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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Click here for background if you need it. Rep. Ann Williams…
The full letter is here. * Sun-Times…
* Small victories…
* Brownfield AG News | Illinois soybean crop showing regional differences: The director of agronomy with the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) says the state’s soybean crop is showing some regional differences. Abigail Peterson says the western part of the state seems to be leading the way. […] She tells Brownfield central Illinois has seen some challenges. “Kind of a mixed bag. We saw some good planting dates, but then some later.” She says, “Some diseases are popping up cause we had those rain flushes and now we’re getting hot and humid. Japanese beetles are out there, but nothing hitting too many thresholds at the moment.” * WCIA | New IHSA rule limits baseball, softball players’ participation in All-Star games: The IHSA bylaws now limit high school baseball and softball players from playing in state All-Star games. The rule states that high school athletes can compete after their senior season ends. Previously, the rule only impacted high school athletes in football, basketball and volleyball. However, the change on July 1st now includes baseball and softball in the participation bylaw. * Tribune | Judge reverses courthouse ban of exoneree turned clerk after long cell phone squabble: A Cook County judge on Thursday rescinded an order that for more than nine months banned a Chicago exoneree who now works as a law clerk from the Leighton Criminal Court Building following a squabble over cell phone use in the courtroom. In a terse, one-sentence ruling, Judge Peggy Chiampas called up the docketed case for Robert Almodovar and said from the bench that she was rescinding the order and taking the matter off her call. * Jewish Insider | Pro-Israel group struggling to gain permit to rally at DNC — while pro-Palestinian groups got green light: The Israeli American Council, a nonprofit organization representing Israeli-Americans that seeks to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Israel, filed two applications with Chicago’s Department of Transportation at the beginning of July, according to Aya Schechter, the group’s chief programming officer. But with just under two weeks remaining until the convention, the IAC has yet to receive an answer from the city, despite following up via phone and email. The group had also submitted an application in mid-June for a stationary demonstration within “sight and sound” of the convention, which will be held at the United Center on Chicago’s West Side. That request was denied, according to a rejection letter, which said the proposed rally “would be a direct interference with a previously planned permitted activity or public assembly and would create public safety issues.” * Borderless Mag | City Officials Attempt To Allay Residents’ Fears As Partial Demolition Looms In Pilsen: During a recent community meeting at Dvorak Park, city officials from the Chicago Department of Buildings and Chicago Department of Public Health laid out plans to remove a structure at the Fisk Station, located in Pilsen’s Industrial Corridor. Under the demolition plan, city officials and contractors assured residents no implosion would be carried out at the coal plant that was retired amid pressure and health concerns from activists in 2012. […] Public Health Commissioner Olusimbo Ige and other panelists assured residents there would be no implosion. The city labeled the demolition of the structure as “environmentally complex” due to its proximity to the Chicago River and the facility’s prior use, coal power generation, she said. * Tribune | Chicago White Sox fire manager Pedro Grifol — who had an 89-190 record — and 3 other coaches: “As we all recognize, our team’s performance this season has been disappointing on many levels,” said Chris Getz, White Sox senior vice president/general manager, in a statement. […] Grady Sizemore, 42, will serve as the interim manager; the team said the next manager will be announced at the end of the 2024 season. Sizemore, previously a major league coach with the Sox, was the a minor-league instructor with the Cleveland Guardians and coach with the Arizona Complex League Diamondbacks last year. * Block Club | Bridgeport Skaters Built Their Own Park. Will The Man Let Them Keep It?: The skaters took it upon themselves to pour thousands of dollars’ worth of concrete in a secluded Stevenson Expressway underpass owned by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The underpass intersecting with South Loomis Street in Bridgeport — once filled with mounds of empty beer bottles and other trash — has been cleaned up and decked out with a series of handmade skate obstacles for neighbors to ride at their own risk, the skaters-turned-guerilla-architects said. The unofficial skate park is called Irish Banks. * ABC Chicago | Dolton deputy police chief reports to work one day after village board places him on leave: The village board voted Monday night to place the Dolton’s top cop on administrative leave only for him to defiantly return to work on Tuesday. The gray clouds over Dolton Village Hall Tuesday evening seemed fitting after Trustee Brittney Norwood described the financial woes that loom over Dolton, resulting in the board to vote Monday night to place Dolton Deputy Police Chief Lewis Lacey on administrative leave and lay off eight village employees. * Daily Southtown | Calumet City Mayor Thaddeus Jones says overpayments cover his property tax backlog: Jones said Tuesday he planned to pay all of what he owes within the next 30 days. He said he believes he has adequate overpayments to cover those delinquencies, blaming his bank for the error from past years. Treasurers’ records show consistent overpayments between 2006 and 2022 totaling about $9,240. They also indicate he qualifies for at least $1,330 in refunds due to the overpayments made in the 2020, 2009 and 2007 tax years. * Crain’s | Chicago investment firm picks up Vernon Hills apartments for $28M: The deal appears to be a win for seller FPA Multifamily, a San Francisco firm that has been a major buyer of Chicago-area apartment buildings in recent months. FPA paid almost $24.6 million for the property in 2018, property records show. An FPA executive didn’t respond to a request for comment. * Crain’s | Shaq wants to open 6 new restaurants around Chicago: NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal’s fast-casual chicken chain plans to open six new restaurants in the Chicago area. Big Chicken, founded in 2018, opened its first Illinois storefront in 2023 in Rosemont. The chain announced in July it would soon open a second Illinois location in Arlington Heights. Today, a Big Chicken representative told Crain’s plans are in place to bring the chain’s total Chicago-area location count to seven by the end of 2025. * SJ-R | Business forced to close after Adams Street fire nears reopening at new location: On July 15, the INB Benefit for the Businesses Affected by the Adams Family Fire fund distributed $15,750 in donations to seven businesses and 12 residents. The funds were collectively donated by community members, and a second round of donation checks will be distributed later in August. * Journal Courier | Study fuels ambitious Grafton Ferry expansion plans to boost tourism: Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow and resident George Andres, commander of a ferry task force, are mobilizing with the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation to move forward on next steps to expand Grafton Ferry service in the region. Morrow said one of his campaign promises was to support the Grafton Ferry to operate more hours and seven days a week. Grafton Ferry operates 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday through Sunday from April to November. Andres will oversee the implementation of recommendations from the state’s transportation needs assessment study. * SIU | $345K SIU study focuses on how to keep farmed largemouth bass from eating their own: In Southern Illinois, the market is growing, generating at least $3 million a year for local fish farmers with room for more, said Jim Garvey, director of the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at SIU and a co-leader of the study along with Habibollah Fakhraei, assistant professor of environmental engineering. The acceptance of largemouth bass as a food fish in live markets is relatively new, and raising them in high densities to maximize production in small ponds has presented challenges. […] With the fish living in such conditions, cannibalism can certainly take a bite out of the bottom line. Discouraging this behavior in largemouth bass is a challenge, Zaczek said. “Well, that’s something easier said than done,” he said. “The hope is the confined space and higher fish density will cause the fish to take to the feed better and eat more similarly, which also would encourage similar growth rates. They are less likely to eat each other if they are the same size.” * WICS | Visit the Piglets on Parade at the Illinois State Fair: The Birthing Center, which is sponsored by the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), allows fairgoers to see newborn piglets up close. Children will enjoy free goodies and paper pig ears as a memento of their visit. * Tribune | Costco to crack down on membership card-sharing: The major wholesale retailer will soon require shoppers to scan their membership cards via scanning devices at the entrance of each store, Costco said in a news release. Many Costco membership cards include a photo of the shopper, but for those that don’t, the store will require a valid photo ID along with the membership card. Those without a photo on their Costco membership card can also have a photo taken at the membership counter, according to the company. * AP | Third person dies in listeria outbreak tied to Boar’s Head deli meat: Three people have now died in a listeria food poisoning outbreak linked to Boar’s Head deli meats, federal food safety officials announced Thursday, and the overall number of people sickened rose to 43. The additional death happened in Virginia, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release Thursday. The other two deaths were in New Jersey and Illinois. The CDC also said nine more cases were reported since a July 31 release about the outbreak, which started in late May.
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The beatings will continue until morale improves
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I tested positive for COVID this week (mild symptoms other than fatigue), but I wanted to do a quick post about this…
In government, you can’t just “blow everything up” and start all over because lots of people depend on government. What are DCFS kids supposed to do during a rebuilding? We learned these lessons the hard way during the Rauner years. * But nobody’s gonna die if Jerry Reinsdorf sells the White Sox to someone who cares. Rick Morrissey wrote a heck of a column this week about how horrible Reinsdorf has been…
The general manager needs to go, and the disastrous play-by-play announcer John Schriffen definitely needs to go. But nothing will really improve until ownership sells the team. Your own thoughts?
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Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Governor Pritzker invited Lee Enterprise Reporter Brenden Moore up for a “peace offering” after officially opening the Illinois State Fair…
* Moore chose ketchup…
* Moore is infamous for his love of ketchup…
The Question: What’s your favorite food at the State Fair?
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It’s showtime: 2024 butter cow unveiled
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R…
* More butter cow react from the ap formally known as Twitter…
* More…
* Center Square | Illinois commodity groups to address agricultural issues during state fair: “Ag Day is a really special day for us because we get the opportunity to interact with people who aren’t living on the farm and are really interested in learning more about food production and the economic impact of farming in Illinois,” said Lindsey Croke, director of Communications with the Illinois Corn Growers Association.
