* ICYMI: Mayor Brandon Johnson arrives in DC to prep for testimony before GOP-led sanctuary city hearing. Sun-Times…

- A GOP House committee is intent on holding the Democratic mayors of Chicago, New York, Boston and Denver — all sanctuary cities — “accountable” for not cooperating with President Donald Trump’s orders to carry out deportation raids.
- The Sun-Times learned that Johnson spent Sunday in a DC hotel prepping. City Hall has hired a Washington law firm with experience in helping witnesses get ready for congressional hearings and navigate unfamiliar terrain.
- The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing, to kick off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

* Related stories…

∙ Fox Chicago: Chicago mayor to be ‘held accountable’ for sanctuary policies in Capitol Hill hearing, GOP reps say
∙ Axios: What’s at stake if we lose sanctuary city laws

* At 10:30 am Governor Pritzker will be in East Alton to celebrate the Wieland factory expansion. At noon, the governor will be in Godfrey to amplify a plan to offer bachelor degrees at some community colleges. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Tribune | People with developmental disabilities can wait years for community placements, state records show: Across Illinois’ seven state-operated developmental centers for people with developmental disabilities and medical or behavioral needs — known as SODCs — more than 200 residents were seeking placement elsewhere as of last month, close to 15% of the total population in those centers, according to records from the Illinois Department of Human Services. Of those, more than 125 had been on a waiting list for at least a year, records showed.

* Tribune | Midwest communities worry that firing of parks and forest employees will harm ecosystems, economies and education: “Since 2010, park staffing has gone down 20%, but park visitation has gone up 16% — so these park staff are resilient folks who have been doing more with less,” said Crystal Davis, Midwest senior regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonpartisan organization that advocates on behalf of the parks system. But the current changes are wide-reaching, she said, with a “devastating impact.”

* Bond Buyer | Illinois’ 2023 ACFR may become latest ever filed by state: Illinois’ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal year 2023 is threatening to break California’s record for latest audit, having recently passed 600 days since that fiscal year ended, according to data on audit times.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Shaw Local | Focused on Trump, Pritzker blasts administration’s actions in Kane County speech: “Trump is going to try to tear down all of it from Washington D.C. if people don’t stand up, show up, speak at town halls and at Congress,” Pritzker said. “Everyone, even kids, need to get into the fight. Never give up. Never surrender. We are the bulwark of the resistance. The rest of the country is depending on Illinois.”

* Tribune | Federal funding freeze lifted for some Illinois clean energy projects: With the fight over a federal clean energy funding freeze entering its second month, two of the biggest prizes in Illinois are emissions-reduction grants totaling more than $570 million. Now, the state appears closer to claiming both of them. Money from an expected $430 million in federal Climate Pollution Reduction grants was blocked until Feb. 19, but the state can now access it, according to a statement from Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. Part of a $148 million National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure grant for public EV chargers also appears to be within reach.

* WJBD | State Representative Meier provides update on prostate cancer treatment: Meier says he is feeling great after completing the final treatment of his first round of radiation for prostate cancer. He notes after announcing his prostate cancer diagnosis earlier this year, he was totally overwhelmed with the outpouring of support, prayers, well wishes, and love from people across the country. Meier says every text, call, and message were a bit of encouragement he needed to get over this bump in the road.

*** Statewide ***

* NBC Chicago | 12 Illinois DMVs will offer only Real ID services on Saturdays. List of locations: On Monday alone, Giannoulias said his office saw a record 58,000 people on its website looking to make Real ID appointments. For the first 24 days of February, 860,000 people attempted to make appointments. “And this surge is not confined to Illinois. DMVs across the country have experienced unprecedented lines and wait times. In Miami, people are sleeping overnight outside of DMV facilities and in their cars just to improve their chances of getting a Real ID,” he said.

* Daily Herald | ‘Instability in the market’ or rightsizing? What does federal EV cold shoulder mean for Illinois?: Affected businesses could include: electric truck manufacturer Rivian in Normal; Stellantis, which is reopening its closed Belvidere plant to produce an electric Dodge Durango; and Gotion, which plans to open a EV battery factory in Manteno, he said. Meanwhile, Illinois Alliance for Clean Transportation Chairman John Walton noted rebates were first offered to offset the high prices of EVs for consumers new to the technology. “I think the rebates have served their purpose,” the Wheaton resident said. Now, “you can buy an electric car for just north of $30,000. I think the goal of what they wanted to do — bring the price down to where the average guy could afford one” has been met.

* Tribune | Ascension completes sale of 8 Illinois hospitals to Prime Healthcare for more than $370 million: The hospitals are all generally keeping their names but without the Ascension branding. The hospitals are: Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines, Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago, Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston, Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee and Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | After 4 years leading COPA, departing chief reflects on time at police oversight agency: Four years ago, 20 members of the Chicago City Council signed a letter to then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, “vehemently” opposing her nominee to lead the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, Andrea Kersten, who was the agency’s deputy chief administrator at the time. COPA, bound by the city’s municipal code, had recently released its report on the Chicago Police Department’s botched raid at the home of Anjanette Young in 2019. In that report, authored by Kersten, the agency recommended a three-day suspension for police Officer Ella French because she didn’t have a body-worn camera.

