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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Tribune…
* From Rep. Stephanie Kifowit…
* WAND | Illinois launches America 250 website, events celebrating state history: The new America 250 webpage is meant to serve as a digital gateway to Illinois history, showcasing the state’s contributions to the nation’s political, economic, agricultural and cultural development. It will feature historic photographs, documents and other treasures from the collections of the Illinois State Archives and the Illinois State Library, while also giving access to a complete schedule of America 250 events and activities happening throughout the Capitol Complex. * Tribune | Task force pitches long-term Chicago budget fillers, but many need state buy-in: The group also said the city should seek a rule change in Springfield to make sure there’s a fiscal impact note whenever lawmakers change the city’s pension benefits, contributions or funding. The city claimed that recent state-mandated pension changes were done without enough consultation or a full accounting of the cost, let alone any help paying for them. Among the most feasible tweaks: making sure leaders meet twice a year to discuss significant pension policy decisions. * WTTW | Chicago Budget Task Force Recommends Long-Term Structural Reforms to Address City’s Fiscal Challenges: The Chicago Financial Future Task Force — a group of nearly two dozen business, labor, public policy and community leaders — published its final report Thursday that included 58 policy recommendations, such as instituting a downtown congestion fee, restructuring electricity tax rates and instituting property tax increases based on the national consumer price index. “This challenge was not created overnight,” Chicago Urban League President and task force co-chair Karen Freeman-Wilson told reporters this week. “So there has to be — for there to be sustainability — a gradual fix. And it’s not just revenue, it’s not just cutting expenses, it’s not just looking at some of the long-term structural liabilities. It’s all of those things.” * Crain’s | Chicago’s political megadonors crack the nation’s top 50: Several other donors with Chicago ties also made the Post’s top 50. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker ranked 37th after contributing $12 million to Democratic causes. Citadel founder Ken Griffin — whose financial empire was headquartered here until his high-profile departure to Miami — ranked 39th with $10.5 million in Republican donations. J. Christopher and M. Jude Reyes, the billionaire brothers who co-chair Rosemont-based Reyes Holdings, ranked 41st after giving $10.1 million. * Sun-Times | New study finds the creative sector is Chicago’s third-largest industry: The report states that only healthcare and professional, scientific and technical services make up larger workforces in Chicago. It also found that Chicago’s creative economy generates $50 billion in economic output, measured by the sales of goods and services, like concert ticket sales or broadcasting services. * Daily Herald | Weeks after tornado, Bartlett cleaning up again from damaging storms: Bartlett Fire Protection District Chief William Gabrenya said fire crews began receiving service calls at about 6:30 p.m. and handled 38 “storm-related incidents” over the course of the night. […] National Weather Service storm survey teams are starting their investigations in Huntley and working their way southeast into the Carpentersville and Bartlett areas, officials at the agency said. * Daily Herald | ‘A legacy for all of us’: St. Charles eyes redevelopment of former police station site: City council members gave direction to staff this week during a workshop meeting to draft a statement of interest signaling support for working with the park district and the property’s redevelopment. A statement of interest agreement could be reviewed by aldermen in July, Deputy City Administrator Derek Conley said. Mayor Clint Hull expects to put together a group of city council and park district representatives to begin work on the project. * Naperville Sun | Naperville lags far behind other towns in protecting historic buildings, study finds: But when it comes to preserving its historic buildings, the city lags behind peer communities and should dedicate more resources to preserving its structures, according to a report issued by Naperville Preservation Inc. The nonprofit, which spent about a year putting together the analysis, created its own preservation plan after being told repeatedly that the city does not have enough staff to focus on the subject. Members have been told by city staff that historic preservation appears to be a low priority for the Naperville City Council. * STLPR | East St. Louis schools could lose food pantry, programs while grant is in limbo: Emma Giamberdino, deputy director of policy, communications and external Affairs for ACT Now Illinois, said her organization has already seen some schools lay off staff and cut back programs when the funding was first disrupted in December. “I unfortunately don’t have a timeline,” Giamberdino said. “A lot of that infrastructure