Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * From Rich: Congrats to DeShana Forney, who was just elected the new Third House Speaker! * From Rich: The candidate ballot-position lottery was held today. If you click here and scroll down to “Link: More Information,” and then click that link, you’ll bring up the pre-lottery’s pdf report. Today’s lottery sequence is: 1, 3, 4, 2. So the “1″ candidate on the pre-lottery report will appear first on the ballot, the “3″ will appear second, and so on. As an example, Darren Bailey is a “1,” so his name will appear at the top of the ballot. Mike Bost will be second. * Press Release…
* Senate Democrats…
* Tribune…
* Block Club’s Colin Boyle captured some chaotic City Council moments …
* Press release…
* Governor Pritzker named this week Dog and Cat Adoption Week in Illinois during a press conference today…
* Holiday season is approaching, so take a moment to listen to this certified holiday classic from Tom Irwin… * Here’s the rest… * Tribune | Federal judge hears arguments on gun ban registry, while legislative panel considers rules for implementation: A federal judge in southern Illinois who earlier this year put a hold on the state’s gun ban — a decision that was reversed on appeal — on Tuesday heard arguments on a challenge to the registration process for guns grandfathered in under the law. U.S. District Judge Stephen McGlynn indicated he was not inclined to issue an injunction that would put off the Jan. 1 deadline for Illinois residents to register guns covered by the ban with Illinois State Police. * Daily Herald | Big upgrades coming to Union Station; more trains to Midwestern cities planned: A massive revamp of Chicago’s Union Station plus potentially more trains to Midwestern cities including Milwaukee are among the projects Amtrak is eying with over $101 million in new federal grants. The lion’s share of the funding, nearly $94 million, is earmarked for Union Station renovations. * Sun-Times | Another call for mistrial in FBG Duck murder trial — this one sparked by YouTuber’s removal from courtroom: While mainstream media outlets have largely ignored the federal murder and racketeering trial, the extraordinary events unfolding at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse have repeatedly spilled onto YouTube channels and rap blogs. In a motion filed on behalf of all the defense attorneys, lawyer Steve Greenberg said Aleta “Mickey Truth” Williams was pulled out of court last week after she falsely claimed that Rakeem “FBG Butta” Wilton had been paid to work with the feds. * WaPo | Pregnant women take a leading role in new legal battles over abortion: Kate Cox caught the attention of the nation last week when she asked a Texas judge for permission to end her pregnancy. Three days later, a pregnant woman filed suit anonymously in Kentucky, arguing that the state’s near-total abortion ban violates her constitutional right to privacy and self-determination. * Crain’s | As U.S. EV market flattens, some brands perk up and gain on Tesla: Notably, luxury kings BMW and Mercedes-Benz are carving out bigger numbers of new EV registrations, according to the latest data from Experian. BMW more than quadrupled its EV sales from January through October, with Mercedes and Volkswagen close behind. And newcomer EV brand Rivian, freed of the production problems that held it back earlier in the year, nearly tripled its new registrations for the period. * AP | Tesla recalls nearly all vehicles sold in US to fix system that monitors drivers using Autopilot: Documents posted Wednesday by U.S. safety regulators say the update will increase warnings and alerts to drivers and even limit the areas where basic versions of Autopilot can operate. The recall comes after a two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into a series of crashes that happened while the Autopilot partially automated driving system was in use. Some were deadly. * Reuters | Meet Ashley, the world’s first AI-powered political campaign caller: Ashley is not your typical robocaller; none of her responses are canned or pre-recorded. Her creators, who intend to mainly work with Democratic campaigns and candidates, say she is the first political phone banker powered by generative AI technology similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. She is capable of having an infinite number of customized one-on-one conversations at the same time. * Daily Herald | A hero is born: Drucker’s buzzer-beater lifts Prospect over Glenbrook North: Prospect senior Jerry Drucker’s last shot Tuesday night was the kind a player might pull out to win a game of horse. But Drucker’s driving and fading 18-footer from the right baseline over three defenders had much bigger implications at Jean Walker Field House. When it swished through the net at the buzzer Drucker had given the Knights a dramatic 40-38 nonconference victory and Glenbrook North its first loss in 9 games. * Sun-Times | Obama surprises South Shore pre-K class with presents and a story: Obama, who was joined by Parkside Principal Tori Williams-Hughes, CPS Chief Schools Officer Felicia Sanders and CPS Network 12 Chief Shenethe Parks, made the surprise holiday visit as a way of spreading holiday cheer in the community ahead of winter break. And he came bearing gifts. Each student in the classroom received toys, and every student at the academy got winter accessories. * WCIA | How three men saved Christmas in Champaign Co.: It took a few good men and an idea. It all started in December 2022, when a Toys for Tots trailer was broken into. Thieves stole hundreds of children’s toys and items — including bikes. […] “I made contact with these guys and said, ‘Hey, well we’ll get the bikes back. Tell me how many you had,’” Peeler said. “I rounded up a bunch of guys that I know and we just went out shopping and replaced them.” But replacing last year’s stolen bikes wasn’t enough. This year, “the guys” delivered 110 bikes, eight scooters and a big wheel — all going to kids in need this Christmas.
