Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Illinois
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Finger-pointing

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rep. Steve Reick


Once again, IDHS is making political statements on company time. They're going to be sitting in front of me tomorrow at JCAR, and I'm going to be asking them about this.

Posted by Steve Reick on Monday, November 17, 2025

If the statement had read “the White House” instead of “the Trump administration,” would that be OK?

Also, this is just one of Rep. Reick’s official press releases

Covid-19 dictated the agenda on everything that has happened since 2020 and has given J.B. Pritzker the colorable pretext to do whatever he damn well pleases. The mantra justifying this has been the Governor’s insistence that he “follow the science”. It’s time for the General Assembly to reassert itself as the voice of the People of Illinois and tell the Governor that it’s time for that mantra to end.

* Meanwhile

XTwitter isn’t allowing embeds right now, so click the pic to see the original.

* And from the Pritzker campaign…

Illinois GOP Remains Silent While Kristi Noem-tied Firm Rakes in Big Bucks from DHS Ad Contracts

ICE terrorizes, Noem’s pals profit — Illinois taxpayers forced to fund corruption

CHICAGO — An explosive ProPublica investigation reveals that an ad firm owned by a personal friend of DHS Secretary Noem has been secretly given a portion of $220 million in taxpayer-funded contracts, circumventing traditional oversight, in order to film Secretary Noem gallivanting around Mount Rushmore on horseback during the middle of a government shutdown.

The ProPublica investigation uncovered that Noem’s DHS used a non-existent “national emergency” to bypass the regular competitive bidding process and funnel potentially tens-of-millions in tax-funded ad campaign contracts to a firm owned by the husband of Noem’s spokesperson.

“This is brazen corruption, plain and simple,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “After months of deploying ICE agents to terrorize communities in Illinois, Kristi Noem emerges on horseback with a taxpayer funded vanity campaign designed to enrich her friends. If the Illinois GOP wants to talk about ethics and fiscal responsibility, they can start by calling this what it is: a self-serving giveaway to Republican operatives in her inner circle.”

Illinois GOP Refuse to Call Out Corruption

The Illinois GOP had endless outrage when they were pointing fingers over the Republican-led shutdown. But as Kristi Noem funnels taxpayer dollars to her friend for a self-promotional political ad campaign, suddenly, the Illinois GOP can’t find its voice? For a party that claims to hate waste, fraud, and abuse, they sure go quiet when the corruption comes from inside the house.

While nearly a quarter of households live paycheck to paycheck, The Trump administration has turned corruption into a governing strategy. Kristi Noem’s self-dealing is just the latest example.

Governor JB Pritzker remains committed to calling out these abuses and defending Illinois taxpayers from politicians who put themselves before the people they serve.

  4 Comments      


Giannoulias rolls out Apple Wallet app for state IDs

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* The setup…

Something Big Is Coming to Illinois, Giannoulias to Make Special Announcement
*Also available to view via a livestream and as a broadcast quality downloadable video.

Who:
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias

What:
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias will make a special announcement, on Tuesday November 18th at 10:00 a.m., which marks a milestone moment for Illinois residents and a bold step forward for the state.

* The rollout…

* More from Secretary Giannoulias’ remarks

Giannoulias: For anyone who’s ever left the house without their wallet, fumbled for their ID at airport security, or wished government services were just a little more modern, today changes everything. Starting tomorrow, for the first time ever, Illinoisans will be able to add their driver’s license or state ID directly to their Apple Wallet. And this is just the beginning — the first step in bringing mobile IDs to the state of Illinois.

That means that your ID now lives securely in the same place that you already use to pay for groceries, present a boarding pass for a flight, or enter a concert — all protected by the same cutting-edge privacy and encryption technology that you trust every day on the devices that you already love. This is government innovation at its best: modern, secure, and designed for you.

When we took office, I made a promise to modernize this agency and make it work better for the people of Illinois. And since day one, I’m proud to say that we’ve been delivering. From slashing wait times at DMVs to expanding online services, we have been laser-focused on eliminating the time tax that Illinoisans have to pay to access simple government services. Our goal has been simple: bring government into the 21st century and meet people where they are today. Today, we take another major leap forward. Illinois driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet is not just a new product; it’s a new way to think about identity, security, and convenience in your everyday life. Illinoisans expect their government to innovate, but also to protect their privacy. The work on this project was built on two foundations: convenience and security.

Illinois driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet take advantage of the privacy and security features already built into iPhone and Apple Watch to help protect against tampering and theft. Data is encrypted, and biometric authentication using Face ID or Touch ID ensures that only the owner of the ID and Wallet can present it. This isn’t just cool technology; it’s trusted, secure, private technology. Only the information needed for a transaction is presented, and you have the opportunity to review and authorize the information being requested with Face ID or Touch ID before it is shared.

