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Isabel’s morning briefing (Updated)
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: ICE agents accused of pointing gun at state Rep. Hoan Huynh in Albany Park. Sun-Times…
- He and the staffers drove to Montrose and Kimball avenues to warn others of the federal agents by honking and yelling when six agents in two vehicles blocked Huynh’s vehicle from the front and back. - Rep. Huynh said one of the agents pointed a weapon into the open passenger window and demanded they identify themselves as another agent threatened to break another window. He said he didn’t immediately take his phone out to record the incident fearing the agent would think he was reaching for a weapon and open fire. …Adding… Heather Cherone…
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* Tribune | Illinois elections board divided, meaning nearly $10 million fine against Senate President Don Harmon unlikely: The tie vote of the eight-member board — comprising four Democrats and four Republicans — left the issue of a $9.8 million fine levied against Harmon in limbo as his attorney, veteran Democratic Party attorney Michael Kasper, said state election law requires a majority of five votes to issue a final order. Such an order was required to make a finding that Harmon violated the law and to impose a fine, he said. Deadlocked board members ultimately agreed to hold the issue over until the board’s scheduled November meeting at the latest, as its legal staff and Kasper explored what, if any, past precedents provide guidance on the situation. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois video gambling mogul to seek GOP gubernatorial nomination: Rick Heidner, a Barrington Hills real estate developer and the owner of Gold Rush Gaming, formed a gubernatorial campaign committee on Tuesday, according to a filing with the State Board of Elections. It comes less than two weeks before the petition filing deadline for the March primary. Candidates for governor must attain at least 5,000 signatures to secure a place on the ballot. Heidner’s running mate is Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike, according to petitions being circulated. * Tribune | Republican race for Illinois governor already spiraling downward over questionable campaign tactics: At a brief news conference, GOP governor candidate Ted Dabrowski refused to discuss the public disclosure of a years-old draft harassment complaint involving rival Darren Bailey and his 2022 campaign. The allegations, stemming from Bailey’s failed 2022 bid for governor, were never formally filed in court and have not been verified, but were linked to a politically motivated news article shared online. * The family of former Governor George Ryan and First Lady Lura Lynn Ryan is liquidating their estate. Click here for more details. * Crain’s | City Council grills Johnson team on head tax, new revenue plans: Opponents of the mayor criticized the bevy of new taxes as either anti-business or unlikely to materialize in 2026 and supporters were careful not to commit their vote before ensuring their favored services are adequately funded. Budget Director Annette Guzman said the administration is open to discussions over how to tailor the head tax to focus on the city’s larger corporations. * Sun-Times | City pursuing the idea of installing slot machines at O’Hare and Midway airports, Council members told: “We’ve had a conversation with Bally’s about moving that forward. … We have been in conversation with them about investigating that. They have expressed interest,” Jaworski said. “There are some technical challenges that we have to deal with — ensuring that we’re complying with all the regulations that are at the airports. But those conversations have been ongoing. They have identified a site at Midway and we continue to work to move that forward.” * NBC Chicago | ‘Unbearable’: Katie Abraham’s mom pens op-ed on daughter’s role in immigration operation: “Losing a child unlocked a pain I never knew existed. Losing a child to a crime adds to the depths of despair. Having my child’s legacy be associated with a politically charged and controversial operation instead of the positivity and light she contributed to those within her community is simply unbearable,” Lorence wrote in an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune. The 20-year-old Glenview woman was killed alongside a friend in January in Urbana, Illinois, when the vehicle they were riding in was struck by a suspected drunk driver who was believed to be an undocumented immigrant. The alleged driver fled the scene of the crash and was later arrested by Urbana police and charged in connection with the crash. * Legal Newsline | Plaintiffs forfeit in face scan class actions vs Cubs: The Chicago Cubs appear to have quickly beaten class action lawsuits lobbed against them under Illinois’ biometrics privacy law, which had accused them and certain security contractors of improperly scanning the faces of people visiting Wrigley Field. On Oct. 8, attorneys representing plaintiffs in Chicago federal court filed a notice indicating