* WICS | ALPLM earns national accreditation for “exemplary practices”: Only 3 percent of America’s museums are accredited. Those that earn accreditation usually apply several times over many years before demonstrating they qualify. Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum’s operations. To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers.
* ABC Chicago | Migrants in Chicago: Crews begin construction of Brighton Park migrant camp: After six weeks of speculation and controversy, construction has officially begun in the city’s first migrant tent camp in Brighton Park. Once the winterized base camp is complete, it could house anywhere from 500 to 2,000 migrants. The mayor’s office telling us framing of one to two of the structures will take place Wednesday.
* WBEZ | Chicago’s City Council is tightening public access amid a slew of chaotic meetings: Under new protocols outlined to WBEZ by the committee, only people who have been invited by a public official or have otherwise coordinated a special visit to a City Council meeting — such as a school field trip — will be allowed in the open, second floor gallery of the council.
* Axios | Chicago’s DNC host committee announces key staffers: Maurice (Mo) Green is the new senior director of civic and community engagement. Green was most recently the political director for SEIU Local 73, but before that he worked in Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration. Natalie Edelstein is the new communications director. Edelstein joined Pritzker’s communication staff for his 2022 reelection campaign.
* WBEZ | Her family called police for help, then her lease was terminated: A series of events tied to Jones’ lease termination notice started June 24, 2022, when a shooting occurred on her block. Jones was not home, but her mother, who was watching her daughters, went out to help the shooting victim, according to the lawsuit. The next day, Jones and her family received threats via social media accusing the family of calling police. The family called 911 and reported the threats, according to the lawsuit.
* WCIA | IDOT making progress on massive I-57, I-74 construction project: “Once the dirt freezes to a certain level, then the contractor would have to spend more time unfreezing it, if you will, than actually making progress on the dirt,” IDOT Engineer Jason Smith said. “So, they tend to shut down sometime, probably around Christmas.” I-57 is sometimes closed at night so IDOT can install beams for the flyover, and that work will carry over to I-74 in the coming weeks.
* WCIA | New Illinois law protects drivers with communication disabilities: By filling out a form on the Illinois Secretary of State’s website, drivers with autism or other communication disabilities can feel more comfortable in the face of routine traffic stops. Information from the form will then get printed on the person’s vehicle registration and put in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.
* Crain’s | Opinion: The ICC needs to restart Peoples Gas’ pipeline replacement immediately: The existing iron infrastructure, some of which dates back to the mid-19th century, is not equipped to handle the current demands placed upon it. In fact, a recent independent report found 83% of the iron pipes still in use have a remaining average life span of less than 15 years. Upgrading these pipelines is not merely a matter of necessity; it is a strategic investment in the city’s future.
* KSDK | US Steel idles steelmaking at Granite City plant indefinitely, will likely lead to hundreds of layoffs: Workers learned of the decision in an email from U.S. Steel Senior Vice President & Chief Manufacturing Officer Scott Buckiso that was sent out Tuesday morning. As part of the decision, U.S. Steel issued approximately 1,000 employees a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice that they might be laid off and said they anticipated about 60 percent of those workers would likely lose their jobs.
* KHQA | McCann trial delayed until February: The trial has been delayed to February 5th, after McCann filed a motion asking that he represent himself at trial. He had already waived his right to a jury trial at a hearing in mid-November. McCann was indicted in February 2021 on nine counts of wire fraud, money laundering and tax evasion.
* Daily Herald | Two new pop-up DMVs opening in Addison and Westchester: The additional facilities are located in Addison and Westchester, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday. The Westchester office is a walk-in “seniors-only” center to handle tests, license renewals and REAL ID needs, officials said.
* Patch | Elmhurst May Hire $50K Lobbyist: This week, City Manager Jim Grabowski told the City Council that he and the mayor had been discussing the possibility of hiring a lobbyist. A number of DuPage County towns use lobbyists to help get state grants, he said. He said the hiring of a lobbyist would go through a council committee and that the city would issue a request for proposals for those interested.
* Rockford Register Star | Rockford teachers air grievances, superintendent contract pulled from agenda: Hand said teachers are choosing other careers because of compensation levels, unrealistic expectations, student behaviors and the inability to protect their mental and physical well-being. “Students have become physically and verbally more aggressive,” she said. “I know not one other profession where being sworn at, hit, bit, kicked, pushed and spit on is accepted or tolerated.”
* South Side Weekly | Activists Ask Congress to Treat Gun Violence as a Public Health Crisis: “There are proactive ways we can respond to get in front of the problem,” said Franklin Cosey-Gay, director of the University of Chicago Violence Recovery Program and public health professional. Cosey-Gay shared with lawmakers his experience in treating a twelve-year-old patient with a gunshot wound. The response did not merely involve the medical care involved with taking out the bullet and sending him home to heal. Rather, his team included child life specialists, social workers, and mental health counselors.
* Tribune | As Chicago considers city-run grocery, officials say all options are on the table. But the challenges are steep: Over the last two years, major grocers have shuttered at least six stores on the city’s South and West sides, making it harder for residents of neighborhoods like Englewood to access fresh and affordable groceries. U.S Department of Agriculture data shows 63.5% of residents in West Englewood live more than a half mile from their nearest grocery store, according to the mayor’s office. Eight miles due north, fewer than 1% of West Town residents live that far from their nearest grocery.
* Sun-Times | Paul DeJong hopes turning page with simpler approach makes difference with White Sox: New White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong hopes it starts with a fresh start with a new team going into spring training and a different, simpler hitting mindset of less video and swing analysis and more see the ball, hit the ball — with an emphasis on the opposite field and up the middle. “I want to feel it, I want to see the pitcher and let my natural ability shine with that,” said DeJong, who hit 74 home runs and 82 doubles for the Cardinals from 2017-19, his first three seasons.
* ESPN | Andre Dawson wants HOF plaque cap changed from Expos to Cubs: “I respect the Hall of Fame’s decision to put an Expos logo on my cap, and I understand their responsibility to make sure the logo represents the greatest impact in my career,” Dawson said then in a statement issued by the hall. “Cubs fans will always be incredibly important in my heart, and I owe them so much for making my time in Chicago memorable, as did the fans in Montreal, Boston and South Florida, my home. But knowing that I’m on the Hall of Fame team is what’s most important, as it is the highest honor I could imagine.”
* WICS | Chicago Cubs legend Fergie Jenkins to headline Springfield Lucky Horseshoes’ Dinner on the Diamond charity event: Chicago Cubs legend and Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins will be the distinguished guest of honor for this unforgettable experience that combines a night of elegance and the rich history of America’s favorite pastime. During Dinner on the Diamond, you’ll be able to enjoy hearing Ferguson Jenkins speak about his Hall of Fame baseball career and much more while the event is hosted on the actual playing field at Robin Roberts Stadium.
* PJ Star | IHSA schools will vote to change the football scheduling process. Here’s what it means: Programs would no longer set their own schedules or play within a conference, they instead would be placed in one of 64 districts and play a round-robin schedule of seven opponents with similar enrollments. The multiplier and success factor both would be applied. The top half of teams, four in each district, would make the playoffs, which will be seeded similarly to how they are now. Teams in the same district cannot meet in the first round.
* NYT | U.S. Life Expectancy Creeps Up as Covid Deaths Fall: “We’re halfway back to what we lost,” said Eileen Crimmins an expert on gerontology and demography at the University of Southern California. “But we certainly have a very long ways to go before we get to where life expectancy should be.” In 2022, life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years, compared with 76.4 years in 2021. A fall in Covid-19 deaths accounts for more than 80 percent of that increase. In 2019, before the pandemic, life expectancy at birth was 78.8. Drops in deaths from heart disease, unintentional injuries (a category that includes traffic deaths and drug overdoses), cancer and homicide also contributed to the rise in life expectancy, the C.D.C. reported.
* AP | Inheritance money in dispute after death of woman who made millions off sale of Sue the T-rex remains: At the center of the dispute: Darlene Williams had two wills, according to records filed in Lincoln County, South Dakota. The first one, signed in 2017, included all of her children and grandchildren, and listed daughter Sandra Williams Luther as the person in charge of settling the estate and making sure the will was carried out. But a second will dated Nov. 25, 2020 — less than three weeks before Darlene Williams died — designated Luther as the sole heir and executor. The document also cited Darlene Williams as saying that she had lived with her children at odds for too long, and she hoped that in her death they would find peace and become a family again.
* Sun-Times | No longer a traveling troupe, American Blues Theater unveils its first permanent home: “I don’t look at anything as a difficulty,” said Gwendolyn Whiteside, 49, the company’s executive artistic director. “I’m looking at it as opportunities. The fact that this is our first home, everything is a blessing. So if there is a challenge, right now we still are looking at it like this is the best thing that ever happened to us.”
* Crain’s | Rivian launches leasing program for its R1T pickup: Rivian, of Irvine, Calif., is starting its lease offers in 14 states, including California and Texas, with inventory models of the R1T, the company said in an email to Automotive News. The other launch states are Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Washington.
* Tribune | ‘Devastated’: 160-year-old covered bridge, one of few left in Illinois, severely damaged by truck: Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, the Red Covered Bridge has undergone several upgrades over the last three decades. But a fair portion dates to its construction in 1863. Nelson, who serves as Princeton’s city clerk as well as the town’s planning and zoning administrator, said the truck destroyed several overhead support beams, which caused the roof to partially collapse at the northern end of the bridge. As a result, the walls at the northern end bow outward.
* Center Square | IDOT looking for snow plow drivers: A national shortage of licensed truck drivers means fewer snow plows on the roads this winter. Maria Casteneda of the Illinois Department of Transportation said staffing levels for the winter response team have been down approximately 10-15% since the start of the pandemic. IDOT has openings for both full and part-time snow plow drivers.
* I told subscribers about how United was signaling a threat to move its headquarters out of state a few weeks ago. Here’s the Sun-Times…
O’Hare Airport’s two largest carriers want to slow down, dramatically scale back or indefinitely ground the airport’s massive expansion project, including a global terminal and two satellite concourses now $1.5 billion over budget.
Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th), chairman of the City Council’s Aviation Committee, said high-stakes negotiations with hometown United and Dallas-based American Airlines have gone on for months. Those rival carriers — at loggerheads when the original agreement was signed in 2018 — are now joining forces.
“The two major carriers, United and American, want to see this project to be scaled back, to slow down,” O’Shea told the Sun-Times. Another meeting between the mayor’s office and both airlines was held Monday. […]
O’Shea said it is particularly “concerning” that United has revived a 2018 threat to move its corporate headquarters at Willis Tower out of Chicago. […]
Johnson’s chief operating officer, John Roberson, who served as aviation commissioner under Mayor Richard M. Daley, told the Sun-Times he “can’t say anything just yet” about the sensitive talks.
United’s CEO is from Texas. He does not have strong ties to Illinois.
Needless to say, losing that company’s headquarters would be one of the biggest reputational blows imaginable to Chicago and to the state. The governor’s office has been working to smooth things over, but the city really needs to get this project on track.
Mayor Johnson may have inherited the problem from his predecessor, but he needs to solve it. No excuses.
Whether [former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis] takes the witness stand himself still remains up in the air. The prosecution has said they will not call him as a witness, but Burke’s defense team says they could.
