* Press release from the Mayor Brandon Johnson administration…
“Today, NASCAR announced its 2024 schedule, which includes a return to Chicago on July 6th and 7th for Chicago Street Race weekend. At the conclusion of this year’s race, the Johnson Administration began conversations with NASCAR with the goal of addressing concerns raised by residents, alderpeople and other stakeholders, while acknowledging NASCAR’s contributions to the City’s economy and communities.
“As a result of these conversations, NASCAR has agreed to shorten the event’s set up and tear down windows, reducing travel disruption for impacted communities and other residents. NASCAR has also committed to addressing costs incurred by City departments and agencies in facilitating and securing the event as consistent with other large-scale events. This is a win for Chicago taxpayers, as the original agreement did not include provisions for such costs.
“Finally, NASCAR has committed to growing its impressive investments in Chicago communities and expanding opportunities for small-, minority- and women-owned businesses to participate as vendors in 2024. The City looks forward to working with NASCAR and other stakeholders to deliver a successful Chicago Street Race weekend in 2024 that works for residents, fans and Chicago’s economy.”
The racing company issued a press release on Wednesday hours after the city’s tourism bureau, Choose Chicago, released the results of an economic impact study that showed the race weekend generated $108.9 million for the local economy, despite being hampered by rain that canceled the Saturday NASCAR Xfinity Series race and weekend concerts and postponed the main event, the NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday.
[Note from Rich Miller: I had a haircut appointment and a dental appointment and one stop at Walgreens scheduled this morning, but that turned into a four-hour adventure. Long story. Nothing bad happened and I did get to eat a nice lunch with one of my best friends. Isabel ably took charge of the blog since I left this morning, so please give her a big hand. Thanks.]
* Illinois Answers | Illinois DCFS chief to resign from the embattled child welfare agency: The head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is resigning as leader of the long-embattled child welfare agency, a week after a state audit outlined major failures by the department in recent years. Marc D. Smith made the announcement Wednesday in a virtual all-staff town hall. He said his last day will be Dec. 31.
* Capitol News Illinois | DCFS director to step down at end of the year after agency hit with another scathing audit: Smith announced his voluntary resignation Wednesday via a livestreamed video to agency staff, noting that his decision came after discussions with family and colleagues within the child welfare system. “Sometimes the media sometimes politicians, sometimes critics take an opportunity of tragedy to move an agenda,” Smith said during the call. “But we understand that we are here for the day-to-day. We are here, at all times, for all of our kids and we will serve them and care for them with compassion, seriousness, and honor.”
* Tribune | Marc Smith, head of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s embattled child welfare agency, announces resignation: Marc Smith was appointed to director of the state’s Department of Children and Family Services by Gov. J.B. Pritzker shortly after the governor took office in 2019. The announcement of Smith’s impending departure comes a little more than a week after the state’s auditor general issued a scathing report on the agency that among other things cited significant delays in reporting abuse and neglect to local prosecutors, other state agencies and to officials at children’s schools.
* Sun-Times | Embattled DCFS director Marc Smith announces resignation: In another instance, the agency neglected to notify directors of state agencies in a timely fashion about cases in which children were alleged to have been abused while receiving care in a hospital. In all those cases, the reporting time ranged from 34 days to 885 days from the time the investigation was opened, the report found. The report also noted the department didn’t take immediate action to take care of the children in those cases.
* AP | Director of troubled Illinois child-services agency to resign after 5 years: Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s named Smith DCFS director in April 2019. Smith steered the agency during a tumultuous period in which a judge held him in contempt of court repeatedly for failing to adequately house children who had been placed in the department’s custody. Smith’s departure was one of three announced by Pritzker on Wednesday. He said Theresa Eagleson, director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services will be replaced by Lizzy Whitehorn, currently an aide to Pritzker for health services.
* Block Club | While The CTA Flounders, Its Leader Keeps Getting Pay Hikes: Most other big city transit agencies have formal accountability measures in place. Out of the seven largest transit agencies in the country, only New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the CTA let their top leaders work without written contracts or formal reviews of their performance. Yet Carter has received at least two salary raises yearly since 2018. In the eight years he’s led the CTA, his salary has climbed more than 60%, jumping from $230,000 to $376,065 as of July, according to CTA records.
* Block Quote | ‘Little Free Libraries’ On City Property May Soon Require Permits: Introduced this summer by Ald. Raymond Lopez (15th), the ordinance would require a public way use permit to build a free library on city-owned property. Little Free Libraries are often placed on cit Additionally, only “organizations, not-for-profit entities and licensed businesses” would be eligible to receive the necessary permit to build a bookcase on city land under the legislation.
* Chalkbeat | When will Chicago’s new map for the elected school board be ready? Still no answer.: For the past year, some advocates have called on state lawmakers to draw a map reflective of the city’s public school student enrollment, not the city’s overall population. The city is 33% white, 29% Black, and about 29% Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau data from 2022. Chicago Public Schools’ student population, meanwhile, is 46.9% Latino and 35% Black, while white students make up 11.1%, according to enrollment numbers from last month.
* SJ-R | A $10,000 donation helps to fund safety improvements for District 186 school buses: Those new arms are manufactured by BusGates, a Springfield-based firm led by Sherman Mayor Trevor Clatfelter. Springfield will be the first school district south of Interstate 80 to get the new arms, which he Clatfelter says will reduce the risk of children being hurt by drivers attempting to get around school buses.
* AP | Thousands of US health care workers go on strike in multiple states over wages and staff shortages: Kaiser Permanente is one of the country’s larger insurers and health care system operators, serving nearly 13 million people. The nonprofit company, based in Oakland, California, said its 39 hospitals, including emergency rooms, will remain open during the picketing, though appointments and non-urgent procedures could be delayed.
* SJ-R | ‘I knew I wasn’t done:’ Yazell back as director of planning and economic development: “I knew I wasn’t done,” she said, recalling the conversation last week. “I didn’t necessarily know it was done with this, but I knew I wasn’t done with working, for sure. With the new administration, I knew there was a difference in approach. I knew there was a difference in philosophies, and it was an environment that I felt I could be very comfortable working in.”
* Crain’s | Crain’s 40 Under 40 event returns with Rahm Emanuel as speaker: Emanuel’s presence at the event is something of a homecoming for the former Chicago mayor. In 1990, before ever running for political office, he was named as a Crain’s 40 Under 40. “In politics, campaign contributions talk and underfinanced candidates walk,” his honoree profile read. “That fact puts Rahm Emanuel in great demand.”
* AP | Suspect charged in rapper Tupac Shakur’s fatal shooting makes first court appearance in Las Vegas: “Law enforcement hasn’t cared for a long time,” Mopreme Shakur, Tupac Shakur’s stepbrother, told The Associated Press over Zoom from his home in Los Angeles. “Young Black men often deal with delayed justice because we’re often viewed as the criminals. So justice has been delayed for quite some time — in spite of all the eyes, all the attention, despite the celebrity of my brother.”
* Daily Herald | Gambling and groceries: Caputo’s adding terminals to Mount Prospect market: Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets, 215 E. Prospect Ave., recently received a video gambling license. It submitted a petition to Mayor Paul Hoefert in June, and the village waived its requirement that liquor licensees operate for at least 12 months before being approved for video gambling.
* WSIL | 17th Street Barbecue closes their doors in Marion after 19 years: “We’ll continue to service Marion and the entire Southern Illinois region with our catering, concession, and food truck operations,” said Mills. “Our landmark Murphysboro restaurant, in operation for 100 years, attracts people not only from the Southern Illinois region, but from all over the world. We’ll be here to satisfy those barbecue cravings.”
Today Governor JB Pritzker announced several upcoming transitions in state agency leadership. Theresa Eagleson, Director of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), will step down at the end of 2023. The Governor has appointed Lizzy Whitehorn, who currently serves as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services, to serve as Director of HFS beginning January 1, 2024, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. The Governor also announced the upcoming transitions, also at the end of the calendar year, of Paula Basta, Director of the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA), and Marc D. Smith, Director of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Finally, the Governor announced the appointment of Camile Lindsay as Acting Director of Professional Regulation at the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), pending confirmation. Lindsay is currently serving as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Public Safety, Infrastructure, Environment and Energy.
“Theresa, Paula, and Marc reflect the best of state government—people who have sacrificed to help millions of constituents through their dedication to service,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Despite the excellent quality of the candidates who will fill their shoes, their full impact on state government can never truly be articulated or replicated, and I thank them for their years of service. Lizzy and Camile’s years of service in my office have shown their passion for what they do, and I’m glad they will continue to have an opportunity to do this important work at an even higher level.”
Eagleson has served as Director of HFS since January of 2019. Prior to that appointment, Eagleson was the state’s longest serving Medicaid director, as well as the Executive Director of the University of Illinois’ System Office of Medicaid Innovation. Under Eagleson’s leadership, HFS has implemented numerous initiatives aimed at reducing disparities and creating a more equitable healthcare delivery system and child support services program and expanding behavioral and reproductive healthcare. She and the HFS team initiated and implemented a first-in-the-nation, equity-driven Healthcare Transformation Collaboratives program to incentivize health providers of all kinds and community-based organizations to partner in new ways to provide better care in historically underserved communities across the state. Together with DCFS, HFS successfully launched Youthcare, a managed care program specifically designed for youth in care. HFS also implemented new assessments for Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and other provider assessments, making the Illinois Medicaid program less dependent on state general funds, and implemented nation-leading nursing home rate reform to improve care for 45,000 residents in Illinois nursing homes.
“Serving the people of Illinois, especially the millions of customers within the Medicaid program, from newborns to seniors, drives me every day,” Eagleson said. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this wonderful team of professionals at HFS, and I am grateful to Gov. Pritzker for giving us the opportunity to create transformational change within the larger healthcare landscape in this state, especially for nursing home residents. I will always treasure these 30 years spent serving the state of Illinois.”
Basta, who is retiring at the end of 2023, was appointed Director of IDoA in March of 2019. Prior to joining IDoA, Basta served as the Director of Senior Services and Health Initiatives at the Chicago Housing Authority, where she oversaw social services for 54 senior buildings and 10,000 seniors throughout Chicago. During her tenure at IDoA, Basta guided Illinois’ network of Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs), Care Coordination Units, and aging services providers through the COVID-19 public health emergency, ensuring continuity of services to older adults who are a population group at high risk of COVID-19 complications. Basta also helped to launch new programming to support older adults’ health, independence and well-being during and beyond the public health emergency, such as the Illinois Care Connections program to combat social isolation, emergency gap filling services, and the expansion of nutrition programs in partnership with locally owned restaurants.
“It has been a privilege to serve Governor Pritzker’s administration as Director of the Illinois Department on Aging,” said Basta. “As the agency celebrates its 50th anniversary this fall, I am optimistic about the direction it’s headed, and I am endlessly grateful to our staff and partner organizations for their ongoing efforts to meet the needs of older adults.”
Smith was appointed Director of DCFS in April 2019. Prior to his appointment, Smith served as the executive vice president of foster care and intact services at Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness, Illinois’ largest provider of services to families in crisis, since 2009. During his tenure, DCFS created a capital program investing in youth service providers and sought federal opportunities for funding, grew the agency budget to stable levels after years of disinvestment, and increased transparency and accountability to the public. Under Smith’s direction, DCFS also prioritized technology upgrades to a 30-year-old infrastructure enabling new operational efficiencies, grew funding for youth scholarships, and increased staffing to the highest levels the agency has seen in 15 years.
“When I joined this administration in 2019, my mission was clear. Build a child welfare system in Illinois that keeps kids safe and supports families in crisis,” said Smith. “As someone who has spent my entire career committed to improving the child welfare system – I am incredibly proud of the profound progress we have made. DCFS continues making a difference where it matters most – by keeping children safe, creating brighter futures for the youth in our care, and giving hope to families in crisis that need support. We are on our way to building a child welfare system in Illinois that will once again serve as a national model. The governor and his administration have been incredible partners. Together we confronted the longstanding challenges at DCFS head-on, with both optimism and pragmatism, so we can help families and children thrive. I am profoundly proud to have had the opportunity to lead and work alongside the amazing team of professionals at DCFS that have dedicated their lives to protecting and supporting our most vulnerable children.”
Whitehorn has served as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services since 2019. Alongside Deputy Governor Sol Flores, Whitehorn led the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including testing and vaccine efforts and the nation-leading rental assistance and childcare restoration grant programs. From the Governor’s Office, she spearheaded the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative, a collaborative approach among six state agencies to improve services, resources, and outcomes for youth with significant behavioral health needs. Over the last five years, Whitehorn has worked closely on the administration’s healthcare initiatives, including legislation to authorize a state-based healthcare exchange, increased access to healthcare services, and expanded programs supporting reproductive healthcare, as well as efforts to strengthen the state’s early childhood system. Whitehorn is a committed public servant, who previously served as Deputy Director in the Department of Central Management Services and Associate General Counsel in the Governor’s Office.
“Over the last four and a half years, I’ve worked closely with the health and human service agencies and seen firsthand the results of interagency cooperation and coordination—a system that works better those we serve,” said Whitehorn. “I’m honored to continue this work at HFS to increase access to affordable and equitable healthcare and support the millions of Illinoisans who rely on our Medicaid system every day.”
Camile Lindsay currently serves as First Assistant Deputy Governor for Public Safety, Infrastructure, Environment and Energy. Lindsay was responsible for overseeing several Illinois state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, State Police, Department of Corrections, Emergency Management Agency, and the Capital Development Board. Prior to joining the Governor’s office, Lindsay served as Chief of Staff and Chief Legal Counsel for the Illinois Department of Corrections. Earlier in her career, she worked as Supervisory Regional Counsel for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Assistant Attorney General for the Illinois Attorney General’s office, and Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.
“Professional licensing serves as the economic backbone in Illinois, with more than 1.2 million individuals counting on IDFPR for the means to verify they’re qualified to work in their chosen field,” said Director of Professional Regulation Camile Lindsay. “I look forward to building upon the successes achieved at IDFPR to ensure the people of Illinois continue to receive the quality service they need from licensed professionals.”
Over the next several months, a national search will be conducted to find a new Director of IDoA and Director of DCFS.
…Adding… IARF President Josh Evans…
“Throughout her tenure leading the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Director Eagleson collaborated with sister state agencies involved in the regulating and provision of social safety net services, including to persons with intellectual/developmental disabilities and serious mental illnesses.”
“Even through the tremendously challenging months of the COVID-19 pandemic, which required constant engagement with healthcare and social safety net providers and the federal government, Director Eagleson worked to advance necessary Medicaid policies and rate changes to strengthen and support the disability and behavioral health service arrays, including unprecedented increased investments in Medicaid mental health funding.”
“Under Director Eagleson, HFS expanded access to Medicaid telemedicine services and we expect further work in this area. Illinois’ commitment to implementing and expanding Certified Community Behavioral Health Center models of providing behavioral health care is a credit to the Director’s leadership.”
“IARF thanks Director Eagleson for her public service. Further, we congratulate Lizzy Whitehorn, First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health and Human Services, on being named HFS Director this coming January. We look forward to working with Ms. Whitehorn to further advance shared priorities in ensuring high quality I/DD and behavioral health services and supports.”
BREAKING: Illinois Dept of Child and Family Services Director Marc Smith announces on an agency-wide call that he's resigning from the state effective Dec. 31. @CapitolNewsIL story TK from @bhundsdorfer and me. pic.twitter.com/2gFfmlaNtA
Smith, who was first appointed to the post in 2019, announced his resignation during a virtual town hall meeting for DCFS staff.
“After having some discussion with my family, and people who are part of our system who are important to me, and the way we think about the work, I wanted to announce today that I will be stepping down as director of DCFS,” Smith said.
In 2021, WGN Investigates cited data from Cook County public guardian Charles Golbert’s office which determined 356 kids had been hospitalized longer than medically necessary in the previous year. The average stay was 55 days longer than deemed medically necessary, according to the data. […]
In a statement issued Wednesday, Golbert said in part, “DCFS Director Marc Smith leaves a mixed legacy. On the one hand, in serving for four and a half years, Smith brought much needed consistency in leadership after DCFS rotated through 13 different directors and acting directors over the prior ten years. … On the other hand, over four and a half years and despite the increased resources, Smith failed to substantially expand desperately needed placement capacity. As a result, under Smith’s watch, we started to see children sleeping on the hard, cold floors of offices instead of in a warm, comfortable bed in an appropriate placement for the first time since the 1990s. This is now happening to hundreds of children every year. … The placement shortage crisis is so bad that Smith holds the dubious distinction of being the only director in DCFS’s history to be held in contempt of court a dozen times for failing to place children appropriately in violation of court orders. … During Smith’s tenure, hundreds of children have died despite DCFS involvement. At least a dozen of these deaths were high profile in the new media. This is likely, at least in part, because DCFS still has a 20% vacancy rate for investigators. DCFS has been in violation of the investigator caseload mandates of a federal consent decree for many years. … So Smith leaves a mixed legacy.”
* Sen. Craig Wilcox…
“Here in McHenry County we have a constant reminder of the failings of DCFS, as the senseless and avoidable death of AJ Freund is never far from people’s minds. The problems at this agency are vast, and simply replacing the Director will not solve them. The fact that many of the findings in the most recent Auditor General’s audit of DCFS are repeat findings clearly illustrates the agency is not taking these findings to heart and making necessary changes, and the fact that the new report identifies even more problems than the last audit is unacceptable. Until our Governor recognizes the dire need for a structural rebuild of DCFS from the ground up, I fear it is only a matter of time until another child experiences a tragic outcome due to negligence by the agency that is supposed to protect them.”
* Sens Steve McClure and Sally Turner…
“Protecting and caring for our state’s most vulnerable children and families is an incredibly important responsibility of the Governor’s administration. As the recent compliance audit makes crystal clear, the issues with DCFS aren’t getting better, the situation actually appears to be getting worse. We hope the Governor takes this opportunity to finally fix the issues that plague DCFS and have led to heartbreaking stories of children waiting months for placements, or those who tragically have lost their lives.