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Open thread
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker formally calls on sheriff to resign following Sonya Massey shooting. SJ-R…
- The sheriff once again stated his intent to stay on the force. - Three Sangamon County Board members, all Democrats, asked Campbell, a Republican, to resign last week. * Sangamon County Democratic Chair Bill Houlihan…
* Related stories…
∙ Sun-Times: Pritzker calls for sheriff’s resignation over Sonya Massey shooting ∙ ABC Chicago: Sheriff to continue in position despite Pritzker’s calls for resignation after Sonya Massey’s murder The governor has three events on his public schedule today:
11:15 am: The governor will open Illinois State Fair Conservation World 11:45 am: The Governor will attend and give remarks at County Fair Luncheon. * Sun-Times | Let’s pause to consider just how bizarre Jerry Reinsdorf’s White Sox are: What a peculiar franchise Jerry Reinsdorf’s Sox are. Built on resentment, weaned on stubbornness, fermented by inanity, the organization seems to enjoy thumbing its nose at fans. That the Sox don’t care what the fan base thinks is apparent in almost everything they do. * Oil Price | Exxon restarts Illinois refinery: Exxon has begun to restart some units at its refinery in Joliet, Illinois, after a three-week outage. The 251,800-bpd facility was shut down in the middle of July following a power outage caused by a storm. The refinery produces about 9 million gallons daily of gasoline and diesel. * Tribune | Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs measures expanding reproductive health care protections: The latest laws add onto existing abortion rights in Illinois in three ways: protecting abortion patients from housing, workplace and other types of discrimination; shielding out-of-state patients from investigations launched beyond Illinois’ borders; and protecting patients who need emergency abortion care in the event that federal protection weakens. * Daily Herald | Senate transit forum Friday in DuPage lets riders share vision for trains, buses: Friday’s meeting is the third in a series of Transportation Committee forums across the region this summer. The topic is “the state of transit and how it supports community quality of life.” The meeting comes with a $730 million transit funding shortfall anticipated in 2026 when COVID-19 federal funding runs out. Ridership tanked during the pandemic and has not fully recovered. * NCSL | NCSL Welcomes New Executive Officers Elected at Annual Legislative Summit: Other newly elected officers: Illinois Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D), president-elect: Elected to the House in 2012, Evans serves as assistant majority leader and chairman of the Labor and Commerce Committee under House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch. He has been actively involved with NCSL since 2016, serving on the Executive Committee, the Task Force on State and Local Taxation, the Task Force on Energy Supply and numerous others. * WBEZ | What to eat, see and do while attending the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago: When in Chicago, eating well is practically required. Start with this list of classic summertime treats — ice creams galore, a negroni slushy — perfect for cooling off in August. If you try only one thing, we recommend the signature stack from Original Rainbow Cone (locations in Streeterville and in Wicker Park, a 10 minute drive from the United Center). For late night bites after a long day of talking shop, check out Lilac Tiger or Quartino. Early risers should get one of the best breakfast sandwiches in town from Spinning J or Kasama. * Sun-Times | Cook County to open Bronzeville health center near old Michael Reese Hospital site: “This is a particularly poignant moment — we’re located here on 31st Street in the shadows of the old Michael Reese Hospital campus to announce a new investment in the health of residents on the South Side of Chicago,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said at a news conference Wednesday. Cook County Health and the Cook County Bureau of Asset Management will invest $10 million in the new 26,000-square-foot facility, Preckwinkle said. Once completed, the center will have 44 exam rooms and a gym for therapy services. * Sun-Times | Chicago could fill food desert with three-store network of city-owned grocery stores, consultant says: The new 200-page report from HR&A concludes Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to open a city-owned grocery store is “necessary, feasible and implementable.” Necessary because volatility in the grocery market has led to a wave of consolidations and store closings concentrated in South and West Side neighborhoods. * US Bets | Bally’s Chicago Casino Revenue Flat For July: The Illinois Gaming Board reported Bally’s temporary casino in downtown Chicago generated $10.4 million in adjusted gross revenue for July, practically unchanged from June as statewide numbers showed a slight month-over-month decline. The $135.8 million in operator winnings from the state’s 15 casinos was down 1.8% from June’s total of $138.3 million. Unadjusted revenue was up 1.9% from July 2023 but down 7.9% when excluding first-year venues, Bally’s Chicago and Walker’s Bluff. * Block Club | Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio Recording Studio Looks To Future After Iconic Owner’s Death: “We want to honor Steve’s legacy and keep his vision alive,” said Taylor Hales, Electrical Audio studio manager. “Steve and Electrical cast a big shadow, and I know that this place means so much to so many people that have made records here. All of us just love working here at this studio that Steve made, and we want to continue on this journey.” * Tribune | Chicago Bears training camp report: Coaches on Caleb Williams’ progress, a D’Andre Swift highlight and a kicker thinking about tackling: The Bears defense, which was missing five starters in practice, continues to look like it’s keeping the offense and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams in check during practices. The Bears had a handful of completed passes and not many explosive plays in full-team periods. But offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said there are signs of progress from Williams that make the Bears think he’s moving closer to putting it all together. * Daily Herald | League of Women Voters — Not for women only! Wheaton chapter elects its first male president: Maury Goodman of Warrenville was elected as president of the Wheaton chapter, which serves Carol Stream, Warrenville, West Chicago, Wheaton and Winfield, this summer. He will lead the chapter’s efforts to register and educate voters and encourage people to vote in the 2024 General Election and the 2025 Consolidated Election. Goodman is an emeritus scientist at Argonne National Lab and a retired U.S. Army Captain. He earned a Ph.D. in physics at the University of Illinois and a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His extensive public service resume includes five terms as an alderman in the City of Warrenville, 12 years volunteering as a troop leader with the Girl Scouts, and mentoring students from the Illinois Math and Science Academy. * ABC Chicago | Lori Lightfoot to release findings from investigation into Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard: Lightfoot will speak at a public meeting Thursday night following Monday’s chaotic board meeting. […] This all started back in March, when three former employees filed a lawsuit against Mayor Henyard, alleging they were wrongfully fired for refusing to do political work for Henyard. Lightfoot was then hired by village trustees to independently investigate her administration’s spending, including a lavish village-funded trip to Las Vegas last year. * PJ Star | Former Peoria Township Supervisor Frank Abdnour is running for the office once again: After losing reelection, Abdnour became a source of controversy after it was discovered that he had collected federal and state unemployment benefits after losing office. This is not allowed. […] Abdnour maintained it was an “honest mistake” and he did not know that public officials did not qualify for unemployment benefits after losing office. * WCIA | Arcola Broom Palace making progress: The mayor said the community is moving in the right direction for revitalizing the downtown area. Officials are hoping the Broom Palace will help bring in thousands of tourists each year. […] The outside of the Broom Palace is scheduled to be finished by the Arcola Broomcorn Festival on Sept. 6 – 8. The building is estimated to be done by the end of the year. * WSIL | Cobden Lions Club finishes prep for Peach Festival:: The Lions Club sent pictures to News 3 of its team working on a new pavilion that will house its “Spin to Win” game at this year’s festival. The pavilion features a large covering in case of weather and highlights a hand-made peach sculpture crafted by local artist Jackson Forge (Jack Nawrot) or Cobden. * WCIA | Burglar steals 35 guns, 10,000 rounds from Springfield storage unit: It happened on July 27 at Mansa Mini Storage, located at 2171 South 9th Street. Stolen firearms included AK-47s, handguns and shotguns. Detectives revisited the area on July 29 to continue the investigation, when they located a white man with shaggy brown hair. They said he looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s. Upon seeing the police, the man ran away. * AP | 2024 Olympics: What to know about the closing ceremony in Paris: The women’s basketball gold medal game is the last event before the closing ceremony. It’s scheduled to tip off at 8:30 a.m. CST at Bercy Arena. The closing ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. CST on Sunday at Stade de France just north of Paris. It’s expected to last until 4:15 p.m. CST.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Thursday, Aug 8, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What are y’all’s food recs for the DNC?…
* The top copi catchers…
If you’re curious you can try copi during the State Fair at Conservation World. * Sun-Times | Where Chicago DNC hosts will get the parties started: The Chicago 2024 Host Committee on Wednesday announced the locations of the three giant parties it is throwing to kick off the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention runs Aug. 19-22, with thousands of delegates and journalists expected to begin arriving the weekend before. * The Triibe | Chicago Police to get the bulk of $75 million in DNC security funds: The document states that $26.7 million of the DOJ funds will be spent on personnel. Of that, more than $17.6 million is allocated to CPD for personnel, including operations and training, as well as regular and overtime pay. The Fire Department will get $4.7 million for operational and personnel costs. The OEMC will receive nearly $800,000 for the event. Another $3.7 million is going toward “Asset Protection Personnel,” according to the budget document. In an emailed statement, the OBM said the Asset Protection Program “is typically a term used to describe strategies and measures implemented by governments to safeguard valuable assets from risks or loss.” However, OBM could not disclose whether the program is part of another agency or a standalone entity. * CBS Chicago | Chicago’s DNC Organizers Hosting Virtual Community Impact Meetings For Residents: These meetings come after neighbors who live near the United Center have said they’re concerned about the effect of all the tight security restrictions and large crowds. Police and the Secret Service addressed just those concerns. In July, officials unveiled the security perimeters around both the United Center and McCormick Place during the DNC. The secure areas for the convention are divided into a vehicle-screening perimeter and a pedestrian-restricted perimeter. * Tribune | Chicago business owners unsure if they’ll see DNC business boost: Owner Rick Cheng speculated that diners might be trying to avoid the area during the Democratic National Convention. The Oyster House, at 1933 S. Indiana Ave., is located within the security perimeter outside of McCormick Place. […] Cheng said that typically people booking private parties during other large conventions book reservations months in advance. For the DNC, during which Chicago expects 50,000 visitors to descend upon the city, Cheng said, “We got nada.” * Block Club Chicago | Illinois Black Panther Party Honored In New Exhibit Ahead Of DNC: When the Democratic National Convention came to Chicago in 1968, the Illinois Black Panther Party was just beginning. That August 56 years