* ICYMI: Illinois Racing Board Suspends Hawthorne’s Harness Racing License. The Paulick Report…

- The Illinois Racing Board announced on Monday, Jan. 26, that it has suspended the organization license of Suburban Downs, Inc for failure to provide documentation demonstrating its financial integrity and proof that they can meet the minimum standards outlined in the Horse Racing Act.
- Hawthorne’s financial troubles have intensified over the past two months, driven by its failure to meet Illinois Racing Board licensing requirements and by ongoing bounced checks for purse payments.
- The failures have prompted harness racing participants to renew their call for state legislation to revoke Hawthorne’s veto power over any competing new racino in the south suburbs.
- Hawthorne could get its license back if it can prove it meets the minimum requirements of operating a harness meet.

* Related stories…

• Gambling Insider: Illinois Suspends Hawthorne Harness License Over ‘Financial Difficulties’
• Tribune: Why Hawthorne racetrack was temporarily shut down over the weekend: ‘This is another embarrassing failure’
• Chicago Mag: Long Live Horse Racing? We Wouldn’t Bet on It

We’ll have a blog post up about last night’s US Senate debate shortly!

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*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | ‘Not sustainable’: New SNAP work requirements could leave up to 340,000 Illinois residents without enough food: The Rev. Sandra Gillespie, the assistant pastor at Chosen Bethel Family Ministries, said many of her clients are in a similar situation as Robinson and they’re “terrified.” She spends time with clients searching for jobs on Indeed or for other volunteer opportunities. But the options are slim for those with a criminal background, mobility issues or minimal work experience. Because many of the changes are confusing, many clients also don’t fully understand the new requirements, she said. […] “What’s scary is the look on their faces when I say, ‘You could potentially lose your SNAP for three years,’” Gillespie said. “That is ridiculous.”

* Crain’s | ​Illinois says Coinbase sports contracts are bets, not financial instruments: The state said Coinbase’s proposed offerings with online prediction market operator Kalshi do not meet the definition of financial instruments that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Commodity Future Trading Commission and therefore are subject to state regulation. “Athletic competitions are not inherently financial, economic or commercial in nature,” the state said in a federal court filing. “The contracts that Coinbase are offering Illinois consumers are not ‘swaps’ because neither the occurrence nor the outcome of an athletic competition is inherently financial, economic or commercial in the same sense as a change in interest rates or the relative value of two currencies.”

* STLPR | Facing ‘insurmountable challenges,’ Alton Steel will close its doors this week: State Sen. Erica Harriss, R-Glen Carbon, and state Rep. Amy Elik, R-Godfrey, said Monday they were “shocked” and “stunned” to learn of Alton Steel’s sudden closure and vowed to seek answers from company leaders. “Just weeks ago, Alton Steel was actively hiring, and there were no indications that these jobs or this facility were at risk,” Harriss said in a statement. “Families built their plans and their futures around this work, and that sense of stability has been pulled out from under them without warning.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | GOP hopefuls dig into taxes, school choice at gubernatorial debate: “How to stop a supermajority from spending all your money is charge them with crimes,” Mendrick of Woodridge said. He touted his experience as a financial crimes investigator. “The way we stop them is we start going into fraud — sweeping motor vehicle funds, taking your local distributive funds from your mayors.”

* The Daily Egyptian | Gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey rallies support in southern Illinois: The primary election is on March 17, which is also Bailey’s 60th birthday. During the time in between, Bailey and Del Mar are going to be gathering support. “We’re going to go down hard,” Del Mar said. “We are going to knock on a couple doors, some doors we’re going to kick down.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Interview with Illinois Comptroller Candidate Stephanie Kifowit: As a part of a series of interviews focusing on contested races for major-party nominations in the March 17 primary elections, Capitol News Illinois reporters Peter Hancock and Brenden Moore talk with state Representative Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego) about her campaign for Illinois Comptroller.

* The Daily Northwestern | Full interview: Illinois Senate candidate Patrick Hanley: The Daily sat down with Patrick Hanley, a Democratic candidate for the Illinois Senate in the 9th district, to discuss topics ranging from responding to federal immigration enforcement to favorite local businesses.

