* ICYMI: Gov. JB Pritzker warns Trump will send ICE agents to polling places as he calls on voters to push them aside. Tribune…

- Gov. JB Pritzker told a conference of Black activists in New York City on Thursday that “all of us need to be civil rights advocates” and protect voting rights, saying he thinks President Donald Trump plans to call out federal immigration agents to polling places for the November midterms.
- Asked directly by Rev. Al Sharpton whether he was a 2028 presidential candidate, Pritzker said, “since I was an adult and able to vote, I’ve been involved in some fashion or another” in presidential politics, “and I’m going to be more involved than ever before in 2028 because we can’t lose.”
- Pritzker said Democrats campaigning for the midterm elections and for the presidency in 2028 should focus on “livability,” repackaging the oft-used term “affordability” to speak to people about the need to raise the federal minimum wage and bring down the costs of housing and health care.

* Related stories…

• Washington Times: ‘I’m going to fight like hell’: Pritzker inches toward 2028 bid at Sharpton’s NAN event
• C-SPAN: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker Says Trump Immigration Enforcement Policies Targeted People of Color
• NBC Chicago: Gov. Pritzker says he’ll be ‘involved’ in 2028 presidential race in recent interview

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No Cuts. No Closures. Fund Safety-Net Hospitals.

For decades, Illinois has underfunded safety-net hospitals, the lifelines for Black and Brown communities. Now, the “Safety-Net Moonshot” and the Medicaid-defunding legislation it has spawned, threatens deeper cuts to these critical health providers. Any reduction inspired by the “Moonshot” would be a killshot to the care our most vulnerable residents rely on.

Weakening safety-net hospitals won’t improve care. It will slash essential services, eliminate jobs, and push entire communities into healthcare deserts and economic instability.

The state cannot balance its budget on the backs of Black and Brown community hospitals. These institutions are not line items to cut, they are the foundation of care for families who have nowhere else to turn. Disinvestment will deepen inequities and worsen outcomes.

When safety-net hospitals are funded, communities are healthier, workforces are stronger, and economies are more resilient.

Illinois must fully fund safety-net hospitals. For the communities they serve, it is life or death.

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* At noon, Gov. JB Pritzker “will highlight his commitment to supporting a strong, free press at the Illinois Local News Summit.” Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Capitol News Illinois | House Republicans outline what it will take for them to vote on Bears bill: Property tax increase referendums should only be permissible during November general elections, when turnout is highest compared to primaries or local elections, they argued. They also want to prohibit local governments from rolling over bond payments to other projects once the project voters approved them for is complete. Those are “minimum” requirements to earn Republican support, Ugaste wrote.

* WJOL | Constituents Wonder: Where’s Our Rep?: Naperville resident and Benton constituent Tami Weir told WJOL: As one of Harry Benton’s constituents I have become increasingly frustrated that I have not been able to reach him about a concern I have. I’ve called and left a message, sent a letter, emailed more than once and also filled out the contact form on his website. I have received no response. It is acceptable to choose to represent a district and then disappear with no explanation. There are important decisions being made in Springfield right now and we have zero representation. If he can’t do his job he needs to resign and allow someone who can to come in. We deserve better and should demand it. (Note from Isabel: Rep. Benton was back in Springfield this week. He did not accept a request for an interview.)

* Sun-Times | Madigan’s landmark conviction now in hands of appeals court focused on ’specific’ corruption: But Thursday, when a new legal team took their appeal of Madigan’s corruption conviction to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, it was longtime Judge Frank Easterbrook who sat quietly and mysteriously, asking no questions and giving no hint as to how he might lean. Judges Michael Scudder and Nancy Maldonado did the talking instead, questioning Madigan attorney Amy Saharia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz. When the argument ended, it was hard to say how the three-judge panel might rule, though Scudder and Maldonado seemed skeptical of Madigan’s position.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Crain’s | Pritzker urges power grid operator to force data centers to pay up:JB Pritzker and seven other governors are pushing PJM Interconnection, which operates the power grid that serves Illinois and a dozen other states, to shield consumers from costs driven by new data centers. […] They’re also seeking protections for consumers against so-called stranded costs if PJM secures more power-generation capacity than data centers end up using. The governors also want data centers to bring their own sources of power to the grid or pay the costs required for the additional capacity needed to serve them, or agree to receive less power during shortages.

* Click here for some background. Gov. JB Pritzker…

Illinois has upheld our commitments.

Trump must stop this political stunt and start releasing the funds, get the project moving again, and protect the Great Lakes. https://t.co/TSEQ8Bc4cP

— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) April 9, 2026

* Capitol News Illinois | State education officials present $10.9B budget request to fund public schools: State education officials presented their case this week for a $10.9 billion budget to fund preK-12 public schools for the next fiscal year, saying the Evidence-Based Funding formula that has been in place for nearly a decade is now paying dividends. “Graduation rates are at a 15-year high,” Steven Isoye, chair of the Illinois State Board of Education, told a House budget committee Tuesday. “Achievement gaps are narrowing. Student growth exceeds pre-pandemic levels and Illinois eighth graders now outperform national averages in reading and math.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Will CPS cancel school for CTU ‘Day of Action’ May 1? CEO said no, but decision in limbo: Chicago Public Schools CEO Macquline King rejected a request from the teachers union to cancel classes on May 1, but, facing pressure from City Hall and its allies in the district, said the board could ultimately overrule her decision. In a statement late Thursday, she reiterated her opposition to the Chicago Teachers Union’s “Civic Day of Action,” but noted the board can take formal vote on the issue. She previously argued that canceling classes would significantly disrupt the district.