Instead, the prosecution relied on the testimony of FBI agent Ryan McDonald to walk the jury through how Solis became a government witness and provide context for the series of recordings they watched.
Solis’ path from chair of the Zoning Committee to government informant began at 7:55 a.m. on June 1, 2016, when McDonald and another agent knocked on the door of his Southwest Side home and told him the feds had been listening to his phone for years, provided evidence of his crimes and let him know he “was in trouble,” according to testimony on Tuesday.
The next day, Solis decided to cooperate, including wearing the wiretaps against his colleagues, and set in motion the sprawling government corruption investigations that have thus far snared Burke and former House Speaker Michael Madigan, whom Solis also secretly recorded.
Prosecutors on Tuesday displayed some of the centerpiece evidence against Burke: wiretapped conversations and secretly recorded video from ex-Ald. Daniel Solis, who cooperated extensively with the government against Burke and others after authorities presented him with evidence of his own misdeeds.
In a shaky video apparently captured from somewhere on Solis’s chest, Burke and Solis talked about the Post Office’s New York-based developers — then Burke made an unsolicited comment that surely perked up the ears of the FBI agents listening in the wire room.
“Well, while you’re at it, recommend the good firm of Klafter & Burke to do the tax work,” Burke told Solis said on the Aug. 26, 2016, recording.
Solis laughed on the recording and agreed to mention Burke’s law firm, which did property tax appeals for a roster of wealthy clients, to the Old Post Office developers at their next meeting.
“And then we can certainly talk about a marketing arrangement for you,” Burke said, which prosecutors allege was an illegal offer by Burke to pay Solis an under-the-table referral fee for any law business he brought in.
Click here to listen to the recorded conversation between Ed Burke and Daniel Solis.
From Rich Miller: This looks like Burke was trying to put the chair of the city council’s Zoning Committee on the payroll, which would’ve been mighty sweet for a property tax appeals lawyer.
In one phone call, recorded on Aug. 26, 2016, Solis and Burke were discussing the redevelopment plans when Burke told his colleague: “While you’re at it, recommend the good firm of Klafter & Burke to do the tax work,” adding that “we can certainly talk about a marketing arraignment” for Solis as a part of that deal.
“Alright I certainly will,” Solis replied.
A month later, Solis made a video recording of a face-to-face meetup with Burke inside his office. In clips played in court Tuesday, Burke — who can be seen wearing glasses, a pinstripe suit and an American flag pin — asked for Solis to set up a meeting between Burke and the developers.
Solis then brought up the marketing arrangement Burke previously mentioned.
Burke can be heard replying: “I’m of the belief that if you get help from somebody to get some work, that they’re entitled to share in it, and it’s just up to us to figure out a way that it can be done so that there’s no pitfalls, legally.
“Listen,” he added, “it wouldn’t be the first time, won’t be the last time. I’m a believer in sharing the wealth.”
Prosecutors alleged that was a promise for kickbacks to be made to Solis. But on tape, Burke said that agreement would have to be above board.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Joe Duffy hammered [F.B.I. special agent Ryan McDonald] on the FBI’s tactic of using ruses to try to determine Burke’s motivations, telling the jury that what Solis said on tape wasn’t true.
“Is it fair to describe that as an act of deception designed to mislead someone?” Duffy asked McDonald on the stand.
“It can be,” McDonald replied.
* More…
* ABC Chicago | Ed Burke trial testimony turns to FBI’s flipping of Ald. Danny Solis into informant: The FBI approached Solis in his own home about their ongoing investigation into the personal benefits Solis himself gained as an elected official, including alleged prostitution services and campaign contributions. They asked if he would cooperate in their investigation into Burke and wear a wire, and Solis agreed.
* CBS Chicago | Jurors hear wiretapped conversations between former Ald. Ed Burke, government mole Danny Solis: The 2016 video is shaky and does not catch Burke’s every move. But his words were clear. “I’m sitting here with Danny Solis,” Burke says. “Are you hearing anything from the GC on the Post Office deal?” On multiple occasions in person and on the phone, the two discussed money that could be made on from developers working on the Old Post Office — the building that straddles over the Eisenhower Expressway — which was located in Solis’ 25th Ward.
* Sun-Times | Five years ago today: Butcher paper signals FBI raid on offices of ‘untouchable’ Ed Burke — and changes Chicago history: It arguably changed the course of Chicago history in another way, too: Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot recently acknowledged that the raid, and the prosecution of Burke that followed, helped her win the mayor’s office in 2019. “I rode that wave ‘til it crashed on the beach,” Lightfoot said in an interview. “And I have no doubt that that made a difference in the public’s perception of me as a fresh face, a new alternative, who was willing to do something very differently, because I wasn’t somebody that somebody sent.”
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) were joined today by local officials and community leaders to announce the completion of a multiyear project to install a new deck on the Interstate 280 Sgt. John F. Baker Jr. Mississippi River Bridge in Rock Island County, an improvement that will result in a smoother, safer ride on one of the state’s key travel corridors. Made possible by Gov. Pritzker’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program and a partnership with Iowa, the project included patching and resurfacing east of the bridge for a combined investment of $65.7 million.
“This is exactly what Rebuild Illinois, our state’s massive infrastructure modernization program, is all about: to make life better and easier for our people,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When we make smart investments in the roadways that working families and businesses rely on, we’re constructing a better future for the entire region — one where parents and their children can commute with confidence and where new factories and distribution centers are choosing to locate in Illinois, so they can reliably ship their products across the nation.”
The Baker Bridge opened in 1973 and today carries more than 28,000 vehicles a day, almost 20% of which are trucks. The new deck is the first replacement since the bridge opened.
* Pritzker then asked if anyone in the news media had any questions. Nobody did…
It’s kinda difficult to encourage people to support local journalism when this sort of thing happens.
The city of Chicago wrongly limited affordable housing by allowing City Council members to reject developments in their wards through the use of their aldermanic prerogative, federal investigators say.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is being asked to enter talks for an “informal resolution” of an almost five-year civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to a letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.
“The department’s investigation indicates that the city affords each of its 50 wards a local veto over proposals to build affordable housing and that many majority-white wards use the local veto to block, deter or downsize such proposals,” wrote Lon Meltesen, regional director of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “As a result, new affordable housing is rarely, if ever, constructed in the majority-white wards that have the least affordable housing.” […]
In response to the recent concern from HUD, city lawyer John Hendricks said in a letter earlier this month that the complainants “fail to establish a violation of fair housing and civil rights laws” but that the city is “open to voluntary resolution.”
I would’ve never imagined a progressive mayor from the CTU authorizing a response like that one.
The Department’s investigation indicates that the City affords each of its fifty wards a local veto over proposals to build affordable housing, and that many majority-White wards use the local veto to block, deter, or downsize such proposals. As a result, new affordable housing is rarely, if ever, constructed in the majority-White wards that already have the least affordable housing. The City acknowledges this effect of the practice, its historical use for the purpose of creating and maintaining patterns of racial segregation, and its continued use as a tool that effectuates racially motivated opposition to affordable housing. The City’s use of the local veto despite understanding its effects raises serious concerns about the City’s compliance with Title VI and Section 109.
The Department understands that the local veto over affordable housing proposals is not a law or formal policy, but a practice arising from (1) the requirement that City Council approve all such proposals,” and (2) the custom of only approving those proposals which have the affirmative support of the alderman for the ward in which the development is proposed. This investigation identified three ways in which aldermen wield the local veto to block, deter, or downsize proposals to build affordable housing:
1. The local veto allows aldermen to block or downsize affordable housing proposals in Council. This investigation identified examples of aldermen blocking projects that would have created integrative affordable housing — even where such projects are otherwise consistent with citywide plans and policies — by explicitly voting down a proposal, or by withholding their affirmative support for land use or finance approvals, resulting in the expiration or withdrawal of the proposal.
2. The local veto allows aldermen to deter or downsize affordable housing proposals before they are formally proposed to the City. Interviews with developers of affordable housing revealed that the existence of the local veto deters them from proposing projects in predominantly white wards, and this investigation identified examples of developers significantly downsizing affordable housing proposals or shelving them altogether during informal, pre-application processes through which aldermen wield the threat of the local veto to influence development.
3. Aldermen preemptively veto integrative affordable housing by downzoning. This investigation identified examples of aldermen downzoning, or applying more restrictive zoning designations, in a manner that limits opportunities for the development of affordable housing and ensures that any such proposals would be subject to the processes that give rise to the local veto. Evidence suggests that the effect — and sometimes the purpose — of such downzoning is to make the development of integrative affordable housing more costly, time consuming, or otherwise less feasible.
Consistent with the City’s own analysis of this practice, the Department’s investigation indicates that the local veto over affordable housing proposals has the following effects:
1. By limiting the availability of affordable housing, the local veto disproportionately harms Black and Hispanic households, who are far more likely than White households to need and qualify for affordable housing. These groups are already disproportionately impacted by the City’s on-going affordable housing shortage, and the further loss of affordable rental units due to the local veto is three to four times more likely to affect Black households — and two times more likely to affect Hispanic households — than White households.
2. The local veto perpetuates segregation. As noted in City planning documents, the local veto was instrumental in creating Chicago’s patterns of segregation and is a significant reason for the perpetuation of those patterns. This investigation indicates the continued use of the local veto to block affordable housing units in White areas is a key driver of segregation. For example, this investigation’s non-exhaustive review of Council decisions between 2019 and 2022 identified several hundred affordable housing units approved by the Department of Housing for construction in majority- White areas that were blocked at the request of the local alderman.
3. The local veto effectuates opposition to affordable housing based on racial animus. The continued existence of racially motivated opposition to affordable housing in majority-White areas is widely acknowledged in Chicago, yet aldermen interviewed during this investigation reported deferring to local opinion with no consideration of whether racial animus played a role. Indeed, this investigation identified several instances of opposition replete with coded racial animus informing aldermen’s decisions to veto affordable housing proposals.
The City’s prior administrations did not proffer a justification for the continued existence of this practice. Aldermen interviewed during this investigation asserted that the practice is necessary to ensure that local concerns are considered in development decisions. This investigation indicates, however, that Council routinely shows unquestioning deference to local aldermen even in the absence of any articulated local concern, and even where concerns are clearly invoked as pretext to block integrative affordable housing. In other cases, legitimate but minor local concerns were invoked to block or significantly delay integrative affordable housing proposals, even where those concerns contradicted fact-based analyses and well-considered City plans on the same topics. The practice appears to be a blunt tool that blocks and deters integrative affordable housing while going well beyond what is necessary to provide a forum for local concerns — in other words, precisely the sort of “artificial, arbitrary, and unnecessary barrier” discussed by the Supreme Court under the Fair Housing Act in Inclusive Communities.
An investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Illinois Answers Project has found the CHA is sitting on nearly 500 empty homes that are part of its scattered-site program — even as Chicago struggles to address housing crises on multiple fronts, from historically high rents that many families can’t afford to a surge in homelessness to a stream of migrants who need shelter.
In all, the CHA owns about 2,900 scattered-site residences dispersed through dozens of neighborhoods. But one out of every six of the homes is empty, and dozens of them have been unoccupied for years, records show.
