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Johnson and the far right have something in common: Blaming wealthy Jews for their own failures

Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mariah Woelfel at WBEZ has a very well-written story about Mayor Brandon Johnson’s trip to Springfield. The whole thing is worth a read, but let’s zoom in on this bit

[Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s] push for a head tax last fall is what ignited Council opposition led by a group of business-backed, mostly conservative and moderate Council members who united to oppose Johnson’s budget. That coalition tweaked the mayor’s spending plan to exclude the head tax.

Johnson said he still sees the payroll tax as a viable option.

“There’s no secret that Michael Sacks has actively worked against challenging the ultra rich,” Johnson said, referring to the CEO of a private equity firm and Democratic billionaire who helped fund commercials criticizing tenets of Johnson’s spending plan. “Our effort to make sure that we’re working to protect working people, that will be the effort, regardless of those interests that try to stand in the way of it.”

In response, Sacks teed off on Johnson, accusing the mayor in a written statement of making false claims about him and saying he “never opposed the mayor’s head tax” and supports “smart progressive revenue.”

“He needs to look at himself and his senior staff to explain why 57% of Chicagoans say they are definitely voting to replace him. Lying about me isn’t going to help him,” said Sacks, who declined to say through a spokesperson whether he supports a payroll tax.

Way too many Chicago progressives are blaming Sacks for their own failures, much like the far-right has pinned blame on George Soros for their numerous national and international grievances. Anyone see anything in common between those two besides their money? I do. And all of this needs to stop.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Conspiracy charge dismissed for ‘Broadview 6’ as other ICE protesters sue over post-arrest DNA collection. Capitol News Illinois

    - A federal judge on Thursday officially dismissed the main conspiracy charge against the remaining “Broadview Six” immigration protesters indicted last fall.
    - “Congratulations, you all are no longer charged with felonies,” U.S. District Judge April Perry told the four remaining defendants.
    - Meanwhile, other protesters arrested outside the same ICE facility last year in the Chicago suburb of Broadview filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, alleging the DNA sample cheek swabs they submitted to while in custody violate their Fourth Amendment rights.

* Related stories…

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

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Illinois cities unveil rival housing plan to Gov. JB Pritzker’s sweeping zoning plan: But housing advocates were unimpressed with the IML proposal. The housing groups say towns are too restrictive about building housing and need a push to allow more density, which they think Pritzker’s BUILD program provides. The bills making up Pritzker’s plan have yet to clear either the state House or Senate. “A big part of the IML counterproposal to BUILD is to basically say that municipalities continue to have the right to allow two-flats if they so choose,” Steven Vance, a co-lead at Abundant Housing Illinois, said last week. “That’s not good enough.”

* CBS Chicago | Canvas outage hits Northwestern, University of Chicago, University of Illinois and more: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign officials announced Thursday night that they were postponing all final exams and assignments scheduled for Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, including those for classes that don’t use Canvas. The university will provide more details regarding Canvas, assignments, and final exams scheduled for next week before noon on Sunday.

*** Statewide ***

* WCIA | Unemployment rises; job totals fall in Illinois over last year: New data released on Thursday found both rising unemployment and job contraction in Illinois over the last year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES) released data concerning year-over-year unemployment rates and nonfarm jobs. Examining both the state as a whole and 13 metropolitan areas, the data shows the state unemployment rose by half a percentage point between March 2025 and March 2026, and the state lost 8,400 jobs during that time.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WBEZ | Johnson leaves Springfield ‘determined’ after pushing for new city revenue and against Bears suburban move: Johnson’s main priority this trip was to block a proposed cut to the amount of state income tax revenue that flows to local governments — from 6.47% to 6.28%, according to Pritzker’s office. That would mean a $12.7 million loss for Chicago, Johnson’s team said. After meeting with Johnson Tuesday, Democratic state Sen. Lakesia Collins, of Chicago, said she’s sympathetic to funding needs for local governments. But “it’s just all about like, can we get it done right now? We’re reeling in toward the end of session,” she said.