* Tribune | Chicago cultural affairs nominee advances amid praise, concerns about department: Black Caucus aldermen overwhelmingly supported Merritt as the City Council’s Special Events Committee sent her appointment to the full council in a 12-4 vote. But others argued the employee mistreatment complaints from Hedspeth’s tenure linger under Merritt’s leadership. The aldermen opposing her cited a whistleblower lawsuit filed last month by former DCASE first deputy Rosalyn Kimberly Grigsby, who alleged she was iced out of work and fired after making formal complaints against Merritt.

* Sun-Times | Flooding in Chicago is getting worse: Potential ways to help prevent flooding are expensive. They include fixes that would contain flood water through traditional pipes and structures as well as natural sources, like green spaces with plants and trees that can help absorb the overflow when sewers are full. “One of the problems with flood management in the U.S. today is: A flood happens. It’s an emergency. The government drops a whole lot of money. They build the exact same thing that they had before,” says Howard Neukrug, a University of Pennsylvania professor and former city of Philadelphia official who led stormwater management strategy.

* Illinois Answers Project | Chicago cops did little to probe gun stolen from police station and used in three shootings, new records show: Instead, investigators closed the case without figuring out who stole the gun, which had been turned in to the police and was supposed to have been destroyed. After reporters asked how a gun could have been stolen from a police station full of cops, the department said it was reopening its investigation. But, even then, investigators didn’t interview a single additional officer who was there when the weapon was swiped from the Gresham District station in December 2023.

* WTTW | Pay $9.5M to Man Who Spent 19 Years in Prison After Being Wrongfully Convicted, City Lawyers Recommend: No physical evidence linked Reed to Van Vo’s murder, including hair and blood found at the scene. In addition, Reed had no injuries to his hands, even though Van Vo was stabbed repeatedly with a knife that did not have a handle, records show. Prosecutors sought the death penalty for Reed. After four years in jail, Reed pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in return for a promise he would not be sent to death row or sentenced to life in prison, records show.

* Unraveled | Chicago cop who killed Anthony Alvarez in 2021 engaged in fatal unreported police chase last year, new lawsuit alleges: “It was the duty of Defendant Solano to refrain from acting with an utter indifference or conscious disregard for the safety of others,” alleges the complaint. Attorneys claim Solano disregarded traffic signals and violated several department policies during the chase. According to the lawsuit, Solano chased Millian-Morales’ vehicle for “over one mile” on westbound Irving Park Road. After turning north on Oak Park Avenue, Millian-Morales lost control and crashed into a light pole near Taft Freshman Academy.

* WBEZ | Nearly 70 Chicago groups receive micro-grants after SNAP cuts, deportation campaign: “I have to admit, I do know that sometimes government — we can move a little slow,” Johnson said at Malcolm X College Thursday. “So the $4,500 grants that are issued, we are not just investing in services that you provide, but the leadership that you provide and the trust that you have built with residents. You embody the spirit of our collective responsibility.”

* Sun-Times | Michelada Fest announces full lineup with an added free day after last year’s cancellations: Now taking place in Union Park, the festival is back after a year-long hiatus sparked by concerns over the “rapidly changing political climate” and artist visa issues. Latin Mafia, Jhayco, Jessie Reyez and Sean Paul are headlining the three-day event.

* Block Club | Look Inside Former Signature Room Atop John Hancock Building As It Gets Makeover: More than 200 windowpanes — each weighing about 350 pounds — are being installed as the former restaurant and bar space, now gutted, becomes part of an expanded observation deck and 14,000-square-foot private event space. The attraction will be the city’s only multistory observation deck and will include a three-story atrium when it opens in mid-2027. There will also be a new bar, joining the Cloud Bar which is already open on the 94th floor, and an immersive experience, officials with 360 Chicago, which runs the current observation deck, said Wednesday.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Crain’s | Cook County launches effort to keep residents on Medicaid as thousands face losing coverage: Get Medicaid Facts is a website and communications toolkit targeted at keeping enrollees, community groups, employers and health care providers up to date on how the new rules affect Medicaid eligibility. […] It’s still not clear how the Medicaid regulations will work, as federal guidance on exemptions and verification processes for work requirements aren’t expected until June. Questions about what documentation enrollees will need, what constitutes proof of work, what counts as volunteering and more still need to be answered, officials say.