The CHA’s neglected scattered sites can be found on every side of town. For example, on the North Side, a handsome yellow-brick apartment building in Lakeview was renovated for $1.5 million in the mid-2010s, yet the building was never completely filled. On the West Side, several multifamily buildings in North Lawndale have been vacant and boarded up for years. And in South Shore, blocks from where the Obama Presidential Center is being built, more than a third of a 51-unit apartment building is vacant. The CHA says it will soon rent out most of those South Shore apartments.
* I cannot imagine what it’s like being a foster child. Their lives weren’t good before they were put into the system, but those were the only lives they had. And now everything these children have known has been turned upside-down and they have no idea at all if they will ever have any sense of normalcy in their lives. It must be impossible to comprehend and so incredibly frustrating.
Our longtime commenter OneMan said this yesterday when we kicked off our annual fundraiser to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for foster children…
You would be amazed by the impact of a gift when a kid is in a challenging situation. I work with a children’s charity that does stuff with pediatric hospital patients and a gift makes a world of difference.
Your contribution can bring some joy to a child who is in need and likely in pain at no fault of their own. For some of us, holiday gifts can be frivolous, even sometimes meaningless. But giving a gift to those kids shows them that somebody actually cares about them during a time of life-altering trauma. It also helps ease a burden on their foster parents.
So, please, click here and contribute whatever you can. We have 2,530 foster children to help this year. Gifts average $25 each, so that’s a total need of $63,250. We raised $7,000 yesterday. Thanks to your loving generosity, 280 children will receive presents. But there’s more to do, so, again, please click here.
Thank you.
*** UPDATE 1 *** I was just informed that an anonymous donor will match whatever we raise today up to $10,000.
…Adding… As noted above, we ended yesterday at about $7,000. So, when you go to the site, subtract $7K from the amount listed in the upper right-hand corner to see where we stand today. At 10:13 this morning, we had raised $3,575 today. That’s what will be matched.
*** UPDATE 2 *** As of 12:08 pm, we have raised more than $11,300 today alone! So, we’ve hit and then surpassed the match amount. You folks are awesome! Not including the match, we’ve raised enough money since yesterday to buy toys for 736 foster kids, or 29 percent of all the kids in LSSI’s program. With the match, we’ll have raised enough money to bring a little joy to 1,136 kids’ lives. Click here to keep it going!. Thanks!
*** UPDATE 3 *** The $10,000 matching contribution has been received! From the donor…
Thank you to Rich Miller and all of the readers who give this holiday season to help provide for children in need.
* ICYMI: Chicago could break ground on Brighton Park lot migrant camp today, Block Club reports…
- Crews for GardaWorld — a multinational private security firm hired to build the “winterized base camp” for migrants — began staging equipment and materials Monday at the future migrant shelter.
- The city has yet to share an environmental impact study. Toxic heavy metals had been found at the site, which has a long history of industrial use.
- If the site clears all its assessments, it would take at least four days to set up the physical camp and several more days before welcoming residents, according to a city fact sheet.
* Sun-Times | Chicago wrongly limited affordable housing with aldermanic prerogative, HUD says: “The department’s investigation indicates that the city affords each of its 50 wards a local veto over proposals to build affordable housing and that many majority-white wards use the local veto to block, deter or downsize such proposals,” wrote Lon Meltesen, regional director of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “As a result, new affordable housing is rarely, if ever, constructed in the majority-white wards that have the least affordable housing.”
* Block Club | As City Battles Housing Shortage, CHA Lets Hundreds Of Empty Homes Decay: An investigation by Block Club Chicago and the Illinois Answers Project has found the CHA is sitting on nearly 500 empty homes that are part of its scattered-site program — even as Chicago struggles to address housing crises on multiple fronts, from historically high rents that many families can’t afford to a surge in homelessness to a stream of migrants who need shelter. In all, the CHA owns about 2,900 scattered-site residences dispersed through dozens of neighborhoods. But one out of every six of the homes is empty, and dozens of them have been unoccupied for years, records show.
* Daily Herald | Schaumburg follows Rosemont’s lead with tax to deter long-term migrant housing at hotels: Schaumburg trustees on Tuesday followed Rosemont’s example of imposing a tax of $1,000 per month on hotel stays of 30 days or more to deter the village’s room inventory from being chosen as a long-term solution for the temporary housing of migrants. […] Schaumburg Village Manager Brian Townsend said he knows migrants who had arrived earlier already have found longer-term housing in the community, and the goal of the hotel tax is not to keep them from coming to Schaumburg.
* Crain’s | Pritzker family office launches $190 million venture capital fund:
The idea to launch a venture fund came up at a corporate strategic retreat a few years ago, Jason Pritzker says. “We’re good at late-stage investing, and if we could get good at early-stage investing, that would be differentiated and allow us to participate in the full life cycle of a company from seed to scale,” he says.
* Capitol News Illinois | Temporary staffing agencies seek to block new state labor law: A group of temporary staffing agencies and their trade associations are asking a federal court to block enforcement of a new state law that governs how day laborers and temp workers are managed and paid. The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in Chicago, challenges several changes enacted this year to the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, a law originally passed in 2006 to bring those staffing agencies under state regulation.
* Tribune | Citing Trump factor, former House GOP leader Jim Durkin takes himself out of Cook County state’s attorney race: “One, it’s difficult enough as a Republican. But more importantly, having Trump, who seems like he is the probable nominee of the party, is going to be even more, I would say, destructive on any Republican running in Cook County based on his performance four years ago,” Durkin said.“If I’m gonna get in the race, I have to know I can win it. I can’t run to compete. I can’t run to make a statement. And I just see no pathway to success under the circumstances in this environment in Cook County,” he said.
* Daily Herald | Pritzker promises transit fix, talks migrant housing and praises Biden at forum: The issue is “how to manage what is a humanitarian crisis as you’re heading toward potentially a very cold winter,” he said. “This is a bipartisan problem … the challenge of immigration. There ought to be comprehensive immigration reform, there needs to be border security, too. And those things together — it seems like you could get agreement across two parties (in Congress). It hasn’t happened,” Pritzker said.
* Crain’s | Old Post Office deal takes over Burke trial as ex-planning chief testifies: The Old Post Office had fallen into disrepair by the time Reifman was appointed to the city position by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The building’s rehabilitation was so important to Emanuel that the city had initially moved to seize it through eminent domain to find a new owner capable of major renovations. But after development firm 601W, whose owners Burke is accused of shaking down to drive business to his property tax firm, Klafter & Burke, agreed to buy the property, the city ended the eminent domain proceedings and worked with the company to obtain tax credits that both parties thought were necessary to make the $800 million project feasible.
* CBS Chicago | Jurors hear wiretapped conversations between former Ald. Ed Burke, government mole Danny Solis: In a video clip, Burke is seen and heard saying in his office, “Give Danny a call - I think he’s going to be a main player in this whole process.” The 2016 video is shaky and does not catch Burke’s every move. But his words were clear. “I’m sitting here with Danny Solis,” Burke says. “Are you hearing anything from the GC on the Post Office deal?”
* Sun-Times | FBI agent tells how morning visit led to ex-Ald. Danny Solis wearing a wire on longtime colleague Ed Burke: The look-back at the origins of the Burke probe came on the eve of the five-year anniversary of the FBI raid that eventually went down on Burke’s offices on Nov. 29, 2018. But McDonald also made clear that Burke was not the target the feds originally had in their sights when they flipped Solis in June 2016. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur asked McDonald if there was “any expectation at the outset of [Solis’] cooperation that it would have anything to do with Edward Burke?” McDonald answered, “no.”
* Shaw Local | Morgan Phillips to run for 105th District state rep seat: “I am running for office because I think young people must be more involved in politics,” Phillips said in a news release. “I want to be a voice for the future in Springfield to help assure that even 60 years into the future, we have access to the same or better resources as previous generations.” Phillips grew up in rural Lostant. She attended Lostant Grade School, Putnam County High School and graduated from the Illinois Math and Science Academy. She continued her education at Illinois Valley Community College and earned her bachelor’s degree at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
* WLPO | Race To Replace Yednock Heating Up With Five Candidates Filing Paperwork: Five candidates on Monday turned in paperwork to replace Democrat State Representative Lance Yednock in the 76th District. Democrats vying for the seat are: Amy Briel of Ottawa and Cohen Barnes and Carolyn Zasada both of DeKalb. Republicans going after the House seat are Crystal Loughran of Peru and Liz Bishop of La Salle. Also in the House, Democrat Morgan Phillips of Lostant is seeking the 105th District seat. She will oppose either Republican Incumbent Dennis Tipsword of Metamora or Donald Rients of Benson. Both of those men filed petitions on Monday.
* AP | Sports Illustrated is the latest media company damaged by an AI experiment gone wrong: On Monday, the Futurism website reported that Sports Illustrated used stories for product reviews that had authors it could not identify. Futurism found a picture of one author listed, Drew Ortiz, on a website that sells AI-generated portraits. […] Upon questioning Sports Illustrated, Futurism said all of the authors with AI-generated portraits disappeared from the magazine’s website. No explanation was offered.
* Crain’s | With attendance up, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has reason to toot its horn : The pandemic was daunting for all performing arts organizations, but the Chicago Symphony Orchestra has bounced back better than most. It helps to be one of the premier orchestras in the world. With $22.1 million in ticket sales for the 2023 fiscal year that ended June 30, the organization is close to pre-pandemic levels. Paid attendance of 270,000 was up 29% from 2022, but is slightly below 2019. As is the case with other arts organizations, annual fundraising is not all the way back, while inflation has boosted expenses.
Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) released a statement on additional mass layoffs facing employees at the Granite City Works steel plant. U.S. Steel has announced that approximately 1,000 employees will receive Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notices. This includes 400 workers whose employment was “temporarily” suspended in September without advance notice. Budzinski’s statement can be found below:
“Two months ago, U.S. Steel handed out pink slips to 400 workers as they blamed the United Auto Workers strike for reduced steel demand. Today, with strong steel prices and operations resumed at the Big Three automakers, U.S. Steel is planning to make these layoffs permanent while putting another 600 jobs on the chopping block. It’s clear that these layoffs were never about the market and always about targeting organized workers. U.S. Steel must be held accountable.
“As U.S. Steel works to close up their union-represented shop in Granite City and move operations to a so-called “right-to-work” state, it’s clear that the company’s executives are more concerned with lining their own pockets than they are with the livelihoods of the workers who have built their company for generations. I will continue to closely monitor U.S. Steel’s Strategic Alternative Review Process as we maintain hopes that an American-owned company with strong labor relations can step in to better serve our highly-skilled workers and the Granite City community.”
* Press release…
ILLINOIS SELLS $875 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND COMPETITIVE SALE
Statement from Paul Chatalas, Director of Capital Markets for the State of Illinois
“The State of Illinois is very pleased with very aggressive bids received today from as many as 10 bidders. This results in tighter credit spreads and a lower interest cost to Illinois residents in a relatively volatile market. Investors recognize the clear improvement in Illinois’ credit strengths, which has also been recognized by all 3 rating agencies that placed the State in the A category for a total of 9 upgrades since June 2021. Investors and rating agencies have cited the State’s actions in paying down bill backlogs, repaying debts, increased fiscal transparency, building financial reserves, and balancing the state budget as factors in the upgraded ratings. We are glad that this hard work in righting the financial ship is recognized by investors for the benefit of Illinois residents.”
