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Reader comments closed until Tuesday
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Isabel and I need a little break. Have a great weekend. Carly Simon and Mick Jagger (with a killer bass flourish by Klaus Voormann) will play us out… I bet you think this song is about you
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul…
* Tribune…
* House Speaker Chris Welch is leaning into the $40 million he put into the state budget for a high school sports complex. From his constituent newsletter…
* ABC Chicago | Illinois residents’ information accessed in data breach, Healthcare and Family Services says: Information accessed by hackers “may have included customer names, social security numbers, driver’s license or state identification card numbers, financial information related to child support, child support or Medicaid identification and case numbers, and date of birth,” HFS said. Officials said 933 people were impacted by the data breach, including 564 Illinois residents. * Crain’s | Too late, too divided: Inside the collapse of Springfield’s transit rescue: Sen. Ram Villivalam, D–Chicago, the lead Senate transit negotiator, told Crain’s his chamber’s vote reflected the urgency required to save mass transit. “We did not want to have a conversation with public hearings of 40% cuts to service and 3,000 layoff notices being sent to our front-line public transit workers. That’s why we put forward our package of reforms and funding, and that’s why we passed it over to the House,” he said. * WGLT | Clean Slate Act, Medical Aid in Dying bills among those that stalled in Illinois legislature: The Clean Slate Act stalled in the Illinois House, dimming the hopes of advocates who thought it might be called in the last hours of the Spring Session. It would have automatically sealed records for criminal non-violent criminal convictions, though police and prosecutors would still see those convictions. Automatic sealing would not be extended to felonies involving murder, domestic violence, sex crimes, animal cruelty, and drunk driving. * IPM Newsroom | How will this spring’s General Assembly session affect education in Illinois?: The state budget, Senate Bill 2510, is the most important bill that passed. It includes a smaller increase for grade and high schools than many education advocates wanted. Those dollars will be distributed through the state’s Evidence-Based Funding formula, which assesses the gap between the resources school districts have and the costs of services their students receive. * Capitol News Illinois | Despite victories, major higher education policy bills stall in General Assembly: But lawmakers did not approve the overall funding increase that Pritzker requested at the start of the session, settling on a 1% bump in their operational budgets instead of the 3% the governor proposed, Pritzker’s office, however, has said there are contingencies to provide an additional 2% in the event of significant cuts in federal funding. They also did not pass other major higher education policy initiatives, including Pritzker’s plan to allow community colleges to offer four-year bachelor’s degrees in certain high-demand career fields, and a long-sought overhaul in the way Illinois funds its public universities. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois ‘chicken bill’ aims to boost small poultry farms, expand access to their products: Under a measure dubbed the “chicken bill,” farmers who process fewer than 7,500 birds annually would be exempt from state and federal inspections of their poultry operations or from having to send birds to USDA-approved processing facilities — an increase from the previous 5,000-bird threshold. The change, part of an update to the Illinois Meat and Poultry Inspection Act, also allows these farmers to sell their poultry beyond their own farms — including at farmers markets, roadside stands and through delivery — a major shift from earlier restrictions. * SLPR | After deadly Edwardsville tornado, Illinois lawmakers pass warehouse safety bill: The legislation, which awaits the governor’s signature, mandates that all warehouses in the state craft a tornado safety plan and build storm shelters in newly constructed warehouses. It requires county and city building inspectors hold a certification from the International Code Council. The passage of the legislation in the last hours of the Illinois legislature’s spring session marks a critical step in a more than three-year-long journey to passing legislation in response to the tornado that flattened half of an Amazon warehouse. * Crain’s | Jenner & Block hires former U.S. attorney from firm that made deal with Trump: A top white-collar litigator is joining Jenner & Block, leaving rival Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison after less than six months following a deal that firm made with President Donald Trump to avoid an executive order targeting its practice. Damian Williams, who had joined Paul Weiss in January after serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, will become co-chair of Jenner’s litigation department and investigations, compliance and defense practice. * WBEZ | Chicago’s immigrant community ‘sad’ and ‘numb’ over Trump’s new travel ban: Trump’s latest order will go into effect on Monday. The ban prohibits travel into the U.S. from citizens from Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Afghanistan is also part of the ban, though there will be exceptions for Afghan Special Immigrant Visas holders, a program for Afghans who worked either directly or in support of the U.S. government. There will also be further restrictions on people traveling to the U.S. from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. * Crain’s | Chicago’s Pride Parade is bucking a national sponsorship trend: Take PrideChicago, for example, the nonprofit that runs the Chicago Pride Parade. A handful of its sponsors from last year did not return for 2025, but chair Steve Long said in a statement that “fluctuations in participation are natural and should not be viewed as indicative of broader trends.” He said as some sponsors left, others joined. That’s par for the course, especially because PrideChicago has only offered sponsorship opportunities for the last three years and does not require multiyear commitments. Chicago’s sponsors this year include Cboe, Metra, Ulta Beauty and Wintrust, to name a few. * Tribune | Meet the former Chicago ‘theater kid’ who stages Kendrick Lamar: Carson knows pop ambitions. He grew up in the western suburbs of Berkeley and Bellwood, then later moved to the Chicago neighborhood of Pilsen. He attended Columbia College for a time until meeting legendary Chicago fashion designer and Kanye West collaborator Virgil Abloh, who died in 2021. “I basically dropped out after my first semester sophomore year and began working with Virgil and went on the whole ‘Watch the Throne’ thing with Kanye and Jay-Z, the album and the tour. I was documenting Kanye and Jay-Z. Virgil took a chance on me. For a few years, that was my college experience.” * Tribune | Resale prices for Sky-Fever at UC plummet after Caitlin Clark injury. Can they still break the WNBA record?: Initial ticket sales aren’t a concern. Fewer than 500 original tickets at the 20,923-capacity United Center remained available via Ticketmaster as of Wednesday. The majority were in the 100 level, where prices began at $393. But Clark’s injury sent the resale market plummeting, with prices dropping by an average of 70% in the first 48 hours after her injury was announced, according to TickPick. Upper-level tickets originally priced at $125 are now available for less than $20 on SeatGeek. * Daily Southtown | Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman faces felony charge, announces mayoral run before turning herself