had already been degraded. I think the worst part about this is that students, families and certainly the practitioners and school staff are really the ones that are suffering.” * WCIA | Funding uncertainty threatens Urbana Farm to School program: “We alternated for several years in securing grants for the farm school program as we were building it up and getting the components in place,” Barkley said. These grants, Sola Gratia’s executive director said, are ones that they and the public health district have consistently found. That is until one from the USDA fell through this year. “And what we need right now is for the school district to be taking some ownership and investment into the program,” Barkely said. * Illinois Times | Man fights city hall: He lives in an 18-square-foot home on a corner lot at 17th and Carpenter streets. He built the “pod” himself, he says, from watching how-to videos on YouTube, and it features solar panels, battery-powered generators, a foundation of heavyweight tires, air conditioning, insulation, a six-foot bed, a microwave and an internet connection from a cheap satellite service. He wants to market the mass production of such do-it-yourself, off-the-grid tiny homes not only for his potential profit, but more because of a “calling from God” to better help the homeless get off the streets, just like he did. He thinks he can design a car that would run for at least 100 miles on “a gallon of water and electricity.” Meanwhile, the city of Springfield is “unjustly harassing me,” he says, because none of the structures on the lot he owns are up to code regarding zoning and other public works requirements. * AP | Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end legal protections for Haitians, Syrians: The decision overturns lower court orders and allows the Department of Homeland Security to swiftly end temporary protected status, a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries. The Trump administration argued judges that can’t second-guess immigrations officials’ decisions about the protections, which were intended to be temporary. * AP | Supreme Court ruling blocks thousands of lawsuits against maker of Roundup weedkiller: The high court, in a 7-2 ruling, found that Roundup cannot face failure-to-warn lawsuits in state courts because federal regulations have found a cancer link unlikely and do not require a warning label. Though focused on Roundup, the ruling could affect similar health claims against other pesticide products. “This decision is good for American farmers who help feed the world,“ Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said. ”It provides the regulatory clarity necessary for innovators like us to develop the agricultural tools that guarantee an affordable food supply.” * NYT | Apple Raises Prices on Macs and iPads Amid the A.I. Boom: Apple increased prices on some laptop and tablet models $200 or more. A base model of the MacBook Pro, for example, now costs $1,999, up from $1,699. Apple’s entry-level laptop, the MacBook Neo, now costs $699, $100 higher than when it was unveiled in March.
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When it comes to natural disasters, we’re basically on our own
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois chart…  But…
* From that analysis… 
From the story…
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about this topic yesterday…
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CBS poll: Large majorities say data centers ‘mostly bad’ for environment, water and energy resources and utility costs
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * New national poll…
* More from CBS News…
* From the toplines…  * Methodology…
Discuss.
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Illinois’ SNAP error rate increased in 2025 (Updated x2)
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Remember Rich’s column from last summer about Illinois’ SNAP payment error rate?…
* Numbers released yesterday show Illinois’ SNAP payment error rate hit 14.67 percent in FY2025. WTVO…
* The AP…
* US Department of Agriculture…
* House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
Thoughts? …Adding…. Gov. Pritzker today…
…Adding…. The governor did not have the new error rate number, but stood by his claim that the rate was below FY24.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Unified transit police force is ‘easiest’ option but could be costly, Sheriff Dart says. Sun-Times…