|
Pritzker says GardaWorld will eat the state’s costs of canceled Brighton Park tent city
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * A reporter asked Gov. Pritzker today about what payment arrangements have been made with GardaWorld now that the tent city it was building has been canceled…
* Asked what else was happening as far as site building goes…
* Any announcements imminent?…
* More from Isabel… * Crain’s | Oak Park helped Chicago house migrants. It can’t take any buses: Although no new buses have arrived in Oak Park since October, the village is currently housing roughly 180 asylum-seekers between its West Cook YMCA, the Carleton Hotel and local churches. Scaman said Oak Park is providing “wraparound services,” including daily meals and some legal support. * Block Club | City Paying Well More Than Typical Rent For Migrant Shelter Buildings — And Keeping Details Secret: A picture has emerged through interviews and public records: As the new mayor and his team grew desperate to find housing for the migrants, the emergency offered lucrative opportunities to some city contractors and well-connected property owners, Block Club Chicago found. In the West Loop, Johnson aides ultimately approved deals to convert three former office buildings into migrant housing at a cost to the city of as much as $1.3 million a month, according to information provided by the city. * ABC Buffalo | ‘Diversity is the future’: Working to recruit migrants to help restaurant industry staff shortage: “Diversity is the future. I mean we shouldn’t have waited this long to diversify the workplace,” says Kailey Gyorffy, vice president of WNY Chapter NYSRA. “Getting these people that have worked so hard in their countries and they’re completely overlooked by other major corporations in the area and we’d like to offer them an opportunity to show their skills and use their skills.” * Seattle Times | A year into crisis, Tukwila church struggles as 500 asylum-seekers face winter: Local and state officials were first notified by the church of the situation in the spring, a few months into people arriving. The state said it has prepared for crowds as large as New York or Chicago, but that hasn’t happened yet, meaning a full emergency response isn’t warranted. Because the crowd that does exist is outside Seattle limits, Seattle-specific agencies say they can’t help. King County has said that it’s mainly Tukwila’s problem, while Tukwila says it can’t solve this problem alone.
|
Chicago FOP’s new contract includes more money, looser disciplinary rules
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Better Government Association…
* So, did the city’s progressive mayor promise to spend money the city clearly doesn’t have to leverage stronger disciplinary procedures in order to prevent those multi-million-dollar settlements and weed out the bad apples? According to the BGA, nope…
* The contract does include this, however…
FOP President John Catanzara told me last year that he didn’t believe his members were receiving enough and proper training. He’s right. Man, if Johnson does this with the FOP, just imagine what he’s gonna do with the CTU.
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign updates
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Who thumbs it better?
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Starting off with Rep. Dave Severin (R-Benton)… ![]() * On to Rep. Hoan Huynh (D-Chicago) who has regularly posted thumbs-up photos since he started running for the House… * Back to Severin… ![]() * Huyn’s got a whole crew… ![]() * Trust me, this post could have hundreds of images…
|
Unclear on the concept
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * WEEK TV…
* Here’s some of what Judge Bauknecht said…
Um, what? She’d be willing to release him on bail even though she believed he was a threat to the community? * More from the judge…
Publicity hounds gonna publicity hound. * Yadda-yadda-yadda, the appellate court sent the case back to the judge…
|
Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic Illinois State Senator goes to Sen. Cristina Castro…
* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican Illinois State Senator goes to Sen. Sue Rezin…
They’re both highly deserving, but congratulations to everyone who was nominated yesterday. * On to today’s categories…
Please fully explain your nominations, and please do your best to nominate in both categories. Thanks! * Here’s your daily reminder about buying Christmas presents for foster kids. So far, we’ve helped Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy presents for 2,087 children who don’t have a lot going for them in life right now. LSSI, their foster families and people like you who help out every year are their lifelines. Isabel and I will be closing up shop next Wednesday or Thursday, so we’re running out of time. If you haven’t yet done so, please click here to contribute. Also, if you’ve already contributed but think you can give just a little bit more, click here.