Background
Today the State of Illinois sold $875 million in a combination of taxable and tax-exempt General Obligation bonds in three series via competitive bid.
The taxable Series of December 2023A bonds ($175 million), maturing in 2024 through 2028, received 9 bids and the bonds were awarded to J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, with a true interest cost of 5.466335 percent.
The Series of December 2023B bonds ($350 million), maturing in 2029-2038, received 10 bids and the bonds were awarded to BofA Securities, with a true interest cost of 3.901497 percent.
The Series of December 2023C bonds ($350 million), maturing 2039-2048 received 9 bids and the bonds were awarded to BofA Securities, with a true interest cost of 4.686461 percent.
Representative Mike Marron (R-Fithian) will be stepping down from his seat sooner than expected.
Marron announced in July he was not seeking reelection but plans to finish his term. Now, he is leaving on Dec. 18 of this year.
“It has been a great honor and a highlight of my life to represent the people of the 104th District for the last 5 years and it is a bittersweet moment saying goodbye to this position,” he said in a release.
Marron will lead Vermilion Advantage as its President and CEO. Vermilion Advantage is a economic and workforce development organization for the county.
Former state Rep. Nick Sauer pleaded guilty Monday to attempted nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 24-months probation.
The Lake Barrington resident also was ordered to perform 120 public service hours as part of a plea agreement, according to the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Sauer had been scheduled to stand trial Monday in the case before Judge Patricia Fix. During his arraignment in February 2019, Sauer pleaded not guilty to a dozen criminal charges alleging he posted nude images of two woman online with their consent. […]
A former girlfriend alleged Sauer posted nude photos of her on Instagram between March and July of 2018. A second woman came forward after seeing a news story saying images of her were posted in September and October of 2017.
The former Republican lawmaker stepped down from office Aug. 1, 2018, hours after POLITICO’s story was posted about his revenge porn actions. Our report was prompted by an official complaint filed by a former girlfriend who accused the first-term state rep of creating a fake Instagram account and populating it with nude photos of her to lure men into “graphic” discussions.
* Press release…
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) will bring the Illinois Product Holiday Market back to downtown Springfield this year. The market takes place December 1st-3rd on the “Y Block” north of the Governor’s Mansion.
The holiday market will feature Illinois products for everyone on your shopping list this season, including local egg nog, milk and cheeses, sauces and seasonings, fresh and frozen meats, baked goods, candles and woodworking. There will also be food vendors on hand so attendees can purchase a snack or enjoy a meal while experiencing this holiday spectacular. For those 21 and older, Illinois Wine will be hosting a wine tasting experience featuring seven wineries from across the state.
“The Illinois Product program gives Illinois entrepreneurs a platform to grow and expand their business,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello. “This Holiday Market is a great opportunity for shoppers to support local agri-businesses that contribute to our state’s number one industry.”
Illinois State Fair Mega Pass, Jumbo Pass, Discount Admission Book, Seasonal Parking Pass, and the all-new Illinois’ Best cookbook will be available for purchase. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of the lowest prices of the season.
The Illinois Product Holiday Market was established with families in mind. Bring the kids to visit the free holiday workshop featuring crafts, a selfie station and coloring activities. There will also be live music throughout the event as well as a visit from Santa Claus himself.
* More…
* Sun-Times | Mayor Johnson announces new church-city partnership to house migrants: The program’s reach is small, beginning with about 100 migrants who will be moved from police stations to churches Wednesday. Seventeen total churches are enlisted to participate, each sheltering 20 migrants, but several are already housing migrants through Zayas’ earlier initiative. The program will be funded with $350,000 in private donations. It comes as around 1,300 migrants remain camped out at police stations and O’Hare Airport.
* Crain’s | Violence intervention group co-founded by Arne Duncan gets $21 million: A new, multimillion-dollar grant from late Chicago businesswoman Sue Ling Gin will help expand services combating gun violence. This week the Sue Ling Gin Foundation awarded $21 million to Chicago CRED, a community violence intervention program co-founded by former U.S. Education Secretary and CEO of Chicago Public Schools Arne Duncan.
* Pekin Daily Times | Cyberattack knocks out Tazewell County email, phone systems: Tazewell County’s government phone and email systems remain down after a cyber incident last week. Tazewell County Sheriff Jeffrey Lower said the incident occurred early last Monday. The Tazewell County computer network was proactively taken offline to determine the nature of the incident and the best response.
* Daily Herald | Races to watch in DuPage, Kane counties: In DuPage and Kane counties, voters will cast ballots for select county board members, state’s attorney, coroner, circuit court clerk, auditor and recorder of deeds.
* Daily Chronicle | DeKalb County candidates begin filing for 2024 election: Voters in the March 19 primary election will get to weigh in on candidates seeking their respective party’s nomination for president, Congress and the Illinois General Assembly. They’ll also get to weigh in on candidates seeking nominations for several countywide offices including state’s attorney, coroner, circuit court clerk and DeKalb County Board seats in all 12 districts.
* Sun-Times | FBI agent tells how former Ald. Solis came to wear a wire — after he ‘presented Mr. Solis with some evidence we had acquired’: McDonald testified that he and Noldin explained their investigation to Solis and “presented Mr. Solis with some evidence we had acquired.” An FBI affidavit filed ahead of their visit with Solis alleged that Solis had received “a steady flow of personal benefits” from people for whom he had taken or offered official action. The benefits allegedly included Viagra, prostitution services, the use of a multimillion dollar farm and campaign contributions. McDonald acknowledged that the agents were trying to persuade Solis to cooperate with them. McDonald said he and the other agent took a seat near Solis’ kitchen. They played recordings, including video, for Solis for 30 to 45 minutes. Eventually, he said Solis asked to speak to an attorney. Still, the agent said Solis agreed to cooperate with the feds either later that day or the next.
* WTTW | Jurors Hear From Ed Burke in Secret Audio, Video Recorded By Fellow Ald. Danny Solis: When discussing redevelopment plans for the Old Post Office in August 2016, Ed Burke asked his fellow Ald. Danny Solis to “recommend the good firm of Klafter & Burke” to do tax work for the project developers. … The Old Post Office happens to be in the 25th Ward, which Solis represented on the City Council for 25 years. Prosecutors have alleged Burke identified the $800 million renovation of the Old Post Office, which needed an $18 million subsidy and a tax break worth $100 million from the city to move forward, as an opportunity to force the developer to hire his law firm.
* Center Square | After conviction, ex-Madigan chief of staff asks for acquittal or new trial: “The government never offered evidence to establish the materiality of Mr. Mapes’ alleged lies, but instead invited the jury to speculate that Mr. Mapes’ alleged lies were somehow relevant to the question of whether McClain and Madigan were conspiring together to commit crimes.” Porter argued that the speculation wasn’t enough. “Speculation cannot replace evidence … and the government offered no evidence that Mr. Mapes knew anything about criminality between McClain and Madigan,” Porter wrote. “Just because Mr. Mapes expertly kept the ‘trains running on time’ in the Illinois legislature for many years does not even tend to prove that he knew of or was read into criminal schemes involving McClain or Madigan. The government never offered any evidence to connect the legal ‘tasks’ and ‘assignments’ that McClain discussed with Mr. Mapes to the bribery allegations concerning Madigan and McClain that were investigated by the grand jury. In the absence of evidence to make those connections, the government invited the jury to speculate. The guilty verdicts, then, must not stand.” Porter also argued that Kness erred when he allowed evidence of Mapes’ immunity deal at trial.
* Daily Herald | Pending legislation would allow small modular nuclear reactors in Illinois. What are they?: As of 2022, there were three operational SMRs in the world, located in Russia, China and India. The first SMR design to be certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission jumped that hurdle in January, but it was announced this month the company planning to build that operation in Utah — NuScale Power — terminated the project due to rising costs.
* BND | How expensive is Illinois? Here’s the minimum living wage for your metro-east county: St. Clair County: $16.50 for a single adult with no children; $34.06 for a single adult with one child; $43.82 for a single adult with two children; $13.31 for two adults (both adults working) and no children; $19.06 for two adults (both working) and one child; $24.23 for two adults (both working) and two children
A Chicago company is pushing a solution for sheltering both migrants and the unhoused: micro homes.
Why it matters: Housing and shelter is scarce for the thousands of migrants and unhoused as winter looms.
What’s happening: Inherent Homes has developed a prototype to provide an alternative to tents on sidewalks and under viaducts that can be built fast in their Lawndale facility.
As you’ll see, this story is a lot like stories we saw during the pandemic when inventors, well-meaning or not, convinced reporters that they had a fabulous plan to solve a problem. In this case, reporters didn’t do basic math.
Inherent Homes sells its 80-square-feet micro homes for less than $20,000 each. The space includes: a steel security door; a lofted, full bed; an area for a second bed, crib or desk; solar power and battery storage; a fresh air system; a toilet; and, crucially, a heating system.
Eighty square feet. Two beds. If it’s set up for two people, it wouldn’t be allowed at a jail. But it’s not two people. It’s six. Yes, six.
Swanson said the factory could turn out 10 micro-homes a week. Each unit can house up to six people, which would mean the factory-built micro-homes would deliver new shelter for up to 60 people a week. In the past year, about 21,200 migrants have arrived in Chicago.
Six people in 80 square feet with two beds. And there’s some sort of “loft” area…
I suppose they could put a ceiling in there and store live bodies on top, but, man, that’s gonna be just a wee bit tight. And there’ll be a composting toilet inside each house. Lovely.
Ald. Walter Burnett (27th), in whose ward Swanson lives, was on hand to see the demonstration model delivered to the parking lot of the Chicago Children’s Theater at 100 S. Racine Ave. He said he supports the project and is working to get Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration to come check it out.
I’m thinking no.
Look, the tent city is not ideal at all. In fact, it’s a lousy idea. But, now that the city has finally made a decision, they can stand it up fairly quick. This housing company has been around several months and is building full-size houses, but not quickly…
Earlier in 2023, the company said it acquired enough parcels around the city to place 30 modular homes and two-flats. So far, it has delivered three houses.
Law enforcement agencies nationwide are warning people, especially parents and guardians, about a privacy update on the iPhone that can allow users to share private information.
According to agencies in multiple states, the new iOS17 update includes a feature that allows users to share contact information and photos by holding two iPhones together.
* Several Illinois police departments spread this info on Facebook, including Pekin’s…
“This feature allows the sharing of your contact info just by bringing your phones close together.” Sounds scary as heck, right?
There are plenty of things that are legitimately scary about the technology in our lives without wasting your energy worrying about negligible risks such as NameDrop. […]
Apple says that NameDrop only works if your Apple device is within a few centimeters of another one. For those of us clueless about the metric system, that’s roughly an inch or two.
Each of the devices needs to be unlocked for NameDrop to work, and you have to pick which pieces of contact information you want to share.
Contact sharing will be canceled if the two smartphones are moved apart anytime during the process or if you decide to lock your iPhone using the power button. Even though NameDrop is auto-enabled when you update to iOS 17, it’s crucial to note that consent is required throughout the process. Some random person on the street can’t just bump into you for a few seconds, and then walk away with your phone number.
Once that NFC iPhone contact is made, a set of NameDrop options will appear on the screens of both devices. These options are to receive only or share. If both users select the former, then neither gets anything; if one does then they get your shareable details, and if both opt for share then a contact data swap is initiated.