- About 50 deputies have been patrolling CTA trains each day, Dart said. They initially started on Red Line trains on the South Side, but have since expanded to riding all other train lines. Dart said they’ve already learned lessons about deployment and enforcement that will be shared in their task force report. - The NITA law calls for unarmed, trained “transit ambassadors” to begin assisting passengers next year. Dart says they will be a welcome and necessary addition to the system to offload some of the work being placed on officers who are being tied up responding to mental health emergencies. * Related stories… * At 1:30, Gov. JB Pritzker will host a bill signing press conference for a package of consumer protection measures that lower costs for working families. Click here to watch. At 6:15 pm, the governor will deliver the opening remarks at Common Defense’s National Convention and Leadership Summit. * Daily Herald | Independent governor hopeful Corbett’s place on ballot affirmed after Bailey campaign pulls objection: Bailey’s team “did whatever they could to keep us off the ballot, but they couldn’t stop our commonsense movement of everyday Illinoisans,” said Corbett, a longtime Republican operative. In response to the objection, Corbett’s petitions were scrutinized last week by Illinois State Board of Elections staff who found that he had 27,323 confirmed signatures, more than the required 25,000, officials said. * NYT | Utah Senate President Loses Primary After Data Center Backlash: The president of the Utah State Senate, who championed a huge data center beside the Great Salt Lake, was defeated in his Republican primary on Tuesday night, one of the most high-profile signs of the voter backlash to data center projects. The vote to oust the Senate president, J. Stuart Adams, was a stunner. Mr. Adams was one of the longest-serving and most powerful politicians in Utah, a solidly Republican state, and had won earlier re-elections with little opposition. * Press release | New JB For Governor Ad Features Governor Pritzker’s Success in Bringing New Industries to Illinois: The 30-second ad features Richard Demirjian, President of TCCI Manufacturing, explaining how Gov. Pritzker’s investments allowed the company to expand in Decatur, growing economic opportunity for downstate Illinois. The ad will air on Illinois broadcast and cable television markets downstate, as well as on digital platforms. * Capitol News Illinois | New Illinois driving test age requirements start July 1: The 2025 law, titled the Road Safety and Fairness Act, also creates a process for immediate family members to report cognitive or physical health declines to the state for review. The minimum age for a driving test will be raised from 79 to 87, although drivers 79 and older will still be required to take a vision test, and if they have a driving violation, a written test. * WIFR | New Illinois law expands cyberbullying definition to include AI-generated images: As of July 1, schools across Illinois will face new responsibilities involving student safety and technology. State Sen. Steve Stadelman (D-Rockford) refers to a report saying students across the country are using artificial intelligence programs to create harmful images of classmates. “There are growing reports nationwide of students using AI programs to create explicit or harmful images of classmates, and that raises concerns about safety and accountability,” Stadelman said. * Daily Southtown | Blue Island Mayor Fred Bilotto opposes data center development: Bilotto said a data center would not maximize jobs, economic impact and long-term community benefits, standards he said best serve the community. “I have an obligation to treat every property owner fairly,” he said. “That said, being fair does not require us to be without a vision for Blue Island’s future.” The mayor’s opposition comes after property owners Builders Capital sent a letter to the city offering to demolish hospital buildings and exchange the hospital property for the city-owned Libby property, where they said they want to build a data center, Bilotto said. * Illinois Times | Future data center tax breaks on hold: “Data centers are coming. They’re being proposed, they’re being negotiated, and they are being approved,” he said. “Too many communities are being forced to respond one city at a time, one village at a time, one zoning meeting at a time. That is not a strategy, that is a setup. While regular people are still trying to figure out what is happening, the lawyers have already met, the developers are already called, the lobby is already moved and the paperwork is already in motion. That is why we need the POWER Act; we need statewide standards.” * WQAD | Video: Lee County, Illinois, residents expected to protest potential data centers: Rock Falls Alderman Marshall Doane will submit his petition against data center development at the County Board of Supervisors meeting on Thursday. * WGN | Proposed data center in Hoffman Estates sparks resident outrage: At a commission meeting held on June 3, residents said they were not given information about the scope of the project, so they filed a freedom of information request and said what they found was alarming. “We feel like we’ve been totally ignored. The public hearings we’ve had are like political theater. It’s just a formality. They’ve already made up their mind,” Barrington Hills resident Amanda Pollard said. “They had all these plans up to 18 months ago even prior to the sale of the property. We found a letter from the village manager who basically guaranteed we can re-zone.” * WSJ | The Data-Center Boom Is Sparking a Third Wave of Inflation: The data centers used for AI require sophisticated computing equipment, cooling systems to keep that equipment from overheating, electric and fiber-optic cables and backup generators to prevent power disruptions. Based on announced