* The Daily Northwestern | Full Interview: Illinois Senate candidate Rachel Ruttenberg: The Daily sat down with Rachel Ruttenberg, a Democratic candidate for the Illinois Senate in the 9th district, to discuss topics ranging from responding to federal immigration enforcement to favorite local businesses.

*** Chicago ***

* WTTW | As Chicago Ethics Board Surpasses 6 Months Without a Leader, Enforcement Actions Stall: Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward), the chair of the Ethics and Government Oversight Committee, said there was no reason the mayor’s office has not found a replacement for Conlon, who announced in June he would step down when his term expired in July. “The mayor’s record shows a continued lack of commitment to ethics and government oversight,” said Martin, who has long been critical of the time it has taken Johnson to fill vacant seats on the Ethics Board.

* Tribune | Lawyer for woman shot by Border Patrol agent in Chicago wants bodycam footage, other evidence made public: In his eight-page motion, attorney Christopher Parente wrote that despite all charges being dropped against his client, Marimar Martinez, in November, the government “continues to prosecute her character in the court of public opinion,” with labels of “domestic terrorist” and other falsehoods still visible on official government websites and social media. Parente also said two U.S. citizens by immigration officers this month in Minnesota — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were “engaged in similar peaceful protests as Ms. Martinez at the time of their killings.”

* Tribune | Judge overturns conviction in 2002 murder, orders release of imprisoned man: On Thursday, Cook County Judge Tyria Walton vacated Porter’s conviction and ordered a new trial after finding that the officer’s history of alleged misconduct “undermines the confidence of the earlier verdict rendered in Mr. Porter’s original trial.” Cook County prosecutors now must decide whether they will attempt to try Porter again or dismiss the case. At a bond hearing Monday, Porter was ordered released on electronic monitoring pending retrial.

* Tribune | United Airlines, in competition with American over market share, announces new flights out of O’Hare: On Tuesday, United announced it would add new daily routes to five smaller midwestern cities: Champaign/Urbana; Bloomington/Normal; Kalamazoo, Mich.; Lansing, Mich. and La Crosse, Wis. The announcement came after American said last week it would add flights from Chicago to Allentown, Penn., Columbia, S.C. and Maui.

* ABC Chicago | Name a cockroach after your ex program returns at Brookfield Zoo Chicago for Valentine’s Day: For a $15 donation, you can name one of the Madagascar hissing cockroaches that lives in the Hamill Family Play Zoo after that un-special someone in your life. […] The first name of the hissing roach will appear on the Cockroach Naming Board posted outside of the Hamill Family Play Zoo. The board will be unveiled on Valentine’s Day.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Cook County Board president candidates tussle over costly tech upgrade: Reilly and Preckwinkle are set to face off in the March Democratic primary to lead the Cook County Board, the county’s $10 billion budget, and its health system and Forest Preserve District. Reilly has made one of his core criticisms of Preckwinkle’s four terms as board president the long-standing, ongoing problems with upgrading the county’s property tax system, which have led to significant delays and lots of finger-pointing among elected officials seeking to avoid blame. In an endorsement session with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board, Preckwinkle acknowledged the latest problems with the upgrade that delayed distributions of tax money “have real consequences for schools and other taxing bodies,” but noted that she tried to minimize the damage by offering short-term interest-free bridge loans.

* WGN | Cook County Assessor Kaegi faces fierce challenge from Democratic party-backed Hynes: As campaign season heats up, Kaegi and Hynes have really been getting after it. On Monday, Kaegi took aim at Hynes’ campaign donations, calling him a “lap dog” for big developers and donors that also support Republicans. The candidates sat for interviews with the Chicago Tribune editorial board on Monday. After meeting with the paper, Hynes called Kaegi’s attacks “ridiculous”, drawing a direct line to President Donald Trump.