* Daily Southtown | Will County Board to revisit rejected solar farm proposals following court order: Will County Board members will re-vote next Thursday on six solar farm projects they denied over the last two years following a judge’s ruling this week ordering them to issue the special use permits for the projects. Will County Judge Bennett Braun, a Frankfort Republican, ruled Wednesday on the six cases and set a status date for April 16. Members of the county board’s Executive Committee Thursday discussed the judge’s ruling during a lengthy closed session but did not take any action. However, board Speaker Joe VanDuyne confirmed the six cases will be on the county board agenda next week.

* Crain’s | Suburban office inventory is shrinking. But vacancy is hitting new highs: The share of available workspace in the suburbs rose during the first quarter to an all-time high of 33.4% from 32.9% at the end of 2025, according to data from real estate services firm Jones Lang LaSalle. The vacancy rate is up from 32.2% a year ago and 22.1% when the COVID-19 pandemic began, having now hit new record highs for 21 consecutive quarters.

* Fox Chicago | Family sues Evanston over police encounter that left woman in coma: Williams’ family says she has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and was likely experiencing a manic episode. […] Officials say she continued to resist, and they used force to subdue her. While paramedics were placing her on a gurney, Williams became unresponsive, police say. First responders attempted to resuscitate her before she was rushed to the hospital. “Her oxygen was blocked off, the doctor told me, for 22.1 minutes. So her brain is damaged 75 percent. She’s on a feeding tube, she was on a ventilator, now I have to put her on a trach,” said Jacqueline Hoffman, Williams’ mother. “She was around 90 pounds, she’s about 75 pounds now.”

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Former Springfield police chief at center of heated council meeting: Springfield activist, Teresa Haley, was at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. She said she was horrified when she heard former Springfield police chief Michael Walton using racial slurs. “He called Shawn Gregory the N-word and I was like no he didn’t just go there,” Haley said. “That set Shawn off.” […] NewsChannel 20 and Fox Illinois reached out to Walton about last night’s exchange. He said, “No racial slurs were uttered by me, as I do not use those horrible words. If someone said I did, they are a liar.”

* WAND | Oakwood considers new tax to save ambulance service: Multiple residents filled the Oakwood Village Hall Thursday night, wanting answers about the future of the local ambulance service. Emergency response leaders want to reform the coverage area into a special service district, so a tax levy can be implemented. “If I [were] to call 911 right now, would I get a paramedic?” one resident asked. “There is no guarantee that you’re going to get a paramedic at any point in time with our current staffing,” said Zach Weddle, director of Oakwood Emergency Services.

* WCIA | Buckley looking to fill gap in funding for sewer system project: WCIA 3’s partners at the Ford County Chronicle reported that while the village is continuing to move forward with the project, it will cost $2 million more than what the village has available. The lowest bids for the project, which were unsealed at the Village Hall on Tuesday, were for $18.6 million. The village only has $16.7 million available, leaving leaders to examine their options.

* WGLT | 2026 Illinois Shakespeare Festival drops ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘The Two Gentlemen of Verona’ and ‘Our Town’:
The story of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, will be directed by Illinois State University alumna and Milwaukee Repertory Theater producer María Amenábar Farias. Previews are slated for 7:30 p.m. on June 25. As for the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Texas State University theater professor Danielle Roos will direct the Italian-set classic. Previews begin at 7:30 p.m. June 24.

*** National ***

* Business Insider | Anthropic says its latest AI model is too powerful for public release and that it broke containment during testing: “Claude Mythos Preview’s large increase in capabilities has led us to decide not to make it generally available,” Anthropic wrote in the preview’s system card. “Instead, we are using it as part of a defensive cybersecurity program with a limited set of partners.” The announcement is a major step for Anthropic, which in February weakened a safety pledge about how it would develop AI models. Claude Opus 4.6, which the company called its most powerful model to date, was publicly released on February 5.

* Post-Tribune | Local 150 claims Blue Chip Casino took anti-data center signs: An Indiana Department of Transportation employee allegedly arrived later with the casino worker and confiscated the sign, saying that the union couldn’t be on a public right of way. The INDOT employee returned the sign, and Local 150 put it back up. “INDOT is aware of the situation at the casino,” a department statement said. “As there are no concerns related to traffic safety, there is not a reason to ask that any signs or banners be removed at this time.” The same casino employee returned with an Indiana State Police officer, Fagan said, who confiscated the banner again. Fagan said the union got the banner back and planned to return to the same location at noon Thursday.

* AP | Postal Service to suspend employer payments to workers’ pensions over cash crunch: The step taken by the Postal Board of Governors is meant to preserve cash and liquidity due to the Postal Service’s ”ongoing, severe financial crisis,” Postal Service Chief Financial Officer Luke Grossmann said in an internal message to USPS employees. Officials have warned the USPS is on course to run out of cash by around February 2027. Despite the suspension of employer contributions, effective Friday, current and future retirees will not be immediately impacted, Grossman said.

* AP | Justice Department is investigating the NFL for potential anticompetitive practices, AP source says: The NFL has not received a notification that the league is being investigated, according to two other people with knowledge of the situation. Those people spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on possible legal matters. The investigation comes amid increasing federal scrutiny of the amount of money fans are paying to watch sports on television. The Federal Communications Commission, for example, is seeking public comments on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services.