|
Google releases renderings of Thompson Center’s new look
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
* Here’s the renderings from Google… * Google Chicago Site Lead Karen Sauder posted a blog update this morning…
Not to be preachy, but I wonder what precautions are planned for migrating birds? Especially since 1,000 birds collided with McCormick Place in October. * More…
* Block Club | Here’s A Look At The Thompson Center’s New Design: In July 2022, Google announced it would buy the center for $105 million and received city approval for redevelopment this October. Google plans to begin work in early 2024, and residents will start to see construction fencing going up soon. Sauder said the full redevelopment will take “several years” to complete. * Tribune | Google will reconstruct the Thompson Center starting early next year, but will retain the building’s atrium:One unknown is how the internet giant’s arrival will impact the Central Loop. The submarket was hit hard by the rise of remote work, which leaves downtown quiet several days each week. Many property owners hope Google will ignite a revival, much as it did for Fulton Market by opening in 2015 its Midwest headquarters in a former cold storage building renovated by developer Sterling Bay. * Sun-Times | Google releases new renderings of planned Thompson Center makeover: Google officials offered no details on what changes in color or material might be made to the atrium. The Sun-Times reported last October that Google received city permits to remove the atrium’s current metal and glass skin. The new glass exterior facade would also allow the atrium to be visible from inside outside of the building.
|
Open thread
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: NAACP IL President called to resign after comparing asylum seekers to ‘savages’. Tribune…
- Gov. J.B. Pritzker called the remarks “reprehensible.” - Reached by WLS-Ch. 7 while on vacation in Dubai, Haley denied the statements, but when confronted about them being on video suggested it was fake, saying “With AI, anything is possible.” * Related stories… ∙ SJ-R: Former leader of DuPage County NAACP calls on Teresa Haley to resign as state director ∙ WGN: Calls for NAACP Illinois conference president to resign after racist remarks ∙ WCIA: Springfield NAACP president called to resign after racist remarks in meeting * Isabel’s top picks… * Capitol News Illinois | As deadline looms, assault weapons registration rules still unresolved: Firearm owners in Illinois will have to wait at least another month before knowing exactly what items they must register with the Illinois State Police under the state’s assault weapons ban, even as the deadline for submitting those registrations is less than three weeks away. * Center Square | Federal judge ‘inclined’ not to pause Illinois’ Jan. 1 gun ban registry deadline: In Chicago, JCAR took no action on revised rules, opting to continue reviewing the proposed changes at January’s meeting in Springfield. The original emergency rules filed by Illinois State Police on Sept. 15 remain in effect. When questioned by state Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, at Tuesday’s JCAR meeting, ISP attorney Suzanne Bond said the reason they didn’t produce rules for months after the law’s Jan. 10 enactment was because of pending court action. * Tribune | Driven by global warming concerns and encouraged by generous incentives, Illinois homeowners turning to solar power like never before: Residential solar is having its best year ever in Illinois, with 170 megawatts of power added in the first three quarters, compared with 125 megawatts in all of 2022, according to data from the Solar Energy Industries Association and research consultancy Wood Mackenzie. Governor Pritzker is holding a press conference to encourage Illinoisans to adopt shelter animals at 11:15 am. Click here to watch. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WICS | First set of data released related to pretrial legislation: The Office of Statewide Pretrial Services (OSPS) released the first sets of data following the implementation of the Pretrial Fairness Act. […] Since Sept. 18, OSPS has completed 4,375 investigations and 2,318 defendants have been ordered to OSPS supervision. There were 1,496 petitions for detention filed in OSPS involved cases filed on or after Sept. 18, with 976 petitions granted, 469 petitions denied and 51 petitions waiting to be heard. * The 21st Show | Illinois’ First Lady MK Pritzker takes us inside the Governor’s mansion: In Illinois, the Governor’s Mansion in Springfield serves as the residency for the governor and their family, and the hub for the state’s social settings. The 168-year-old building has a very rich history, dating back to before the Civil War. The mansion’s history and its renovations have been documented by Illinois’ First Lady, MK Pritzker, through a new coffee-table book called A House that Made History: The Illinois Governor’s Mansion, Legacy of an Architectural Treasure. * NPR Illinois | Illinois anti-hate commission calls for unity, decries bias crime and builds helpline: A recent report by the Anti Defamation League found that “Illinois has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years. In 2022, the number of incidents increased by 128% from 2021 levels, rising from 53 to 121. The state’s total was the seventh-highest number of incidents in the country in a year when ADL tracked the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide. * Tribune | ‘I was working under the direction of the government’: Calm and cool former alderman and FBI mole Daniel Solis heats up Ed Burke corruption trial: The last time Daniel Solis and Edward Burke were in the same room together was November 2018, when the two powerful longtime aldermen talked about Solis’ future. Solis said on the secretly recorded video that he planned to retire in the middle of his next term, maybe become a consultant and “go off into the sunset.” He told Burke he’d still bring developers his way, looking to hire Burke’s private law firm for tax work, “as long as, you know, you remember me.” * The Landmark | Two Chicagoans file to oppose Rashid in March primary : The Rashid campaign filed the maximum number of signatures, 1,500, allowed on nominating petitions, while Synowiecki and Vasquez each filed about 650 signatures. A minimum of 500 valid signatures are needed. The challengers to the nominating petitions include former Berwyn mayoral candidate Brendan O’Connor. The petition challenges will be heard by a hearing officer