Do you want more reassurance? Okay, so the contact data that is shared using NameDrop is only that which is contained within a contact card you have created. In other words, you completely control the information to be shared. Oh, and if you don’t stay in very close proximity to the other user during the sharing process, it will be abandoned anyway. Apple itself acknowledges this: “To cancel, move the two devices away from each other or lock your iPhone before the NameDrop transfer completes.”
The Illinois State Police (ISP) is recognizing a program the agency strengthened last year, with officials arguing it saved lives.
In a release, ISP highlighted the agency’s Office of Firearm Safety reviewing more than 10,000 Clear and Present Danger Reports.
Law enforcement agencies, school administrators, and medical professionals can file a clear and present danger report to ISP to alert state police of people potentially threatening to hurt someone or themselves. ISP then reviews the report and can revoke a FOID card or application and confiscate any firearms.
After the 2022 Highland Park mass shooting, Illinois State Police passed emergency rules to strengthen the reports to include “physical or verbal behavior, such as violent, suicidal, or assaultive threats, actions, or other behavior” as a qualification for the agency to revoke firearm ownership. The Highland Park Police Department issued a Clear and Present Danger report to the mass shooting suspect, Robert Crimo III, in 2019 but ISP did not act on the report.
The state legislature’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules approved ISP’s change last November. Now, state police officials train schools and law enforcement agencies across the state on how to spot danger and file reports. The Illinois State Police has also created a web portal for reporting this year, making it easier for officials to submit a report.
* ISP…
So far in 2023, January 1 – September 30, ISP has received a total of 10,144 Clear and Present Danger reports from law enforcement, school administrators, and medical professionals, resulting in 4,212 FOID revocations or application denials. Of the 10,144 reports submitted, 4,912 individuals did not have a FOID card or application pending. Every day, ISP reviews approximately 30 Clear and Present Danger reports from across the state and works with local police to bring those revoked cardholders into compliance by making sure they no longer have access to firearms.
• In a situation that occurred earlier this year, a mother reported to a police department in northern Illinois that her son was having homicidal and suicidal thoughts that had been getting worse over the past few weeks, culminating in him threatening to kill himself and his grandparents by “putting a bullet in their heads.” The mother told police her son had recently purchased a gun and she was worried he was going to shoot himself and/or his grandparents. The local police department submitted a Clear and Present Danger report to ISP, ISP confirmed it met the statutory requirements, and revoked the son’s FOID card. ISP investigated further and contacted the gun shop, which confirmed the son had just picked up his newly purchased firearm and ammunition earlier that same day. ISP immediately alerted the local police department who located the son on a traffic stop and recovered the newly purchased firearm and ammunition from his vehicle before he could hurt himself and/or his grandparents.
• In another situation, a student accused of cheating in class, threatened to shoot and kill his classmates. The student sent an email to family members stating he wanted to shoot his classmates and was found to have used a school computer to research AR rifles. Based on a risk assessment, the school administrator submitted a Clear and Present Danger report to ISP. While the student did not have a FOID card or pending application at the time, ISP affirmed the report and if the individual applies for a FOID card in the future, the information can be taken into consideration for eligibility. Additionally, law enforcement worked with the family to remove a firearm in the home while the student receives treatment for his mental health issues.
• School officials in a different school district discovered a student who had drawings of himself surrounded by weapons and ammunition and had labeled himself a killer. His drawings also included other students and he reportedly admitted this was his “kill book.” The school district submitted a Clear and Present Danger report and while the student did not have a FOID card or pending application at the time, ISP affirmed the report and the information will be taken into consideration should he apply for a FOID card in the future. In this case as well, law enforcement worked with the family to remove a firearm from the home.
• Earlier this year, a law enforcement agency in southern Illinois submitted a Clear and Present Danger report on a person who had been hospitalized due to expressing suicidal ideations and who attempted to purchase a firearm for pick-up upon his release from the hospital. A social worker notified law enforcement, who submitted the Clear and Present Danger report. ISP affirmed the determination and revoked the individual’s FOID card. ISP successfully located the firearm dealer to communicate that the individual’s FOID was now revoked, and the individual was prevented from obtaining the firearm. ISP’s investigation revealed the individual had called the firearm dealer from the psychiatric ward to check on the status of the gun he had ordered.
• In another case, ISP affirmed Clear and Present Danger reports submitted by a law enforcement agency in northern Illinois that detailed several domestic incidents in which an individual threatened to kill and cause harm to others. The reports described an incident in which the individual pointed a firearm at his spouse during an argument, as well as information about abusing narcotics. During the most recent incident, the individual put a firearm to his spouse’s head while threatening to harm her. Law enforcement submitted the report to ISP and within hours, ISP affirmed the Clear and Present Danger and revoked the individual’s FOID card. ISP Special Agents located and secured all of the individual’s firearms after spending hours accompanying him to different locations.
• In yet another case, a small police department in northeast Illinois filed a Clear and Present Danger report for an individual living in their jurisdiction who had been threatening to kill several members of his family, as well as doctors and nurses in an Indiana psychiatric hospital close to the Illinois border. The individual’s family in Illinois reported to police that he had guns in his car and they were worried about him having access to the firearms upon his release from the hospital. ISP contacted the hospital in Indiana to confirm the threatening statements and learned the individual could be released from the hospital anytime. ISP traveled to the relevant courthouse and assisted the local police department in obtaining a Firearms Restraining Order. A search warrant was subsequently issued and executed on the individual’s car. Police recovered a cache of guns and ammunition, including an AK-47 and shotgun. The individual lived out of state and did not have a FOID card, but ISP alerted local law enforcement in his home jurisdiction about the individual’s death threats and shared that multiple firearms and ammunition had been recovered from his vehicle.
• In the past month, a southwestern Illinois police department made a Clear and Present Danger report on both a juvenile threatening to shoot fellow students, as well as his mother who admitted to not properly securing firearms in their home from her troubled son. An investigation revealed the father/husband of this family had his FOID card revoked. With ISP assistance, law enforcement removed firearms from the home after the mother’s FOID was revoked. While this student did not have a FOID card or pending application at the time, ISP affirmed the report and if the individual applies for a FOID card in the future, the information can be taken into consideration for eligibility.
• Within just the last two week, a central Illinois law enforcement agency submitted a Clear and Present Danger report on an individual who was recently fired and was making threats towards his former place of employment. Police received information that this person’s mental health had been deteriorating over the course of the last several weeks and he simultaneously had been purchasing multiple firearms and ammunition during that time period. After the Clear and Present Danger report was filed, and the individual’s FOID card revoked, police worked to locate the cache of firearms he had reportedly acquired. Law enforcement obtained a Firearms Restraining Order from the county court and secured a search warrant to retrieve the firearms. The local law enforcement agency, with help from ISP, successfully located and secured the firearms.
• In a separate case, police attempted to stop a driver for a traffic violation, but the driver fled from officers. Police later found the vehicle with guns and drugs inside and obtained and execute a search warrant for the driver’s home. Officers found several handguns, rifles, and drugs and suspected the individual was engaging in gun and drug trafficking. The individual’s wife claimed some of the guns, which were found to be loaded and not secured. After learning the woman’s young son had access to both the guns and drugs, police filed a Clear and Present Danger report for both the driver and his wife. ISP affirmed the Clear and Present Danger and removed all the firearms from the home while seeking criminal charges.
• In another situation, through a search warrant, ISP seized several firearms from an individual being investigated for several different violent crimes, including homicide, after discovering he was allowing juveniles identified as committing crime, including discharging firearms, access to loaded guns. Local police reported the individual as a Clear and Present Danger, which ISP affirmed. ISP revoked the individual’s FOID card and seized the guns, which ensured the firearms did not get into the wrong hands while the police agency finalized its investigation into the individual’s criminal activity and awaited charges.
• Finally, law enforcement in central Illinois recently contacted ISP regarding a domestic violence call in which an individual attempted to light his wife on fire. After dousing her with gasoline, she was able to escape to a neighbor’s house before he ignited the lighter he was holding. The local police investigation revealed the individual recently obtained a FOID card. Police submitted a Clear and Present Danger report and ISP immediately revoked the individual’s FOID card.
These are just some of the Clear and Present Danger reports where ISP’s quick actions intercepted the threat and helped prevent gun violence before it happened.
* Yesterday was the first day to file nominating petitions. Sun-Times…
Six Chicago area Democratic members of Congress could see primary challengers in the March 19 election. […]
U.S. Reps. Danny Davis, Jan Schakowsky, Sean Casten, Bill Foster, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Mike Quigley all filed their required nominating petitions on Monday, and at least one Democratic challenger filed petitions in each of their races.
The six Democrats are among a slew of statewide and county candidates who filed petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Cook County clerk’s office on the first day of the week-long filing period.
Candidates who turned in their signatures first thing Monday morning earned a spot in a lottery to have their names appear at the top of the ballot, a spot that many believe offers a slight advantage in crowded races.
First in line was Cherita Logan, who arrived in Springfield on Saturday on behalf of longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis. On Sunday night, she was keeping warm inside a camper in a vast empty parking lot outside the elections board office. But by 7 a.m. Monday, she was waiting outside the election board’s door with petitions for Davis, who is seeking a 15th term to represent the 7th District, which covers parts of Chicago’s West and South sides, downtown and near west suburbs.
“Elders used to say ‘Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today’ and in case any kind of issues happen, I was going to be here with those petitions and get them filed,” said Logan, a deputy coordinator for Davis, who has been in Congress since 1997. “But you want to be first. It’s competitive.”
Davis faced his stiffest challenge in years when he defeated progressive Kina Collins by slightly more than six percentage points in last year’s Democratic primary before running unopposed in the general election. Collins is expected to run again, but Davis also figures to face a primary challenge from Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, who has come under scrutiny in the last few months after the Tribune reported that several now-former employees of her office accused her of ethical lapses or misusing public resources for her private benefit.
Earlier this month, the city’s Board of Ethics ruled that Conyears-Ervin violated the city’s ethics code in a probable cause finding related to those allegations.
Among those in line at 8 a.m. was House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, who said she’d consider it a success if the superminority party picked up five seats this year. Democrats currently hold a 78-40 majority in that chamber, but McCombie said she was hopeful her party could make headway in the Chicago suburbs. […]
On the issue of abortion, McCombie said the GOP should “talk about it” – and her status as Republicans’ first-ever top female leader in the House puts her in the position to do so.
“I think, with a female leader, it might be a little bit different,” she said when asked about Democrats’ successfully campaigning on the abortion issue since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision last summer.
“I think the government certainly always has their hands in every issue. And I think we just have to approach it and be realistic about it and just talk about it,” she said, later adding, “We’re not afraid to talk about our bodies.”
The race to replace Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx commenced Monday, the first day of filing for chief prosecutor hopefuls and other candidates seeking to run in the March 19, 2024, primary election. […]
Among the candidates vying to replace Foxx is Democrat Clayton Harris III, who filed his petitions at 9 a.m. Monday, according to the Cook County Clerk’s Office.
A prosecutor under former Cook County State’s Attorney Richard Devine, The Chicago resident served on the city’s intergovernmental affairs team and as counsel for the Chicago Department of Transportation. He also served the Illinois Department of Transportation’s chief of staff and chief of staff to the governor’s office. Most recently, he served as executive director of the Illinois International Port District.
