|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Illinois Legislative Black Caucus Foundation…
* Meanwhile.. In Wisconsin…
* FYI: The Governor will deliver his State of the State address in the House chamber on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at noon. * In Memoriam | Craig Roberts: Craig was a fixture on Capitol Hill as the long-serving Chief of Staff to Congressman John Shimkus for twenty-four years. He also served from 2015-2020 as President of the House Chiefs of Staff Association and ended his tenure in the House of Representatives as professional staff at the Committee on House Administration. Craig hails from Madison County, Illinois and held several positions in state government before joining Mr. Shimkus in Washington. Most recently, Craig held the role of Senior Vice President at Milen, Wiener, & Shofe Global Strategies. We were honored that Craig dedicated his time to the Capitol Hill Club as a member of our board. * Farm Week | Illinois schools expand early ag education opportunities: The Middle School Discovery FFA Degree was established by the National FFA Organization in 1988, and agriculture education in Illinois included middle school students since 2009. Illinois FFA has expanded its programs even more in the last two years, growing from 1,135 seventh and eighth grade FFA members in 2022 to 6,279 members in 2024. * The 21st Show | How NIH funding cuts are impacting research at Illinois universities : After World War II, the U.S. decided that instead of building its own research buildings, it would carry out those studies at the nation’s universities with the government paying for indirect costs of the grants to support things like operations. But the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency decided to limit reimbursement to 15%. As of Tuesday morning, a judge has put that limit on hold, but there’s already fallout at universities throughout Illinois. * Sun-Times | After monthlong delay, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson names final member of school board: After being down an appointee for a month, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has named a Black Jewish mom to be the 21st school board member. Cydney Wallace will join the partly appointed, partly elected board. She has children in Chicago Public Schools and is a board member for the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, according to a news release. The Jewish Council is a progressive organization that focuses on local social justice issues, such as housing and fighting antisemitism and racism. * Tribune | With ongoing slowdown of police discipline in Chicago, department is turning to internal controls: Records obtained via the Freedom of Information Act show CPD supervisors, mostly sergeants, filed more than 5,300 Summary Punishment Action Requests — “SPARs” — in 2024, a sharp increase from the 2,700 SPARs initiated in 2023. The rise in internal CPD discipline comes as the external disciplinary process — where fewer, but more serious cases, such as those involving deadly force incidents, are handled — remains greatly curtailed as a legal fight carries on between the city and Fraternal Order of Police in the Illinois Appellate Court. No decision is expected any time soon. * Block Club | Residents, Advocates Fear An Encampment Clearing As Tensions At Gompers Park Rise: City officials have made it clear the upcoming Gompers Park AME, which is planned for March 5, is not the same as an encampment closure. However, as neighbors and elected officials continue to push for the park to be restored, some advocates worry encampment residents will be forced out. Sarah-Jayne Ashenhurst, of the group 39th Ward Neighbors United, said that when AMEs are followed by encampment closures “residents can easily end up being coerced into accepting housing that may not meet their needs for fear of being made to leave the park under threat of forcible removal or arrest.” * Bloomberg | Walgreens shares soar after report that private-equity deal is ‘alive’: The deal for the drugstore chain appeared “mostly dead a couple of weeks ago,” CNBC’s David Faber said Tuesday. He said he was now upgrading the deal to “alive. Walgreens shares gained as much as 15% in New York. They had risen 4% this year as of Friday’s close. * Crain’s | Special Olympics Illinois expands Chicago presence with Kinzie Corridor move: The move is the nonprofit’s first office purchase in the city. It previously leased a 6,000-square-foot office at 820 W. Jackson Blvd. Around 15 employees will be working at the new location. “It’s like an update and expansion on their Chicago office, and the multifunctional use of the building was everything they wanted,” said NAI Hiffman’s Aubrey Englund, who represented the nonprofit in the transaction. * Crain’s | Ireland and New Zealand rugby teams to play at Soldier Field in November: The Nov. 1 event, billed “The Rematch,” will be the second meeting of these teams in Chicago, with the first encounter in 2016 leading to Ireland defeating the All Blacks for the first time in their 111-year history. This outcome sparked a competitive rivalry, leading to 10 matches being played between the two teams since, with wins being evenly split. * Daily Herald | Can this interchange be fixed? Tollway wants to tame I-355/I-88 gridlock: The sprawling interchange connecting the Reagan and Veterans memorial tollways has been described by engineers as a “bottleneck on the system.” That’s why the Illinois tollway has launched a massive redo of the interchange, intended to relieve congestion, repair aging infrastructure and expand access and mobility, officials said. In late January, the agency approved a $35.3 million contract with Oak Brook-based Hanson Professional Services Inc. for master plan design services for the interchange. Work includes studying and designing improvements to the roadway, ramps, bridges and other elements. * NBC Chicago | Lawsuit filed after fight breaks out at Thornton Township meeting: “There’s this confrontation,” said Matthew Custardo, the plaintiff’s attorney. “Kamal Woods pushes and punches Lavelle Redmond. He takes a swing at him. There’s lots of video out there. … [Henyard] attacks Lavell Redmond first, hits him maybe twice. … And then she goes right in on Jedediah Brown.”Both Brown and Redmond say they were attacked and injured for exercising free speech. They also claim Henyard was a participant. The men have filed a civil lawsuit for assault, battery and emotional