“Unfortunately, the issues with DCFS go much deeper than one appointed leader, the problems are systemic. Governor Pritzker needs to undertake a comprehensive review of agency operations, prioritizing solutions that protect children who cannot protect themselves.”
* Sen. Don DeWittee…
“Having met with Marc Smith and members of his staff on many occasions, it is clear he recognizes the problems at DCFS run very deep. Unfortunately, our Governor has refused to make the same acknowledgement or take steps to fix this agency from the ground up. Changing the individual at the helm is not enough to fix DCFS; deep organizational changes are needed to prevent tragedies like the murder of AJ Freund of Crystal Lake from happening again. We need to seek national expertise and identify best practices from states that are doing a good job with the welfare of children, because the system in place in Illinois is clearly failing the most vulnerable children and families among us.”
* NASW IL…
Long overdue. Can we please get a replacement with a stronger moral compass, a sense of urgency the department demands, and an operational reform background. The next Directir doesn't have to be here for 10 years - they have to be here long enough to reform it. https://t.co/wtDPHyfyNd
“DCFS is undeniably a dysfunctional agency in our state, and immediate change is critically necessary. As children in our care and agency workers continue to be harmed or worse, the House Republican caucus will strongly advocate for common-sense proposals to structurally reform the functions of the agency. It is our duty to protect children in the state’s care.”
* Illinois Collaboration on Youth…
On behalf of the Board and members of the Illinois Collaboration on Youth, I want to thank DCFS Director Marc Smith for his service to our state. Director Smith is one of our longest- serving directors in recent memory and he brought much needed stability to our system.
When Governor Pritzker took office, Illinois was reeling from the wanton destruction of our health and human services system brought on by the budget impasse. Child welfare services are always a lagging indicator of the functionality of that system, and as predicted, the number of children and youth in care exploded following the impasse, putting an enormous strain on a system that had been neglected for nearly two decades. Governor Pritzker and Director Smith had only just begun to respond to this situation when they were forced to navigate the uncharted waters of a global pandemic. Illinois’ child welfare system had one of the best responses to COVID-19 in the nation; we salute their leadership in this area.
Thanks to the Governor and Director Smith, Illinois has seen five consecutive years of investments into the child welfare system to help it better cope with the growing population and the ongoing workforce crisis. We have also seen the implementation of the Family First Prevention Services Act and the transition to YouthCare, as well as funding for capital expansion and building capacity in our residential treatment programs.
While there remains much more to do to improve outcomes for children and families, we are looking forward to the full implementation of the Governor’s Blueprint for Transformation, and continued collaboration with the new leadership to come.
One of the largest independent clean energy producers in the world is adding about 84,000 square feet to its Wacker Drive headquarters, a rare massive expansion of workspace and a deal that could tee up the creation of a new clean energy innovation hub in downtown Chicago.
In a move that bucks the trend of companies slashing office space in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Invenergy has inked a long-term extension of its lease at 1 S. Wacker Drive and increased its footprint to around 180,000 square feet in the building, a company spokesman confirmed. The three-floor expansion fortifies the renewable power company’s position as the 40-story tower’s largest tenant. It also comes a few months after Invenergy announced private-equity giant Blackstone Group was adding $1 billion in new backing for the company to the $3 billion it had invested in it over the previous two years. […]
Invenergy also might not be done expanding in the building. In a move that could help raise Chicago’s profile in the renewable energy sector, the company is working with city of Chicago officials on a plan to build out an innovation hub in the building that would be akin to tech incubator 1871, but for the clean energy industry, according to sources familiar with the plan. Details of that concept, including the city’s role and when it would be created, were not immediately available. But the space would be in addition to Invenergy’s office expansion, sources said.
1871 really helped transform Chicago, so let’s hope this works out.
University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen, Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Robert Jones, Chicago Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda, Springfield Chancellor Janet Gooch and other members of the U of I leadership team stopped at the Giant City Lodge on Tuesday to discuss expanding access to broadband service in rural Illinois. […]
Chapman said Jackson County is one of a few Illinois counties who is putting ARPA funds into broadband. They have invested $5 million in broadband.
In the county, 8,160 people are unserved or underserved regarding internet rates. After conducting surveys, a plan has been developed and Western Kentucky and Tennessee Telecooperative has been chosen as the provider for Jackson County broadband.
The battle over massive carbon dioxide pipelines proposed for Illinois and other Midwestern states has reached Congress, with 13 House Democrats — including U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García of Illinois — calling on President Joe Biden to block construction until new federal safety guidelines are released.
In a letter sent to the president Tuesday, the lawmakers cited a 2020 pipeline rupture in Mississippi in which CO2, an invisible gas that displaces oxygen, spread to the nearby town of Satartia. There were reports that victims experienced breathing problems and confusion, and three men were found in a stalled car, unconscious.
No one died but 45 people sought hospital care, and federal regulators started working on updated safety standards, which are expected to be completed and in place in 2024.
Between 260 and 265 steel and iron workers at Granite City Works will be officially out of work starting this week, according to the union local’s president.
Those layoffs come less than two weeks after U.S. Steel, the Pittsburgh-based parent company, said it would temporarily shutter the only operational furnace on the mill’s campus.
Dan Simmons, president of United Steelworkers Local 1899, said the union will host informational meetings on Tuesday for the workers who lost their jobs.
Temporary workers in Illinois have new protections — and the right to equal pay — thanks to a new state law passed in August.
The Temp Worker Fairness and Safety Act aims to prevent “permatemping,” when an employer keeps a temp worker indefinitely, by requiring employers pay temps similar wages as direct hires after 90 days on the job.
Worker advocates who helped pass the law took the first step toward enforcing it Tuesday by filing complaints against 15 staffing agencies that haven’t registered with the state, as required by the new law.
As Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson works to close a yawning budget gap, he’s under pressure to find more money for the city’s performing arts sector, which still hasn’t recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
To aid struggling Chicago theaters, Claire Rice, executive director of Arts Alliance Illinois, the state’s top arts advocacy group, is asking Johnson to tap the city’s corporate fund for nearly 35% of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events’ $81 million annual budget, an unprecedented move for a department traditionally funded primarily by other sources.
A vote on a measure to require all Chicago businesses to pay their workers the same minimum hourly wage, regardless of whether they earn tips, has been delayed after an error by City Clerk Anna Valencia’s office, officials said Tuesday.
The earliest the Chicago City Council could vote on the compromise crafted by Mayor Brandon Johnson and backed by the Illinois Restaurant association to give restaurants five years to prepare for the end of the tipped minimum wage would be Friday morning, because state law requires the public to be given at least 48 hours’ notice before a legislative body takes final action on a measure.
Valencia acknowledged her office had erred, delaying a triumphant moment for Johnson and the progressive political movement that elected him to office earlier this year. Valencia, who was reelected without opposition, blamed “an administrative and human issue” and pledged new procedures “to ensure this doesn’t happen in the future.”
Speaking of that ordinance…
Hospitality in Chicago is a tough industry. Even tougher when almost every competing bar and restaurant in your adjacent suburbs has lower sales taxes, license fees, and City mandated payroll costs. 👇 https://t.co/iGyOW6Ydq9
Latino representation on corporate boards continues to lag behind the demographic’s headcount in the broader Illinois population.
While Latinos make up 18% of the state’s residents, only 3% hold board seats in Illinois-based public companies, according to a study by the Latino Corporate Directors Association.
A day after sending President Joe Biden a letter criticizing the White House effort on migrants, Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday called for a stronger show of unity among local Democrats in responding to the swelling influx of asylum-seekers arriving in Chicago from the southern border. […]
The governor said the letter was not an initial request for help from his political ally in the White House but an effort to reiterate the multiple pleas for assistance the state has made over the past year.
“We wanted to make sure that there was a public statement out there of many of the things that we’ve talked about in the past with the administration, but the things that we need right now,” Pritzker said.
I just don’t think the White House has a grasp on this topic.
Six months after the Chicago Tribune published its “Stalled Justice” investigation, court officials told the Tribune they soon will begin recording the reason that a criminal case gets pushed to another date — a step that experts have long recommended so the county can better understand and target issues that can drag out cases for years.
The Tribune investigation, which focused on murder charges, found that the vast majority of court hearings in those cases last only a minute or two and end with a legal maneuver called a “continuance.” The case is then resumed on another date, typically four to six weeks later. Some cases get continued 50 or more times.
Reporters found a wide variety of reasons that judges grant continuances. Prosecutors may say they need more time to track down and turn over potential evidence. Judges might give themselves more time to rule on lawyers’ requests. Some police officers fail to show up to testify at pretrial hearings and need to be ordered back.
Though attorneys may tell the judge why a case should be delayed, many judges don’t record that information, the Tribune found. Instead, they typically scribble the date of the next hearing on a sheet of paper with the phrase “B/A” — to signify a case was continued “by agreement” of both attorneys.
Took ‘em long enough. But will the fix actually work? Color me skeptical.
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday signed an executive order creating Chicago’s first chief homelessness officer position.
The person in the role will be tasked with providing solutions “for stable, permanent and affordable housing” for the unhoused in the city, Johnson said in a statement.
“By establishing a Chief Homelessness Officer for the City of Chicago, we will have a critical point of contact to coordinate efforts and leverage the full force of government to provide shelter for all people,” Johnson said.
The officer will be responsible for “fostering greater policy and operational coordination across city departments and sister agencies” to tackle the crisis, the mayor’s office said.
This person will be purely a figurehead unless the office hires staff to do the work. We found out last week that Johnson’s Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights has only one paid staffer. Johnson has one comms staffer. Almost his entire administration is a shell of what it should be.
* WHBF | Illinois leaders send warnings about book bans: Governor Pritzker and Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton were at the University of Chicago’s Joseph Regenstein Library warning about the dangers of book bans. The free speech group PEN America says attempts to censor books have jumped 33% in the past year. They say a majority are written by people of color or members of the LGBTQ+ community.
* Sun-Times | Former Cook County employee admits helping businesses cheat on taxes for free golf: Basilio Clausen, 51, pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and formally agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors. Though he faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, the feds are likely to ask for a light sentence if Clausen lives up to his end of the deal. The scheme Clausen admitted to Tuesday took place in 2017, when Joseph Berrios served as Cook County assessor. Clausen is not due to be sentenced until his cooperation with prosecutors is complete.
* WAND | Nurses, union leaders push for safe patient limits proposal: The people taking care of your loved ones told a joint committee of lawmakers Tuesday that they are fed up with their working conditions. “Some of these nursing home workers have 20 patients. On third shift, it might be one CNA to one floor,” said Denise Stiger, the union organizer for Teamsters Local 743. “So, that means she is doing the whole floor. Even though they’re saying that the patients are asleep at night, they still have to be changed. They still have to be cleaned.”
* Windy City Times | Former Illinois GOP chair joins Personal PAC board: The move is considered controversial within the Republican Party, putting the moderate and more conservative components at odds. According to a press release Windy City Times received, Brady “has joined the Personal PAC Board because of his belief that the right of women to control their own health care decisions is one of the most important freedoms we as a society should strive to protect.” A decade ago, when he was Illinois GOP chair, Brady defied the party platform by speaking up in support of marriage-equality legislation.
* WTTW | Vote to End Tipped Minimum Wage in Chicago Delayed by City Clerk’s Error: The earliest the Chicago City Council could vote on the compromise crafted by Mayor Brandon Johnson and backed by the Illinois Restaurant association to give restaurants five years to prepare for the end of the tipped minimum wage would be Friday morning, because state law requires the public to be given at least 48 hours’ notice before a legislative body takes final action on a measure.
* Daily Herald | Haymarket sign goes up, but Itasca ’stands by’ decision to reject drug rehab center: After two years and more than 35 public hearings, Itasca trustees in November 2021 unanimously voted against the project. The subsequent lawsuit alleged officials violated the Fair Housing Act and other laws prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities, including patients in treatment for substance use and mental health disorders.
* Tribune | Ald. Ray Lopez running for Congress, taking on Rep. Jesus ‘Chuy’ García in Democratic primary: Surrounded by supporters at a restaurant in Berwyn, the Chicago alderman — who has positioned himself as a backer of Chicago police on the City Council — said García is “extreme.” “He has chosen to try to lead from the left of the left, and in the meantime, he has left everyone else out in the cold,” the alderman said.
* WLPO | Former State Senator Gary Dahl Passes Away: Following a stint in the United States Army, Dahl eventually became a truck driver and founded Double D Express in 1985. When retiring, Dahl went into politics, getting elected to the Illinois Senate in 2005. He resigned in late 2010 to spend more time with his family. While in Springfield, Dahl lived in an RV and donated his salary to charity.
Quincy aldermen will consider an ordinance making the city a “Safehaven City of the Unborn.”
The ordinance would prevent health care providers offering abortions from setting up in Quincy by making it illegal to receive abortion-inducing pills and abortion-related medical equipment in the mail on the authority of the 1873 Comstock Act, a federal law prohibiting “obscene” or “lewd” materials from being sent in the mail, including birth control or abortion-related items.
The City Council heard from several residents in favor and opposed to the ordinance during Monday night’s meeting where Alderman Jake Reed, R-6, requested it be placed on the agenda.
Mayor Mike Troup and aldermen, such as Greg Fletcher, R-1, expressed support of the ordinance but also concerns the state of Illinois will sue Quincy and lay litigation fees at the taxpayer’s feet.
That’s a pretty safe bet, mayor.
…Adding… Sarah Garza Resnick, CEO, Personal PAC…
“The Quincy proposal is yet another attempt by anti-choice extremists to restrict abortion rights in Illinois. Like the ordinance that passed in Danville, this proposal is an insult to the Illinois Constitution and the Illinois Reproductive Health Act. Personal PAC is partnering with pro-choice organizers on the ground to make sure that if the Quincy Mayor and City Council take a vote on this ordinance, they know that we are watching, and we are working toward municipal elections in 2025.”
* Another campaign attack…
@BostForCongress has always been a rubber stamp for the establishment. His first vote in Congress, choosing Boehner as speaker, set the tone. With unwavering loyalty to McCarthy with every vote, he falls in line and neglects the people's needs. We need a true fighter who'll upend…
I asked whom Bailey was supporting, but never heard back. Follow along here.
…Adding… Looks like Bailey and Rep. Miller (No Relation) are on opposite sides at the moment…
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) released the following statement on her vote to prevent a “coalition government” with Democrats:
“I agree with President Trump that right now, we should be focused on stopping the radical Democrats,” Miller said.
“I voted against Kevin McCarthy 15 times in January, but no one else has stepped forward to run for Speaker and I will NOT surrender the majority to a “coalition government” with the Democrats through a power-sharing agreement with extreme liberals Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries.
* This district is represented by freshman Democrat Eric Sorensen…
Ray Estrada drops out of #IL17 race, clearing the GOP primary field (for now) for retired Circuit Court Judge Joe McGraw, who will kick off his campaign next week. McGraw is believed to be the preferred candidate by the NRCC. #twillhttps://t.co/Ljv4J1JWg3pic.twitter.com/WDndZoh1aM
Today, Governor JB Pritzker visited the University of Chicago Library to announce the University’s plan to build a collection of books that have been historically banned, creating an accessible library open to the public. The event takes place during National Banned Books Week, which runs from October 1-7. The governor was joined by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton and University of Chicago leadership.
“When we can engage with ideas that are new to us, challenge and be challenged by different perspectives, learn new things, understand all the amazing miracles and darkest hours of the world around us — we are all better off,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today’s announcement not only means that any member of the public can come access commonly banned books here in person at UChicago — it also means that residents throughout Illinois can access these texts digitally. Even in the face of rising censorship around the country, I have faith in the power of free speech and free thinking to overcome. Through programming and protests and advocacy like this, Illinoisans demonstrate to the nation and the world what it really looks like to stand up for liberty.”
“Illinois continues to stand on the right side of history, refusing to censor educational and social reading material that celebrates our diversity and the richness of the human experience,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “As we celebrate Banned Books Week, our administration is committed to protecting the voices and stories of those who have historically gone unheard and unseen.”
The event was held at the University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library and highlighted the value of intellectual freedom in Illinois and nationwide. Governor Pritzker emphasized the importance of literary access and supporting library staff, who have been dealing with threats around the state.
With support from the American Library Association (ALA), the University of Chicago will be consolidating dozens of “banned books” for their new collection, which can be freely accessed by members of the public with a UChicago Library visitor pass.
The collection will be digitized and made available to those nationwide who lack local access to these titles, in partnership with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The virtual “Banned Book Club” app uses geolocation services to determine book titles that have been banned in users’ areas. The UChicago Library and DPLA have already made over 900 titles accessible, and are consistently increasing the number of available titles on the app.
In June 2023, Governor Pritzker signed a bill making Illinois the first state to outlaw book bans, encouraging schools and libraries to embrace education, literary justice, and equity. HB2789, which takes effect January 1, 2024, protects libraries from external restrictions to book collections.
Governor Pritzker also included $1.6 million in the FY24 state budget to launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide. This initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income.
The Banned Book Collection at the Regenstein Library is currently available for access. The digital collection can be found on DPLA’s recently launched “Banned Books Club” on the Palace e-reader app.
With the downtown property market ranging from torpid to downright depressed, a bit of news about the sector in September had a “man bites dog” importance.
Menashe Properties bought a 29-story office building at 230 W. Monroe St. The family-owned firm, based in Portland, Oregon, and making its first investment in Chicago, took the plunge as other property moguls talk about tax rates, high crime and the still-uncertain comeback from COVID-19 as reasons to shun deals here. […]
Menashe said he checked out Chicago in his first visit to the city and found it to be “the polar opposite of what you hear about in the news.”
“It’s vibrant. It’s architecturally beautiful. You could feel the vibe,” he said. He was a follower of the late tycoon Sam Zell, remembered for an ability to profit from others’ failures.
“It was certainly a first in front of the Ritz: a good-sized, sort of fancy tent astride two large industrial carts, all topped with a large Chicago Fire [soccer] tarp,” said a nearby resident who is elderly and asked not to be identified.
“It was illegally blocking the use of a public way and up against the fence of Schulman Park on Pearson Street, ostensibly across from [Streeterville’s Ritz-Carlton hotel] in order to use the bathroom facilities.
