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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What are y’all’s food recs for the DNC?…



* Journal Courier…

The Redneck Fishing Tournament, an annual quest to have fun while ridding the Illinois River of an invasive species, is ready for another run this summer.

The tournament, hosted by the 279 residents of Bath, takes place along the Illinois River, which forms the western border of the village. This year’s event will be Aug 1-3. Activities on the first day are dominated by a kids’ fishing tournament.

The tournament is a blend of fun and a serious mission. The fun is the festivities and the fishing. The serious part is fundraising and trying to reduce the number of copi, formerly known as Asian carp, in the Illinois River.

“Ugly fish, cold beer, good causes and great times. If you haven’t experienced the Redneck Fishing Tournament, you owe it to yourself to check it out,” said tournament organizer Nikki Gregerson.

* The top copi catchers…



If you’re curious you can try copi during the State Fair at Conservation World.

*** DNC***

* Sun-Times | Where Chicago DNC hosts will get the parties started: The Chicago 2024 Host Committee on Wednesday announced the locations of the three giant parties it is throwing to kick off the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention runs Aug. 19-22, with thousands of delegates and journalists expected to begin arriving the weekend before.

* The Triibe | Chicago Police to get the bulk of $75 million in DNC security funds: The document states that $26.7 million of the DOJ funds will be spent on personnel. Of that, more than $17.6 million is allocated to CPD for personnel, including operations and training, as well as regular and overtime pay. The Fire Department will get $4.7 million for operational and personnel costs. The OEMC will receive nearly $800,000 for the event. Another $3.7 million is going toward “Asset Protection Personnel,” according to the budget document. In an emailed statement, the OBM said the Asset Protection Program “is typically a term used to describe strategies and measures implemented by governments to safeguard valuable assets from risks or loss.” However, OBM could not disclose whether the program is part of another agency or a standalone entity.

* CBS Chicago | Chicago’s DNC Organizers Hosting Virtual Community Impact Meetings For Residents: These meetings come after neighbors who live near the United Center have said they’re concerned about the effect of all the tight security restrictions and large crowds. Police and the Secret Service addressed just those concerns. In July, officials unveiled the security perimeters around both the United Center and McCormick Place during the DNC. The secure areas for the convention are divided into a vehicle-screening perimeter and a pedestrian-restricted perimeter.

* Tribune | Chicago business owners unsure if they’ll see DNC business boost: Owner Rick Cheng speculated that diners might be trying to avoid the area during the Democratic National Convention. The Oyster House, at 1933 S. Indiana Ave., is located within the security perimeter outside of McCormick Place. […] Cheng said that typically people booking private parties during other large conventions book reservations months in advance. For the DNC, during which Chicago expects 50,000 visitors to descend upon the city, Cheng said, “We got nada.”

* Block Club Chicago | Illinois Black Panther Party Honored In New Exhibit Ahead Of DNC: When the Democratic National Convention came to Chicago in 1968, the Illinois Black Panther Party was just beginning. That August 56 years ago, Bobby Rush, Bob Brown and Fred Hampton came together to found the party’s Chicago chapter. Now — ahead of another Democratic National Convention in the Windy City — the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., and the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party are honoring the Illinois chapter’s history of Black political struggle in a new exhibit.

*** Chicago ***

* Injustice Watch | Rising rents, unlivable apartments leave tenants desperate, confused, and often helpless: An Injustice Watch investigation found thousands of lower-income renters in Chicago are trapped in unsafe buildings, forced to pay rising rents, even as many landlords are allowed to shirk their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, warm, and free of rats.

* People’s Fabric | “Y’all jump out on us every day”—Tactical team that killed Dexter Reed was involved in a shooting 24 hours earlier: The new videos from March 20 show the squad who killed Reed rolling through the same West Side neighborhood with another unmarked police SUV. Nine plainclothes tactical officers stop and hop out of their vehicle to search a man sitting in a chair on the sidewalk, citing a “large bulge” in his waistband on their investigatory stop report. Cops ultimately found nothing. Within seconds, however, the encounter turned fatal—not for a human, but somebody’s pet. Body-worn camera videos activated after the fact capture, without audio, officer Michael Ambrose pumping multiple rounds into a gray pit bull who approached him excitedly.

* Crain’s | Climate change is slowing moves from the Snow Belt to Sun Belt: The implications for Chicago and other cold-climate cities are obvious in a study that says “the U.S. population is starting to move away from areas increasingly exposed to extreme heat days toward historically colder areas, which are becoming more attractive as extreme cold days become increasingly rare.”

* Crain’s | American Bar Association names new president: Thompson Coburn partner Bill Bay has been tapped as the next president of the Chicago-based American Bar Association. Having served as chair of the ABA house of delegates and chair of the ABA section on litigation, Bay brings experience to the role, which he assumed yesterday following the close of the ABA house of delegates meeting in Chicago. He replaces Mary Smith.

* Block Club | Cellphone Thefts Ruin Lollapalooza For Some, But Fest Arrests Down: The music festival, which ran Thursday-Sunday in Grant Park, saw arrests drop to a five-year low, with nine arrests made and seven citations issued, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. There were 63 ambulance transports made over the course of the fest. […] But cellphone thefts remain a stubborn problem at Lollapalooza.

* NBC Chicago | Meet ‘Oscar from Chicago,’ Lollapalooza fan plucked from crowd to drum with The Killers: NBC Chicago caught up with the lucky fan, 20-year-old Oscar Reza Bautista, on Monday. “I had seen people play the drums with them before, and I said, ‘I want to be one of them,’” Reza Bautista said. “Brandon starts looking at my sign and pointing at it, and everything starts shaking.”

* Tribune | ‘Hot Ones’ live event coming to Chicago on Aug. 28: Stella Artois will host the event Aug. 28 at Moonlight Studios from 6-9 p.m. as part of Stella Artois’ Let’s Do Dinner Summer Series. The series will also have stops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. More than 300 contestants at the event will take part in the “Wings of Death” in an eat-along experience with 10 mouth-watering hot sauces. Evans will be joined by a special celebrity guest, who will be announced the week before the event.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Capitol News Illinois | South suburban airport could bring over $1B in economic activity, per report: A study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a think tank with ties to organized labor, found that building a cargo-focused airport in the south suburbs would create around 6,300 total jobs. […] The Illinois General Assembly has recently taken several steps to advance progress on the long-delayed south suburban airport. In 2023, state legislators passed a law requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop a process for requesting contractors and other developers to submit plans.

* Daily Herald | Jury orders city of Naperville to pay $22.5M in damages connected to wrongful conviction in arson, murder: A federal jury awarded the damages to William Amor’s estate, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday. […] He spent 22 years in prison before a judge ruled that advances in fire science proved descriptions in his confession were impossible. The judge later acquitted him. Amor filed a federal lawsuit against the city in 2018. He died last year before the case went to trial.

* Naperville Sun | Naperville police make 21st gun-related arrest in Topgolf parking lot since August 2023: Officers approached Altman-McCray and another person after they retuned to the vehicle and found that while Altman-McCray possessed a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card and Concealed Carry License, he had improperly stowed the weapon and was in possession of the firearm while allegedly intoxicated, Munch said. […] Naperville police also have been making arrests on drug-related charges outside the facility in recent weeks.

* Daily Herald | ‘Everything was gone’: Burglars tunnel through stores to steal $1.5M in jewelry from Woodfield: Schaumburg police said the crime was discovered by a construction worker who entered a vacant store adjacent to Marquise Jewelry at about 9:30 a.m. Monday and reported a hole in the drywall. Police said they found the suspects covered one of the surveillance cameras to avoid detection. More disturbing was how the burglars gained access to their store. The couple found a small hole in the wall, and later learned from police the burglars cut through the walls of three other businesses to get to their jewelry store.

* Patch | Will County Brewing Company Closes Channahon Bar For Good: About a year and a half after Will County Brewing Company opened their second location, taking over the shuttered River Hawk Brewery along Route 6, the owners of the Shorewood-based microbrewery have decided that enough is enough, it’s time to close the Channahon location forever.

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | Pork Patio serves up family favorites at Illinois State Fair: The menu will feature budget friendly classics, including chop on-a-stick, pork twister, pork burgers, pork chops, and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. JBS, Smithfield, Tyson, and Rantoul Foods have generously donated pork for the patio. Illinois pig farmers, industry organizations, sports teams, and other volunteers graciously spend time working shifts at the fair to serve customers and make the patio a success.