distress, naming Henyard, her boyfriend, a village of Dolton employee, Thornton Township and South Holland police as defendants. * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan Democratic mayoral primary features a 2021 rematch between Cunningham, Rivera: Leaving elected office after one four-year term as Waukegan’s mayor and 19 years on the City Council, Sam Cunningham said he had “unfinished business” and is now seeking the Democratic nomination to regain the city’s top elective office. Miguel A. Rivera, Sr., who lost to Cunningham in the 2021 Democratic primary, is again seeking his party’s nomination in a rerun of the two-candidate contest in which Cunningham received 65.35% of the 2,204 votes cast and Rivera 45.75%. * ABC Chicago | Bribery charges dropped against former Cook County assessor: Likovski was one of two former Cook County Assessor’s Office employees charged along with the owner of a Chicago Heights fencing company in an alleged 2017 bribery scheme. Co-defendant Robert Mitziga, owner of Fence Masters, Inc., was acquitted following his trial last August. In the government’s motion to dismiss the case against Likovski, they cited the outcome of that trial as the reason for the dismissal. * Naperville Sun | As homelessness grows in DuPage County, recent grants to DuPagePads help pay for much-needed emergency shelter: ‘A complete blessing’: In early December, DuPage County Board member Paula Deacon Garcia raised the matter with the board’s Human Services Committee. Ultimately, to help bolster DuPagePads’ housing capacity, the board allocated $200,000 from the county’s affordable housing fund to the nonprofit. Concurrently, the DuPage Foundation also heeded the call, dedicating $190,000 to the effort. […] Funding allowed DuPagePads to pay for up to 70 area hotel rooms for emergency shelter, Redzic said. It’s an approach that the nonprofit forged during the COVID-19 pandemic. * Daily Herald | 10 suburban educators among Golden Apple Award finalists: The Golden Apple Foundation on Tuesday announced the 30 ninth through 12th grade teachers selected as finalists for the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching, out of more than 470 nominations. […] Northwestern University provides a spring sabbatical to award recipients at no cost. Each awardee also receives a $5,000 cash prize and becomes Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, who play a role in the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs — initiatives aimed at addressing the teacher shortage in Illinois. * 25News Now | Illinois lawmakers meet with Peoria leaders to address healthcare worker shortage: “We need students to be able to get from where they are, whether it’s at school or home, to the place where they can learn the skills at issue, and then into a job,” Krishnamoorthi said. He noted the importance of “wraparound resources” which allow students to learn and earn at the same time. * News Gazette | Staff absences cause Danville schools to close Tuesday: There had been rumors that several school district staff members were going to have a “sick out” and not attend school on Tuesday, over what some have thought was due to the school board not taking action against Superintendent Alicia Geddis working remotely for months now. Possible action items are now on a Wednesday school board meeting agenda. * News-Gazette | Former Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Garman joins Champaign law firm: Former Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court Rita B. Garman has joined the Champaign law firm of Webber & Thies, PC. She plans to work closely with the firm’s litigation group, particularly its appellate practice. Garman served as a member of the Illinois Supreme Court from 2001 to 2022, including a term as Chief Justice that concluded in 2016. Prior to that, she served on the appellate court (4th District) and as a Circuit and Associate Judge in Vermilion County. The Vermilion County Courthouse now bears her name. * WCIA | Illinois State Museum looking for judges, volunteers for 2025 state History Day contest: Jenn Edginton, the director of the Illinois State Museum, said this program gets the younger generation excited about history. “National History Day in Illinois is such an important program for middle and high school learners to gain skills and confidence in the history and humanity fields,” Edginton said. “This program aims to inspire the next generation of future historians.” Judges at the Illinois History Day Competition don’t need to have a history degree, however they must be willing to give constructive and useful feedback to the students. All judges will receive training before the competition and then will be tasked to evaluate students’ projects and decide which one will advance to the next round of the competition. * WSIL | SIU legendary baseball coach Richard “Itchy” Jones passes away at 87: Jones took over the Saluki baseball program as the team’s head coach. He led the Salukis to 10 NCAA tournaments and three College World Series appearances during his time at Southern. His record of 738–345–5 is still the best in program history. * Chalkbeat | School diversity efforts could violate civil rights, Trump administration says: In a Dear Colleague letter intended for school leaders, the U.S. Department of Education’s top acting civil rights official said Friday that discriminatory practices had proliferated in American schools “under the banner of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion.’” “But under any banner, discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is, has been, and will continue to be illegal,” wrote Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Education Department. * Crain’s | United Airlines turnaround pays off big for CEO Kirby, other execs: United CEO Scott Kirby and other top executives are getting a huge reward for the airline’s rebound from the pandemic that exceeds the run-up in its stock price. The long-term stock incentives Kirby was awarded in 2022 were worth $20.3 million when they paid out recently. Brett Hart, the airline’s president, received an $11.8 million award. Their payouts are four times what United estimated they’d be worth when the grants were made. United’s stock price is up 233%, or more than threefold, since then. It was the third-best performing stock in the S&P 500 last year, and last month the shares hit a record price of $110.52, a remarkable turnaround for a stock that has often been a laggard.