* Click here for some background…

2016 Rahm Emanuel introduced a transgender bathroom ordinance. Must’ve been another Rahm Emanuel who wasn’t trying to duck a question and score points with da beltway https://t.co/oYSqt5EtBr https://t.co/H22zAZ3fRu

— Gregory Royal Pratt (@royalpratt) March 1, 2025

* Sun-Times | Chicago scientists reel from Trump funding cuts: ‘We are just going to abandon all those discoveries’: These three scientists aren’t professional agitators. None have ever organized a public protest before. But the trio is part of the effort behind Chicago’ s “Stand Up for Science” rally Friday at 12 p.m. at Federal Plaza, one of 32 rallies taking place nationwide to draw attention to the enormous damage caused by the Trump administration’s wholesale slashing of National Institutes of Health research.

* Crain’s | Bally’s Chicago IPO for women and minority investors hits a stumbling block: Bally’s plan to raise $250 million for its Chicago casino from women and minority investors is in regulatory limbo. Bally’s Chicago said in a securities filing today that “we have not yet received clearance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to price and close our initial public offering.”

* Daily Herald | ‘The right stuff and more’: What happened in near miss at Midway Airport: As Dennis Tajer watched the video of a Southwest Airlines jet preparing to land at Midway International Airport as a smaller jet taxis into its path, he thought, “Oh no.” Then, “I thought, ‘Heroes,’” said Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines aviators.

* Block Club | Indoor Sports Facility For Kids Opens In Little Village Thanks To Local Nonprofit: “I am so excited,” Raigoza said. “Spaces like this, we have to drive typically 45 minutes to see something like it. And now we have it here, in the heart of our community.” Upon entry to the building, patrons are greeted with the green turf of a miniature soccer field. The 3,000 square-foot, two-story building also contains two batting cages, a weight room and a yoga studio.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Lake County News-Sun | ‘Not every case is defendable’: Criminal defense attorneys evaluate Highland Park shooting trial as opening statements are set to begin: With opening statements in the trial set to begin Monday at the Lake County courthouse, Chicago-area criminal defense lawyers with experience in high-profile cases offered insight into how Crimo’s attorneys may go about the “next-to-impossible” task of defending a man some believe indefensible. “The reality of it is, not every case is defendable, and the evidence in that case is overwhelming,” said Mark Richards, a prominent defense attorney and a former prosecutor in nearby Racine County, Wisconsin. “Thinking you’re going to get a fair and impartial, unknowledgeable jury is just not realistic.”

* Daily Herald | Why some suburbs compensate members of appointed boards: A little more than half of 93 suburbs surveyed by the Daily Herald reported offering some type of remuneration to members of appointed boards such as plan commissions, and public safety and zoning appeal boards. In all, 47 suburbs in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties reported offering some type of pay that ranges from as little as $10 per meeting in towns like Batavia, Glendale Heights and Round Lake Heights to as much as $5,000 a year in Rosemont.

* Sun-Times | Workers at big employers like Northwestern get protections from Evanston City Council: A new law, the first of its kind in Illinois, means dining hall workers and housekeepers can keep their jobs if the university changes contractors. The university is worried about the costs.

*** Downstate ***

* WICS | ISBA working to combat growing attorney shortage in rural Illinois: Austin Willis, an associate attorney in Will County said, “A lot of older attorneys plan to retire. You’re just not seeing new people come in. There’s just not a ton of incentive.”Angel Wawrzynek from the ISBA explained that younger attorneys are hesitant to move to rural areas due to concerns about employment opportunities for their significant others or a preference for city living. The ISBA has mapped the availability of private practice attorneys across counties, revealing that some areas have fewer than five attorneys.

* PJ Star | ‘Adverse effect’: East Peoria mayor criticizes Pritzker for ending Illinois grocery tax: Kahl took aim at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who decided to end the statewide 1% tax on groceries. It was a move that upset many municipalities, including Peoria and East Peoria. “I don’t want to be disparaging here, but that was not the governor’s tax to put a feather in his cap and give it back to the people,” Kahl said Friday. “He likes to talk about how he’s helping working class people, and I’m not going to dump on him, I’ll let him figure out his political aspirations for himself, I’m the mayor of East Peoria and my focus is here.”

* WGLT | State Farm’s financial results improve, as underwriting losses decline: State Farm released its annual financial results on Friday. State Farm says its core property-casualty business posted a $6.1 billion underwriting loss in 2024, much better than the $14.1 billion underwriting loss in 2023. That cut down operating losses from $8.5 billion last year to $111 million in 2024. State Farm said the improvement was due in part to “significant improvement in auto lines underwriting results which was partially offset by an increase in homeowners incurred catastrophe claims.”