* WPSD | Southern Illinois sinkhole causes apartment building to ‘fall into the earth’: A sinkhole forced three families to evacuate Sunday, Aug. 4, after shifting an apartment building 23 inches, according to Carrier Mills Police Chief Scott Isaacs. […] The sinkhole was discovered Sunday morning when a spouse of a city street department employee was traveling on Russell Street and noticed the road had buckled, according to Isaacs.

* River Bender | Southern Illinois University Carbondale Faculty Secure New Contract: The agreement not only provides salary adjustments for faculty but also reforms office hour policies to encourage more comprehensive student engagement, and it provides support for program directors and coordinators who work to recruit and grow students in programs across campus.

* WSIL | Carterville’s National Night Out helps the community meet their local police officers: Officer Travis Morgan hopes these events help remove any divides between the police and the people they serve. “But I’m big on the personal relationship between the police and the community. Especially since becoming a school resource officer and seeing the kids recognize you,” Morgan says. “So tonight it’s a good time. It’s great for the kids and the families.”

*** National ***

* AP | NASA delays next crew launch to buy more time at the space station for Boeing’s troubled capsule: Tuesday marked the two-month point at the space station for Starliner’s test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who should have been back by mid-June. NASA is weighing all its options for returning the two veteran astronauts, including a ride home in a SpaceX capsule. “NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” NASA said in a statement. Further details were expected at a news conference set for Wednesday.

  23 Comments      


Your moment of zen

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Thousands of rubber ducks were dumped in the Chicago River today to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. Photo from Colin Boyle, one of my favorite Chicago photojournalists…

* WGN…

The Ducky Derby will raise more than $300,000 for Special Olympics Illinois athletes. Ducks can still be purchased for $10 each right up until the massive dump truck of rubber ducks is poured off the Columbus Bridge and into the river.

Ashley Jones, this year’s Special Olympics Illinois Ambassador, will race down and pluck the lucky duck that wins the race out of the river.

“I’m so excited,” said Jones, a 13-time Special Olympian with gold medals in gymnastics several years in a row. […]

“I’ve been able to see her make a lot of friends, grow a lot of leadership skills,” Tatiana Jones, Ashley’s sister, says. “She’s had an opportunity to travel, have fun, participate in a lot of sports, and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences like this.”

You can watch the Ducky Derby live by clicking here.

  5 Comments      


Pritzker calls for Sangamon County Sheriff Campbell’s resignation (Updated x3)

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Subscribers know more. Governor Pritzker at an unrelated news conference this morning…

Amanda Vinicky: Could speak about you why are you calling for the resignation of the Sangamon County Sheriff? And also, I believe, you committed to the Massey family that you would sign a bill in her name?

Governor Pritzker: That’s a little inaccurate. We had a conversation about it. There wasn’t a bill. There were some ideas that were discussed when I visited with the Massey family.

But let me just begin by reminding everybody of this terrible tragedy and something that never should happen anywhere in the United States, let alone in the state of Illinois or in Sangamon County. Where a woman who called police to get help, asked them to protect her was instead killed by the deputy sheriff. And if you watch the video, in a horrific fashion.

I can’t get past the idea that we have to do more to protect people. We’ve done a lot, and I want to credit the Illinois State Police, who did the investigation in a very short 10 days. That’s hard to do, to do an investigation, because you’ve got to do a lot of interviews. It’s a, you know, I think a fulsome endeavor and came to the state’s attorney, who immediately was able to get a grand jury to file charges. So it happened in a quick fashion as it can. But it never should have happened in the first place.

And I talked to one of the Black elected leaders in Illinois just after it happened, to get her perspective and she shared with me because I was so upset about it. She shared with me that even though, yeah, we haven’t made enough progress. She said to me that, you know, in years past, there never would have been an investigation. There wouldn’t have been a body cam. No one would have known what really happened. And maybe the silver lining, if there is a silver lining in this, is that someone is being held accountable. And yet we have much more to do.

So, yes, I sat with the Massey family and promised them that we would look at every avenue to determine how we might prevent this from happening to anyone ever again.

And I called for the Sheriff’s resignation, because the sheriff has failed. He has failed to explain how he ended up hiring this deputy sheriff who has been fired from other departments. He failed to put forward reforms that clearly need to be made, training and other reforms.

And [Campbell] still has failed to meet with the Massey family. That seems to me, I’m not saying that’s a fireable offense to not meet with them. But that just seems outrageous to me. At a minimum, listen to them, hear them and then, hopefully, take action.

So that’s why I called, and the Lieutenant Governor and I did that together, just to be clear, called for his resignation.

…Adding… WAND reporter Caryn Eisert has Sheriff Campbell’s response…

I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the Sheriff’s Office through both good times and bad. I am fully prepared to continue leading my office and serving the residents of Sangamon County through this difficult period, ensuring we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future.

* Campbell’s full statement…

The Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office continues to grieve for Sonya Massey and her family. While our grief cannot compare to the pain of the family, our office is trying to heal from within; All employees of the Sheriff’s Office feel betrayed by one of their own.
 
On four separate occasions, I have requested to meet with the Massey family through intermediaries designated by the family. My requests have been rejected or not accepted. I am still willing to meet with the family.

The Sheriff’s Office is willing to modify our hiring practices in order to prevent an incident like this from occurring again. However, before changes can be made, it is important to identify the problem. We have used a process that we believe was consistent with statewide standards. If these standards are deficient, we would advocate a change at all necessary levels. 

We are working diligently to gather all the facts in order to make intelligent decisions and to avoid making changes that are unlikely to lead to meaningful results. I agree with the Governor’s comments from yesterday, there are still questions. I have worked tirelessly to make all the facts available to the public as swiftly and transparently as possible.

I am committed to working with our community and elected leaders to improve not only the Sheriff’s Office but also hiring standards on a statewide level to prevent a state agency from certifying a similar law enforcement officer six different times in the future. 

We need to unite and heal. The one responsible is in jail and will never work in law enforcement again. Calls for my resignation are nothing more than political maneuvering during a tragic event and only hurt the good citizens of Sangamon County.

I was overwhelmingly elected to lead the Sheriff’s Office through both good times and bad. I am fully prepared to continue leading my office and serving the residents of Sangamon County through this difficult period, ensuring we learn from this tragedy and work toward a better future.
 

…Adding… The governor pushed back on Campbell’s statement during his second press conference of the day…

It’s been a month. It’s been a month. We should have seen already a meeting with the Massey family. If he’s reached out, he hasn’t done a very good job, because the Massey family hasn’t had the meeting that they’ve asked for.

Second, as you know, the deputy sheriff resigned from every position. [Sean Grayson] held positions for less than a year, sometimes for just a few months, six times resigned. And I ask the question simply, and I think people have for a month now, what did the sheriff know about his background? Why didn’t he do more work on his background before hiring him? And a month has gone by again. A lot could have been said about that over the course of this month.

And the final thing is, this isn’t about politics. It’s about bringing people together in Sangamon County and making people feel safe. It’s the sheriff’s job to make people feel safe, and he’s done the opposite of that by not answering questions, by going to a church and beginning his remarks by saying, I’m not resigning, like as if that’s the first thing people want to hear. And then there are signs that have been put up about saving him, not doing something about the murder of Sonia Massey, but about saving his political career. So I think he’s the one that’s played politics. It’s time for him to go.

  60 Comments      


Pritzker signs three abortion-related bills

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* AP…

Abortion was slightly more common across the U.S. in the first three months of this year than it was before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for states to implement bans, a report released Wednesday found.

A major reason for the increase is that some Democratic-controlled states enacted laws to protect doctors who use telemedicine to see patients in places that have abortion bans, according to the quarterly #WeCount report for the Society of Family Planning, which supports abortion access. […]

Fallout from the Supreme Court’s June 2022 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has remade the way abortion works across the country. The #WeCount data, which has been collected in a monthly survey since April 2022, shows how those providing and seeking abortion have adapted to changing laws.

The survey found that the number of abortions fell to nearly zero in states that ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy and declined by about half in places that ban it after six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant. Fourteen states are enforcing bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with some exceptions, and four others bar it after about six weeks of pregnancy. [.,.]

Numbers went up in places where abortion remains legal until further into pregnancy — and especially in states such as Illinois, Kansas and New Mexico, which border states with bans.

* From the report…

During the period of January-March 2024, states that provided the largest average number of abortions per month included California (16,217), New York (9,660), Illinois (8,243), Florida (7,470), and New Jersey (4,983)

In June, WTTW reported 25% of Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients are from out of state — compared to about 4% pre-Dobbs.