appointed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. * Landmark | RBHS school board member Laura Hruska files to run for state representative: Laura Hruska has never been one to avoid a challenge. But the longtime Riverside Brookfield High School District 208 school board member is taking on a big one in the upcoming year. Hruska, a longtime resident of Brookfield, is running for state representative, challenging 2nd District incumbent Democrat Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez, who is an assistant majority leader in the Illinois House of Representatives and the chairwoman of the Illinois Democratic Party. Neither Hruska nor Hernandez has a primary opponent, so Hruska is guaranteed to face Hernandez in the November general election. * Sun-Times | City Council set to alter paid leave ordinance, but not enough to satisfy business leaders: The quick fixes teed up for approval at Wednesday’s City Council meeting include a six-month delay — until July 1 — in the requirement that businesses give their Chicago employees 10 paid days off per year, including five sick days and five vacation days. The changes would also give businesses 16 days, or “one pay period,” to remedy a problem with paid leave. But the so-called “cure period” would last only one year. After that, employees who believe they have been denied paid leave would be free to sue their employers. * Crain’s | The City Council will revisit migrant issues that sparked chaos in October: But a committee vote on the resolution supporting the referendum set for Tuesday was canceled and several members of the body have instead called for a City Council meeting to vote on their own non-binding referendum question asking voters if Chicago should remain a “sanctuary city.” * WBEZ | After swift backlash, Chicago drops restrictive new rules to public seating in city council chambers: The Chicago City Council Sergeant-at-Arms has “postponed until further notice” a controversial change to seating protocols for public meetings that sparked swift and significant backlash when made public just two weeks ago, according to a notice on the City Clerk’s website. * WTTW | CPS Security Guard Charged With Sexual Assault of Student Previously Cleared Backgrounding Process Despite More Than 20 Arrests, 4 Convictions: There was the time he was accused of pulling a silver BB gun on a man he attempted to rob for marijuana in Chicago. Or the time an officer reportedly found a bag of cocaine after it fell out of Campoverde’s pant leg. Or when the members of a crew breaking into vehicles in the southwest suburbs, including Campoverde, were arrested in Bolingbrook and charged with felony burglary for breaking into a man’s car. * WTTW | Family of 3 Boys Allegedly Abused by CPS Gym Teacher Suing School District: A family is suing Chicago Public Schools, alleging a gym teacher at a Northwest Side elementary school groomed and sexually abused three young boys. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of three minor, unnamed victims, alleged that Federico Garcia Lorca Elementary School physical education teacher Andrew Castro was able to continuously abuse the boys despite prior complaints of similar abuse. * Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools leaders want to move away from school choice: The move puts in motion Mayor Brandon Johnson’s campaign promise to reinvigorate Chicago Public Schools’ neighborhood schools. On the campaign trail, Johnson likened the city’s school choice system to a “Hunger Games scenario” that forces competition for resources and ultimately harms schools, particularly those where students are zoned based on their address. * Sun-Times | CTA Yellow Line operator knew plow would be on tracks before crash but not where, federal report says: The National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on CTA rail signals, railcar brakes and track conditions as it tries to determine why the train couldn’t avoid hitting the snowplow near the Howard Street station. * Streetsblog | Woman, 57, fatally struck by hit-and-run SUV driver is third pedestrian killed near one-mile stretch of Congress in Garfield Park in three months: The crash report says a witness told officers she was driving in front of the SUV, heading west from Pulaski Road (4000 W.) on Congress, when she noticed the SUV driver was speeding towards her. She pulled over to the side of the road, presumably to avoid a crash, and saw the SUV driver strike the victim and flee north on Kildare Avenue (4300 W.) The witness said she was unable to identify the driver because of tinted windows. * Daily Herald | Judge injured in explosion at Wheaton home: DuPage County Judge Kenneth Popejoy is recuperating after suffering injuries Sunday in a fireplace explosion at his home in Wheaton. […] Brill said a man was injured when a wood-burning fireplace with a gas log igniter exploded. Per department policy, Brill did not give out the name of the victim. The Daily Herald learned it was Popejoy from other sources, and confirmed it with office of the 18th Judicial Circuit. * Sun-Times | In strip club extortion case, brother of ex-Harvey Mayor Eric Kellogg found guilty: Rommell Kellogg was found guilty Monday of charges that accused him of collecting bribes from the since-closed Arnie’s Idle Hour in exchange for keeping keep officials in the south suburb from closing the strip club. * Tribune | Republican National Committee backs effort to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day: The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day. * WaPo | Pharmacies share medical data with police without a warrant, inquiry finds: The nation’s largest pharmacy chains have handed over Americans’ prescription records to police and government investigators without a warrant, a congressional investigation found, raising concerns about threats to medical privacy. Though some of the chains require their lawyers to review law enforcement requests, three of the largest — CVS Health, Kroger and Rite Aid, with a combined 60,000 locations nationwide — said they allow pharmacy staff members to hand over customers’ medical records in the store.
|
Live coverage
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
|
Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage
Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Danny Solis has been summoned to the witness stand…
* H/T to Hannah Meisel for putting this on my radar…
* Democratic Party of Illinois…
* Preliminary NTSB report on the Yellow Line crash has been released. Tribune…
Emphasis added by me.