|
|
The Credit Union Difference
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] 
Comments Off |
|
Poll unsurprisingly finds Trump/Musk and their actions unpopular in Illinois, except for a close division on immigration
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * 2024 Illinois state Senate candidate Dave Nayak has moved away from the Democratic Party and headed to the right on DEI and immigration issues, among other things, including RFK, Jr. He’s definitely gearing up for something, and he released a new poll today…
Crosstabs are here. * Let’s get to the results. How do you rate President Trump’s job performance so far?…  * Do you approve of President Trump’s decision to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America”?…  * Do you approve of President Trump’s actions regarding undocumented immigrants?…  Latinos approved of Trump’s actions 47-42, which is higher than Black and White respondents. * Which statement most matches your belief on undocumented immigrants: We are a country of laws. The President is correct to enforce those laws. Illegal immigrants divert money away from U.S. citizens and often bring dangerous drugs across the border; We are a nation of immigrants. Trump’s actions are inhumane. He is breaking up families and deporting hard working individuals that the country needs…  Latinos were essentially split on that question, but a higher percentage supported Trump’s position than Black or White respondents. * Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following people…  Just by comparison, a 2022 election poll had Pritzker’s fave/unfave at 50/45 after the incumbent had spent a kabillion dollars. So, the 46/44 result here isn’t all that newsy. * Do you approve of the work Elon Musk is doing with the Department of Government Efficiency aka DOGE?…  * Which statement most closely matches your opinion regarding the Department of Government Efficiency aka DOGE: DOGE is unconstitutional. It is cutting funding to important programs that were appropriated by Congress including school lunches and early reading programs; DOGE is necessary. Government is bloated and it is finding a significant amount of waste, fraud, and abuse… 
|
|
There’s No End To Credit Card Swipe Fee Greed
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Credit card companies collect more than $172 billion in swipe fees from customers and businesses each year, but it’s not enough to satisfy their greed. As consumers and retailers continue to grapple with inflation, Visa raised swipe fees on January 1. Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and the General Assembly took a stand against swipe fee greed by passing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which limits swipe fees from being charged on the sales tax and tip portion of transactions. This law will provide tangible relief to Illinois families and retailers of all sizes. While Visa and Mastercard fight to protect their unchecked duopoly in court, Illinois policymakers have sent a clear message that enough is enough.
Comments Off |
|
It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WBEZ…
The bill passed the House (69-34) last year before stalling in the Senate. * WGLT…
* WCIA…
* WGN…
|
|
We are living in a strange timeline
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing (Updated)
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Barrington Hills trustee to fill McConchie’s seat representing Illinois’ 26th Senate District. Daily Herald…
- As his successor, Hills will finish McConchie’s term and can run for election in 2026. - Hills is the founder of Barrington Children’s Charity, which provides meals to 525 children weekly across Barrington-area school districts. * Tribune | State mental health, substance abuse divisions would merge under governor’s executive order: The Illinois Department of Human Services departments tasked with mental health and substance use would be combined under an executive order from Gov. JB Pritzker, his office announced Friday. The change is aimed at easing administrative burdens and improving accessibility to services for people who need help with both substance use and mental health, according to Pritzker’s office and advocates. Under Pritzker’s order, the consolidation would take effect in July unless state legislators vote against it. * Subscribers know more. Jon Seidel…
* Sun-Times | ComEd defendants: Trump order means case with Madigan ties should be put on hold: Defense attorneys are pointing to a Feb. 10 executive order from President Donald Trump pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The president’s order says the law’s use has been “stretched beyond proper bounds and abused in a manner that harms the interests of the United States.” * Tribune | Mixed verdict in Madigan case reflects a new, harder reality for federal prosecutors: On many of the counts that ended in a mistrial, the jury was deadlocked 11-1 to acquit, the foreman said, meaning that if it weren’t for a lone holdout, Madigan could have been cleared on 13 counts — the majority of the charges he faced. “I did not want to find him guilty of anything,” said the foreman, Tim Nessner, 46, an insurance underwriter from Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood on the Far South Side. “I believe that our verdict is very telling of two things: that we are keeping politicians in check but also government overreach in check.” * Muddy River News | McClain attorney hopeful for new trial on previous conviction following favorable ruling in latest trial: As far as Madigan’s testimony where he attempted to distance himself from McClain, Cotter called the former speaker’s remarks “very odd” but said they had anticipated that strategy. It’s also why they had twice requested to have a separate trial from the Madigan defense. “We were disappointed but not surprised,” Cotter said. “The jury saw through the speaker trying to deny their relationship. They were friends, and (McClain) was (Madigan’s) lobbyist. (Former ComEd vice president) Fidel Marquez testified that Mike’s job was to lobby the speaker.” Cotter said while they would’ve preferred an outright acquittal, the feedback from the jury is positive and, he believes, bodes well in the previous conviction against McClain. * Capitol Connection | Comptroller talks Madigan verdict, federal funding freezes: llinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza sat down with Capitol Bureau Chief Cole Henke on Capitol Connection to give some insight on the upcoming budget address. Mendoza said she believes Governor J.B. Pritzker will rise to the challenge of presenting a balanced budget at his address Wednesday despite a $3.2 billion projected deficit. That job is made much harder due to federal funding freezes from President Donald Trump’s administration. * Tribune | Ex-Gov. Pat Quinn calls on Gov. JB Pritzker to push ethics reforms after Michael Madigan conviction: The Quinn commission, headed by former federal prosecutor Patrick Collins, delivered a set of recommendations to upgrade Illinois’ laws, but the results were mixed. Some proposals never passed in part because of a largely recalcitrant General Assembly dominated by Madigan, who Quinn and other critics said impeded wide-ranging reforms. Some proposals that did become law had significant gaps that have allowed public officials to skirt tougher standards. * Rockford Register Star | Lt. Gov. Stratton: Trump ‘chaos’ not helping working families: Stratton said she would consider a run for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin’s seat if the 80-year-old chooses to retire following his fifth term in