* Governor JB Pritzker…

Today Governor JB Pritzker, joined by legislators, civil rights leaders, and activists, signed multiple bills designed to further protect reproductive rights in Illinois. The package of bills signed includes HB581, which ensures that pregnant women can access needed emergency medical care, HB5239, which expands Illinois’ shield laws, and HB4867, which clarifies and expands the Illinois Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination based on reproductive health decisions.

“It is no longer enough to legislate for the current moment. We sadly have to anticipate a future when the Supreme Court and other bad actors further restrict and punish women seeking to exercise their medical rights and control over their bodies. ​ These new laws will ensure that women in Illinois and those travelling from out of state can avoid persecution and discrimination on every level,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These laws work together alongside the legislation my administration has already put in place to ensure providers and patients alike can make the best decisions for themselves, their bodies, and their families without fear of retribution or legal liability from hostile states.”

“These bills ensure that medical decisions remain where they belong - in the hands of individuals and their doctors,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “Our state is committed to being a place where the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare is accessible and respected. The legislation signed today ensures that Illinois remains a beacon of hope and personal freedom.”

The Illinois response to EMTALA was passed due to concerns that the U.S. Supreme Court could overturn the federal EMTALA, which protects people’s right to stabilizing emergency care, including abortion when it is necessary to save the life or health of a patient. The passage of HB5239 ensures that doctors can continue to provide, and women can continue to receive, life and health saving reproductive care even if the federal legal standards change.

Illinois has passed legislation that shields both providers and patients who travel to Illinois from being punished by states with draconian abortion and gender affirming care restrictions. In January of 2023, Governor Pritzker enacted an interstate shield law protecting providers, patients, and those who assist patients in any way from licensure consequences and out of state legal actions. HB5239 further expands these protections. ​ Under the law, state and local jurisdictions cannot provide any information or expend any resources to help an out of state entity investigate legal healthcare, including abortions or gender affirming care, provided in Illinois.

HB4867 adds reproductive health decisions to the Illinois Human Rights Act. Reproductive health decisions include a broad continuum of personal decisions regarding abortion and birth control, fertility or sterilization care, miscarriage management care, assisted reproductive technologies such as in-vitro fertilization, and prenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care.

HB 4867 clarifies and extends existing anti-discrimination protections by ensuring Illinoisans have the right to engage in reproductive health decision-making without facing discrimination. It also complements existing protections found in the Reproductive Health Act, which protects Illinoisans from State of Illinois interference with the fundamental rights of individuals to make autonomous decisions about their reproductive health. The Reproductive Health Decisions bill further protects Illinoisans from discrimination based on those decisions.

The protections apply across all areas of the Act, including employment, housing and real estate, financial credit, and public accommodations. Under this amendment, it would be a civil rights violation for:

An employer to terminate an employee for seeking to start or expand their family with the assistance of in-vitro fertilization
A housing provider to refuse a prospective tenant an apartment rental because the person had an abortion
A bank or credit union to deny an applicant a loan or credit because it would be used for fertility treatments

“Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, states around the country have enacted draconian measures to restrict patients’ access to critical reproductive health care – at the expense of patients’ health and lives,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said. “My office is proud to continue to partner with Gov. Pritzker’s administration to draft legislation and identify new avenues to ensure Illinois is a safe haven for patients to access comprehensive abortion and gender-affirming care. I am committed to using the authority of my office to continue to defend against legal challenges to our laws that preserve Illinois as an oasis of reproductive health care.”

“Illinois stands as a sanctuary for all who seek to make personal health care decisions in privacy and safety,” said Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park). “These new laws reflect our unwavering commitment to protecting and valuing the rights of every individual.”

“Regardless of what happens at the federal level, or any decisions made by an extremist Supreme Court, in Illinois we believe that equitable access to safe reproductive health care is a fundamental right,” said House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. “In Illinois, people seeking health care won’t be criminalized, providers will never be forced to abandon their patients, and we will remain a safe haven for anyone in need of lifesaving care. I want to thank Reps. Cassidy, Moeller, Avelar, as well as the rest of our House Reproductive Health Working Group for their commitment to ensuring Illinois has the strongest protections possible.”

* Sen. Celina Villanueva…

A new law from State Senator Celina Villanueva will ensure reproductive health care records are not being improperly disclosed.

“As we navigate the war on reproductive rights, preventative laws like this are essential in counteracting restrictive and overarching laws of other states,” said Villanueva (D-Chicago). “As a safe haven state, it is our responsibility to reinforce state-level protections where federal protections have failed us.”

Last year Villanueva led House Bill 4664 – a law to shield out-of-state patients and in-state providers from legal action originating from other states regarding abortions performed here. To expand upon that measure and provide further protections, Villanueva championed House Bill 5239 this year.

The law will ensure that location information and health records for reproductive health care performed in Illinois will not be subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Further, it will ensure that units of local governments could not assist in imposing a civil or criminal liability against a person or provider who received reproductive or gender affirming care in Illinois.

“While federal protections are important, they have made it clear that state-level protections are crucial in safeguarding reproductive rights,” said Villanueva. “This law stands to uphold state autonomy as we continue to make reproductive healthcare a priority.”

House Bill 5239 was signed into law Wednesday and is effective immediately.

* Sen. Laura Fine…

o further safeguard patients from discriminatory practices based on their reproductive health decisions, State Senator Laura Fine spearheaded a law that adds additional protections under the Human Rights Act.

“Reproductive health and family planning decisions are personal and it is important that there are laws in place to ensure these rights are upheld in Illinois,” said Fine (D-Glenview). “These additions to the Human Rights Act will provide necessary protections.”

House Bill 4867 will protect against unlawful discrimination for individuals who exercise their reproductive health rights. The law adds “reproductive health decisions” as a vital protection under the Human Rights Act. This ensures an individual is not discriminated against in employment or housing for their reproductive health decisions, including the use of contraception, fertility or sterilization care, assisted reproductive technologies, miscarriage management care, health care related to the continuation or termination of pregnancy, and prenatal, intranatal and postnatal care.

“Illinois supports individuals making personal health care choices,” said Fine. “This law will help individuals feel protected.”

House Bill 4867 was signed into law Wednesday and goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.

* Sen. Celina Villanueva…

State Senator Celina Villanueva championed a newly signed law to continue to support reproductive health care, as anti-choice action threatens to infringe on people’s rights.

“These persistent anti-choice attacks are intolerable and protections are absolutely necessary,” said Villanueva (D – Chicago). “Women throughout Illinois and beyond have a constitutional right to access vital life-saving care and medically necessary services.”

House Bill 581 protects Illinois patients from another pending Supreme Court rollback of reproductive rights by ensuring Illinois hospitals must provide any medically necessary services—including abortion services—to stabilize a patient at risk of severe injury or death.

Villanueva’s measure came as the Supreme Court heard Moyle v. Idaho. This case questioned whether Idaho’s total abortion ban is exempt from the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. Idaho argued that it should be exempt, which would have undermined critical patient protections in cases of severe pregnancy complications. The Supreme Court dismissed the case – putting it back in the hands of Idaho’s Ninth Circuit Court. However, it is expected the case will once again be heard before SCOTUS in the future – further securing the need for Illinois to ensure these protections remain in place and impose civil penalties on hospitals that refuse to provide lifesaving abortion procedures through House Bill 581.

“Maintaining and reinforcing measures that ensure the well-being and inalienable rights of women in Illinois will always be a priority,” said Villanueva. “By strengthening our reproductive health care laws to support the delicate process of bringing life into this world we are able to protect women in a nation that is committed to denying our rights.”

House Bill 581 was signed into law Wednesday and is effective immediately.

* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…

Today, Governor Pritzker signed into law House Bill 581, sponsored by Representative Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Romeoville, which will proactively protect women’s right to life-saving care from being restricted by adverse rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States.

“Today, Illinois stands as a model of compassion and care, reaffirming our commitment to ensuring that no pregnant person facing a medical crisis is denied the care they need,” said Representative Dagmara ‘Dee’ Avelar, D-Romeoville. “Unfortunately, we are being forced to take action as the recent decisions by the anti-choice majority on the Supreme Court has put the lives and wellbeing of millions of women at risk. I am proud to stand with Governor Pritzker and my colleagues in the General Assembly to remove the possibility of a Supreme Court ruling restricting the ability of pregnant people to receive the unfettered professional care that is their right.”

Although currently protected by federal law, the Supreme Court’s anti-choice majority deferred a ruling in Moyle v Idaho, a case that would exempt Idaho’s total abortion ban from the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA). Idaho has presented the Court with an argument that, if accepted, would dismantle critical patient protections in cases involving severe pregnancy complications. The court’s decision has kept open the possibility that they may interfere with women’s ability to access lifesaving care on very short notice.