* Here’s the rest of your roundup…
* Tribune | Will County judge shares frustration with pace of criminal case against New Lenox gun shop owner, business partner: Defense attorney Jack Friedlander told the judge his team received 300 pages of discovery last week and the grand jury transcript an hour before a court proceeding Dec. 5. Friedlander asked for a continuance to review the material. […] [Will County Judge David Carlson] called the delay for grand jury transcripts an “oversight.” Pointing to the two Secret Service agents in the courtroom, Carlson said he was ready to scold them for the delay in the case. In a previous hearing, Carlson said he understood the agents were not cooperating, but it turns out that wasn’t true. * Injustice Watch | Unsealed records reveal new details about Illinois appellate judge’s alleged role in decades-old fraud scheme: Judge Carl Walker was never charged and denied any wrongdoing in mortgage frauds perpetrated by a real estate client. But a controversial 2003 raid on his law offices has reemerged in an effort to remove him from hearing a case. * Muddy River News | After losing to Pritzker, Bailey using Miller playbook in attempt to join her in Congress: Bailey is going with the Miller playbook to beat Bost. He has called him an establishment RINO (Republican in Name Only), bashing Bost’s “liberal” voting record and pledging fealty to former President Donald Trump, the tough guy who doesn’t have the cojones to debate his opponents. While most of Illinois is geographically red, the big blue dot of Chicago and the smaller blue dots in Metro East and many college towns still have the majority of people and votes, which is why Democrats have all of the statewide offices and super majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. * Pioneer Press | Evanston plans event to select descendants for reparations funds: The committee expects to be able to disburse payment to at least 80 direct descendants in 2024, according to the letter, and those selected will be contacted in March to decide how they would like to spend the money. A majority of those in the ancestor group have been awarded funds from the city’s cannabis dispensary tax revenues, with 26 of 140 ancestors, those who were 18 and older at the time and directly experienced racist housing policies in Evanston from 1919 to 1969, awaiting disbursements or continuing to weigh their options. * Daily Herald | Elgin mayor proposes using $6M in discretionary funds to lessen lead pipe replacement debt: The city has been replacing lead service lines using $13.5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and voted Wednesday to approve accepting a $2 million loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. The city planned to sell $20 million in general obligation bonds next year for the program, but Kaptain’s proposal would drop that down to $14 million. * Pioneer Press | Skokie Village Board violated Open Meetings Act, Illinois Attorney General finds: According to the public access counselor’s review of information sent by Johnson and Van Dusen, the village board adjourned its open meeting session on Oct. 2 at 8:10 p.m. to go into a closed session to discuss pending litigation. “The closed section verbatim recording confirms the allegations in Trustee Johnson’s Request for Review, which stated that during the relevant portion of the closed session meeting, the Board approved the June 5, 2023 closed session minutes with Trustee Johnson abstaining,” according to the public access counselor’s opinion. * SJ-R | Injunction levied against the city of Springfield for “discriminatory” housing ordinance: A federal court has blocked the city of Springfield from enforcing a local housing ordinance that prevented people with disabilities from living within 600 feet of each other, over a year after damages were awarded in the case. * Patch | 2 Run For Elmhurst State House Seat: Elmhurst Alderman Marti Deuter is running as a Democrat to succeed Jenn Ladisch-Douglass, a Democrat who decided not to run again after one term. The Republican candidate is Elmhurst resident Dennis Reboletti, who is the elected supervisor of Addison Township. * Austin Weekly News | Illinois Senate President Don Harmon reflects on 20 years of change and calls for solidarity with migrants: “We need to do a better job of using these opportunities to create a more durable social infrastructure, so that we are prepared to handle the next crisis that comes around the corner, because once this one is addressed, another will inevitably come,” Harmon, of the 39th district, said. * Tribune | Rylie O’Meara: Chicago’s warming shelters are not adequately caring for the unhoused in winter: In my role on the board of Chicago Street Medicine and as a third-year medical student at the Stritch School of Medicine, I regularly go on “street runs” with medical providers who travel to locations in the city where people experiencing homelessness congregate and provide them with medical care. Unsurprisingly, cold weather injuries are common among those with no indoor refuge during a Chicago winter. * Chicago Mag | Cops vs. Counselors: Rebecca Neusteter, executive director of the Health Lab at the University of Chicago Urban Labs, which is formally evaluating the CARE pilot, says the biggest implementation hiccups are often mundane ones — “even basic questions like procuring vehicles and making sure people’s schedules align” — products of melding teams of first responders