office. The PAC is a way to beef up her political infrastructure while supporting candidates and causes in the wake of President Donald Trump’s election. “One month in, we’re seeing the chaos that’s not helping people’s lives get better,” Stratton said. “We have not heard anything about lowering costs. We have not heard anything about protecting healthcare. None of the things that were promised on the campaign. We have seen none of it happen for working families.” * WJBD | Illinois health officials taking bird flu precautions despite assessing no ‘active risk’ to humans: [T]he director of the Illinois Department of Public Health said this week said the virus is “not an active risk” to humans in Illinois because no human-to-human spread has been recorded. But the state has taken steps to limit its spread among animals. * Daily Herald | New IDOT crash data shows drop in traffic deaths but pedestrian fatalities spiking: IDOT reported 1,103 fatal traffic crashes last year that killed 1,196 people, a decline of about 3.5% from 2023. However, 219 fatal pedestrian-involved crashes occurred in 2024, a 9.5% spike from the 200 in 2023. […] IDOT cautions that the 2024 data, reviewed by the Daily Herald last week, is preliminary and could change before finalized. * Sun-Times | Trump’s tariffs raise alarms for Illinois farm industry: The state is the nation’s second-leading exporter of both soybeans and feed grains and related products, said the Illinois Department of Agriculture. About 44% of grain produced in Illinois is sold for export. The U.S. is the world’s largest food exporter. Illinois ranks fifth in the country for agricultural product exports, with $10.6 billion, according to the Illinois Agriculture Department. Overall, marketing of the state’s agricultural products generates more than $51.1 billion annually. Crops account for 40% of that total. * Sun-Times | Chicago-area federal workers on edge as Trump guts agencies: ‘It’s devastating’: About 82,000 federal workers were based in Illinois as of December 2024, including 48,300 in the Chicago area, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Loreen Targos, a physical scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office downtown, helps represent about 1,000 local EPA workers as executive vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 704. She said “morale is at an all-time low.” * FOX Chicago | CTU’s Stacy Davis Gates challenged by ‘Real Caucus’ in May election: Real Caucus presidential candidate Erika Meza, a 25-year Chicago Public Schools educator currently teaching at an elementary school on the Southwest Side, is leading the charge. Meza criticized the current leadership, saying they have prioritized politics over the needs and struggles of teachers. “There is loss of trust among members, among parents, and community allies,” Meza said. “Our current leadership seems to think our power is politics, but I’m here to say our power is in our solidarity.” * Sun-Times | Court revives former White Sox trainer’s claims against team: An Illinois appellate court revived former White Sox trainer Brian Ball’s discrimination claims against the team Friday, finding that a lower-court judge mistakenly put the burden on Ball when dismissing his claims in 2023. In a 13-page opinion that reversed the 2023 ruling, the appellate court found that the lower-court judge failed to accept Ball’s claims as true and to consider them in a light most favorable to him when ruling on a motion to dismiss from the Sox. * Tribune | Bobby Jenks, the former Chicago White Sox All-Star closer, is undergoing treatment for stomach cancer: Jenks, 43, said he’s planning to recover well enough to return for a second season as manager of the minor-league Windy City Thunderbolts in Crestwood. “Now it’s time to do what I got to do to get myself better and get myself more time, however you want to look at it,” Jenks told MLB.com in an interview. “I’ll tell you one thing: I’m not going to die here in Portugal.” * Sun-Times | Polar vortex brings wind chills as low as minus 20 to Chicago region: A cold weather advisory is in effect until noon Tuesday, with wind chills ranging between minus 15 and minus 25 before plummeting to minus 10 overnight in outlying areas. But a warm-up is on tap for the end of the week, with Friday’s high at 26. * Lake County News-Sun | Raids hindering Waukegan’s lead pipe replacement efforts; ‘Our engineers are not from ICE’: Since agents from the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began raids to deport undocumented people on Jan. 25 and 26, Moeller said she is noticing residents in the city’s sizeable Hispanic community are reluctant to come to the door. [Diane Moeller, the project engineer with Robinson Engineering assigned to the effort,] has some advice. “We are seeing it more and more,” Moeller said. “They can go to our website and see the pictures of our entire team. If it is one of us at the door, it is safe to open it. We’re all Spanish speakers. Our engineers are not from ICE.” * WTTW | Cook County State’s Attorney Will No Longer Divert Nonviolent Gun Cases to Restorative Justice Courts: Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has instructed her office to stop diverting people with gun possession charges to the county’s Restorative Justice Community Courts (RJCC), which reroute people with nonviolent charges from criminal courts to an alternative program. The move guts the RJCC caseload, 82.8% of which was dedicated to adjudicating gun possession cases, according to the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts. Already the caseload has been cut in half, according to Judge Patricia Spratt, who presides over the North Lawndale RJCC. * Daily Southtown | Homer Township Reset slate challenges Freedom Caucus incumbents in Republican Primary: Balich and his Will County Freedom Caucus slate are seeking reelection to various Homer Township offices this spring, but are challenged in the Feb. 25 Republican Primary by the Homer Township Reset slate led by Homer Glen Trustee Susanna Steilen. Steilen said Balich and his administration have caused rifts in the community. She said residents are chastised for speaking out and haven’t had input into the administration’s plans, citing the civic center and failed attempts to build houses on open space and sell open space. * Rodriguez is running against Dominick for Town President…
* …Adding… Cicero Voters Alliance…
* Daily Herald | Candidate drops out of race for Aurora mayor: Aurora mayoral candidate Jazmine Garcia dropped out of the race on Monday and threw her support to another candidate, John Laesch. Garcia said she quit because it was “necessary to ensure that our mission for an honest, accountable and corruption-free government continues in the strongest possible way,” according to a video posted on Facebook. * Tribune | Cook County explores Planned Parenthood partnership in Englewood: A partnership with the county could help maintain care for thousands of Englewood patients while potentially bringing new patients into Cook County Health and its Medicaid managed care insurance program, CountyCare. The need is especially acute in Englewood, where HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, infant mortality and the teen birth rate are higher than the city average. * Daily Herald | German food manufacturer plans $25.8 million project in Huntley: Open space to the south could accommodate another 60,000 square feet of future expansions. The Huntley village board unanimously signed off on the plans Thursday. The company makes flavorings including barbecue, fruits and cheeses. Huntley is offering economic