ago, Bobby Rush, Bob Brown and Fred Hampton came together to found the party’s Chicago chapter. Now — ahead of another Democratic National Convention in the Windy City — the Epiphany Center for the Arts, 201 S. Ashland Ave., and the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party are honoring the Illinois chapter’s history of Black political struggle in a new exhibit. * Injustice Watch | Rising rents, unlivable apartments leave tenants desperate, confused, and often helpless: An Injustice Watch investigation found thousands of lower-income renters in Chicago are trapped in unsafe buildings, forced to pay rising rents, even as many landlords are allowed to shirk their responsibilities to keep buildings safe, warm, and free of rats. * People’s Fabric | “Y’all jump out on us every day”—Tactical team that killed Dexter Reed was involved in a shooting 24 hours earlier: The new videos from March 20 show the squad who killed Reed rolling through the same West Side neighborhood with another unmarked police SUV. Nine plainclothes tactical officers stop and hop out of their vehicle to search a man sitting in a chair on the sidewalk, citing a “large bulge” in his waistband on their investigatory stop report. Cops ultimately found nothing. Within seconds, however, the encounter turned fatal—not for a human, but somebody’s pet. Body-worn camera videos activated after the fact capture, without audio, officer Michael Ambrose pumping multiple rounds into a gray pit bull who approached him excitedly. * Crain’s | Climate change is slowing moves from the Snow Belt to Sun Belt: The implications for Chicago and other cold-climate cities are obvious in a study that says “the U.S. population is starting to move away from areas increasingly exposed to extreme heat days toward historically colder areas, which are becoming more attractive as extreme cold days become increasingly rare.” * Crain’s | American Bar Association names new president: Thompson Coburn partner Bill Bay has been tapped as the next president of the Chicago-based American Bar Association. Having served as chair of the ABA house of delegates and chair of the ABA section on litigation, Bay brings experience to the role, which he assumed yesterday following the close of the ABA house of delegates meeting in Chicago. He replaces Mary Smith. * Block Club | Cellphone Thefts Ruin Lollapalooza For Some, But Fest Arrests Down: The music festival, which ran Thursday-Sunday in Grant Park, saw arrests drop to a five-year low, with nine arrests made and seven citations issued, according to the Office of Emergency Management and Communications. There were 63 ambulance transports made over the course of the fest. […] But cellphone thefts remain a stubborn problem at Lollapalooza. * NBC Chicago | Meet ‘Oscar from Chicago,’ Lollapalooza fan plucked from crowd to drum with The Killers: NBC Chicago caught up with the lucky fan, 20-year-old Oscar Reza Bautista, on Monday. “I had seen people play the drums with them before, and I said, ‘I want to be one of them,’” Reza Bautista said. “Brandon starts looking at my sign and pointing at it, and everything starts shaking.” * Tribune | ‘Hot Ones’ live event coming to Chicago on Aug. 28: Stella Artois will host the event Aug. 28 at Moonlight Studios from 6-9 p.m. as part of Stella Artois’ Let’s Do Dinner Summer Series. The series will also have stops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York City. More than 300 contestants at the event will take part in the “Wings of Death” in an eat-along experience with 10 mouth-watering hot sauces. Evans will be joined by a special celebrity guest, who will be announced the week before the event. * Capitol News Illinois | South suburban airport could bring over $1B in economic activity, per report: A study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a think tank with ties to organized labor, found that building a cargo-focused airport in the south suburbs would create around 6,300 total jobs. […] The Illinois General Assembly has recently taken several steps to advance progress on the long-delayed south suburban airport. In 2023, state legislators passed a law requiring the Illinois Department of Transportation to develop a process for requesting contractors and other developers to submit plans. * Daily Herald | Jury orders city of Naperville to pay $22.5M in damages connected to wrongful conviction in arson, murder: A federal jury awarded the damages to William Amor’s estate, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday. […] He spent 22 years in prison before a judge ruled that advances in fire science proved descriptions in his confession were impossible. The judge later acquitted him. Amor filed a federal lawsuit against the city in 2018. He died last year before the case went to trial. * Naperville Sun | Naperville police make 21st gun-related arrest in Topgolf parking lot since August 2023: Officers approached Altman-McCray and another person after they retuned to the vehicle and found that while Altman-McCray possessed a valid Firearm Owner’s Identification card and Concealed Carry License, he had improperly stowed the weapon and was in possession of the firearm while allegedly intoxicated, Munch said. […] Naperville police also have been making arrests on drug-related charges outside the facility in recent weeks. * Daily Herald | ‘Everything was gone’: Burglars tunnel through stores to steal $1.5M in jewelry from Woodfield: Schaumburg police said the crime was discovered by a construction worker who entered a vacant store adjacent to Marquise Jewelry at about 9:30 a.m. Monday and reported a hole in the drywall. Police said they found the suspects covered one of the surveillance cameras to avoid detection. More disturbing was how the burglars gained access to their store. The couple found a small hole in the wall, and later learned from police the burglars cut through the walls of three other businesses to get to their jewelry store. * Patch | Will County Brewing Company Closes Channahon Bar For Good: About a year and a half after Will County Brewing Company opened their second location, taking over the shuttered River Hawk Brewery along Route 6, the owners of the Shorewood-based microbrewery have decided that enough is enough, it’s time to close the Channahon location forever. * WICS | Pork Patio serves up family favorites at Illinois State Fair: The menu will feature budget friendly classics, including chop on-a-stick, pork twister, pork burgers, pork chops, and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. JBS, Smithfield, Tyson, and Rantoul Foods have generously donated pork for the patio. Illinois pig farmers, industry organizations, sports teams, and other volunteers graciously spend time working shifts at the fair to serve customers and make the patio a success. * WPSD | Southern Illinois sinkhole causes apartment building to ‘fall into the earth’: A sinkhole forced three families to evacuate Sunday, Aug. 4, after shifting an apartment building 23 inches, according to Carrier Mills Police Chief Scott Isaacs. […] The sinkhole was discovered Sunday morning when a spouse of a city street department employee was traveling on Russell Street and noticed the road had buckled, according to Isaacs. * River Bender | Southern Illinois University Carbondale Faculty Secure New Contract: The agreement not only provides salary adjustments for faculty but also reforms office hour policies to encourage more comprehensive student engagement, and it provides support for program directors and coordinators who work to recruit and grow students in programs across campus. * WSIL | Carterville’s National Night Out helps the community meet their local police officers: Officer Travis Morgan hopes these events help remove any divides between the police and the people they serve. “But I’m big on the personal relationship between the police and the community. Especially since becoming a school resource officer and seeing the kids recognize you,” Morgan says. “So tonight it’s a good time. It’s great for the kids and the families.” * AP | NASA delays next crew launch to buy more time at the space station for Boeing’s troubled capsule: Tuesday marked the two-month point at the space station for Starliner’s test pilots, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who should have been back by mid-June. NASA is weighing all its options for returning the two veteran astronauts, including a ride home in a SpaceX capsule. “NASA and Boeing continue to evaluate the spacecraft’s readiness, and no decisions have been made regarding Starliner’s return,” NASA said in a statement. Further details were expected at a news conference set for Wednesday.
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Your moment of zen
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Thousands of rubber ducks were dumped in the Chicago River today to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. Photo from Colin Boyle, one of my favorite Chicago photojournalists…
* WGN…
You can watch the Ducky Derby live by clicking here.
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Pritzker calls for Sangamon County Sheriff Campbell’s resignation (Updated x3)
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Subscribers know more. Governor Pritzker at an unrelated news conference this morning…
…Adding… WAND reporter Caryn Eisert has Sheriff Campbell’s response…
* Campbell’s full statement…
…Adding… The governor pushed back on Campbell’s statement during his second press conference of the day…
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Pritzker signs three abortion-related bills
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * AP…
* From the report…
In June, WTTW reported 25% of Planned Parenthood of Illinois patients are from out of state — compared to about 4% pre-Dobbs. * Governor JB Pritzker…
* Sen. Celina Villanueva…
* Sen. Laura Fine…
* Sen. Celina Villanueva…
* Rep. Dagmara Avelar…
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Uber Partners With Cities To Expand Urban Transportation
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Uber is leading the charge to close critical transportation gaps, ensuring reliable access to its services in places that need it most, such as underserved areas like Englewood. This is a part of Uber’s broader commitment to augment and expand the reach of Chicago’s transportation ecosystem, focusing on overcoming the first-mile/ last-mile hurdles that have long plagued residents in farther afield neighborhoods. Uber aims to extend the public transit network’s reach, making urban transportation more accessible and efficient for everyone. Discover the full story on how Uber is transforming city transportation for the better.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Stop Credit Card Chaos In Illinois!
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] In less than one year, a new law will create credit card chaos for millions of Illinois consumers, small business owners and workers who rely on tips. The law changes how your credit card is processed and has never been done anywhere in the world. The end result is windfall for corporate mega-stores paid for through costly operational hurdles for small businesses and a loss of convenience and privacy for consumers who could have to pay tax and gratuity with cash. There’s still time to protect Illinois small business owners, consumers and workers by repealing the Interchange Fee Prohibition Act now! For more information, visit guardyourcard.com/Illinois.
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker sees the writing on the Walz — calls Minnesota governor chosen for VP slot ‘kind and decent human being.’Sun-Times…
* Related stories… ∙ WTTW: Kamala Harris Did Not Pick JB Pritzker as Her Running Mate, but the Illinois Governor’s National Profile Has Only Grown ∙ Tribune: Kamala Harris’ choice of Tim Walz leaves questions for Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s political future ∙ Daily Herald: Local DNC delegates like Harris’ pick Gov. Tim Walz’s chops as veteran, congressman, quipster Governor Pritzker will sign bills expanding reproductive rights access at 10 am. Then, at 3 pm the governor will unveil the 2024 Illinois State Fair Butter Cow at the State Fairgrounds. Click here to watch. * Tribune | The nightmare is over: Chicago White Sox snap historic 21-game losing streak with 5-1 win: It was the team’s first victory since the first game of a July 10 doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. That was nearly a month ago. The skid ends with the Sox tied with the 1988 Baltimore Orioles for the second-longest losing streak in major-league history.
