Relief in sight? Maybe, maybe not
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
The Biden administration is going to resume deporting migrants to Venezuela, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The process is expected to begin shortly, the officials said, though they did not provide specific details on when the flights would begin taking off. The officials were not authorized to publicly disclose details of the government’s plan ahead of an official announcement and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
I have no idea whether this will slow anything down. Stay tuned for the announcement.
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Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* AP…
At least 453,000 workers have participated in 312 strikes in the U.S. this year, according to Johnnie Kallas, a Ph.D. candidate and the project director of Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker. This year’s work stoppages have spread across multiple industries — including transportation, entertainment and hospitality.
* Dude was in the Illinois General Assembly for four years and yet believes he lives in California or another ballot initiative state…
Either that, or he’s counting on his base to be ignorant.
* ISP…
With information provided by the community, the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation has been able to identify the vehicle and driver believed to be involved in the September 29, 2023 crash just outside of Teutopolis that resulted in five fatalities and multiple injuries.
“Thank you to the communities of Montrose and Teutopolis, and everyone who provided information to ISP,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The information we received from the community has been instrumental in identifying the vehicle and driver believed to be involved in this case.”
On Friday, September 29, 2023, ISP, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Teutopolis Fire Protection District, and other local law enforcement, fire, and emergency services responded to a crash that occurred at 8:42 p.m. on 19740 East U.S. Highway 40. The crash involved a semi-truck tanker carrying 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia, of which approximately 4,000 leaked due to the tank being punctured. Due to the plume from the ammonia leak, roughly 500 residents were evacuated from northeastern parts of Teutopolis until around 8 p.m. on Saturday, September 30, 2023, and U.S. Highway 40 was closed between Effingham and Montrose.
ISP continues to investigate and is consulting with the Effingham County State’s Attorney. No additional information is available at this time.
* Got a lot of texts on this topic today…
That’s accurate, as long as state’s attorneys do their jobs. Threatening a public official is a detainable offense.
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Crain’s | Former Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald suing university over firing: Former Northwestern University head football coach Pat Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit seeking more than $100 million against the university and its president, Michael Schill, alleging Fitzgerald was fired improperly after allegations of hazing in the football program came to light.
* Capitol News Illinois | State-run developmental center in Dixon will not lose Medicare funding despite citations: Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon has two pending “immediate jeopardy” citations from the Illinois Department of Public Health in connection with resident physical abuse and failure to properly address the spread of a bacterial infection at the facility. […] IDHS Director of Developmental Disabilities Tonya Piephoff said in an interview on Friday the corrective action plan has been submitted, but the immediate jeopardy citation is only purged after a reinspection from the IDPH to ensure the mitigations outlined in it are underway. IDHS and IDPH can negotiate the plans until they are accepted.
* Crain’s | New public-private partnership looks to spur Midwestern climate investment: The Chicagoland Climate Investment Alliance will aim to spur investments in building decarbonization and secure federal grants for climate-resilient technologies developed in the Midwest. Along with the city and state, the Alliance’s public and private members include World Business Chicago, Invenergy, ComEd, Nicor Gas and Jones Lang Lasalle. The group will also receive support on federal grants and startup collaborations from several partners including 1871, the Energy Policy Institute & the Polsky Center at the University of Chicago and mHUB.
* Block Club | CTA President Will Be Required To Meet With City Council Quarterly As Train, Bus Service Woes Continue: When the hearing requirement ordinance was considered last year, aldermen had debated freezing funding for Carter’s signature Red Line expansion project until he improved the transit system’s reliability. In last year’s failed ordinance, Vasquez tried to tie CTA funding to the president fulfilling City Council appearances — an ultimatum not included this time around.
* Tribune | Changes, turnover on Chicago Police Board in ongoing shakeup: The Chicago Police Board, the nine-person body that metes out discipline in the most serious cases of alleged misconduct by Chicago police officers, is in a state of flux. No longer does the board have a say in who should be CPD superintendent, and the union representing rank-and-file CPD officers contends that cops facing disciplinary charges should be afforded the option to have their cases decided by a third-party arbitrator — a potential departure from 60 years of precedent.