Retired Appellate Court Justice Eileen O’Neill Burke of Chicago also intends to run in next year’s Democratic primary, but will file her petitions on Dec. 4, according to a campaign spokeswoman. Elected as a judge of the Circuit Court of Cook County in 2008, Burke served eight years before being elected to the First District Appellate Court.
For seats in Congress, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, is vying for a sixth term. He said he’s got years of experience and serves as a chairman for the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
“The last time that we had a person in Congress south of Springfield that actually had a full committee chair was 42 years ago,” Bost said. “It’s vitally important. It’s an advantage for your district.”
Former state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, is challenging Bost in the Republican primary. He said Bost is an insider and Illinois deserves more conviction from their representative.
“So the incumbent has been a congressman for 10 years, we had a state rep for 20 years above that, you tell me what experience gets you whenever this state has continually declined,” Bailey said.
More from Bailey…
Today I showed up to file my petitions and waited in line and talked with people who want to make a difference for Illinois. My opponent showed up chatted with media off to the side for a few minutes and left so someone else could file his.
A variety of local, state, and federal candidates filed nominating petitions Monday on the opening day of the filing period.
If two candidates filed for the same office at 8 a.m., there will be a lottery to decide who gets listed first on the primary ballot for the March 19, 2024, election.
Among the contested primary early filers were Chuck Erickson of Bloomington and Regan Deering of Decatur. They are running for the Republican Party nomination for state representative in the 88th House District that stretches from northern McLean County to Decatur and takes in part of Bloomington-Normal. Incumbent Rep. Dan Caulkins is not seeking re-election.
State Rep. Dennis Tipsword of Metamora filed for reelection in the 105th House District. Tipsword will face Donald Rients of Benson in the GOP primary. That deep-red rural district stretches from Peoria north to Bureau and Lasalle counties and east to Livingston and McLean counties.
In many Chicago wards, the alderperson — or his or her close ally — serves as the committeeperson to consolidate power and operations. In the 26th Ward, newly elected Ald. Jessie Fuentes will try to do just that, after defeating current 26th Ward Committeeperson Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez in February’s City Council election.
Fuentes said she was moved to run for committeeperson after Toro was appointed to the 20th District seat instead of Graciela Guzman, who has the backing of the progressive political movement that elected Johnson.
“There needs to be much more transparency in appointments,” Fuentes said. “Committeepeople still have a major role to play in the Democratic Party.”
However, in the 12th Ward, newly elected Ald. Julia Ramirez will not run for committeeperson. Instead, Ramirez endorsed state Rep. Theresa Mah, who will face former Ald. George Cardenas, who is running again for committeeperson.
Four rematches were among 11 contested general election races for suburban Illinois House seats that took shape Monday on the first day of candidate filing for the March 19, 2024, primary election.
Only the 58th House District, encompassing an area in eastern Lake County, saw a contested primary race develop, pitting incumbent Bob Morgan of Deerfield and fellow Democrat Brian (B.J.) McCaslin of Highland Park. […]
The rematches from the November 2022 general election for state House seats include: Democratic incumbent Diane Blair-Sherlock and Republican challenger Robert “Rusty” Stevens of Villa Park in the 46th District; Republican incumbent Amy L. Grant and Democrat Jackie Williamson of Wheaton in the 47th District; Democratic incumbent Mary Beth Canty and Republican Michele Hunter, both of Arlington Heights, in the 54th District; and Democratic incumbent Norma Hernandez and Republican Anthony Airdo, both of Melrose Park, in the 77th District.
Other House incumbents facing challenges are Republican Jennifer Salitro of Hanover Park from Democrat Maria C. Vesey of Roselle in the 48th District; Democrat Maura Hirschauer of Batavia from Republican Aris Garcia of Streamwood in the 49th District; Democrat Nabeela Syed of Palatine from Republican Tosi Ufodike of Hawthorn Woods in the 51st District; Democrat Suzanne Ness of Crystal Lake from Republican Laurie Parman of Sleepy Hollow in the 66th District; and Democrat Harry Benton of Plainfield from Republican Gabby Shanahan of Joliet in the 97th District.
One race that candidates couldn’t file for Monday, was president. Illinois’ presidential primary filing dates are in early January.
Independent and minor party candidates also didn’t file Monday. They file in June with higher signature requirements as they look to go directly to the November ballot.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White arrived shortly after 7 a.m. She is seeking a full 10-year term after being appointed to replace retired Justice Rita Garman in 2022. She is the first Black woman to serve on the state’s high court.
Holder White told Lee Enterprises that she collected more than 5,000 signatures, at least three times more than was required. Though her name has appeared on a ballot before, Monday was the first time she personally stood in line to file her petitions.
“I think I owe that to the voters,” said Holder White, a Republican from Decatur. “I mean, I made the pledge that I would be running; they took the time to sign my petitions. And so I want to send a strong message that I’m serious about this; I’m excited about this. And so I’m here in line breathing the cold air to get my petitions filed on the first day.”
Holder White thus far is the only candidate to file in the Fourth Judicial District, which encompasses 41 counties across central, western and northwestern Illinois.
Incumbent U.S. Reps. Mary Miller, R-Hindsboro, and Eric Sorensen, D-East Moline, did not file their petitions on Monday, though both have indicated they will seek reelection.
Illinois is back, attracting new employers and jobs — and it’s in the best position in many years to further boost its economy. […]
The state’s attractiveness to business “is the best it’s been in a long time,” Pritzker said during questioning by Crain’s Group Publisher and Executive Editor Jim Kirk. “We never had a story to tell. Nobody had put that story together. People didn’t know what was great before about this state. Now they do.”
“We’re now in discussions with 25 companies, big companies with billions to invest and up to 4,000 jobs,” he added. “Companies are coming to us. They want to do business in Illinois.” […]
Illinois in recent years has attracted 20% more people with college degrees than it’s graduated from Illinois colleges and universities, but Florida is 10% short, the governor said. That means Illinois has the young, educated talent that businesses want, and that’s what’s driving the state’s turnaround, despite chatter about Florida’s lower tax rates. Illinois has tried to accentuate those trends by expanding scholarship aid to Illinois residents who stay home for higher education from $400 million a year when he took office to $700 million a year now. Where students had to wait and hope for help before, “Everyone that applies now that is eligible gets a scholarship.”
Nine states in the country have more college graduates in their state today than they graduated. So you’ve got in-migration in nine states of college graduates. Those are the highest value workers, the ones who produce the most income, etc. We’re one of those nine. We have 20 percent more college graduates in Illinois than we produce. Florida has 11 percent fewer college graduates than they produce. So we’re fifth in the country in terms of the in-migration of college graduates … So we’ve got to say, people who are down on Illinois are not looking at the right indicators of our future.
The state and other stakeholders will resolve a looming $730 million annual shortfall facing Metra, Pace and the CTA in 2026, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday.
The funding gap emerged after COVID-19 decimated ridership. It’s an issue transit agencies across the U.S. are facing, Pritzker said at a Crain’s event.
“We need subways and trains and buses and it’s vital to our economy. We’re going to do whatever is necessary,” said Pritzker, who also mentioned fares but without specifics.
“The General Assembly and I and the federal government, we all have to address it,” he noted.
During the conversation, Governor Pritzker and Crain’s delved into topics surrounding economic development in Illinois, with a significant focus on electric vehicles (EVs). The discussion kicked off with an exploration of how the recent Stellantis strike was resolved.
Governor Pritzker revealed that his office, in collaboration with the White House, played a role in resolving the strike. The outcome saw the reopening of the Stellantis plant in Belvidere, where the production focus has shifted to electric vehicles and batteries.
Addressing the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant on the city’s Southeast Side, Governor Pritzker mentioned spatial constraints for battery production. However, he expressed optimism about the potential conversion of the plant to build EVs in the future.
“You can convert almost anything, but if you’re gonna have a battery plant nearby, which is typically what’s happened, you’re gonna do it on a larger footprint. I am hopeful that we will get at least the assembly plant continued and growing. Again, battery, not sure,” said Pritzker.
He didn’t express optimism about converting the Ford factory to an EV plant. He said “they haven’t said no” to an EV plant, but there are real space problems at that site. And, in fact, he revealed that he feels only “somewhat confident that we’re going to maintain the plant that is there now.”
“Violent crime has been coming down, actually for three years, but in particular over the last year,” Pritzker said. “Shootings and murders have come down significantly. Again, it doesn’t make anyone feel safer to just hear a statistic; it will take some time, but that is something people should know.”
While Chicago has seen murders drop by 10% in 2023, other major crimes have significantly increased, as car thefts are up 52% and robberies by 25%.
“[Chicago Police Department] publishes statistics where you can see where the problem areas are with car thefts and robberies and so on, but shootings and murders have come down significantly,” Pritzker said. […]
Pritzker also discussed the state of business in Illinois. In the past few years, the state has seen significant companies like Boeing, McDonald’s and Citadel leave. Some are leaving the state because of high taxes and crime.
“Everyone wants to go back and focus on Citadel leaving, but the truth is we have attracted, seriously, like a half of dozen pretty significant expansions and or headquarters,” Pritzker said.
Pritzker said they have gained more jobs through these expansions than they lost due to Citadel and others leaving.
“We have many more jobs created as a result of those expansions and the new headquarters than were lost by virtue of the companies you guys like to cite,” Pritzker said. “I know everybody was down in Illinois for so many years, and it was easy to be.”
…Adding… McDonald’s actually didn’t even leave. Last I checked, most of Citadel’s employees are still in Chicago. Boeing still has a large presence.
That article is a mess. I probably shouldn’t have even posted it.
A few years ago, Lutheran Social Services of Illinois told me they wanted to give me an award for raising them some money and highlighting their good works. I thanked them for the nice gesture, but said I wasn’t really into that sort of thing. I eventually told them I would accept it only if I could dedicate the evening to Lynn Greenholdt.
Lynn was my former sister-in-law who passed away in 2014 after a bout with cancer. At one time, Lynn ran an LSSI group home for teen boys. I knew what LSSI was at the time, but Lynn showed me what the organization was really about. The kids were from troubled backgrounds, but you could truly feel the love in that home. I was beyond impressed by the work Lynn and LSSI were doing.
Later, Lynn started a small business which supplied family-style meals to LSSI’s group homes, but she constantly struggled because the state had such horrible problems paying vendors on time. I had written about the bill backlog, but Lynn’s experience showed me how the backlog did so much harm to small businesses.
A big part of my speech at that awards ceremony was about Lynn’s work and how it had informed my own views. At the end, I asked everyone to turn around in their chairs. The LSSI folks staged it so that Lynn’s dad Hank was standing on another stage at the opposite end of the room under a large projected photo of his late daughter. Hank then sang a song in her memory: Sinatra’s “My Way.”
It was a powerful moment.
* All those memories came rushing back the weekend before Thanksgiving when Lynn’s sister Kathy performed a song in Chicago which she wrote not long after Lynn died…
Wow.
Lynn was such a remarkable person. She was fun, smart, caring and strong. As you can tell from Kathy’s song, we all leaned on her.
After the show, I told Kathy that I’d like to use that song about Lynn to kick off our annual LSSI fundraising drive. She loved the idea. So, I’m gonna lean on Lynn’s strength one more time.