Should the Supreme Court again strike down federal protections for patient health, House Bill 581 would ensure these protections remain in place in Illinois and would impose civil penalties on hospitals that refuse to provide lifesaving abortion procedures.

With the passage of this bill into law, women, and all pregnant people, will not have to worry about accessing lifesaving treatment in Illinois.

  5 Comments      


Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.

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Open thread

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…

  4 Comments      


Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois!

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

In less than one year, a new law will create credit card chaos for millions of Illinois consumers, small business owners and workers who rely on tips. The law changes how your credit card is processed and has never been done anywhere in the world. The end result is windfall for corporate mega-stores paid for through costly operational hurdles for small businesses and a loss of convenience and privacy for consumers who could have to pay tax and gratuity with cash. There’s still time to protect Illinois small business owners, consumers and workers by repealing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act now! For more information, visit guardyourcard.com/Illinois.

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Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker sees the writing on the Walz — calls Minnesota governor chosen for VP slot ‘kind and decent human being.’Sun-Times…

Viewed by many as a dark horse candidate, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has not been selected to serve as Kamala Harris’ running mate.

Harris instead chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the Democratic Party’s vice presidential candidate on Tuesday. Elected to Congress in 2007, he has served as the governor of Minnesota since 2019. Walz, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly were widely viewed as the final contenders. […]

Speaking at a bill-signing in Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker said he was “torn” about being considered as a vice presidential candidate and called the vetting “a grueling, long process,” despite it being an abbreviated one. […]

Pritzker would not definitively say whether he is considering a third run for governor in 2026 or would consider taking over for Walz as chair of the governors association should the ticket win.

“At the moment, I’m just focused on the job that I’ve got,” he said. He also said that he has not contemplated a Cabinet position should Democrats win.

* Related stories…

Governor Pritzker will sign bills expanding reproductive rights access at 10 am. Then, at 3 pm the governor will unveil the 2024 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow at the State Fairgrounds. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | The nightmare is over: Chicago White Sox snap historic 21-game losing streak with 5-1 win: It was the team’s first victory since the first game of a July 10 doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. That was nearly a month ago. The skid ends with the Sox tied with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the second-longest losing streak in major-league history.


*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Johnson calls off plans for special meeting to confirm Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning chair: Unable to attract a quorum, Mayor Brandon Johnson has abandoned plans to interrupt the Chicago City Council’s summer recess to install Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) as Zoning Committee chair. “We never meet in August. August has traditionally has been the month off for all of the City Council. I know many of my colleagues are traveling. I’m getting ready to go to a family reunion,” said Finance Committee Chair Pat Dowell (3rd).

* Crain’s | Johnson under pressure as budget gap could reach nearly $1 billion: “All options are on the table” for Mayor Brandon Johnson as his administration prepares for a significantly larger budget gap in 2025 than the $538 million shortfall he closed after taking office last year, according to the city’s budget director. When the city announced the $538 million gap last year in its annual forecast, officials projected a $986 million gap for 2025 under a baseline economic outlook. Budget Director Annette Guzman has met with members of the City Council and department leaders in recent weeks to warn the outlook hasn’t changed much in the last year.

* Sun-Times | Before gunfight with Dexter Reed, Chicago cops made 50 traffic stops in just 3 days: In the wake of the shooting, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling has pushed to overhaul the department’s controversial traffic stop practices under an ongoing federal consent decree. Advocates and activists argue the pace of court-ordered reform is too slow to address a pressing issue that was brought into sharp focus when Reed was fatally shot. Many have called on the department to immediately disband its tactical units and to stop making traffic stops as an excuse to conduct searches.

* The Triibe | How Chicago’s young peacekeepers build up community to bring down violence: Through its summer Peacekeepers pilot program, GKMC is building on the heart of its mission, using healing, restorative justice practices and a holistic approach to violence prevention. This approach addresses the root causes of violence rather than taking a punitive approach, and the program makes space for “young people to be the peacekeepers and the changemakers,” said Carlil Pittman, executive director of GKMC, and brother of Carleeta Pittman.

* Sun-Times | Greyhound to be booted from West Loop station by mid-September, CEO says — so city must act now: Greyhound and other bus carriers are set to be evicted from their longtime station in the West Loop in mid-September. The city hasn’t offered a viable alternative with indoor accommodations. The bus lines’ mostly low-income riders may soon find themselves waiting outdoors with their belongings and without restrooms or protection from harsh weather.

* WBBM | Once vacant lot in Chicago’s South Side Bronzeville now a sanctuary: The new outdoor space at Martin Luther King Drive in East 47th Street in Bronzeville offers the community a green space to enjoy. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the South Side Sanctuary plaza featured an opening from the King College Prep High School marching band and included local vendors, selling food, drinks and merchandise.

* Block Club | Bea Lumpkin, Chicago Labor Legend, Marks 106th Birthday As She Keeps Up The Fight For Workers’ Rights: The labor organizer, who has been active since the ’30s, celebrated her birthday with retired steelworkers this week — but only after speaking on the presidential race, union contracts, intergenerational unity and other causes that have defined her life.

* Block Club | Christkindlmarket Will Not Return To Wrigleyville In 2024: Organizers of the popular Christkindlmarket announced the German-style outdoor market will not return to Wrigley Field’s Gallagher Way in 2024. “Due to the NHL Winter classic and additional programming, the Christkindlmarket will not take place in Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way this year,” the market’s organizers wrote in a statement. “(We) regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate the community’s understanding and we look forward to returning to Lakeview in future years.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | How Palatine plans to jump start development near Dundee Road and Route 53: While taxing bodies collect property taxes from the frozen value, dollars from new growth go into a fund that can be used to cover infrastructure costs in the project area. The new TIF district includes 17 parcels and 24 buildings on 44 acres.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Massey family holds vigil one month after her death: The vigil packed the small street. Her family, who is still processing it all, said the support has helped them a long these thirty days, but their path towards healing will go much longer. “The community has been awesome and great for us, with us being together, and not just the Massey family having to do this by ourselves,” [Shadia Massey, Sonya’s cousin] said.

* WGLT | An effort would let voters weigh in on the Sangamon County Sheriff’s job: Campbell’s term as sheriff won’t end until 2026. The ballot initiative would be non-binding, so Campbell, 60, would not be forced to leave no matter the outcome.

* WGEM | ‘That is fiscal insanity’: Western Illinois University board approves staff reduction: In a special board of trustees meeting early Tuesday morning, Western Illinois University administration unanimously received approval to proceed with more layoffs. This comes as Western is trying to balance a $20 million budget deficit. However, the question as to how many employees will be laid off still remains. Administrators would not release a number.

* SJ-R | Illinois State Fair, art showcase and more: 5 things to do around Springfield: The first week of the Illinois State Fair means fun for the whole family and enough sugary food to keep kids bouncing the entire day. But the fair isn’t the only thing going on this weekend. Here’s a look at five things to do in the Springfield area this weekend.

* Shaw Local | It’s (almost) showtime at the Illinois State Fair: The Illinois State Fair will kick off this week in Springfield with music, a parade and plenty of food. Illinois 4-H will serve as the grand marshals of this year’s Twilight Parade, celebrating youth involved in the state’s No. 1 industry.

* WCIA | Meet the traveling plumber representing Central Illinois in a national competition: Now, Hall is taking those traits to the next level. He won the Illinois Pipe Trades Plumbing Championship for Apprentices in the spring. […] Hall’s next stop is the national competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He’ll be competing against six others in the plumbing category.

*** National ***

* Reuters | US judge describes how Google built and defended illegal search monopoly: U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday ruled that Google had violated antitrust law by spending billions of dollars to secure exclusive agreements with developers, carriers and equipment makers to be the default search engine. […] “Sure, users can access Google’s rivals by switching the default search access point or by downloading a rival search app or browser. But the market reality is that users rarely do so.”

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Live coverage

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Selected press releases (Live updates)

Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Capitol News Illinois…

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a bill on Tuesday that’s aimed at providing free identification cards to more people exiting correctional facilities in Illinois.

The state already provides identification cards to people leaving the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice, but the new law expands the program to every county jail and federal prison in the state. It took effect upon Pritzker’s signature. […]

The new law also allows officials to verify a social security number through the Social Security Administration instead of being shown a physical card.

Pritzker said without identification, people returning to society from correctional facilities are deprived of a basic need.