from different city agencies, with their own workplace cultures and systems. Then there’s this vital consideration: What if it had been a social worker, not a police officer, facing a bat-wielding Quintonio LeGrier? Are unarmed mental health professionals equipped to handle potentially violent situations? * Chicago Mag | Joe Shanahan: The Metro and Smartbar owner, 66, on DJ’ing, meeting Bob Dylan, and battling cancer: Metro was the building I could afford. It was rundown, in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood. We were duct-taping the pipes because they’d burst in the middle of a Saturday night. At first, neighbors were unhappy that we were causing such a ruckus, but then they began to realize, Oh, there are people around here at night who aren’t breaking into the cars. There’s a caretaker’s unit in the building, and I lived there with a .38 under my pillow and a cat that chased the rats out. Those first 10 years, it was pure adrenaline. * AP | Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers contract has $680 million deferred: Ohtani’s record-setting deal, agreed to Saturday, calls for annual salaries of $70 million, according to details obtained by The Associated Press. Of each year’s salary, $68 million is deferred with no interest, payable in equal installments each July 1 from 2034-43. * WICS | Hunters encouraged to support Illinois Deer Donation Program for community meals: Hunters still have time to donate to the Illinois Deer Donation Program, as the 2023-2024 hunting season ends. Donated deer help feed individuals and families in east-central Illinois, and hunters do not have to pay the processing fee at partnering meat processors. * Tribune | 4,000 days of prayer: A man’s journey out of Chicago street violence to a trucking convoy honoring the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe: Since he was released from prison in October 2019, Romero commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe every December with hundreds of other truckers in a pilgrimage the weekend preceding the holiday, on Dec 12. They join thousands of devotees who visit the shrine walking, running, biking and horse riding, making the Midwest celebration the second largest one after Mexico City and the Des Plaines shrine the most visited monument of its kind in the U.S.
|
NAACP IL President causes furor with horrific remarks about new arrivals
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * NAACP Illinois State Conference President Teresa Haley talked about asylum seekers during the group’s October president’s call… * From Ms. Haley’s remarks…
OK, first of all, 80,000? Not even close. * Back to Haley’s comments…
Haley is currently vying for a seat on the NAACP’s National Board. * Now-former DuPage County NAACP President Patrick Watson, who told me today that he saw Haley make the comments in real time, released this statement announcing his resignation from the organization a while back…
Watson told me Haley made disparaging remarks about LGBTQ+ people at the November meeting, which was not recorded. * Gov. Pritzker was asked about Haley’s remarks today…
I reached out to Ms. Haley earlier today and haven’t yet heard back. But the reporter who brought up the topic with Pritzker has apparently talked to her and quoted her as saying “AI can generate anything.”
|
Gov. Pritzker says he hasn’t yet spoken to AG Raoul about crisis pregnancy center lawsuit settlement
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here and here if you need it. Gov. JB Pritzker was asked by a reporter today if he agreed with Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s decision to come to an agreement with the Thomas More Society to not enforce the new state law which added crisis pregnancy centers to the Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Practices Act…
Looks like the guy who came up with the idea for the bill (Raoul) didn’t give a personal heads up that he was settling to the guy who signed that bill into law (Pritzker) and repeatedly defended that signature, including on CNN in August…
* Anyway, the governor continued…
* But why have the new law then?…
Um, the idea came from AG Raoul. * Was there an overreach by the legislature, because this is the second time the state has agreed not to enforce a law (judicial campaign limits)?…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
|
A new take on ribbon cutting
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Press release…
* It’s kinda hard to see because of the photog hogging the shot, but Pritzker used a plasma torch to cut the “ribbon”… “Nobody injured, nobody died.” …Adding… Another angle is here.
|
Question of the day: 2023 Golden Horseshoe Awards
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Democratic Illinois State Representative goes to Rep. Lance Yednock…
* The 2023 Golden Horseshoe Award for Best Republican Illinois State Representative goes to Rep. Norine Hammond…
Some very solid nominations were made yesterday, so thanks for that and congrats to our winners! * Today’s categories…
Best Republican Illinois State Senator As always, explain your nomination or it won’t count. And please do your best to nominate in both categories. * This is your daily reminder to click here and help Lutheran Social Services of Illinois buy Christmas presents for their foster kids. So far, we’ve helped LSSI buy presents for 2,086 foster children. That’s just so amazing, but they serve 2,530 kids, so please click here.