and planned developments, Van Nieuwerburgh estimates that spending on the AI build-out through 2032 could come to about $8 trillion—nearly five times the market value of the entire New York City property market. With so much demand, prices are rising for many of the things that go into the AI build-out. And because those things are used for more than just AI, those price increases are spilling over into the broader economy. * E&E News | Tech heavyweight Oracle challenges Wisconsin data center rules: The company lodged a lawsuit on Friday in Ozaukee County Circuit Court challenging the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s April order establishing terms and conditions for data centers to receive electric service. Oracle, a partner in the $15 billion Stargate data center in Port Washington, Wisconsin, said the PSC requirement would force the company to post a letter of credit for electric service that would cost more than $100 million annually in fees. The company said the requirement is unreasonable and would chill further data center investment in Wisconsin. * Crain’s | Seven in 10 Chicago voters say they’re not inclined to re-elect Johnson: According to the survey conducted for One Future Illinois, a business-backed group that has been critical of the mayor, 71% of poll respondents said they are not inclined to vote to re-elect Johnson for a second term in the February 2027 city election. The survey of 801 likely Chicago voters also found that 66% disapprove of Johnson’s job performance at City Hall, with 46% strongly disapproving. A third, 34%, gave a thumbs-up to Johnson’s performance. […] A person familiar with the findings said of the 71%, 51% said they definitely would not vote to give Johnson a second term, and 20% “probably” would not do so. Among Black voters, 51% said they definitely or probably would not back Johnson for re-election. [From Isabel: Click here for the cross tabs on that question.] * Sun-Times | CHA Operating Chair Matthew Brewer joins the race for mayor: If Johnson were truly the “collaborator-in-chief” he claims to be, Brewer said, the mayor would not have “all of the fractured relationships and power struggles” that have made him unable to “find common ground” at every level of government. “My approach to leadership is bringing everyone together around similarity, rather than trying to alienate people along lines of difference,” Brewer, 46, told the Chicago Sun-Times. * Brewer’s intro video…
* Crain’s | After CHA showdown with Johnson, Matthew Brewer enters mayor’s race: It’s unclear what lane Brewer will try to carve out for himself in a jam-packed mayoral field that includes politicians with decades of experience and voting records. Thus far, Brewer is the only announced Black candidate and could draw backing from those hoping to eat into Johnson’s base of support among progressives and with Black voters. He has met with business groups seeking support, but it’s not clear if they will break from Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who’s expected to jump in the race this summer. * Crain’s | Bally’s escalates fight over video gambling, threatening legal action: Bally’s is threatening to sue Chicago and reopen key parts of its casino agreement with the city if aldermen refuse to reverse course on video gambling. The company says allowing video gambling terminals in bars and restaurants could force a renegotiation of hiring and diversity commitments and jeopardize at least $4 million in annual payments Bally’s makes to the city. * Tribune | Video gambling hearing ends after tensions flare between Mayor Brandon Johnson allies, opponents: His subsequent exchange with [Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Ivan Capifali] over what he described as the city’s lax enforcement with illegal sweepstakes machines ultimately blew the meeting up. “This is a circus, OK? That’s all this is, is a circus, and we’re doing all of ourselves a disservice by even talking about this right now,” Beale said. “And Ivan, I’m sorry, man. You make excuses left and right. Your integrity is zero. You have none. … Ivan, commissioner, I believe that you need to resign because you are doing a disservice to the city of Chicago.” Beale then immediately moved to adjourn the meeting, and a majority of the aldermen in attendance backed his motion, ending the proceeding. * Sun-Times | Neglected Frank Lloyd Wright house on the West Side sold for $125,000: Austin Coming Together Executive Director Darnell Shields said the organization and the community want to make the home a place where visitors can learn about the house, as well as the neighborhood’s architecture, culture and history. “And while they’re here, [visitors can] support our businesses and restaurants along Madison,” Shields said, adding that Wright’s open plan design of the home’s first floor would make the space conducive for hosting events and gatherings. * Aurora Beacon-News | Contracts approved for two multimillion-dollar sewer and water main projects in Aurora: One of the contracts — which is being awarded to Performance Construction & Engineering, LLC, for a little over $4.6 million — is for sewer separation, sanitary