“I was walking my shelter dog when I called to the inside of the tent, and a woman I didn’t see said she was nine months pregnant. Then, a well-groomed man appearing to be in his 30s showed up, accused my dog of pooping on his tent, swore at me in a salacious manner and told me to get lost when I told him the tent placement was illegal. So I called the police, who were there in minutes.”
No police report was filed, but the tent was gone the next day.
Chicago has been named the “Best Big City in the U.S.” for the seventh straight year by readers of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine, officials announced Tuesday.
According to a press release from City of Chicago tourism agency Choose Chicago, the award “speaks to Chicago’s enduring allure to all types of travelers from around the world.”
* Rep. Steve Reick…
The adverse opinion issued last week by the Illinois Auditor General’s office of its compliance audit of the Department of Children and Family Services deals not only with certain financial irregularities within the agency, but it also shines a harsh light on the failure of this agency to protect the children within its care. DCFS exists for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. The fact that the agency failed on so many levels, and then saw fit to hide its failures by providing material misstatements boggles the mind.
Since the audit’s release, we’ve heard nothing from the Governor, even though he had two press availabilities last week where he could have addressed the issue. I just spoke with a member of the Springfield press who told me that the Governor’s office was going to leave it to the Agency to respond.
Since the audit was released on September 26th, there’s only been one comment made by DCFS regarding the findings. Heather Tarczan, DCFS communications director, pointed out the audit took place amid COVID-19 when many state agencies were dealing with staffing issues. I would find that to be somewhat persuasive if it wasn’t for the fact that the issues raised in this audit go back long before COVID.
The Auditor General’s report discloses 33 separate findings, of which 17 were “Category One” findings which describe “material weakness in internal control” or “material non-compliance with state laws and regulations”. Of the 17 Category One violations shown in the audit, twelve of them were raised as far back as 1998. These failures aren’t due to COVID.
And what about Director Smith? Was he hired to fix this agency, or was he merely hired as a caretaker of a dysfunctional agency that has failed so many kids? If he’s any kind of a leader, he should be marching into the Governor’s office and demanding that he be given complete authority to overhaul this agency. Neither he nor the Governor can be considered as profiles in political courage.
The governor is quick to point out that Republicans could be more supportive of his efforts if we would but vote in favor of his budgets. That’s a topic for another day, but let’s just say that if the administration were to propose its budget in piecemeal fashion (by appropriation committee) instead of as a single 3,000-page document, we might find things in there that we’d be willing to vote for, even though we had no say in what goes into it. But he’d rather have political talking points rather than a cooperative effort toward doing the work that the people of this state deserve.
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker urges Biden to intervene amid ‘untenable’ pace of migrant arrivals: Without naming GOP figures like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Pritzker blamed political leaders who “have shipped people to our state like cargo in a dehumanizing attempt to score political points.” But he also faulted the Biden administration for its lack of support for Illinois, which has already dedicated $330 million to addressing the influx of 15,000 migrants and counting.
* Sun-Times | Migrant shelter plan at Amundsen Park field house draws City Council member’s ire: Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) on Monday unleashed his anger at Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to turn the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse into a shelter for 200 migrants for at least six months. Three days after Taliaferro warned that the burgeoning migrant crisis was bringing historic tensions between Blacks and Latinos to a boil, the situation hit even closer to home.
* South Side Weekly | Tent Camp Debate Highlights Uneven Burdens in Migrant Response: Antonio Gutierrez, a strategic coordinator at Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD), told the Weekly that because the plan is a temporary solution, they’re concerned about the long-term plan. “The crisis is not the recently arrived migrants, but the overall lack of affordable housing in the city of Chicago,” Gutierrez said. “We also don’t think that will be the best usage of these millions of dollars…that could otherwise be used in other ways to actually create permanent affordable housing.”
* Shaw Local | Yorkville school board investigated by Illinois attorney general over closed meeting complaint: The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is investigating a complaint alleging that the Yorkville School District 115 board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act when discussing the book “Just Mercy” in closed session. The board voted 4-2 at its Aug. 7 meeting to prohibit use of Bryan Stevenson’s memoir in the Yorkville High School English II Rhetorical Analysis course.
* Patch | $750,000 Settlement In Black Officer’s Lawsuit Against Joliet Chief: According to his federal lawsuit, the city of Joliet had at least 10 job openings on its police force in 2019, and Anthony Sinnott later discovered he ranked No. 5 out of the 227 eligible candidates. On Aug. 26, 2019, Sinnott learned that Joliet’s Police and Fire Board rejected his job application, his lawsuit states. […] Anthony Sinnott’s lawsuit also stated that, “Roechner made false statements about Sinnott to the Board and verbally accused him of being a ‘habitual woman beater’ in front of the Board.
* PJ Star | Peoria congressman Darin LaHood voted ‘no’ to avoid shutdown. Here’s what he said: In a Facebook post, LaHood said he voted no on the bill because it did not address “out of control spending addiction” and did not “address the crisis at our southern border.”"Families in #IL16 must meet a budget and it’s past time that DC do the same. With $33 Trillion in debt, Congress needs to change the way it spends or we will threaten the economic future of our kids and grandkids,” LaHood’s statement said.
* Lake County News-Sun | Officials scrambling to maintain federal funding levels for North Chicago schools in the face of potential cutbacks: Potentially facing a revenue loss of nearly $5 million over the next two years from a cut in federal impact aid received for educating military dependents, North Chicago School District Superintendent John Price is trying to maintain the current funding levels. With Naval Station Great Lakes occupying 30% of North Chicago’s real estate, the land is exempt from paying local property taxes. Instead, it pays impact aid of $12,700 annually for each military dependent student in the district. That may drop to $2,000.
* Rockford Register Star | Rockford rejects expansion of group homes for recovering addicts: Neighbors signed petitions and wrote letters opposing the expansion. Oxford House lawyers say the residents in their group homes are considered “disabled persons” under the law and therefore protected by it and the Fair Housing Act. They asked to increase the number of residents allowed at the homes beyond the six permitted in areas zoned R-1.
* WICS | Illinois police officer indicted, accused of assaulting handcuffed man: Justin Gaither, 33, was indicted on September 27 on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force. The indictment accuses Gaither of assaulting someone on Nov. 20, 2022. The victim was handcuffed and was not posing a threat to anyone, the indictment says.
* Bloomberg | Video slot machines spur gambling revenue windfall for Illinois: Illinois’s tax collections from gaming climbed to a record of almost $2 billion in the year that ended June 30, according to data going back almost five decades. Video gaming currently represents about 41% of wagering revenue, while lottery makes up nearly 44%.
* The Messenger | Colorado Law to Ban ‘Abortion Reversal’ Procedures Could Spark National Trend: Passed by the state Legislature in April, the law has survived months of legal challenges. While anti-abortion activists maintain the “abortion reversal” procedure is a legitimate treatment for those seeking to “reverse” a medication abortion, it has been branded “unproved and unethical” by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The passage and soon-to-come enactment of Senate Bill 23-190 represents a major win for abortion advocates, who say that “abortion reversal” is merely a tool used by “crisis pregnancy centers”—or anti-abortion centers that have been frequently criticized for spreading misinformation and using deceptive measures to prevent women from accessing abortions—to increase stigma and fear around abortions.
* Bloomberg | Ethanol price manipulation lawsuit is back to haunt ADM: U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce on Sept. 26 denied ADM’s request to dismiss the case where competitors accuse the company of violating antitrust laws. The decision came after an analysis of an amended complaint by Midwest in which it names several ethanol producers allegedly affected by what the complaint characterizes as ADM’s anticompetitive practices. For a period between 2017 and 2019, ADM allegedly sold ethanol below cost at Kinder Morgan’s terminal in Argo, a subdivision of suburban Summit, while using derivatives traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to place an “outsized” bet on lower prices.
* WaPo | An epidemic of chronic illness is killing us too soon: After decades of progress, life expectancy — long regarded as a singular benchmark of a nation’s success — peaked in 2014 at 78.9 years, then drifted downward even before the coronavirus pandemic. Among wealthy nations, the United States in recent decades went from the middle of the pack to being an outlier. And it continues to fall further and further behind. A year-long Washington Post examination reveals that this erosion in life spans is deeper and broader than widely recognized, afflicting a far-reaching swath of the United States.
* KHQA | Illinois seeking State Historian: The search committee will be chaired by Millikin University history professor Dan Monroe. “Illinois is doing something important by reinventing the position of state historian. It’s a chance to explore overlooked parts of the Illinois story, amplify new voices, and reach folks who might not realize how exciting history can be,” said Dr. Monroe. “We want to cast a wide net in our search for candidates.”
* Daily Herald | Goodman’s ‘Tommy’ wins nine Jeff Awards: If Goodman Theatre’s production of “The Who’s Tommy” opens on Broadway next year (a transfer expected but not officially confirmed), it received a memorable send-off Monday at the 55th annual Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony recognizing excellence in Chicago-area theater during the 2022-2023 equity season. Goodman’s record-breaking production — the highest grossing in the theater’s 98-year history — received nine Jeff Awards, more than any other production, and won every category in which it was nominated.
* KLAS | Never-before-seen photos, videos released in Tupac Shakur murder case: Last week, a Clark County grand jury indicted 60-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis in Shakur’s murder. Las Vegas Metro police arrested Davis near his Nevada home early Friday morning. The grand jury, which met at least five times over the course of three months, voted Thursday to indict Davis on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement. Prosecutors announced the indictment Friday.
* Daily Herald | Trailblazing Advocate president ready to face health industry challenges: Being the only person of color in a corporate board room isn’t unusual for Dia Nichols. For the last two years, the Inverness resident has served as president of the Central Chicagoland Patient Service Area and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge — joining a small field of hospital executives who are people of color. The 49-year-old recently took the helm as Advocate Health Care’s first Black president.
* WCIA | Teutopolis stepping up to honor Bryan Family after ammonia leak: “It’s not your typical one funeral. It’s three,” Willenborg said. The ride is starting right in town at a place that’s helping out in a big way already: Ping’s Tavern. “Within two hours, they raised $8,000 for the Kenny Bryan family,” said Julia Henderson, a bartender at the bar.
* I was born in Kankakee, but spent much of my childhood in a farmhouse rented by my parents in rural Iroquois County, a few miles from my grandfather. So, I suppose that’s partly why I love HGTV’s “Home Town” show, hosted by Erin and Ben Napier. The show and the small town of Laurel, Mississippi (pop. 17,161) was profiled today in the Wall St. Journal…
Laurel hasn’t always been this lovable. “When I first came on the council [in 1997], there was nothing going on downtown,” says [Laurel’s third-term mayor, Johnny Magee]. “You could shoot a shotgun down Central Avenue and not hit anybody.”
Surrounded by crumbling and shuttered buildings, a handful of local government and civic leaders in the mid-2000s championed change. Laurel Main Street, a consortium of local businesses, was formed in 2007 with a mission to revitalize a city once home to thriving timber and textile industries, brick manufacturing and other enterprises. In 2008, the Napiers—fresh out of college and newly married—moved back to Laurel, Erin’s hometown. The couple lived in a small apartment downtown, where they say the only other residents were friends Jim and Mallorie Rasberry and Josh and Emily Nowell. (Jim Rasberry is also Erin’s cousin.)
By all accounts, downtown Laurel wasn’t dying. It was dead. “When we moved back, there was one coffee shop and one restaurant that was open only for lunch,” Ben Napier, 40 years old, recalls. Erin Napier, 38, adds: “Other than that, there were a few professional services like lawyers and a lot of shuttered buildings.”
In time, the three couples became involved in redevelopment and restoration efforts downtown, which many consider a turning point in the city’s rebirth. “The effort by younger people got downtown growing again,” Magee says.
* The house I was raised in was southwest of Chebanse, a tiny town of 1,044 souls which also appears to be experiencing a revival of sorts. Here’s Tiffany Blanchette writing about Chebanse for the Kankakee Daily Journal…
A visit to the Whistle Stop Cafe & Bar in Chebanse brought back a rush of fond childhood memories as well as a renewed appreciation for the people that make that community connection a reality.
The restaurant, owned by local couple Jen Surprenant and Sal Lopez, operates out of the same building as a former, locally-loved spot called Russ & Rosie’s. […]
Next door is the Chebanse General Store, opened in October 2021 by mother-daughter duo Cindy Charbonneau and Brittany Cotter, both lifelong Chebanse residents. They stock everything from dry goods and dairy to locally-raised meat.
You can even get a scoop of ice cream or a couple pieces of candy — something I remember doing as a kid when Bonfield had its own little general store.
A coffee shop, Rally Point 1854, sits around the corner for the early morning crowd of farmers and teachers. It was started by two local veterans in 2019.
A locally-owned hardware store, a new boutique and a couple of bars line the other road through town.
The last time I was in Chebanse, I noticed a place on the outskirts of town called First Stop Bar and Grill, which has a huge beer garden. I made a note to stop by during my next visit (my uncle lives in Ashkum, which is ten miles or so south).
Chebanse is right off of I-57 and about 70 miles south of Chicago. It’s worth a visit.
Point being, it most certainly helps to have a popular TV show and a decent population base to jump-start a small town, but it isn’t always necessary.
* The Question: Do you have a favorite small town? Explain and stay on-topic, please. Thanks.
Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy wants Joliet Township Supervisor Angel Contreras to withdraw his application that could bring $8.6 million in state of Illinois tax dollars to Joliet Township to cover the costs of bringing people from other countries seeking asylum status.
“I want to take a moment to clarify the facts regarding the recent news about a grant for Municipalities Serving Asylum Seekers,” D’Arcy announced Monday evening. “The people sitting on this dais were placed here by the people of Joliet with a duty and obligation to preserve and protect their investment in their property and preserve their quality of life.
“That said, the decision-makers in the city did not have knowledge of a grant request made by Joliet Township and with community partners and organizations.” […]
According to Joliet’s new mayor, “The City of Joliet Mayor’s Office and Joliet Fire Department did not sign or approve any Memorandum of Understanding with the Township or with other community partners and other organizations on the grant that was submitted.
Joliet Township is a separate unit of government from the city of Joliet and operates independently. But D’Arcy said he believes the terms of the grant required certain agreements with the city that were never made.
City officials have said they were unaware Joliet Township was seeking the grant and only learned about it after the governor’s office announced the award late Friday.
Contreras did not return calls on Monday seeking comments about the grant.
Township Trustee Ray Slattery told the council at its meeting that the township board did not know about the grant.
Meanwhile, Illinois State Senator Rachel Ventura says Contreras had mentioned that Joliet Township would be a getting a large amount of money but didn’t know the details and nor did she hear from the governor’s office. Local officials say they want to know how and where the money will be spent and in what areas.
* The governor’s office is pointing at the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, which was quoted in the original press release as partnering with the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide “management oversight in the form of a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process.” Jordan Abudayyeh…
While an award has been made to Joliet Township, that is subject to both an updated budget and entering into a grant agreement. No grant monies are paid until a grant agreement has been completed. As part of this process, the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, as the administrator and monitor of this program, will be asking the Township to provide additional information on any listed support and partnerships and, once confirmed, how they will support asylum seekers.
I’ve reached out to the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus for a response. Nothing yet.
…Adding… The “updated budget” is for the locals, not the state. “Everyone applied for more money than they got so they have to update their budgets and plans as part of the grant agreements before money is released,” said Abudayyeh.
* More from the governor’s office on the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus…
MMC identified external reviewers with expertise in philanthropy, grant-making, and immigrant services as a part of its administrative responsibilities. IDHS and MMC together determined grant award amounts based on reviewer recommendations and scoring.
Oak Park’s portion of grant funds is meant for planning – which is an opportunity to prepare for additional State funds that may become available in the future.
In the end, though, it sure looks like the township supervisor claimed he had the buy-in of other local governments and stakeholders when he clearly did not. And now the supervisor has gone to ground.
Racist propaganda campaigns and antisemitic acts more than doubled last year in Illinois, according to a report released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League that details alarming examples of extremism across the state.
The report, titled “Hate in the Prairie State,” provides a comprehensive list of radical forces targeting Illinois, including white supremacist groups, anti-LGBTQ+ zealots and adherents of the QAnon conspiracy theory that vehemently supports former President Donald Trump.
“In some ways, we think that we live in Illinois and somehow we’re immune to this,” David Goldenberg, the ADL’s Midwest director, said in an interview. “But the reality is that these groups have a presence here, they are active and, in some parts of the state, we’re seeing this type of hate and extremism become mainstreamed.” […]
Antisemitic acts including assault, harassment and vandalism rose to their highest level in recent history in 2022, jumping 128% from the previous year, from 53 to 121. That was the seventh-largest statewide total in a year that saw “the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide,” the ADL noted. […]
Ahead of a Tuesday news conference detailing the report, Goldenberg noted that hate crimes nationwide are at a 20-year high: “They have not been this high since 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
• Antisemitic Incidents: According to ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, Illinois has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years. In 2022, the number of incidents increased by 128% from 2021 levels, rising from 53 to 121. The state’s total was the seventh-highest number of incidents in the country in a year when ADL tracked the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide. This is a dramatic increase from 2016, when there were 10 incidents. Preliminary numbers through June 2023 indicate that there have been at least 33 additional antisemitic incidents in the state.
• Extremist Plots and Murders: In 2021 and 2022, ADL documented one extremist murder in Illinois. In November 2022, a man allegedly intentionally drove the wrong way on an interstate highway and crashed into another car, killing the driver. The man said he wanted to kill himself after being convicted for crimes committed while participating in the January 6 insurrection, and he has been charged with additional crimes, including first-degree murder.
• Extremist Events: Since 2021, ADL has documented four white supremacist extremist events in Illinois, predominately marches and protests.
• White Supremacist Propaganda: In 2022, ADL documented 198 instances of white supremacist propaganda distributions across Illinois, an increase of 111% from 2021 (94). Through May 2023, there have been an additional 64 white supremacist propaganda incidents. Patriot Front was responsible for a large majority of white supremacist propaganda throughout Illinois.