If a bar or concert venue only needs to confirm you’re over 21, that’s all they see — not your address, not your license number, not even your birth date — just the fact that you’re over 21. That is a game changer for privacy in the digital age. So how does it work? It’s simple. Starting tomorrow, November 19, to get started, open Apple Wallet, tap the plus button, select driver’s license or state ID, and follow the quick steps. Scan your card, take a selfie, and you’re done. From there, your Illinois driver’s license or state ID will be added securely on your device.

If you need help, you can go to ilsos.gov/mobile for step-by-step instructions and our how-to video. And here’s something else: unlike a physical ID, your mobile ID updates in real time. Apple and our office don’t track when or where you use it. Your privacy is protected by design. You also never need to show or hand over your device to present your ID — your ID and device always stay with you. And most significantly, with a busy holiday travel season right around the corner, starting tomorrow you’ll be able to use your mobile ID at O’Hare, Midway, and Lambert airports and at over 250 airports nationwide.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* NBC Chicago

According to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, the change will roll out to Apple users first, starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday. It will roll out to Samsung and Google phones next year, NBC Chicago’s Kye Martin confirmed.

Earlier this year, a new law went into effect allowing the state of Illinois to issue digital driver’s licenses and identification cards for the first time. […]

Some groups, including the ACLU, previously expressed concerns about the use of mobile identification documents, citing fears that law enforcement could search a person’s phone without proper consent. The measure in Illinois explicitly prohibit law enforcement officers from searching through a phone’s contents after viewing the mobile identification card, according to the legislation. […]

According to Giannoulias, the mobile driver’s licenses would not replace their physical counterparts, but instead “act as a companion.”

[Isabel Miller contributed to this post.]

  21 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Broadview mayor declares ‘civil emergency,’ moves board meetings online. Sun-Times

    - Mayor Katrina Thompson said an October death threat and a bomb threat called into Broadview Village Hall in September prompted her to move meetings online until the “imminent threat to village officials and property is no longer present.”
    - Thompson also said four officers who were injured while responding to protests outside the Broadview ICE facility over the weekend added to the “growing” threats.
    - Earlier this month, Thompson ended a tension-filled Broadview board meeting after several protesters expressed anger and frustration toward her and Broadview police during the public comment period.

* Related stories…

***************** Advertisement *****************


Sponsored by PhRMA

340B hospitals mark up medicines and pocket the profit

Did you know 340B hospitals can charge thousands of dollars for medicines they might have bought for a penny? And they pocket the profit – passing the bill to Illinois patients, employers and taxpayers who are hit with higher medicine costs. The fact is this government program was created in 1992 to help patients access more affordable medicines. Today, the 340B program has become less about patients and more about boosting the bottom lines of hospitals and for-profit pharmacies. Tell Congress it’s time to fix 340B. Read more.

*************************************************

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* NPR | Illinois pushes ahead on clean energy jobs after Trump disrupts predecessor’s plans: President Trump scrambled his predecessor’s plans to lift up American workers by generating clean energy jobs. Despite major policy shifts, Illinois is still trying to make that happen.

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s head tax plan defeated in council committee vote: Ald. Timmy Knudsen said the mayor’s team spread “a complete lie” about him by telling other City Council members that the Lincoln Park alderman supported a head tax. “I have been a ‘heck no’ the whole time,” he added. Knudsen, 43rd, called the move a “grasping at straws” effort to “get a few cheap votes.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* WAND | Bill allowing IDPH to issue vaccine guidelines regardless of CDC decisions awaits Pritzker’s signature: “That section is also going to give us the opportunity to make sure there is insurance coverage,” said Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Highland Park). “All of us, I believe, have heard from our constituents about the lack of certainty about whether or not their vaccination and other healthcare is going to be covered by insurance. This clarifies that.” The plan also states IDPH would follow vaccine guidance from the World Health Organization if the Food and Drug Administration does not approve the treatment.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Police no longer required to arrest juveniles accused of domestic violence under new Illinois law: The new law essentially allows officers to connect juveniles with social services and resources, rather than arresting them, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office. That might look like, for example, a referral to a mental health treatment resource, or to after-school or community programs, the State’s Attorney’s Office said. “I want young people who commit domestic battery to receive the support and intervention they need,” Mosser said in an emailed statement, “rather than being pushed into a system that can retraumatize them.”

* Tribune | Senate President Don Harmon faces new challenge over near-$10M campaign finance fine: The libertarian-leaning Liberty Justice Center, which frequently advocates on behalf of Republican causes, last week filed a citizen-initiated complaint with the election board regarding Harmon’s committee. The move could allow the matter to go to court and sidestep the bipartisan election panel’s stalemate on the issue.