* We raise money every year on this website to help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for foster kids. LSSI currently has 2,530 children in its foster care network, and each present costs about $25. Others donate toys and/or help the group raise money, but all of us have become an essential part of LSSI’s annual effort. Please, click here to help.
SEIU Healthcare Illinois child care and home care members will ramp up a series of statewide actions with a three-city tour starting November 28 as 45,000 care workers continue to bargain with the Pritzker Administration for a new contract. At speakouts in Alton, Peoria and Carbondale, allies, families who need care, and workers will echo what workers are calling for at the bargaining table with the Pritzker Administration: living wages and a pathway to retirement for child and home care workers across Illinois.
The three-city tour is part of an escalating statewide “Good Care Job Sprint,” where care workers who provide care through state-run programs are raising their voices to highlight the need for a strong contract to address the mounting care worker crisis. Over the last two weeks, workers rallied in Springfield and Rockford to highlight how the care crisis impacts families all over the state. Earlier this month, care workers kicked off their campaign with a major march and rally in front of the Springfield State Capitol building. Workers have also made a major investment in radio ads throughout Illinois to encourage the Pritzker administration to invest in workers.
At the upcoming events, child care and home care workers and consumers will gather to tell their stories, raise demands and fight to “make care jobs, good jobs.” The assembled workers will focus attention on the families in each region who are struggling to access the essential child and home care services needed due to Illinois’ care workforce crisis.
It’s nine o’clock at night and people all over Illinois are doing their nightly rituals: Brushing teeth, reading a bedtime story, helping grandpa take his medicine, making sure everyone is cared for.
But for 45,000 child care and home care workers across our state, the clock never stops. Every day, they’re also making sure everyone else’s families get the care they need. Now it’s our turn to care for them too.
Under Governor Pritzker’s leadership, Illinois is on the way to being the best state in the country for families to receive the care they need at all stages of their lives. It’s time to secure wage increases and a pathway to retirement for 45,000 workers. It’s time to care for the people who care for us. Paid for by SEIU healthcare Illinois, SEIUHCILIN.org, which is responsible for the content of this advertising.
Advancing a data-driven plan to improve the asylum seeker response and provide safe shelter through the winter, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced construction will launch this week on two new shelter sites. The sites, a base camp in Brighton Park and a brick-and-mortar site in Little Village, will house up to 2,200 asylum seekers in total. The locations of the shelters were identified by the City of Chicago and both shelters will operate as part of the existing City of Chicago shelter system. Work to construct and operate the shelters is being funded by the State through Governor Pritzker’s recently announced $160 million investment to improve the asylum seeker pipeline as well as the $478 million in State funding that has been provided or committed to the asylum seeker response over state fiscal year 2023 and 2024.
In partnership with the City of Chicago, available beds will be prioritized for families and individuals with disabilities who are currently sleeping outdoors, at police stations and at O’Hare airport. While construction on both locations will begin this week, asylum seekers will not move into the Brighton Park location until all environmental concerns have been addressed. Pending this work, the shelter sites are expected to open and begin housing asylum seekers as early as mid-December. [..]
Both sites will offer warm sleeping spaces as well as meals, hygiene facilities, and wraparound services to allow asylum seekers, particularly those eligible for temporary protected status, to gain work permits and achieve self-sufficiency, thereby alleviating the strain on State and City resources. Construction, shelter operations and wraparound services will be funded by the State.
The two sites will operate as a part of the existing City of Chicago shelter system with New Life Centers of Chicagoland contracted by the State to provide on the ground support, including quality assurance and community-care services, like conflict resolution, onsite communications, community engagement, and connection with local resources. […]
“New Life looks forward to being a continued partner with the City and State in welcoming new arrivals,” said Matt DeMateo, Executive Director, New Life Centers. “The two locations will provide warm shelter and support for our new neighbors as they begin their lives in this country.”
In addition to a $65 million investment in these new shelter sites, the State is also making targeted, data-driven investments on the front and back end of the asylum seeker pipeline, to alleviate bottlenecks. Those investments are as follows:
WELCOME: $30 million to stand up a large intake center and deploy a welcome team to better support those coming to Chicago who are seeking another final destination, or who have sponsors in Illinois and don’t require shelter. With this approach, data indicates the number of new arrivals requiring shelter can be reduced by 10%.
INDEPENDENCE: $65 million in increased funding to expand the wraparound services the State currently provides at City shelters which enable new arrivals to live independently as they await asylum hearings, including case management, housing assistance, legal services, work permit processing, and workforce development support. The State will continue to provide the rental assistance that allows asylum seekers to transition from shelters to independent living.
* Press release…
Drivers with autism or other communication disabilities can now have better experiences during routine traffic stops, thanks to State Senator Julie Morrison.
“A routine traffic stop sparks anxiety for anyone – now imagine you are a driver who has autism or another medical condition that makes processing social cues and responding to commands difficult,” said Morrison (D-Lake Forest). “That can quickly lead to a stressful situation for both the driver and the police officer. It’s why it was so pertinent we ensured people can effectively communicate their medical conditions.”
Drivers now have the ability to easily disclose a medical condition or disability that could impede effective communication with a police officer. People can visit the Illinois Secretary of State’s website to access a form to disclose their health condition. The information will then be printed on the person’s vehicle registration associated with their license plate and be put in the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System.
The form – which will improve interactions with law enforcement to prevent the potential for unnecessary or unintentional escalation – comes after Morrison successfully passed House Bill 4825 last year.
“If a police officer pulls someone over and that person isn’t making eye contact or engaging in conversation, the officer may think the driver is being defiant,” said Morrison. “The reality, however, is that not every person communicates in the same manner. By designating a condition that impairs speech on one’s registration, a traffic stop will be a less stressful situation for all involved.”
Morrison worked closely with a former local high school student – who is now in college – whose twin brother is on the autism spectrum and was worried what would happen if he was pulled over and avoided eye contact. Together, they successfully put forth the legislation to enhance inclusivity by ensuring certain behaviors – such as avoiding eye contact – aren’t misinterpreted by police.
“People with autism have to deal with the ‘everybody’ stress of a traffic stop but layered in with the need to actively process the hum of the road, the flashing of the lights, the whine of a siren as well as directions from the close-talking stranger who just caught them making a mistake,” said Henry Lytle, who worked closely with Morrison on the legislation. “House Bill 4825 makes traffic stops safer for my brother and other drivers with communication challenges.”
For more information on the certification for impaired communication with a peace officer disclosure, people can call the Illinois Secretary of State’s office at 1-800-252-8980.
* Two things you don’t see every day. 1) Southern Illinois business owner touts his state…
Deep southern Illinois business touts being “on the savings side of the river” from Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/SpVYAumyJv
* Daily Herald | What caused CTA train crash? Braking glitches, ‘communications meltdown’ questioned: However, University of Illinois at Chicago Urban Transportation Center Director P.S. Sriraj says he’s most worried about a “a classic communications meltdown.” “The snowplow was on the same track as the train. That is the more important thing that could have been avoided. The operator definitely was not expecting something else on the track at that time,” said Sriraj, a civil engineering professor. “Any time you have a live track, you don’t put anything else on that track. So there was a slip-up somewhere in communications. Maybe the track got changed for that particular train just before its departure. My main question is how did this incident get triggered?” Sriraj asked. Safety expert John Plante is curious about the circumstances surrounding the snow removal equipment. “Why was it there? Why was it stopped — was it waiting for signal clearance?” wondered Plante, a former CTA attorney and Metra board member.
* WICS | Illinois Gov. Pritzker addresses homelessness in remarks to organization: Pritzker said it’s unacceptable that on a given night, tens of thousands of Illinoisans have to stay at shelters or abandoned buildings. He highlighted that Illinois has invested $350 million to support homelessness prevention and housing programs.
* Tribune | With less than 6 weeks before deadline, 3,400 gun owners have registered guns covered by state ban: While the degree of compliance is impossible to determine, the number of people who had registered through Nov. 21 represented just 0.1% of the 2.4 million people holding Illinois firearm owner’s identification cards, the state-mandated permits that authorize residents to own guns. FOID card holders could also own guns not covered by the ban, or may not have any guns at all. The registration requirement for prohibited weapons that were owned before the ban’s Jan. 10, 2023, effective date was one of the most controversial aspects of the law, which gun rights advocates so far have failed to overturn through state and federal lawsuits.
* Tribune | The siblings of children killed by gun violence and how they cope: ‘I just feel alone’: People experiencing traumatic grief may become hypervigilant or feel constantly unsafe, she said. They may also try to avoid feeling their emotions, experience intrusive thoughts such as nightmares or flashbacks or begin to think about the world in a different way. Mental health care can be an important way for young people who have lost siblings to understand their grief and continue their lives, Raviv said. But just 1 in 5 young people who need mental health care have access to the services they need.
* Sun-Times | CHA mounts $50 million program to fix up scattered sites: “It’s an aggressive target,” said the agency’s CEO, Tracey Scott. That’s probably an understatement as financing, supply issues and permits all can produce delays. But she said the CHA has analyzed the vacant parcels, worked up plans and found the funding. Staff and contractors, many working under a federal program to steer job opportunities to those getting housing help, will be “laser focused” on the mission, Scott said. She said the CHA is in close contact with the city’s Buildings Department to smooth the permit process.
* Daily Herald | Casten, Quigley, Ramirez among early congressional filers for 2024: In the 6th District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove is seeking a fourth term. He’s being challenged once again by Chicago Democrat Charles Hughes in the primary. Casten defeated Hughes and then-U. S. Rep. Marie Newman of La Grange in last year’s primary before besting Orland Park Republican Keith Pekau in the 2022 general election. On the other side of the political aisle, Niki Conforti of Glen Ellyn is back for another shot at the GOP nomination in the 6th. She lost to Pekau in the 2022 primary.
* Crain’s | Chicago performing arts struggle to win back audiences: Most of the performing arts in Chicago are housed in nonprofit organizations that depend on the generosity of individual donors, corporations and foundations. Yet in the pandemic years following the murder of George Floyd, companies shifted dollars to social justice causes, arts executives say. Others have focused on the environment and sustainability. The money coming in isn’t keeping pace with inflation.
New arrivals currently in shelters are up from 12,073 on November 17 to 12,482 this past Friday. But the number of new arrivals in staging areas like police stations is down from 2,218 total on Nov. 17 to 1,513 - a very significant 32 percent drop. I’m also hearing lots of progress was made over the weekend as well.
Total exits from the shelter system have increased from 8,280 as of Nov. 17 to 8,908 last Friday, an increase of 628, which is significantly above the recent average.
Keinymar Avila, a tiny 7-year-old with microcephaly who has never been separated from her mother, curled up in the arms of a woman she’d recently met.
Her mother, Yamile Perez, glanced over at her daughter to make sure all was well as she attended a virtual meeting with Chicago Public Schools officials who were evaluating Keinymar’s needs. It is not easy to let someone else hold your child, especially if your child requires special medical care.
No one knows this better than the person cradling the girl, Mary Otts-Rubenstein, a Lakeview resident who has her own child with disabilities. Otts-Rubenstein has taken it upon herself to help over a dozen migrant families with medically complex kids enroll in CPS.
