Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

What started as a peaceful protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Broadview erupted into scuffles, shoving and multiple arrests Friday morning. Four police officers were hurt and 21 demonstrators, including faith leaders, were arrested during the demonstration demanding an end to immigration “abductions” in the Chicago area. […]

Officers from the Cook County sheriff’s police, state police and Broadview police were on hand during the event. During the fray, several demonstrators could be heard yelling and chanting as a Broadview police officer pulled out a taser and shot it in the air as an apparent warning.

Oak Park resident Sue Humphreys was trying to call for de-escalation as protesters spilled into the streets and the shoving began. […]

“The violence by out-of-town protesters that has led to two Village of Broadview police officers, one Illinois State police officer, and a Cook County Sheriff’s deputy being injured this morning, with the two Broadview officers and the sheriff’s deputy being transported to Loyola hospital, is unacceptable and outrageous,” [Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson] said in a statement.

“I have repeatedly pleaded to protesters to raise their voices, not their fists. They have chosen their fists,” Thompson said in the statement. “These out-of-towners have chosen to brutalize police officers who have been protecting their free speech and protecting them against assaults by ICE agents. We will see them in court,” Thompson said in the statement.

* Click here for some background. The Tribune’s Jason Meisner…

JUST IN: DOJ has released the names of 615 people whose Chicago-area immigration arrests may have violated a 2022 consent decree.
Only 16 of them have criminal histories that present a “high public safety risk” according to DOJ’s own info.
Background: https://t.co/1ObaRNb0jp

— Jason Meisner (@jmetr22b) November 14, 2025

*** Statewide ***

* The Grist | ‘They’re playing games’: Illinois lawmakers press Trump administration over stalled lead-pipe funding: Lead pipes are ubiquitous. At this point, no state has gotten rid of all of its toxic lead service lines, which pipe drinking water to homes and businesses. But some cities like Chicago, New York City, and Detroit have more lead plumbing than others, and replacing it can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Biden-era infrastructure law, promised $15 billion for lead pipe replacements across the country to be disbursed over five years. But in a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency sent earlier this week, a group of Illinois congressional delegates allege that $3 billion appropriated for lead pipe replacements nationwide for the fiscal year that ended in September has not reached communities yet. They warn that the delay is a “dangerous politicization” that puts children and families at risk.

*** Statehouse News ***

* WCIA | New gun legislation looking to make a difference in Illinois: Mayors, police chiefs and more heard the breakdown of the Responsibility In Firearms Legislation Act, or RIFL. Experts say people being hurt from firearms costs the public in Illinois between $18-20 billion each year. This new act would pass those costs onto gun manufacturers instead.

* The Real Deal | Pritzker’s attack on surging home-insurance rates killed in Springfield: Illinois’ regulatory void has become a political liability. Pritzker, speaking Thursday in Chicago, framed the State Farm hike as exactly the kind of move that should trigger state oversight. The Bloomington-based giant blamed extreme weather and rising repair costs, but the governor said that explanation wasn’t enough. “We don’t know if homeowners are being gouged,” he said, adding that a nearly 30 percent jump “ought to be reviewed by a state regulator.”

* BND | ‘Something came off’ Bailey helicopter before it crashed, witness says: The witness, whose name was not released, said she saw the helicopter flying low over the Chalk Buttes ahead of the Cessna. […] “She stated that the helicopter then began to gain altitude, and something came off it, after which it descended out of her line of sight,” the report states.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Key alderman warning Mayor Brandon Johnson a vote on budget ‘premature’: Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, told reporters after weeks of budget hearings for Johnson’s $16.6 billion spending plan concluded Thursday that she advised the Johnson administration not to proceed with a vote in her committee Monday. But she stopped short of saying she would try to block a vote should the mayor proceed regardless. “I think going on Monday is premature. I have said that to the administration,” Dowell told reporters. “My role as the Finance chair is to give advice, and on Monday I’m going to have a meeting, and those things will either be on the agenda or they won’t. And I will call balls and strikes, and we’ll see where this goes.”

* Fox Chicago | Chicago alders urge Mayor Johnson to slow down on $16.7B budget push: Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd Ward) is questioning the timing, as folks will be hearing about these higher taxes just as their second installment Cook County property tax bills arrive in the mail. “But that’s going to create the kind of atmosphere that will make it difficult for this mayor to pass a budget that doesn’t include any cuts and efficiencies,” he said. “People will open their tax bill and they’ll get angry, and they’ll call their elected official and they’ll say, ‘what’s going on here? Why did my bills go up?’ They don’t want to hear that elected official say, ‘well, you know, we’re going to tax you even more this year, but don’t worry about it.’ That’s a very hard sell in an anti-tax environment like we’re faced with right now.”

* WTTW | DoorDash Agrees to Pay $18M to Settle Chicago Lawsuit Alleging Firms Hurt Restaurants During COVID-19 Pandemic: The lawsuit was brought by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The city also sued Grubhub, another third-party delivery service, and that lawsuit is scheduled for trial on Dec. 10. A spokesperson for DoorDash could not immediately be reached for comment. The city’s lawsuit against DoorDash claimed the firms “lured consumers into a bait-and-switch with deceptively small delivery fees upfront, only to charge misleading fees at the end of the transaction.” That inflated the final bill by as much as six times higher than the advertised amount, city officials said.

