Suspect named in Peoria Planned Parenthood arson
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background is here if you need it. News Director at WCBU Radio…
From Tim’s thread…
The official charge is “Malicious Use of Fire and an Explosive to Damage, and Attempt to Damage, Property Used In and Affecting Interstate Commerce.”
From the complaint: “MASSENGILL also told investigators he thought that, if his actions the night of January 15, 2023 caused “a little delay” in a person receiving services at the PHC, his conduct may have been “all worth it.”
Massengill offered a woman in Sparland $300 to paint the distinctive red door on his pickup truck white the day after the arson, prosecutors said. A paint grinder with red paint residue was found on the scene.
* From the criminal complaint…
On January 24, 2023, MASSENGILL telephonically contacted the Peoria Police Department and stated he wanted to speak about the incident at the PHC. MASSENGILL arrived at the Peoria Police Department, at approximately 6:00 PM on January 24, 2023. MASSENGILL was advised of his Miranda rights and was subsequently interviewed by Peoria police and the FBI. During the interview, MASSENGILL stated he saw his truck on the news while he was at work. Initially, MASSENGILL denied responsibility for the fire, claiming that he traveled to Peoria on January 15, 2023 and allowed two adult males to borrow his truck.
MASSENGILL then changed his story and told investigators about a relationship he had been in approximately three years earlier. At that time, MASSENGILL’s girlfriend had become pregnant. MASSENGILL’s girlfriend, who was in the Peoria area while he was working in Alaska, informed MASSENGILL, via telephone, that she had elected to abort the child, which upset MASSENGILL. On or around January 15, 2023, MASSENGILL heard or saw something that reminded him of the abortion, again upsetting him. MASSENGILL admitted that, on January 15, 2023, he broke the window out of the PHC and placed a burning container inside of the building. MASSENGILL confirmed that he had driven his truck to SOI-1’s residence and asked her to paint the truck white. MASSENGILL also told investigators he thought that, if his actions the night of January 15, 2023 caused “a little delay” in a person receiving services at the PHC, his conduct may have been “all worth it.
That facility doesn’t do abortions.
* His Facebook page includes an anti-gay slur and a post highlighting the county sheriffs who have vowed not to enforce the assault weapons ban. He looks to be a COVID denier. He also tried to recruit folks to go with him to the January 6, 2021 “stop the steal” march, and appeared to be pro-Putin. And then there’s this.
…Adding… Jennifer Welch, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois…
“We are pleased an arrest has been made in the firebombing of the Peoria Planned Parenthood Health Center on January 15. The damage to the health center is extensive and we are estimating it costing over $1M to rebuild. The repairs will take numerous months before we can reopen stronger than ever.
This senseless act of vandalism has robbed the community of access to birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and gender-affirming care as well as medication abortion services. We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, state, and nation as we continue to meet our patients’ needs through telehealth and at our other 16 health centers across the state.
If supporters wish to help out in this moment we have information on our website, www.ppil.org, to donate directly to rebuilding the Peoria health center.”
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*** UPDATE *** The Illinois State Rifle Association, along with the Second Amendment Foundation and others has filed a motion for preliminary injunction with the Southern District US Court. Click here to read it.
[ *** End Of Update *** ]
* More on that NRA lawsuit from the Sun-Times…
Two Second Amendment lawyers who helped win a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down a New York concealed carry gun law are now challenging the constitutionality of Illinois’ assault weapons ban — with help from the National Rifle Association.
Paul Clement, who successfully argued the New York case, is one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the latest federal lawsuit seeking to overturn Illinois’ two-week old ban.
Clement is a former partner in Kirkland & Ellis’ Washington, D.C., office who served as solicitor general of the United States, representing the government in cases before the nation’s top court from 2004 to 2008, during the George W. Bush administration. […]
Clement and attorney Erin Murphy began their own firm after Chicago-based Kirkland & Ellis decided it would no longer handle Second Amendment-related litigation. Murphy, who was part of the New York case, is also working on the challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Illinois.
You can read the lawsuit by clicking here.
* Also…
An emergency hearing is scheduled for Thursday morning for a second lawsuit against House Bill 5471.
The lawsuit calls the ban unconstitutional and an attack on citizens’ right to bear arms. Tom DeVore, the former Republican candidate for state attorney general, is the plaintiff in the case, and he is joined by former gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. Last week, a judge in Effingham County granted a temporary restraining order blocking the law.