incentives to Silesia, including a 100% rebate of the village share of the site’s property taxes for the first five years and a $25,000 moving grant. * Tribune | End of state grocery tax creates conundrum for suburbs facing revenue shortfall: The Clarendon Hills Village Board and staff discussed the grocery tax at a Feb. 10 meeting, and the board is expected to take action soon. First consideration of the ordinance for approval and adoption of a local grocery sales tax is scheduled for the March 17 board meeting, and second consideration and a vote for passage is to take place at the April 21 meeting, said Clarendon Hills Finance Director Maureen Potempa. While discussions about implementing a local grocery tax, beginning at the start of 2026, have not yet taken place, plans exist to do so later in the year in Hinsdale, La Grange, Western Springs and Burr Ridge. In Hinsdale, Village Manager Kathleen Gargano said the possibility of implementing a local grocery tax will be addressed by the state’s October deadline. * Beacon-News | Six years after mass shooting shook Aurora, legal battle continues for victims’ families, witnesses: For the victims’ families and several witnesses, the nightmare is compounded by a protracted lawsuit against the Illinois State Police. The wrongful death suit, filed shortly after killings, blames the state police for allowing the shooter to possess a gun even though the agency knew he was a convicted felon and prohibited from owning a firearm. * Sun-Times | Skokie businesses suffer Valentine’s Day heartbreak of lost customers after water main break: Valentine’s Day is Libertad’s biggest, most profitable night of the year. But on Friday, he and his staff had to call and cancel the 140 reservations for Friday night’s special menu of roasted Blue Point oysters with bone marrow, ora king salmon alongside scallion rice and shrimp escabeche, and filet mignon with potatoes au gratin and a bordelaise sauce. “We brought in different, higher-cost ingredients than what’s normally on our menu to help those who came out to celebrate and enjoy something different and special,” Rivera said. “Now, we don’t really know what to do with it since those ingredients aren’t on our normal menu.” * Shaw Local | Barrington Hills couple wants to sell flowers on their farm. So far, the village has said no.: Trustees and zoning board members were concerned that the residential property would be used for commercial purposes. They approved of wholesaling the product. But they did not want direct-to-consumer sales. Under the new proposal, only products of the property’s own agricultural operations — such as fruits, flowers, vegetables, eggs, or honey — may be sold. * PJ Star | When this small Illinois high school needed a music director, a student stepped up: Following Best’s sophomore year, Stark County’s long-time band and choir director retired, and her replacement quit unexpectedly just a few weeks into the 2023 school year. Principal Megan McGann said teacher shortages are a “growing concern,” especially in the arts and especially in smaller rural schools like Stark County, a 230-student school located in Toulon, about 45 minutes northwest of Peoria. But instead of going without a music program, [Stark County senior Lauren Best] and other students took over and assumed leadership of the program from September 2023 until last January, when Elswick became music director. * WCIA | ‘There were people crying’; Central Illinois federal workers face unemployment, uncertainty: A.J. Ruggieri of Champaign walked into the office last week for what he thought would be a normal day. He’d been working for a sub agency of the USDA for nearly two and a half months when he learned that his job was cut short. “I went into the office Friday morning, I looked at my email, and the previous night at 7:50 p.m. I had been sent an email that was titled ‘Termination Notice Probationary Employee,’” Ruggieri said. […] “There were people crying,” he continued. “No type of severance, just nothing other than thank you for your federal service.” * NBC | Trump administration fires at least 20 immigration judges amid massive case backlog: The Trump administration has fired at least 20 immigration judges – including 13 who were consider in their probationary status – according to NBC 5 Investigates source and those of NBC News. […] We referenced a 2023 Congressional Research Service study that showed that the 3.7 million backlog of cases - where immigrants are either seeking asylum or fighting deportation - is so immense that adding another 300 judges wouldn’t clear it for 10 years. In fact, the study pointed out it would take an additional 700 judges – more than 1300 in total – to clear the case backlog by 2032. * Nature Communications | Epidemiological data of an influenza A/H5N1 outbreak in elephant seals in Argentina indicates mammal-to-mammal transmission: Our combined ecological and phylogenetic data support mammal-to-mammal transmission and occasional mammal-to-bird spillover and suggest multinational transmission of H5N1 viruses in mammals. We reflect that H5N1 viruses becoming more evolutionary flexible and adapting to mammals in new ways could have global consequences for wildlife, humans, and/or livestock. * NYT | As Wall Street Chases Profits, Fire Departments Have Paid the Price: Desperate to gain control of flames that were raging through Pacific Palisades last month, the Los Angeles Fire Department issued an urgent call for any available personnel to report for possible deployment. But there was a problem: Dozens of the rigs that would have carried extra crews that day were out of service. The city maintenance yard was filled with aging fire engines and ladder trucks, many of which were beyond their expected service life. * NBC | Top Social Security official steps down after disagreement with DOGE over sensitive data: One of the sources familiar with the situation, Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, a left-leaning group focused on protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, told NBC News she learned of the situation after speaking with several current officials at the agency. Altman said some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, social security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and in some cases medical records if a person has applied for disability benefits. * The Southern | ‘This is a big moment’: Paul Simon Public Policy Institute weighs in on future of judicial checks: “I do think that, you know, we’re — everyone is exhausted and worn down, and they’re all thinking, ‘OK, this moment will pass,’ but — but this is a big and consequential moment, and it’s worth people taking the time to to following what’s going on and to expressing their concerns,” [John Shaw, the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute,] said. * Reason | Birthright Citizenship - A Response to Barnett and Wurman: There are several flaws in Barnett and Wurman’s “allegiance-for-protection” theory. The biggest is that, if consistently applied, it would undermine the central purpose the Citizenship Clause: extending citizenship to recently freed slaves and their descendants. Slaves born in the United States (and their parents, who were also usually slaves) obviously weren’t part of any social compact under which they traded allegiance for protection. Far from protecting them, state and federal governments facilitated their brutal oppression at the hands of their masters.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
|
Reader comments closed for the holiday weekend