they were withdrawing their legal claims against the Cubs and co-defendants Blue Star Security, of Rosemont, and Security Services Holdings, which does business as Protos Security. * Chicago Mag | A Sweeping Yoko Ono Immersion at the MCA: “It’s an Onopalooza here at the MCA,” says Museum of Contemporary Art senior curator Jamillah James. The museum’s new exhibition, Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, opens October 18 and runs through February 22, 2026 — its exclusive U.S. appearance. […] “The exhibition will really open a lot of eyes, so people will realize how much Yoko Ono has done for the arts,” says Tatsu Aoki, a Chicago-based musician, filmmaker, and School of the Art Institute professor who has collaborated with Ono. “I felt the same way about the David Bowie exhibition the MCA had [in 2014]: People didn’t know that David Bowie was also a designer, a painter — so much besides pop music. I think Music of the Mind will awaken people like that.” * ABC Chicago | Family fights for man’s release from ICE custody, details conditions at Broadview facility: In the surveillance footage shared with the ABC7 Chicago I-Team, federal agents dressed in fatigues exited the van, talked to Cabrera and his nephew, and, in less than three minutes, the men were escorted to the van, which drove off. The Cabrera family found themselves in the same situation as many families of loved ones caught up in “Operation Midway Blitz,” the administration’s codename for increased immigration enforcement happening across the Chicago area. * The Triibe | ‘Chiraq Team 2’: Oak Park attorney catches glimpse of federal agents’ group chat during arrest: Ten days later, Sakiyama ended up in the back of a vehicle used by federal immigration agents himself. The masked agents detained him at gunpoint on the morning of Oct. 20 and brought him to the same Broadview ICE facility. He sat in the vehicle with agents for about a half hour outside the facility before another agent gave him a citation for impeding a federal officer. They then returned him to his own car and wished him a good day, he said. The federal agents’ actions, Sakiyama said a day later, left him shaken. * Tribune | Amid criticism of police tactics, Broadview protesters begin appearing in court: So far, Illinois State Police, the Cook County sheriff’s office and the Broadview Police Department have arrested around 70 people at the protests, which have happened periodically since the September launch of “Operation Midwest Blitz.” The majority of the initial charges have been for resisting arrest, misdemeanors that at least on paper could mean a short amount of time in custody. At least three cases have been filed as low-level felonies. At least four arrests are listed for battery or battery to a police officer, and other charges include disorderly conduct and disobeying a police officer. The majority of the arrests have been made by the Illinois State Police. * Daily Herald | Palatine cafe closes following repeated visits by immigration agents: The business has seen great success despite opening four years ago during COVID, said Judith Martinez, who owns the cafe with her husband, Omar Garcia. But things began to change about three to four weeks ago, when federal agents arrived and started to approach customers, she said. Two masked agents encountered customers while they were eating breakfast and asked to see their papers but took no one into custody. Agents visited about a week later. This time, Martinez locked the front door when she saw them driving around the parking lot. * ABC Chicago | Harvey residents react as suburb furloughs more than 40% of staff amid budget crisis: “It’s a disappointment,” Harvey resident Destiny Martin said. “I mean just look at the city of Harvey. We need every piece of work that we can get.”Days after Harvey city leaders said they were facing a financial emergency, dozens of city employees and first responders got notices they were out of the job, for now. * Daily Herald | Democratic incumbents dominating fundraising in suburban congressional races: In the 6th District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sean Casten of Downers Grove is facing challenges from a member of his own party and two Republicans — and he’s leading in fundraising. Casten has raised nearly $1.2 million and spent $579,970 so far this cycle, records show. His campaign started the third quarter with less than $1.1 million and finished September with nearly $1.3 million in its war chest. Democratic challenger Joey Ruzevich of Chicago has raised just $5,501 and spent $6,175 since he started fundraising in August, finishing September in a $674 hole, documents show. * Daily Southtown | Orland Park touts emergency response drone program as it looks to expand eyes in the sky: The six drones in the police department’s arsenal are deployed to improve response times when emergency situations arise, such as missing persons cases and traffic crashes, allowing officers to assess situations from above. “So if we have a robbery in progress at a jewelry store, as soon as dispatch has information, they could hit a button and that drone launches and flies straight to the scene,” Rossi said. * Daily Southtown | Homer Township Civic Center future murky amid funding woes: ‘It’s haphazard at best’: The prior Township Board under former Supervisor Steve Balich began building the civic center, 15774 151st St., in August 2024. Balich previously said the multipurpose building would be ready for use by May or June 2025. About $2.3 million has been spent on the project so far. But the township does not have the money to finish the project, the new township administration said. The new township board, which ousted Balich’s administration and was installed in May, said at least $550,000 to $700,000 more will need to be invested in the civic center to complete it. * Crain’s | Amazon plans to add 1,200 warehouse jobs in the southwest suburbs: Amazon has leased a big warehouse in Bolingbrook with plans to add 200 jobs there by the end of next year and is poised to build a massive new sorting facility in far southwest exurban Wilmington that could bring upwards of 1,000 new hires to the area. The e-commerce giant confirmed it has inked a 10-year lease for 575,000 square feet at 775 Veterans Parkway in Bolingbrook, where it will open its fifth Chicago-area “sub same day” fulfillment center. Such facilities are designed to serve customers ordering things they need to be delivered within a few hours rather than a day or two. * CBS Chicago | Jury chosen in murder trial of former Illinois sheriff’s deputy who killed Sonya Massey: By 5 p.m., a panel of 12 jurors and three alternates had been chosen. The main jury consists of nine men, and three women; 11 of them White, one of them Black. Opening statements have been set to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday. The case is likely to rely heavily on body camera footage that captured what occurred in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024. * WGLT | McLean County Board approves long-delayed 2024 audit at special meeting: Val Laymon, who chairs the county board’s finance committee, recommended the county take action after sharing several complaints about how the elected auditor, Michelle Anderson, runs the auditor’s office. “Not only putting in place target dates for basic actions of the office, but also seeing an increased level of accountability and pride in doing the great work for the people of McLean County so we do not experience the same conversation in nine months time,” Laymon told the board. * WICS | Mayor Buscher to unveil community project funded by opioid settlement: The event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at Fire Station 1, located at 825 E. Capitol Ave. The announcement will be made alongside city dignitaries and local community partners, including Fire Chief Nick Zummo, Police Chief Joe Behl, and Ethan Posey, director of community relations. * WMBD | Landmark agreement signed between local fire departments to improve public safety: Brimfield, Yates City, Farmington, Elmwood and Williamsfield fire departments signed a joint agreement on Tuesday to expand their work relationship and reduce their response time. Called the Heartland agreement, the five volunteer fire departments will work together in joint training sessions, share high-tech equipment and share in bulk purchases. * AP | Anti-science bills hit statehouses, stripping away public health protections built over a century: More than 420 anti-science bills attacking longstanding public health protections – vaccines, milk safety and fluoride – have been introduced in statehouses across the U.S. this year, part of an organized, politically savvy campaign to enshrine a conspiracy theory-driven agenda into law. An Associated Press investigation found that the wave of legislation has cropped up in most states, pushed by people with close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The effort would strip away protections that have been built over a century and are integral to American lives and society. Around 30 bills have been enacted or adopted in 12 states. * WGN | What happened to focusing on ‘the worst of the worst?’: Pressed to provide the data, Homan made another claim: “Nearly 70-percent of everybody ICE arrests are either public safety threats or national security threats.” However, 71-percent of people currently in ICE detention have no criminal convictions, according to data obtained by tracreports.org, which gathers and tracks government immigration data. * Modern Healthcare | Politics puts a target on the AMA and its role in medical billing: Kennedy has long been a critic of the AMA’s role in medical coding, and so has Sen. Dr. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Cassidy wrote a pointed letter to the AMA demanding the group justify its monopoly on medical billing codes and reveal how much money it earns from licensing CPT codes to users. But Cassidy also labeled the association “anti-patient, anti-science” because it opposes policies to bar access to gender-affirming care for children and supports diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
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