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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The governor’s office is not happy with Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet)…
A short clip…
You can click here to watch the full interaction on BlueRoomStream. Rich has reached out to Sen. Rose for comment. …Adding… From Sen. Rose…
Illinois is paying the price for 340B medicine markups. Through the federal 340B program, nonprofit hospitals can buy medicines for pennies, then charge huge markups – even on life-saving medicines. Those markups have become big business for large hospital systems, driving higher costs for Illinois patients, employers and taxpayers. And the problem is getting worse. The program’s lack of oversight has allowed 340B to become a revenue stream for hospitals, PBMs, private equity firms and big chain pharmacies — with no requirement that the money be used to help patients afford medicines. It’s time for Washington to hold hospitals accountable and fix 340B. Read more. * Former GOP consultant Collin Corbett has announced an independent bid for Governor…
…Adding… CNN…
* WBEZ | Illinois schools have been required to teach Asian American history for 5 years. How is it going?: It’s been nearly five years since Illinois lawmakers passed the Teaching Equitable Asian American Community History Act, or TEAACH Act. It ensures that students in every public elementary and high school in Illinois learn about the contributions of Asian Americans in the economic, social, cultural and political development of the U.S. * NBC Chicago | A popular tree planted all around the Chicago area will soon be illegal: The invasive trees (Bradford Pear) are currently blooming all around the region “and are now spreading into natural areas.” According to the University of Illinois, the trees were widely planted in the 1950s as “a fast-growing popular ornamental tree despite weak branches that break off easily from storms.” (From Isabel: They also stink, good riddance) * Evanston Now | Biss backs push to repeal anti-BDS law he voted for: In 2015, then-State Sen. Daniel Biss of Evanston was among the 49 state senators and 102 state representatives who unanimously supported a bill signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner that required Illinois to divest its public pension funds from companies that participated in the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, in protest against Israel. On Thursday, Biss, now the Democratic nominee to represent Evanston in Congress to replace Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), wrote in a statement that he “would not cast the same vote today,” throwing his support behind a push from State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid to repeal the 2015 law. * Capitol News Illinois | New Illinois Chamber president seeks to bolster Statehouse relationships: Jimmy Clayton has been named new CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce following a decade of managing government relationships for the Illinois REALTORS. He told Capitol News Illinois he is focused on building relationships between the chamber and legislators while pushing lawmakers to take a balanced approach toward new regulations that will allow Illinois to attack new businesses. Clayton took over the role in April, replacing Lou Sandoval, who abruptly resigned in November. It gives one of the state’s largest business organization an opportunity to reset its Statehouse priorities and political relationships. * Press release | Ellman proposes plan to ban toxic herbicide linked to Parkinson’s disease: Senate Bill 3161 would prohibit the use of paraquat beginning next year, with limited exceptions for research conducted under strict protocols established by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. […] Senate Bill 3161 was heard in a subject matter hearing in the Senate Agriculture committee on Thursday and awaits further consideration. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Macquline King, interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools, hired as permanent leader: The board voted 18-1 to hire King, who has been the district’s interim leader since last June, when former CEO Pedro Martinez left after being fired without cause. Elected board member Jennifer Custer voted no. The board officially picked King last week over Sito Narcisse, the former superintendent of East Baton Rouge Parish schools in Louisiana who was named another finalist earlier this month. * Tribune | In 4th District, independents unite behind beating Democrat Patty García: President Donald Trump must be beaten, each independent in Illinois’ 4th Congressional District said Wednesday during the campaign’s first town hall. And the five hopefuls, many Democrats themselves, agreed: Patty García, the Democratic nominee, needs to go down too. Nobody in the group that appeared at a forum put on by the College Democrats at the University of Illinois Chicago has major party backing. And they all face the daunting task of collecting thousands of signatures in order to make the general election ballot, at which point they would be underdogs against Patty Garcia. * Sun-Times | Ald. Knudsen proposes banning city employees from using inside info to bet on prediction market apps: Knudsen is following the trail blazed by Gov. JB Pritzker and his counterparts in six other states by introducing an ordinance that would prohibit present and former city employees — and elected officials — from using insider information to bet on prediction markets. Apps that include Kalshi and Polymarket are being used to place bets on everything from election winners and the number of candidates entering a specific race for office, to budgetary and foreign policy decisions by elected officials. * Crain’s | Molson Coors beer shipments hampered by glass supply shortage: The Chicago-based maker of Coors Light and Miller Lite expects volume to decline 6% to 9% this quarter due in part to challenges with glass suppliers, Chief Financial Officer Tracey Joubert said during a call with analysts on Thursday. Despite the company’s efforts to work with partners on a solution, “a few pinch points” remain that are impacting shipments, Joubert said. In the first quarter, the company also faced disruptions at some facilities from weather, energy supply and upgrades, Joubert added. * Crain’s | Bank of America CEO eyes Chicago growth as commercial loans rise 15%: Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan refuses to