in: Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman turned herself in at the city’s police station Thursday night, having been informed that a felony aggravated battery charge had been brought against her. Chapman’s arrest came just one day after Cook County prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting a police officer brought against her following a City Council meeting April 28. Chapman, who has been a vocal critic of Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark’s administration, says her repeated arrests indicate political retaliation. * Tribune | County caseworker accused in ex-girlfriend’s fatal stabbing allegedly threatened to kill her two months earlier, police reports show: A county caseworker accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death and severely wounding two of her sons in February had been placed on desk duty at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center after he allegedly threatened to kill the same woman two months earlier, police records show. Cook County prosecutors have charged Marcus Bausley, 40, with stabbing Teone Jones, 33, to death on Feb. 20 while they were at home in the Grand Crossing neighborhood. Bausley is also accused of abducting and stabbing two of Jones’ young sons. * Daily Herald | New Aurora police chief hopes to keep positive momentum going: When Matt Thomas started his career as a police officer in the late 1990s, he wanted to be on the streets. “I always wanted to be a detective. I did not see myself sitting behind a desk,” Thomas said. But that’s where he finds himself today. Thomas was sworn last month as Aurora’s new police chief and now leads a department that serves and protects Illinois’ second-largest city. * Daily Herald | As Lisle looks to update brand, some question ‘Arboretum Village’ motto: While that tagline may have deep roots, at least one official in Lisle — the home of the Morton Arboretum — isn’t keen on the slogan. And another has suggested he’s open to exploring alternatives as part of a new village branding initiative. Lisle Trustee Meg Sima said she’s an arboretum member, spends a lot of time there and that it’s a wonderful place. But, speaking a “little sacrilege,” she doesn’t “love ‘The Arboretum Village’ as our village motto.” * Naperville Sun | Naperville council to hold workshop meetings to establish electricity goals: As it continues to weigh the future of the city’s electricity grid, the Naperville City Council will hold a series of workshops to define the city’s strategic long-term energy goals. Discussions, however, will not cover any specific contract decisions. Council members unanimously agreed Tuesday to the workshop plan, dates for which have not been set. * Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora further delays special census: Aurora is further delaying a special census originally planned to start earlier this year that was postponed by the federal government. The 2020 decennial census showed that Aurora had a population of around 180,000, down from 197,000 in 2010 — but city officials have disputed those numbers, arguing that the city’s population is actually closer to the levels found in the 2010 census. * WGLT | Homeless encampment residents in Normal have relocated; sewer construction project is underway : “In the 11th hour, late Thursday, early Friday, there was another site located somewhat nearby that got some approval, at least from BNWRD,” HSHM Community Outreach Director Steve Tassio said. “It was their property, and they offered to step up and try to give some space for people to go temporarily.” Many encampment residents moved to the approved BNWRD property, others got into housing, and others are staying with family and friends, according to Tassio. * WCIA | Former GCMS teacher, coach arrested for 6 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse: Former Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley School District employee Robert Dinkins was arrested in Georgia for six counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse on Thursday. The arrest comes after a months-long investigation stemming from a claim that Dinkins, an 8th grade teacher and coach, sent inappropriate text messages to students. * WCIA | Iroquois County to retest warning sirens next week after sirens fail to sound: Coordinator for the county EMA Scott Anderson said in a press release Friday that following the regular monthly test of the warning sirens throughout the county, it was discovered that all the sirens — except for those in Watseka — failed to sound. As a result, all the sirens in the county will be re-tested between 10 a.m. and noon on June 9. * The Hill | Illinois Republican mistakes Sikh for Muslim, calls him delivering prayer in House ‘deeply troubling’ : Miller later edited her post on X to replace “Muslim” with “Sikh” before deleting the post altogether. Her office did not respond to a request for comment about the incident. The House has long welcomed guest chaplains from many types of faiths — including Muslims, with a Muslim guest chaplain notably reading from the Quran in November 2001 following the 9/11 terror attacks * ProPublica | DOGE Developed Error-Prone AI Tool to “Munch” Veterans Affairs Contracts: The engineer, working for the Department of Government Efficiency, quickly built an artificial intelligence tool to identify which services from private companies were not essential. He labeled those contracts “MUNCHABLE.” The code, using outdated and inexpensive AI models, produced results with glaring mistakes. For instance, it hallucinated the size of contracts, frequently misreading them and inflating their value. It concluded more than a thousand were each worth $34 million, when in fact some were for as little as $35,000. * LA Times | Study finds removing school mask mandates contributed to 22,000 U.S. COVID deaths in a year: A newly published study from data scientists at Michigan State University knocks one pillar out from under this claim. It finds that the abrupt removal in 2022 of mandates that children wear masks in school contributed to an estimated 21,800 COVID deaths that year — a shocking 9% of the total COVID deaths in the U.S. that year.
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Madigan’s judge hints at possibly long prison sentence
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * US District Judge John Robert Blakely wants some more information about sentencing guidelines from federal prosecutors and former House Speaker Michael Madigan…
If the judge sticks with his preliminary analysis, Madigan could be in prison for a very long time. The judge scheduled a hearing on this matter for June 10th. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Friday, June 13th.
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AI ‘therapy’ will soon be outlawed here
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * HB1806 passed both chambers without a single dissenting vote…
Not a moment too soon.
The study is here.
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Another day, another failed lawsuit
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
Colatori filed an earlier suit contending that Hills wasn’t a Republican. She also claimed she wasn’t allowed to apply for the appointment. She and apparently her attorney then worked out an agreed order and she withdrew her request for a TRO. The local party chair appointed Hills to a vacant precinct committeeperson slot and then Hills was appointed. Colatori didn’t submit an application for the appointment, according to Judge Kevin Costello. * My favorite part of Judge Costello’s ruling…
Emphasis added, because wow. * Also…
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Report: ‘Near miss’ and a coverup at Quad Cities nuclear power plant
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * KWQC…
The full NRC report is here.