• Hate Crimes Statistics: According to the latest FBI hate crimes statistics available, there were 101 reported hate crimes in Illinois that targeted a variety of communities, including Jewish, Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander. This total was an increase of 80% from the 56 incidents recorded in 2020.
• Insurrection Statistics: Thirty-six of the 968 individuals logged by the George Washington University Program on Extremism who have been charged in relation to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol are Illinois residents.
• ADL and Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative Threats and Harassment Dataset: The Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) tracks unique incidents of threats and harassment against local U.S. officials between January 1, 2020, and September 23, 2022, in three policy areas (election, education and health). Illinois recorded six incidents of threats and harassment against local officials.
* Ald. Ray Lopez is a Chicago media darling. He’s one of those people who should teach a class in how to get news coverage for students who don’t really want to accomplish much of anything substantive. But because he receives so much publicity, including regular appearances on Fox News, he has to be taken at least somewhat seriously, even though he dropped out of a congressional race in 2018, and dropped out of the mayor’s race after splashy announcements.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th), one of the police union’s staunchest City Council supporters, on Tuesday declared his candidacy for Congress against progressive leader U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
That sets the stage for a showdown in the March primary election between opposite sides of the political spectrum within the Democratic Party. […]
“After walking the district for the past few weeks, I’ve heard directly from residents who feel as though they don’t have a voice in their current representative. They feel that the politics has gotten too extreme. That Democrats have been left out in the cold or marginalized because they’re not taking some of the more extreme positions that we’ve seen come out of the Socialist and super-progressive movements over the last few years,” Lopez said.
“This district … encompasses the Southwest Side of Chicago, but many of the Southwest suburbs all the way into DuPage who still believe in law enforcement. Who believe in accountability and personal responsibility. Who believe in working toward the middle to find solutions for real problems and they haven’t seen that from their congressman.”
I dunno. Pundits said the exact same thing in 2022 when Gil Villegas challenged Delia Ramirez. Villegas was clobbered by almost a three-to-one margin. And Ramirez actually performed better in DuPage County than in suburban Cook and the city.
Also, Lopez doesn’t have a history of raising much money, is far more of a show horse than a work horse (as evident in his media success vs. actual accomplishments in office) and has not won anything outside his own ward.
Stranger things have happened, of course.
* From García’s campaign…
Today, the García campaign released the following statement after the announcement of Ray Lopez’s second attempt to run for Congress.
“Alderman Ray Lopez’s latest run for a new office is nothing more than an attention-grabbing stunt,” said García campaign manager Manny Díaz. “His dependence on Ed Burke, a figure drowning in federal racketeering charges, raises serious concerns about his ethics. Lopez’s long-standing relationship with Burke, which now includes renting office space in the same Burke compound raided by the FBI in 2019, has also extended to a disturbing pattern of allegedly attempting to extort small business owners in his ward.”
“While we prefer to focus on our dedication to serving the diverse communities in the district, it’s crucial to underscore the stark contrast between our integrity and the cloud of corruption in which Lopez has chosen to operate. As he seeks the limelight and skips essential city responsibilities, our dedication to serving our district remains resolute. We prioritize service over theatrics, ensuring that our focus remains firmly on delivering for our municipalities and constituents.”
“The choice is clear: a proven record of integrity, dedication, and results versus a perennial candidate riding on the coattails of Ed Burke, one of the most disgraced politicians in Illinois history. Our campaign’s dedication to serving the people speaks volumes, and we won’t be distracted by political maneuvers.”
About The Election
Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García is a seasoned public servant with a rich history of electoral victories rooted in his unwavering commitment to progressive values and social justice. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, representing Illinois’ 4th Congressional District. In Congress, he has been a vocal advocate for affordable healthcare, immigration reform, housing access, environmental justice, and economic equity. His electoral history reflects a steadfast dedication to progressive ideals and a vision of a more just and inclusive society. Congressman García continues to be a driving force for positive change, both in his district and on the national stage.
Alderman Raymond Lopez has a political history that is marked by controversy. After two prior bids for office, he won his election to become the Alderman of the 15th Ward in 2015. He has made a career off of failed runs for office, adding to his unsuccessful attempt for Congress in 2018 and his sham campaign for Mayor of Chicago in 2023. His political history is marked by controversies, questionable policy choices, and allegations of corruption. His divisive approach to governance and inflammatory statements, including his status as a regular contributor to Republican news outlets, has been a source of concern for many. Alderman Lopez’s tendency to engage in political grandstanding, use of incendiary language, and antagonistic gimmicks have hindered constructive dialogue and cooperation within the city council.
Lopez has a very real, concrete and current Ed Burke problem. No doubt. But Mike Madigan’s trial is coming up next year and the political truce negotiated between the two men hurt García in the mayor’s race.
Workers at a Chicago-area Ford Motor Co. plant have been laid off amid the United Auto Workers strike.
About 330 employees were laid off between the stamping plant in Chicago Heights and an engine plant in Lima, Ohio, Ford said in a statement Monday.
“Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy has knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage. In this case, the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant has directly impacted some operations at Chicago Stamping Plant and Lima Engine Plant,” the company said.
At the Chicago Heights plant, 243 employees were laid off as of Saturday. Ninety were laid off at the Lima plant on Monday, according to Ford.
“These layoffs are a consequence of the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant, because these two facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to Chicago Assembly Plant,” Ford spokesperson Ian Thibodeau said Monday. […]
Ford employs about 1,000 hourly workers at the Chicago Stamping Plant. The workers, who are members of UAW Local 588, were not called to strike by the union. […]
The strike hit home in a big way Friday when about 4,600 members of UAW Local 551 put down their tools and walked off the job at the Chicago Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs. The Explorer, which is built exclusively in Chicago, is among Ford’s best-selling vehicles. […]
The union is seeking pay increases, shorter workweeks and improvements to retiree pensions and health care plans amid record profits for the Big Three automakers, among other demands.
Once assembly plants go dark, nearby suppliers soon get idled. That means the pain of the first United Auto Workers union strike at Torrence Avenue since 1976 will quickly extend beyond the 6,000 people who make Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviator SUVs. […]
Among other suppliers in the Ford assembly plant’s impact radius, which also covers part of Indiana, is a supplier park that includes companies such as Autokiniton, formerly called Tower International, which makes front-end assemblies and rear floor pans, and Dakkota Integrated Systems, which supplies interior parts to Ford.
Lear employs more than 800 people making seats at a factory in Hammond, which is expected to be impacted quickly. LM Manufacturing, a seating maker in Detroit, laid off workers less than a week after the strike began at a nearby plant that makes the Ford Bronco.
Urbana-based parts maker Flex-N-Gate employs a few hundred at an injection-molding factory that supplies the Torrence Avenue plant.
* Related…
* ABC Chicago | Ford lays off 330 workers at Chicago Heights stamping plant amid UAW strike: Ford said the strike is impacting its stamping facility since that plant makes and sends parts to the workers that have stopped working. The president of the local UAW chapter representing striking workers told ABC7, “The domino effect will continue as the strike prolongs. Ford knows we are all interconnected.”
* Crain’s | Ford lays off Chicago Heights plant workers amid strike: GM met with UAW leaders Monday and “the union did present a counter to our proposal from Sept. 21,” company spokesperson David Barnas said in a statement. “We are assessing, but significant gaps remain.”
* Chicago Ford plant workers hit the picket line as UAW strike spreads: It’s the third Illinois location to picket after the UAW broadened its strike last week to include a GM location in Bolingbrook and a Stellantis site in Naperville, both parts distribution sites. The new walkout does not include a Ford stamping plant in Chicago Heights.
* Center Square making an assertion not evident in reality…
Opposition is building against a proposed Chinese battery plant for Manteno in Kankakee County.
In reality, it was just a press conference held by a tiny minority of a super-minority, which Center Square’s parent company offered free of charge on its newly purchased video platform.
* The release…
The IL Freedom Caucus today held a press conference to demand answers to some of the concerns Manteno residents have with a Chinese company building a battery plant in their community.
The Chinese company Gotion High-Tech Co. is in line for $ 7.5 billion in federal tax credits over five years, while the State of Illinois is kicking in an additional $536 million in subsidies to build the plant. The cost to build the plant is $2 billion and the subsidies add up to an astounding $3 million per job.
“Manteno may not be in our districts, but the people of this community deserve to have their voices heard,” said State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur). “This deal was negotiated in secret without the input of Manteno residents. The Governor needs to answer their questions and address their concerns.”
State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said it defies common-sense to make a deal with a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party without requiring any kind of disclosures. He said China’s human rights abuses make them a bad-faith partner in business deals.
“China continues to engage in coercive population control through forced abortion, forced sterilization, and involuntary implantation of birth control and the CCP forced labor and detention of more than one million Uyghurs and other minority groups is well-documented,” Halbrook said. “China has forced Apple to remove features that allow people to contact each other without the knowledge of the Chinese government to prevent dissidents from organizing. On Nov. 25th, 2022, video surfaced of an apartment fire in Xinjiang. People were trapped inside because the Chinese government locked them in as part of their cruel response to COVID-19. Imagine being forcibly locked in your apartment building simply because someone in the building had COVID-19. Then imagine not being able to escape a fire because your building is locked from the outside. This is who the Chinese Communist Party is.”
To go into business with a company with CCP ties is one thing but to not even do any proper vetting is another matter entirely.
“What vetting was done to protect Illinois and US interests in this deal?” said State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Diederich). “What agreements were made to protect propriety information of US companies that may be involved in the project? Why wasn’t a Form 800, which is a standard federal form that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) uses to determine if any threats to national security exists in business deals, required? If any foreign companies need to be subject to a Form 800 – it would be a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. So again, I ask – Why weren’t any forms or disclosures required? This is what happens when ideology trumps common sense.”
The legislators called for answers to these questions and also called for the Legislature to take action to protect the interests of Illinois residents. Specifically, they called for legislation to ban the use of public funds in investments or institutions tied to the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Republic of China; to ban government officials and employees from having Tik Tok accounts; and to prohibit China from buying farmland in the United States.
We need to put our money where our mouth is on human rights, and we need to lead by example when it comes to China,” said State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City). “JB Pritzker signed a law divesting Illinois from Russia because of the war in Ukraine. If we are condemning Russia – how can we not have the same policies in regard to the CCP? We say we are for human rights but not only are we blindly doing business with a company whose corporate papers pledge loyalty to the CCP, but we are handing over millions in subsidies. And instead of a substantive thoughtful response from JB Pritzker – all we get is insults and hyperbole. Illinois deserves better. Manteno deserves better. We need to put the brakes on this project and return sanity to our state.”
The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), chairman; Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), vice-chairman; Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Jed Davis (R-Newark) and David Friess (R-Red Bud). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government.
Oh, they want to ban ban government officials from having TikTok accounts, eh? Well, perhaps Rep. Niemerg can explain why he has an official legislative TikTok account?
I asked for an explanation from a Freedom Caucus spokesperson about that and about whether any Freedom Caucus member owned an Apple product, since that company was mentioned in the release as well. The only response was a personal insult.
Stay classy.
…Adding… Patiently awaiting a press conference denouncing the Illinois Soybean Association. From August…
In a bid to continue fostering international agricultural partnerships and enhance global trade relations, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) recently hosted three Asian trade teams on the farms of Illinois soybean farmers. The farm visits aimed to provide representatives from South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan with firsthand insight into the soybean farming practices, innovations, and quality standards maintained by Illinois farmers.
The November issue was whether a special advocacy body known as a 708 Mental Health Board should be created with limited taxing powers to provide mental health services to township residents who need them.
Similar boards had previously been established by voters of at least three other suburban townships, and in November, voters in six suburban regions joined Wheeling Township in approving the boards.
The Wheeling Township Board, though, was never a big fan of the measure, arguing that the township already allots about $500,000 a year for mental health services. Supporters of the 708 board responded that much more is needed and sought a panel with special taxing authority to manage about $1.5 million. Voters said yes, but when the Wheeling Township attorney discovered a loophole in technical ballot language last August that authorized the board but not its powers to collect revenue, the township board was quick to respond with a call for a whole new election.
This in spite of the fact that state Rep. Dan Didech, a Buffalo Grove Democrat, has proposed legislation, expected to be addressed in this November’s veto session, that could correct the error without the need for another vote.
Township leaders have complained that a 708 board could seek a levy of as much as $8 million, though supporters always insisted their goal was only the $1.5 million.
Now, with a straight-faced claim of prioritizing transparency, the township board has approved a new question with the technical language addressed, plus an insertion of the obviously alarming $8 million figure. The new language makes no reference to the actual $1.5 million sought.
Hmm.
* A campaign committee was formed in September of last year called “Vote No Mental Health Tax.” Its stated purpose was “To oppose the referendum to create a community health board in Wheelling [sic] Township.”
The chair and treasurer of the committee was Dan Patlak, a Wheeling resident who also just happens to be the Director of Community Engagement for the Illinois Policy Institute.
The committee raised just one contribution: $25,000 from Republican contributor Dick Uihlein. Mr. Uihlein has been a strong supporter of the IPI’s work.
Right around that same time, Uihlein contributed $12,000 to Republicans of Wheeling Township. That contribution represented the vast majority of the township GOP’s individual contributions during the quarter. The township Republicans raised another $31K from the Northwest Suburban Republican Lincoln Day Committee PAC. Uihlein gave almost $26K to that committee last year.
* According to WCIA, traffic was diverted from I-70 to Route 40 following a crash on the interstate. I-70 is under extensive construction and these crashes and diversions have become all too common. From CNN…
The sequence of events that led to the accident appears to have started when someone tried to pass the semi-truck, the NTSB said at a Sunday media briefing.
“Preliminary information indicates that another vehicle may have been involved in a passing maneuver near the tanker truck. The driver of the truck appears to have reacted by pulling to the right,” said board member Tom Chapman. “The tanker truck departed the roadway. After departing the roadway, the truck rolled over, and the cargo tank was compromised.” […]
“As it rolled over, the tanker truck jackknifed and exposed the head end of the tank,” said Chapman. “As momentum carried the tank forward, it came into contact with the hitch on the utility trailer. The hitch punctured the cargo tank, leaving a hole approximately 6 inches in diameter.”
Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said the five dead included three from the same family: one adult and two children under 12. The other two were adult motorists from out of state, Rhodes said.
Additionally, five people were airlifted to hospitals, their conditions unknown.
* I told you all that so I could show you this ISP press release…
The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a vehicle potentially involved in a crash on September 29, 2023 just outside of Teutopolis that resulted in five fatalities and multiple injuries.
On Friday, September 29, 2023, ISP, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Teutopolis Fire Protection District, and other local law enforcement, fire, and emergency services responded to a crash that occurred at 8:42 p.m. on 19740 East U.S. Highway 40. The crash involved a semi-truck tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia that was punctured and leaked.
The initial investigation shows at approximately 8:35 p.m., a dark colored vehicle (unknown make/model) potentially involved in the incident traveling westbound through the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Spring Creek Road in Montrose, Illinois. The investigation determined the vehicle continued traveling Westbound through Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40 and would have passed the semi-truck tanker.
ISP agents are in Casey, Montrose, and Teutopolis communities retrieving surveillance video that could provide more information into this incident. If you have doorbell or security cameras that may have captured video of this suspect vehicle before or after the incident, or any information, please contact Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 8 Investigations at 217-342-7881.
Video of the vehicle passing through the intersection can be found here https://youtu.be/b4l68efYq7A.
With asylum-seekers expected to arrive in Chicago at a peak 25 busloads a day, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is stepping up criticism of the federal government’s response to the crisis, writing in a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday that Illinois is in an “untenable situation.”
“Today, Illinois stands mostly unsupported against this enormous strain on our state resources,” Pritzker wrote in the letter. […]
It followed a phone call both Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson had on Sunday with White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, senior adviser Tom Perez and agency staffers from the Department of Homeland Security.
On the call, Pritzker and Johnson warned that Chicago is expected to see 25 buses a day from Texas beginning this week, potentially bringing in 1,250 migrants a day, according to a source with knowledge of the call. The city is receiving about 10 buses a day, with 40 to 50 people on board.
The total number of arrivals since the first bus from Texas arrived in August 2022 is expected to jump from 15,000 as of last week to 20,000 this week, the sources said.
That total could double within three weeks. The projection is based on information from people along the southern border that indicates 20 to 25 additional buses a day will be arriving in Chicago, at least five days a week, each with about 50 migrants aboard. That means about 1,000 to 1,250 new arrivals daily.
* More…
* Pritzker: Federal response to migrant crisis ‘uncoordinated’, Illinois requests for assistance ‘ignored’: After two busloads of migrants arrived at CPD’s Area 2 on the far south side over the weekend, Alderman Anthony Beale sounded the alarm about just how untenable the situation has become there. “The problem with that is the Area Two 5th District is a sex registry where you have sex offenders that have to come and check in on a daily basis and you have women and children that are being housed there and it’s totally illegal.”
* Pritzker escalates call for help with migrants in letter to Biden: Chicago officials have warned they expect Republican governors to escalate the busing of migrants to the city ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August and have urged Biden’s administration to make more funds available for Chicago to handle the crisis.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker presses Biden for more help as migrant buses double: ‘Illinois stands mostly unsupported against this enormous strain’:“Mr. President, I urge you, [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Secretary Mayorkas, and the rest of your administration to take swift action and intervene on our behalf and on behalf of the other affected states and their residents,” Pritzker continued, “as well as on behalf of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who undertook a dangerous and difficult journey in hopes of attaining public safety and forging a better life for themselves and their families.”
* Shaw Local | DeKalb alderwoman to run for 76th House District in 2024 election: Carolyn Zasada, 1st Ward alderwoman for DeKalb, announced that she’ll seek the 76th District in the Illinois House in 2024 as a Democrat, putting her in line for another battle with Mayor Cohen Barnes. Barnes also announced Sept. 22 that he plans to run as a Democrat.
* Sun-Times | Racist propaganda, antisemitic acts spiked in Illinois last year, report shows: Antisemitic acts, including assault, harassment and vandalism, rose to their highest level in recent history in 2022, jumping 128% from the previous year, from 53 to 121. That was the seventh-largest statewide total in a year that saw “the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide,” the ADL noted.