“For returning citizens, at a time when they need the most support to get reestablished in society, the lack of identification often shuts them out,” he said. “They can’t pursue employment opportunities, they can’t pursue housing, social services, health care.”

* Illinois Answers reporter Alex Nitkin…


* Illinois Times…

It’s August – that means the Illinois State Fair and its must-see, iconic butter cow sculpture is back again.

And so is the annual miniature butter cow contest sponsored by Illinois Times and Prairie Farms Dairy. The contest, which started in 2020 when the fair was canceled because of the COIVD-19 pandemic, invites people to try their hand at sculpting their own butter cow creations. […]

This season, some notable young butter artists are honing their creative skills.
One of them is Giovanni Steele, 9, of Springfield.

Giovanni, who was in the contest last year with his mother, Abbey Caitlin Steele, asked his mother if they could compete again. Their summertime butter masterpiece, named “Moo Lincoln,” is a cow wearing the classic stovepipe hat Abraham Lincoln wore.

I give you “Moo Lincoln”…



*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Kamala Harris picks Walz for VP — not Pritzker: Speaking at a bill signing in Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker said he was “torn” about being considered as a vice presidential candidate and called the vetting “a grueling, long process,” despite it being an abbreviated one.

*** Statewide ***

* Sun-Times | National blood supply is running thin. Here’s how to help keep it from hurting local health care: Since July 1, the organization’s supply has fallen by more than 25%. Four blood drives in Illinois and more than 100 others nationwide had to be called off because of high temperatures, the Red Cross said. Other seasonal obstacles such as travel and summer activities also have meant fewer people donating. All those factors contributed to a shortfall of over 19,000 blood donations in July, the organization reported.

*** Illinois State Fair ***

* WSIU | IDPH to Offer Public Health Information, Services at Illinois State Fair: You will also find IDPH at Conservation World at the State Fair, with information about how to prevent “vector-borne” diseases carried by mosquitoes and ticks, along with information on safe consumption of fish from Illinois waterways.

* SJ-R | There’s nothing fair about these new food items at the 2024 Illinois State Fair: The flavor of the Illinois State Fair has been announced, and it’s about as close as you can get to healthy as far as fair foods go. Raspberry Crunch, a Prairie Farms original, features fresh raspberries frozen in vanilla ice cream with granola crunch topping. Midwest Dairy manager of farmers relations Kendra Anderson said the idea came to the team around six months ago, as a healthy follow up to last years’ theme of cookies and cream.

* Outdoor News | Illinois Mixed Bag: Conservation World returns to state fair: Among the offerings this year is DNR’s cicada art show, an Eagle’s nest photo opportunity, opportunities to catch a fish, try Copi (invasive carp), practice archery and BB shooting skills, ride in the Voyageur Canoe, dunk a conservation police officer, enjoy the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, talk with DNR wildlife biologists and purchase hunting and fishing licenses.

*** DNC ***

* Sun-Times | Fed judge mulling whether to intervene in DNC dustup between City Hall, protest groups: A federal judge is expected to hand down a key ruling by early next week in a months-long dispute between City Hall and groups promising a massive protest during Chicago’s upcoming Democratic National Convention. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood heard roughly two hours of arguments Monday while considering a request for her intervention in a conflict over where those protesters will be allowed to march during the convention, which begins Aug. 19.

* Tribune | City, protests groups still at odds over routes for DNC marches and demonstrations: Several pro-Palestinian groups who together sued the city in March in an effort to secure protest routes within “sight and sound” of the convention were in court again Monday to demand a more direct and longer route along Washington Boulevard for their “March on the DNC.” Their attorney, Chris Williams, said they were “blindsided” by the possibility that they might not be able to hold speeches in a park two blocks north of the United Center. […] “The way the city is doing this is take-it-or-leave-it, ‘you do what we say,’” Williams told U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood. “It’s not enough to say, ‘You have a route, you’re going to live with it.’ You’re going to have chaos.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | Indiana businessman not guilty of bribing Cook County assessor officials with free golf, fed jury finds: A federal jury Tuesday cleared an Indiana businessman who had been accused of bribing officials at the Cook County assessor’s office with free golf in return for lowered property assessments — a rare loss for public corruption prosecutors at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. The trial of businessman Robert Mitziga lasted roughly a week. It exposed jurors not just to the inner-workings of the assessor’s office but to the lure of posh, high-end golf clubs — particularly one in southwest Michigan, about 90 miles from Chicago.

* Crain’s | Chicago’s maternal care gap worsening, creating deserts in South and West sides: A joint report by the American Medical Association and the Sinai Urban Health Institute finds obstetric and gynecological closures, particularly since 2018, have had a significant negative effect on maternal and infant health in its analysis of maternal care by ZIP code. […] Since 2018, three OB-GYN facilities that were more convenient for residents of the South and West sides have closed and many ZIP codes have no access to OB-GYN physicians for childbearing female residents, the release said. These maternity deserts require expectant mothers to travel outside of their neighborhoods to receive routine or specialty OB-GYN care, the release noted.

* Block Club | Day Laborers Say They Are Being Beaten, Harassed Outside Home Depot By Off-Duty Cops: Five recently arrived migrants say criminal trespassing enforcement at a Southwest Side Home Depot has escalated to alleged physical assaults by security personnel, including multiple off-duty Chicago Police officers. The allegations are at the heart of a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, which names two Chicago police officers, two Home Depot employees, and other unnamed security personnel and police officers, in addition to the city and Home Depot, as defendants. In the course of its six-month investigation into the treatment of migrant laborers, City Bureau learned of the pending suit.

* Tribune | Protesters in Daley Plaza rally decry reelection of Venezuelan president, claim voter fraud: The Venezuelan community in Chicago was disheartened in the days after the election. Many have family members in areas affected by protests and said they were worried their relatives might get imprisoned or even killed for having ties to the opposition. Human rights organizations in Venezuela have found the government’s solution to silence people’s discontent has been “through the disproportionate use of force” that has resulted in the deaths of protesters.

* Block Club | Divvy ‘Bike Sculpture’ On Oak Street Beach Made Entirely Of Bikes Dumped In The Lake: Members of the the group, the Alternative Anglers Association, pulled out 15 bikes from the lake in just a few hours Friday afternoon and built the bike sculpture over two days. Glenn Rischke, who created the group — formerly known as the Divvy Fishers Society — was shocked by how many bikes and how much construction material was on the floor of the lake, he said.

* Block Club | The Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Poop Incident, 20 Years Later: ‘Our Generation’s O’Leary’s Cow’: On the afternoon of Aug. 8, 2004, a charter bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band drove across the Kinzie Street Bridge and emptied its septic tank over the Chicago River. The sewage ran through the metal grates of the bridge, and rather than landing in the water — itself a health hazard — it splattered onto more than 100 people on a sightseeing boat operated by the Chicago Architecture Foundation.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Three Skokie parks renamed to honor Native American tribes: The name changes have been made online, but physical changes to the signs will take some time, said Michelle Tuft, executive director of the park district. […] The park district board unanimously voted in favor of the name changes at its July board meeting. In addition to the new signage, the park district will add QR codes with links to web pages about the history of the tribes and the pronunciation of the names, Tuft said.

* Daily Herald | DuPage Forest Preserve District moves to buy horse farm near Wheaton for $12 million: After several stalled attempts through the years, Danada’s owner — the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County — is now on track to buy the pastoral property to its east. On Tuesday, forest preserve commissioners authorized district leaders to negotiate and enter into a contract to acquire the Gladstone Ridge horse boarding center — also known as Bolger Farm — along Leask Lane. The cost is anticipated to be $12 million.

* Daily Southtown | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard says administrator fired, trustees OK handful of layoffs: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard said Monday that Keith Freeman, the village’s administrator, has been fired, although trustees said the mayor lacked the legal authority to do so and did not move to support her decision. Trustees also voted to eliminate a handful of village jobs amid what they described as a “financial disaster” for the village and placed police Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey on administrative leave for an undefined period.

* WGN | Big Lots to close additional stores in Illinois: According to the company’s website, Burbank, Calumet City, Elgin and Oakbrook Terrace are Chicago-area stores on the chopping block. Centralia and Fairview Heights are two other Illinois locations set to close. Last month, the company announced Crest Hill, Lockport, and Niles will be shuttered.

*** Downstate ***

* SJ-R | County board members pushing advisory referendum to voters to recall Campbell: Five Democrat Sangamon County Board members are pushing for an advisory referendum to give voters a say on the future of Sheriff Jack Campbell at the ballot box in November. The county board would have to pass the referendum at its Aug. 13 meeting for it to get on the ballot. Even if it passes the voters on Nov. 5, Campbell would not be bound to resign.