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Another update to today’s edition
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
*** UPDATED x2 *** Elections have consequences
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Buried deep within the Chicago Public Schools board agenda for Thursday’s meeting is a proposed resolution entitled, “Resolution Regarding Values and Parameters for New Five-Year Transformational Strategic Plan, SY25-SY29.” And buried deep within that proposed resolution is this passage, which was spotted by some readers who are Chicago parents and who then forwarded it to me…
It sure looks like the resolution, if approved, would eventually move the district away from charter schools and selective enrollment schools. These are, of course, longstanding policy goals of the Chicago Teachers Union, which helped elect one of its own as mayor. I reached out to CPS for comment earlier today. I’ll let you know if they respond. *** UPDATE 1 *** CPS responded and confirmed…
*** UPDATE 2 *** Hmm…
|
*** UPDATED x1 - House sponsor says she’s ‘heartbroken by the decision to back down on our promise to Illinois women’ *** Thomas More Society declares victory over AG Raoul
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * More background is here if you need it. Tribune…
* The proposed agreed order…
Emphasis added. * Thomas More Society press release…
* Personal PAC CEO Sarah Garza Resnick…
Apparently, the AG’s office has told folks on his side that he can use existing state consumer fraud laws against the clinics. But, if that’s the case, why spend the political capital to pass a bill and go through all this? This was his legislative initiative, after all. * Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Illinois Action…
I’ve reached out to others for comment. I’ll let you know. *** UPDATE *** House sponsor Rep. Terra Costa Howard…
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition (Updated)
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
|
Open thread
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
|
Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Under proposed agreement, Illinois would drop enforcement of law deterring deceptive anti-abortion practices. Tribune…
- Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office would be “permanently enjoined” from enforcing the law. - In a statement Monday evening, AG Raoul did not explain why he entered into the agreement but said it “in no way affects my ongoing work protecting women’s rights to access the full range of reproductive health services.” * Isabel’s top picks… * WBEZ | Chicago scraps plans for migrant tent camp in Morgan Park: City officials say a plan to shelter migrants on a vacant lot in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood has stalled because of a “lack of urgency” as the city turns to alternative housing options for migrants. The decision comes less than a week after the state of Illinois rejected the city’s first attempt to house migrants in winterized basecamps on top of contaminated soil in Brighton Park. An outside environmental report deemed the site at 38th Street and California Avenue as toxic. Construction had already begun before the state pulled the plug. * Center Square | Illinois’ gun ban registry rules in federal court Tuesday: While a three-judge federal appeals panel has since sided with the state, the law is still being challenged. Two cases are pending in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Tuesday afternoon, attorney Kostas Moros said plaintiffs will argue for the Southern District of Illinois federal court to delay the Jan. 1 registration deadline. * Tribune | Migrants arriving by busload in Rosemont and Cicero are sent away, but welcomed in Oak Park, as suburbs respond differently to crisis: Police in Rosemont allowed migrants to get off the buses if they had someone picking them up, but threatened to impound the bus and arrest the driver for endangering the passengers if he let them out, Mayor Brad Stephens said. The Village Board planned to consider an ordinance Monday to back up such measures. Cicero approved a measure to fine bus companies $750 per person for letting out homeless migrants, spokesman Ray Hanania said. Governor Pritzker will be in Chicago to celebrate the grand opening of the new mHUB innovation center at noon. Click here to watch. * Here’s the rest of your morning roundup… * WCIA | New professional licensing system coming to Illinois: “This new law will move us one step closer to streamlining the state’s licensure process to help connect residents with good jobs and alleviate workforce shortages across our communities,” Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton (D-Western Springs), who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said. “By providing IDFPR with this support, we will help promote an effective and streamlined licensure process for all Illinoisans.” * Center Square | Prosecutors push back against ex-Madigan chief’s bid for acquittal or new trial: Mapes in November asked for an acquittal, or in the alternative, a new trial in a motion before Judge John Kness. Mapes and his attorney argued that mistakes by prosecutors and the judge required an acquittal. Prosecutors pushed back on those claims in a 50-page motion in response. “At trial, the government presented ample evidence of Mapes’ repeated lies in the grand jury on March 31, 2021,” prosecutors wrote. “His motion for judgment of acquittal … ignores this evidence.” * Sun-Times | 100 secret recordings, 36 witnesses later, feds winding up case against Burke — but will defense call Solis as ‘hostile’ witness?: Burke’s defense team has promised to summon former Ald. Danny Solis to the witness stand — finally giving Burke the chance to confront the man who famously turned on him while wearing an FBI wire. * Daily Southtown | Calumet City Ald. Monet Wilson threatens legal action over Mayor Thaddeus Jones’ liaison appointment: Wilson said she recalls the roles being created by Jones when he first came into office but does not recall a more recent conversation that would have triggered the two latest appointments. The role of community liaison does not exist in the Calumet