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * Turn the lights down, flip on this song and have a sweet dance with the one you love, courtesy of Etta and Satchmo… All my wildest dreams
Comments Off |
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Tribune | Lobbyist sues environmental advocacy group alleging pregnancy discrimination: “These false allegations, filed by a disgruntled former employee, are without merit,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our organization, and our leaders, prioritize providing a professional and respectful environment that supports our employees in their advocacy for clean water, air and energy policies across Illinois.” The lawsuit alleges the IEC’s executive director, Jennifer Walling, made comments that showed her “antipathy toward pregnancy” both before and after Koerner announced she was pregnant. * From the comptroller…
* STLPR | Carnegie Foundation gives top research nod to 11 universities in Missouri and Illinois: The R1 status demonstrates that a university is doing research at an impactful level and is good at training students and developing workforces while also developing technologies and generally innovation, Borrok said. Getting that kind of recognition can snowball, leading to more accolades and more money for research, while being helpful for recruiting students, especially international students, said Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie College Classification Systems. * Sun-Times | Joann closing 26 stores in Illinois amid Chapter 11 bankruptcy: Struggling fabric and crafts seller Joann plans to close about 500 of its stores across the U.S. — or more than half of its current nationwide footprint — as well as 26 stores in Illinois. The move, announced Wednesday, arrives amid a tumultuous time for Joann. Last month, the Hudson, Ohio-based retailer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time within a year, with the company pointing to issues like sluggish consumer demand and inventory shortages. * Press Release | IDNR and ICF award 26 youth habitat enhancement projects through the Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Grant Program: “The Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant program provides students and educators with opportunities to create native habitat in their schoolyards and increase the use of native plants in Illinois landscapes while benefitting wildlife species,” said IDNR Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “By participating in these projects, students learn that their efforts can make a positive difference in the world, and they gain experience in problem-based learning by planning, developing, and maintaining the habitat.” The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation is the major sponsor of this program. Nearly $394,000 in Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant funding has been distributed since the program’s inception. * WBEZ | Remnant of 143-year-old Chicago Stock Exchange is bound for Texas: The New York Stock Exchange owns what’s left of the equities marketplace. The NYSE has announced it will move it to Dallas and reincorporate it as the NYSE Texas. The NYSE bought the Chicago exchange in 2018 and rebranded it to NYSE Chicago. For years, it has been a fully electronic trading center, without the need for a raucous floor that used to define such daily dealing. * Crain’s | Lurie keeps pause on gender-affirming surgeries despite halt on Trump order: A small number of patients are being affected by the surgery pause, Lurie said, and the children’s hospital is still accepting new patients to its broader gender-affirming care program. The pause is catching the ire of at least one local group. Indivisible Chicago Alliance, a progressive advocacy organization, is planning to protest Lurie’s decision tomorrow at Seneca Park outside of Lurie’s Streeterville facility. The group calls Lurie’s surgery hold a “harmful elimination of life-saving, trans-affirming care.” * WBEZ | Thousands of counterfeit Forever postage stamps are seized in Chicago: Return to sender! (But make sure you do it legally.) This reminder comes after Customs and Border Protection agents in Chicago seized nearly 162,000 counterfeit U.S. Forever stamps this past week, shipped from China. The stamps were spread over eight different shipments, and had they been real, would have been worth over $118,000, according to CBP. * Block Club | Want To Train Your Dog To Hunt Rats? This Ravenswood Workshop Teaches The Art Of Ratting: Urban Pooch, 5400 N. Damen Ave. — which regularly offers grooming, doggie daycare and pet supplies to neighborhood dog owners — is hosting its inaugural ratting workshop on March 16. The two-hour, $75 class will focus on developing a dog’s scent and communication skills by having the pup hunt for rats. At this writing the 9 a.m. class is sold out, but the noon and 3 p.m. classes still have spots available. * Yikes…
* NBC Chicago | Old Orchard Mall closed due to water main break impacting multiple Chicago suburbs: The mall posted on social media Friday afternoon that “due to a loss of water pressure caused by the water main break earlier this morning, and out of an abundance of caution for our retailers, restaurants, and customers; Westfield Old Orchard will be closed for the remainder of today.” * Tribune | Water main break causes Skokie and Evanston boil orders, flooding and students to be sent home: “I don’t want to want to even check (for damages),” Elvir Dizdarevic, a Skokie handyman and resident of the 9200 block of Ewing Avenue, said inside his flooded and frozen-over garage. Dizdarevic said at its height, flooding was knee high. He said he was concerned for his neighbors who hadn’t opened their garage doors. Freezing temperatures are expected to continue, forming ice, Dizdarevic said, and could make it difficult for his neighbors to open their garages. * Tribune | Skokie will likely revamp its ‘Welcoming City’ ordinance: Trustee Khem Khoeun asked Mayor George Van Dusen if the village needed to update its welcoming village ordinance given recent immigration enforcement raids and the anxiety that some people in Skokie’s immigrant community are dealing with. “I know that for a segment of our community, they don’t feel safe right now. They are scared,” Khouen said. * Daily Herald | Celebrity chef considering long vacant Fritzl’s restaurant in Lake Zurich for next venture: Celebrity chef and restaurateur Fabio Viviani and partner Romeo Kapudija are exploring plans for a new restaurant in the former Fritzl’s European Restaurant & Pub, which closed in 2021 after 36 years. […] Fabio operates 40 restaurant concepts nationally including Giostra by Fabio Viviani, which opened last fall at the Arboretum of South Barrington. * Sun-Times | Sonya Massey’s father discusses $10 million settlement: ‘She would have been 37 years old today’: “He should have never been hired,” Wilburn said, referring to Sangamon County, the Sheriff’s Office and the five other police departments in central Illinois where Grayson had worked. None flagged his misconduct. […] It’s the largest legal settlement in the Sangamon County history, representing roughly 17% of the county’s yearly operating budget of $60 million. * WSIL | Carbondale based business awarded more than $70,000 in Innovation Voucher Grants: It’s part of a $2.3 million innovation voucher grants awarded which were announced by Governor JB Pritzker on Friday. This grant funding will support research and development projects with universities. A total of 35 awards were announced through the program. One of those was for Thermaquatica in Carbondale through SIU. They were awarded $74,975.