* WIFR | Former Rockford Speedway redevelopment off to the races: The former Rockford Speedway sits idly by, without so much as the roar of an engine or the cheer of a crowd. But not for much longer, according to Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury who says multiple businesses are on their way to fill in the empty space. Club Carwash and Belle Tire will start construction in just a few days as the only current businesses staking claim to the area. But Mayor Jury says this is just the beginning.

* VCF | Custard Cup Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Special Local Donations: These checks presented, representing $1,000 Custard Cup donations on top of funding donated by customers to their “Beneficiary of the Month;” included $2,126.77 to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Vermilion County, $2,000 to Danville Youth Hockey, and $2,201.13 to the St, James United Methodist Church Food Pantry.

* WCIA | Communities across Central Illinois celebrating National Night Out: “National Night Out was started to bring neighbors and law enforcement together to establish relationships, and trust that it will do just that,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release. “Preventing crime in Illinois is one of my office’s top priorities, and I am proud that an increased number of volunteers from my office will participate in National Night Out events throughout the state. I encourage everyone to locate an event in their own community.”

*** National ***

* AP | Elon Musk’s X sues advertisers over alleged ‘massive advertiser boycott’ after Twitter takeover: The lawsuit’s allegations center on the early days of Musk’s Twitter takeover and not a more recent dispute with advertisers that came a year later. In November 2023, about a year after Musk bought the company, a number of advertisers began fleeing X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk later said those fleeing advertisers were engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.

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ISP says it’s making progress

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Press release…

To help ensure those who are prohibited by law from having a firearm, and who pose a threat, do not have guns in their possession, the Illinois State Police (ISP) conducted numerous firearm enforcement details in counties across the state from June 24 through July 19, 2024. ​ The enforcement details focused on individuals who have become the subject of a Firearms Restraining Order or Clear and Present Danger, or received a criminal conviction, among other reasons. ​

“Firearms Restraining Orders and Clear and Present Danger reporting are two highly effective tools for getting firearms out of the hands of someone who poses a significant threat to themselves or others,” said Brendan F. Kelly. ​ “As the use of these tools increases, so does the need for law enforcement to be able to safely conduct these arduous, intensive enforcement details.”

From July 2023 through June 2024, ISP received approximately 11,300 Clear and Present Danger reports, of which more than 10,800 were affirmed. ​ While not all of those 10,800 individuals are out of compliance with state law, law enforcement is able to take action on those who are to bring them into compliance, thereby making communities safer.

During the recent ISP focused enforcement details, ISP officers completed 192 details and brought 673 people into compliance with state law. ​ As a result of these efforts, 318 individuals transferred firearms out of their possession. ​ ISP has been conducting firearm enforcement details since May 2019. ​ From that time through July 2024, ISP has conducted 2,303 details and placed 5,549 individuals into compliance with the law.

In addition to its own efforts, ISP provides grants to local law enforcement agencies to help protect the public by transferring firearms out of the possession of a person legally prohibited from having a firearm and who is a danger to themselves or others.

In Fiscal Year 2024, ISP awarded almost $1 million in firearm enforcement grants to 16 law enforcement agencies across the state. ​ During that time, local law enforcement agencies completed 7,048 compliance checks and brought 2,101 people into compliance with state law by transferring all firearms out of their possession and documenting that transfer with a Firearm Disposition Record. ISP awarded another $1.5 million in grants to 21 law enforcement agencies in Fiscal Year 2025.

* I followed up by asking how many firearms had been seized in Fiscal Year 2024, which ended June 30. ISP’s response…

A C&PD report is about homicidal or suicidal conduct. A firearm may or may not even be involved in the events that led to a report being submitted. An affirmation of the C&PD simply means that person is now prohibited from possessing a firearm, so if they attempt a purchase a firearm, they are denied. Some portion of the conduct could involve a firearm, but the subject may no longer possess any firearms after the C&PD report so there is nothing to seize or transfer.

Comparing the number of affirmed C&PD reports to the number of firearms transferred/seized does not provide an accurate picture of enforcement efforts related to C&PD reports.

In Fiscal Year 2024, ISP transferred or seized 812 firearms during its ISP blitz and quarterly ISP details. This does not include smaller details that occurred throughout the year. That firearm disposition data is not readily available.

In Fiscal Year 2024, law enforcement grantees seized or transferred 1,180 firearms during compliance checks. Other law enforcement agencies who have not applied for and received a firearm enforcement grant still conduct compliance checks. However, the number of firearms seized or transferred during those compliance checks is not reported to ISP.

To say there were 10,800 affirmed C&PD reports, but 1,992 firearms seized or transferred, without taking into account whether the subject of the C&PD report had a FOID or firearms, or may have already been in compliance, would be a misrepresentation of enforcement efforts. For example, of the affirmed reports, approximately 5,160 did not have a FOID card or application. A comprehensive analysis of the data has not been done at this time.

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IDFPR will finally purchase online licensing system

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Background is here if you need it. This took way too long, but IDFPR looks to be on track. Implementation is key, however. So, we’ll just have to see…

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (“IDFPR”) announced today, in addition to modernizing outdated processes, it has reached an agreement to secure a new professional licensing system for individuals whose careers require a license to work in Illinois. Through an approximately $9 million investment over the next three years by the Pritzker Administration and the General Assembly, IDFPR will partner with NIC Licensing Solutions, LLC, an industry leading digital government service provider, to implement the new online system. […]

With a focus on increased government transparency, the new licensing system will feature a user-friendly interface with improved communications and creates a streamlined review of license applications and fees. Prospective licensees will be notified electronically when applications are received, reviewed, and licenses are issued by the Department. IDFPR will immediately begin implementation of the new solution and all Departmental licensees will be transitioned to the new licensing system in six phases, ensuring every application and fee payment will be available online.

“With health care workers coming to Illinois in record numbers, this long overdue modernization is a critical first step to ensure our state is fully equipped to meet our licensing demands with up-to-date and streamlined services,” said Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfield). […]

NIC Licensing Solutions, LLC is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Tyler Technologies. Tyler currently provides Cloud-based solutions for more than 11,900 clients in all 50 states, including seven state agencies, 39 counties, and 67 local districts in Illinois. Additionally, Tyler provides the same services to several IDFPR sister-state agencies, including those in Alabama, Colorado, and Georgia.

IDFPR is responsible for the oversight and licensing of more than 1.2 million professionals in Illinois in over 120 different professions and over 300 license types, with a majority overseen by the Division of Professional Regulation (“DPR”). From the start of the Pritzker Administration, IDFPR witnessed an unprecedented and exponential increase in first-time applicants, as more professionals seek to work in Illinois.

* NASW Illinois…

The National Association of Social Workers, Illinois Chapter, congratulates the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) on its recent announcement that the state is finally moving forward with modernizing the professional licensing process in our state. The selection of NIC Licensing Solutions, LLC, as a partner in this effort is a promising step towards a more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly licensing system for all professionals in Illinois.

As representatives of the social work community, we are particularly encouraged by the potential this modernization holds for mental health professionals, many of whom have long relied on outdated paper applications. We strongly urge IDFPR to prioritize these professions in the transition to the new system. Streamlining the licensing process is crucial to enabling these professionals to enter the field promptly, especially as the state continues to face significant mental health workforce shortages.

We also encourage IDFPR to take this opportunity to review the current licensure requirements and consider eliminating any unnecessary steps, questions, or documents that may create unnessesary barriers for those fully qualified professionals seeking to serve the people of Illinois.

We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this initiative and remain committed to working with IDFPR to ensure that Illinois remains a leader in fostering a strong, ethical, and well-supported workforce in the mental health field.

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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small.

We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Graham, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.

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Pritzker criticizes the Sangamon County sheriff, but stops short of calling on him to resign

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

Isabel: Governor, Sangamon County Sheriff Campbell has defended his hiring of Sonya Massey’s killer after calls for him to step down. Should Campbell resign?

Pritzker: Look, what happened to Sonya Massey should never happen to anyone ever again. And honestly, I have seen so much tragedy just over the course of my governorship. Think about George Floyd. Think about Breonna Taylor. Think about the, the many names of people, Sonya Massey included, who have been killed in similar circumstances by an officer of the law. We need to hold people accountable. I’m very proud of the work that the Illinois State Police did in investigating this quickly and bringing it to the state’s attorney so that the deputy sheriff could be charged, and was charged, in fact, with three counts of murder appropriately so.