* Sun-Times | Johnson calls off plans for special meeting to confirm Sigcho-Lopez as Zoning chair: Unable to attract a quorum, Mayor Brandon Johnson has abandoned plans to interrupt the Chicago City Council’s summer recess to install Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) as Zoning Committee chair. “We never meet in August. August has traditionally has been the month off for all of the City Council. I know many of my colleagues are traveling. I’m getting ready to go to a family reunion,” said Finance Committee Chair Pat Dowell (3rd). * Crain’s | Johnson under pressure as budget gap could reach nearly $1 billion: “All options are on the table” for Mayor Brandon Johnson as his administration prepares for a significantly larger budget gap in 2025 than the $538 million shortfall he closed after taking office last year, according to the city’s budget director. When the city announced the $538 million gap last year in its annual forecast, officials projected a $986 million gap for 2025 under a baseline economic outlook. Budget Director Annette Guzman has met with members of the City Council and department leaders in recent weeks to warn the outlook hasn’t changed much in the last year. * Sun-Times | Before gunfight with Dexter Reed, Chicago cops made 50 traffic stops in just 3 days: In the wake of the shooting, Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling has pushed to overhaul the department’s controversial traffic stop practices under an ongoing federal consent decree. Advocates and activists argue the pace of court-ordered reform is too slow to address a pressing issue that was brought into sharp focus when Reed was fatally shot. Many have called on the department to immediately disband its tactical units and to stop making traffic stops as an excuse to conduct searches. * The Triibe | How Chicago’s young peacekeepers build up community to bring down violence: Through its summer Peacekeepers pilot program, GKMC is building on the heart of its mission, using healing, restorative justice practices and a holistic approach to violence prevention. This approach addresses the root causes of violence rather than taking a punitive approach, and the program makes space for “young people to be the peacekeepers and the changemakers,” said Carlil Pittman, executive director of GKMC, and brother of Carleeta Pittman. * Sun-Times | Greyhound to be booted from West Loop station by mid-September, CEO says — so city must act now: Greyhound and other bus carriers are set to be evicted from their longtime station in the West Loop in mid-September. The city hasn’t offered a viable alternative with indoor accommodations. The bus lines’ mostly low-income riders may soon find themselves waiting outdoors with their belongings and without restrooms or protection from harsh weather. * WBBM | Once vacant lot in Chicago’s South Side Bronzeville now a sanctuary: The new outdoor space at Martin Luther King Drive in East 47th Street in Bronzeville offers the community a green space to enjoy. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the South Side Sanctuary plaza featured an opening from the King College Prep High School marching band and included local vendors, selling food, drinks and merchandise. * Block Club | Bea Lumpkin, Chicago Labor Legend, Marks 106th Birthday As She Keeps Up The Fight For Workers’ Rights: The labor organizer, who has been active since the ’30s, celebrated her birthday with retired steelworkers this week — but only after speaking on the presidential race, union contracts, intergenerational unity and other causes that have defined her life. * Block Club | Christkindlmarket Will Not Return To Wrigleyville In 2024: Organizers of the popular Christkindlmarket announced the German-style outdoor market will not return to Wrigley Field’s Gallagher Way in 2024. “Due to the NHL Winter classic and additional programming, the Christkindlmarket will not take place in Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way this year,” the market’s organizers wrote in a statement. “(We) regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate the community’s understanding and we look forward to returning to Lakeview in future years.” * Daily Herald | How Palatine plans to jump start development near Dundee Road and Route 53: While taxing bodies collect property taxes from the frozen value, dollars from new growth go into a fund that can be used to cover infrastructure costs in the project area. The new TIF district includes 17 parcels and 24 buildings on 44 acres. * WCIA | Massey family holds vigil one month after her death: The vigil packed the small street. Her family, who is still processing it all, said the support has helped them a long these thirty days, but their path towards healing will go much longer. “The community has been awesome and great for us, with us being together, and not just the Massey family having to do this by ourselves,” [Shadia Massey, Sonya’s cousin] said. * WGLT | An effort would let voters weigh in on the Sangamon County Sheriff’s job: Campbell’s term as sheriff won’t end until 2026. The ballot initiative would be non-binding, so Campbell, 60, would not be forced to leave no matter the outcome. * WGEM | ‘That is fiscal insanity’: Western Illinois University board approves staff reduction: In a special board of trustees meeting early Tuesday morning, Western Illinois University administration unanimously received approval to proceed with more layoffs. This comes as Western is trying to balance a $20 million budget deficit. However, the question as to how many employees will be laid off still remains. Administrators would not release a number. * SJ-R | Illinois State Fair, art showcase and more: 5 things to do around Springfield: The first week of the Illinois State Fair means fun for the whole family and enough sugary food to keep kids bouncing the entire day. But the fair isn’t the only thing going on this weekend. Here’s a look at five things to do in the Springfield area this weekend. * Shaw Local | It’s (almost) showtime at the Illinois State Fair: The Illinois State Fair will kick off this week in Springfield with music, a parade and plenty of food. Illinois 4-H will serve as the grand marshals of this year’s Twilight Parade, celebrating youth involved in the state’s No. 1 industry. * WCIA | Meet the traveling plumber representing Central Illinois in a national competition: Now, Hall is taking those traits to the next level. He won the Illinois Pipe Trades Plumbing Championship for Apprentices in the spring. […] Hall’s next stop is the national competition in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He’ll be competing against six others in the plumbing category. * Reuters | US judge describes how Google built and defended illegal search monopoly: U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta on Monday ruled that Google had violated antitrust law by spending billions of dollars to secure exclusive agreements with developers, carriers and equipment makers to be the default search engine. […] “Sure, users can access Google’s rivals by switching the default search access point or by downloading a rival search app or browser. But the market reality is that users rarely do so.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Wednesday, Aug 7, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Illinois Answers reporter Alex Nitkin…
I give you “Moo Lincoln”…  * Sun-Times | Kamala Harris picks Walz for VP — not Pritzker: Speaking at a bill signing in Chicago on Tuesday, Pritzker said he was “torn” about being considered as a vice presidential candidate and called the vetting “a grueling, long process,” despite it being an abbreviated one. * Sun-Times | National blood supply is running thin. Here’s how to help keep it from hurting local health care: Since July 1, the organization’s supply has fallen by more than 25%. Four blood drives in Illinois and more than 100 others nationwide had to be called off because of high temperatures, the Red Cross said. Other seasonal obstacles such as travel and summer activities also have meant fewer people donating. All those factors contributed to a shortfall of over 19,000 blood donations in July, the organization reported. * WSIU | IDPH to Offer Public Health Information, Services at Illinois State Fair: You will also find IDPH at Conservation World at the State Fair, with information about how to prevent “vector-borne” diseases carried by mosquitoes and ticks, along with information on safe consumption of fish from Illinois waterways. * SJ-R | There’s nothing fair about these new food items at the 2024 Illinois State Fair: The flavor of the Illinois State Fair has been announced, and it’s about as close as you can get to healthy as far as fair foods go. Raspberry Crunch, a Prairie Farms original, features fresh raspberries frozen in vanilla ice cream with granola crunch topping. Midwest Dairy manager of farmers relations Kendra Anderson said the idea came to the team around six months ago, as a healthy follow up to last years’ theme of cookies and cream. * Outdoor News | Illinois Mixed Bag: Conservation World returns to state fair: Among the offerings this year is DNR’s cicada art show, an Eagle’s nest photo opportunity, opportunities to catch a fish, try Copi (invasive carp), practice archery and BB shooting skills, ride in the Voyageur Canoe, dunk a conservation police officer, enjoy the Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show, talk with DNR wildlife biologists and purchase hunting and fishing licenses. * Sun-Times | Fed judge mulling whether to intervene in DNC dustup between City Hall, protest groups: A federal judge is expected to hand down a key ruling by early next week in a months-long dispute between City Hall and groups promising a massive protest during Chicago’s upcoming Democratic National Convention. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood heard roughly two hours of arguments Monday while considering a request for her intervention in a conflict over where those protesters will be allowed to march during the convention, which begins Aug. 19. * Tribune | City, protests groups still at odds over routes for DNC marches and demonstrations: Several pro-Palestinian groups who together sued the city in March in an effort to secure protest routes within “sight and sound” of the convention were in court again Monday to demand a more direct and longer route along Washington Boulevard for their “March on the DNC.” Their attorney, Chris Williams, said they were “blindsided” by the possibility that they might not be able to hold speeches in a park two blocks north of the United Center. […] “The way the city is doing this is take-it-or-leave-it, ‘you do what we say,’” Williams told U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood. “It’s not enough to say, ‘You have a route, you’re going to live with it.’ You’re going to have chaos.” * Sun-Times | Indiana businessman not guilty of bribing Cook County assessor officials with free golf, fed jury finds: A federal jury Tuesday cleared an Indiana businessman who had been accused of bribing officials at the Cook County assessor’s office with free golf in return for lowered property assessments — a rare loss for public corruption prosecutors at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. The trial of businessman Robert Mitziga lasted roughly a week. It exposed jurors not just to the inner-workings of the assessor’s office but to the lure of posh, high-end golf clubs — particularly one in southwest Michigan, about 90 miles from Chicago. * Crain’s | Chicago’s maternal care gap worsening, creating deserts in South and West sides: A joint report by the American Medical Association and the Sinai Urban Health Institute finds obstetric and gynecological closures, particularly since 2018, have had a significant negative effect on maternal and infant health in its analysis of maternal care by ZIP code. […] Since 2018, three OB-GYN facilities that were more convenient for residents of the South and West sides have closed and many ZIP codes have no access to OB-GYN physicians for childbearing female residents, the release said. These maternity deserts require expectant mothers to travel outside of their neighborhoods to receive routine or specialty OB-GYN care, the release noted. * Block Club | Day Laborers Say They Are Being Beaten, Harassed Outside Home Depot By Off-Duty Cops: Five recently arrived migrants say criminal trespassing enforcement at a Southwest Side Home Depot has escalated to alleged physical assaults by security personnel, including multiple off-duty Chicago Police officers. The allegations are at the heart of a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday, which names two Chicago police officers, two Home Depot employees, and other unnamed security personnel and police officers, in addition to the city and Home Depot, as defendants. In the course of its six-month investigation into the treatment of migrant laborers, City Bureau learned of the pending suit. * Tribune | Protesters in Daley Plaza rally decry reelection of Venezuelan president, claim voter fraud: The Venezuelan community in Chicago was disheartened in the days after the election. Many have family members in areas affected by protests and said they were worried their relatives might get imprisoned or even killed for having ties to the opposition. Human rights organizations in Venezuela have found the government’s solution to silence people’s discontent has been “through the disproportionate use of force” that has resulted in the deaths of protesters. * Block Club | Divvy ‘Bike Sculpture’ On Oak Street Beach Made Entirely Of Bikes Dumped In The Lake: Members of the the group, the Alternative Anglers Association, pulled out 15 bikes from the lake in just a few hours Friday afternoon and built the bike sculpture over two days. Glenn Rischke, who created the group — formerly known as the Divvy Fishers Society — was shocked by how many bikes and how much construction material was on the floor of the lake, he said. * Block Club | The Dave Matthews Band Chicago River Poop Incident, 20 Years Later: ‘Our Generation’s O’Leary’s Cow’: On the afternoon of Aug. 8, 2004, a charter bus belonging to the Dave Matthews Band drove across the Kinzie Street Bridge and emptied its septic tank over the Chicago River. The sewage ran through the metal grates of the bridge, and rather than landing in the water — itself a health hazard — it splattered onto more than 100 people on a sightseeing boat operated by the Chicago Architecture Foundation. * Tribune | Three Skokie parks renamed to honor Native American tribes: The name changes have been made online, but physical changes to the signs will take some time, said Michelle Tuft, executive director of the park district. […] The park district board unanimously voted in favor of the name changes at its July board meeting. In addition to the new signage, the park district will add QR codes with links to web pages about the history of the tribes and the pronunciation of the names, Tuft said. * Daily Herald | DuPage Forest Preserve District moves to buy horse farm near Wheaton for $12 million: After several stalled attempts through the years, Danada’s owner — the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County — is now on track to buy the pastoral property to its east. On Tuesday, forest preserve commissioners authorized district leaders to negotiate and enter into a contract to acquire the Gladstone Ridge horse boarding center — also known as Bolger Farm — along Leask Lane. The cost is anticipated to be $12 million. * Daily Southtown | Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard says administrator fired, trustees OK handful of layoffs: Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard said Monday that Keith Freeman, the village’s administrator, has been fired, although trustees said the mayor lacked the legal authority to do so and did not move to support her decision. Trustees also voted to eliminate a handful of village jobs amid what they described as a “financial disaster” for the village and placed police Deputy Chief Lewis Lacey on administrative leave for an undefined period. * WGN | Big Lots to close additional stores in Illinois: According to the company’s website, Burbank, Calumet City, Elgin and Oakbrook Terrace are Chicago-area stores on the chopping block. Centralia and Fairview Heights are two other Illinois locations set to close. Last month, the company announced Crest Hill, Lockport, and Niles will be shuttered. * SJ-R | County board members pushing advisory referendum to voters to recall Campbell: Five Democrat Sangamon County Board members are pushing for an advisory referendum to give voters a say on the future of Sheriff Jack Campbell at the ballot box in November. The county board would have to pass the referendum at its Aug. 13 meeting for it to get on the ballot. Even if it passes the voters on Nov. 5, Campbell would not be bound to resign. * WIFR | Former Rockford Speedway redevelopment off to the races: The former Rockford Speedway sits idly by, without so much as the roar of an engine or the cheer of a crowd. But not for much longer, according to Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury who says multiple businesses are on their way to fill in the empty space. Club Carwash and Belle Tire will start construction in just a few days as the only current businesses staking claim to the area. But Mayor Jury says this is just the beginning. * VCF | Custard Cup Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Special Local Donations: These checks presented, representing $1,000 Custard Cup donations on top of funding donated by customers to their “Beneficiary of the Month;” included $2,126.77 to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Vermilion County, $2,000 to Danville Youth Hockey, and $2,201.13 to the St, James United Methodist Church Food Pantry. * WCIA | Communities across Central Illinois celebrating National Night Out: “National Night Out was started to bring neighbors and law enforcement together to establish relationships, and trust that it will do just that,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a news release. “Preventing crime in Illinois is one of my office’s top priorities, and I am proud that an increased number of volunteers from my office will participate in National Night Out events throughout the state. I encourage everyone to locate an event in their own community.” * AP | Elon Musk’s X sues advertisers over alleged ‘massive advertiser boycott’ after Twitter takeover: The lawsuit’s allegations center on the early days of Musk’s Twitter takeover and not a more recent dispute with advertisers that came a year later. In November 2023, about a year after Musk bought the company, a number of advertisers began fleeing X over concerns about their ads showing up next to pro-Nazi content and hate speech on the site in general, with Musk inflaming tensions with his own posts endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Musk later said those fleeing advertisers were engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.
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ISP says it’s making progress
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
* I followed up by asking how many firearms had been seized in Fiscal Year 2024, which ended June 30. ISP’s response…
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IDFPR will finally purchase online licensing system
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. This took way too long, but IDFPR looks to be on track. Implementation is key, however. So, we’ll just have to see…
* NASW Illinois…
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Graham, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Pritzker criticizes the Sangamon County sheriff, but stops short of calling on him to resign
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
The Massey family has called on the sheriff to resign. * Earlier this week, I asked Sen. Dick Durbin’s office where Durbin, a Springfield resident, stood on Sheriff Campbell’s future…
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Pritzker reflects on VP vetting, asked about his future
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Gov. Pritzker said today that his vetting process by Vice President Harris and her team “was handled with the utmost professionalism, and I was glad that I made it through that process, made it to the final number of candidates.” Then said…
Please pardon all transcription errors. * Gov. Walz is the current chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and Pritzker was asked whether he’d like that job…
He also said he hasn’t had any discussions about his electoral future when asked whether he had talked with family or staff about a third term. * Is a cabinet position in his future?…
* He was also asked about the vetting process. Sen. Joe Lieberman, it was pointed out, once compared the process to having a colonoscopy without any anesthesia. Pritzker said Lieberman “described it very well” then said…
Discuss.
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Kamala Harris picks Tim Walz as her running mate (Updated)
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * AP…
The NYT, CNN and Reuters are all confirming Walz as Harris’ pick. * NBC…
* Illinois Playbook…
…Adding… Governor JB Pritzker…
* Governor Pritzker’s statement…
…Adding… ILGOP…
* Comptroller Mendoza…
* More…
* Crain’s | Union members go to bat for Pritzker as VP speculation ramps up: The letter, signed by over 100 members of local Chicago and Illinois unions, including members of the Laborers’ International Union of North America and the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union, circulated late last week and comes just days before Harris is expected to make her selection for vice president. * WJBC | Illinois Senior Senator campaigns for Gov. Pritzker to be Kamala Harris’ running mate: Illinois’ senior U.S. senator, Democrat Dick Durbin, thinks Gov. JB Pritzker would be a worthy choice as Kamala Harris’ running mate. “I think he has shown as governor that he is a real leader,” Durbin told reporters at a ribbon-cutting in Springfield. “He would be a good ally of Kamala Harris, and I happen to know Juliana Stratton, the lieutenant governor, very well. She is a very impressive person.” * N’DIGO | Q&A – Chris Welch- Speaker Of The Illinois House Of Representatives: What do you think of Governor Pritzker being the vice president? Welch: It would be good for Illinois. Having a direct White House connection would be excellent. I see nothing but positives. We have done well working together.