City municipal code. * Crain’s | Johnson wants recommendations to ’streamline’ city’s development approval process: Johnson will also create a new position of “director of process improvement” within the mayor’s office to implement the proposed changes. In a press release announcing the executive order, Johnson is quoted as saying the city’s current “processes are overly cumbersome and counterproductive for commercial and housing development.” * Capitol News Illinois | Secretary of State helps launch first-of-its-kind state ID program for inmates exiting Cook County Jail: Inmates released from Illinois prisons have been receiving state IDs at no charge since late 2020 when state leaders launched a pilot program, which was subsequently expanded statewide and codified into state law earlier this year. But doing the same with detainees in county jails has proved much more difficult. Prison inmates have more stable and predictable release dates, but jail detainees may stay for as long as years while awaiting trial, or as short as just a few hours. * Chalkbeat | Chicago Public Schools is tapping principal Joshua Long to lead its special education department: The department — known as the Office of Diverse Learners Supports and Services — serves nearly 52,000 students with disabilities and has been without a chief since June. That’s when Stephanie Jones stepped down amid fallout from Chicago’s violations related to the use of restraint and timeout of students. The department has also struggled in recent years to ensure students with disabilities are getting services they’re legally entitled to under federal law. * Tribune | Republican National Committee backs effort to block mail-in ballots received after Election Day: The RNC, which is promoting a “bank the vote” program to get Republicans to pledge to vote by mail, joined with the National Republican Congressional Committee in filing a court brief in the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the effort to nullify ballots received by Illinois election authorities after Election Day. … The case could have far-reaching consequences. During the 2020 pandemic year general election, when mail-in voting increased, as many as 266,417 votes were counted in the two-week period after Election Day, according to court documents. * AP | Speculation about eventual rate cuts is rising, but Fed is set to leave interest rates unchanged: With inflation edging closer to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, its policymakers are facing — and in some cases fueling — hopes that they will make a decisive shift in policy and cut interest rates next year, possibly as soon as spring. Such a move would reduce borrowing costs across the economy, making mortgages, auto loans and business borrowing less expensive. Stock prices could rise, too, though share prices have already risen in expectation of cuts, potentially limiting any further rise. * NYT | This Economy Has Bigger Problems Than ‘Bad Vibes’: The economy is growing. Wages are up. Unemployment is low. Income inequality is narrowing. The fearmongering about inflation proved to be, well, wrong. According to many economy watchers, Americans should be sending the Biden administration a gift basket full of positive vibes — and votes. Instead, consumer confidence polling paints a different picture. A recent Times/Siena poll found that only 2 percent of registered voters said economic conditions are “excellent,” and only 16 percent said they were “good.” While economic indicators suggest that the economy is healthy and growing, the American public doesn’t feel that way. Why the perception gap? * AP | Epic Games wins antitrust lawsuit against Google over barriers to its Android app store: Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game, filed a lawsuit against Google three years ago, alleging that the internet search giant has been abusing its power to shield its Play Store from competition in order to protect a gold mine that makes billions of dollars annually. Just as Apple does for its iPhone app store, Google collects a commission ranging from 15% to 30% on digital transactions completed within apps. * NYT | Texas Supreme Court Rules Against Woman Who Sought Court-Approved Abortion: The court ruled that the lower court made a mistake in ruling that the woman, Kate Cox, who is more than 20 weeks pregnant, was entitled to a medical exception. In its seven-page ruling, the Supreme Court found that Ms. Cox’s doctor, Damla Karsan, “asked a court to pre-authorize the abortion yet she could not, or at least did not, attest to the court that Ms. Cox’s condition poses the risks the exception requires.” Texas’ overlapping bans allow for abortions only when a pregnancy seriously threatens the health or life of the woman. * NYT | Why Are So Many American Pedestrians Dying at Night?: What’s even more perplexing: Nothing resembling this pattern has occurred in other comparably wealthy countries. In places like Canada and Australia, a much lower share of pedestrian fatalities occurs at night, and those fatalities — rarer in number — have generally been declining, not rising.
|
Live coverage
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Live coverage is back, sorta. This will be different than the old Scribble Live feed because Twitter broke itself and almost everything else it touched. These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of posting lagtime, but it’s much better than nothing. We are also limited to just 20 Twitter sources. The service may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees about this. You can still click here or here to follow breaking news the way we’ve done since Twitter stopped Scribble Live from working…
|
Live Ed Burke Trial Coverage
Tuesday, Dec 12, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * These new feeds do not update instantly. There’s a bit of a lagtime and you have to refresh the page every now and then. The service we’re using may also not last long. We just can’t give you any guarantees. You can still click here to follow the Ed Burke trial on Twitter. Posts without a Twitter author name below them are from online news sources via Bing…
|
« NEWER POSTS | PREVIOUS POSTS » |