* N’DIGO | Emil Jones @ 90: The Honorable Emil Jones just celebrated his 90th birthday. His life has been amazing as a political trailblazer, a mentor and a champion for justice. He served in the Illinois House of Represenatives from 1973 to 1983 and in the Illinois Senate from 1983 to 2009. He has been a lifelong advocate for education, labor rights and economic empowerment. He remains a defining figure in Chicago’s political and civic history. He has been a consequential figure in Chicago/Illinois politics. He is best known for mentoring a young Senator Barack Obama to the White House. He has opened doors for Black enterprise. Congressman Jonathan Jackson captured his political essence. “His leadership reminds us what it means to serve with integrity, courage and a heart for the people.”

*** Chicago ***

* Block Club | Mayor’s Budget Proposal Rejected By City Finance Committee As Process Kicked To December: “This budget is a disaster,” Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) said during a press conference after the vote alongside 14 of his colleagues who also opposed the mayor’s spending plan. “Let’s go back to the drawing board.”

* Fox Chicago | Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas says she’s ‘in’ for Chicago mayor: “I’m in,” she said. “And I’m not getting out. I just haven’t announced.” When asked whether it was an announcement, Pappas doubled down — saying the city needs “a gray-haired grandmother who’s got the cajones to get everybody in shape.”

* Lobbyist John Kelly is another mayoral candidate…


* WBEZ | As ICE operations move to North Carolina, coalition of Chicago minority groups vows to carry on the fight: “We see that the Texas National Guard is heading back home with their tails between their legs, and Mr. Bovino is escaping Chicago’s cold, but he’ll be back. Maybe we’ll see some level of normalcy, but we know that we’re still going to continue to have to fight ICE here, and they’ll be back again in the spring when it’s warmer,” said Castro, chief executive of the nonprofit Latino social service agency Casa Central, referring to Gregory Bovino, the U.S. border patrol commander. “We know that the people of Charlotte will be looking to folks like us to be helpful, and we stand ready to do that.”

* Sun-Times | Arson at City Hall is under investigation, Mayor Brandon Johnson says: Someone tried to set fire to City Hall in a suspected arson, Mayor Brandon Johnson said. On Friday about 11 p.m., someone started a fire outside City Hall, at 121 N. La Salle St., then ran away. The incident was captured on the building’s security cameras, Johnson said at a news conference Monday. The fire didn’t spread beyond the initial flame, Johnson said. But it did cause damage to the building, according to Chicago police.

* Tribune | A $22 million pediatric health care facility taking shape in Austin neighborhood will address unmet needs: “During the pandemic, I saw an uptick in trauma and a mental health crisis,” said the Rev. Contrell Jenkins, CEO of Stone Community Development Corp. and pastor of Lively Stone M.B. Church. He knew several young people who either committed suicide or fell victim to violence and substance abuse. “I was doing what I could on the spiritual side, but as a pastor I began to feel overwhelmed and underequipped.” Jenkins forged partnerships with developer Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. All primary health care providers in Austin were surveyed, along with many community residents, to find out which services were not locally available at affordable rates.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Injustice Watch | Leonard Dixon stepping down as head of Cook County juvenile detention center: Dixon’s tenure at the helm of the juvenile detention center, which is one of the largest in the country, has been mired in controversy. For years, child welfare advocates and oversight agencies have raised concerns about the facility’s practices, including the use of prolonged room confinement, unnecessary strip searches, and excessive restraint. Last year, more than 300 former detainees filed a class-action lawsuit claiming they were sexually abused while at the detention center going back to the early 1990s. At least 19 of the plaintiffs alleged the abuse happened while the jail was under Dixon’s leadership.

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect data center developer prepared to donate $3 million for recreation, street upgrades: Mount Prospect trustees are expected to approve an agreement Tuesday with data center developer Cloud HQ that would channel $3 million in developer contribution toward a shared-use path, street lighting, crosswalks and recreational facilities. Under the agreement, Cloud HQ would contribute $1 million toward improvements along Algonquin Road, including a multiuse path, street lighting and upgraded crosswalks and signals at Algonquin and Linneman roads.

* Daily Herald | Arlington Heights taps former Antioch, Niles official as new economic development chief: Biederman fills the position long held by Michael Mertes, who spent a dozen years in Arlington Heights until he left in August to become economic vitality administrator for the village of Oak Park. As economic development manager, Biederman is the key Arlington Heights official leading business attraction, retention and expansion efforts in the planning and community development department.