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Today’s must-read
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * ABC7 I-Team…
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Open thread
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Pritzker signs measures reining in biometric data privacy law, eliminating grocery tax. Capitol News Illinois…
* Related stories… ∙ CBS: Gov. JB Pritzker signs legislation ending Illinois grocery tax in 2026 ∙ WSPY: Oswego not currently in position to decide on potential grocery tax following repeal of state tax, says DiSanto ∙ WSPY: Pritzker signs bill repealing state grocery tax, effective January 1, 2026 Governor Pritzker will be at the Women’s Justice Institute at 10 am to sign the returning citizens identification access bill. Click here to watch. * Sun-Times | White Sox lose 21st straight to tie American League record: The beauty of baseball is that after a loss, there’s another game the next day. But anguish sets in after repeated beatdowns, day after day after day. Another game, another “L.” Defeat and unrelenting failure have taken a toll on the White Sox, who lost their 21st consecutive game Monday, 5-1 at the hands of the Athletics to tie the 1988 Orioles’ American League-record skid. The Sox, a national story they don’t want to be, are now two losses from tying the 1961 Phillies’ major-league record of 23. * Block Club | Billy Joel Jr. Is ‘The Next Big Chicago Band You Don’t Know About’: Billy Joel Jr. is on the rise after dropping their EP, “Rubberhose,” and catching Stereogum’s attention with an April Fools’ Day joke. The indie rockers — who aren’t actually the Piano Man’s spawn — perform Wednesday at Sleeping Village. * Sun-Times | Sonya Massey’s family is pushing for a change in state law after her death, but policymakers aren’t so sure: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said that based on Grayson’s record, it’s questionable whether Grayson should have ever been hired as a law enforcement officer. But like Turner, he said he’s not certain a new law is needed. It’s going to take some time for the current laws to “get going,” Raoul said. The problem is not the laws on the books right now, but in how they’re being implemented, Raoul said. * SJ-R | Illinois lawmakers looking to lower prescription drug costs, but not everyone is on board : He, along with state Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, and Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, are now urging lawmakers to take-up House Bill 4472 which would create a prescription drug affordability board. The board would be composed of 15 appointed members in-charge of establishing upper payment limits to certain prescription drugs and ensure those savings are passed down to consumers. Per the bill language, it could only set those limits on drugs with a wholesale acquisition cost of at least $60,000 per year or those experiencing a wholesale acquisition cost increase of $3,000 in the most recent 12-month period. For price limits on biosimilar drugs, the board could only do so if the biosimilar cost is not at least 20% lower than the name brand cost. For price limits on generic drugs, a 30-day supply of that drug must at least cost $100 and its price increased by no less than 200% in the preceding 12 months. * WAND | Illinois local food infrastructure grant plan signed into law: Recipients could use the local food infrastructure grants for production, packaging, refrigerated trucks and processing equipment. Lawmakers said this is a great incentive for local food providers to invest in a healthier Illinois. “Right now, if you look at Illinois, 95% of our food is brought in from outside,” said Sen. Dave Koehler (D-Peoria). “That means trucking food thousands of miles away when we have the richest, fertile farmland anywhere in the world right here.” * Sun-Times | Measure to streamline IDs for people exiting Illinois prisons, jails poised for Pritzker’s signature: The measure pushed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias eliminates the need for inmates and detainees to show physical copies of their birth certificates or Social Security cards in order to line up an ID — a common roadblock for people trying to find housing and work after incarceration. “We take our IDs for granted, but for people leaving jail, it’s an essential tool for reentry to perform everyday tasks and increase the likelihood of successfully building a productive life,” Giannoulias said ahead of the bill signing. * WSIU | Illinois Increases Funding for Schools: The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has released data showing the impact of a $1.8 billion increase in funding for the state’s highest-need schools under Governor JB Pritzker’s administration. The Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula, established in fiscal year 2018, aims to distribute resources more equitably among Illinois schools. Since then, the state’s investment in EBF has increased from $6.8 billion in FY 2019 to $8.6 billion in FY 2025. * Tribune | At a tense time in American politics, Chicago hospitals prepare for Democratic National Convention: In some ways, preparing for the convention has been like readying for other large events, such as the NASCAR Chicago Street Race, the Chicago Marathon and Lollapalooza, say hospital leaders. In fact, it’s somewhat of a relief that the DNC is expected to attract far fewer attendees than Lollapalooza, said George DiLeonardi, vice president of security services and emergency management for Northwestern Memorial HealthCare. The DNC is expected to draw about 50,000 people, while Lollapalooza often attracts about 100,000 a day. * Chalkbeat | Amid financial woes, Chicago Public Schools to receive similar state funding increase this year: Amid a bump in students learning English as a new language and a dip in local tax revenue, Chicago Public Schools would now need nearly $1.2 billion to be adequately funded, according to state data released Monday. The updated figure, which is $93 million more than was projected last year, was provided as part of an annual calculation determining how Illinois will distribute state money to public school districts — and comes as the city’s school district grapples with complex financial problems in the next school year. * Tribune | Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant celebrates 100 years on the Southeast Side, from building the Model T to the Explorer: Built at a cost of about $8 million, the massive Torrence Avenue factory employed 2,000 workers at the outset, with the capacity to turn out 600 “flivvers” — a nickname for the Model T — each day, according to a Chicago Tribune story at the time of its launch. The new plant built nearly 107,000 Model Ts in its first year and expanded to Ford delivery trucks in 1925. In 1927, it switched to producing the new Ford Model A. * Tribune | Bud Billiken Parade 2024: Route, start time and a look back at 95 years of Chicago’s back-to-school tradition: Hundreds of thousands of spectators and generations of families will gather along the almost 3-mile route in Bronzeville Saturday to cheer on a variety of performers — bands, dance and drill teams, tumblers and cheerleaders — and watch honorary grand marshals and celebrities ride in style aboard floats and classic cars. And thousands of school supplies and other amenities will be handed out in Washington Park following the parade. * WGN | Dolton trustees: Henyard mismanagement may lead to layoffs: Three trustees from the Village of Dolton called a special meeting on Monday night to try and keep the village running as they deal with embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard. Trustees who do not support Henyard said she would not allow them to put items on the regular meeting agenda, so they set their own meeting to start before hers. * Daily Herald | Will DNC bring migrant influx to Chicago? Municipalities, organizations prepare for possible bump: “We know more new immigrant arrivals are coming and we are doing a number of things to prepare,” said Dianha Ortega-Ehreth, executive director of Elgin’s Centro de Información in an email. The preparation comes as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported a “significant decline in migrant encounters” in the wake of President Joe Biden’s June 4 executive order barring migrants who unlawfully cross the southern border from receiving asylum in the U.S. * Daily Herald | Buffalo Grove’s ‘human archive’ leaves after 38 years, will remain as chat bot: Administrative Services Director Brett Robinson has retired. He began working for the village 38 years ago, while still a student at Buffalo Grove High School. He has been there ever since, moving from the public works department to village administration. The 55-year-old Wauconda resident eventually was the village’s purchasing manager and treasurer before assuming his latest position in 2020. […] A loyal public servant, Robinson will still play a role in retirement — the AI-powered chat bot on the village’s website is called “Mr. Robinson” and has the image of a bespectacled buffalo with a goatee and cardigan. If you have a village-related question, you can chat with “Mr. Robinson.” * WCIA | ‘I should have died’: Missouri woman connects with Effingham firefighters who saved her life in Teutopolis HAZMAT spill: Terrie Tudor should not be alive today. She said it herself, along with the three firefighters who saved her life on Sept. 29, 2023. […] She was blind, using a ventilator and on continuous dialysis in hospitals in Springfield, Rockford and Hinsdale. Tudor has had five surgeries on her eyes alone. * WTVO | Rockford’s Hard Rock Casino to feature 62-foot guitar monument to Rick Nielsen and Cheap Trick: The black and white checkerboard guitar monument that will adorn the front entrance to the Hard Rock Casino Rockford will stand 62 feet tall when it is installed later this month. Rockford’s Code and Regulations Committee has recommended the City Council approve several variances to the casino’s signage to allow for the huge guitar, which is modeled after the pattern made famous by Rockford natives Cheap Trick and guitarist Rick Nielsen.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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Grayson’s ludicrous defense
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * SJ-R…
Ugh. * Here’s a video clip that covers the half minute before the shooting. Massey says what she says in an almost humorous manner. Even though I stop the video before the shooting, it’s still very difficult and traumatic to watch. There’s also profanity, so keep that in mind if you’re at work… When she says “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus,” Grayson says “You better f-ing not or I swear to God I’ll f-ing shoot you right in your f-ing face.” And then he pulled his gun, she apologized, went to the floor and he shot her right in the face. Evil.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Press release…
* WTTW reporter Heather Cherone… * WTHI | New data shows change in how Illinois funds its schools is reaching under-resourced districts: The Illinois State Board of Education released new data on Monday showing the impact of a change in funding for the state’s “highest-need” schools. […] According to the ISBE, the number of districts with funding below 70 percent adequacy has hit its lowest point since switching funding formulas. In FY 2018, there were 430 districts below 70 percent adequacy; in FY 2025, it’s now 49 districts. * Center Square | Narcan vending machines popping up throughout Illinois in effort to combat overdoses: Chestnut Health Systems have been installing the vending machines in several areas, including in Metro East. Officials said in Madison and St. Clair counties alone, there were 96 overdoses last year with 70% involving opioids. The project is funded with tax dollars from the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery. * Chalkbeat | Chicago touts after-school program growth but cuts funding: After pouring federal COVID relief dollars into a once barebones budget for such programs, Chicago Public Schools is now cutting funding for academic, arts, sports and mentoring before- and after-school programs, labeled as Out of School Time. This summer, the district touted a 2024-25 budget that “doubles down” on a COVID-era spending boost for extracurricular programs, which officials said has sped up students’ recovery. But in fact, funding for these programs is down by roughly a third, to about $31 million. * WTTW | CPD Has Yet to Launch Study on How Officers Are Deployed, Missing Deadline Set by Chicago City Council: Ald. Matt Martin (47th Ward), who authored the ordinance passed by the City Council on Feb. 21 that gave CPD officials 90 days to hire an outside organization to study how officers are deployed, where they are assigned to work and whether that makes sense, said he was frustrated the work had not yet begun. […] A spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department said Wednesday the contract to conduct the study has yet to be finalized. A