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White Sox roundup
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Athletic…
* Sun-Times…
* But Ishbia might not be all he’s cracked up to be, Steve Greenberg writes in the Sun-Times …
Thoughts? * Related… * Crain’s | Key takeaways from the Sox-Ishbia deal: Much of the conjecture about the Sox being relocated stems from a 2023 meeting Jerry Reinsdorf had with the mayor of Nashville, Tenn. — long speculated as a landing spot for a relocated MLB franchise. Looking for leverage to win public funding, Reinsdorf told Crain’s last year that his family would likely look to sell the Sox after he dies, and that “the team will be worth more out of town.” * Fox Chicago | White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls games to air on Xfinity in Chicago area under new deal: The Chicago Sports Network (CHSN), the exclusive television home of the Bulls, Blackhawks and White Sox, will become available to Comcast Xfinity customers across the Chicago area beginning Friday. As part of a new carriage agreement, CHSN will be included in Xfinity’s Ultimate TV package and will launch on channel 200 in time for the White Sox’s Friday night home game against the Kansas City Royals. * Tribune | Chicago Sports Network finally coming to Comcast, but on higher-priced plan: The Ultimate tier costs an additional $20 per month, on top of the $20.25 regional sports network fee Comcast charges Chicago-area subscribers each month. Comcast has been issuing a monthly $8.85 credit to partially offset that fee during the ongoing negotiations with CHSN. For basic subscribers that don’t choose to upgrade, the $8.85 credit will become a permanent adjustment, bringing the regional sports fee down to $11.40 per month. * Fox Chicago | South Side soundtrack: Beloved White Sox organist Nancy Faust making a comeback: Some credit Faust for creating the soundtrack for a South Side summer. She’s been able to do that without the ability to read music or truly know the game of baseball. “Well, there was not much to learn at the time because when I was hired, it was like play the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” said Faust. “It was kind of an evolution and because I was placed outside with fans, I started getting feedback from fans and suggestions. You would liken it today to having social media. In those days, I had the help of knowledgeable fans who suggested songs.” * ABC Chicago | Southpaw turns 21: One of Chicago’s most recognizable sports mascots is finally legal at least in mascot years. Southpaw, the fuzzy green mascot of the Chicago White Sox is celebrating his 21st birthday Sunday, June 8 with a party that promises to be as big and bold as the beloved character himself. * Paul Sullivan | Jerry Reinsdorf’s clumsy handoff of the Chicago White Sox only adds to his checkered baseball legacy: Efforts to contact general manager Chris Getz to find out whether these “capital infusions” will increase the team’s 29th-ranked payroll and give him a fighting chance to compete were fruitless. No response, though he could’ve changed his number. Getz told me before Monday’s game he would be talking with the media Friday, which gave him four days to rehearse.
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Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Across Illinois, big hospital systems and PBMs are abusing the 340B drug discount program – making massive profits while patients drown in medical bills. One whistleblower called it “laundering money.” Here’s how the scam works: big hospitals buy discounted 340B drugs, bill patients full price, then split the difference with for-profit pharmacies and PBMs. 340B was meant to help Illinois communities in need. But there are no rules requiring hospitals and PBMs to pass savings on to patients. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers. Meanwhile, tax-exempt hospitals cash in – and PBMs get a cut too.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Crain’s…
* Meanwhile… Illinois lawmakers have failed to pass legislations to regulate the hemp industry. Tribune…
Thoughts?
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RETAIL: The Largest Employer In Illinois
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail creates more jobs in Illinois than any other private sector employer, with one out of every four workers employed by the retail sector. Importantly, retail is an industry in which everyone, regardless of credentials, can find a viable career path. Retailers like the Rich in Peoria enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA showcase the retailers who make Illinois work.
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Open thread
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: In Chicago and elsewhere, ICE increases enforcement in immigration court. NBC Chicago…
* Related stories…
∙ WBEZ: South Loop immigration arrests spark outrage, calls for changes to city’s sanctuary law ∙ CBS Chicago: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responds to Chicago ICE operation in South Loop ∙NBC Chicago: What happened with ICE in Chicago? What to know after video shows chaotic scene Sponsored by Community Action for Responsible Hospitals * Capitol News Illinois | Legislative leaders discuss next steps for failed transit reform push: Meanwhile, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, acknowledged he had reservations about the proposal’s revenue-generating measures, which include the delivery fee as well as a statewide tax on electric vehicle charging and the expansion of a Chicago tax on real estate transfers to the suburbs. “Frankly, I don’t like them all that much,” Harmon said of the revenue measures in an interview with Capitol News Illinois. “I wish there were better alternatives. But if you don’t like them, come and tell us how you’d pay for it, because this is going to be expensive and most of the stakeholders seem to be worried about protecting or expanding their own power and having somebody else pay for it.” * WBEZ | Why is Chicago violence plummeting? Some credit street outreach workers: The community areas where violence numbers have fallen fastest include West Garfield Park. Through Tuesday, the area has had three homicides and 24 nonfatal shootings this year. Those numbers are significantly down from the same span of 2021, when there were 15 homicides and 56 nonfatal shootings. There is no shortage of agencies and people — from police to youth mentors — who have been credited with having a hand in Chicago’s public safety improvement, which also mirrors national trends. * Crain’s | Savings from Medicaid cuts would be a mirage, Chicago clinic CEO says: “It’s a misappropriation, under the guise of saving money, which, in the long run, won’t work,” said Dr. Lee Francis, longtime president and CEO of Erie Family Health Centers, a network of 13 federally qualified health centers in the Chicago area. Medicaid providers in Illinois have criticized the cuts and new proof-of-work requirements, saying the so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” sounds good for curbing “waste, fraud and abuse” but in reality just shifts the cost burden to other parts of the health care system and the economy. * WGLT | Federal cuts gut regional centers working to reduce farm injuries and deaths: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, is one of the federal agencies that had hundreds of workers cut by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April. Some NIOSH programs, including those focused on miner safety and firefighter health risks, have had staff reinstated in order to keep operating. But federal officials have not brought back staff working with NIOSH’s Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health, leaving multi-year studies and longstanding outreach programs without a clear path forward. * WCIA | From the Farm: IL Corn Growers program marks 10 years: 2025 is the 10th anniversary year for Precision Conservation Management, or PCM. It’s a novel program designed to show farmers how conservation practices can be justified with a positive financial result. When PCM was announced in February of 2016, Dr. Laura Gentry of the Illinois Corn Growers’ Association said it began with the challenge of getting farmers to implement conservation practices they are not currently doing. * Axios | Illinois legislators skip on several environmental bills: A bill to add more wind, solar and battery-stored power to the grid died in the final days of the session after business interests decried it as too expensive and burdensome. The package also pushed for more transparency about data centers’ energy usage and required new centers to “bring your own clean energy”(or B.Y.O.N.C.E.). * WGLT | State Sen. Dave Koehler reflects on spring session and helping pass Illinois’ $55 billion budget: “We had to look at budget cuts, which is always a tough thing to do,” Koehler said. “With the uncertainty in the federal government, that made it particularly hard, because the federal government is a partner, whether it’s education funding, whether it’s a health care funding, whether it’s highways and