celebrated the dedication of the new all-abilities activity hub in Champaign on Tuesday. The project was funded through a $600,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, designed to be an inclusive, special recreation area that will serve people of all abilities.

* WCIA | DACC to consider termination of Adult Education staff members, Provost resignation: Previously, WCIA reported that the Adult Education program at the Danville Area Community College is under investigation after the college allegedly discovered false test scores and grant performance reports. Last October, DACC suspected a “coordinated system of misappropriation of Adult Education funds and falsification of test scores and grant performance reports in the DACC Adult Education Department” from 2022 to 2025. The college conducted a six-month investigation and then later notified the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB).

* WAND | City of Sullivan remains under water shortage: “Local aquifers recharge very slowly, and although conditions may appear improved on the surface, groundwater levels take much longer to recover. Continued conservation efforts are still necessary to help protect the long-term stability of our water resources,” city officials said in a statement posted to Facebook. Residents are asked to continue following City ordinances regarding non-essential water use, limiting unnecessary outdoor watering and other non-essential usage to help ensure adequate water availability for essential residential, commercial, and emergency needs.

* WAND | City of Champaign considers new blueprint to manage homeless population: Champaign’s point-in-time survey shows the city saw a 159% increase in homelessness from 2022-25. […] The homelessness prevention blueprint team is recommending hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional funds to prevent people from losing their homes.

* WGLT | Illinois Wesleyan ready to ‘play offense’ in approaching enrollment cliff: “Right now, we’re on target to hit the range that we need to provide the correct budget for the university to thrive,” said Zenger. As the situation continues to develop, he said the current growth at Illinois Wesleyan will position it nicely to avoid the worst effects of the trend. “Our goal at Wesleyan is to continue to play offense,” said Zenger, citing the Petrick Idea Center, the Fisher Quantum Center and center for the humanities as recent examples of expansion that makes IWU competitive in a tightening market for higher ed students.

*** National ***

* Semafor | California influencer disclosures offer a glimpse at how secret money distorts American politics: The California gubernatorial race has become the latest testing ground for modern digital campaigning, which in the last ten years has morphed from individual politicians doing stunts to go viral on Facebook to a system of paid outreach to creators in exchange for their support and promotion. And Steyer’s campaign is one of the purest instances of this blurry new world of astroturfed support: His team has offered creators everything from $10 a post to nearly half a million for communications consulting in the hopes that they’ll spread the word about him, or at least take his opponents down a peg.

* WaPo | These Black lawmakers could lose their seats. They don’t plan to go quietly: To the longtime members of the Congressional Black Caucus now at risk of losing their seats, the latest court decision and new maps in Southern states feel like a regression to pre-civil rights philosophy grounded in racism. “The Roberts court seems to be hell-bent on restoring Jim Crow,” said Rep. James E. Clyburn, South Carolina’s only Democratic Congress member, who could lose his seat under a newly proposed map Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Missouri) now also faces a more difficult path under a new map. “We could never have imagined that in 2026, that there would be an attempt to erase all of the years of progress we’ve made since the time they did the Voting Rights Act.”

* NPR | Trump DOJ mass-deletes info on Jan. 6 riot cases, including violent assaults on cops: Justice Department news releases that detailed guilty pleas, jury verdicts and prison sentences abruptly disappeared from government websites last week. On social media, the Justice Department defended the move, saying, “We are proud to reverse the DOJ’s weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes. This includes stripping DOJ’s website of partisan propaganda.”

* The Hill | These states are seeing their worst tick activity in nearly 10 years: Data: In these 10 states — Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio — 137 out of every 100,000 emergency department visits in April were related to tick bites. That’s just shy of the one-month incident rate record the region saw last May, of 153 per 100,000, and well above the 56 per 100,000 it sees on average in April.