CPD spokesperson told WTTW News June 4 that an agreement had been reached in May to set the scope of the study and efforts were underway to “finalize the contract.” * Sun-Times | Long-awaited Damen Green Line station opens: A new Green Line station opened Monday at Damen Avenue on the Near West Side, offering a rail connection to the United Center in time for the Democratic National Convention that kicks off in two weeks. Mayor Brandon Johnson helped cut the ribbon on what officials celebrated as a “visually compelling” station that closes a 1.5-mile gap on the Green Line, the only L line that serves both the South and West sides. * Block Club | Historical State Street Skyscrapers To Be Preserved After Feds Opt Against Demolition: Three historical State Street buildings previously set for demolition will likely now be preserved, according to a report by the federal agency that owns the buildings. The U.S. General Services Administration had previously sought to demolish the Century and Consumers buildings, 202-220 S. State St., in an effort to boost security at the adjacent Dirksen Federal Building on Dearborn Street. * Sun-Times | Are tornadoes surging in Chicago area? Not quite, but reporting of them is, experts say: Illinois surpassed 100 tornadoes in a year two other times this century, in 2003 and 2006. The state has averaged about 40 tornadoes a year since record keeping began in 1950. Some may want to blame climate change, but the recent rise has largely been rooted in better technology to track and categorize storms, says Walker Ashley, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University. * Block Club | Metropolis Coffee’s Second Cafe Takes Flight At O’Hare: The cafe opened in O’Hare’s newly expanded Terminal 5 this spring, and Metropolis is hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the location Aug. 13. […] Metropolis operated a temporary cafe with a stripped-down menu at O’Hare for over a year. The permanent cafe, located by gate M30, has a full menu offering a range of coffees, pastries, samosas, sandwiches, salads, smoothies, juices, beers and wines, Farhana Rahim said. * Block Club | River Otters Were Once Nearly Extinct In Illinois — But Now They Roam Chicago Waterways: The Forest Preserve District of Cook County and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources have done extensive habitat restoration projects and reintroductions to help otters and other animals. […] These efforts have proven highly successful: River otters were removed from the state endangered species list in 2004. By 2009, Illinois had over 11,000 otters, and today they are found in every county in the state, according to the Outdoor Illinois Journal. * Daily Herald | Islamic school proposed for shuttered Elgin Academy: Elgin Academy, the private school which closed in June after 185 years, is being sold to an organization that intends to establish an Islamic school for preschool through 12th grade students, according to an Elgin Academy official and a YouTube video produced by organizers behind the proposed Burhan Academy. Paul Druzinsky, the interim head of the nonsectarian Elgin Academy, confirmed the asking price of the 350 Park St. property is $3.7 million and the sale is set to close later this month. * Daily Herald | Hunger Resource Network board member shares food insecurity challenges: “Eleven years ago, I went through a divorce while living in Highland Park,” [Amy Levin Schneider] said. “I will bet you are having a hard time believing that someone like me, with a good education, has experienced food insecurity, right? But the truth is, I have. Hunger has many faces.” Suddenly, Amy found herself a single mother trying to support two children. She and her ex-husband worked in the same business, but when the marriage ended, it was no longer an option for her to work there. * Naperville Sun | New North Central College president says his job is to bring stability as the Naperville school deals with priorities ahead: Abiódún Gòkè-Pariolá, who last month was tapped as the 12th president of North Central College, says a need for stability, prudency and leadership during a period of flux for the Naperville institution is the impetus behind his appointment. […] With Gòkè-Pariolá named president, his previous role as provost and vice president for academic affairs will be filled for the interim by Kristin Geraty, who had previously held the role of North Central’s associate provost and dean of engaged learning, the college announced Wednesday. Geraty is the first woman to serve as the college’s chief academic officer. * Patch | $14.7 Million Referendum Heads To Ballot In Glencoe Park District: The Glencoe Park District board last month voted unanimously to ask residents to authorize a 25-year, $14.7 million bond sale. Executive Director Lisa Sheppard said the board is looking to maintain the quality of its assets and enhance property values through the preservation of the village’s beach, parks and athletic facilities while limiting the burden on taxpayers. * The Telegraph | Groundbreaking transgender candidate runs for Granite City mayor: Colton Baumgartner is running for mayor of Granite City. Baumgartner is believed to be the first openly transgender person to run for mayor in Madison County. If elected, she would be the first openly transgender mayor in Illinois, according to Equality Illinois. “I believe it is in my benefit to help the city, because I’ve lived in many states, and I truly feel like I am an American and I chose Granite City to be my forever home,” she said. * KHQA | WIU community to hold press conference ahead of expected layoff vote: Faculty members, staff, and students will gather on Monday with community members for a press conference in advance of the expected board vote to lay off an undetermined number of Western Illinois University (WIU) employees. Officials say reducing the faculty and staff who instruct and support students will not only diminish the opportunities available to students but will also have dire consequences on the WIU community in Macomb and Moline. * PJ Star | Infamous killer who was part of Chicago’s ‘Ripper Crew’ is now living in Peoria: Thomas Kokoraleis, 64, informed the Peoria Police Department in May that he would be living in Peoria at the Peoria Pathway Ministries, formerly Peoria Rescue Ministries, at 601 Adams Street in Downtown Peoria. Kokoraleis is not on parole, which means he is not subject to 24-hour monitoring by an ankle monitor, but Peoria Police Chief Eric Echevarria told the Journal Star he is required to check in with the police department quarterly. […] “I can tell you that when he came here, I did speak with the previous agency that he came from and they never, in the time he was there, had any issues with him,” Echevarria said. * SJ-R | Petition claims school’s diversity officer was placed on leave after off-campus fight: More than 900 people want the University of Illinois Springfield to reinstate its now-former Director of Diversity and Inclusion. According to a document obtained by The State-Journal Register, the university placed Justin Rose on paid administrative leave May 6 because of a potential violation of the school’s code of conduct and has since been informed that his $78,392 annual contract set to expire Aug. 15 would not be renewed. The move came 10 days after a fight at an off-campus party where Rose was present. * SJ-R | Springfield area softball team repeats as Senior League World Series champions: Chatham Glenwood’s Taryn Griffith dished out a pair of RBI hits in the first two innings and the Tri-County Senior League softball team captured its second straight Senior League World Series title 11-0 over Irmo, South Carolina on Sunday. Griffith scored Pawnee’s Ava Rodriguez with an RBI-single in the first inning before expanding the lead 6-0 in the second with a 2-RBI double to left field. * NYT | Justice Thomas Failed to Reveal More Private Flights, Senator Says: Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to the wealthy conservative donor Harlan Crow’s lawyer after records showed undisclosed flights between Hawaii and New Zealand with the Supreme Court justice in 2010. * AP | Prosecutors plan to charge former Kansas police chief over his conduct following newspaper raid: The raid sparked a national debate about press freedoms focused on Marion, a town of about of about 1,900 people set among rolling prairie hills about 150 miles (241 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, Missouri. Cody resigned as chief in early October, weeks after officers were forced to return materials seized in the raid. Meyer’s 98-year-old mother Joan Meyer, who co-owned the paper and lived with him, died the day after the raid from a heart attack. Meyer attributed her death to the stress of the raid.
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Question of the day
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * I’ve asked before whether y’all thought Sen. Durbin will run for reelection or not. Today’s question is whether he should run for another six-year term or not. Make sure to explain your answer…
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UIC research could lead to major antibiotic breakthrough
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* This morning, a commenter pointed out a story from last month. Sun-Times…
* UIC Today…
The study is here.
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It’s a law
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Lee Enterprises’ Brenden Moore…
Click here for the full list.
* WAND…
* Sen. Cristina Castro…
* Sen. Mary Edly-Allen…
* SJ-R statehouse reporter Patrick Keck…  SB3134 went into effect immediately. * Sen. Laura Fine…
* WAND…
* Sen. Rachel Ventura…
* Sen. Bill Cunningham…
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A good lesson for our crazy times
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Edgar, LaHood, Kinzinger and Walsh join ‘Republicans for Harris’
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sun-Times…
* Edgar has never supported Trump. LaHood was considered a moderate in DC, but his congressional voting record was likely too conservative for Illinois (and I told him as much years ago). Kinzinger has always been a conservative, and he stands on principle. For instance, from 2022…
* CBS 2…
Walsh didn’t invent Republican victimhood and phony outrage, but he took it to a whole new level when he was in office and for quite a while after he was booted by Democrat Tammy Duckworth. * Anyway, AP…
Thoughts?
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Open thread
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Citing fear of job loss, union pressures Trib to drop AI policy. Crain’s…
- The Chicago Tribune Guild, the union representing its newsroom, said Alden Global “proposed contract language that would give it unrestricted power to outsource newsroom work, including to artificial intelligence tools.” - The union has accused Alden Global of “slow-walking contract negotiations” and offering “non-starter proposals” that include the possibility of eliminating the company’s 401(k) match and refusing pay increases. The Guild won its union election in 2018 and has yet to reach a first contract. At 9 am Governor Pritzker will give remarks at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting. Click here to watch. * SJ-R | Illinois Democrats pumping ’seven figure investments’ into 2 key congressional races: Budzinski and Sorensen are seen as the most sensitive to a potential flip, especially Sorensen where the National Republican Congressional Committee is putting resources to his challenger Joe McGraw. Both, however, have still significant fundraising advantages over their opponents. […] In this election, Virden Republican Josh Loyd and Green Party candidate Chibu Asonye of Champaign are challenging Budzinski. Budzinski’s campaign, as of the latest campaign finance data from the Federal Election Commission, holds more than $2 million in reserves compared to $2,883 for Loyd. There is no data available for Asonye and a challenge to her nomination papers filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections is still pending. * Illinois Answers | Luxury Home or Vacant Lot? Cook County Assessor Misclassifies Hundreds of Properties, Missing $444M in One Year Alone: The Gilmores’ house isn’t being unfairly targeted. It’s being treated normally and reassessed every three years like hundreds of thousands of properties across Cook County. Rather, the inequality is due to the assessor’s office missing new construction and major improvements to homes and businesses all across Cook County. In one year alone, Kaegi’s office has missed hundreds of millions of dollars in market value, which is a foundational figure used in taxing properties in Cook County. The missteps came even though in hundreds of cases Kaegi’s office possessed the documents or data it needed indicating the homes and businesses had been renovated or that the vacant land had been developed, the Tribune and Illinois Answers found. * CBS Chicago | In wake of Sonya Massey shooting, call