roads. The federal government is a partner in just about everything that the state government does.” * WAND | Plan heading to Pritzker’s desk could provide compensation for land owners if carbon capture damages crops, property: “This bill further clarifies just compensation for land owners and gives further protection for surface owners in case their land is hurt or destroyed in the process of laying down a pipeline,” said Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview). * WAND | Illinois Freedom Caucus files lawsuit against Democratic legislative leaders over budget process: A spokesperson for Welch said they would not have a statement on the lawsuit Thursday. Harmon’s spokesperson told WAND News that they would not provide a statement until they had a chance to review the document. * Tribune | CPS narrows interim CEO search as negligence allegations surface in top candidate’s record: The Chicago Board of Education has narrowed its list for the interim schools’ chief down to three candidates in recent days, one of whom faced negligence allegations as a principal, according to documents obtained by the Tribune through the Freedom of Information Act. The people in consideration are: Macquline King, the city’s senior director of educational policy; Alfonso Carmona, CPS chief portfolio officer; and Nicole Milberg, the school district’s chief of teaching and learning. * Sun-Times | Crosetti Brand found guilty of killing 11-year-old Jayden Perkins: After a weeks-long, often disorderly trial, jurors deliberated for just an hour and 20 minutes before finding Brand guilty of attacking his ex-partner and killing her son. The 2024 slaying exposed flaws in the legal system meant to protect domestic violence victims. * Sun-Times | Chicago police officer shot in chest in Chatham has died: ‘She was a hero.’: The officer, who was 36 and a mother of a “very young daughter,” was a four-year veteran assigned to the Gresham District tactical team, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling told reporters early Friday. The officer, Krystal Rivera was pronounced dead at 10:19 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. * Bloomberg | McDonald’s keeps ‘core’ inclusion programs despite DEI backlash: “We changed some of the language that we’ve used it around it, but at the core none of our programming has changed,” said Jordann Nunn, who as chief field people officer for McDonald’s leads human resources for the company’s US restaurants. “We have no intention of doing that,” Nunn said Thursday at a human resources conference by From Day One in Chicago. * CBS Chicago | Harvey, Illinois, Ald. Colby Chapman arrested again a day after charges are dropped: The latest arrest of Ald. Colby Chapman (2nd) comes just a day after the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office dropped charges stemming from a previous arrest at a Harvey City Council meeting. Chapman claimed this was all political retaliation from Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark, of whom Chapman is a vocal critic. Chapman has been arrested before at the mayor’s direction, and each time, the charges have been dropped by the state’s attorney. * WGN | Suburban farm brings back chickens after bird flu quarantine: A farm in Matteson is bringing chickens back to their property now that a 120-day quarantine caused by the bird flu has been lifted. The move comes as egg prices continue to decrease. “It feels good, honestly. I think I have some PTSD. I really hope it goes okay,” Marty Thomas, founder of Kakadoodle chicken farm, said. * Daily Herald | Schaumburg Township road commissioner questions predecessor’s contract for new website from political ally: Timothy Buelow, a Democrat, said former Highway Commissioner Scott Kegarise approved a $27,500 contract for the creation of a new website from USynergetics, Inc. of Hoffman Estates April 25. The business is led by the wife of Daniel Lee. Lee ran unsuccessfully for township clerk April 1 on the same Republican slate as Kegarise. Kegarise said plans for the website were in the works well before the election based on resident requests to track road construction progress and snow plowing. Kegarise defended his decision to go with Lee, which he based on Lee’s campaign work. * WGN | Illinois woman loses $62K to scammer impersonating Kevin Costner: An Illinois woman thought she was sending gift cards to actor Kevin Costner in hopes of elevating her financial portfolio. It turns out that she was the latest victim of a scam that federal authorities say has been circulating since at least 2018. According to police in Evanston, the victim says she sent gift cards totaling $62,000 over a six-month period to someone claiming to be Costner via Telegram, an instant messaging service. The “actor” promised to multiply the victim’s investment. * WGLT | Champaign-based Health Alliance plans to end all coverage, eliminating more than 600 jobs: More than 600 workers will lose their jobs as the largest health insurer in central and southern Illinois ceases operations. The news comes after Carle Health recently announced that Health Alliance will stop providing all types of coverage at the end of the year. According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity [DCEO], which requires employers to submit prior notification for mass layoffs, Champaign-based Health Alliance will eliminate all 612 jobs. * WIFR | Rockford organizations fight stigmas surrounding men’s mental health: Rosecrance Medical Director Dr. John Cummins also talks about the mindsets being passed down from generation to generation. “Using substances to numb oneself, lashing out in anger instead of dealing with frustration and pain in more healthy or productive more constructive ways. This is kind of part of what is constructed to be a man in American and western society,” said Cummins. “With those kind of huge expectations in place and with the consequences that come from not following those expectations we end up with these really, really deeply set patterns.” * WAND | Juneteenth events planned across central Illinois: The Mattoon Public Library will also be hosting a story time event on Friday, June 20 at 2 p.m. The event will include a Juneteenth storybook reading, crafts, food and giveaway for all children present. * WGLT | Canadian wildfire smoke causes unhealthy air quality in Bloomington-Normal: Sensitive groups will feel health effects right away, and healthy groups will feel difficulty breathing and throat irritation, said the EAC. The air quality index reading of 156 came from a monitor on the southwest side of Bloomington. Anything above 150 is considered unhealthy. The air quality index is expected to return to healthy levels at midnight. * WTVO | Small Illinois town becomes the set of a John Goodman movie overnight: Monticello, a small town near Champaign, became the set of a film called “Chili Finger” overnight. John Goodman and Bryan Cranston, among many more celebrities, filmed inside a former Hardee’s. The movie, based on a true story, follows the efforts of a woman who found a finger in her bowl of chili to leverage the situation for a payout. * The Atlantic | ‘I’m Treating Guys Who Would Never Be Caught Dead in a Casino’: As betting has overrun American sports, other forms of gambling are also on the rise. According to industry data, American casinos are more popular now than at any point on record. The age of their average patron had been crawling upward for years, but since sports betting was legalized at the federal level, it has plummeted by nearly a decade, to approximately 42. Some signs point to gambling problems increasing, too. No centralized entity tracks gambling addiction, but if its scale comes even close to matching the new scale of sports betting, the United States is unequipped to deal with it. * NYT | Kennedy Says ‘Charlatans’ Are No Reason to Block Unproven Stem Cell Treatments: The U.S. health secretary said people should have access to experimental therapies including unregulated uses of stem cells. But some methods have resulted in blindness, tumors and other injuries. * ABC | Trump-Musk feud explodes with claim president is in Epstein files: Trump, speaking on television from the Oval Office, had said he was “disappointed” in Musk following his criticism Wednesday of his “big, beautiful” megabill to fund his agenda, and then engaged in a mutual barrage of social media posts, at one point saying Musk had gone “CRAZY.” As the exchanges grew progressively personal, Musk posted, without providing evidence, about Trump and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, “Time to drop the really big bomb: @realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Jun 6, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated by Rich)
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Illinois Freedom Caucus…
* FYI…
Click here for the lawsuit. …Added by Rich… The lawsuit itself is kind of a mess. They list the wrong amendments on the revenue omnibus and the wrong BIMP amendment. They refer to Senate President Don Harmon as “Tom.” Many of the cases they cite are actually minority opinions which upheld the enrolled bill doctrine.