Crews will begin constructing winter tents meant to house up to 1,500 migrants in Brighton Park on Monday, the local alderperson says.
The city is moving forward with the camp at 38th Street and California Avenue despite not sharing a study that shows the former industrial site needs to be cleaned of toxic metals, Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) said in a letter released Saturday night.
Contractor GardaWorld is expected to begin the final phase of construction Monday, Ramirez said in the letter, while distancing herself from Mayor Brandon Johnson’s choice to continue with the project. […]
On Sunday, the mayor’s office said that “the city is confident that the property will be suited for the purpose for which it will be used. Additional details regarding environmental information will be provided this week.”
City officials have said it will take them three days to erect the base camp, which will have separate tents for sleeping, case management services, dining, showers and bathroom facilities. The base camp will open to house 500 people and expand to as many as 2,000 people, officials said
Mayor’s Office Spokesperson Ronnie Reese said late Sunday that construction on the site will not begin Monday despite a Saturday letter from 12th Ward Alderwoman Julia Ramirez saying it would.
Unreal.
…Adding… The mayor needs a comms staff, Part 4,217…
Update: Mayoral spokesman Ronnie Reese says environmental mitigation expected to be finished by the end of this week. "The City is confident that the property will be suited for the purpose for which it will be used." No timeline for opening.
A South Side alderman’s claims that warming centers in his ward will be used as migrant shelters is not true, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office said.
Ald. David Moore (17th) released a letter Tuesday addressed to Johnson saying public spaces in his ward will soon become warming centers used to house migrants. The letter circulated on social media, angering South Side residents.
But it’s not true, Johnson’s office said Friday.
“Warming centers are not, nor have they ever, been considered for shelters for asylum seekers in the 17th Ward,” Johnson press secretary Ronnie Reese said in an email.
Those facilities have been used as warming shelters for homeless folks and poor people for years and years. Ald. Moore is just feeding the hate.
* I’m pretty sure the governor’s disaster declaration (which isn’t mentioned in ABC 7’s story) overrides this case, but we’ll have to wait for the judge’s ruling. As we all saw during the pandemic, judges can go off-script…
Two South Shore residents will appear in front of a judge after filing a lawsuit against the city of Chicago and how officials are housing incoming migrants.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction against the city. The plaintiffs want to stop the city from housing migrants in public schools, parks and police stations and even those so-called tent camps.
The legal action could prevent the mayor from disrupting park programs, violating zoning laws and he would have to disclose fully how much money is being spent on supporting incoming migrants. That case goes before a judge Monday morning.
* Tribune | Half full: Migrants struggle to eat in Chicago: Migrants say that, unlike in their home country, there’s a lot of food in grocery stores in Chicago, and they’re grateful for the city’s aid. But the food distribution at police stations is uncoordinated, the meals at city shelters are substandard and often not to their liking, and they have to follow strict rules about what outside food they can bring inside.
* NBC News | Chicago scrambles to house migrants as winter approaches: But Matt DeMateo, the chief executive officer of New Life Centers of Chicagoland, a nonprofit that works with the state on resettlement, said that while the reduction to three months of rental assistance may provide a challenge in finding housing, it could ultimately allow more migrants to benefit from the program. DeMateo believes another aspect of the state’s plan — submitting 11,000 applications for work authorization and temporary protected status by February — also will improve the migrant crisis. “Once that opens up, people can get on a stable path,” he said. “With all of those investments, the idea is how do we better the whole system, so we can get through this and get past these bottlenecks.”
* Tribune | Pritzker administration sought migrant tent camp proposals before Mayor Brandon Johnson took office, records show: But in response to questions from the Tribune, the governor’s office acknowledged last week that the inclusion of tent-like structures in the May bid solicitation was “a collaborative effort” between IEMA and the Illinois Department of Human Services “as they prepared for every possible outcome.” The possibility of housing migrants in tents rather than buildings had “always been on the table” in conversations with City Hall — under both Johnson and the prior administration of Mayor Lori Lightfoot — “given the few practical options to house mass amounts of people on an emergency basis and the space limitations on indoor sites,” Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email. “The governor’s concern with soft shelter sites at that time they were announced was because cold weather was just a few months away and the preference has always been to house people in brick-and-mortar shelter sites,” Abudayyeh said. “But as we move closer and closer to winter, people are still sleeping outside police stations in regular tents with no resources so soft shelter sites provide better accommodations, and more importantly, allow asylum-seekers access to caseworkers and a path to independence.”
A grand jury today indicted former Illinois State Senator Sam McCann on charges of fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion related to his alleged misuse of campaign money for personal expenses. The indictment alleges that from May 2015 to June 2020, McCann engaged in a scheme to convert more than $200,000 in contributions and donations made to his campaign committees to pay himself and make personal purchases, and that he concealed his fraud from donors, the public, the Illinois State Board of Elections and law enforcement authorities. […]
McCann organized multiple political committees that were registered with the Illinois State Board of Elections: Sam McCann for Senate; Sam McCann for Senate Committee; McCann for Illinois; and, Conservative Party of Illinois. According to the indictment, from April 2011 to November 2018, McCann and his political committees received more than $5 million in campaign donations.
The indictment alleges multiple instances when McCann used campaign funds to purchase personal vehicles, pay personal debts, make mortgage payments, and pay himself, including the following:
• McCann allegedly used more than $60,000 in campaign funds to partially fund the purchases of a 2017 Ford Expedition in April 2017 and a 2018 Ford F-250 truck in July 2018, which he titled in his own name and used for his personal travel. McCann then used campaign funds for loan payments on the F-250 and for fuel and insurance expenses for both vehicles, while at the same time using campaign funds to reimburse mileage expense claims which he did not incur.
• In April 2018, McCann allegedly used $18,000 in campaign funds to purchase a 2018 recreational travel trailer, and in May 2018, used $25,000 in campaign funds to buy a 2006 recreational motor home, both of which McCann titled in his personal name.
McCann established an online account with a recreational vehicle rental business in Ohio and listed the vehicles for rent identifying Sam McCann as the owner. McCann then established a second account with the same rental business and identified himself as William McCann, a potential renter, with a different residential address and email than those he listed as the owner. From approximately May 2018 to June 2018, McCann, while representing himself as the renter, William, rented both the travel trailer and motor home from Sam, the owner, through the RV rental business. McCann caused a total of approximately $62,666 in campaign funds be used to pay the rental cost of the vehicles. The rental business retained approximately $9,838 for commission and paid McCann, as the owner, approximately $52,827 by direct deposit to McCann’s personal checking account. McCann reimbursed the campaign accounts $18,000, resulting in more than $77,000 in campaign funds used to buy and rent from himself.
• On or about Oct. 4, 2016, McCann allegedly used a $20,000 cashier’s check funded by a campaign account and issued to himself to pay off a personal loan, including legal fees, that had originally been issued to him as an equipment loan in 2011 and was in collection by the bank due to non-payment.
• From May 2015 to August 2020, McCann allegedly used campaign funds to pay approximately $64,750 on two separate personal mortgage loans that were secured by his former residence in Carlinville and an adjoining property used as an office for his construction business.
• In November 2018, after an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Illinois, when he was no longer a candidate for office and did not financially support any other candidate, and continuing to June 2020, McCann allegedly caused the Conservative Party of Illinois to issue approximately $187,000 in payments to himself personally and an additional $52,282 in payments for payroll taxes. Using a payroll service, McCann was allegedly able to conceal himself as the payee for the expenditures from the campaign account.
• The indictment also alleges that approximately $50,000 in campaign funds were used for personal expenses including Green Dot credit card payments related to a family vacation in Colorado and other personal expenses, charges from Apple iTunes, Amazon, a skeet and trap club, Cabela’s, Scheels, Best Buy, a gun store, and cash withdrawals.
In addition to wire fraud and money laundering, the indictment charges McCann with one count of tax evasion related to his joint return for calendar year 2018. McCann allegedly failed to report income from his 2018 rental payments to himself for the RV trailer and motor home. In addition, in March 2018, McCann used a $10,000 check issued by a campaign account to make a down payment to a Shipman, Ill., business for a motor home. When the purchase was not completed, the business issued a $10,000 refund check payable to William McCann, which he deposited to his personal checking account and failed to report as income received.
A public defender representing indicted former senator and one-time gubernatorial candidate William “Sam” McCann Jr. has been replaced, after saying their attorney-client relationship was broken.
That split happened not long after it looked like McCann was about to agree to a plea deal.
A judge, not a jury, will determine whether an indicted former senator and one-time gubernatorial candidate misused campaign money, laundered money and evaded taxes.
Attorneys for William “Sam” McCann Jr. said in a filing Monday in U.S. District Court that he “requests the court try all charges against him in this case without a jury.” […]
McCann was granted a court-appointed defender after telling the court he was unemployed with $53,000 in debt and $500 in his checking account.
The nominal Republican defeated veteran Democratic incumbent state Sen. Deanne Demuzio in 2010 and served in the Illinois Senate until 2018.
But his tenure was marked by his high-profile feuding with Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Encouraged and funded by Democrat-backing labor groups, McCann ran for governor in 2018 as a conservative whose goal was to boost J.B. Pritzker’s election prospects by drawing votes from Rauner.
Pritzker, who didn’t really need McCann’s help, easily won the race.
Ironically, the millions of dollars in leftover campaign funds donated to McCann is the source of his legal troubles.
* Doesn’t look like we’ll be able to follow along in real time…
Good morning from the federal courthouse in Springfield, where former GOP state Sen. Sam McCann (who ran third party “Conservative Party” for governor in 2018) is on trial for misuse of campaign funds. Last week the judge granted a bench trial but no electronics in the courtroom. pic.twitter.com/L9MUxFwkNg
After court just now, McCann told @DeanOlsenIT and me that he needed to represent himself because he’s he only one who would take it seriously. He also said he’s not worried about representing himself because “God’s got this.”
Monday morning marks the official beginning of the 2024 election cycle in Illinois, opening up the week-long period when candidates for local, state, congressional and judicial races are required to turn in the signatures they’ve spent the last two months collecting to get on the ballot.
The first day of petition filing has traditionally taken on a party atmosphere, as candidates and staff line up outside the Illinois State Board of Elections office in Springfield, where the line often reaches past the Chuck E. Cheese storefront, roughly 100 yards down from the board’s entrance in the capital city strip mall.
Those who get in line before 8 a.m. are entered into a lottery drawing to be placed atop the ballot for their respective position. The lottery drawing is scheduled for Dec. 13.
Though many candidates line up before filing opens, elections board spokesperson Matt Dietrich said he hasn’t seen any studies that prove being first on a primary ballot actually provides any advantage.
“Primary voters tend to be the most informed voters,” he said. “So these are the voters are most likely to know which candidates are on their primary ballot and they’re the voters who are most likely to have already made up their minds before they go into the polling place.”
Candidates who get in line before 8 a.m. will be entered into a lottery to receive the top spot on the ballot. The drawing is planned for Dec. 13.
The 2024 primary is on Tuesday, March 19.
* Wishful thinking…
Tomorrow is the first day of candidate filing at the Illinois State Board of Elections.
The forecast calls for sub-freezing temps overnight. In true Chicago fashion, the Congressman Danny Davis campaign set out some lawn chairs to declare “dibs” at the front of the line. pic.twitter.com/ofYUjxH7wd