* Crain’s | State permit doesn’t automatically entitle Sterigenics to pollution coverage, court finds: Insurers are not necessarily required to pay out on pollution-related claims to companies with a standard liability policy, even if the company has a state permit for pollutants, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled last week. The case involved Sterigenics, a medical supply sterilization company that operated in the Chicago suburb of Willowbrook and was tied to elevated cancer rates in the area. Several hundred lawsuits filed against Sterigenics and its one-time parent company Griffith Foods claimed that long-term exposure to ethylene oxide emissions led to Willowbrook residents contracting cancer. One case resulted in a $363 million award to one resident, Susan Kamuda, the largest jury verdict for a single plaintiff in Illinois history.

* CBS Chicago | Special information meeting on Barrington Hills data center canceled after developer pulls out of presentation: It’s not clear if the developer pulled out from proposing the data center altogether or just the previously scheduled presentation. The village said as of now, it considers the matter closed, and no further discussion is anticipated.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | Bloomington council OKs ban on kratom, synthetic alternatives: The vote on the kratom ban was the only item of regular business during the 80-minute meeting. The proposal passed unanimously with two absences [Jenna Kearns, Cody Hendricks]. There was no debate following the staff’s formal presentation. “This ordinance comes from a place of caring for our neighbors and taking residents’ concerns seriously,” said Mosley. “This is a local government doing exactly what we’re supposed to do, responding when a credible issue affects the well-being of our residents.”

* WGIL | Knox County Mental Health Board to allocate $1.8M for local services: Board Chair Steve Watts appeared on Galesburg’s Morning News to discuss the board’s work. Established by 2017 referendum, the board levies a 0.15 per $100 property tax, projecting $1.7 million in revenue for the 2025 tax year. Watts, an original member since inception along with John Schlaf and Luke Raymond, explained the narrow mandate and common misconceptions about broader funding eligibility.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford’s ‘Get ‘er done’ chairman dies at age 72 : A longtime public servant known for his “get ‘er done” attitude and who led the Winnebago County Board for 12 years has died at age 72. Former Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen was first elected to county government in 1984. After leaving the board for several years in the 90s, he was appointed chairman in May 2004. Christiansen was first elected to the post in November 2004. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2012 before deciding not to seek a fourth term.

* WCIA | Central IL officials continue to urge caution on the roads after winter storm: Public works officials said that it’s not from a lack of effort; snow plow drivers have been running for days now. However, when the weather is as cold as it is, there’s only so much they can do because the snow and ice isn’t going anywhere. “Salt loses its effectiveness when it’s 15 degrees or below that,” Paul Wappel with the Illinois Department of Transportation said. “There’s a little bit of science to that, trying to know, ‘When do you put salt on? When do you not?’”

*** National ***

* The Atlantic | Greg Bovino Loses His Job: Gregory Bovino has been removed from his role as Border Patrol “commander at large” and will return to his former job in El Centro, California, where he is expected to retire soon, according to a DHS official and two people with knowledge of the change.

* NYT | The ‘R-Word’ Returns, Dismaying Those Who Fought to Oust It: Use of the word has skyrocketed on X, Mr. Musk’s social media platform. In 2020, it appeared on the platform, then known as Twitter, just over 2,000 times a day, according to a recent study by two Montclair State University researchers. That number is now over 46,000 times a day — a more than 2,000 percent increase.

* CNBC | Musk’s $1 trillion pay package renews focus on soaring CEO compensation: Over the past 50 years, top CEO compensation has climbed 1,094%, according to the Economic Policy Institute. That compares to a 26% increase in typical worker compensation. Median total compensation for S&P 500 CEO’s was $17.1 million in 2024, up nearly 10% from 2023, according to Equilar, a corporate analytics firm. CEOs now make 192 times more than the average employee, up from a 186 to 1 ratio in 2023.

* Reuters | Meta, TikTok, YouTube to stand trial on youth addiction claims: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (META.O), is expected to take the witness stand. The company will argue in court that its products did not lead to K.G.M.’s mental health challenges, Meta’s lawyers told Reuters ahead of the trial. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel was also expected to testify, as his company was named a defendant in the lawsuit. Snap (SNAP.N) agreed on January 20 to settle K.G.M.’s lawsuit. A company spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the deal.