* Center Square | Illinois legislator tells prison agency ‘do your job’ on sex offender notification: Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savannah, said she has no interest in legislative changes. “I don’t understand what the problem is. It is their responsibility and their mandate to report that sex offenders are getting out,” McCombie said. “I am certainly not interested in any legislative fix to remove that mandate. If that’s something they’re interested in, I’m certainly not interested in that, and I don’t think anyone in the public is.”
* AP | 5 died of exposure to chemical in central Illinois crash, preliminary autopsies find: Five people died from exposure to a chemical that spilled after a semitruck overturned in central Illinois, according to autopsies conducted Monday. Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said official results from the autopsies won’t be available for several weeks. The victims of the multi-vehicle crash in Teutopolis, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of St. Louis, were Teutopolis resident Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his children, Walker Bryan, 10 and Rosie Bryan, 7; Danny J. Smith, 67 of New Haven, Missouri; and Vasile Cricovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio, were killed.
* Tribune | Ford lays off 243 workers at stamping facility in Chicago Heights due to UAW strike at nearby Chicago Assembly Plant: A total of about 330 layoffs were announced Monday between the Chicago Stamping Plant and the Lima Engine Plant in Ohio. Both facilities supply parts to Ford’s idled assembly plant on the city’s Southeast Side, where thousands of employees walked off the job Friday in the United Auto Workers’ expanding strike against the Big Three automakers. “These layoffs are a consequence of the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant, because these two facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to Chicago Assembly Plant,” Ford spokesperson Ian Thibodeau said Monday.
* Crain’s | Impact of Chicago Ford plant strike is already spreading: The autoworkers’ strike that reached the Ford plant on the South Side on Friday didn’t take long to spread. Once assembly plants go dark, nearby suppliers soon get idled. That means the pain of the first United Auto Workers union strike at Torrence Avenue since 1976 will quickly extend beyond the 6,000 people who make Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviator SUVs.
* Sun-Times | Illinois sues alternate electric supplier for ‘deceptive’ tactics that may have cost residents $15 million: Illinois is suing alternative electric supplier Residents Energy LLC, accusing the company of “deceptive and unfair tactics” that made some state residents liable for “millions” more in energy costs. The lawsuit, announced by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office Monday afternoon, accused the company’s sales force of promising “historically low,” first-month rates without disclosing that they were temporary deals.
* Press Release | September U of I Flash Index remained steady: The U of I Flash Index for September 2023 remained at 102.9, the same as in August. The Index appears to be in a holding pattern since the beginning of 2023, remaining in a narrow range of around 103. As noted last month, this may be an indication that the long-sought-after soft landing is in sight. This is in marked contrast to the general outlook prevailing until recently that the economy was likely heading toward at least a minor recession.
* Tribune | Union sues over Signature Room layoffs: The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago by hospitality union Unite Here Local 1, alleges about 130 workers it represented there were laid off in violation of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires certain large employers to provide written notice of certain business closures or mass layoffs at least 60 days in advance.
* Tribune | Celebrating the late, great local musician John Prine in the new book ‘Prine on Prine’: Editor Holly Gleason tells me she first heard Prine when she was a 12-year-old in Cleveland. She writes about eventually meeting him when she was a 20-year-old living in Florida and writing music reviews. She interviewed Prine for a story that was never printed. But as she went on to become a veteran of the music journalism scene and author of books, she maintained a close relationship with Prine and his colleague and friend Dan Einstein, to whom she was once long ago engaged and who did not live to see this book completed.
* Crain’s | Black Panthers’ medical, day care sites part of historic district proposal: Locations in Chicago where the Black Panther Party offered medical care, free breakfast and day care in the late 1960s and early 1970s are part of a proposed scattered-site Illinois landmark district that would memorialize the group’s social service agenda. “The Black Panther Party was not about going around toting guns like they’ve made it sound in the past 50 years,” said Leila Wills, a program officer for Landmarks Illinois who is leading the landmarking effort as executive director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
* Tribune | ‘Invasion’ of tropical birds known as limpkins reported in Illinois; invasive snails may be attractive food source, experts say: Once nearly wiped out in Florida, the limpkin has recently spread to the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana, where it successfully nested. In the late 1990s, limpkin populations were declining in Florida as wetlands were drained and their main food supply, the native Florida apple snail, was decreasing. In the mid-2000s, various types of apple snails native to Central and South America as well as Asia were introduced to the United States, often for use in aquariums.
* Tribune | Ed Burke’s lawyers ask to bar mention of alderman’s tax work for Trump Tower at upcoming trial : At one point in the call, the alderman asks his brother “to ask a third party why that third party doesn’t give Mr. Burke’s law firm some business instead of giving it all to (then-House Speaker Michael) Madigan,” the filing stated. “Mr. Burke then suggests that they could figure out a way to make Daniel a consultant.”
* WCIA | ACLU of Illinois meets in Urbana to discuss book banning: To kick off Banned Books Week, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois had a discussion and workshop in Urbana to educate people on book banning and what they can do. In June, Illinois was the first state to pass legislation that will take funding away from any school or library that bans certain books. ACLU Director of Public Policy Ed Yohnka said this is no time to stop.
* Edwin C. Yohnka | Stepping up on Banned Books Week: Hank Aaron is a personal icon. His chase of Babe Ruth’s home run record captured my attention. My admiration for Aaron grew after learning about the racist threats Aaron endured as a Black man chasing the record. Aaron persevered in the face of this ugliness, responding with dignity. I was reminded of this youthful esteem when reports revealed that Hank Aaron’s Dream, a book for Aaron’s courage, was blocked from Florida classrooms while its content were reviewed. How could the story of a national hero be controversial? The explanation is that discussion of racism could somehow make some white students feel bad.
* WICS | Domestic Violence homicides remain high in Illinois: The Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) is reporting that 57 people died in 45 separate domestic violence incidents in Illinois during 2022. […] “The actual numbers have dropped slightly with the easing of the pandemic,” stated Vickie Smith, President and CEO of ICADV. “But these incidents are preventable, and this loss is untenable.”
* WCIA | Lawmakers react to Teutopolis crash, I-70 construction: State Representative Adam Niemerg grew up and still lives in Teutopolis. He said that while there was panic and confusion during and after the evacuation, there was another emotion at the front of people’s minds: frustration. “A lot of folks are a little frustrated because of what’s happening on Interstate 70,” Niemerg said. “Everything being diverted to 40. We’ve been dealing with this for months in Teutopolis. And now we have this happen.”
* Pantagraph | Effingham County coroner IDs 5 killed from ammonia leak; others recount narrow escape: Shortly afterward she got a phone alert from a relative whose son-in-law had been driving a FedEx truck at the tail end of the crash east of Teutopolis. “He didn’t know what the heck was going on either, but he opened up his window to see and he got a whiff of it and he saw people pouring water on their heads,” recalled Deters.
* Naperville Sun | Naperville police find machine gun in car at TopGolf — third weapons bust made there since mid-September: During a vehicle search, police recovered a fully-loaded Glock 22 .40-caliber handgun with an auto switch converting it to a fully automatic weapon as well as an extended magazine, the release said. […] Littleton is being held in the DuPage County jail without bond per an order issued Monday by DuPage County Judge Joshua Dieden. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 16.
* SJ-R | Sangamon County coroner expected to name teen who died in police shooting at juvenile center: The Sangamon County Coroner’s office was expected to identify Monday afternoon the 17-year-old male killed in a confrontation with Springfield Police at the Sangamon County Juvenile Detention Center Saturday evening. […] SPD said a subject was armed and “had possibly shot an individual and was holding another hostage.” Officers encountered a teen at the entrance to the facility, where he was fired upon. After receiving medical assistance, he was taken by ambulance to HSHS St. John’s Hospital, where he later died.
* Crain’s | Chicago’s top women-owned businesses see an average 20% uptick in revenue: Crain’s list of Chicago’s Biggest Women-Owned Businesses is back. The latest ranking showcases organizations that are at least 51% owned by a woman or women. Heico Cos. takes the No. 1 spot for a second consecutive year, reporting a 2022 revenue of $3.2 billion, nearly a 15% increase from 2021. The metal processing and construction company is 80% woman-owned, with Emily Heisley Stoeckel as the company’s majority owner and chairman.
* Chalkbeat | At six Illinois college campuses, advocates seek to create ‘comfort’ for foster care peers: A 2021 study found that of Illinois youth in foster care who turned 17 between 2012 and 2018, 86% enrolled in community college. Of those, just 8% graduated, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. Students told researchers that they felt alone, largely weren’t aware of financial aid options, and that they needed more specialized attention.
* Herald-Whig | Hancock County looking to next broadband steps: “The Broadband Breakthrough Program was for us to understand what the options were, where as a community we were at. It was very successful. We got a ton of information,” Hancock County Economic Development Executive Director Sam Harnack said. “Now we’re utilizing the data to help support these service providers looking to expand in the area.” Expansion is on the way after grants to two companies serving the county — including $18 million to McDonough Telephone Cooperative.
* CBS 2 | Chicago State University told to turn over documents in Nigerian presidential election battle: A U.S. federal judge has ordered Chicago State University to turn over documents related to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s time at the school in the late 1970s. CSU had found itself at the center of a political dispute between Tinubu and his rivals over the legitimacy of a CSU diploma Tinubu provided before the national election earlier this year.
* Crain’s | Restaurant-industry vets raising $100M venture fund: “We were already helping operators, so we thought: Why don’t we start a fund?” says Focht, 47. “We have deal flow other funds don’t have access to because of our data and customers.” Emerging plans to focus on restaurant concepts with one to six units, as well as restaurant-tech startups.
* Block Club | Midwestern Food And Why It’s Special Is The Focus Of New Cookbook By Big Jones Chef: “Nobody’s done a book about the Midwest where it addresses the Midwest as a serious regional cuisine,” he said. “Most books are just legends and lore, and they don’t deal with the establishment of a culture. I wanted to have a real, serious conversation about what this stuff is and where it came from.”
In the 13 months since the first bus of asylum seekers arrived in Illinois from the border, our state has undertaken an unprecedented humanitarian response to the arrival of now over 15,000 people. Governors and mayors from border states have shipped people to our state like cargo in a dehumanizing attempt to score political points. The people of Illinois are kind and generous. We believe in the fundamental right of every human, especially those facing persecution, to find refuge and live with dignity in this great country of ours.
But as the numbers being transported to Chicago are accelerating, the humanitarian crisis is overwhelming our ability to provide aid to the refugee population. Unfortunately, the welcome and aid Illinois has been providing to these asylum seekers has not been matched with support by the federal government. Most critically, the federal government’s lack of intervention and coordination at the border has created an untenable situation for Illinois.
On top of the 15,000 that have arrived in Chicago and Illinois over the last 13 months, we are now seeing busloads more migrants at increasingly higher rates being sent specifically to Chicago each day. Our state government has been forced to dedicate over $330 million to provide humanitarian aid — and that amount is increasing each day. That’s a massive amount of money for a state still overcoming the health and economic effects of COVID-19. Add to that the over $100 million the city of Chicago contributed. Though we have found temporary housing in existing buildings for a majority of the refugees, we are challenged to find additional housing for the continuous flow of people who keep coming and are now forced to sleep in police stations and on sidewalks. This situation is untenable and requires your immediate help beyond the coming work authorizations for some of the asylum seekers.
There is much more that can and must be done on a federal level to address a national humanitarian crisis that is currently being shouldered by state and local governments without support.
First and foremost, I recommend that there be one person in the federal government who works directly for you in the White House who can lead the oversight of our nation’s efforts at the border. Right now, we have too many different federal department contacts — who are uncoordinated with one another — that handle various programs related to this humanitarian crisis. A single office with an identified leader must be assigned to work for the cities and states across the silos of government to manage the challenges we all face.
For my state which has been targeted with busloads of asylum seekers by the border politicians seeking to increase the partisan divide, this crisis has strained the already stretched human services network we have attempted to rebuild in our recovery from the pandemic. As just one state in our union, we cannot lead coordination efforts at the border. It is time for the federal government to take a much more active role in managing the transport and destination of the transport of asylum seekers. Our nation is large and resourceful. Allowing just one state to lay the burden upon a certain few states run by Democrats is untenable. We are a nation that has welcomed immigrants and refugees since our founding, and we have done so in a bipartisan manner. It cannot be that just a few cities and states should now bear the cost of this effort alone.
Below is a list of specific requests to address this crisis without further delay. These actions include:
• Waive fees for TPS applications
o I’m grateful that you have listened to some of the requests other governors and I have made over these many months. As you know, I remain deeply concerned that the high cost of applying for TPS is yet another obstacle for the population we have in Illinois. I urge you once again to waive those fees for those who cannot afford them and just want to be able to work and build a better life
• Significant increases in logistical coordination and data collection
o The federal government must take over the interior coordination of routing buses of newly arrived migrants across the country and oversee communication between states, so they are aware of who is arriving and when. The federal government must stop abdicating responsibility once CBP releases migrants into the interior of the country. Your administration has the capacity, resources and legal recourse to do this right now.
o Currently, very little data is being made available to states on the migrants arriving in the country, making legal applications for asylum, extended parole, etc. difficult for advocates and government workers. There is no reason that the United States federal government should be unable to collect and share simple data on people presenting themselves at our border. Sending federal staff to Illinois and other affected states to provide data analytics and on the ground coordination between local city, state and federal agencies would massively streamline these processes.
o Specifically, I am calling for a federal coordinator and task force based at the border that are solely dedicated to migrant coordination and resettlement.
• Provide financial support to states, local governments, and NGOs for temporary housing, food and social services.
o The Biden administration has provided modest funding to Illinois through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program and the Shelter and Services Program, which we are thankful for. However, this funding is not nearly enough to close the gap between what the state is able to provide and what is needed to address concerns. The burden of funding the state and city have taken on is not sustainable only by our budgets.
o
• Further accelerate the timeline for employment authorization
o While Illinois was among the many states thrilled to learn of the Administration’s
new TPS rule for Venezuelans, it is our understanding that a large population of these newly TPS eligible individuals will potentially wait upwards of six-months to have their work authorizations processed and confirmed. We ask that the White House and the Administration continue to look for ways to “cut the red tape” and speed up the work authorization process by all means necessary including instituting a mass blanket fee waiver.
o Unfortunately, Congress has long failed to provide the comprehensive immigration reform and funding resources necessary to tackle our nation’s immigration issues. And with the Republican Conference currently fixated on deep, painful cuts to the federal budget, the chances of the hoped-for and much-needed financial aid seems slim to none. Which is why I urge you, President Biden, to look beyond the small set of programs that states and local governments can currently tap into for migrant- related response efforts and find additional federal dollars that can be sent to places, like Illinois, that are carrying out for our entire nation the obligations to care for the “huddled masses yearning to be free” who are so desperately in need of assistance.
• Approve Illinois’ requests for Medicaid waivers, housing vouchers, and federal coordination and support
Today, Illinois stands mostly unsupported against this enormous strain on our state resources. Mr. President, I urge you, Secretary Mayorkas, and the rest of your administration to take swift action and intervene on our behalf and on behalf of the other affected states and their residents, as well as on behalf of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who undertook a dangerous and difficult journey in hopes of attaining public safety and forging a better life for themselves and their families.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that, should provisions regarding manufacture, possession, delivery, sale, and purchase of assault weapons, .50 caliber rifles, and .50 caliber cartridges be found to be unconstitutional by a court with all appeals exhausted or expired, the Illinois State Police shall immediately and permanently destroy or have destroyed each endorsement affidavit and all information collected from the endorsement affidavit in possession of the Illinois State Police and any law enforcement agency.
Amends the Invest in Illinois Act. Provides that certain notices under the Act shall also be sent to the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives. Provides that the Minority Leader of the Senate and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives may also object to agreements under the Act. Effective immediately.
Amends the Administration Article of the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide persons lawfully admitted for permanent residence under the Immigration and Nationality Act and other noncitizens the same medical coverage for family planning and family planning-related services and supplies as provided under the Medical Assistance Program to eligible persons who are United States citizens. Provides that to be eligible for family planning and related services, a lawful permanent resident or other noncitizen must meet all other eligibility qualifications under the HFS Family Planning Program established in accordance with the Illinois’ Family Planning State Plan Amendment as approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Provides that the Department shall not require lawful permanent residents or other noncitizens who are otherwise eligible for family planning and related services under the amendatory Act to complete a mandatory waiting period as a condition of receiving medical coverage.
Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Creates the offense of fentanyl-related child endangerment. Provides that a person commits the offense when the person knowingly or recklessly endangers the life or health of a child under 18 years of age by exposing or allowing exposure of the child to fentanyl, including consumption of fentanyl. Provides that a violation is a Class 2 felony. Creates the offense of aggravated fentanyl-related child endangerment. Provides that a person commits the offense when the person knowingly or recklessly endangers the life or health of a child under 18 years of age by exposing or allowing exposure of the child to fentanyl, including consumption of fentanyl and the child experiences death, great bodily harm, disability, or disfigurement as a result of the fentanyl-related child endangerment. Provides that exposure to fentanyl as prescribed or administered by a health care professional in the course of medical treatment does not constitute endangerment. Provides that a violation is a Class X felony for which the offender shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than 6 years and not more than 30 years and fined not to exceed $100,000. Defines terms.
Creates the Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office Act. Establishes the Agricultural Drought and Climate Resilience Office. Provides that the Office may provide voluntary technical assistance, nonregulatory programs, and incentives, including grants, that increase the ability to anticipate, prepare for, mitigate, adapt to, and respond to hazardous events, trends, or disturbances related to drought or the climate. Provides that the Director of Agriculture may promulgate rules necessary for the administration of the Office’s assistance, programs, and incentives, including grants. Requires the Director or the Director’s designee to conduct a study to examine greenhouse gas reduction and carbon sequestration opportunities in the agricultural sector and in agricultural land management in the State. Includes provisions regarding Office assistance, programs, and incentives; grants; a greenhouse gas offset program; rules; and other Office studies. Defines terms. Effective immediately.
5 people dead and 5 more are injured following a crash Friday night on U.S. Highway 40 near Teutopolis involving a toxic chemical.