* ABC Chicago | Workers at CSL Behring plant in Bradley reach deal to end strike: Last week, more than 700 workers walked off the job in Bradley. The plant in Bradley is the second largest employer in Kankakee County with a total workforce of 1,500. The union said they will get yearly raises, a $2,500 ratification signing bonus and their insurance premiums will remain the same.
* Crain’s | Chicago parking company SP Plus to be acquired in $1.5 billion deal: Metropolis Technologies has agreed to pay $54 a share for SP Plus, which a press release says is a premium of about 52% to its closing price Wednesday and a premium of about 28% to the stock’s 52-week high.
* SJ-R | UIS announces new financial aid program for first-time students: The school announced Wednesday the Prairie Promise program, a trial initiative that takes care of tuition and fees for first-time, first-year in-state undergraduate students enrolled in on-campus degree programs, beginning in the fall of 2024. Any student applying for the program must be eligible for the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP), as the program will use MAP grant funds along with scholarships, awards, and AIM HIGH grant funds to cover all costs.
* Tribune | Judge orders man accused of operating illegal puppy mill to remain in jail for parole violation: Rajcinoski has been in jail since a May 2023 raid of his Center Township home and a pole barn on a property he owns in Rensselaer in Jasper County. Investigators discovered a new alleged puppy mill operation and a total of 41 dogs.
* Daily Herald | Des Plaines officials targeting O’Hare travelers parking on city streets: To solve the problem, Oakley proposed the city ban overnight parking on residential streets, but Walsten wasn’t keen on that idea. Walsten instead suggested the city post resident-parking-only signs on Cedar, Scott, Magnolia and Hickory streets and some others. The restriction would be enforced by police officers who would respond to complaints about cars rather than patrolling the neighborhoods seeking scofflaws, Chief David Anderson said.
* CBS Chicago | University of Chicago alum Moungi Bawendi shares Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work on quantum dots: “These tiny particles have unique properties and now spread their light from television screens and LED lamps. They catalyze chemical reactions and their clear light can illuminate tumor tissue for a surgeon,” said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which announced the award in Stockholm.
* Block Club | This Whitney Young Senior’s Method Of Predicting Wildfires Is Wowing International Scientists: Agrawal, a South Loop resident and senior at Whitney M. Young Magnet School, is not only interested in wildfire prevention but also in advancing environmental justice. She said she’s deeply concerned about the effects of climate change and wildfires on “environmentally disadvantaged” communities.
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* Background is here if you need it. From Shaw Local…
An $8.6 million state grant awarded to Joliet Township for asylum seekers would fund services now being provided to migrants already coming to the area, Township Supervisor Angel Contreras said Wednesday. […]
He said asylum seekers being bused into the Chicago area already are finding their way to Joliet and other suburban areas. The Spanish Community Center in Joliet has done casework for 2,200 asylum seekers since August 2022, Contreras said.
The grant would be used to fund services already being provided to asylum seekers by the Spanish Community Center and Will-Grundy Medical Clinic, the two organizations named as grant recipients.
“I envision it (the grant) just stabilizing the work that the organizations are already doing so that they don’t go under,” Contreras said. “The people are here already, and we don’t want our systems to go under.”
Contreras’ full letter is here.
* From the township’s grant application…
Shelter and nights of stay are currently provided at the Mainstay Joliet hotel off of the Larkin exit at Interstate 80 in Joliet, Illinois. A Memorandum of agreement will exist with the hospitality owners to continue utilizing services for socially vulnerable individuals and providing guidance to triage, resources and services through direct continuity of care planning. This agreement provides protection to vulnerable clients that are experiencing acute or chronic stages of disease, and/or health and social vulnerability. […]
Spanish Community Center (SCC) will be opening and operating an Illinois Welcoming Center (IWC) program at its 309 N Eastern Ave location, which will be able to provide services to asylum-seekers. The IWC program will have the capacity to provide in-depth case management to 700 clients, crisis intervention services to 350 clients, and resource and referral services to 3000 clients, with a total funding award of $350,000. […]
In the last two years SCC also doubled the size of its legal and immigration programs, greatly increasing client capacity. So much so, that a secondary office location had to be opened in Joliet to house the expanding programs. Due to this growth, there have been several successes in the legal programs. In the current fiscal year, every employment authorization filed by the program has been approved, a family that filed for VAWA recently received their social security cards, and in FY23, the program surpassed its intake and case acceptance goals, conducting 145 screenings and accepting 63 cases.
* But, as you know, Joliet’s mayor claimed he and the local fire department were blindsided…
A state grant awarded to Joliet Township to provide services for migrants is raising concerns from elected leaders in Joliet.
“The decision maker in the city did not have knowledge of the grant request made by the Joliet Township with community partners and organization,” said Mayor Terry D’Arcy.
Mayor D’Arcy at a council meeting Tuesday night told the public his office and the Joliet Fire Department did not sign or approve any memorandum with the township as submitted to the state.
The township’s grant application not only featured the logos of the City of Joliet and the Joliet Fire Department at the top of its front page, the application itself more than just implied support from the mayor and cooperation with the fire department…
Joliet Township Government, with partners Will Grundy Medical Clinic, The Spanish Community Center, and The South Suburban Immigrant Project, with support from the City of Joliet Mayor’s Office, will work through memorandum of agreement alongside local safety net providers to offer temporary, rapid, and responsive support services to those individuals that are, under definition, seeking Asylum in the United States. […]
Working with the local Fire Department, to provide immediate on-site services through community paramedicine, and reciprocity through Joliet Township Government programs such as trauma informed services to violence prevention, non-emergency transportation, housing and shelter, food and nutrition access, and economic development.
If the township doesn’t have that cooperation, the entire program could founder.
* And there are clearly some proposed expansions in current efforts, including this one…
Will Grundy Medical Clinic Health Housing and Hope program has provided health care, shelter, medication and transportation, for over 800 individuals and families that reside unsheltered and within the emergency shelters, Morning Star Mission and Daybreak in Joliet, Illinois. This program will expand to offer a “Welcoming Clinic” for individuals and families seeking Asylum
*** UPDATE *** The City of Joliet’s interim city manager says the city was aware of the grant but it provided no input on the grant application and continues to oppose the proposal…
This statement is being released to provide clarity on the City’s position regarding Joliet Township’s application for asylum seeker funding. The City of Joliet routinely shares grant funding opportunities to other local government and social service agencies that support Joliet residents. We do this to help offset the financial impact to these agencies.
The City of Joliet received a notice of funding opportunity regarding this grant on August 9, 2023.
As standard practice, City staff reviewed the funding opportunity. A link was shared with Joliet Township and Spanish Community Center to attend a statewide zoom information session hosted by the grantor on this funding opportunity. On September 1, 2023, City staff met with Joliet Township, Spanish Community Center and Will Grundy Medical Clinic. A general discussion was held regarding the current pressures placed on these agencies from asylum seekers currently in the community and whether this grant would help stabilize the financial burden placed on the community.
City staff was aware these three organizations intended to have additional conversations regarding this grant opportunity and its applicability to meeting the current needs in the community. The City of Joliet provided no input in Joliet Township’s grant application.
The City did not receive a request from Joliet Township, nor did we authorize Joliet Township to include the Mayor’s Office and Joliet Fire Department as collaborators. In fact, the City did not receive a copy of the grant application until October 2, 2023.
The extreme amount ($12.1M) that Joliet Township requested does not correlate to any conversation City staff had regarding the current needs within the community.
As Interim City Manager, I do not support Joliet Township’s grant application. In the future, the City will continue to partner on funding opportunities with our governmental and community partners that benefit the residents and businesses of Joliet.
The Mayor’s strong request that Joliet Township withdraw the application stands.
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* Tribune…
In a post-City Council meeting news conference Wednesday afternoon, the mayor said Chicago was now expecting at least 14 — and as many as 22 — buses that day
* From last week’s city council hearing…
Representatives from two volunteer-led organizations at Friday’s meeting said that volunteers haven’t gotten any financial support from the city. In a presentation, a representative from the mutual-aid Police Station Response Team estimated volunteers have spent about $2.4 million on food and water for migrants and nearly $1 million on supplies. They’ve also supplied about $2.9 million in free labor, according to the estimate.
* Chicago Ald. Nicole Lee told Mayor Brandon Johnson that her 9th Police District volunteers are simply overwhelmed after providing what looks like a remarkable level of comfort and goods for asylum-seekers. Lee is right that volunteers shouldn’t be expected to indefinitely carry this heavy of a load…
Dear Mayor Johnson:
I’m writing to you today on behalf of the residents of the 11th Ward, the mutual aid volunteers and roughly 298 migrants currently in the 9th District and the officers who work there. As a community, we have welcomed thousands of migrants who have come through the 9th District as they awaited shelter space. Our mutual aid volunteers, donors from the ward including residents and nonprofits, and police officers have provided food, clothing, blankets, suitcases, toys and more for more than a year now. My office works closely with the mutual aid organization for D9 and together, we operate a free shop where donated items are sorted and organized so that new arrivals can shop with dignity for basic items they need.
We’ve worked with our park district and community partners to provide showers which means the other citywide resources can be sent to other locations where they are needed. Our community has handled the pressures of this crisis as well as anyone could ask and thankfully, we have so far, not had any major incidents between migrants, residents and police. The number of ‘minor incidents’, however, are beginning to accrue and frankly, the situation has become untenable: last night, 25 asylum seekers were essentially “evicted” from D9 due to capacity constraints. Moreover, our mutual aid group has made gargantuan efforts to welcome asylum seekers but we can no longer sustain these efforts with the numbers we currently have. We need citywide equity across the police districts for placement of migrants. Our district has regularly ranked among the ones with the greatest number of people being “staged”. In fact, based on yesterday’s figures alone, Area 1 has 142 more migrants in its districts than the next highest which is Area 3. Area 1 has more migrants than all of Area 2 and Area 5 combined.
Mr. Mayor, the 9th District cannot handle any more migrants at this time. With the number we have currently, we know it is unsafe and unsanitary for the migrants, the police and our community. Our volunteers have done an incredible job, but, as you know, they have full time jobs too. I recognize the challenge of finding solutions and while we cannot control the flow of buses, and the use of migrants as ‘political weapons’ by the Republican Party, I would love to have a conversation about how we can better manage the situation on the ground specifically around:
1. Having full-time staff at our police districts to perform intake and conduct oversight
2. Leveraging technological tools to help process migrants and inform them of the resources at their disposal to better set them up for success for their new life in our city
3. Hiring a team of canvassers from Chicago to travel to border states to combat false information about what services and resources are available here.
4. Developing a playbook for this response with processes and protocols that should be followed at every location new arrivals are being staged, sheltered or housed.
Seems like she makes some good points and has decent ideas. The mayor should listen. Volunteers are of course essential (and the mayor ought to shower them with praise), but they just can’t handle all these tasks on their own. Especially going forward.
* Meanwhile…
Far and away, the best option is to come up with a solution at the source, in Venezuela. But until that happens, one thing the state, city and county can do is get tough on these bus companies. Yes, some of them have cooperated by tipping off officials about arrival times and places and other intel, but obviously that bus company did not cooperate.
* Bottom line: Since the federal government is not providing much assistance and the city is flailing without a plan, the state needs to step up and take at least temporary command.
…Adding… Something posted in comments that some of y’all need to keep in mind…
=== Why is there a presumption that everyone arriving in the city has some type of legal status.===
Because if they weren’t legal, Abbott wouldn’t be able to put them on the bus without breaking the law. Federal law – 8 USC 1324
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Question of the day
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Sun-Times…
Mayor Brandon Johnson said Wednesday he planned to make his own trip to the Mexican border — as soon as he can arrange it with his wife and kids — to see for himself the unfolding disaster creating havoc and hardship in Chicago.
“We need to go assess the situation — just like our team has gone to D.C. We need better coordination, quite frankly,” Johnson said. “I recognize what our southern states are dealing with, so going to see it firsthand” makes sense.
Johnson recently had an eye-opening meeting with Mexican leaders.
He said that “2,500 or so families who are seeking asylum reach the southern tip of Mexico. By the time they get to the northern tip of Mexico right on the border of our country, that 2,500 amasses to anywhere from 7,500 individuals to 10,000. This is serious.”
The Tribune reports that the city is also sending “a delegation to the Texas border for a learning expedition.” The state has already done that, but let’s set that aside for the moment and focus only on the mayor’s comments.
* The Question: In your opinion, is this trip more likely a wise use of the mayor’s time and effort or is it more likely grandstanding that could backfire? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
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* SB689 synopsis…
Provides that school districts, libraries, village libraries, library systems and their staff shall not limit access to biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, or any other books or materials in libraries or prohibit the purchase for library collections of biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, or any other books or materials based upon the depiction in those books or materials of matters of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health, gender identity, religion, human rights activism, or any other subject. Authorizes school districts, libraries, library systems and their staff to impose limitations on access to books or materials in a school library for public safety reasons or based upon the age and developmental level of persons who will have access to those books or materials.
The bill passed the Senate and was stripped of all content in the House and then just sat there.
* The Senate sponsor talked to WAND TV…
Illinois became the first state to prohibit book bans in public libraries earlier this year, but state lawmakers could expand the reach of that law by blocking school districts and staff from banning books in classrooms.
“One of the best and unique gifts of American democracy is that we have free access to information,” Sen. Mike Simmons (D-Chicago) told WAND News. “We can walk into a public library and read about all sorts of topics. We can sit in a classroom and have a curriculum in front of us that has integrity and is not something that is just one viewpoint.”
* Let’s move on to the Yorkville school district…
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is investigating a complaint alleging that the Yorkville School District 115 board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act when discussing the book “Just Mercy” in closed session.
The board voted 4-2 at its Aug. 7 meeting to prohibit use of Bryan Stevenson’s memoir in the Yorkville High School English II Rhetorical Analysis course. […]
Earlier this year, a parent’s objection to the book triggered the district’s uniform grievance procedure.
Associate Superintendent Nick Baughman investigated the complaint and determined that no board policy had been violated. A letter to that effect was sent to the parent over the signature of then-Superintendent Tim Shimp.
The parent appealed the decision to the Yorkville School Board and the board discussed the matter in closed session before issuing a decision on May 22.
One parent objected. One. The school board decided the book was just “too controversial,” according to WSPY.
* Keep in mind that this is an advanced high school course, and the kids were unhappy…
A group of Yorkville High School students blasted the four Yorkville school board members who voted to prohibit use of the book “Just Mercy” in an English class, during a board meeting on Sept. 25.
“By allowing the opinions of a select few to influence what is taught in our classrooms, you’re sending the message that their beliefs are more important that the quality of our education,” YHS senior Alexis Barkman told the board.
* ACLU of Illinois…
As America marks Banned Books Week, the ACLU of Illinois today strongly condemned a recent, secret vote by the Yorkville Board of Education to bar the inclusion of Just Mercy by civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson in an English course. The Board’s vote in August 2023 reversed a previous Board decision maintaining the title in the curriculum.
“Banning books is not a practice limited to other states,” said Edwin C. Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the ACLU of Illinois in criticizing the action in Yorkville. “What we are seeing in Yorkville is part of a national attempt to curb reading materials based on politics and ideology, to the detriment of students and educators. “
Just Mercy raises critical questions about mass incarceration and racial inequities in our criminal legal system through the story of a young lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, founding the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama to combat systemic racism in Alabama and across the South. It follows Stevenson’s efforts over many years to free Walter McMIllan, a Black man who served years on death row for a murder he did not commit. Yorkville High School has used the title for a number of years in one an English classes on rhetoric—the art of using language effectively and persuasively. Many Yorkville students have read the text as part of that class.
At a meeting in May, the Yorkville Board addressed a complaint from at least one parent about the inclusion of the book. After discussion with school staff and teachers, the Board voted unanimously to continue its use in the English class, while suggesting that staff identify an alternative title that could be offered if some parents object to Just Mercy. During an executive session of the Board in August, a majority reversed that decision – without public explanation – and barred the book’s use from the curriculum.