* WCBU | Fate of East Peoria riverboat casino casts shadow over Kahl’s State of the City address: East Peoria Mayor John Kahl shared an optimistic vision for the city’s next few years Friday, albeit while speaking at a venue with an uncertain future. Kahl delivered his annual State of the City address from the banquet room at the Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino, steps away from the riverboat gambling attraction that parent Boyd Gaming is looking to replace.

* WMBD | Bloomington Mayoral candidates answer questions at student led panel: Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe, Cody Hendricks, and Dan Brady all said their top three goals are to focus on public safety, the affordable housing crisis and infrastructure needs like water and sewage. […] “I think it’s extremely important. We talk about our infrastructure needs when we talk about public safety and when we talk about economic development. For the city of Bloomington,” said Brady.

* WGLT | Bloomington does more testing as it tries to improve taste and remove odor in water: City manager Jeff Jurgens said he’s heard from restaurant owners, too. “[We’ve] talked to many business owners … about the taste of the water. That is an issue. It affects coffee, it affects tea and it’s not acceptable,” Jurgens said in an interview on WGLT’s Sound Ideas. said the city has upgraded its water filtration system in recent days and that seems to have made some difference. City officials said in a statement they’ve also “slowed filter flows to increase contact time and made strategic staffing adjustments to improve response efforts.”

* WCIA | Mahomet mothers concerned with federal cuts impacting rare diseases: Events for Rare Disease Day were supposed to happen this weekend in the nation’s capital. However, after federal layoffs and funding freezes within the FDA and National Institute of Health, it was postponed indefinitely. “The concerns are that when we’re making cuts at those agencies, the funding going toward rare diseases, and all diseases, will be impacted for research and supporting people that have these conditions,” Houser said.

* WIFR | Racial slur spray-painted on Ogle Co. business, investigation underway: On March 2, Clearly Customs Motorcycle Service at 206 Linn St., took to its Facebook page about the reported vandalism. “How do I move on from this. My business? I literally have no feeling left. I’ve lived in ogle county for almost 20 years,” a post from the business owner reads. […] About eight hours after the initial post, the business took to Facebook again, saying this isn’t the first threat the business has received and that it plans to close the Kings location. Owners say they will instead “rebuild in an environment more suited to who we are.”

*** National ***

* The Guardian | Formerly anti-vax parents on how they changed their minds: ‘I really made a mistake’: Anti-vax rhetoric may be so persistent because it is profitable. Research by the Center for Countering Digital Hate showed that 70% of Covid-19 anti-vax disinformation between February and March 2021 had been generated by 12 individuals with collective annual revenues of around $36m. They include Joseph Mercola, a content producer who made $7.2m during the height of the pandemic, and RFK Jr, who received a salary of more than $500,000 for chairing the anti-vax Children’s Health Defense in 2021, among other enrichment for his anti-vax views (Kennedy’s own children have been vaccinated).

* People | ‘Explicit’ Sex Claims ‘Exaggerated,’ Black and LGBTQ+ Characters Overwhelmingly Targeted, New Book Ban Analysis Finds: On Feb. 27, the nonprofit organization, which raises awareness about book censorship in the United States, analyzed the 4,218 unique titles banned in the country’s public schools during the 2023-2024 school year. PEN America documented 10,046 instances of book bans in total, marking a 200% increase from the previous school year. Per the analysis, 1,534 (36%) of banned unique titles featured real people or fictional characters of color. Of the nonfiction books banned, including historical titles and biographies, 44% featured people of color, with 26% of these titles specifically centering Black people.

* AP | Trump administration to slash funding for enforcement of fair housing laws: The grants are disbursed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to private nonprofits, which act as the frontline enforcement of the federal anti-discrimination law. They educate communities on their rights, test whether a landlord is racially discriminating, investigate complaints, resolve disputes and can fund legal counsel. Of some 34,000 fair housing complaints lodged in the U.S. in 2023, these private nonprofits processed 75%, according to a report from the National Fair Housing Alliance. The rest were fielded by state and local governments, with HUD and the U.S. Department of Justice working on less than 6% combined.

* WIRED | The Incompetence of DOGE Is a Feature, Not a Bug: Just look at all of those firings. DOGE has targeted so-called probationary employees first, often without regard for their skill or the necessity of their roles. Do you know what a probationary employee is? It’s people who have been in their position for less than a year, or in some cases less than two years. That means new hires, sure, but also experienced workers who recently transferred departments or got promoted.

* FOX | Latest DOGE layoffs threaten lives, experts say: The first wave of firings, carried out Thursday, marked a significant reduction in NOAA’s workforce, an agency responsible for issuing weather warnings, tracking hurricanes, supporting wildfire response, and providing oceanic and atmospheric data used across industries.

* Forbes | 5 Essential Things To Know About Your Weather Forecasts: It is stunning to see posts and comments suggesting that we do not need the National Weather Service because we have Apps, TV stations, your favorite social media influencer and so on. To me, that is like saying, “Why do we need potato farmers when I can just get fries at my fast food place?” NOAA and the National Weather Service are significant providers of weather information, weather prediction models, upper atmospheric conditions via weather balloons, satellite images, Doppler-Polarimetric radars, ocean observations and more.