prioritize which operations — ranging from wealth management to commercial banking — are the most important in the Chicago market. “We have eight lines of business to operate around the world,” Moynihan told Crain’s in an interview. “In Chicago, they all happen to be here. All of them have to grow to make the business work.” * Crain’s | Chicago museums would rather lose federal grants than ‘whitewash’ history: The Public Housing Museum last year lost four grants totaling more than $500,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS), although the two IMLS awards totaling more than $300,000 were reinstated. She’ll continue to seek federal funding on an ongoing basis, or new funding. “Our museum board really said, ‘As long as you don’t have to sign a loyalty oath and as long as you feel like your values aren’t compromised, then you should apply,’” Lee says. “We’ll see how it plays out.” * Press release | Clerk Gordon Statement on SCOTUS Ruling Impacting the Voting Rights Act: As the chief election authority for suburban Cook County, I see every day how essential trust is to our democracy. Our responsibility is to make voting accessible, secure, and fair for every resident – no matter who they are or where they live. That work does not change because of today’s ruling. If anything, it becomes more important. We will continue to expand access, protect the integrity of our elections, and meet voters where they are. But safeguarding the right to vote has always required partnership across every level of government. Today is no different. This decision is a reminder that the work of protecting equal representation – and the full promise of our democracy – is far from over. * Daily Herald | Kane County revamping property tax bill look: For one thing, if you want to complain to somebody about how high your taxes are, the bills will now include the names and phone numbers of elected and appointed officials for the various taxing districts. “The people I serve are frustrated,” Kane County Treasurer Chris Lauzen said in a news release. “They want to know who to talk to. This puts that information in one place, right on the bill.” * Lake County News-Sun | Waukegan joins school districts backing sales tax referendum: ‘A source of income that will benefit our students’: If public school districts representing more than 50% of the students in Lake County approve resolutions asking Karner to certify the referendum to County Clerk Anthony Vega by Aug. 26, voters will decide the fate of a proposed 1% sales tax funding education. The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday at the Education Service Center in Waukegan directing Karner to put the referendum on the ballot, and voted 6-1 to allow the use of funds to abate property taxes. With 13,640 students, according to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), District 60 is the county’s largest. It joins six other Lake County districts that sent Karner resolutions, bringing the percentage to 27.6% — more than halfway to the needed threshold. * Daily Herald | $15 million center for ‘complex’ GI care opens at Central DuPage Hospital: Nationwide, there are only a handful of standalone centers “that have this type of equipment, have individuals who do the techniques,” said Sethi, its new medical director. The center and its physicians are able to diagnose early cancers, remove tumors endoscopically and treat GERD, obesity and complex pancreatic and bile duct disease. * ABC Chicago | Old Joliet Prison hosting Slammers baseball game to celebrate Route 66 centennial: Bill Murray is bringing the laughs and the baseball to the Old Joliet prison Thursday. The Joliet Slammers will play in the “Big House Ballgame” Thursday afternoon as part of the Route 66 celebration. Inmates used to play on the field up until the facility closed in 2002 and now the Joliet Slammers will take on the Gateway Grizzlies. * Elgin Courier-News | Chicago mayor’s portrait added to Elgin High School’s Alumni Hall of Fame: “I know I am the mayor of Chicago, but I am still loyal to you, Elgin High,” Johnson told the gathering of invited guests, which included family members, old friends, former teachers, school administrators and local leaders. After being introduced by Elgin High School Principal Avelira Rodríguez González, Johnson quipped that her comments were the longest any principal had ever spoken about him. * Illinois Times | Some council members, community activists question SPD’s plans to purchase new armored vehicle: SPD’s current BearCat was obtained with Department of Homeland Security grant funds that were dispersed to the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System, which then granted the vehicle to SPD more than 20 years ago. ILEAS was formed in 2002 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks to coordinate mutual aid among Illinois law enforcement agencies. Behl told the City Council on March 16 that SPD asked for a new BearCat from ILEAS but the request was denied. * Fox 2 Now | School bus crash in Greene County sends 12 to the hospital: A school bus crash in Greene County, Illinois, left a dozen people injured Wednesday afternoon after another vehicle crossed the center line. According to Illinois State Police, the crash happened just after 3:45 p.m. on Highway 67 just south of Northeast 400 Street near Carrollton. Police said a North Greene school bus was headed north when a vehicle going southbound crossed into their lane on a curve. * WSJ | U.S. Debt Tops 100% of GDP: As of March 31, the country’s publicly held debt was $31.265 trillion, while GDP over the preceding year was $31.216 trillion, according to data released Thursday. That puts the ratio at 100.2%, compared with 99.5% when the last fiscal year ended Sept. 30. That figure will likely climb for the foreseeable future because the federal government is running historically large annual deficits of nearly 6% of GDP, which add to the debt. * AP | Inside ‘Scientology speedruns,’ the viral trend prompting the church to bolster security: The trend took off in early April, with users on social media posting videos of themselves — sometimes inexplicably in costume — entering multiple properties owned or inhabited in some way by the Church of Scientology. Participants film themselves “speedrunning” through the building, or aiming to complete a task as fast as possible per the common video game slang. That task? Map out the church’s buildings and get as much information as they can about the inner workings of the organization.