The Board’s actions have led to a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office alleging a violation of the state’s Open Meetings Act.
“The national fever to remove certain books is driven by a desire to stifle LGBTQ+ stories, voices addressing racial injustices, and others who often suppressed in our society,” added the ACLU’s Yohnka. “Yorkville should not join this movement and we hope they will heed the voices – the majority of voices – in the community who do not did not want this book removed from the curriculum by Board members not actually in the classroom.”
Since the Board acted in August to remove Just Mercy, a number of residents – led by students who have used the text at Yorkville High School — have spoken out publicly to condemn the Board’s actions. The ACLU of Illinois encourages those community members to continue their advocacy for an inclusive curriculum.
* A notorious group was active in the recent Yorkville school board election and declared victory…
The Tribune wrote about this race…
They are backed by a local political action committee called the Stamp Act PAC in Yorkville, the Naperville-based group Awake Illinois and the Kendall County Republican Party.
The Stamp Act PAC vows to “fight to preserve our cultural and religious heritage” and “resist attempts by the Left to transform and reshape American society.” Awake Illinois, meanwhile, has gained notoriety for deploying anti-transgender rhetoric in opposing instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in schools and for generating social media outrage over kid-friendly drag-themed events at a northwest suburban bakery and a west suburban library.
* The roll call…
Those voting in favor of removing the book from the class included [School Board President Darren Crawford] and board members Jason Demas, Mike Knoll and Mike Houston.
Demas, Crawford and Houston were all endorsed by Awake’s founder.
* Related…
* NBC 5 Investigates uncovers record number of requests to challenge books in Chicago-area schools, libraries: The majority of the books being challenged – 38 percent — involved books that cover sexual orientation or gender identity topics followed by materials that touch on race, which made up 17 percent of books challenged in the Chicago area. … Shannon Adcock with Awake Illinois represents one of the parents’ rights groups that has called for civic engagement in what materials are available in both school and public libraries. “It really has to do with age appropriateness. What is appropriate for children,” Adcock said. “Are we going to lean into the sexualization of children? Or are we not for organizations that support the fundamental rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children,” Adcock asked. When pressed about the fact parents already have that right, she said: “Well, it’s been challenged, it has been challenged… because if you look at media the depiction of concerned parents is that they’re automatically labeled as book banners or Nazis or fascists or bigots. That’s limiting the conversation and it’s incredibly unfair,” she said.
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Open thread
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
(Here are some bears that won’t disappoint you…)
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Sun-Times |Illinois kickstarts funding to state prison libraries with $420K in grants: Each of the state’s 28 prisons will receive $15,000 for books, magazines and other supplies, the first time they’ve received public funding of any kind in six years.
* Jim Nowlan | Here’s how to create a future for moderate Republicans in Illinois: So, how and where can moderate Republicans (let’s call us the Mod Squad, for “moderate” or “modern”) make our mark and become significant? In the burbs. In the six counties that surround Chicago and Cook County, a language other than English is spoken in one-third of the homes, according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning. The burbs are no longer your white-bread, vanilla, GOP enclaves. Yet, there are lots of highly educated, socially moderate folks in the suburbs, of all hues.
* WCIA | Pritzker, other state leaders, recognize late Sen. Scott Bennett in Danville: “In a world of public service, Scott was a statesman. That’s not a word that I throw around lightly,” Governor J.B. Pritzker said. “He radiated joy, he always lent a helping hand when he knew that you needed it.” To honor that joy, state leaders planted a burr oak tree for Bennett at DACC.
* 25 News | Second Republican announces run for Illinois Senate seat: A former Livingston County Board member is announcing his intention to run for the Illinois Senate in the 53rd District, which covers many communities in the area. Mike Kirkton is the second Republican to formally enter the race to replace Sen. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City), who announced his retirement in late July.
* WBEZ | Mayor Brandon Johnson vows to hire a new leader to address gender-based violence: Darci Flynn served as the first director of gender-based violence strategy and policy within the mayor’s office – a position created by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Flynn submitted her resignation Sept. 21, and was terminated four days later, she said. In a statement, the 13-member Survivor Working Group of the city’s task force on gender-based violence said they are “deeply disturbed” by Flynn’s departure, which came amid budget discussions and the finalization of a second strategic plan for the city to address gender-based violence and human trafficking.
* Block Club | Chicago Could Receive ‘As Many As 22’ Migrant Buses On Wednesday Alone, Mayor Says: Mayor Brandon Johnson also confirmed he would join a city delegation to visit the southern border “as soon as possible.” More than 17,000 asylum seekers have arrived in Chicago since August 2022.
* Sun-Times | Lawsuit seeks to stop city from using public buildings to house migrants: In an amended suit, South Shore residents accuse the city of violating zoning ordinances and creating a public nuisance by placing new arrivals in schools, police stations.
* WBEZ | Isolated and afraid, pregnant migrants cobble together prenatal care any way they can: Regular prenatal care is a long established medical protocol that protects the health of mothers and babies – and Illinois even pays for it for up to one year postpartum no matter a person’s immigration status. Yet beyond putting expectant mothers on a priority list for shelter, Chicago “does not have specific protocol in place relating to women who arrive pregnant,” said Mary May, a spokesperson for the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication. And many migrant women are potentially not getting medical care, according to WBEZ interviews with new arrivals, volunteers and medical professionals across the city.
* WBEZ | Toni Preckwinkle pitches a $9 billion Cook County budget with no new taxes, fees or hikes: Among her priorities, Preckwinkle is bracing to pay more to help provide medical care for thousands of asylum seekers arriving in Chicago. And she plans to tap about $166 million in reserves to continue some programs the county created with federal pandemic relief dollars after that lifeline runs out in a few years.
* Reader | How many opioid overdoses occur on the CTA?: Over the last four years, more than 150 people have died from opioid-related overdoses on the CTA—but CTA officials aren’t keeping track.
* Daily Herald | Three fire departments will fill gap after Elk Grove Township department’s demise: Mount Prospect Fire Chief John Dolan said he and chiefs from Elk Grove Village and Des Plaines have been meeting for two years to prepare. “To sit back and wait for it to happen would have been irresponsible,” he said. “Operationally, we had to collectively come up with ‘What are we going to do if one day, they just don’t show up?’ Which is exactly how it played out.”
* Tribune | Laid-off workers at abruptly closed Signature Room rally, sue for backpay and benefits: No one hinted the 95th floor restaurant and its 96th floor lounge would close when Abelar worked there the night before layoffs blindsided about 130 workers last Thursday, he said. The news shocked him, and he’s wondering how he’ll pay bills and go to the doctor.
* Tribune | Puerto Rican museum in Humboldt Park to tear down archives building amid complaints, lawsuit and find new site: But when the museum began construction about a year ago — without proper permits — on a cinder-block structure for archives beside the Chicago landmark, some residents and preservation groups were alarmed, calling it an eyesore that blemished the area’s historic charm and didn’t involve enough community input.
* AP | America’s nonreligious are a growing, diverse phenomenon. They really don’t like organized religion: In U.S. religion today, “the most important story without a shadow of a doubt is the unbelievable rise in the share of Americans who are nonreligious,” said Ryan Burge, a political science professor at Eastern Illinois University and author of “The Nones,” a book on the phenomenon. The nones account for a large portion of Americans, as shown by the 30% of U.S. adults who claim no religious affiliation in a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
* Tribune | Brother of convicted Berrios son-in-law charged with lying to feds about alleged contacts with Outfit hit man: According to the six-page indictment, Weiss collected revenue and performed other services for his brother’s sweepstakes gaming business, which operated the quasi-legal machines that look like video poker terminals but are not regulated by the state.
* Tribune | Fans react to Lionel Messi’s absence at Chicago Fire game: ‘I’m not mad, just disappointed’: With waves of people wearing pink and black shirts with Messi’s name scattered throughout Soldier Field, the Bolingbrook dad said he was excited to be at the stadium for the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Messi, even on the bench.” Hernandez and his 12-year son, Noe, are both soccer fanatics; Hernandez is a coach for a suburban youth league, and his son plays in the league.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news.
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