* ICYMI: Pritzker’s budget plan calls for education funding increases but fall short of requests. Chalkbeat Chicago…

- Pritzker’s $56 billion budget proposal, which he released Wednesday, calls for a $305 million increase in the evidence-based funding formula, with a total investment of $9.2 billion. That’s $45 million less than what the Illinois State Board of Education, or ISBE, requested last month.
- The governor’s plan angered the state’s biggest teachers unions, which are pushing lawmakers to fully fund the formula by next year, which would require an additional $3 billion.
- Another education advocacy organization described the budget proposal as responsible in the face of economic pressures and federal funding threats.

* Related stories…

• IPM News: Pritzker calls for small increase to Illinois higher education funding. Some advocates say it’s a cut

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* At 10:30 am, Gov. Pritzker will be in Oak Park to “ highlight his school cell phone ban proposal to support distraction-free learning.” Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WSIL | State Awards Man-Tra-Con $2.3 Million to Train Southern Illinois Residents for Clean Energy Jobs: The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has awarded $2,347,608 to Man-Tra-Con Corporation to operate a free clean energy workforce training hub serving 19 counties across Southern Illinois. The funding comes through the state’s Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which is investing in workforce development as Illinois’ clean energy industry continues to expand. Man-Tra-Con’s first training cohort — a 16-week solar installation program based in Harrisburg — launched April 6. The organization plans to train 130 Southern Illinois residents during the first year, with additional cohorts scheduled to be announced in other regional locations in the coming months.

* Sun-Times | Good Samaritans sprang into action to save baby that fell into Belmont Harbor: Lio Cundiff said he had one thought as he floated in Lake Michigan at Belmont Harbor, balancing a stroller with an 8-month-old girl inside: “I guess if this baby’s going down, then I’m going down with her.” But his and another good Samaritan’s quick thinking saved the baby’s life after what they described was just a “freak accident.” Cundiff, 30, was wishing his aunt a happy belated birthday when he heard a woman screaming and saw a gust of wind blow the baby’s stroller into the lake around 3 p.m. Wednesday, in the 3200 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive.

*** Statewide ***

* Crain’s | Walgreens cuts hundreds of jobs after private equity buyout: The company said it is eliminating 469 jobs in Illinois, where it is headquartered, and plans to cut another 159 positions in Texas, where it is closing a distribution center, according to letters it sent to the states earlier this month. “We’ve made the difficult decision to simplify our organization,” Walgreens said in a statement, explaining the changes are intended to help it make decisions more quickly and improve customer service.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Capitol News Illinois | Former ComEd exec-turned-FBI mole in Madigan probe sentenced to probation: Former Commonwealth Edison executive Fidel Marquez, whose role as an FBI mole furthered the feds’ investigation into then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, was sentenced to two years of probation Thursday for his role in a bribery scheme meant to influence the powerful speaker. Marquez’s sentence, which also includes a $50,000 fine, is punishment for his involvement in the scheme before January 2019, when the FBI confronted him with wiretapped recordings of him discussing do-nothing contracts for Madigan allies.

* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker doubles down on influencers, podcasters in January media hits: After sitting for only a handful of interviews combined in the first six years of his governorship, Pritzker appeared on more than two-dozen podcasts and social media influencer pages in 2025, accounting for 24% of his scheduled interviews. This trend continued in January, according to a review of Pritzker’s public calendar, obtained by Capitol News Illinois via a public records request. Six out of the 10 media interviews Pritzker sat for last month were with influencers or podcasters. The remaining four were national television interviews — two apiece — on CNN and MSNOW.

*** Chicago ***

* Press release | Statement from the Office of Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García: “Congressman Chuy García will undergo a precautionary procedure the morning of Friday, February 20, following consultation with his cardiologist. “The procedure was recommended as a preventive measure. The Congressman is in good spirits and expects to resume his regular schedule soon. “The outpatient procedure is expected to be completed the same day. Congressman García appreciates the well wishes and respectfully asks for privacy as he focuses on his health and recovery.”

* Crain’s | Chicago biotechs laud Pritzker plan to expand R&D tax credits: The governor’s 2026 budget outline calls for modernizing the Illinois Research & Development Tax Credit program to better align with federal credits for R&D and allowing the Illinois credits to be transferred, for a fee. Although details are sparse and no General Assembly bill has been introduced for the proposal, aligning with the federal tax credit could open up substantially more tax credits for Illinois companies.

* Sun-Times | Under pressure from feds, University of Chicago cuts ties with program helping students of color get Ph.D.s: According to a Thursday news release from the U.S. Department of Education, the University of Chicago is one of 31 universities nationwide ending its partnership with the PhD Project, an organization launched in 1994 to diversify the pool of students who pursue postgraduate degrees. In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said she hoped “other institutions with similarly discriminatory practices will follow suit.”

* Sun-Times | DEA didn’t arrest gold miner stopped at Union Station but seized his $115K in a losing cash grab case: Ross’s case, unusual in its outcome, sits inside a larger fight over civil asset forfeiture. The law allows officers to take money and property they believe is tied to crime. They do not have to arrest anyone. They do not have to file charges. The owner must go to court and try to win it back. Ross’s money was taken through the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Transportation Interdiction Program. For years, agents and local police have worked airports, train stations and bus terminals. They watched travelers. They asked questions. They searched bags for drugs and for cash.

* WBEZ | Chicago’s Newberry Library gets $4 million to help tribal nations revitalize Indigenous languages: The research library holds roughly 2,400 items directly related to more than 300 different Indigenous languages as part of its vast Indigenous Studies collections, which include more than one million manuscript pages, 11,000 photographs and 2,000 maps. Right now, only a small percentage of that is available digitally, which can pose a barrier to tribal nations and scholars. Part of the new grant funding will focus on making more of the collection available on Newberry’s website, with a specific focus on language-related items.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Aurora Beacon-News | Batavia City Council mulling new rules for e-bikes and e-scooters: Many other suburban municipalities have recently taken up legislation in response to concerns about these devices’ safety — from nearby St. Charles to Highland Park and Park Ridge. […] At Monday’s meeting, [Batavia Police Chief Eric Blower] noted the benefits of the devices, as well as their potential safety issues — like individuals operating the equipment in an unsafe manner, riding too close to pedestrians or in congested areas on sidewalks and disregarding traffic control devices. In particular, he noted concerns with child riders, including a lack of proper safety gear, unfamiliarity with the rules of the road and a lack of parental oversight.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora considers new data center regulations around noise, water and power: The regulations would include provisions on energy efficiency, water efficiency, noise and various emissions, but only for new data centers coming after the city lifts the current moratorium. Under the city’s current codes, data centers are considered warehouses, have no special regulations around them and can be built without the Aurora City Council’s approval in certain areas. For the new codes to be adopted, they would have to be approved by City Council. The earliest a final vote could take place on these newly-proposed regulations is March 24, which is also the day the moratorium is set to end.

* Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan temporary casino marks third anniversary: ‘We can just imagine what we’ll be able to accomplish when the permanent opens’: Babinski said there are currently more than 120,000 members, which has climbed steadily over the past three years. For the month ended Jan. 31, American Place generated more than $10.4 million adjusted gross receipts, according to the Illinois Gaming Board’s January report. Adjusted gross receipts are the total amount gambled, less the money paid to winners.

* Daily Herald | ‘Mount Prospect is on fire’: Mayor delivers annual address to business community: “Mount Prospect is on fire. Everywhere you look, things are happening,” he said. Hoefert highlighted accomplishments in everything from economic growth to finances to public safety at the breakfast presented by the village’s Economic Development Commission at the Old Orchard Country Club. “Our sales tax revenues are off the charts and they are continuing to grow,” he told the audience, with the village generating $125,000 per day on average in sales tax.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | $2.2M in cuts, school closure approved by Rochester School Board: The Deficit Reduction Plan originally recommended $3.1 million in reductions, but after recommendations from community members, it was revised to $2.2 million in reductions. The plan includes closing Rochester Elementary School, located at 456 Bertrand Avenue, and cutting 22 staff positions. The positions that were cut range from instructional aides to technology personnel to several teaching positions.

* WTVO | Gov. Pritzker touts Rockford trades workforce as students participate in trades career expo: During the speech, he noted that Rockford is ranked fourth in the state for growth and earnings among the trades. The event was held as Illinois faces a critical shortage of skilled trade workers, a challenge Pritzker addressed while touting the state’s economic standing in the sector. Tyler Valsiger, a junior at Freeport High School, attended the expo to explore different career paths. He expressed interest in the variety of roles available within the industry. “The trades are just a very interesting part. And there’s a lot of more there’s a lot of different things that you’re able to do,” Valsiger said.

* WGLT | Electric rates could be wobbly again this year: Last year, many Bloomington-Normal residents saw their electric bills jump 40% in some cases, even after the two municipalities teamed together with other Illinois governments to negotiate a bulk rate for power. In a nod to the price shock, the electric aggregation contract negotiated with Constellation NewEnergy was for a single year. The previous contract was a three-year deal.

* WCIA | Decatur City Council denies additional $125K for daycare project: Love, Learning and Laughter Daycare is looking to fill a gap in Decatur, but the city council wants the facility to do it using the money it already has. […] “So, there was some additional need for rehabilitation, even after the city had done its initial rehabilitation work and the council last fall approved up to $400,000 in funding,” Councilman David Horn said.

* WCIA | New U of I Chancellor ready to lead university forward: Last year, WCIA gave a deeper look at former U of I Chancellor Robert Jones on his way out west to the University of Washington. His replacement, Charles Isbell Jr., hails from the southeast. His winding journey has taken him from Atlanta, Georgia to Champaign-Urbana, and uniquely prepared him for this new leadership role. “I did not think that I was going to end up in the Midwest,” Isbell said.

* WGLT | A new movie called ‘Normal’ is about a Midwest town named Normal. Just not our Normal.: A new trailer dropped Thursday for Normal, what’s described as a neo-Western thriller starring Bob Odenkirk from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul fame. His character takes over as sheriff in the small Midwestern town of Normal where a “botched bank robbery exposes a dangerous secret beneath the town’s calm exterior,” according to the film’s synopsis. Alas, it’s not Normal, Illinois. It’s Normal, Minnesota. Which is not even a real place.

*** National ***

* NYT | Refugees Without Green Cards Could Be Arrested Under New Trump Policy: In a new memo, which was described in court filings on Wednesday, officials at the Department of Homeland Security said immigration agents would be required to detain refugees if they had not applied for legal permanent status after a year of living in the country. Refugees would be “inspected and examined for admission to the United States” after being detained, according to the memo, which was issued on Wednesday by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It was unclear how long refugees could be kept in detention. According to the memo, they would be confined for “the reasonable length of time it takes” to re-examine their cases.