The way in which this deputy sheriff was hired, the background should have been taken into account. The way he was hired is an enormous question that still needs to be made transparent.

How did the sheriff end up hiring this person? Must have known their background. Must have. No one hires somebody without checking out the hiree’s background. And so I have a lot of questions. And I’m so far disappointed with the answers that I’m hearing from the sheriff. But you know, I think that that the community is reacting the way that I think is appropriate, protesting, making their voice heard, asking for change. The Massey family in particular, thinking about how do we improve the system going forward. And so I stand with them in that effort.

The Massey family has called on the sheriff to resign.

* Earlier this week, I asked Sen. Dick Durbin’s office where Durbin, a Springfield resident, stood on Sheriff Campbell’s future…

The future of the Sheriff is a local decision. As a member of Congress and Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Durbin is focused on the federal component and ensuring the Justice Department is properly engaged.

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Pritzker reflects on VP vetting, asked about his future

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Gov. Pritzker said today that his vetting process by Vice President Harris and her team “was handled with the utmost professionalism, and I was glad that I made it through that process, made it to the final number of candidates.” Then said…

I want to be clear with everybody. You often hear me say I love being the governor of Illinois. I really do love being the governor of Illinois. And so I was very torn during this process, about being a participant in it. Not because I don’t support Kamala Harris. I do a thousand percent, and I will be out there campaigning for her at every turn whenever I have time to do so. But I also, you know, know that this job that I’m doing now that we’re making a big difference today. Just one example, I want to turn around to the members of the General Assembly, they’re here, Sen. Peters, to the Secretary of State, to my wife, to the lieutenant governor, to all the elected officials here and the people who vote for us. I come to work every day knowing that we can make a difference. And we have over the last five and a half years. And so I continue to come to work with a great deal of joy and not sorry at all about the fact that we have a terrific Midwestern governor in Tim Walz that’s been chosen. And I’m going to go out and support him and the ticket and Kamala Harris every day. I think there are 90 days left as of today in the election, and we have to beat Donald Trump.

Please pardon all transcription errors.

* Gov. Walz is the current chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and Pritzker was asked whether he’d like that job…

At the moment, I’m just focused on the job that I’ve got. Being the chair of the DGA is a an enormous, you know, amount of time that Tim Walz put into that job. Did a great job, by the way. And in some ways, I’m sorry that we’re going to lose him. On the other hand, I’d like him to become the next Vice President.

He also said he hasn’t had any discussions about his electoral future when asked whether he had talked with family or staff about a third term.

* Is a cabinet position in his future?…

Q: Have you contemplated, either with Vice President Harris or just with yourself and your inner circle, a cabinet position? Is that something you would leave the governship for?

Pritzker: That is not something that I’ve contemplated. I really do love the job that I have. And remember that we’ve made a lot of improvements. We have a lot of work to do still for the state of Illinois, but we have made a lot of improvements. And I think, you know, every day I try to think about what’s the next thing, what’s on the list now that we can do to make people’s lives better. Today was a great day.

* He was also asked about the vetting process. Sen. Joe Lieberman, it was pointed out, once compared the process to having a colonoscopy without any anesthesia. Pritzker said Lieberman “described it very well” then said…

I’ll just say you know, it’s an honor to be considered and it’s a grueling process. But one that as you may recall, Tammy Duckworth went through it back in 2020 and it was months longer than this process. So, you know, I think that it’s a worthwhile thing because all of us, and Tammy in particular, I would say along with me you know, we know how important this election is.

[Asked for any specific questions he got during the vetting process.]

I can’t think of anything that you wouldn’t already know, that people might get asked. I think, you know, importantly, I think that the process is one that attempts to weed out, can you be somebody’s support mechanism, right, to be the number two? Can you bring, you know, another set of advice to the table that’s valuable? And I think, you know, you don’t get on that list unless they think you actually could be President of the United States and do the job if you had to. So, you know, I can’t think of a particular question you wouldn’t already know that gets asked. But again, it’s an honor to to be asked, even if some of those questions are like a colonoscopy.

Discuss.

  16 Comments      


Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as her running mate (Updated)

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* AP…

Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be her running mate on Tuesday. That’s according to three people who spoke to The Associated Press.

In choosing Walz, she’s turning to a Midwestern governor, military veteran and union supporter who helped enact an ambitious Democratic agenda for his state, including sweeping protections for abortion rights and generous aid to families. The people were not authorized to speak publicly about the choice and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

The NYT, CNN and Reuters are all confirming Walz as Harris’ pick.

* NBC…

In picking Walz, who’s in his second term and also served 12 years in Congress, Harris will have as her No. 2 someone with a proven record of winning over white working-class voters in Rust Belt states while also boasting a robustly progressive record.

Democrats will hope that mix of attributes helps a Harris-Walz ticket shore up support in the onetime “blue wall” states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan — longtime Democratic strongholds at the presidential level that Donald Trump flipped in 2016 and Joe Biden flipped back in 2020. This year, they’ve been seen as Biden’s, and now Harris’, most viable path to victory.

* Illinois Playbook…

Gov. JB Pritzker took part in the “Comics for Kamala” fundraiser on Monday alongside Nick Offerman, Ben Stiller, Kathy Griffin and others. The governor kept his humor self-deprecating. “I am a little nervous about being in the mix with all these incredibly funny individuals,” Pritzker said. “I just want you to know I got on because I’m sitting around waiting for my call to be vice president. My phone hasn’t rung for at least a couple of days now, but I’m hoping I get that call.” The event went on to raise more than $460,000.

…Adding… Governor JB Pritzker…


* Governor Pritzker’s statement…

Today, following Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Gov. JB Pritzker released the following statement:

“Governor Tim Walz is a proven leader who brings to public service the big heart and hard work of a Midwesterner. His unwavering commitment to improving the lives of working families and to lifting up the most vulnerable is why I’m so excited he will be the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President. Tim is a friend and fellow Midwestern governor, and I’ve been proud to serve alongside him. Vice President Kamala Harris once again has proven her leadership by choosing someone our party and the nation can be proud of.

“I am fully committed to electing the Harris-Walz ticket. I will do everything I can to ensure victory in November for Democrats up and down the ballot here in Illinois and across the country.”

…Adding… ILGOP…

Vice President Harris’s pick reflects the agenda she intends to bring to this nation: another radical leftist from a deep blue state who will continue the disastrous Bidenomics policies crippling the nation’s economy as we speak. At least Americans can breathe easy knowing that Illinois’s own out-of-touch leftist billionaire governor JB Pritzker won’t be a heartbeat away from the Presidency anytime soon. With leftists like these headlining the Democrat ticket, President Trump’s message of secure borders, safe streets, and prosperous communities will win in November.

* Comptroller Mendoza…

A U.S. Army National Guard veteran and high school football coach who lowered taxes on the middle class – Kamala Harris chose a real champion for American families. I love that Governor Walz signed a bill to stop Minnesota students from going hungry and that he came out against a Minneapolis defund-the-police referendum. Governor Walz funded Minnesota police departments, putting more cops on the street and investing in body cameras. An avid hunter himself, Governor Walz established universal background checks for gun purchases. Governor Walz came from humble beginnings like I did and he brings common-sense, middle-of-the-road Midwestern values to this campaign. He is a strong defender of women’s reproductive rights. I will proudly vote as a delegate for Harris and Walz and will work tirelessly for the next three months to make sure America wins with them at the helm.

* More…

  70 Comments      


Today’s must-read

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

* ABC7 I-Team…

It has been called an American epidemic.

Wrongful convictions have led to people who were later exonerated losing more than 21,000 years in U.S. prisons. Illinois is the top state in the country for wrongful convictions.

Now, the state agency that oversees police training is mandating classes aimed at eliminating that.

Exonerees share their stories with police cadets.

“My name is Marvin Cotton Jr. and I served 19 years, seven months and 12 days in prison for crime that I did not commit,” one exoneree said. […]

“Not only the first state to mandate it, but it’s the first state to have this training. To our knowledge, when there’s nobody else in the country that is doing this type of training. And so, we’re very proud of that and proud that our legislatures thought enough of this program to make it a mandatory training to help right the wrongs of the past,” said Wrongful Conviction Awareness & Avoidance Director Marc Beach. […]

“I spent 23 years as a police officer,” Beach said. “I actually had no idea that wrongful convictions were really even an issue. The system that I represent would do that to somebody, and it would get it wrong. And so, I said, you know, I have to I have to do something to make that better.”

Go read the rest.