* Sun-Times | Johnson leaves Springfield ‘determined’ after pushing for new city revenue and against Bears suburban move: Johnson’s main priority this trip was to block a proposed cut to the amount of state income tax revenue that flows to local governments — from 6.47% to 6.28%, according to Pritzker’s office. That would mean a $12.7 million loss for Chicago, Johnson’s team said. After meeting with Johnson Tuesday, Democratic state Sen. Lakesia Collins, of Chicago, said she’s sympathetic to funding needs for local governments. But “it’s just all about like, can we get it done right now? We’re reeling in toward the end of session,” she said

* Capitol News Illinois | Family, friends, supporters honor fallen Illinois police officers: The ceremony honored Officer Krystal Rivera of the Chicago Police Department and Detective Tim Jones of the Park Forest Police Department. Held annually on the first Thursday in May, the event is a tradition to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty the previous calendar year. “Today, as we remember your brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, coworkers and friends who lost their lives in the line of duty, let us not remember them as indestructible superheroes that we may envision as children,” state Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “Let’s remember them as human beings, in all their vulnerabilities and susceptibilities, who chose to take on the risk of the ultimate sacrifice to make others’ lives safer.”

* Patch | Rep. Keicher Legislation Honoring Memory of DeKalb Co. Deputy Christina Musil Advances: “The death of DeKalb County Sheriff’s Deputy Christina ‘Beana’ Musil was a profound tragedy that devastated our community,” said Keicher. “I remember attending the memorial service that was held after her passing and being awestruck by the outpouring of love and respect for the dedication this incredible person brought to serving others. Her life was a true embodiment of what it means to serve.” Musil was 35 at the time of her death, having served with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office for five years. A U.S. Army National Guard veteran, she also served in Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009.

*** Chicago ***

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools campus budget could bring cuts amid massive deficit: The school, which has largely bucked the enrollment declines plaguing the district, serves about 920 mostly low-income Latino students in the Little Village neighborhood. After years of relative budget and staffing stability, Ramirez, the head of Saucedo’s Local School Council, worries the campus could take a painful hit. He dwells on what the school might lose: One of the two bilingual coordinators who have guided his English learner children? Or one of the two counselors who helped his older daughter earn a seat at the competitive Jones College Prep High School?

* Crain’s | South Side Walgreens closures fuel fears of more drugstore deserts: The company said the stores slated to be shut down, along with others in Milwaukee, Seattle and New York, are racked with issues of theft and violence. […] Among the most vocal critics was Ald. William Hall, 6th, who has called for a lawsuit against Walgreens. While not calling for litigation, Ald. Desmon Yancy, 5th, is dealing with a May 19 closure of the Walgreens store at 2351 E. 71st St. Yancy said the company has “essentially decimated its locations on the east side of the city. There is just a lack of corporate responsibility.”

* Sun-Times | A $10 million investment to reduce chronic absenteeism in schools: That is why A Better Chicago recently launched Every Day Counts, an initiative committing at least $10 million over the next five years to help strengthen student attendance. This effort will focus on communities where absenteeism remains highest — including Austin, Englewood, Garfield Park, South Lawndale, South Shore and Woodlawn.

* Sun-Times | Edgewater’s historic Bryn Mawr Avenue heads toward possible landmark status: While Bryn Mawr Avenue has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1995, a city designation would help protect the corridor’s buildings from demolition and unsympathetic alterations. Well, except for 5614 N. Winthrop Ave. and 1106 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. More on that later.

* Sun-Times | Obama Presidential Center sells out first month hours after tickets become available: The museum debuts June 18 with an invitation-only grand opening ceremony, then opens to the public the next day — Juneteenth. Donors were offered early access to tickets last month, however, so those looking to get in on opening day faced an uphill battle from the start. Chamorro had intended to get opening weekend tickets for him and his boyfriend, but it had sold out by the time he got through the queue.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Block Club | Immigration Agents Return To Courthouses, Make Arrest, Local Officials Say: Federal immigration agents were spotted at four Cook County courthouses Thursday, where they arrested at least one person, an act that violates state law and undermines due process rights, the public defender’s office and watchdog groups said. Federal agents on Thursday were seen at the following courthouses: Cook County Domestic Violence Court, 555 W. Harrison St.; Branch 35 & 38 courthouses, 727 E. 111th St.; Branch 23 & 29, 5555 W. Grand Ave.; and the Maywood Courthouse, 1500 Maybrook Drive, said Katie Pelech, supervisor for the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender.

* Daily Herald | Naperville mayor highlights ‘record year’ for new downtown businesses, looks to future of I-88 corridor: “It’s no secret that I believe that the future of the I-88 corridor is the future of our city. Our transition from a quiet farm town to where the best and the brightest minds are figuring out solutions to today’s problems started in that very place,” Wehrli said in his State of the City address Thursday. It’s a timely topic: The city has budgeted $150,000 to conduct a special study on either the I-88 corridor or the properties around Naperville’s 5th Avenue Metra station. Other potential initiatives have also been floated in recent months. City council members are expected to discuss at their next meeting which one to pursue.