* Daily Herald…
After confusion over whether AI-generated images qualified as child pornography, Governor Pritzker signed a bill into law last year clarifying that Illinois’ statutes do apply to content created by artificial intelligence. * Capitol News Illinois | Unsettling Accounts: How Illinois is confronting the growing student loan crisis: A recent graduate of the University of Illinois Chicago, Villalpando, 29, took out private loans to pay for college. Unlike federal student loans, private loans typically have higher interest rates and fewer forgiveness programs, making them harder for borrowers to pay off. Then, his fiancé came across the SmartBuy program – an initiative set up by the state to help incentivize residents to purchase a home while paying off their student loan debt, one of the leading factors delaying homeownership among young adults. SmartBuy pays up to $40,000 in student loans and contributes up to $5,000 towards a down payment or closing costs at the time of purchase. * Axios | Illinois lands in top 5 in Fortune 500 HQs: Illinois ranks in the top 5 when it comes to the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the state, according to the magazine’s annual list. U.S. companies are staying put in Illinois even as Republicans claim Gov. Pritzker and the Democrats are taxing them out of town. * Daily Herald | Weather, disease challenge Illinois’ strawberry growers: Austin Flamm with Flamm Orchards in Union County said their struggles began early when a disease called Neopestalotiopsis infected greenhouses in Canada where the Flamms purchase their plugs. “Of the 100,000 plants for our early variety, we only planted 35,000 of them and of those 35,000, I’d say there was less than 5,000 that survived,” Flamm told FarmWeek, noting a late start to the picking season due to poor stands. * Tribune | Illinois rental assistance program sees funding cut for 2026 budget in another blow to state, city housing programs: Dalton is one of 7,129 renters who has received assistance this fiscal year from the state program. The state housing authority’s goal was to assist 8,900 households through the new program but will likely see closer to 8,000 households supported, said Illinois Housing Development Authority Executive Director Kristin Faust in an interview with the Tribune. The state agency administers the rental assistance program. Faust said the 8,900 number was based on an authority projection. * Capitol News Illinois | ISP backs bill expanding its mission to investigate internet crimes against children: While Illinois State Police has long investigated child sex crimes, a new measure would explicitly name addressing internet crimes against children as a core mission of its criminal division. House Bill 2586, also called Alicia’s Law, would add to the current 13 missions of the Illinois State Police Department of Criminal Investigations. It passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly unanimously in late May. * Tribune | Former aldermanic candidate wins $1.4M in defamation suit over campaign mailers: Ebony Lucas, a real estate attorney who lost in the first round of the aldermanic elections in the ward that includes Hyde Park, filed suit in December 2023 over what she described as a “coordinated smear campaign” alleging she had a series of unpaid liens and fines related to her business and violations of the city’s landlord tenant ordinance. Preckwinkle’s organization paid for three mailers alleging Lucas was a “bad landlord,” who “can’t manage her own business” and “doesn’t care about doing the right thing.” * Chalkbeat Chicago | Waiting To Learn: How Bilingual Education In Chicago Falls Short: And every day, students — like one Ecuadorian fourth grader who struggled to read and write in English — were left without the support guaranteed to them in state law. “He shouldn’t have had to suffer for almost three years before he was able to receive the type of help that he needs,” said Sylvelia Pittman, a 20-year teacher at Nash who advocated for more bilingual resources in the new Chicago Teachers Union contract. * Tribune | Aldermen call for hearing into Chicago police response to ICE demonstration: Twelve of the 14 aldermen in the caucus signed a letter condemning the high-profile showdown at 2245 S. Michigan Ave. The council’s Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights — which Latino Caucus Chair Ald. Andre Vasquez leads — will hold a hearing “to examine the extent of ICE’s misconduct and determine whether the Chicago Police Department played any role in (Wednesday’s) actions,” according to the letter. In a Wednesday evening statement, the Police Department denied that officers aided the federal agents. * Sun-Times | CBS producer Deb Boulac set to make more history with Fever-Sky broadcast: Deb Boulac is an award-winning, groundbreaking TV producer. So it’s fitting that she’ll lead a historic broadcast Saturday when CBS airs the Fever-Sky game at the United Center — the first regular-season game in WNBA history to air on broadcast TV in prime time. * Sun-Times | Chicago Sports Network expected to air on Comcast cable Friday: Chicago Sports Network is expected to launch on Comcast cable Friday on Xfinity’s Ultimate tier, the Sun-Times has learned, finally putting the new home of the White Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks on the area’s dominant cable operator. Network officials declined to comment. NBC 5 Chicago was the first to report the deal. * Crain’s | Former Ascension hospitals’ new owner to senators: We’re saving hospitals no one else would: Durbin and Duckworth’s May letter to Prime asked for justifications for eliminating pediatric services at St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, the loss of a Level II trauma designation at Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, and shrinking of obstetrics and maternal care at St. Mary Hospital in Kankakee. The senators urged the company to reconsider those cuts and requested a response by June 10. This week’s letter from Prime laid out details of shrinking demand for the services cut at the three hospitals and said, “We cannot, in good conscience, maintain services that lack sufficient volume to support clinical excellence.” * Press release | Gov. Pritzker Cuts Ribbon at Jel Sert Company’s Expanded Manufacturing Facility: Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and the Jel Sert Company joined local leaders to cut the ribbon on the company’s West Chicago expansion project. The company invested over $10 million to construct a new manufacturing operation that will enhance production of its popular powdered stick packs and ensure it can meet growing consumer demand. The expansion project will create more than 100 new manufacturing and packing operations jobs while retaining nearly 1,000 existing jobs. * Daily Herald | Residents ask Mount Prospect to fly Pride flag, but village sticks to flag policy: Mayor Paul Hoefert, however, said the village’s policy is to fly only the American flag, the state of Illinois flag, and the Village of Mount Prospect flag at village hall. “We don’t fly any other flags, not even the (POW/MIA) flag,” Hoefert said. “Our feeling, based on legal advice, is that once you allow any other flag on that flagpole, you’re open to any request that comes. It makes total sense to me, and it makes total sense of the board.” * Trains | Illinois man sentenced to more than four years in prison in Amtrak bribery case: An Illinois employee of an Indiana masonry firm has been sentenced to 57 months in prison for his role in a federal bribery case over Amtrak’s renovation of its 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Donald Seefeldt, 65, of Wilmette, Ill., was