sewer extension and water main work in the city’s 4th Ward. This work is essentially the second phase of a sewer separation project on Broadway done last year, Aurora Assistant Director of Public Works Kurt Muth explained at a City Council Infrastructure and Technology Committee meeting earlier this month. * Tribune | Hollywood Casino Aurora launches new $360 million land-based facility: Hollywood Casino Joliet ranks fifth among the state’s 17 casinos with $60.9 million in adjusted gross receipts through May, up 67% year-over-year, according to the latest report from the Illinois Gaming Board. Meanwhile, Hollywood Casino Aurora ranks ninth with $41.8 million in revenue, down slightly year-over-year, according to Gaming Board data. * Daily Herald | Community mourns passing of Lake County Vice Chair Mary Ross-Cunningham: Longtime Lake County Board Vice Chair Mary Ross-Cunningham, a tireless voice for constituents and others who needed assistance, has died. Her son, Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, shared the passing of the family’s “beloved matriarch” on social media Tuesday afternoon. “Vice Chair Cunningham was the bedrock of our family, a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and guiding light,” he wrote. * BND | Nearly half of St. Clair County taxing districts levied higher taxes in 2025: Across taxing districts in St. Clair County, total EAV rose an average of 5.5% in 2025. That means many districts could keep their tax rates steady while still collecting more tax dollars. The district with the largest dollar increase in its 2025 levy request was Southwestern Illinois College, which requested nearly $4.4 million more than the previous year. But the district also saw a $393 million increase in its EAV, enabling it to keep its tax rate steady. * WGLT | Prosecutors allege a decade-long ‘pattern of behavior’ as judge jails second Chiddix teacher before trial: McLean County Judge Amy McFarland said Wednesday there was “no doubt” the state had met its burden of proof that Andrew “Drew” Miller, 40, of Normal poses a threat to society and should be detained. Miller has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Wednesday’s pretrial detention hearing was Miller’s second appearance in McFarland’s courtroom after his attorney, Josh Rinker, requested a continuance to prepare arguments for why his client should be released with conditions while navigating the criminal legal process. * STLPR | O’Fallon, Illinois, library wants voters to approve $17.5M bonds for a new building: The median home value in O’Fallon is $275,000, and that household pays roughly $130 in property taxes to the library annually. The sale of bonds would increase that annual tax to roughly $250, Johnson said. “I view it as an investment — as an investment in our community,” he said. “Just like we all want good schools, good parks, safe streets (and) nice roads, this is an investment in our infrastructure that can literally be a community asset for generations to come.” * WCIA | Vermilion Co. school district hopes to improve athletic facilities with $9M bond: $8 million of that money would go toward new softball and baseball fields, a combined football and soccer field and a facility for locker rooms, concessions and restrooms. Superintendent Andrew Jordan said this upgrade has been a long time coming. “We are looking to use that money to improve our current facilities,” Jordan said. “We don’t have a softball field, we don’t have a baseball field, and we don’t have a competitive track that we can use.” * USA Today | Supreme Court live updates: Major rulings possible on citizenship, Trump priorities: The court is expected to hand down some − but not all − of its remaining decisions on Thursday, June 25. Some of President Donald Trump’s top priorities are at stake in many of the remaining cases. If his arguments win, the court could restrict birthright citizenship, refuse asylum claims and remove protections against deportation for Syrians and Haitians. Two election-law cases could change how mail-in ballots are counted and how parties spend money on candidates. And the court could resolve whether states can ban transgender athletes from competing on female sports teams. * AP | Dozens of states could face new costs because of high error rates in SNAP food aid: States with high error rates will have to make choices that could impact their residents. To fund SNAP benefits, do they spend less on public schools, law enforcement or mental health care? To save money, do they squeeze people off SNAP by making it harder to stay in the program? Or do they drop out entirely from the federal food aid program that’s been around for decades? “There are billions of dollars that are at stake that states will have to find the money to be able to pay if they want to continue to operate a SNAP program,” said Chloe Green, assistant director for policy at the American Public Human Services Association.
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Good morning!
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Jun 25, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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