* Daily Southtown | State drops two charges against Kee gun store owners on eve of trial: Laura Byrne, a spokesperson for the Will County state’s attorney’s office, declined to comment or clarify the decision to drop the charges, saying the matter is pending and the trial is ongoing. Regnier and Keranen still face a forgery charge, and Keranen is also charged with loan fraud and wire fraud. Both waived their right to a jury trial Monday, so the case will be heard and decided by Will County Judge Amy Bertani-Tomczak, the same judge who denied the prosecutors’ request to reschedule the trial in July, which led to the state dropping the charges.

* Daily Herald | District celebrates new fleet of electric school buses: Timing is everything for West Aurora Unit District 129’s new fleet of electric school buses. Not only are the 27 battery-operated buses greener and less noisy than traditional models, they also qualified for thousands of dollars in federal funding that has been discontinued.School officials marked the evolution, which transforms about one-third of their fleet, with a celebration Monday at the district’s transportation center in North Aurora.

*** Downstate ***

* Fox News | Duckworth fires staffer who claimed to be attorney for detained illegal immigrant with criminal history: “Upon reviewing the matter, I can confirm that neither I nor my leadership team was aware of, authorized or directed what your letter describes as the employee’s conduct,” the message read. Duckworth then confirmed that her office “terminated the employment of said employee, effective November 17, 2025.”

* WCIA | Former Champaign Co. deputy pleads guilty to theft charge; will serve probation, public service: Matthew Stuckey pleaded guilty to one count of theft between $10,000 and $100,000. He was then sentenced to 36 months of probation and 30 hours of public service work. The Illinois State Police began an investigation into Stuckey last November after receiving reports that funds made to the 10-78 Foundation — also called Back the Blue Champaign County — were being misused. Stuckey helped establish the foundation in 2021.

* WGLT | Students and staff say new phone policy is working as designed at Bloomington High School: BHS joined other District 87 schools in banning phones in the classroom throughout class, even as a reward for good behavior. Previously, BHS teachers were allowed to create their own rules for their own classrooms, leading to inconsistent enforcement and underwhelming results in curbing the problem of distractions caused by phone use among students. “I think it takes a lot of the weight off of the individual teachers and allows them to do what they need to do, which is teach,” said Emily Waddell, assistant principal.

* National Nurses United | Nurses urge Illinois regulators to reject Ascension application to close Elk Grove obstetrics unit: National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU)–which represents Ascension nurses in Wichita, Kan., Austin, Texas, and Baltimore, Md.–had found, in a report published Jan. 2024, that Ascension closed a quarter of its labor and delivery over the past decade. Across the board, Ascension nurses fear more cuts will exacerbate the growing maternal and infant health crisis in Illinois, where the preterm birth rate was scored a D by national advocacy group March of Dimes.

* WCIA | ‘It’s in her DNA’: Danville church appoints first female pastor: That’s where her pastoral journey took off. The pastor before her said that when the time came to choose a new one, he had a lot of confidence in Pastor Ellen for good reason. “She would serve them with dignity and with love,” Reverend Dr. C. Calvin Rice said.

* WSIL | Saluki Greenway bike path opens, linking Carbondale to Murphysboro: Carbondale City Manager Stan Reno earlier stated, “The Saluki Greenway is another great step forward in connecting our region from Marion to Murphysboro through Carbondale.” “This new section along Route 13 gives everyone a safer and more enjoyable way to walk, run or ride between communities,” Reno added.

*** National ***

* NBC | Many internet services disrupted after Cloudflare warns of service issues: Many popular internet destinations appeared to be suffering from service issues Tuesday morning after a major web infrastructure company said it was dealing with “an internal service degradation.” Cloudflare, one of the largest providers of internet services for websites, said just before 7 a.m. ET that it had begun investigating the issue.

* 404 Media | This App Lets ICE Track Vehicles and Owners Across the Country: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently invited staff to demos of an app that lets officers instantly scan a license plate, adding it to a database of billions of records that shows where else that vehicle has been spotted around the country, according to internal agency material viewed by 404 Media. That data can then be combined with other information such as driver license data, credit header data, marriage records, vehicle ownership, and voter registrations, the material shows.

  5 Comments      


Good morning!

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Waxahatchee live from Austin City Limits



* What’s going on?

  7 Comments      


Selected press releases (Live updates)

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

  Comment      


Live coverage

Tuesday, Nov 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news on the website formally known as Twitter. Our Bluesky feed…

  Comment      


PREVIOUS POSTS »
* Finger-pointing
* Giannoulias rolls out Apple Wallet app for state IDs
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* Good morning!
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Live coverage
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
November 2025
October 2025
September 2025
August 2025
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller