* ICYMI: Mayor Johnson, Gov. Pritzker push back on Trump threat to halt funding for Chicago, other sanctuary cities. Sun-Times…

- “Starting February 1st, we’re not making any payments to sanctuary cities or states having sanctuary cities because they do everything possible to protect criminals at the expense of American citizens,” Trump said Tuesday during remarks at the Detroit Economic Club.
- Chicago, along with cities like New York City and Los Angeles, is a sanctuary city, meaning local officials limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and have stronger protections for immigrants who entered the country without permission.
- Johnson pointed out that Chicagoans contribute billions of dollars in federal taxes and both Pritzker and the mayor pointed to the potential of another lawsuit in response to the threats.

* Related stories…

• Bloomberg: Trump says he’ll end sanctuary city payments by end of month
• Block Club: Trump Again Threatens To Withhold Federal Funding To Sanctuary Cities Including Chicago
• The Hill: Trump ending federal funding to sanctuary cities, states

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Illinois joins suit after feds threaten billions in funding over Trump order targeting trans people — again: The suit, filed in Rhode Island District Court on Tuesday, said the administration was once again overreaching in trying to condition funds that have already been signed off on by Congress. In Illinois’ case, they say it would force government agencies like the secretary of state’s office to violate Illinois state laws such as the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against trans people in the workplace, at schools and elsewhere.

* Tribune | Dan Egler, former Tribune Springfield bureau chief, aide to Gov. Jim Edgar, dies at 78: After going to work for Edgar, the popular, two-term chief executive from 1991 to 1999 who died in September, Egler didn’t shy away from engaging in give-and-take with reporters. When the Tribune printed exclusive details in advance of one of Edgar’s budget messages, Egler called to express how perturbed he and the administration were. He even asked if the reporter who broke the news had been “sorting through the garbage cans” to get the story. Weeks later, he learned and laughed when he found out the budget details had actually been left on the whiteboard in the bureau of the budget, its office lights still on at night, and plainly visible to anyone outside of its north side Capitol windows. The following year, Egler left a short expletive note on the whiteboard for the reporter, seeking a potential repeat.

* Sun-Times | State high court hears arguments in Amazon overtime dispute: Plaintiffs Lisa Johnson and Gale Miller Anderson, who were employed at an Amazon warehouse in Chicago during that time, believe Amazon should compensate them for the extra time they spent at the facility prior to their shift. […] The former Amazon workers argue that since Illinois’ minimum wage law doesn’t cite the federal law, state law prevails. […] Amazon argued that the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic should bar employers from being required to pay for the additional work required by the screenings. They also argued that completing the screenings was not required for the plaintiffs employee’s on-shift duties, which included moving, stacking and loading packages.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Secretary of State’s office adds Saturday hours for REAL ID rush, with almost half of Illinoisans covered: About 1.5 million people across the state got the updated ID last year, bringing coverage in the state to 44%, according to Giannoulias’ office. “Illinoisans are making real progress towards complying with federal REAL ID requirements, but many still need one,” Giannoulias said in a statement. “With TSA’s $45 penalty just weeks away, we’re not only urging residents to act now. We’re making it easier and more convenient than ever with expanded Saturday hours, hundreds of new appointments, and our partnership with the Cook County Clerk’s office — delivering less hassle, less time, and no surprise fees at the airport.”

* Capitol City Now | Welch at halfway mark of speakership: “I gotta tell you,” said Welch, “it’s been the honor of a lifetime. I can’t believe it’s been five years already, and we’ve had some great policy victories under my leadership. I’m proud of the ban on assault weapons, I’m proud of (the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act) and the new energy bill we passed. I’m proud of the transit bill we passed, and Illinois just continues to climb in so many different national rankings, and that’s no accident. It takes great leadership and leadership working together to get big things done.”

* WGLT | Pritzker doubles down on insurance industry regulation, would revisit cashless bail and higher ed funding: Pritzker visited Bloomington-Normal on Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony of ISU’s fine arts complex transformation. “The idea that your homeowner’s insurance in one single year is going to go up 27% is a bit outrageous,” he said. “The reaction that I have, and I think that many members of the General Assembly have, is that that’s not fair.” Pritzker’s claim doubles down on a rare public rebuke aimed at State Farm, headquartered in Bloomington, over a rate hike the company said was caused by inflation and extreme weather events driving up the cost and frequency of claims.

* Canary Media | Illinois’ booming solar sector entices young job seekers: In the past year, Arch — one of the employers at a December job fair for Mendez and his peers — has hired 14 graduates of training programs run by Elevate and other Chicago-area nonprofits. Seven of those individuals are already in apprenticeships to become certified electricians. “If you know at least 50% of the people you hire from these organizations will want to be an apprentice and invest in their future with your organization, that makes it a business no-brainer,” Smith said.

* WQAD | Public service scholarship honors Porter McNeil: When he was going through his dad’s things, he found a note. To his surprise, that note talked about starting a scholarship for Moline students. “It was basically an affirmation of the idea that we had the instinct,” Jack said. “This is one way that he would probably want to be honored.” Rock Island County Board Chair Richard “Quijas” Brunk served alongside Porter. “I can truly not think of a better way to remember Porter, to memorialize Porter,” Brunk said.

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson warms to revised curfew ordinance that targets teen takeovers: “The snap curfew, which I was opposed to and still am, gave the sole authority to one particular individual to declare a curfew at a moment’s notice,” Johnson told WBEZ-FM (91.5) talk show host Sasha-Ann Simons during Tuesday’s monthly “Ask the Mayor” program. “There were some real constitutional challenges there that I believe would have put the city at risk of litigation and lawsuit. This particular proposal — especially the measure around holding social media companies accountable on how these gatherings get ignited — gives me a little bit more confidence to have more conversations around this particular proposal,” the mayor said.

* Tribune | Nearly a year after asphalt spill in Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, EPA criticized for leaving cleanup unfinished: A week before Thanksgiving, the agency posted a notice on its website that federal operations in the canal had been concluded. “That was kind of shocking that (the EPA) is not living up to the things that they need to do, protecting the environment and monitoring this,” said Jen Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council. “It was a half-million gallons of liquid asphalt that was just poured into the river. That’s incredibly problematic.”

* WBEZ | As CPS grapples with absenteeism crisis, a new study shows what may help: The University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research finds students attend more when they feel safe, have friends at their school and have strong relationships with teachers. Marisa de la Torre, one of the study’s authors, said the causes of absenteeism are complex, but this study shows the way schools interact with students and their experiences matter when it comes to attendance.

* Windy City Times | Rick Garcia, key figure in Chicago LGBTQ+ civil rights movement, dies: Rick Garcia, a longtime Chicago LGBTQ+ activist and political organizer, died Jan. 12, close friends confirmed with Windy City Times. Garcia was a central figure in LGBTQ+ advocacy across Chicago and Illinois for decades and is best known as the founding executive director of Equality Illinois, the statewide organization that has played a leading role in advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights legislation, including Illinois’s marriage equality law.

* Tribune | Troubled West Pullman housing complex has new owners, and will get a complete rehab: California-based Transcend Development Group bought the 180-unit property at 221 E. 121st St. in West Pullman in a $53 million deal, including about $23 million set aside to rehabilitate its aging infrastructure and upgrade the apartments, most of which have federal rent subsidies. […] The owner racked up a series of building code violations since 2022, including ones for missing smoke detectors, and faulty heating and plumbing systems, Beale said. Transcend Development Group said they can begin tackling deferred maintenance issues and rehabilitating the three five-story buildings, built in 1971, this spring. Every unit will receive new kitchens and bathrooms, and new heating, cooling and electrical systems. Other improvements will include roof replacements, new windows and doors, security cameras and upgraded boilers.

* Sun-Times | Amid playoff push, Bears survey season-ticket holders on potential Northwest Indiana stadium: The Bears sent a survey to season-ticket holders Monday asking how they would feel about a Hoosier home field and what they would be willing to pay for seats at a new dome “approximately 20 miles from Chicago.” The survey’s introduction describes a “modern, fan-first stadium experience surrounded by a vibrant neighborhood destination,” with 15,000 parking spaces — more than double the capacity outside Soldier Field — for “one of the most robust gameday tailgating environments in the NFL.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | ‘He was watching them:’ Murder trial opens in case of slain Cook County judge: Before presiding over his courtroom at the Leighton Criminal Court Building each morning, Cook County Associate Judge Raymond Myles was known to rise early and go to the gym. […] During a trial that opened Tuesday morning at a branch courthouse in south suburban Bridgeview, Cook County prosecutors alleged that Earl Wilson, 54, and another man killed Myles and injured his girlfriend, in an attempted robbery, believing that the girlfriend had money in her gym bag. Wilson’s co-defendant, Joshua Smith, pleaded guilty in 2024 to armed robbery and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Fire Protection District union continues to raise concerns on calls for backup ambulances: The union wrote in a social media post Friday that within one day, the Orland Fire Protection District requested out-of-town ambulances to assist them seven times. Calls included assisting a woman who was critically injured after being struck by a car on 159th Street Thursday night. “That doesn’t mean that’s the only time that the town is at risk,” Fagan said. “When we’re down to one ambulance, that means we have one ambulance for the next major call that comes in, with 175,000 people in town.”

* Naperville Sun | Naperville police trying to deal with big increase in body cam footage requests: FOIA requests are being made for nearly every single arrest made by the Naperville Police Department, Arres said. The issue, however, is not just with the high number of FOIA requests being made but with the intent behind those requests, he said. “What I’m assuming they’re doing is finding stuff that becomes click-worthy or shocking to see or funny to see, and then they’re posting it on social media to get the clicks and then to monetize it … and then they publish the videos and they’ll put misleading or even at times dehumanizing commentary in there to get more clicks, which means more revenue,” Arres said.

* Naperville Sun | College of DuPage receives $4M in federal money for its aviation, drone programs: The school’s aviation program was launched in fall 2023 and now has more than 140 students, according to school spokeswoman Jennifer Duda. “Aviation is a very successful program,” Siddiqi said. “We are running a full load and in partnership with different organizations, including DuPage Airport. This is one of the most successful programs at the college.” Currently COD offers an associate degree in Aviation Management and is developing an associate degree in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to address “growing regional and national workforce needs,” Duda said.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Tours of police station part of Geneva’s pitch to voters to OK $59.4 million bond measure for new facility: In the March 17 primary election, Geneva voters will be asked whether the city should issue $59.4 million in bonds to pay for a new police station. So, in the lead-up to the election, the city is offering residents tours of the current facility. The idea for a bond referendum question that would help pay for public safety facilities in Geneva is not new. The city had been planning to put the question to voters in last April’s election, but the measure was ultimately pulled from the ballot after the city discovered a calculation error that would have doubled the projected property tax payment.

* Daily Herald | How DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center is designed for climate-friendly ‘net-zero’ status: To that end, a solar energy system is expected to produce about $735,000 kilowatts of energy annually, or 110% of the facility’s needs. There are three sections: the roof of the clinic has 556 panels; the roof of the large raptor barn has 276 panels; and the ground-mounted array in front of the raptor barn at the front entrance consists of 176 panels.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Conversation on potential danger of CO2 storage under Lake Decatur leads to biggest public forum turnout: Monday was the biggest turnout for the city council’s public forum series, hosted by councilman David Horn. “When the city council first approved this easement, it was March 2023,” Horn said. “The city council has not had a formal discussion about sequestration since that time.” He said the concerns were justified after ADM didn’t tell the whole story during negotiations to use the city’s land for 99 years.

* SJ-R | France-based manufacturer opens first US operation in Springfield: A subsidiary of an overseas industry is establishing its first manufacturing facility in Springfield. REEL USA Corp. part of the French-based company of the same name, purchased an industrial complex at 3501 W. Mayflower Drive for $1.6 million in December, according to Sangamon County tax records.

* WAND | Dove Inc. senior volunteer program at risk of losing funding: RSVP Program Director Angie Williams explained that RSVP receives roughly $72,000 per year via federal funding. But since the government shutdown, they have not been notified of opportunities to reapply for their grant. RSVP’s state funding runs out at the end of June, and re-applying for state funding is dependent on federal funding. “After that, we really have no clue. If we don’t have federal funds, we won’t get the state grant as well. RSVP will go away for this community entirely,” Williams said.

*** National ***

* The Washington Post | Trump seeks to quell rebellion over data centers: The big tech companies are feeling the sting. Communities that once embraced them are now blocking their plans. And in cities and counties where tech companies have been in quiet negotiations for months or even years to set up shop, local leaders are getting cold feet as they fear a backlash once plans become public. Between April and June of last year, 20 data center projects valued at about $98 billion were derailed across the country, according to a report by Data Center Watch, a tracking project by the nonpartisan research firm 10a Labs. More projects were derailed in those three months than in the past two years.

* WaPo | New York governor will push for state lawsuits against ICE agents: Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday endorsed legislation that would allow New York residents to sue Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in state court for civil rights violations, an escalation of efforts by Democratic-led states to rein in the agency following a woman’s fatal shooting in Minneapolis last week.

* Texas Observer | ICE prosecutor who runs racist X account returns to Dallas immigration court: Rodden’s X account, GlomarResponder, has been set to private but is still active. On September 28, 2025, the account responded to the question “Can anyone point to me exactly where America started going downhill?” The account responded: “November 6, 1860”—the date that President Abraham Lincoln, the president whose administration ended slavery, was elected.

* The Wrap | The Atlantic sues Google over its digital ad model, alleging manipulation and fraud: In a 94-page federal complaint filed in New York’s southern district, the magazine claimed that Google and Alphabet have “unlawfully acquired and maintain monopolies for the advertising technology…tools that publishers and advertisers use to buy and sell online ad space.” Such control, it claimed, forces publishers to sell ads through Google at lower prices. […] The publisher accused Google of violating state law and the Sherman Act and the Clayton Act, two federal antitrust laws that prohibit monopolies and price discrimination, respectively. The magazine seeks damages, attorneys’ fees and a jury trial.