* Aurora Beacon-News | More than $1 million secured from federal government to help replace lead pipes in Aurora: Aurora has been working to replace these lead “service lines” for years. Since 2018, the city has replaced 3,290 of them throughout the community, according to a recent city news release. The recent federal funding secured by Underwood and Foster, which totals nearly $1.1 million, will be used to replace around 120 lead service lines, the news release said. Officials estimated that around 400 residents will be impacted through the replacements.

* Daily Herald | Homeowners association wants Arlington Heights to end pool attendant requirement: “We would like to be able to go to ‘swim at your own risk,’” said Jim Regan, vice president of the Regent Park Property Owners Association, citing cost concerns and the difficulty of finding lifeguards. “You see the city of Chicago can hardly get lifeguards, and that’s going to happen more and more.” The local ordinance — which regulates so-called semipublic outdoor pools, not private ones in residential backyards or indoor pools — dates to Sept. 8, 1986. As far as village officials can surmise, the rule may have had something to do with the lack of easy access to telephones outside.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton shows off changes inside Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home 1 year after his election: While the home remains closed to the public, the village recently began offering private tours of the humble two-story building for some reporters and religious groups, along with Prevost’s brother, John, last month. Dolton Village Clerk Alison Key, who leads the Historic Preservation Commission working on a plan for the village to benefit from pope-related tourism, has begun adding elements to the East 141st Place house that celebrate Pope Leo XIV as well as the community he’s from.

* Daily Herald | ‘It always led here’: She started teaching at 47 and is now a Golden Apple Award winner: The fourth grade teacher at Big Hollow Elementary School was honored with a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching at the Ingleside school on Thursday. “It took me until I was 47 to start teaching,” she said. “I went a circuitous route, but this is where I’m supposed to be. I love it. I love coming to work every single day, and this just tells me I made a good decision.”

*** Downstate ***

* WIFR | Hard Rock Casino announces hotel expansion in Rockford: During a news conference Thursday, leaders shared the Hard Rock Hotel and Convention Center will have 200 to 225 total rooms, including luxury VIP suites, 15,000 square feet of conference space, a spa and a fitness center. […] When built, the hotel and convention center will be Illinois’ only Hard Rock Hotel. Leaders said that, like the casino, the hotel will display items from local and global musical talents, including guitars from the collection of Rockford native and Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen.

* WCIA | City of Danville unveils draft of 2050 Comprehensive Plan: In a Facebook post, the city said that the draft of this plan is now able to be viewed here. Residents are able to look at the plan and share their thoughts by commenting on the Facebook post. The city said every comment will be collected and shared directly with the Comprehensive Plan team.

*** National ***

* Crain’s | Consumers are ‘running out of money’ and cutting back, CEOs warn: “They’re literally running out of money at the end of the month,” Kraft Heinz Co. Chief Executive Officer Steve Cahillane said in an interview this week. “We’re seeing negative cash flows in the lower-income brackets where they’re dipping into savings.” […] The maker of washers and dryers said it’s counting on purchases picking up after a harsh US winter slowed shopping, but the war caused a collapse in consumer sentiment. The company described the resulting 15% hit to industry demand as similar to the global financial crisis in the aughts.

* USA Today | Lord of the Rinks. Meet the hockey CEO cashing in on your kid’s team: A nine-month USA TODAY investigation found that Gunty, founder of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, used his private investment firm’s youth sports arm, Black Bear Sports Group, to rapidly buy up ice rinks and teams across the Northeast and Midwest and then leveraged that control to steer families into its own costly ecosystem of leagues, tournaments and fees.

* Kelly Blue Book | Tesla Recalls Cybertruck Because Wheels May Fall Off: Cracks in the brake rotor stud holes could cause the wheel studs to separate from the hub, making it harder to control the vehicle and potentially causing the wheel to fall off, increasing the likelihood of a crash. Affected vehicles may exhibit vibration or noise prior to wheel stud separation. Tesla says it will completely replace the affected wheel hubs and rotors. The repairs will be conducted at no cost to owners, as mandated by law.

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Good morning!

Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Marc Bolan and T. Rex

The way you flip your hip it always makes me weak
Because you’re my baby
Yes, you’re my love

* TGIF check-in! How are you?

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Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Friday, May 8, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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