also sentenced to a year of probation, 59 hours of community service, and a $50,000 fine after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit federal program bribery, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the eastern district of Pennsylvania announced. * CBS Chicago | Mosquitoes in 2 Illinois counties test positive for West Nile virus: The DuPage County and McHenry County health departments confirmed that mosquitoes tested positive for West Nile virus for the first time this year. The mosquitoes tested in McHenry County for the virus were found in Lake in the Hills. DuPage County health officials tested mosquitoes from Roselle, Medinah, Clarendon Hills, and Burr Ridge in May. * WSIL | Southern Illinois Back to School expo canceled; donations sought for 2026 event: The Franklin-Williamson Positive Youth Development Action Team (FW-PYD) announced the cancellation of the 2025 Southern Illinois Back to School Expo. Funding challenges led to this difficult decision. The organization said this decision will, unfortunately, be inconvenient and challenging for families in Southern Illinois for the upcoming 2025 - 2026 school year. However, they are actively seeking new opportunities to hold the event in 2026. * PJ Star | ‘Our efforts paid off’: Peoria Ag Lab to remain open, could see growth, congressman says: The National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research – known as the Peoria Ag Lab – will remain open and may even see growth, according to the office of U.S. Rep. Eric Sorensen. A June 4 news release said the proposal for the administration’s Agricultural Research Service budget for fiscal year 2026 included “potential growth for the NCAUR with research expansion.” Congress must still make final funding decisions. * WCIA | University of Illinois names computer scientist, Wisconsin provost as new Chancellor: In a news release, System President Tim Killeen said Charles Lee Isbell Jr. will be the 11th Chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He comes to Illinois from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served as a computer scientist and provost. “It’s the honor of a lifetime to be appointed to the role of chancellor and I’m deeply grateful to President Killeen and the Board of Trustees,” Isbell said. “I’m energized by this chance to serve the citizens of Illinois and advance the mission of learning, discovery, engagement and economic development.” * NPR Illinois | Springfield mayor announces chief of staff is leaving: Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher announced a change Wednesday in her leadership team. Mike Disco, who has been Chief of Staff since Buscher took office, is leaving the position. No reason was given. Disco came to the position from the private sector. “I want to thank Mike Disco for his service and contributions to the City of Springfield,” said Mayor Buscher. “I appreciate his efforts on behalf of our residents and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.” * WSIL | Black Vultures on the Rise: Southern Illinois Farmers Battle Aggressive New Predator:Unlike their red-headed cousins, the turkey vultures, which only feed on carcasses, black vultures are bold, territorial, and known to attack living animals, especially newborn livestock or weakened mothers during birth. Farmer’s have seen attacks on baby calves, lambs, and even piglets. Once uncommon in Illinois, black vultures are now migrating farther north, with officials noting a marked increase in sightings and damage reports over the past few years. * NYT | The Age Issue: More of Congress Is 70-Plus Than Ever Before: When the current Congress was convened in January, there were nearly 120 members who were 70 or older — 86 in the House, including nonvoting delegates, and 33 in the Senate. This number, which is unmatched in modern history, included 14 octogenarians in the House, five in the Senate, and 91-year-old Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa. * WaPo | Supreme Court sides with woman claiming anti-straight job discrimination: The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with a straight woman who claimed she faced bias in the workplace after she was passed over for positions that went to gay colleagues. The decision will make it easier for people who are White, male or not gay to prove bias claims. The justices unanimously struck down a standard, used in nearly half of the nation’s federal circuits, that required members of groups that historically have not faced discrimination to meet a higher bar to prove workplace bias than members of minority groups.
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Pritzker talks about ICE arrests, DC testimony
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. More from the governor’s news media availability today…
Please pardon any transcription errors.
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Sen. Castro won’t run for Congress
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I think Sen. Castro would’ve been a good congressperson, but I’m glad she’s sticking around…
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Credit Unions Applaud Lawmakers For Delaying Interchange Fee Prohibition Act
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] 
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White Sox announce long-term ownership agreement with Chicago billionaire
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Forbes currently estimates Justin Ishbia’s net worth at $4.3 billion. From a Tribune reporter…
Ishbia is the founder of Chicago-based Shore Capital Partners. The full statement is here. Reinsdorf remains the “sole day-to-day decision-maker” for the club.
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Harmon back on the hot seat
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller *Subscribers were told this on Saturday afternoon…
The bill ended up going nowhere. * Anway, Gov. JB Pritzker was asked about Harmon’s abandoned proposal today at a news media availability…
* The problem I have with this is Senate President Harmon assured reporters he had no real legal problems…
And yet.
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Question of the day (Updated by Rich)
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Legislative Information System’s General Assembly website has been a workhorse for years - simple, functional and familiar. Last year, we told you about a new “beta” version of the website. Now, the full switchover is set for next month…
Click here to check out the beta site. * The Question: What do you think about the change? Have you tried the beta site yet? If so, how has it worked for you?
 From the same legislator…
* I have been warning subscribers about this silly AI feature since last December…
I just asked the silly chatbot the same questions and it returned basically all of the same answers, except for the Mary Flowers answer because she’s no longer a member. In other words, I warned about this problem six months ago and they made no effort at all to change it. Dumbest upgrade ever.
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It’s almost a law
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* WAND…
* Sen. Bill Cunningham…
* WCIA…
* CBS Chicago…
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Welch speaks about Proviso sports complex project
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * NBC 5…
* Brian Mackey also asked Speaker Welch about the $40 million…
There’s an old saying about how the big dogs eat first. Also, for your discussion, keep in mind that these are capital dollars, not operations.
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Why Are Tax-Exempt Hospitals Getting Rich?