Another collision on Interstate 70 which led drivers to US Highway 40 and caused it to be backed up.
Teutopolis Fire Protection District said they received a call around 9 pm that a semi-truck turned over releasing anhydrous ammonia into the air and killed the 5 people.
3 of them are Teutopolis Residents who are a father and his 2 children. The other two were from Ohio and Missouri.
The tanker that contained anhydrous ammonia has been drained, patched, and removed to a secure location. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is pending.
The tanker truck crash in central Illinois that killed five people may have started when another vehicle tried to pass the chemical-laden truck, a federal transportation official said Sunday.
The tanker truck was carrying caustic anhydrous ammonia when it jackknifed Friday night, and hit a utility trailer parked just off the highway, according to Tom Chapman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. The tank carrying anhydrous ammonia hit the trailer hitch of the other vehicle, which punched a six-inch (15 centimeter) hole in the chemical container, Chapman said during news conference Sunday.
Chapman said the tanker truck’s driver pulled to the right and ran off the road as it traveled west on U.S. 40 in Teutoplis, a small community about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of St. Louis.
At least seven other people from six different states were also treated at hospitals after being overcome by what authorities described as a “large plume cloud” that was released when the tanker truck spilled its load on a highway east of Teutopolis, Illinois, Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said in a statement Sunday evening.
Autopsies are scheduled to be performed Monday morning on the victims to confirm the preliminary findings, Rhodes said.
“Preliminary investigation indicates five individuals died from exposure to anhydrous ammonia at the crash site,” according to Rhodes’ statement. […]
Rhodes said the victims were exposed to the ammonia “due to traveling through the scene of the crash site.”
Anhydrous ammonia — often used in manufacturing, refrigeration and agriculture — is a toxic gas that can be corrosive if people have contact with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It’s terrible,” Sheriff Kuhns said. “It’s bad stuff if you are involved in it — breathe it, especially — because it gets in your airways, in your lungs.”
Chief McMahon said that shifting wind directions had further complicated the response to the crash. Crews had to be set up in multiple locations to respond to the gas leak based on the wind changes, he said.
…Adding… If you would like to help victims of the accident here are some GoFundMes.
* IPM | Residents returning home after a wreck in Effingham County kills 5, and leaks ammonia: Emergency crews worked overnight Saturday trying to control the plume from the leak and struggled to get near the crash site. “We have a lot of brave firemen, EMT, hazmat specialists, police officers that are working on this scene as we speak,” Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said at a Saturday morning news conference.
* WICS | Victims in deadly U.S. 40 hazardous material incident identified: The victims have been identified as 67-year-old Danny J. Smith of New Haven, Missouri, 31-year-old Vasile Cricovan of Twinsburg, Ohio, and 34-year-old Kenneth Bryan of Teutopolis along with this two children, 7 year old Rosie Bryan and 10-year-old Walker Bryan.
People can now submit an endorsement affidavit online for assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50 caliber rifles, and .50 caliber cartridges. On January 10, 2023, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law Public Act 102-1116, the Protect Illinois Communities Act, regulating the sale and distribution of these items in Illinois, along with large capacity ammunition feeding devices. The Act went into effect immediately upon signing. Individuals who possessed assault weapons, assault weapon attachments, .50 caliber rifles, and .50 caliber cartridges before the Act took effect are required to submit an endorsement affidavit through their Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) Card account prior to January 1, 2024. Large capacity ammunition feeding devices are regulated, but do not require and endorsement affidavit.
As of October 1, 2023, individuals are able to submit their endorsement affidavits online. Affidavits must be submitted online through a FOID Card account. Individuals can access their FOID Card account from the ISP Firearms Services Bureau website, or going directly to www.ispfsb.com/Public/Login.aspx. If you have forgotten your username or password, links on the login page will help you recover or reset your information. The same Firearms Service Bureau links can be used to create an account for those who do not have one. You will need an email address, and driver’s license or State ID to create an account. A tutorial video on how to create an account can be found on the ISP FOID webpage under Application Help.
A tutorial video on how to submit an endorsement affidavit through your FOID account is also available on the ISP website and can be found on the Protect Illinois Communities Act, Regulation on Assault Weapons page. Individuals who need help submitting an endorsement affidavit can refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page or visit one of the ISP FOID Kiosks, both of which can be found on the ISP website at https://isp.illinois.gov/Home/AssaultWeapons.
Do not bring your weapon, ammunition, or accessories if you visit a Kiosk.
The affidavits must include the applicant’s name, date of birth and FOID card number, along with the make, model, caliber, and serial number of each weapon, and a statement testifying that they own a locking mechanism for the weapon.
Stating false information on the affidavit could lead to a charge of perjury, under the new law.
The ban, passed during the General Assembly’s lame duck session and signed it into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in January, has prompted several lawsuits alleging it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
A federal judge in the Southern District of Illinois ruled that it did, but two other judges in the Northern District rejected the claims. Those cases are now pending before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
Guns won’t be confiscated as a result of the new law, but the registration affidavit is still required.
The Protect Illinois Communities Act took effect immediately when Pritzker signed the bill Jan. 10 and has spurred a flurry of court challenges since then. The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the law in a 4-3 vote last month following a lawsuit filed by state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur.
Opponents of the law have vowed to seek out avenues in federal court to challenge it once again.
“Pritzker and Illinois Democrats have criminalized hundreds of thousands of legal gun owners,” Caulkins told the Chicago Sun-Times after the state Supreme Court ruling, adding he’s confident the ban “will eventually be overturned” in federal court.
State police said there are roughly 2.4 million FOID card holders in Illinois. It’s not known how many people possess guns that are now banned but would be grandfathered in under the law. […]
A federal challenge on Second Amendment grounds is pending before a federal appeals court in Chicago. The ban has withstood state lawsuits, with the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the law in August.
How the law’s gun registration requirements will be enforced remains to be seen. Earlier this year, an estimated 90 of Illinois’ 102 county sheriffs issued letters stating they “believe that (the new gun law) is a clear violation of the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution” and that they wouldn’t enforce it. […]
Also, devices that increase the firing rates of a firearm, known as “switches,” to convert them from semi-automatic or automatic weapons, are covered by the ban. Someone in possession could face a felony count for each device.
ICYMI last Friday’s unexpected news dump was the Mayor’s City Council floor leader unloading on @GovPritzker on Twitter about State support for migrants.
During a briefing with reporters, Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, said the latest estimate of costs associated with migrants arriving in Chicago from August 2022 to the end of the year could reach $361.3 million, a whopping $58 million more than the previous projection.
With more than 1,800 migrants awaiting shelter placement while housed in Chicago police stations, and another 450 staying at the city’s airports, Pacione-Zayas indicated the administration is not backing down from its contract with GardaWorld Federal Services, which has been at the center of controversies over its handling of migrants elsewhere, and its subsidiary Aegis Defense Services to run “base camp” landing zones.
“GardaWorld can speak to the allegations. That’s not our job,” Pacione-Zayas said. “Our job is to ensure that they’re meeting our expectations, that there is a system of accountability and that we are going to operationalize that.”
* I haven’t been in love with the tent city idea, but the city may have no choice as the numbers increase. From last Wednesday…
27 buses carrying migrants arrive in Chicago since Saturday as city moves forward with tent plan
Each bus carries between 40 and 50 people. So, that’s over a thousand people in just a few days.
“We were told by OEMC this morning that we would be expecting ten buses today and that every district would receive at least ten more people,” Gomberg said.
“Gov. Abbott is not respecting our curfew of not sending buses from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. He is beefing up contracts with busing fleets and plans to send them 24-7,” Deputy Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas, who is managing the migrant issue, told Playbook. “If the trend continues, that means thousands of people daily.”
Chicago began using the city’s two international airports as temporary shelters as the number of migrants arriving by plane increased. Nearly 3,000 people who have arrived by plane since June have sought shelter.
As the city proceeds with its GardaWorld contract, the potential locations for the large tents could also stir up racial strife. The city is requiring two to three acres on concrete or gravel land for the base camps. The areas that fit that description with vacant land are concentrated on the Far South Side, the same neighborhoods where the majority Black community has cried out for resources. […]
That housing strategy would include existing public buildings, warehouses and privately owned buildings that could house at least 200 people, Vasquez added. He encouraged landlords who owned buildings that meet that requirement to reach out to the city.
In response to the criticism, Pacione-Zayas committed to bringing GardaWorld officials to testify before the committee, as well as Catholic Charities, which has been working to help new arrivals move into more permanent housing.
Long-brewing tension over supporting migrants while the city grapples with existing unhoused residents was on display, too. At one point, the meeting was recessed due to disruptions by a group of public commentators upset over resources being doled out to help new arrivals.
Ald. Jeanette Taylor, 20th Ward, said she sympathized with that anger but urged Black and Latino residents to remember “white supremacy is our enemy.”
Still, she didn’t pull punches in criticizing the administration, urging officials to handle the crisis differently, including by refusing to accept new arrivals. Taylor warned officials they’re “going to start a race war.”
The Cardinal ought to be on the phone asking the Catholic Charities operations in Denver and El Paso to work more closely with the city and to maybe send some folks to other archdioceses.
As their communities deal with a tsunami of new arrivals, voters in those cities are increasingly pointing fingers at Democrats such as Johnson and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Among Black voters, the Democrats’ most reliable base, that anger could put their party in deep peril.
So went my conversation with Perri Small and her listeners on the popular morning show on WVON-AM 1690, Chicago’s Black talk radio. She invited me on last week to chat about the latest in politics. When we hit the migrant issue, the phone lines started sizzling.
“I’m going to tell you, this is a make-or-break issue for WVON listeners and their support of Democratic candidates,” Small declared.
Talk radio, like Twitter, is not real life, but the anger is real.
A spokeswoman for Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy said the city did not apply for the grant that involves the awarding of millions of dollars to house asylum seekers that was announced by the governor’s office late Friday afternoon. […]
DiBenedetto said the city of Joliet government did not apply for the grant to house asylum seekers coming to Illinois from other countries. Rather, the grant went through Joliet Township government and Supervisor Angel Contreras, she pointed out. […]
Joliet City Councilman Joe Clement said he will speak against the measure during this week’s City Council meetings.
“I follow what’s going on all over the country and I knew it was a matter of time before we would have to address this,” Clement, the at-large Council representative, told Joliet Patch on Saturday.
It was also revealed during the meeting that Johnson and a group of alderpeople plan to head to the Mexico border.
“We need to see what’s going on at the border as buses are coming in daily. We need to see where you’re coming from. We need to be able to talk with folks we need to assess before folks are getting here to the city of Chicago,” Robinson said.
Details on that border visit are expected in the next few weeks.
* More from Isabel…
* WBEZ | How some Chicago migrants struggling to leave shelters are getting help: Finding landlords who will rent to new arrivals who have no credit or rental history is challenging. “We were running into dead end, after dead end, after dead end, trying to find housing on our own…” said Matt Joynt, a Pilsen resident and volunteer with the mutual aid group Todo Para Todos, which means “everything for everyone” in Spanish. “We were getting quite desperate.”
* NBC Chicago | Chicagoans, aldermen question city’s response to migrant crisis: Non-profit organizations, such as the Chicago Refugee Coalition, have been providing critical support for migrants who have been brought to the city. Alisa Bhachu, the coalition’s executive director, said she doesn’t think the base camps are a good idea. “I would respectfully challenge the notion establishing multiple tent camps across the city as a durable solution to this crisis,” she stated.
* Block Club | South Side Nonprofit Helps Hundreds Get CityKey IDs At Community Event: The voluntary program provides identification to undocumented immigrants, homeless individuals, refugees and teens. All Chicagoans — regardless of age, gender, immigration status or housing status — are eligible for the card through the CityKey municipal ID program, run by the Clerk’s Office.
* Streetsblog | Advocates provide bikes to migrants, request help from CDOT to meet growing demand: “Logistically, it has been very challenging to make this work,” says Andrew Mack, a founder of the organized effort to provide bikes to migrants. “I dropped off a bike at the police station last week and was just surrounded by people asking for bicycles. Right now, it’s on a case-by-case basis.”
* Eater | As Southern States Bus Migrants to Chicago, Service Workers Are Waiting With Hot Meals: Over the last four months, the owner of Tandoor Char House has distanced himself from day-to-day operations at his three restaurants to focus on converting his River North location into a pantry of sorts, making culturally appropriate meals for the mostly South American migrants housed at police stations across the city. More than 14,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago over the last year or so.
* Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois President Chuck Sullivan testifying in a House committee last week about pensions…
Tier 2 Pension inequalities are our TOP PRIORITY. President Sullivan testified before the House Personnel and Pension Committee earlier this week. Check out the full video on our website. https://t.co/54sBkmvC6opic.twitter.com/FHxPDk3TVz
Records will indicate that the AFFI was adamantly opposed to any changes to the pension fund of our future members in 2010.
I want to very respectfully remind this committee what your firefighters do, what we have done and what we will continue to do.
Our job is a difficult and demanding one that takes a tremendous toll on us physically and mentally.
When someone calls 911 - again, depending on the nature of the emergency - this is what they expect. They want an Olympic athlete, they want a chemist, a doctor, a mechanic, an HPA specialist, an electrician, a gas expert, a middle linebacker, an arborist, an expert swimmer and a social worker, all wrapped into one person. That’s us. That’s us.
That caller wants us there now. They want their emergency mitigated now. And quite frankly, they deserve that request.
The Illinois Senate Republicans are amplifying complaints made earlier by the Illinois Republican Party and others about a massive economic development project in Manteno.
The Illinois GOP complained in a recent fundraising email about the “encroachment” of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence on the economy, then connected Gotion Inc. to the CCP. Gotion’s American subsidiary is building a massive, $2 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Kankakee County with big help from state and local governments.
Elements of the far right, including former state Rep. Jeanne Ives and various newsletters and social media forums, have essentially claimed that Communists are using taxpayer funds to build some sort of spy base, or use it to promote CCP activities, or something. It’s not totally clear what. The state GOP claimed the plant would be built “right next to a military base,” which isn’t true, unless you count National Guard and Army Reserve camps in that category.
Anyway, the Senate Republicans expressed their own concerns in what was supposed to be a private letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker last week, which I obtained. Gotion is based in California, but its parent company was founded in China and has standard language in its Chinese charter about how it will “carry out Party activities in accordance with the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.”
“During your conversations with Gotion Inc.,” the Republicans asked the governor, “were there any discussions concerning whether the company will continue to ‘ensure necessary conditions for carrying out Party activities’ while in Illinois?”
Man, what I wouldn’t give to see Chinese commies try to organize a cell in Manteno. That would be a hoot.
Look, the Chinese are already here. Several Chinese companies invest in Illinois, and several Illinois companies do business in China. The computer used to create that letter was probably made in China or has lots of Chinese components.
More importantly, Illinois Manufacturers Association CEO Mark Denzler pointed out to me that a federal process exists to assess security risks for companies like Gotion and, he said, that process will play itself out here as well. Denzler, a lifelong Republican, doesn’t seem to have any major concerns and was at the project’s Manteno unveiling. Gotion was already given a federal green light in Michigan.
The U.S. Departments of Defense, Justice and State have not expressed any qualms about the project that anyone knows of. The company is required to invest $2 billion and create at least 2,600 good-paying jobs. Gotion is using American workers to build a product with lots of American-made components for American-made automobiles. Yeah, it’s the Chinese government. They have to be watched, for sure. But that’s not the state’s responsibility. That’s on the federal government.
And the Senate Republicans’ questions about whether the plant’s workers will be union members or whether there are any safeguards for workers’ rights have some legitimacy, particularly since a majority of the caucus voted for the union-backed Workers’ Rights Amendment.
Manteno is about 15 miles from the Indiana border. If Gotion had opened its massive new plant in Hoosierville, the Republicans would’ve undoubtedly pounced on the governor’s failure.
Manteno is represented in the House by a Republican, Rep. Jackie Haas, who supports the project. The state party and Senate Republican attacks are not sitting well with the House Republicans, but they’ve had to remain mostly silent.
The governor has put an enormous amount of time and effort into getting this deal done. Illinois has a bad reputation among business types. Overcoming those reputational hurdles ain’t easy, which is why Pritzker has had to work so hard to achieve this goal.
Pritzker also believes that closing this deal will convince other companies to follow along. So, he’s not about to sit back while people dump on this accomplishment.
The letter Pritzker sent back to the Senate Republicans was brutal, accusing them of “doubling down on your own irrelevance.”
“Opposing 2,600 jobs and $2 billion dollars in investment for a community that needs it is a curious position, but I have long since stopped trying to understand what the Illinois Republican Party has become,” he wrote.
The Republicans replied they were simply asking some questions and would still like them answered. Then again, a cynic could point to the fact that Democratic Sen. Patrick Joyce is up for reelection next year. The Manteno plant is in his district, and he is an enthusiastic supporter.
* Tribune | Registration of high-powered guns owned before Illinois ban took effect begins this month: Prohibited guns owned prior to the ban were grandfathered in but owners are required to register the weapons by Jan. 1, 2024, under the measure signed into law on Jan. 10 by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Registration began Sunday and must be completed online through a firearm owner’s identification card account from the state police’s Firearms Services Bureau website, www.ispfsb.com. Gun owners will need an email address, driver’s license or state ID, and FOID card to create an account.
* Sun-Times | Senior citizens are the safest drivers on Illinois roads: According to the “2023 Study on Age-Related Driving Abilities,” conducted by the secretary of state, drivers in Illinois between 75 and 79 are the safest drivers on the road. “Statistics show that seniors are among the safest drivers of any age category,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who is urging lawmakers to permanently increase the age requirement for driving tests from 75 to 79.
* Crain’s | Migrant crisis pits Pritzker vs. City Council: During a tense Immigrant & Refugee Rights Committee hearing on Friday, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, repeatedly attacked the governor for not doing enough to assist the city. The mayor’s floor leader first mounted his criticism against the governor yesterday after Pritzker expressed concerns over the city’s contract with security company GardaWorld to build large tents to house migrants. The $29 million contract, part of an existing agreement GardaWorld made with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, has come under fire in recent weeks since the company also transported migrants north from Florida.
* Sun-Times | Poised to shutter Catholic parishes, Joliet bishop tight-lipped on financial impact of the priest sex abuse scandal: “The diocese has demonstrated slavish adherence to off-the-books, unwritten policies that derail justice for abuse survivors and much-needed institutional transparency,” Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in the May report, adding that the diocese’s “current approach to abuse allegations against a religious order priest who ministered in the diocese are particularly opaque and ill formed.” That lack of transparency also extends to church finances, a Chicago Sun-Times examination has found.
* Tribune | Will Mayor Brandon Johnson’s transfer tax plan deliver for the homeless amid a real estate downturn?: The debate about overhauling the real estate transfer tax comes at a time when revenues from it are already falling. The tax will end this year 37% lower than initially anticipated, according to the Johnson administration’s own projections. What’s more, revenues from the tax since 2003 have been fickle and followed fluctuations in the real estate market, spiking at $242 million in 2006 and tumbling to $62 million at the height of the Great Recession in 2009.
* Tribune | Some allies break with Mayor Brandon Johnson over migrant response: During a tense meeting of the City Council’s immigration committee, three of Johnson’s hand-picked committee chairs criticized the mayor’s response to the migrant situation, including his plan to utilize a controversial private security firm to establish tent encampments for some of the more than 15,000 migrants who have been bused or flown to Chicago from southern border states since August 2022.
* Sun-Times | Menashe Properties takes a chance on West Loop’s elusive revival: Menashe Properties bought a 29-story office building at 230 W. Monroe St. The family-owned firm, based in Portland, Oregon, and making its first investment in Chicago, took the plunge as other property moguls talk about tax rates, high crime and the still-uncertain comeback from COVID-19 as reasons to shun deals here.
* Tribune | Enrich Chicago’s racial impact survey finds equity still lacking across arts and culture ecosystem: According to the survey, 30% of Asian American and Latina cisgender females don’t feel safe bringing their whole selves to work. And 40% of Black folks who identified as LGBTQ said they “disagreed or strongly disagreed” that they are fairly compensated. And nearly 24% of respondents who identified as Hispanic/Latino strongly disagreed that they were fairly compensated.
* VCE | Governor JB Pritzker to Visit DACC Wed Oct. 4 for Senator Bennett Memorial Dedication: Illinois Governor JB Pritzker will visit Danville Area Community College on Wednesday, October 4, to pay tribute to the late State Senator Scott Bennett during the Memorial Tree Dedication ceremony at 11:00 am. The ceremony will take place on the lawn south of Prairie Hall. Additional speakers include former colleagues and members of the Senator’s family. The public is welcome.
* The Atlantic | The Best Thing About Amazon Was Never Going to Last: What happened to Amazon? The company no longer excels at the thing it’s supposed to be best at: shopping. Its unparalleled convenience and cost helped turn it into an e-commerce juggernaut, one that now faces an antitrust lawsuit from the Federal Trade Commission over alleged anticompetitive practices. Now around every corner lies a brand you’ve never heard of, selling a product you’re not sure about. Good deals on name brands are harder to come by. Amazon’s dominance has also transformed it into a different kind of company. Along the way, the famously customer-obsessed company has lost track of what its customers actually want.
* SF Chronicle | The Trump administration touted him as a victim of #MeToo. Now he’s accused of dismembering a girlfriend: The Trump cabinet member referenced Roberts as she announced sweeping rollbacks of Obama-era reforms to Title IX, the law prohibiting sex discrimination at schools that receive federal funding. High-profile sexual assaults at universities had prompted the Obama administration to strengthen enforcement in 2011 and 2014, but critics like DeVos said the rights of the accused were being trampled.
* Tribune | Chicagoan sets record for oldest skydiver at 104 years old: ‘Age is just a number’: The crowd gathered along the skydiving resort’s landing strip roared. Friends rushed to share congratulations. Someone brought over Hoffner’s red walker. She rose fast, and a reporter asked how it felt to be back on the ground. “Wonderful,” Hoffner said. “But it was wonderful up there.”
* Crain’s | Chicago-born rapper Common lends his star power to a new ad campaign for WTTW: Chicago has always been a city that gave Common “so much,” he said. “It’s a city that has been the foundation of many of the stories I have told throughout my career,” he said in a statement. “Through my work with Art in Motion and the Common Ground Foundation, I’ve realized there are so many stories just like mine that deserve to be told with reverence.”
In the likely event that Republicans in Washington cannot get their act together to fix the mess they’ve created, the Pritzker administration is prepared to do whatever is possible to maintain critical state services. If the government shuts down and the federal programs we rely on were to run out of money, the state would temporarily fill in spending gaps. Upon reopening, we would then immediately apply for federal reimbursement for programs that do not have a state/federal funding split.
Governor JB Pritzker announced today $41.5 million in awards to local governments in the Chicago region that are welcoming asylum seekers. The funds will make it possible for municipalities to provide direct services to migrants who have fled their homes to escape violence and other threats. The funds will be used for shelter and housing support, food, wraparound services, legal support, and health care.
“Illinois is a welcoming state, and we have stepped up to aid asylum seekers who have undertaken a dangerous and trying journey to try and build a better life for themselves and their families,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Although we will still need significant federal support as this crisis continues, these grants will empower local governments to build out services and supports for new arrivals so we can successfully transition them into our state and give them the opportunity to complete their legal immigration process.”
“In Illinois, we recognize the humanity of everyone and reject fearmongering and cruelty toward those seeking asylum,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “Through this funding, our administration is reaffirming our commitment to being a welcoming state because our diversity makes us stronger.”
It has been more than a year since Illinois started to receive buses from Texas governments, transporting migrants from the southern border who are seeking asylum in the United States. Since August 31, 2022, without notice, Illinois has welcomed over 15,000 new arrivals, primarily from Central and South America. To date, the state has contributed $328 million overall to support asylum seekers.
The Illinois General Assembly and Gov. Pritzker appropriated $42,500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to provide support to local municipalities for the provision of basic services to new arrivals. To distribute the funds, IDHS is partnering with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), which provides management oversight in the form of a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process. MMC aims to work past geographical boundaries to build collaboration around public policy issues, with a common goal of improving the quality of life for the millions of people who live in the region.
“We were honored to play a role in this process, so that the recipients can receive much needed funding,” said Executive Director of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, Neil James. “We understand the importance of providing support services for this vulnerable population.”
Municipalities receiving funding include:
• City of Chicago: $30.25 million
• Joliet Township: $8.6 million [Updated]
• City of Elgin: $1.27 million
• Lake County: $1 million
• City of Urbana: $250,000
• Village of Oak Park: $150,000
“The commitments announced today will strengthen the support provided to asylum seekers in Illinois,” said Grace B. Hou, Secretary, Illinois Department of Human Services. “We are grateful to every municipality that applied for this funding. Today’s awards demonstrate our commitment to assisting recent arrivals from the southern border with the resources that they need to be successful.”
* Tribune | Ford workers walk out as UAW expands strike to Chicago Assembly Plant: ‘It’s our time’: The Chicago Ford plant has about 4,600 workers on three shifts making the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, the automaker said Friday. In 2019, Ford spent $1 billion to transform the nearly century-old Torrence Avenue facility, which phased out production of the Taurus sedan to focus on building SUVs.
* SJ-R | Springfield to receive $100,000 in grants for police hiring: Springfield will get $102,523 from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant to aid in the hiring of new Springfield Police Department officers and retention of current police employees. U.S. Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) of the 13th Congressional District announced the grant recipients Wednesday, with Springfield being one of six cities in her district to receive money. Departments in Champaign, Decatur, Alton, Belleville and Edwardsville also received funding.
* Tribune | What’s the impact on Illinois if the federal government shuts down?: “We are truly heading for the first-ever shutdown about nothing,” said Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank. Strain has started referring to the current GOP House-led impasse as “the ‘Seinfeld’ shutdown,” a reference to the popular sitcom widely known as “a show about nothing.” “The weirdest thing about it is that the Republicans don’t have any demands. What do they want? What is it that they’re going to shut the government down for? We simply don’t know.”
* WaPo | Amid GOP confusion, U.S. braces for ‘first-ever shutdown about nothing’ : House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open collapsed on Friday as hard-right holdouts rejected the package, making a shutdown almost certain. McCarthy’s right-flank Republicans refused to support the bill despite its steep spending cuts of nearly 30% to many agencies and severe border security provisions, calling it insufficient.
* Crain’s | Walgreens eyes ex-Cigna executive for CEO: Walgreens Boots Alliance is considering former Cigna Group executive Tim Wentworth to be its next chief executive officer, according to people familiar with the matter. A final decision hasn’t been made and Wentworth may not wind up in the job, said the people, who asked not to be named discussing private information. Wentworth and a representative for Walgreens both declined to comment.
* Tribune | After no victim or witnesses found, COPA closes investigation of alleged sexual misconduct involving CPD officer, migrant: The investigation was opened in early July after a text message, circulated among police officers and other city employees, alleged that a 29-year-old CPD field training officer assigned to the Ogden District had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 16- or 17-year-old female migrant who was housed at the police station, 3315 W. Ogden Ave. The text message further claimed that the teen was impregnated by a CPD officer.
* Tribune | Migrant teens from Venezuela jumped after school in Rogers Park: A group of students from Venezuela were punched and kicked by local teens near Sullivan High School in Rogers Park Wednesday afternoon, said Ricky D’Gucci, an activist who spoke to the students after the altercation […] According to D’Gucci, the Venezuelan teens walk about 30 minutes to school every morning from a city-run shelter at a Super 8 motel on the Far North Side. He said the fight was likely race related, and that the perpetrators were older than the Venezuelans. “The only reason they got them was because they were Latinos,” he said. “They got pretty beat up.”
* Block Club Chicago | Chicago Public Schools Says $3.1 Billion For ‘Critical’ Building Repairs Needed: The $3.1 billion in costs identified as the most urgent work includes repairs to windows, roofs, masonry, and heating and cooling systems. Another $5.5 billion would go toward repairs in the next six to 10 years, according to the facilities plan. Beyond that, the district wants money to build labs “to support STEM education,” accommodations for students with disabilities, new auditoriums, new fields for sports, and classrooms “outfitted” for career and technical education — programming that [CEO Pedro Martinez] wants to expand, according to the plan.
* Pitchfork | Man Arrested and Charged in Tupac Shakur Murder Case in Surprise Breakthrough: Nevada police detained Duane Keith “Keefe D” Davis today (September 29), and a grand jury indicted him in the killing of Shakur, The Associated Press reports. Davis, who has long been known to investigators, has admitted in interviews and in his 2019 memoir, Compton Street Legend, that he was in the Cadillac with Shakur’s shooter. He is now the first person to be arrested in direct connection with the killing.
* Sun-Times | Clearer college financial aid offers promised by hundreds of colleges, including some in Illinois: Northern Illinois University, Chicago State University and Northeastern Illinois University have signed onto a new commitment to standardize financial aid offers so students can more easily compare costs and understand what they will owe after graduation. Other Illinois schools that have signed on include both campuses of Southern Illinois University, Oakton Community College, Waubonsee Community College and Rockford University.
* WMBD | Honor Flight co-founder and former Boys and Girls Club head found dead at West Bluff home: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Peoria’s board of directors and staff are profoundly saddened by the passing of their former CEO, Lesley R. Matuszak. During Lesley’s tenure at the Clubs, thousands of local under-served youth benefited from her tireless devotion to provide them with one-of-a-kind educational and life experiences. Her belief that every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed in life has created a legacy that will continue long into the future.
* Block Club | Dorm Room Picassos? UChicago Students Can Borrow Rare Pieces Through Art Loan Program: “Everybody doesn’t have exposure to art in their daily lives,” said Lauren Payne, the university’s associate registrar of art and public spaces. “Having time to live with a piece can change the way you experience it over time. It’s an invaluable experience for [students] to have an opportunity to live with these pieces.” Students receive the pieces for free and must hang the art in their dorm bedroom. They sign loan agreements requiring a certain level of care for the pieces, and Smart Museum staffers check on the works’ condition throughout the year, UChicago spokesperson Rachel Hatch said.
The same federal judge who is hearing a case challenging an Illinois law that targets anti-abortion health care providers for defrauding patients is also hearing a case against a similar state law passed years ago. […]
Conservative Chicago law firm Thomas More Society said in a statement that it filed the lawsuit on behalf of obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Ronald L. Schroeder and pro-life pregnancy help ministries 1st Way Pregnancy Support Services and Pregnancy Aid South Suburbs challenging an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, which passed into law in 2016.
The amendment, Thomas More Society said in the statement, is meant to require health care providers to provide referrals of abortion providers to patients, regardless of the provider’s own beliefs about abortion. […]
“Health care professionals should provide patients with information on all their medical options in a timely manner,” Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said in a statement. “Challenging the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act is another attempt to deprive people from accessing essential reproductive care like abortion services. Everyone should be aware of all their options in order to make the best decision for themselves without discrimination or coercion.”
When Illinois Democrats passed the 2016 law, its sponsors’ rhetoric was focused not on crisis pregnancy centers, but Catholic hospitals, which do not provide elective abortions and often bar doctors from prescribing contraceptives and sterilization.
In extreme cases, like to save the life of the mother, Catholic hospitals may terminate a pregnancy, but sponsors pointed to the story of a woman who was made to wait five weeks during her prolonged miscarriage until she was bleeding enough to justify the procedure. Then, as now, roughly 30 percent of hospital beds in Illinois are in Catholic-affiliated institutions.
But negotiations over the bill in 2015 and 2016 were able to neutralize opposition from influential organizations like the Illinois Catholic Hospital Association and the Catholic Conference of Illinois, and arguments against the bill evolved to prioritize the First Amendment concerns of CPCs. During debates over the bill in the House and Senate, Republican opponents warned the law would violate both the facilities’ rights to free speech and religious liberties.
Those comments turned out to be a preview of the legal battle over the Health Care Right of Conscience Act’s amendment; last week’s trial involved no plaintiffs associated with Catholic hospitals. Instead, plaintiffs are a handful of CPCs in Illinois, one doctor who volunteers as a medical director for a CPC, and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, a Virginia-based nonprofit that offers resources, training and legal advice to CPCs across the U.S. Out of the roughly 100 CPCs in Illinois, 81 are members of NIFLA’s network.
* The complaint is here. Exelon and ComEd paid a civil penalty and is now in the clear. But the SEC is going after Pramaggiore. Press release…
The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged Exelon Corporation, electric utility company Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd), which is Exelon’s subsidiary, and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore with fraud in connection with a multi-year scheme to corruptly influence and reward then-Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael Madigan. Exelon and ComEd agreed to settle the charges, with Exelon paying a civil penalty of $46.2 million. The charges against Pramaggiore will be litigated.
According to the SEC’s order against Exelon and ComEd, from 2011 through 2019, ComEd arranged for various associates of Madigan to obtain jobs, subcontracts, and monetary payments, all with the intent to influence Madigan regarding legislation favorable to ComEd. The order finds that ComEd arranged payments to Madigan’s associates through third-party vendors to conceal the size of the payments and to assist ComEd in denying responsibility for oversight of Madigan’s associates, who in some instances did little to none of the work for which they were hired. The order finds that ComEd made indirect payments totaling more than $1.3 million to Madigan’s associates. In a deferred prosecution agreement entered into with criminal authorities, ComEd acknowledged that Madigan’s support of legislation favoring ComEd resulted in reasonably foreseeable anticipated benefits to ComEd of more than $150 million.
The SEC’s complaint against Pramaggiore alleges that she participated in, and in some instances directed, the bribery scheme. The complaint alleges that Pramaggiore did not disclose the bribery scheme and instead misled investors when she characterized ComEd’s lobbying activities as legitimate. The complaint also alleges that, as part of the scheme, Pramaggiore lied to Exelon’s auditors and filed false certifications.
“As alleged in our complaint, Pramaggiore’s remarks to investors about ComEd’s lobbying efforts hid the reality of the long-running political corruption scheme in which they were engaged,” said LeeAnn G. Gaunt, Chief of the SEC Enforcement Division’s Public Finance Abuse Unit. “When corporate executives speak to investors, they must not mislead by omission.”
Exelon and ComEd consented to the SEC’s cease-and-desist order finding that they violated antifraud and books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the federal securities laws. Exelon agreed to pay a $46.2 million civil penalty.
The SEC’s complaint alleges that Pramaggiore violated antifraud and books and records and internal accounting controls provisions of the federal securities laws and that she aided and abetted Exelon’s and ComEd’s violations of books and records and internal accounting controls provisions. The SEC seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, a civil penalty, and an officer and director bar against her.
On September 28, 2023, Exelon Corporation and its subsidiary, Commonwealth Edison Company (the “Companies”), reached a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), concluding and resolving in its entirety the SEC investigation previously disclosed by the Companies, which related to the conduct identified in the deferred prosecution agreement that was entered into by Commonwealth Edison Company in July 2020 and successfully exited in July 2023. Under the terms of the settlement, the Companies have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $46.2 million and to cease and desist from committing or causing any violations and any future violations of specified provisions of the federal securities laws and rules promulgated thereunder. Exelon recorded an accrual for the full amount of the penalty in the second quarter of 2023, which was reflected in Exelon’s financial results reported in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2023.
The Companies fully cooperated with the SEC over the course of its investigation. The SEC’s administrative order recognized the remedial measures promptly undertaken by the Companies, including the significant enhancements made to the Companies’ compliance program.
Since August 2022, Illinois has provided or committed over $328 million in funding to address the humanitarian asylum seeker crisis with direct funding to the City of Chicago, State-operated asylum seeker services, and additional State-supported services.
In addition to direct funding, the State has partnered with municipalities across the state, elected officials, community-based providers, and the federal government to coordinate, develop, and implement the infrastructure and coordination required for comprehensive, responsive, and strategic planning.
This $328 million investment is on top of the State of Illinois’ ongoing programming as a welcoming state for all immigrants and unhoused residents, including Illinois Welcoming Centers; VTTC (Victims of Trafficking Torture & Other Serious Crimes) medical, food and cash assistance; Immigrant Family Resource Program (IFRP); New Americans Initiative(NAI); and Home Illinois, Illinois’ plan to prevent and end homelessness.
Direct Funding to City of Chicago
• $51 million in direct funding from the State to the City of Chicago for general asylum seeker support services
• $19 million passthrough funding from State to City in accessing federal Shelter & Services Program (SSP) appropriation
Direct State Asylum Seeker Support
• ~ $90 million in IEMA emergency support services ($3M Federal and $87M State)
• $51 million in State direct support to asylum seekers
o Hotel Supports (Rooms + Staffing)
o Transportation
o Medical
State-Supported Services
• $64 million in comprehensive State-supported services for asylum seekers:
o Asylum Seeker Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ASERAP)
o Move-out Supports (Catholic Charities, New Life)
o Wrap-around Services (ICIRR, Coalition of Immigrant Mental Health (CIMH))
o Food (Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD))
o Legal Services
• $43 million in funding to municipalities to support asylum seekers statewide
• $10 million to stand-up Interim Congregate Housing (ICH) facility on behalf of City of Chicago
The city has applied to receive all of the “$43 million in funding to municipalities to support asylum seekers statewide,” but Chicago Deputy Chief of Staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas said at a city council hearing today that she doesn’t expect the city will receive all the money. In fact, she said, the city has asked the state to identify Latino communities throughout the state. You can click here for a list. [ADDING: The state will announce soon that it is sending the city $32 million out of that $43 million.]
No word on how much of that came from the state beyond the $70 million listed by the governor’s office (although the state’s outline goes back to last year, while the city’s is year to date).
…Adding… The city is reportedly planning to ask the state for an additional $200 million appropriation during the veto session. Not sure where that’s gonna come from.
* The city is laughably under-staffed. There’s no excuse for this…
Vasquez asks Ponce de León how many total staffers she wants the city to provide her office of immigration in the next budget. She has one paid staffer currently. She answers she wants between 6 and 10 individuals, for communication, policy specialist, project managers
That’s Beatriz Ponce de León, Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights.
* Volunteers are really stepping up, despite the lack of help and direction from the city. They estimate they’ve spent $6.1 million…
How the city can tell volunteers "there will be 20 migrants dropped of at Police station X tonight" but then they can't even get it together to have someone from the city show up with blankets and water is mind-blowing. Totally dependent on the backs of volunteers.
Deputy COS Cristina Pacione-Zayas notes migrants can't get proper health care at CPD stations, ambulances called 365 times in Aug. Last wk alone, same #. “At some point it becomes an ambulance run … Our EMTs are not able to attend to the rest of the city”
Izquierdo says about the 3yo girl who died en route to Chicago last month: “I keep thinking about, what if she got here, what if my team had seen her? What if we were able to do something?” Says she has also seen women who miscarried at detention centers south
* Not only is the federal government paying to fly some migrants to Chicago, they’re also doing this…
WHAT! The feds charge asylum seekers "upwards of $500" to apply for work authorization permits under Temporary Protected Status, according to DCOS Pacione-Zayas.
* Last week, UAW President Shawn Fain said, “Ford is showing that they’re serious about reaching a deal,” and exempted them from the expanded strike. Something apparently changed…
The United Auto Workers strike that began Sept. 14 at limited locations for the Detroit Three automakers spread to Chicago on Friday as the union sent workers at the Ford assembly plant to the picket lines.
Union President Shawn Fain made the announcement about the expanded strike action on Facebook Live. He said it would also begin a walkout at a General Motors plant in Lansing, Mich. The strikes are to start at 11 a.m. CDT. […]
Ford’s Chicago assembly plant at 12600 S. Torrence Ave. has about 4,800 workers. The new walkout does not include a Ford stamping plant in Chicago Heights.
Ford’s Chicago plant produces the popular Ford Explorer as well as the Lincoln Aviators SUV.
Fain said Chrysler-parent Stellantis was spared from additional strikes because of recent progress in negotiations with that company.
“Moments before this broadcast, Stellantis made significant progress on the 2009 cost of living allowance, the right not to cross a picket line, as well as the right to strike over product commitments and plant closures and outsourcing moratoriums,” said Fain, who was delayed nearly 30 minutes in making the online announcement. “We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues.” […]
Unlike past strikes, UAW leaders opted for targeted strikes at select plants instead of initiating national walkouts. It’s calling the work stoppages “stand-up strikes,” a nod to historic “sit-down” strikes by the UAW in the 1930s.
The strategy is in an effort to keep the automakers on edge in an effort to pit them against one another to achieve better contracts, according to private messages leaked last week involving the UAW’s communications director.
The messages, which described a strategy to cause “recurring reputations damage and operational chaos” for the companies, were heavily criticized by the automakers.
* Related….
* What are the UAW strike demands? Here are the issues amid negotiations: The union wants an end to the tiered employment system, which means newer workers work for lower pay and lesser benefits. The union also wants the manufacturers to rely less on temporary workers, who are effectively in their own lowest tier. The companies say hiring temporary workers allows them to operate factories efficiently, respond to surges in consumer demand and give full-time employees more work flexibility. Ending employment tiers has been a big focus of other unions lately. UPS workers and their union, the Teamsters, recently approved a new contract that ended a tiered wage system that paid newer part-time employees less.
* Why is the UAW on strike? These are their contract demands as they negotiate with the Big Three: The UAW also wants the Big Three to reinstate annual cost of living adjustments, arguing that inflation is eating away worker paychecks. For decades, the Detroit automakers offered a COLA, but stopped after GM and Chryslers went bankrupt following the 2008 financial crisis. Adjusting for inflation, autoworkers have seen their average wages fall 19.3% since 2008, according to Adam Hersh, senior economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. That’s because autoworker “concessions made following the 2008 auto industry crisis were never reinstated,” Hersh said in a recent blog post, “including a suspension of cost-of-living adjustments.” … Currently, UAW workers who were hired after 2007 don’t receive defined benefit pensions. For years, the union gave up general pay raises and lost cost-of-living wage increases to help the companies control costs. “The majority of our members do not get a pension nowadays. It’s crazy,” Fain complained while speaking to Ford workers last month at a plant in Louisville, Kentucky.
* UAW expands strike against Big 3 automakers: Sticking points in negotiations were wage increases and the length of the workweek. The union is demanding a 46% pay increase combined over the four-year duration of a new contract, as well as a 32-hour workweek at 40-hour pay. So far, GM, Ford and Stellantis have each put forward proposals that offered workers a 20% pay increase over the life of the agreement but preserved a 40-hour workweek. … On Thursday, Fain accused GM and Stellantis of enabling violence against striking workers, pointing to incidents that occurred in Michigan, Massachusetts and California. Both companies denied the allegations and cited an escalation in behavior on the picket line.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Thursday said he continues to have concerns about Chicago’s plan to set up winter tent basecamps for an increasing number of asylum-seekers from South America and suggested officials may seek to offer shelters in unused buildings instead.
After Mayor Brandon Johnson announced last week a one-year, $29.4 million contract with GardaWorld Federal Services to set up a camp, Pritzker’s office said it addressed concerns around “cultural competency” by holding meetings with officials from the company and city.
Pritzker said the city could instead create shelters in existing, unused buildings. He said the federal government could offer buildings, but the state and federal governments haven’t yet identified any.
“I have concerns about it, and we continue to have conversations about it,” Pritzker told reporters after his keynote address at a cannabis business conference in downtown Chicago.
After Mayor Brandon Johnson announced last week a one-year, $29.4 million contract with GardaWorld Federal Services to set up a camp, Pritzker’s office said it addressed concerns around “cultural competency” by holding meetings with officials from the company and city. […]
“With a lack of existing buildings to put people in, I know the city has looked at this as one of its options. But I don’t think this is the only option,” Pritzker said.
The state has a contract with GardaWorld through the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, but it’s never been used at the state level, Pritzker said. However, the contract can be used by counties and cities, as Chicago has.
Although GardaWorld is a controversial choice — the company has been accused of mistreating migrant children at the border and labor trafficking — the state has few options for companies that provide emergency services and can construct shelters on short notice, Pritzker said.
A few blocks up the street on South Halsted Street in Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez’s ward, a big empty warehouse is about to become another Pilsen shelter. Members of City Council say it’s time for the state of Illinois to do more
“The state has been very slow, and, in my opinion, negligent on their response, and I think the leadership of the governor is critical right now,” Sigcho-Lopez said.
Pritzker defended his response to the migrant crisis.
“The city has received not just resources from the state, but people, personnel and a whole lot of effort during the last year,” he said.
Pritzker said the state has given the city close to $330 million to help with the crisis, but Council members say more than money is needed. While the state was putting migrants in hotels at the beginning of the crisis, it is no longer.
Gov. Pritzker responded to democratic mayor of El Paso sending migrants to Chicago:
“[He] needs to listen to the cities that he’s sending folks to and start thinking about whether or not this should be spread across the country. Why is he not sending anybody to Idaho, Wyoming?” […]
The state said it’s working on one shelter. The governor’s office stated it had plans for that shelter dating back to the Lightfoot administration, but the city didn’t take the state up on its offer until a few weeks ago.
The Illinois governor also stated that he has spoken with the Department of Homeland Security and the White House to seek assistance.
At an unrelated event in Chicago Thursday, Pritzker blamed Republican governors, but was confronted with even Democratic El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser sending migrants.
“You know that they’re sending, nope, they’re doing it because they’re sending them to areas where they think that people will take care of them and where people will put the resources forward because this is a humanitarian crisis,” Pritzker said. “But the reality is that states that are controlled by Republicans ought to be offering the same services.” […]
At an unrelated news conference Thursday, Pritzker asked other communities from throughout the state to volunteer.
“I hope that cities will raise their hands and offer assistance,” Pritzker said. “We have provided grant opportunities for cities that will do that.”
* This came in over the transom from the National Republican Congressional Committee last night…
Hey Rich,
Hope this email finds you well! I recently saw your report on Mike Bost and Ukraine and I wanted to see if you were interested in covering some examples of Darren Bailey moderating his previously conservative positions when he ran for statewide office. I don’t think these positions would play well now that he is in a primary challenge against Bost. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!
Government Waste:
Darren Bailey claimed to support fiscal responsibility, opposing wasteful government spending. However, he reportedly took nearly $570,000 in PPP loans and since 1995, his farm has taken $2.1 million in federal subsidies. Additionally, his family members received millions from the Pritzker admin.
Wouldn’t Stand For Life:
Darren Bailey claims to be pro-life. However, he also claimed abortion laws in the state would not have be changed should he had won his gubernatorial race, stating “Illinois has the most permissive abortion laws in the nation. Nothing’s going to change when I’m governor.”
Second Amendment:
Darren Bailey claims to support the second amendment. However, while running for Governor, Bailey called for a special session to strengthen the Firearms Restraining Order Act, red flag law legislation that allows judges to take away firearms.
Chose to live in Chicago:
Darren Bailey claims to be anti-Chicago, supporting measures for separation and calling it a “hellhole.” However, he chose to live on the miracle mile in the John Hancock center, while campaigning for Governor, claiming he wanted to “immerse [him]self in the culture” of the city.
* As noted above, we talked yesterday about how Mike Bost flip-flopped on his previous votes in favor of funding the defense of Ukraine against the Russian invasion. Bailey had whacked Bost and US Rep. Darin LaHood for their past votes in favor of Ukraine funding. “We can’t secure our border, but we continue writing blank checks to Ukraine? We need to get our priorities straight and put America first. How any member of Congress can vote for this while our border isn’t secure, families are suffering, and we have veterans living on our streets is abhorrent,” he wrote.
This morning brought another bit from the NRCC. It’s a Sun-Times report from February of 2022…
Pritzker’s Republican rivals have found a rare patch of common ground with him on Ukraine, with candidates in the GOP primary field for governor summarily denouncing the Russian invasion.
“Russia’s actions are unconscionable and we should place extremely strong sanctions on Russia,” state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, said in a statement. “Ukraine has made clear it can fight for itself but we should provide the resources they need to defend their sovereignty.”
* Bailey’s response…
“I have always been against sending blank checks to Ukraine. My position hasn’t changed. Unlike career politicians like Bost, I would have demanded accountability with every penny and cut it off a long time ago. And I would not have joined a never-Trumper like Adam Kinzinger to push new gun control laws, and I would never vote to send millions to planned parenthood. I’m a conservative fighter who has been in the fights against Pritzker’s lockdowns and more while Bost has been sitting on his hands and playing politics.”
Fifty minutes after two women were somehow wounded by gunshots Aug. 25, [the now-former commander of the CPD’s patrol bureau John Spellman] informed Sox staff that Patrol Chief Brian McDermott wanted to “stop the game for public safety reasons,” according to a police report.
Spellman had been serving as a security supervisor for At Your Service LLC, the company that guards Sox park and is controlled by team executives, according to law enforcement sources.
There was concern that Spellman might have prioritized the interests of the team over the department and stalled in delivering McDermott’s request to pause the game, a source said. He also didn’t have the superintendent’s approval to work the security job, as required by a departmental order. […]
In an appearance last week on the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman Show, [former acting police superintendent Fred Waller] wouldn’t comment on whether Spellman had been given approval to work for At Your Service. He also sidestepped a question about whether Spellman had disobeyed a direct order from McDermott.
Spellman was demoted and sent to the Morgan Park District on Waller’s last day in office, according to the report.
Also, points to Schuba for calling it “Sox park.”
...Adding… Related…
* White Sox ballpark shooting victim breaks silence, speaks exclusively with ABC7: “I heard a loud pop,” the victim said. “I felt an impact on my leg, and I looked down and I did not see anything. I thought somebody, you know, in the crowd had thrown a beer can or thrown something, bottled water or something, and there was nothing there.” But then, someone nearby noticed a lot of blood, and she looked down and saw her right leg was bleeding. “It wasn’t until a couple moments later that somebody mentioned that there was a bullet found a couple of rows down,” she said. “And at that moment was when I realized I had been shot. I panicked. I completely went into panic mode, knowing that there was a bullet fired nearby us. And at that point I didn’t know if it was there was going to be more gunfire. I didn’t know anything. I was terrified. I wanted to get out of that area because I knew somebody in the immediate area had a gun on them.”
* Sun-Times | Pritzker says Chicago could house asylum-seekers in unused buildings, not winter tent basecamps: Pritzker said the city could instead create shelters in existing, unused buildings. He said the federal government could offer buildings, but the state and federal governments haven’t yet identified any. […] “With a lack of existing buildings to put people in, I know the city has looked at this as one of its options. But I don’t think this is the only option,” Pritzker said.
* Tribune | Tension between city and state over migrant crisis on the rise — as are cost estimates: During a briefing with reporters, Johnson’s deputy chief of staff, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, said the latest estimate of costs associated with migrants arriving in Chicago from August 2022 to the end of the year could reach $361.3 million, a whopping $58 million more than the previous projection.
* ABC Chicago | SEC files fraud charges against COMED and Former CEO, found guilty in Madigan bribery case: The Securities and Exchange Comission charged ComEd and its former CEO Anne Pramaggiore Thursday with fraud in connection to the alleged corruption scheme involving former house speaker Mike Madigan. Commonwealth Edison and its parent company Exelon agreed to settle, paying a penalty of more than $46 million. However, charges against Pramaggiore will move forward.
* WAND | Illinois police, fire leaders urge lawmakers to eliminate Tier 2 pension system: “We’re about 12 years into this two-tiered system - a system quite frankly that our members find not fair, immoral and wrong,” said Chuck Sullivan, President for the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois.”AFFI was one of several organizations speaking on behalf of first responders during a House Personnel & Pensions Committee hearing Thursday afternoon.
* Benzinga | Illinois Is Paving The Way For Cannabis, Pritzker Says: ‘Here In The Land Of Lincoln We’re Trying To Do Things Differently’: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker highlighted the importance of that initiative Thursday in a keynote address at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference in Chicago. […] “We couldn’t just legalize cannabis and say that our work was done. We had to address the trauma inflicted by the war on cannabis and the war on drugs more broadly, which incarcerated thousands … and tore apart families and neighborhoods in the process,” he said.
* CBS Chicago | Illinois child care providers face “cliff” with pandemic funds set to expire: Several daycare owners told CBS 2 the funding was the only reason they survived the pandemic, and without it, parents and staff are going to face a serious dilemma. The American Rescue Plan funding has helped thousands of child care centers across Illinois pay their staff, upgrade their facilities and keep cots lower for parents. But it’s set to expire on Sept. 30.
* WSPY | Chief of Staff for current 76th District State Rep. now running for the job: Amy “Murri” Briel, who is the chief of staff for current 76th District State Representative Lance Yednock, is announcing that she’ll run for the job in 2024. […] DeKalb Mayor Cohen Barnes has also announced that he will also seek the Democratic nomination.
* SJ-R | Shipman trustee accused of collecting and spending village funds for personal use: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that through payments to herself and on personal costs, Robinson spent anywhere from $10,000 to $65,000 in village money. According to the AG’s office, she paid herself by forging signatures on unauthorized village checks and used village funds to pay personal utilities and the rent on personal storage units.
* WGN | Evanston residents protest Ryan Field renovations for 2nd straight day: The $800 million project would rebuild Ryan Field, but also rezone the area to allow for six concerts at the stadium, a major sticking point for many neighbors. The Evanston Chamber of Commerce released a statement Tuesday, saying they support the planned renovations, citing an economic impact study to back their stance. That study found the new stadium would generate $1.3 billion in economic impact to Cook and Lake Counties.
* WIRED | US Justice Department Urged to Investigate Gunshot Detector Purchases: Justice Department (DOJ) is being asked to investigate whether a gunshot-detection system widely in use across the US is being selectively deployed to justify the over-policing of mainly Black neighborhoods, as critics of the technology claim.
* Crain’s | Art Institute again under fire over disputed ownership of artwork: The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office earlier this month issued a series of warrants for art created by Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele believed to have been stolen by the Nazis during World War II. While five museums and collectors in the U.S. voluntarily returned seven pieces of art from the stolen collection, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of three museums digging its heels in over ownership of the remaining three items.