issued for referendum on whether Illinois sheriff should resign: Sangamon County Board member Sam Cahnman (D-18th) said he will introduce a resolution to have a referendum added to the ballot in November—simply asking voters whether Sheriff Jack Campbell should resign. Campbell has defended his decision to hire Sean Grayson, the deputy who shot and killed Massey early on Saturday, July 6, at her house outside Springfield. He shot her when she checked on a pot of boiling water in her own kitchen while saying, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus.” Grayson was fired from the Sangamon County Sheriff’s office and has been charged with Massey’s murder. Meanwhile, his past has raised new questions over the decision to hire him in the first place. * Tribune | Deaths from domestic gun violence rose in 2023 in Illinois, report says: Shootings related to domestic violence in Illinois were significantly more lethal in 2023 even as their overall number remained mostly stable from previous years, a new report from The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence found. The report projected that 130 people in Illinois would die due to domestic gun violence in 2024. The report, released weeks after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared gun violence a public health crisis, documented 109 shootings related to domestic violence, which killed 93 people in Illinois throughout 2023. * Tribune | Illinois trees and plants suffering widespread damage from renewed use of decades-old weedkillers on farms, studies show: At first glance it appears Hirsch’s property is an idyllic refuge on the edge of suburbia. But her training didn’t prepare her for an onslaught of weedkillers drifting from nearby farms and neighboring yards — a scourge spreading throughout Illinois as chemical companies revive volatile herbicides from generations past. Trees are slowly dying after being hit for years by weedkillers. Their once-robust canopy has thinned. Many of the leaves are cupped or deformed. So are the Hirsch family’s flowers and vegetables. * Tribune | Controversial staffing firm to remain in Chicago migrant shelters: ‘Right now, Favorite is our solution’: The out-of-state emergency staffing firm was first tapped by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in fall 2022 to run Chicago’s nascent migrant shelter system as busloads of Venezuelans began arriving in the city from Texas. That contract has remained the city’s costliest by far of the ongoing migrant situation, with almost two-thirds of the $433.7 million in total expenditures spent on asylum-seekers so far going toward Favorite Staffing, per city records from July. The Johnson administration has touted rate negotiations that have driven down per-resident costs and have saved up to $3 million a week even as an earlier spike in the shelter population this winter contributed to a whopping $276.6 million bill from Favorite Staffing since the start of the migrant crisis. * Block Club | Feds Pledge To Advance Nearly $400 Million More To Red Line Extension: Federal transit officials pledged $746 million next year to extend the Red Line south to 130th Street, up from $350 million. The total federal funding remains the same, but the move is expected to lower the city’s borrowing costs for the project. * WTTW | Watchdog: Chicago’s Workers’ Comp System Has Been Reformed, 5 Years After Ed Burke Control: The first-of-its-kind audit by Inspector General Deborah Witzburg of the city’s workers compensation system found “major improvement” in the system that paid $73.5 million to resolve approximately 3,700 claims in 2022. “As the program is ushered into a new era and the city works to clear a cloud of historical corruption, we welcome the opportunity to shine some light into that room,” Witzburg said. * Streetsblog | Amtrak’s convenient, timely Chicago-Twin Cities Borealis service saw strong ridership in its first month: According to preliminary figures released in early July, the Borealis saw around 18,500 passengers in June, or an average of 300 passengers a day in each direction. The May 2024 Amtrak monthly performance report showed that the service had 6,600 riders during its first 1.5 weeks of operation. The June 2024 report hadn’t been released by press time. * Block Club | Former Edgewater Ald. Mary Ann Smith, City Hall Staple For 2 Decades, Dies at 77: As 48th Ward alderwoman from 1989 to 2011, Smith prioritized creating park spaces, improving local schools, introducing traffic calming measures and preserving the ward’s historic blocks, her family, friends and colleagues said. Smith “radiated authenticity, sweetness, compassion,” and was always followed around by her dogs and cats, Matthew Smith said. * Tribune | A migrant family’s first year in Chicago: sadness, setbacks and ‘beautiful moments’: In 2023, the Tribune followed the Mendez family of five — Esperanza, her adult son, Fabian, his girlfriend, and Experanza’s two youngest children, Yuledy and Pedro — on a bus and train from El Paso, Texas, to Chicago last July. They had risked their lives to make it to the United States. A year later, they find themselves in deep isolation. […] “For months, my mind has been distracted. We’ve been in survival mode. It’s hard to keep up with everything,” said Esperanza in a recent interview. “All the while we’re worried about the people in our own country.” * Daily Herald | Why Aqua Illinois is building a second water treatment plant in Hawthorn Woods : Water system operator Aqua Illinois, which has had past issues involving customer outages, is building a second water treatment plant in Hawthorn Woods to ensure reliability of the system. […] “In systems like Hawthorn Woods, a significant leak, coupled with normal usage can strain the water supply beyond its capacity,” said Areca Van Mill, regional communication specialist. * Daily Herald | Despite lakefront focus, Bears president leaves the door open to Arlington Heights stadium ‘opportunity’: Warren’s latest comments — which came during the national TV broadcast of the Bears’ first preseason game Thursday night and in a local radio interview Tuesday — followed Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s declaration Monday that it would be “near impossible” for legislation providing public money for a new lakefront stadium to pass the legislature this fall. “The focus is the Museum Campus downtown. I still think that’s the most beautiful piece of property in the country, where lake meets architecture downtown,” Warren said during the ABC/ESPN broadcast of the Bears’ Hall of Fame Game Thursday night. “We are the largest landowner in Arlington Heights. We own 326 acres. So that still is an opportunity cause we do own the land. But our focus right now is to do everything we can on the lakefront.” * Daily Herald | ‘This is harming our students’: District looks to power down on cellphones in the classroom : The mantra at Evanston Township High School will be “bell to bell, no cell” as the school enacts a new policy requiring students to power down their phones and place them in a storage caddie at the beginning of each class. At Lake Zurich Community Unit District 95, middle and high school students also will turn in their phones at the beginning of each class. And Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59, junior high school students will be asked this year to store their cellphones in their lockers during the school day. * BND | East St. Louis nonprofit starts construction on $2 million workforce training center: R3 Development, started in 2015, has employed about 150 young adults through its program, which aims to connect underserved students of the area to good-paying jobs and build up the local economy. “For us, it’s about addressing generational poverty with generational solutions,” said Dave Kuntz, R3’s executive director. “It affects the entire family unit, family line. And this really bolsters the region, the city through jobs and economic development.” * SJ-R | Who’s performing, how much is admission?: Your 2024 Illinois State Fair questions answered: Free music performances are available each day during the Grand Central Stage Concert Series at the Reisch Pavillion. Among them, include country music singers Kylie Morgan and Drew Baldridge and tribute bands Taylor Made (Taylor Swift tribute) and Feeling This (Blink 182). * Pantagraph | ‘Love is love’ at annual Pridefest in downtown Bloomington: This year, Main Street from Washington to Monroe streets was closed off, as was the square around the McLean County Museum of History, for a fest featuring live performances, music, family-friendly activities, speeches from local politicians and a “Pride Idol” that Lancaster had been cultivating all year. * WCIA | Motorcyclists honor Sonya Massey with memorial ride: It was the 47th National Bikers Roundup — the largest camping motorcycle rally in the country. It’s held in a different place every year and is organized by African-American motorcycle clubs. “I’ve been to a few of these. I was here, I think about 11 years ago, if that long ago, when they had it here,” said Lee Bellmay of Indianapolis. “Except for this right here is a little different. You know, this it’s something else, you know; something added to it. Something we don’t want to have to be doing.” * Sun-Times | White Sox’ losing streak hits 20 after sweep by Twins: With the defeat, their 23rd in their last 24 games, the Sox are a three-game road sweep against the Athletics away from tying the 1961 Phillies’ modern-era record of 23 consecutive losses. … With the result Sunday, they joined the 1906 Boston Americans, the 1916 and 1943 A’s and the expansion 1969 Expos with the third-longest streaks in history. The 1988 Orioles have the second-longest at 21 in a row, which is the American League record.
* Pantagraph | : She and her Olympic partner, Sarah Bacon, became silver medalists in synchronized Olympic diving — the first medals won by the U.S. in Paris — and NBC had set up a Zoom feed in Normal, in the home of Kassidy’s sister, Kylie. “And speaking of family,” said NBC studio host Maria Taylor, at that moment, as she interviewed Kassidy and diving partner, Sarah Bacon (yes, Cook ‘n Bacon) … “Kassidy, here is your sister, Kylie, and the rest of the gang there in Normal, Illinois!” * Daily Herald | ‘I have truly lived the dream’: Dan Schatzeder went from major-league pitcher to suburban teacher and coach: Each Friday during his nearly 20 years as a physical education teacher and athletic coach at Aurora’s Waubonsie Valley High School, Dan Schatzeder would don an extraordinary piece of jewelry before heading to work. To passersby, the bauble on Schatzeder’s right ring finger might’ve looked like a class ring. But this was no mere memento of matriculation. No, this ring — with 15 diamonds set in a stylized, gold M against a blue background — was a far rarer keepsake, a prize awarded only to members of the 1987 World Series-winning Minnesota Twins baseball club. * Block Club | Chicagoan Shamier Little Smashes World Record On Mixed Relay Team At Paris Olympics: Shamier Little, a 2013 graduate of Lindblom Math and Science Academy, sprinted for Team USA’s 4×400-meter mixed relay team that smashed the event’s world record Friday at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games track and field prelims. The team — featuring Vernon Norwood, Little, Bryce Deadmon and Kaylyn Brown — finished the race in 3 minutes and 7.41 seconds, shaving more than a second off the previous record set at the World Championships in Budapest last year. * Tribune | Itasca’s Zach Ziemek sets an American record with his 3rd Olympic decathlon: ‘That’s what drove me the entire time’: After running a painful, rain-soaked 1,500 meters to finish the Olympic decathlon, Zach Ziemek sat down on the track and let the exhaustion envelop him. The Itasca native had partially torn his left LCL the previous day during the long jump, instantly dashing his hopes for a medal and making the remaining eight events increasingly difficult. The final four laps around the track — never his favorite event — were a test of determination, done almost solely to secure his place in the U.S. record books. * WBEZ | ‘Welcome home, Steve. You’re in football heaven.’: Misty talks to her husband, hand on his arm, and unveils the bust at his side. Dent, who played on the defensive line with McMichael and Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, says to his motionless teammate: ‘‘Welcome home, Steve. You’re in football heaven.’’ Misty has moved McMichael’s head so he can see the bust, and what he thinks of the epic, hair-flowing bronze sculpture is unknowable. But the likeness shows a young man in full glory, with a slight smile that can be read as great confidence or a cosmic chuckle, a laugh at the world of propriety, order and, yes, even awards.
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Live coverage
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Selected press releases (Live updates)
Monday, Aug 5, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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