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Across Illinois, big hospital systems and PBMs are abusing the 340B drug discount program – making massive profits while patients drown in medical bills. One whistleblower called it “laundering money.” Here’s how the scam works: big hospitals buy discounted 340B drugs, bill patients full price, then split the difference with for-profit pharmacies and PBMs. 340B was meant to help Illinois communities in need. But there are no rules requiring hospitals and PBMs to pass savings on to patients. No transparency. No oversight. Just higher costs for working families, small businesses, and taxpayers. Meanwhile, tax-exempt hospitals cash in – and PBMs get a cut too.
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Open thread
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: While Gov. JB Pritzker scored wins during legislative session, cellphone ban, other initiatives fell short. Tribune…
- More than once, Black caucus members balked at Pritzker’s plans as they didn’t see their wants and needs fully addressed during a legislative session that focused heavily on fiscal issues and a tight budget. - Rep. Curtis Tarver, a Chicago Democrat and a member of the Black caucus, told the Tribune in February he worried about the “unintended consequences” of a phone ban in schools, including inequitable enforcement. Sponsored by Community Action for Responsible Hospitals * Gov. Pritzker is scheduled to be in West Chicago at 10 a.m. for a ribbon-cutting celebrating Joel Sert Company’s expansion. Click here to watch. * Sun-Times | Local public media sounds alarm as Trump directs drastic cuts to public broadcasting: President Donald Trump’s request to claw back $1.1 billion in funding for public broadcasting has public media bracing for one of the most serious threats it has ever faced. Trump on Tuesday formally asked Congress to cut money that had been set aside for public broadcasting for the next two years. The “rescission request” jumpstarted a 45-day clock for lawmakers to approve such a request — and with a simple majority needed to approve the slash, there is little room for Republicans to dissent. * WIRED | ICE Quietly Scales Back Rules for Courthouse Raids: A requirement that ICE agents ensure courthouse arrests don’t clash with state and local laws has been rescinded by the agency. ICE declined to explain what that means for future enforcement. * Tribune | Local officials, protesters clash with ICE outside office over detentions in growing escalation over Trump’s immigration tactics: By Wednesday afternoon, elected officials, including Aldermen Anthony Quezada, 35th, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, 25th, and Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, 33rd, joined the growing number of people. Quezada and Rodriguez-Sanchez sat down in front of a white van as it attempted to enter the office parking lot. The vans drove away, and then federal immigration officers wearing sunglasses and face coverings suddenly arrived in a large group and began to jostle and push the approximately 30 people who were there. * WICS | Illinois reaffirms abortion rights in emergency rooms amid federal rollback: Governor JB Pritzker emphasized the state’s commitment to reproductive rights, stating, “I have made protecting and expanding reproductive rights a top priority and in Illinois, providing the full range of reproductive care for anyone facing life-threatening emergencies is enshrined in state law.” * WGN | New Illinois laws, tax changes to kick in July 1, 2025: Effective on July 1st, 2025, House Bill 4951 changes how sales tax is handled on leased or rented property. In the past, lessors paid sales tax on the purchase of property — other than motor vehicles, watercraft, aircraft, and semi-trailer — and did not collect tax on lease payments. Under the new law, lessors can purchase property tax-free using a resale exemption and charge sales tax on lease or rental payments. The new law also impacts lessors of certain computer software licenses. * WTVO | New Illinois laws and tax changes set to kick in on July 1, 2025: Most of the newest laws in the state went into effect on January 1st, 2025, such as a minimum wage increase, but a few are still on the books to go into effect in the second half of the year. * WCIS | Marianne Akers’ attorney speaks on medical condition, over one month after Chatham crash: 44-year-old Marianne Akers’ lawyer said she suffered a seizure, which caused her to drive through an after-school program at the YNOT building. Criminal Defense Attorney, Scott Hanken, told me Marianne Akers has undergone an extensive amount of testing to see what caused this seizure. Hanken said Akers signed a release form to give the Illinois State Police permission to view all of her medical records. * Illinois Times | Armory renovation plans detailed: The 250,000-square-foot Armory building is being transformed from a civic center into an executive office building, with plans to move support staff from the governor’s office and other state agencies into it upon completion. The first phase was completed in January for $26.25 million and focused on removing lead paint, asbestos and mold; repairing masonry; and stabilizing the roof. The initial phase also included removing deteriorated windows and steel panels, many of which were restored or replaced with replicas created with the help of experts specializing in historically accurate renovations. Extensive work on the east exterior wall, which sustained water damage and stone loss, involved meticulous repairs using matched Indiana limestone. * WCIS | Springfield Homeless organizations set to receive $1.1 million; Aldermen vote against it: Aldermen voted in favor, seven versus two. But Aldermen Shawn Gregory and Roy Williams voted against it. Gregory proposed a motion to take some of the money from helping hands and give it to other organizations who provide the same outreach services. Gregory asked city council members to take $350,000 dollars from Helping Hands’ Home ARP funds to give to other outreach programs. * Telegraph | Alton considers replacing Illinois 1% grocery tax as state law ends: At the next Alton Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, committee members are scheduled to vote on whether or not to replace or get rid of a 1% grocery tax in the city. If it passes, the motion will then go through the Alton City Council on Wednesday, June 11. * Telegraph | Granite City steelworkers face uncertainty amid Nippon Steel’s deal: On Friday, President Donald Trump announced his support of a $14 billion “investment” by Japan-based Nippon Steel in U.S. Steel, but how that might impact the Metro East, the home of U.S. Steel/Granite City Works, is largely unknown and both political leaders and union officials have serious concerns. While there has been talk about billions of dollars in investments in U.S. Steel facilities, Granite City Works has not been mentioned. * WGLT | McLean County school leaders disappointed new state budget doesn’t help more with busing and other mandated costs: Educators saw other priorities missing. The state requires schools to provide services such as transportation, school breakfast and lunch and textbooks to students who need them. The state then reimburses the school district for some of the costs associated with these “mandated categoricals.” Not all of the costs are reimbursed, however, and the new state budget added no money in this area. “So when you don’t add new money and expenses go up, we’re actually going to receive less money, like a greater proration of those funds towards the upcoming school year’s budget,” said Kristen Weikle, Unit 5 superintendent. * The Southern | LGBTQ-owned spice farm is Southern Illinois made: “We have people come to market that never realized they could get this here before,” Elias said. “A lot of people think of jams, jellies, pickles, preserves, things like that. They don’t think of heirloom paprika, or fresh ginger, or turmeric.” Recently, Pink Tiger Farm was inducted into the Illinois Made Program, an initiative by the state to highlight locally owned businesses with unique authentic