|
|
Cost containment reduces projected immigrant healthcare spending by almost half
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * A good catch by CNI’s Ben Szalinski in his pretty darned good budget backgrounder story…
Click here for the info source. * More…
Those migrant costs will likely go down in the new budget. And I would expect that at least some programs which were benefiting from one-time federal reimbursements will be discontinued or scaled back. As we all learned during the Rauner budget impasse, parts of the budget cannot be controlled by the state. But some can.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Session update
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Carol Marin named Lincoln Laureate
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller * I love me some Carol Marin. From the governor…
Other recipients are Bonnie Blair, Sandra Cisneros, Jeanne Gang, Janice K. Jackson and Julieanna L. Richardson.
|
|
It’s just a bill
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * House Minority Leader Tony McCombie…
* Restore Justice…
* HB3061 from Rep. Sonya Harper…
* HB3780 from Rep. Barbara Hernandez…
* Sens. David Koehler and Doris Turner filed SB1607 earlier this month…
* SB1685 from Sen. Christopher Belt…
|
|
There’s No End To Credit Card Swipe Fee Greed
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Credit card companies collect more than $172 billion in swipe fees from customers and businesses each year, but it’s not enough to satisfy their greed. As consumers and retailers continue to grapple with inflation, Visa raised swipe fees on January 1. Gov. JB Pritzker, Senate President Don Harmon, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and the General Assembly took a stand against swipe fee greed by passing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act, which limits swipe fees from being charged on the sales tax and tip portion of transactions. This law will provide tangible relief to Illinois families and retailers of all sizes. While Visa and Mastercard fight to protect their unchecked duopoly in court, Illinois policymakers have sent a clear message that enough is enough.
Comments Off |
|
Open thread
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Ex-Speaker Michael Madigan’s state pension suspended following conviction. Tribune…
- Illinois law bars elected officials in the legislative pension plan from collecting payments once they are convicted or enter a guilty plea in a felony tied to their government job. - Timothy Blair, executive secretary of the Illinois General Assembly Retirement System, said Madigan will receive his nearly $13,170 pension check for February because that has already been processed. * Related stories… ∙ Illinois PIRG: On same day Mike Madigan convicted, ComEd announced $1 billion + in profits ∙ NBC Chicago: Mike’s millions: Campaign funds cover Madigan’s criminal defense bills ∙ WBEZ: What former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s conviction means for his legacy * FYI it’s the last day to vote in the state flag redesign contest. * Bloomberg | Top U.S. grid wins speedy review of power plants to feed AI boom: PJM Interconnection LLC, which manages a network from the East Coast to Chicago, won federal approval to fast-track the review of up to 50 new projects. The studies will focus on boosting grid reliability starting in April to help avoid potential shortages toward the end of this decade, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said in an order issued late Tuesday. * JB Pritzker Press Secretary Alex Gough: We’re encouraged that PJM and FERC both recognize that interconnection queue delays are contributing to the power grid’s lack of capacity. As this initiative is implemented, we believe resources should not be diverted from addressing underlying problems with the power grid interconnection queues, and we hope the initiative leverages clean resources like nuclear and battery storage. * AP | Illinois data shows inmates with violent records from shuttered prison sent to medium-security sites: Among the approximately 400 inmates transferred when Illinois’ decrepit Stateville prison closed over the summer, 278 were convicted of murder and 100 more are serving time for other violent offenses. Yet, nearly four in five of the offenders formerly housed at the suburban Chicago lockup were not shipped to top-level maximum-security prisons, where the toughest criminals, troublemakers and escape risks are housed. Instead, they went to mid-level medium-security facilities, according to an Associated Press analysis of Illinois Department of Corrections data. * Sun-Times | Trump, pensions, health care among pressure points as Gov. JB Pritzker crafts state budget: * Center Square | Illinois lawmakers zoom in on budget ahead of governor’s address : State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, proposed several fee increases. One involved quadrupling the cost of judicial transcripts. “Right now it’s at 70 cents per page and it hasn’t been changed since 1980, so we’re just adjusting that because of inflation to maybe $3 a page,” Hernandez told The Center Square. * 25News Now | Illinois is short 100 court reporters, but a free training program could be the fix: Spradlin said half of the staff are age 55 or older. Longtime court reporter and training program instructor Melissa Clagg is one of them. “We have such a shortage right now. We are kind of in dire straits,” Clagg said. “We’re retiring right and left. It’s putting more of an impact, more of a strain because we’re covering more courts, more hours in court, and trying to get through the volume of cases.” To boost interest in the career, the state started offering a tuition-free training program in 2024. It features guaranteed job placement and requires a two-year employment contract. * Sun-Times | Aviation, COPA chiefs out after Johnson vows to purge disloyal staff: The Sun-Times reported Mayor Johnson’s warning that he was ready to send people packing. On Thursday, Aviation Commissioner Jamie Rhee and Civilian Office of Police Accountability chief Andrea Kersten retired. Jose Tirado, director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management & Communications, is leaving to take a job with the Cook County state’s attorney. * BGA | Alleging Obstruction, Chicago’s Inspector General Turns to City Council for Stronger Laws: In a memo sent Friday to the Chicago City Council’s ethics committee, city Inspector General Deborah Witzburg laid out a series of what her office characterizes as obstructions by the city’s