  15 Comments      


Open thread

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

  15 Comments      


Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Pritzker signs measures reining in biometric data privacy law, eliminating grocery tax. Capitol News Illinois…

Illinois’ first-in-the-nation law that allows residents to sue companies over the improper collection of their biometric information will be slightly less punitive after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a new law late last week.

Lawmakers this spring amended the Biometric Information Privacy Act in response to an Illinois Supreme Court ruling last year that suggested lawmakers clarify the law. That ruling found fast food chain White Castle violated BIPA each time employees scanned their fingerprints in the course of performing their jobs, as the company never obtained employees’ permission to collect their fingerprints.

But under Senate Bill 2979, employees or customers whose fingerprints, retinal scans, voice samples or other unique biometric information were collected by businesses without their permission can only claim one violation of BIPA instead of hundreds. In jobs with fingerprint-enabled time clocks and cash registers or other secure areas that require biometric data scans to access, employees might end up scanning their thumbs or eyes dozens of times per day.

* Related stories…

Governor Pritzker will be at the Women’s Justice Institute at 10 am to sign the returning citizens identification access bill. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | White Sox lose 21st straight to tie American League record: The beauty of baseball is that after a loss, there’s another game the next day. But anguish sets in after repeated beatdowns, day after day after day. Another game, another “L.” Defeat and unrelenting failure have taken a toll on the White Sox, who lost their 21st consecutive game Monday, 5-1 at the hands of the Athletics to tie the 1988 Orioles’ American League-record skid. The Sox, a national story they don’t want to be, are now two losses from tying the 1961 Phillies’ major-league record of 23.

* Block Club | Billy Joel Jr. Is ‘The Next Big Chicago Band You Don’t Know About’: Billy Joel Jr. is on the rise after dropping their EP, “Rubberhose,” and catching Stereogum’s attention with an April Fools’ Day joke. The indie rockers — who aren’t actually the Piano Man’s spawn — perform Wednesday at Sleeping Village.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Sun-Times | Sonya Massey’s family is pushing for a change in state law after her death, but policymakers aren’t so sure: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that based on Grayson’s record, it’s questionable whether Grayson should have ever been hired as a law enforcement officer. But like Turner, he said he’s not certain a new law is needed. It’s going to take some time for the current laws to “get going,” Raoul said. The problem is not the laws on the books right now, but in how they’re being implemented, Raoul said.

* SJ-R | Illinois lawmakers looking to lower prescription drug costs, but not everyone is on board : He, along with state Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, and Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, are now urging lawmakers to take-up House Bill 4472 which would create a prescription drug affordability board. The board would be composed of 15 appointed members in-charge of establishing upper payment limits to certain prescription drugs and ensure those savings are passed down to consumers. Per the bill language, it could only set those limits on drugs with a wholesale acquisition cost of at least $60,000 per year or those experiencing a wholesale acquisition cost increase of $3,000 in the most recent 12-month period. For price limits on biosimilar drugs, the board could only do so if the biosimilar cost is not at least 20% lower than the name brand cost. For price limits on generic drugs, a 30-day supply of that drug must at least cost $100 and its price increased by no less than 200% in the preceding 12 months.

* WAND | Illinois local food infrastructure grant plan signed into law: Recipients could use the local food infrastructure grants for production, packaging, refrigerated trucks and processing equipment. Lawmakers said this is a great incentive for local food providers to invest in a healthier Illinois. “Right now, if you look at Illinois, 95% of our food is brought in from outside,” said Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria). “That means trucking food thousands of miles away when we have the richest, fertile farmland anywhere in the world right here.”

* Sun-Times | Measure to streamline IDs for people exiting Illinois prisons, jails poised for Pritzker’s signature: The measure pushed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias eliminates the need for inmates and detainees to show physical copies of their birth certificates or Social Security cards in order to line up an ID — a common roadblock for people trying to find housing and work after incarceration. “We take our IDs for granted, but for people leaving jail, it’s an essential tool for reentry to perform everyday tasks and increase the likelihood of successfully building a productive life,” Giannoulias said ahead of the bill signing.

*** Statewide ***

* WSIU | Illinois Increases Funding for Schools: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has released data showing the impact of a $1.8 billion increase in funding for the state’s highest-need schools under Governor JB Pritzker’s administration. The Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula, established in fiscal year 2018, aims to distribute resources more equitably among Illinois schools. Since then, the state’s investment in EBF has increased from $6.8 billion in FY 2019 to $8.6 billion in FY 2025.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | At a tense time in American politics, Chicago hospitals prepare for Democratic National Convention: In some ways, preparing for the convention has been like readying for other large events, such as the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, the Chicago Marathon and Lollapalooza, say hospital leaders. In fact, it’s somewhat of a relief that the DNC is expected to attract far fewer attendees than Lollapalooza, said George DiLeonardi, vice president of security services and emergency management for Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. The DNC is expected to draw about 50,000 people, while Lollapalooza often attracts about 100,000 a day.

* Chalkbeat | Amid financial woes, Chicago Public Schools to receive similar state funding increase this year: Amid a bump in students learning English as a new language and a dip in local tax revenue, Chicago Public Schools would now need nearly $1.2 billion to be adequately funded, according to state data released Monday. The updated figure, which is $93 million more than was projected last year, was provided as part of an annual calculation determining how Illinois will distribute state money to public school districts — and comes as the city’s school district grapples with complex financial problems in the next school year.

* Tribune | Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant celebrates 100 years on the Southeast Side, from building the Model T to the Explorer: Built at a cost of about $8 million, the massive Torrence Avenue factory employed 2,000 workers at the outset, with the capacity to turn out 600 “flivvers” — a nickname for the Model T — each day, according to a Chicago Tribune story at the time of its launch. The new plant built nearly 107,000 Model Ts in its first year and expanded to Ford delivery trucks in 1925. In 1927, it switched to producing the new Ford Model A.

* Tribune | Bud Billiken Parade 2024: Route, start time and a look back at 95 years of Chicago’s back-to-school tradition: Hundreds of thousands of spectators and generations of families will gather along the almost 3-mile route in Bronzeville Saturday to cheer on a variety of performers — bands, dance and drill teams, tumblers and cheerleaders — and watch honorary grand marshals and celebrities ride in style aboard floats and classic cars. And thousands of school supplies and other amenities will be handed out in Washington Park following the parade.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WGN | Dolton trustees: Henyard mismanagement may lead to layoffs: Three trustees from the Village of Dolton called a special meeting on Monday night to try and keep the village running as they deal with embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard. Trustees who do not support Henyard said she would not allow them to put items on the regular meeting agenda, so they set their own meeting to start before hers.

* Daily Herald | Will DNC bring migrant influx to Chicago? Municipalities, organizations prepare for possible bump: “We know more new immigrant arrivals are coming and we are doing a number of things to prepare,” said Dianha Ortega-Ehreth, executive director of Elgin’s Centro de Información in an email. The preparation comes as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a “significant decline in migrant encounters” in the wake of President Joe Biden’s June 4 executive order barring migrants who unlawfully cross the southern border from receiving asylum in the U.S.

* Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove’s ‘human archive’ leaves after 38 years, will remain as chat bot: Administrative Services Director Brett Robinson has retired. He began working for the village 38 years ago, while still a student at Buffalo Grove High School. He has been there ever since, moving from the public works department to village administration. The 55-year-old Wauconda resident eventually was the village’s purchasing manager and treasurer before assuming his latest position in 2020. […] A loyal public servant, Robinson will still play a role in retirement — the AI-powered chat bot on the village’s website is called “Mr. Robinson” and has the image of a bespectacled buffalo with a goatee and cardigan. If you have a village-related question, you can chat with “Mr. Robinson.”

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | ‘I should have died’: Missouri woman connects with Effingham firefighters who saved her life in Teutopolis HAZMAT spill: Terrie Tudor should not be alive today. She said it herself, along with the three firefighters who saved her life on Sept. 29, 2023. […] She was blind, using a ventilator and on continuous dialysis in hospitals in Springfield, Rockford and Hinsdale. Tudor has had five surgeries on her eyes alone.

* WTVO | Rockford’s Hard Rock Casino to feature 62-foot guitar monument to Rick Nielsen and Cheap Trick: The black and white checkerboard guitar monument that will adorn the front entrance to the Hard Rock Casino Rockford will stand 62 feet tall when it is installed later this month. Rockford’s Code and Regulations Committee has recommended the City Council approve several variances to the casino’s signage to allow for the huge guitar, which is modeled after the pattern made famous by Rockford natives Cheap Trick and guitarist Rick Nielsen.

  3 Comments      


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Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller

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Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.

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Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller

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