products. * WICS | Hollywood excitement sweeps Monticello as former restaurant transforms into movie set: The building was formally a Hardee’s restaurant that closed several months ago, but now it’s being used to make a movie. On the set, you could see a picture of John Goodman, heavy construction equipment and trailers parked down the street from the restaurant. * WTTW | Chicago Sees Fewest Homicides in Any May Since 2011: Police: According to Chicago Police Department data, there were 36 homicides recorded throughout May 2025, a total that’s down 38% compared to the same month last year and down nearly 50% compared to May 2023. Those 36 homicides were also the fewest for Chicago in any May since 2011, according to CPD data. * Tribune | Former aldermanic candidate wins $1.4M in defamation suit over campaign mailers : South Side Ald. Lamont Robinson’s campaign and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s 4th Ward Democratic Organization are on the hook for $1.475 million in punitive damages over what a Cook County jury found were defamatory mailers and text messages during the 2023 aldermanic campaign. Ebony Lucas, a real estate attorney who lost in the first round of the aldermanic elections in the ward that includes Hyde Park, filed suit in December 2023 over what she described as a “coordinated smear campaign” alleging she had a series of unpaid liens and fines related to her business and violations of the city’s landlord tenant ordinance. * WTTW | Federal Prosecutors Expanding Violence Prevention Initiative to Downtown Chicago, All CTA Train Lines: The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois on Wednesday announced the expansion of its Project Safe Neighborhoods program, which combines the efforts of federal, state and local authorities to help stem violent crime. The nationwide program, first launched in 2001, had only operated in seven Chicago neighborhoods — South Chicago, Gresham, Englewood, Deering, Ogden, Harrison and Austin. * Crain’s | Developer, bike parts maker near deal for West Loop office building: R2 is negotiating to pay close to $14 million for the vintage seven-story building at 550 W. Randolph St. and an adjacent surface parking lot, according to people familiar with the discussions. The talks come several months after the 168,750-square-foot property’s current owner, New York-based real estate investment trust W.P. Carey, put it up for sale. * A good omen?…
* Sun-Times | Cook County erases nearly $665 million in medical debt for more than a half million residents: * Daily Herald | Suburbs welcoming data centers say they’ll benefit their communities: When it comes to the use of electricity and other resources like water, data centers are expected to pay their way and keep residents and fellow businesses free of negative side effects of their presence, Hoffman Estates Village Manager Eric Palm said Wednesday. Hoffman Estates is home to two data center campuses in development, and a third could be on the way. The financial responsibility for the resources and the infrastructure they need to operate lies with the operators, Palm said. However, according to a report this week from market monitor Morning Analytics, the rapid development of data centers connected to the largest U.S. electric grid has raised costs by $9.4 billion for customers across the Midwest and East Cost, including Illinois. * WGN | Non-profit fears for future of blindness research if Donald Trump’s budget passes: The Foundation Fighting Blindness, a Maryland-based non-profit organization who organizes the Chicago Vision Walk, fears clinical trials and promising new treatments for blindness and retinal disease will be frozen or canceled if President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” passes into law. […] “We are driving research for therapies. They’re called gene therapies that can replace or fix that code,” said Ben Shaberman, Vice President of Communications for the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB). “So, the cells in the retina work correctly, and vision can be saved or restored.” * WTTW | Battery Case Dismissed Against Aurora Resident in Dispute With Former Mayor’s Campaign Team: Maurice said there’s no way for that to have happened and denies using any profanity. He said that he remembers spitting in the yard next to his driveway — more than 25 feet away from where the campaign workers were parked. According to the report, the alleged victim said that “Maurice’s spit landed on his legs. … I observed (the person) to be wearing snow pants, and they were dry where he stated that the spit landed.” At Wednesday’s hearing, Maurice’s attorney told the judge that a fellow campaign worker who was attending court said the alleged victim was not interested in pursuing the charge. * WGN | Cannabis-friendly music festival returning to Chicago’s northwest suburbs: A two-day immersive outdoor festival that merges the worlds of cannabis and music will again return to Chicagoland for its third consecutive year this September. The Miracle in Mundelein, Illinois’ first music festival that legally permits attendees to bring and consume cannabis on-site, will return the weekend of Sept. 6-7. The festival will occur across the street from RISE Cannabis Mundelein Recreational Dispensary at 1325 Armour Blvd., in north suburban Mundelein. * Tribune | ‘Wearing a tree kind of broke down a barrier’: Monee nursery workers promote the importance and beauty of native plants: Five years later, Possibility Place Nursery began growing exclusively native trees and shrubs from seeds collected within a 150-mile radius in northern Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. It has since expanded to over 55 acres, where nearly 60,000 trees thrive and over 18,000 are planted each year. “There’s not too many of us out there that grow strictly native, locally collected (plants),” said Kelsay Shaw, Tristan’s brother. “We rely on ourselves. That’s really what sets us apart.” * AP | Measles vaccination rates drop after COVID-19 pandemic in counties across the US: A Johns Hopkins University study, published in JAMA this week, illustrates where more vulnerable communities are located. The results mirror trends established at state and national levels: Routine childhood vaccination rates are dropping. “When you look at the state level or national level … you really don’t see those drastic drops. Those are there. They’re real and they’re really problematic,” said Lauren Gardner, an expert in infectious disease modeling at Johns Hopkins University who is the paper’s senior author. Gardner also built the university’s COVID-19 database. * Cultivated | VCs and private equity investors are fueling the potentially $20 billion low dose THC beverage boom: Cultivated has uncovered tens of millions of dollars actively chasing hemp-derived THC and traditional cannabis beverage plays, through interviews with key investors. The fizz has bubbled up despite escalating restrictions on hemp-derived products and outright bans in some key markets, including California, Texas and Tennessee. * WSJ | Economists Raise Questions About Quality of U.S. Inflation Data: The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the office that publishes the inflation rate, told outside economists this week that a hiring freeze at the agency was forcing the survey to cut back on the number of businesses where it checks prices. In last month’s inflation report, which examined prices in April, government statisticians had to use a less precise method for guessing price changes more extensively than they did in the past. * WAND | NOAA weather radios will be offline longer than expected for updates: The agency originally said that the radios would be offline from Tuesday to Thursday, but now expect the outage to continue well into Friday. The NWS said it cannot reschedule this upgrade even if severe weather occurs, and advise users to have alternative ways to receive severe weather information during this period
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Live coverage
Thursday, Jun 5, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
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