law department and sought new legislation to buttress the OIG’s independence. In unusually strong language for a council memo, the document alleges that the city’s Department of Law “selectively acts in opposition to OIG’s investigative work when OIG’s work may result in embarrassment or political consequences to City leaders.” * Tribune | City watchdog: Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Law Department hindering probes over fear of political embarrassment: In a scathing 14-page letter sent late last week to the head of the City Council’s Ethics Committee, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg said the law departments for Johnson and other mayors selectively impeded investigations by withholding records, slow-walking compliance with inspector general’s office subpoenas and demanding top mayoral lawyers be allowed to attend confidential investigative interviews. “It is not, and cannot be, within Corporation Counsel’s authority to unilaterally choose which City actors may be meaningfully investigated by (the inspector general’s office),” Witzburg wrote. * Block Club | Snow Returns Friday Night, Followed By ‘Really, Really Cold’ Week Ahead: The silver lining is a warmup arriving Friday, with temperatures in the upper 20s and potentially reaching the mid-30s by Saturday, said National Weather Service Meteorologist Gino Izzi. * Sun-Times | ‘I ain’t got nothing to lose,’ says ex-White Sox star Tim Anderson, who’s trying to save his career in Angels camp: It’s a different-looking Anderson this spring. He’s sporting a thick, black beard and wearing No. 77 in red. When a player’s number goes up by 70, it’s usually not the best sign, a visitor from the Sun-Times pointed out. “That’s true,” Anderson said, laughing easily, “but I’m just thankful to be here, grateful all the way down. I got another shot at it. It’s just a little challenge, and I ain’t got nothing to lose.” * Tribune | In absence of state regulation, some suburbs are banning hemp products that get users high: In a family-friendly suburb northwest of Chicago, local officials were worried about a proliferation of shops selling hemp products that can get users high. One smoke shop in Rolling Meadows moved in next to a Dunkin’ Donuts. Two more are down the street from a middle school. […] Citing safety concerns, particularly for kids, Mayor Lara Sanoica and the City Council approved a ban on the retail sale of products containing hemp-derived THC, a psychoactive compound that gets users high. The ban took effect this month. * Daily Herald | ‘This is a safe environment’: Amid fears of deportation sweeps, schools work to protect students: While many suburban school districts say they have not had any interaction with immigration authorities in recent weeks, President Donald Trump’s stepped up enforcement efforts have led to widespread concern. Many districts have sent home letters to parents reassuring them that they will provide a safe environment for students to learn. * Evanston Now | A step toward zero waste?: In 2018, the City of Evanston passed a Climate Action and Resilience Plan, calling for the city to achieve zero waste by 2050. While the goal may seem lofty, a community-led grassroots effort to make it a reality took a step forward Thursday night with a presentation of a roadmap to the city’s Environment Board. * Tribune | Actor Steve Carell tapped as Northwestern University’s Commencement speaker: “I’m thrilled to be speaking at Northwestern’s Commencement this year,” Carell told Northwestern. “My speech’s theme will be ‘The Importance of Lowering Expectations,’ which for these graduates, should start with my speech.” Carell’s comedy career got started in Chicago, according to the university, when he joined The Second City beginning in 1987. While there, he worked with Stephen Colbert, a Northwestern alum, and both did Dana Carvey’s short-lived sketch comedy show before Carell joined “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” * WCIA | Urbana Mayor candidates making final pushes before primary: There’s less than two weeks until the Urbana Democratic primary on Feb. 25. That’s when Deshawn Williams will face off against Annie Feldmeier-Adams for the right to replace current Mayor Diane Marlin. “We’re feeling strong as we finish out,” Feldmeier-Adams said. * BND | Belleville mayor’s former advisers endorse her challenger as campaign ramps up: Two of Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory’s closest former advisers are throwing their support behind her challenger in the mayoral race. Gigi Dowling Urban, who worked as administrative liaison to the mayor from the beginning of Gregory’s term in 2021 until she resigned last month, endorsed City Clerk Jenny Gain Meyer in a Facebook post this week. “When I consider honestly which candidates will represent our citizens with hard work, honesty, and integrity, there really is no other choice,” wrote Urban, who also is running for Ward 2 alderperson in the April 1 consolidated election. * NBC Chicago | This obscure law is one reason Trump’s agenda keeps losing in court: Lawyers challenging President Donald Trump’s aggressive use of executive power in the courts are turning to a familiar weapon in their armory: an obscure but routinely invoked federal law called the Administrative Procedure Act. While lawsuits challenging such provocative plans as ending birthright citizenship and dismantling federal agencies raise weighty constitutional issues, they also claim Trump failed to follow the correct procedures as required under the wonky 1946 statute. * Nieman Lab | Trump wants news outlets to get on board with “Gulf of America” — or else. Will they?: You know what else is political? The language that news organizations choose to use. “Illegal immigrants” vs. “undocumented people,” “estate tax” vs. “death tax,” “rebels” vs. “freedom fighters,” “racist” vs. “racially charged” — each choice tells readers something about the underlying assumptions of the writer or publication. Language choices can either lend legitimacy or withhold it. So it’s not surprising that the tension between these two forces — a government changing a familiar place name and journalists deciding whether to go along — has become a political flashpoint.
|
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller
Comments Off |
|
Live coverage
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.
Comments Off |
|
Selected press releases (Live updates)
Friday, Feb 14, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
Comments Off |
| « NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |