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All of a sudden, some folks have stopped talking about giving judges ‘more discretion’ (Updated)
Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Last September…
That “more discretion” phrase became quite a buzzword. * Last December…
* 16 days ago from the House GOP…
Partial transcript…
* Yesterday, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie introduced HB5757, with Reps. Windhorst and Weber as co-sponsors...
Press release…
They can’t talk about “more discretion” now because the judge in that case made such an egregious error in judgement. So, they want to just tell judges what they must do regardless of the circumstances. …Adding… Leader McCombie…
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup (Updated)
Wednesday, Apr 29, 2026 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Crain’s…
Illinois is paying the price for 340B medicine markups. Through the federal 340B program, nonprofit hospitals can buy medicines for pennies, then charge huge markups – even on life-saving medicines. Those markups have become big business for large hospital systems, driving higher costs for Illinois patients, employers and taxpayers. And the problem is getting worse. The program’s lack of oversight has allowed 340B to become a revenue stream for hospitals, PBMs, private equity firms and big chain pharmacies — with no requirement that the money be used to help patients afford medicines. It’s time for Washington to hold hospitals accountable and fix 340B. Read more. …Adding… From Rich: The sports talkers convinced themselves that today would be the day that Indiana finally beat Illinois. Nope…  * Gas prices just keep going up…
* Capitol News Illinois | Illinois retailers celebrate early successes of state-funded apprenticeship program: Tribin is one of 11 apprentices in the early stages of the program, which comes during a time of significant workforce investment in Illinois. A little over a year into the program, which was formally announced in February but began recruiting last year, organizers and participants already claimed individual success stories, touting a 100% apprentice retention rate as they focus on sharpening the skills of current retail employees. * Daily Herald | Bears megaproject bill takes baby steps in Senate, but ‘lots of work to be done’: “There’s lots of work to be done,” said Murphy, a member of the Assignments Committee. “We’re going to take our time and analyze everything that’s in the bill. We have one chance to get this right.” […] “We’re going to review what the House passed, gather input from senators and stakeholders and assess the path forward,” said John Patterson, spokesman for the Senate Democrats. * WTTW | Overtime Cost Chicago Taxpayers $544.4M in 2025, Including $285.8M for Police, Down 6.3% From Last Year: The $544.4 million includes approximately $77.3 million in holiday and compensatory time and more than $467 million paid directly to employees who worked more than eight hours a day or 40 hours per week, according to data published by the city’s Office of Budget and Management. By comparison, the city spent $581 million on overtime in 2024, according to the data. * Tribune | Chicago progressive leaders remember organizer Amisha Patel: Leaders of the city’s political left credited Patel with uniting community groups and labor unions by fostering deep personal relationships. Her work helped create the working-class movement that made Mayor Brandon Johnson’s election possible, they argued. Johnson, who is expected to eulogize Patel at her funeral Saturday, praised her work as a senior adviser to his mayoral transition committee, calling Patel a “dear friend” and her death “a profound loss.” * Block Club | Pete Kastanes, Vanished Chicagoland Founder Who Uplifted City History, Dies At 62: For a decade and a half, Pete Kastanes highlighted Chicago’s history online through his website, Vanished Chicagoland, and associated social media accounts. He died from prostate cancer on Saturday at 62. Kastanes’s passion for Chicago’s history spanned from the North Side to the South Side, as the historian would share photos and stories of the city’s yesteryears. He launched his first of 30 Facebook pages for various closed businesses in the early 2010s. “A Tribute to Kroozin’ Music II on W 79th St Ashburn Chicago” celebrated a record store across from Bogan High School, where Kastanes attended. * Sun-Times | Davis Martin’s hot start to a potential breakout season is built on trust with White Sox: Manager Will Venable might’ve called it a night for other arms on a young pitching staff that has produced uneven results early in the year — but not from Martin, who got two more outs en route to his fourth win of the season. It’s a sign of trust the second-year skipper has in the veteran righty, who has put himself on the map over the first month of the season with a 1.95 ERA that was tied for eighth in MLB entering play Wednesday * NBC Chicago | ‘Does not work’: Cook County State’s Attorney decries electronic monitoring system as broken: Burke on Tuesday lashed out at the system that she said made it possible for Alphanso Talley to disregard his monitor and allegedly continue a crime spree that ended in the shooting death of Chicago Police Officer John Barthelomew and the severe wounding of his partner. “Electronic monitoring is not an alternative to detention. It does not keep people safe,” Burke said during a late afternoon news conference in the lobby of the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. * Daily Southtown | Blue Island residents speak out against possible data center, mayor says comments are premature: Mindeman and nine other Blue Island residents told the City Council Tuesday they still feel connected to the former hospital, even seven years after its closure, and they oppose the property owners intentions to build a data center. Although Mayor Fred Bilotto assured residents the city has not received a formal proposal for a data center, residents said it’s not too early to worry that a place that once healed them could bring harm into the heart of the city. * Daily Herald | Schaumburg extends TIF district to Loeber Farm for controversial residential development: Three months after approving the controversial 33-acre Loeber Farm development, Schaumburg trustees approved a tax incentive extension to fund public improvements. The expansion of the tax increment financing district along Meacham Road aims to cover utilities, a bridge over Salt Creek and flooding solutions. The Loeber Farm has seen various residential proposals in the 21st century. This January, the Elmhurst-based Nitti Group’s plan for 43 single-family homes, 37 row houses, and 42 townhouses was approved. It replaced a withdrawn plan for 357 rental units, which faced strong opposition from Rolling Meadows residents. * Pioneer Press | Chicago Stars’ Bannockburn site is only for training. So is Evanston’s Ryan Field still in play for games?: Evanston and Wilmette residents who opposed the Chicago Stars playing games at Ryan Field might not yet want to breathe a sigh of relief — even though the Stars recently announced they plan to build a new performance center in Bannockburn. A spokesperson for the club clarified that the planned Bannockburn facility will function solely as a training center and not a stadium where games will be played. The National Women’s Soccer League team has not yet announced where it will seek to play games in 2027 and beyond, and it’s not known whether they might request to use Ryan Field. * WCIA | Macon Co. farmers no longer worried about drought — too much rain is now the concern: Here’s why: When rain comes down as hard and as fast as it did Monday night, it can pack the soil down, hardening it and making it difficult for the corn to poke through and grow. Eads said that they have to be careful what they wish for, because over the last several months, they were concerned about the drought conditions. * WSIL | Jackson County clerk weighs new Carbondale ballot drop box: Frank L. Byrd, Clerk and Recorder of Jackson County, Illinois, announced Tuesday that his office is evaluating the potential placement of an additional ballot drop box in Carbondale, Illinois. The move is part of ongoing efforts to ensure voting remains secure, accessible, and efficient for residents. As the county’s Election Authority, Byrd is responsible for determining ballot drop box locations. Carbondale, the county’s largest municipality, serves a diverse and significant population, making accessibility and geographic coverage key considerations in the decision-making process. * Inside Radio | Ex-FCC Officials Push Court To Break Agency Silence On News Distortion Policy.: A bipartisan coalition of former Federal Communications Commission chairs, commissioners, and senior staff filed a petition last November calling on the FCC to formally rescind its news distortion policy. It has been met with silence in the months that have followed, and now the group is asking a federal appeals court to order the Commission to act on their request. The former FCC officials, along with the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), filed a petition for a writ of mandamus Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The rarely-used maneuver asks the court to order the Commission to issue a final decision within 90 days. If the court agrees to intervene, it would not only compel the FCC to take a position on the future of the news distortion policy, which the bipartisan coalition believes current Chair Brendan Carr has abused to chill press freedoms. * AP | Push for raw milk intensifies across the US, despite illness outbreaks and scientists’ warnings: More than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in statehouses across the nation, The Associated Press found. A growing number of states are making it legal to sell. Dairy farmers say they can barely keep it in stock, even though prices can exceed $10 or $20 a gallon. Top government officials and internet influencers are helping drive this momentum. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downed shots of raw milk at the White House last May and previously promised to halt “aggressive suppression” of the product. On social media, posts about raw milk have surged in recent months, often touting unproven claims about its health benefits. * Tribune | Gregory Bovino finds a new mission in retirement: Trolling DHS: In a April 15 post, the Department of Homeland Security posted the disputed claim that “each illegal immigrant costs the American taxpayer nearly $8,776 every single year” and vowed to put “the American worker FIRST.” Bovino responded: “Then restart mass deportations and quit messing around with it.”
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Appellate court upholds Madigan’s conviction (Updated)
Monday, Apr 27, 2026 - Posted by Rich Miller * Click here for the opinion. I’m still reading through it…
…Adding… From the conclusion…
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