* Crain’s | Realtor group’s turnaround CEO rolls out plan to hang onto members: Two years after she was brought in to take over the troubled National Association of Realtors, Nykia Wright yesterday laid out a lengthy agenda for building up the trust and transparency she said the Chicago-based association’s membership is demanding. With just under half of NAR’s members saying they are somewhat or very satisfied with the organization in the wake of its sexual harassment scandal, $418 million settlement in the legal battle over agent commissions and reports of past officers’ lavish spending, Wright and NAR President Kevin Sears took the stage at one of the industry’s biggest conferences to lay out a three-year plan for rebuilding the organization’s ties to its base.

* The Triibe | Emmy win highlights Dilla’s quest to preserve Chicago’s Black heritage: Winning an Emmy is no easy feat. Usually networks submit the works of creators, but in Thomas’s case, he submitted his own after sifting through what he describes as“hundreds” of categories. He also paid a submission fee. Voters from the National Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences view the content and select finalists and then a winner. When asked if he thought he had a chance of winning, Thomas was quick with a “Hell no.”

* WBEZ | Obama Presidential Center takes shape after 10 years of delays and construction: My full critique of the complex will have to wait until the project is done. But enough work has been completed to get a solid look at what will be the most expensive presidential center in U.S. history. Construction costs come to $620 million. The current leader, the George W. Bush Presidential Library, cost $327 million to build, according to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. More importantly, enough has been built to get a sense of what the public will get for giving up 20 acres of historic Jackson Park for a campus of new buildings, gardens, parkland — and the much-discussed 225-foot museum tower.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Southtown | Following Riverdale Mayor Lawrence Jackson’s perjury conviction, village faced with filling vacant seat: According to Illinois law, any person who has been convicted of a felony is automatically ineligible to hold public office unless they are pardoned or receive a restoration of rights from the governor. The statute says that a qualifying guilty plea or verdict constitutes an automatic resignation. An attorney representing the village confirmed the mayor’s position is now officially vacant following the verdict, and said the Riverdale Village Board would have to select an acting mayor from among its ranks to serve until the April 2027 municipal election.

* AP | Protesters arrested after clashing with police outside Chicago-area immigration facility: Authorities arrested 21 protesters Friday outside a Chicago-area federal immigration facility that activists say functions as a de facto detention center and is plagued by inhumane conditions. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said the arrests were made by midday, and that it was working on verifying identities and potential charges. Just moments before the clash, demonstrators were singing and chanting. Around 10 a.m., a large group, knowing they were going to be arrested, allegedly crossed the protest barrier and attempted to walk up toward the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

* Tribune | Activists rally outside Morton Grove board meeting, calling for ICE-free rules in town. Mayor Witko says they would only be ‘symbolic.’: Demonstrators chanted and hoisted signs during the nearly hourlong rally, pushing for legislation that activists say would help protect residents – and others in the village – against federal immigration enforcement agents, including from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Border Patrol. […] “I feel your frustration. I feel your anger. And I understand that protesting against inhumane immigration policies can feel futile. Sometimes, it can seem like our objections to this invasion are just a drop in the bucket,” Bushra Amiwala, a member of the Skokie School District 73.5 Board of Education and candidate for Congress, said to the rally goers. “But they’re not.”

* Tribune | West Chicago brothers are on the front lines against ‘Operation Midway Blitz.’ And they’re only teenagers.: At 16 and 17 years old, Sam and Ben for the past two months have made it their mission to follow, investigate and capture federal immigration activity across the Chicago area. It’s an undertaking the brothers say happened naturally after growing up in a household where social justice and civic duty were as much a part of their homeschool curriculum as math and science. “If I get the opportunity to fight like this for the rest of my life, I would be totally OK with that,” Ben said.

* Crain’s | Chicago-area warehouse space is almost full. Are developers getting back to building?: Local warehouse developers ought to be hurrying to kick off new projects, based on the lack of available space in the area. But with wishy-washy tariffs and stubborn borrowing costs clouding the future, they’re taking their time. The Chicago-area industrial vacancy rate ticked down to 4.67% midway through the year from 4.79% at the end of the first quarter, according to data from real estate services firm Colliers. The metric is down from 4.84% one year ago and inching closer to the all-time low of 4.5% set at the end of 2022, when companies adjusting to a pandemic-induced online shopping boom were scrambling for space to store and distribute goods.

* Daily Herald | All about that new roundabout art in Woodstock — and the artist’s response to critics: The sculpture is by Woodstock artist Bobby Joe Scribner, who named it “Whorled.” He said the name is a play on words, as it sounds like “world” and “whirl.” […] Social media reaction has been mixed, with some people calling the art a welcome addition and others saying it’s too expensive, unnecessary and a potential distraction for drivers. A few people called it ugly. Regarding the public’s response, Scribner said you can’t please everyone and that he hasn’t really read the comments.

*** Downstate ***

* WGLT | McLean County Board approves 2026 budget; hears concerns over aquifer protections: No changes were made from the first presentation made in September. The $144.5 million budget calls for a nearly 5% increase — $7.2 million — over the previous budget, and is less than the $147 million budget for the 2024 fiscal year. “Staff worked very hard this year,” said board chair Elizabeth Johnston. “I would like to applaud the staff for their excellent work in creating a budget that is well within reason, given the inflationary pressures that we all face.”

* WGIL | Objections filed against 5 Knox County GOP candidates for 2026 primary: Five Republican candidates for Knox County office face objections to their nominating petitions ahead of the March 17, 2026, primary election, County Clerk Scott Erickson confirmed Thursday. The objections, filed Monday with the Knox County Clerk, allege that the candidates filed multiple invalid signatures, sometimes indicating “a pattern of fraud, that would undermine the integrity of the nominating process in Illinois.”

* WQAD | Sheriff: Whiteside County man arrested for threatening judge: A man has been arrested after a judge received a death threa, the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office said According to the sheriff’s office, deputies began investigating the threat on Oct. 30. During the investigation, officials said they identified 30-year-old Alexander A. Lopez as a suspect. Lopez had attempted to purchase a handgun at a business in Whiteside County earlier the same day, according to the sheriff’s office.

* WICS | Springfield, Decatur, and Champaign engage public in superintendent selection process: Respondents emphasized wanting a superintendent who stays long-term, is visible in schools and the broader community, and builds trust through strong relationships with families and staff. Springfield District 186 saw more than 1,500 responses.

* WCIA | Former employees of a Vermilion Co. factory blame chronic diseases on work conditions: One employee who worked for almost 50 years at the plant said she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after she retired and believes it was caused by working in the factory. Another person said her spouse suffers from chronic respiratory illness, something many at Thursday night’s meeting said comes from the building’s conditions — although they aren’t sure.

* WCIA | Parkland College announces new auto maintenance apprenticeship program: Parkland College and Rick Ridings Automotive Group have announced a new partnership to offer a student apprenticeship program in the field of automotive maintenance. The school’s Director of Apprenticeships, Aimee Densmore, said she knows how much Central Illinois employers value local hires. The program’s goal is to help students grow during college and set down roots in the area after graduation.

*** National ***

* Thresholds | Housing Advocates Urge HUD to Avoid Forcing Thousands of Illinoisans into Homelessness: For several weeks, there have been reports that the NOFO would be a vehicle for fast-tracking a dramatic restructuring of the program, including a 30% cap on the funds that can be used for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and other permanent housing, which is in the released NOFO. Currently, more than 80% of federal CoC funding in Illinois is used for these purposes—an evidence-backed, market-based approach to ending homelessness that also generates economic activity in the form of rent to property owners and on-site services. “Rather than making drastic changes to the CoC program with no input from stakeholders or Congress, we urge HUD to renew existing grants for one more year as authorized by Congress to prevent a devastating gap. This will keep our community members safely, stably housed, and avoid pushing them back into homelessness,” said Mark Ishaug, President and CEO of Thresholds, one of the state’s largest providers of permanent supportive housing.

* WaPo | First, the frogs died. Then people got sick: What is becoming increasingly clear is that without them, humans are in trouble. It turns out that frogs — in biblical times regarded as a plague — are actually guardians against disease. As dozens of frog species have declined across Central America, scientists have witnessed a remarkable chain of events: With fewer tadpoles to eat mosquito larvae, rates of mosquito-borne malaria in the region have climbed, resulting in a fivefold increase in cases.

* HR Dive | Front-line workers are more difficult to find, train and retain, study says: Three-quarters of front-line workers feel burned out, and 51% say they “feel like a number, not a person,” fueling their sense of feeling overworked, underappreciated and disconnected, the Nov. 5 report found.

* Courier | We created a searchable database with all 20,000 files from Epstein’s Estate: To make this massive data dump more accessible, COURIER has compiled the 20,000 documents from Epstein’s estate into an easily searchable repository via Google Pinpoint. Use the search tool here.

* AP | Epstein emails reveal enduring ties with influential figures even after his sex crime conviction: During that time, Epstein’s network was eclectic, spanning the globe and political affiliations: from the liberal academic Noam Chomsky to Steve Bannon, the longtime ally of President Donald Trump. Some reached out to support Epstein amid lawsuits and prosecutions, others sought introductions or advice on everything from dating to oil prices. One consulted him on how to respond to accusations of sexual harassment.

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Report: Indiana Senate won’t convene to take up redistricting bill

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* As you’ll recall, Gov. JB Pritzker said he would push for a congressional remap here if Indiana redrew its congressional boundaries. From an Indiana Statehouse reporter…

Bray is the Indiana Senate President Pro Tempore.

* So, unless Pritzker comes up with another state “pairing” idea, or if Indiana politicians change their minds, this issue looks to be finally off the table.

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Stratton, Kelly and Krishnamoorthi make their cases to union members at Senate forum

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* The Illinois AFL-CIO…

Last night, the Illinois AFL-CIO and the Chicago Federation of Labor hosted a Democratic U.S. Senate Forum at IBEW Local 134 in Chicago. Exclusively for union members and their families, the event featured the top three Democratic candidates – Rep. Robin Kelly, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton – in a discussion focused on labor rights, the future of unions, and their plans to address the most pressing challenges facing Illinois’ working families.

The forum was moderated by Jennifer Rodriguez, National AFL-CIO Political and Field Mobilization Director. Candidates discussed a range of topics, including the growing influence of Big Tech in the Democratic Party, affordable housing, healthcare access, and the need for clear regulations and guardrails against Artificial Intelligence (AI). […]

In December, the Illinois AFL-CIO will endorse candidates for the 2026 election, following the recommendations of delegates from across the state at the Committee on Political Education (COPE). Endorsed candidates must demonstrate their commitment to working families through their voting record and/or a submitted questionnaire.

Through its statewide political program, the Illinois AFL-CIO will mobilize union volunteers to canvass, phone-bank, and text-bank the state’s 1.7 million people in union households – ensuring direct, personal outreach from trusted messengers on the issues that matter most to working people.

* Rick Pearson covered the forum for the Tribune…

Stratton, the two-term lieutenant governor under Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, sought to portray herself as the outsider against the Washington “status quo” of her two rivals, who now serve in Congress.

“I can tell you that this is a time where we need real fighters,” Stratton told the audience of union members at the headquarters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134 in Bronzeville. […]

But Kelly, a 12-year congresswoman from Lynwood, sought to counter Stratton’s call.

“It’s one thing to be a fighter, but you’ve got to be a winner too. You can’t just fight. You have to have things to show for it,” she said, touting her ability to work across the political aisle. […]

Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg pointed to his five congressional victories in a mostly northwest suburban district that gave Trump 47% of the 2024 vote as proof that he will “always fight for our constituents.”

* Krishnamoorthi got a little off topic on a question about affordability. From the forum…

Moderator: Why do you think housing, food and healthcare are so unaffordable and how would you address those problems in the Senate? And this time we’d start with Congressman Krishnamoorthi.

Krishnamoorthi: I think it’s because of anti-competitive behavior by special interests in Washington, DC, and elsewhere. I’ll give you an example. In the food conglomerate industry, there is a certain concentration of power among the largest companies that basically keep out smaller players so that they can then raise prices, lower choices and hurt workers. That is what is happening every single day. For us to prevail as both a party and as a working party movement, we have to crack down on anti-competitive behavior wherever it exists. I was proud to work with SEIU during the pandemic to crack down on what is happening with nursing homes and their anti-competitive behavior. I am proud to work with others to crack down on big tech, which has put a target on my back as well. And the same is true with other industries. We have to be the folks that are always promoting small businesses, more players at the table, making sure that workers have choices, that consumers have choices, and that the American people always have a level playing field when it comes to dealing with corporations and special interests. I should just say one last thing, which is I believe very strongly that it is incumbent on us to always fight for our constituents. That is why I have managed to win five times in a row in a district that last voted for Donald Trump with 47 percent of the vote. We have to win all voters. And the reason why voters have consistently reelected me is because I stand up for them, and they know that my office and I have been indispensable partners to them as they pursue their American dream.

Moderator: Thank you, Lt. Governor Stratton.

Stratton: Just to clarify, the question is why housing, food and healthcare is becoming so expensive.

Moderator: Yes. I’ll let you address that.

Stratton: Well, that is the quintessential question right now. When I travel the state and talk to everyday Illinoisans, the number one issue is affordability. Things are just too expensive. We are at the grocery store, too expensive. I am the mom of four daughters, and I can tell you that I have adult daughters who are wondering, will I ever be able to buy a home? When I think about what is happening with healthcare, people right now are deciding, do I go to the doctor and get the care I need, or do I pay my bills? Do I pay my rent? That is a false choice. And too many of us are put in positions where we should not have to choose. In the richest nation in this world, we should not have to do that. And so what is happening, why things are getting so expensive, is not just the corporate special interests, but also the attacks that we are seeing on workers. We are seeing millionaires and billionaires and corporate CEOs get richer. This president wants to make sure that he is giving tax cuts to the wealthiest, and he is paying for it on the backs of the rest of us. You know how he is paying for it? Cutting our healthcare, stripping away healthcare from millions of Americans. It is why we need to make life more affordable. And one of the ways that I will do that is I will fight for Medicare for All, because we need to make sure that healthcare is available to everyone. Now, of course, I would work alongside organized labor to figure out what model works best and how to make sure that you can continue having your good healthcare. For those of you that have really strong healthcare, we need to do that. […] We should not live in a country where the government can decide, “I am taking away your healthcare,” or decide you do not have access to food benefits. So we need to raise wages. I want to see a minimum wage of at least fifteen dollars an hour. We did it here, by the way, and I was a part of that here in Illinois, working alongside so many of you who were always in that fight for fifteen. And then when we came in, we got it done. I want to see that happen at the federal level. I want to make sure we protect collective bargaining rights. We passed, and I was a part of the team advocating for, the Workers’ Rights Amendment to make sure that we can protect your right to ask for and negotiate for the best wages and benefits that you can have. I want to see that in Washington. And I will, on day one, be a sponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act to make sure that we can protect collective bargaining rights. But mainly we need to make sure that we center the needs of working people and stop letting the wealthy get away with the power in Washington. […]

Moderator: Congresswoman Kelly.

Kelly: I go back to my platform, people over profits. We need to make sure that we are taxing millionaires, billionaires and corporations at the proper rate. If we do that, then we will have money for more affordable housing. We will have money to pay for healthcare. We will have money to pay for a federal minimum wage increase. We will have money to help parents with childcare. And when I think of competition, competition is good, but I want to make sure that competition comes from within America. I sit on the Steel Caucus. I have traveled to different places in the world, and I see the dumping that is done. So it makes it unfair for people working in the United States, because other countries are dumping their goods and making them so cheap. So it hurts those of us in the United States. It hurts working families in the United States. So really keeping an eye on that. And then I will jump into tariffs, not defending those at all, because those are just attacks on people. We want to make things fair for affordable trade and fairness. But what is happening now is absolutely ridiculous. When I think about other people in the solar industry and how the money was clawed back from all of those people, people that had union jobs, good union jobs, and now so many people that were trained do not have those jobs anymore. So I think when you talk about housing and affordable healthcare and all of that, taxing people wisely, looking at what we are doing with tariffs, which is absolutely ridiculous, because we are losing our farmers. They are getting killed. But making sure that we do not have to deal with the dumping and all of that from around the world, because we heard that constantly in the Steel Caucus and other caucuses also.

Please pardon any transcription errors.

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Catching up with the congressionals

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Evanston Now reporter Mathew Eadie covered a 9th Congressional District candidate forum last night…

ON SUPPORTING HAKEEM JEFFRIES AS SPEAKER:
Pyati: No
Amiwala: No
Biss: Would support the best candidate, right now "haven’t seen any evidence of who that would be"
Abughazaleh: No, willing to accept change, but "at this moment, that’s not Hakeem Jeffries"

— Matthew Eadie (@mattheweadie22) November 14, 2025

More on the candidate forum from The Daily Northwestern…

Candidates often agreed with each other, never interrupting or insulting anyone else. Yet each candidate also sought to differentiate themselves from their opponents. […]

“I am the grassroots candidate in the race,” [Kat Abughazaleh] said. “We’re using our resources in a different way — mutual aid is a top priority for our campaign.” […]

[Former Google employee Nick Pyati] said the Democratic Party needs a candidate who can turn the party into one that will win general elections.

“The candidates in this race are fantastic Democrats,” he said. “Another year, I would’ve been putting up lawn signs and knocking doors for them.”

* Evanston Now…

If elected to Congress next year, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss says he plans to resign from his city job in time to give voters a chance to elect a new mayor in April 2027.

Pressed at a candidate forum Thursday night about his transition plans, Biss said he would leave the mayor’s office after the Nov. 3, 2026 general election, but before Nov. 27.

Legally the mayor wouldn’t have to resign until Jan. 3, 2027, the day he would take office in Washington.

But under state law, if the resignation occurred later than Nov. 27 — less than 130 days before the next scheduled municipal election — an acting mayor to be named by the city council from among its members would serve until 2029, rather than facing the voters in 2027.

* Donna Miller announced some endorsements in CD2. Press release…

National leaders, educators and public safety officials are supporting Donna Miller for U.S. Representative in the state’s 2nd Congressional District. Since announcing her candidacy in July, the Cook County Commissioner has received a long list of endorsements from elected officials across the Chicagoland area. Her support to fill the vacancy left by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly continues to grow. […]

- Carol Mosley Braun, former U.S. Sen., Illinois
- Terri Sewell, U.S. Rep., Alabama-7th District
- Troy Carter, U.S. Rep., Louisiana-2nd District
- Eartharin Cousins, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome
- Larry Snelling, Chicago Police Chief
- Demetrious Cook, Richton Park Police Chief
- Mitchell Davis, Hazel Crest Police Chief
- Sean Staples, South Holland Police Chief
- Blondean Davis, School Supt. District 182
- Tiffany Robinson, Moraine Valley Community College

Commissioner Miller also announced an endorsement from Dolton Mayor Jason House this morning…

Miller (no relation) deleted that post, probably because the Willie Preston campaign reached out to say House has actually endorsed him…

* Crain’s…

Chicago Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, says he’ll decide in the coming weeks if he’ll mount an independent bid to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia in Congress in what would be an uphill battle if he can’t gain union support. […]

Sigcho-Lopez is considering a run for the seat as an independent, but he’s been blocked out of consideration from unions currently conducting their screening process for the primary, which will make it difficult for him to gain traction and raise the money necessary to launch a campaign.

He reached out to the Chicago Federation of Labor and other unions last week to be considered, but was rebuffed because he won’t be on the ballot.

“We don’t stall our process for someone who’s going to potentially run in the general election, but not stand for a primary,” CFL president Bob Reiter told Crain’s. “If he wants to run as an independent, we’ll see him down the road when the time is right, but there’s nothing for us to do or to engage with him right now.”

According to the State Board of Elections, Sigcho-Lopez would need 10,816 valid signatures to run as an Independent. He could collect up to 17,304 signatures.

* US Rep. Brad Schneider…

Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) proudly announced the endorsement of more than 100 current and former elected officials serving the people of Illinois’s 10th Congressional District. Such an early display of broad and enthusiastic support is unprecedented in the district and reflects Schneider’s long record of working closely with local, state, and national leaders. These people recognize Brad’s commitment to delivering results for the people of the 10th District. […]

These endorsements reinforce the overwhelming momentum the Schneider campaign is building across the district. […]

Rep. Schneider’s newly announced endorsements include:

Illinois Statewide Leaders

Governor JB Pritzker
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias
Treasurer Michael Frerichs
Comptroller Susana Mendoza

U.S. Senate

Senator Dick Durbin
Senator Tammy Duckworth

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IBHE urged to push governor to release the rest of higher ed’s budget hike

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Capitol News Illinois…

University students and faculty urged the Illinois Board of Higher Education to press Gov. JB Pritzker to release more than $29 million in funding for state colleges and universities that state lawmakers approved this year but the Pritzker administration is holding back.

But the governor’s office said in an email to Capitol News Illinois that it does not intend to release the state-approved funding until it sees “stability” on federal education policy coming from Washington.

“(President) Trump’s budget bill and reckless tariffs have wreaked havoc on state revenues nationwide, making it essential to double down on fiscal discipline,” a spokesman in the governor’s office said. […]

In his budget proposal to the General Assembly in February, Pritzker proposed a 3% increase in higher education funding. But the $55.3 billion budget bill that lawmakers approved in May contained only a 1% increase, with an additional 2% — or $29.5 million — that could be distributed only “after the purpose and amounts have been approved in writing by the Governor.”

Democratic leaders in the General Assembly said at the time the money was intended to be used if there were significant cuts in federal higher education spending.

But in its statement this week, the governor’s office said it was always Pritzker’s intent to hold the money back as a cushion against uncertainties caused by the Trump administration.

“When the budget was approved by the legislature and signed, the Governor was clear that a 2% reserve would remain in place until we saw stability on education from Washington, which has yet to materialize,” the statement read.

In addition to holding back the higher education funding, Pritzker issued an executive order in September directing executive branch agencies to make plans to hold back as much as 4% of their budgets this year. The IBHE and Illinois Community College Board were not subject to that order.

I get why the union leaders, advocates and students quoted in the story want the money released. But this is not previously appropriated money that is being withheld from the system. It’s new money that is being held back just in case. And these days, “just in case” is a reasonable assumption, even though inflation is eating up all of that 3 percent hike.

Anyway, there’s more, so go check it out.

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RETAIL: Strengthening Communities Across Illinois

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Pamela Frazier, owner of All In One Laundry Center & Services, has a message for lawmakers: “Come and visit to see the barriers and challenges with running a small business.” Pamela is firmly committed to serving her customers in Springfield, particularly those in her community needing access to clean, quality laundry services.

Retail generates $7.3 billion in income and sales tax revenue each year in Illinois. These funds support public safety, infrastructure, education, and other important programs we all rely on every day. In fact, retail is the second largest revenue generator for the State of Illinois and the largest revenue generator for local governments.

Policies that support small businesses help communities thrive as retailers like Pamela are better equipped to meet local needs. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Full SNAP benefits going out starting Friday as shutdown ends, Illinois officials say. Sun-Times…

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | Gov. JB Pritzker renews push for Illinois homeowners’ insurance rate oversight after bill fails in state House: Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday renewed his call for legislation requiring insurance companies to justify and disclose the reasons behind steep homeowners’ insurance rate hikes — a proposal that stalled in the Illinois House last month despite support from the Democratic-controlled Senate. Pritzker said the state’s lack of authority over insurers leaves homeowners vulnerable to sharp premium increases, pointing to Bloomington-based State Farm’s decision this summer to raise home insurance rates by more than 27%. The company attributed the increases to extreme weather coupled with costly repairs.

* Sun-Times | Clock ticking for Illinois lawmakers to navigate hemp hurdles: That measure easily passed Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s chamber, but never got a vote in the House, facing steep opposition from the hemp industry and pushback from lawmakers reluctant to criminalize products that have supported thousands of jobs. “This surprised everybody, and we’re trying to figure it out,” Harmon said. “Obviously, the Senate’s been trying to regulate hemp for a long time, and maybe this changes the baseline and gives us a fresh perspective from which to tackle the problem, but it’s just too early for us to pronounce what direction we’re going in.”

* Capitol News Illinois | Durbin defends shutdown vote, says it wasn’t coordinated with Schumer: “I think that is the crudest form of political weapon that I can imagine — and that’s why I came to the conclusion that we had tried to find a bipartisan agreement, and we reached it,” Durbin said following an unrelated event in Springfield. Durbin was one of eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus who joined Republicans in advancing the deal, providing the votes needed to break a filibuster. The measure passed Congress and was signed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

*** Statewide ***

* WTWO | Illinois Lottery named top performing lottery in the nation for second time: The Illinois Lottery under Allwyn Management has managed to be named the highest-performing lottery in North America even after an absence of major multistate jackpots. Despite this, the Illinois lottery has only seen a 2.6% decline, beating the next state by .4%. Illinois also ranked in the top 10 nationally for total instant ticket sales and record online sales of $702,000,000 in fiscal year 25. This is also impressive with Illinois holding no billion-dollar or more jackpots throughout the fiscal year.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press Release | Prominent Union Endorsements Propel Momentum–United Steelworkers District 7 Endorses State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit for Illinois Comptroller: United Steelworkers (USW) District 7 has given its endorsement of State Representative Stephanie Kifowit for Illinois Comptroller, citing her unwavering pro-labor record, her deep financial expertise, and her visionary plan to protect workers’ rights and pensions through the Comptroller’s office.

* Journal & Topics | Moylan’s Health Issues, ‘Frustration’ Led Dem Candidate Cochran To Run In Primary: Justin Cochran, the 38-year-old Des Plaines resident whom it’s believed will replace longtime State Rep. Marty Moylan (D-55th) on the March 17, 2026 Democratic primary ballot, said this week that “frustration” with politics, specifically the Donald Trump presidential administration, is what directed him into the political arena. Cochran’s entry into local politics was in 2018 and within a year he was working as Moylan’s legislative office chief of staff. In that role, he provides constituent services, schedules meetings for Moylan, and “interfaces with Springfield.”

* WMBD | On the Record: Energy bill will not raise rates according to Peoria Democrat: That second measure would allow the creation of “energy storage facilities.” Once constructed, the storage units will hold power produced by solar and wind, allowing it to be dispersed when the sun isn’t out or the wind is slow, Koehler said. “We have to add more supply and battery storage adds supply,” he said. “We know that we have to put more energy onto the grid if we’re going to bring prices down. It’s a simple fact of supply and demand, and we know that demand is high in the summertime.

* Capitol News Illinois | Education union, students call on governor to release higher education funding: But the governor’s office said in an email to Capitol News Illinois that it does not intend to release the state-approved funding until it sees “stability” on federal education policy coming from Washington. “(President) Trump’s budget bill and reckless tariffs have wreaked havoc on state revenues nationwide, making it essential to double down on fiscal discipline,” a spokesman in the governor’s office said.

* Tri States Public Radio | Illinois education groups call for tax on millionaires : The president of a union representing employees at more than half a dozen public universities in Illinois said they will be pushing state lawmakers next year to improve funding for the institutions, even though it’s an election year. “There is no good year, right? Every year is always a reason not to do something. So when is the reason to do something?” said John Miller, President of the University Professionals of Illinois Local 4100.

* Muddy River News | Quincy lobbyist Michael McClain gets 45-day extension to report, after prison screw up, defense attorney says: Judge Manish Shah has granted lobbyist Michael McClain until December 29 to report for his two-year prison sentence as part of the Commonwealth Edison conspiracy case. “It’s not like we’re begging for more time,” defense attorney Patrick Cotter said. “The Bureau of Prisons screwed up, again.” McClain was scheduled to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons by October 30, but his attorney was forced to seek an extension when the BOP failed to designate a location.

*** Chicago ***

* Crain’s | Johnson wants $1.3 billion as part of $18 billion, 5-year infrastructure plan: Mayor Brandon Johnson is seeking $1.3 billion in new borrowing to support a $18 billion, five-year capital funding plan in the City Council. The infrastructure plan includes issuing up to $3.9 billion in general obligation bonds over five years, and the new borrowing is drawing fire from members of the City Council who only authorized $830 million in infrastructure borrowing in February in a narrow 26-23 vote after a protracted fight over the structure of the financing.

* Crain’s | Johnson unveils amended budget to a skeptical City Council: The largest revenue change is increasing the city’s lease tax, which extends to everything from film production equipment rentals to computing software, from 11 to 15% to bring in an additional $416 million. Johnson’s initial proposal called for a 14% rate. […] Jack Lavin, CEO of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement the City Council should push off a vote until more detail is provided on the overall plan. “Our city’s businesses, families, and taxpayers deserve greater transparency and demand better accountability,” he said.

* NBC Chicago | ISIS terror plot exposed against 2024 Chicago Pride Parade: An ISIS plot to attack the Chicago Pride Parade with a backpack bomb in 2024 was discussed on a terrorist website but never carried out, according to FBI records obtained by the NBC Chicago investigative team. The bombing plot was to be carried out as an initial salvo in a series of attacks against gay targets in the U.S., according to an FBI affidavit in a terror case indicted Thursday in Detroit.

* Sun-Times | Judge plans March trial over feds’ use of force in Chicago deportation push: During a hearing Thursday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis told lawyers, “All I know about this is what I’ve read in the paper, which is that the operation is changing, I guess, over the next few months. … But then I read that they intend to be back in March.” Justice Department lawyer Andrew Warden told the judge, “There has been a transition of officers. There always is. Folks come in and out of operations. As far as, ‘will there be a sort of ramp-up in the spring?’ I don’t know whether that’s the case.”

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago offers free virtual therapy to students, but some have concerns: CPS and the company, Hazel Health, say the provider safeguards student data and has helped the district tackle a teen mental health crisis at a time of limited access to care, threatened further by looming Medicaid cuts. “CPS has worked hard to ensure all CPS high school students have access to free, high-quality online therapy and counseling while maintaining student safety, privacy, and trust,” a district spokeswoman said in a statement. But student privacy advocates are urging the school board to drop or overhaul the district’s agreement with Hazel Health. They say the company’s parent consent form raises concerns about the possible use of student data to develop its product in violation of the state’s online student privacy law.

* Block Club | Derrick Rose Moves Back To Chicago In Retirement: ‘I Love Chi. The Good, The Bad, The Ugly’: The city declared Jan. 4 “Derrick Rose Day” in honor of the former All-Star point guard, while Rose had an Englewood garden dedicated to him and the Chicago Bulls announced plans to retire his jersey on Jan. 24, 2026. Rose discussed how his move back to Chicago was motivated by him wanting to be present for his three children. “Since I retired, I had time to really think about what’s the difference between a dad and a father,” Rose said, reflecting on his father’s absence in his life. “I always looked at my pops in the father category because he never was around.”

* NBC Chicago | Popular Chicago pie shop adds Malort-flavored item to their menu: “Here’s to you Chicago! We don’t have a liquor license so we can’t raise a glass, but we can raise our forks. Bring your big shoulders in for a slice of Chicago Sunrise (aka Malort and grapefruit) pie!” the post said. The pie is described on the shop’s website as a “one of a kind pie” that’s “garnished with a ring of lightly sweetened whipped cream.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Sun-Times | Metra, Pace approve budgets with no fare hikes: Metra’s leaders approved a budget that spares riders from a fare hike next year, but they acknowledged it won’t be an express train to the hoped-for transformational service expansion. The commuter rail agency won’t see any service cuts next year, thanks to the $1.5 billion transit bailout passed in Springfield last month. But Metra’s $1.2 billion proposed budget, passed Thursday by the agency’s board of directors, largely keeps the status quo with plans for yet-to-be determined “modest service increases.” Metra CEO Jim Derwinski said there is still tough work ahead to expand service, even though the agency has overcome an impending deficit when federal COVID-19 funds run out next year.

* CBS Chicago | Judge tours Broadview ICE processing facility amid claims of inhumane conditions: Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not speak to reporters after completing the tour. In a statement from the MacArthur Justice Center, the ACLU of Illinois, and Eimer Stahl of Chicago, attorneys declined to discuss the conditions they saw inside the facility during the tour.

* WGN | Costs mount as National Guard soldiers sit on standby: On a military base an hour southwest of Chicago, National Guard soldiers from Texas are more than a month into a deployment. The Trump administration ordered troops to the area to protect federal property and personnel during immigration enforcement operations. […] The military says 200 National Guard soldiers from Texas and 300 from Illinois have been federalized for the Chicago operation for 60 days. The left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies pegs the deployment cost at a minimum of $647 per day, per soldier. The estimated total cost: $12.8 million.

* Daily Southtown | Homer Glen trustees again voice support for license plate reader cameras: Homer Glen officials are preparing to move forward with installing license plate reader cameras in town, but want to hear all potential privacy concerns before final approval. All six trustees voiced their support for the Flock Safety license plate camera system at a board meeting Wednesday and want to obtain more information about price, locations they would be installed and how they would be implemented. No vote on installing the cameras was taken, and trustees plan to continue discussion in December.

* Daily Herald | DuPage County clerk’s request for more money denied; board member suggests censure: In addition to raising doubts about the need for extra money, board members pointed to an ongoing lack of communication, questions over billing and bidding practices in the clerk’s office and Kaczmarek’s absence from county board meetings. “They are giving us information piecemeal, which makes it really difficult for us to have a full financial picture,” board member Yeena Yoo said. “I just feel like we’re giving them a blank check.”

* Daily Herald | ‘Belief in the limitless potential of our kids’: Boys and Girls Club turning old school into Impact Center: On Thursday, the club held a ceremonial wall-smashing where leaders took small sledgehammers to demolish a piece of drywall. Leaders also updated community members about the organization’s plans to help middle school and high school students. “This space will once again be filled with the sounds of young people learning, laughing and growing,” Barrington Unit School District 220 Superintendent Craig Winkelman told the crowd.

*** Downstate ***

* KWQC | Emails show Mercer County superintendent ordered nurse to turn over student health records: KWQC obtained his emails through the Freedom of Information Act. They center on communications in September between Farquer and a nurse, Amber Wood. According to the emails, Wood alerted the county health department that the school was seeing cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. Farquer asked Wood to compile information about the students, but Wood was reluctant.

* PJ Star | Peoria County approves fee increases for five departments in $174 million : A gradual increase of some user fees in Peoria County was approved by the Peoria County Board on Thursday night after some debate about how to structure the fee increases. User fees will be raised across five county departments, but only the new fees raised by the County Clerk’s Office will be implemented on a two-year ramp after County Clerk Rachael Parker raised concerns about the increases.

* Illinois Times | Voters to weigh tax increase for mental health board: The Mental Health Commission unanimously voted to approve language for a March referendum asking Sangamon County residents if they would approve a half-percent sales tax increase (an additional 5 cents per $10 of goods purchased, 50 cents per $100) to fund a county mental health board that would disburse such taxes toward various mental health initiatives. The tax would not be included on grocery or medication purchases. If approved, the tax would generate more than $14 million for a mental health board, according to county estimates.

* WGLT | Explosion of sports wagering discussed at problem gambling conference in Normal: Dave Wohl is executive director of the Illinois Council on Problem Gambling [ICPG], the nonprofit hosting the conference at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center. Wohl said the council is neutral on gambling but is opposed when it leads to addiction, noting gambling is the leading cause of suicide among all addictions. “As with any addiction, when it starts affecting other aspects of your life, that’s when you need to talk to somebody, you need to get some help,” Wohl said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas.

* Illinois Times | Newly formed PURPLE Coalition aims to tackle unresolved inequalities: Made up entirely of volunteers and organized as a limited liability company, the Springfield-based coalition will “bring our community together, not through fear or division, but through understanding and community,” she said. “We will keep listening, keep organizing and keep pushing until justice, transparency and compassion are the standard, not the exception,” she said. Standage said the group’s name is an “ode” to Sonya Massey, the 36-year-old Black woman who was murdered in her home in Woodside Township, just outside the borders of Springfield’s east side, in July 2024 by former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. The acronym formed by the coalition’s name was Massey’s favorite color.

* WICS | Lanphier High principal resigns amid battery charge for allegedly punching student: Christopher Hampsey, the Lanphier High School principal who faces an aggravated battery charge as authorities said he punched a student in the face, has resigned. Hampsey was previously on administrative leave after an incident involving Hampsey pushing a student into a corner and punched him in the face and head.

* Rockford Register Star | Rockford apartments for rent saw price increases since last October: Renters in Rockford saw apartment listing prices increase 8% from last year’s median of $999, an analysis of new data from rental marketplace Zumper shows. The typical apartment listed for rent at $1,080 in October. Median listing prices in Rockford are trending 8% upwards from last month’s $1,000 price.

* News-Gazette | Campustown restaurant to close after 53 years: Timpone’s Ristorante, 710 S. Goodwin Ave., announced the news in a Saturday advertisement with The News-Gazette. The business is set to close on Dec. 20. “Until our final day of service, we will continue to offer the signature made-from-scratch menu that has defined Timpone’s Ristorante since 1972,” the business stated in its ad. “We warmly invite you to join us one last time to savor your favorite dishes, share a story or two, and celebrate the wonderful journey we’ve shared together.”

*** National ***

* Newsweek | Tokyo Named World’s Richest City—Here’s Where US Cities Ranked: U.S. cities dominated the top 25 spots, with Greater Chicago coming seventh, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area (9), Greater Washington (12), Dallas-Fort Worth (13), Greater Houston (14), Greater Boston (15), Greater Seattle (18), Greater Philadelphia (19), Metro Atlanta (20) and Silicon Valley (24).

* AP | The trend of unproven peptides is spreading through influencers and RFK Jr. allies: But the peptides being promoted by influencers, celebrities and wellness gurus are different: Many have never been approved for human use and much of their purported evidence comes from studies in rats and other animals. Several peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, are banned by international sports authorities as doping substances. “None of them are proven,” said Dr. Eric Topol, a research methods expert and director of Scripps Research Translational Institute. “None of them have gone through what would be considered adequate clinical trials, but nonetheless many people are taking these. It’s actually quite extraordinary.”

29 Comments

Good morning!

Friday, Nov 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* I saw this guy last weekend…