* While he’s an opponent of the new law, Livingston County State’s Attorney Randy Yedinak told the Pontiac Daily Leader that the written public statements by dozens of county sheriffs vowing not to enforce the law wer unwise…
“I do think there’s a little bit of danger in people making these statements about whether they will or will not enforce the law, or they will or will not charge people,” Yedinak said. “That’s giving up the very discretion they have to use. We saw it a lot during COVID when the governor was passing all sorts of legislation and people were just banging on my door, hounding me on the phone to say that I’m not going to enforce these COVID laws.
“We had one particular person running around here in Pontiac (who tested positive for COVID and said) he was going to cough on as many people (as he could). If I would have gone on record and said I wasn’t going to enforce those laws, then I wouldn’t be able to do something about that guy. That’s something a lot of state’s attorney’s recognize and that’s why you don’t see a lot of state’s attorneys making these statements because there maybe a situation where we want to enforce these brand new laws.”
* Meanwhile, “Steven in Pecatonica” called in to Brian Mackey’s 21st Show today to chime in on the assault weapons ban…
Steven in Pecatonica: I’m calling to see if I could speak to what the gentleman was discussing in terms of the implementation of the law. It’s my understanding that my hometown Dixon, Illinois, county seat of Lee County, recently just this last week had a demonstration for law enforcement officers, showing them what amounted to an armored skid steer that they were being directed, they’re being told that this was going to be used for the implementation of this law. That goes in contrary to what the gentleman just said.
Brian Mackey: All right. Thank you for that. A skid steer. I guess that’s like a piece of heavy equipment, full bulldozer like thing. Sheriff Dart, are you hearing anything about this?
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart: Absolutely not. I mean, that would be contrary to literally every type of law enforcement doctrine that we have. I would imagine it would be something similar to what I said earlier about going to people with revoked FOID cards, where you attempt to approach, knock on the door and see if they are aware of the law and all these other things. That’s been the normal approach that people would take. It would be literally contrary to every law enforcement doctrine I can think of to use something like that.
Brian Mackey: Kathleen Sances, I can’t remember if it was you or one of the other guests who mentioned misinformation from people who are advocating for a broader view of gun rights. Say more about what your perspective is on that.
Kathleen Sances with GPAC: The sheriff touched on this. Nothing in this bill says that we’re going to knock on your door and take your existing collection of weapons and if you do have existing weapons, you have almost a year to get them registered. So I think that that’s the disinformation we’re talking about. This whole notion of confiscation is a typical gun lobby talking point. The gun lobby is motivated by the greed of the gun manufacturers who are worried about their profits. And you know, on the other side, our coalition is a movement of survivors, advocates, policy experts, faith leaders and youth who are motivated to keep our families and communities safe. And we’re going to continue to do so. We’re going to stand up and fight against this disinformation.
Not sure where Steven in Pecatonica got his info, but there’s nothing on the Lee County sheriff’s Facebook page, nothing in the Google and I searched a couple of social media sites and found nothing there, either. Maybe some of you can help track down this rumor.
…Adding… Just as an FYI, the SAFE-T Act prohibits purchases of these tracked armored vehicles.
* Gun rights advocate Todd Vandermyde was on the same show today and said this…
They simply want to make it impossible for people on the South Side, people on the West Side to be able to obtain a firearm either through regulations, red tape, fees, or whatever. This is your modern Jim Crow law.
Um, OK.
* Press release…
Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Attorney General for the District of Columbia Brian Schwalb led a coalition of 18 attorneys general asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit to reverse a lower court decision that enjoined New York’s prohibition on carrying firearms in places of worship and religious observation. In an amicus brief, Raoul and the coalition argue that the prohibition is consistent with U.S. Supreme Court precedent and with a long tradition of similar regulations designed to meet the states’ responsibility to protect their residents from the harmful effects of gun violence.
The coalition argues that states have an interest in limiting the possession and use of firearms in locations where people exercise other constitutionally protected rights, where vulnerable populations like children and older adults gather, and where large groups of people meet in confined spaces. Locations like churches, synagogues, and mosques are the heart of many people’s religious exercise. The brief notes that they are also increasingly targets of gun violence, which may dissuade people from attending religious services and otherwise exercising their First Amendment rights.
“States have the authority to craft policies that best protect their residents from gun violence – including those restricting firearms in places where large groups of people gather in confined spaces to exercise their constitutional right to observe their religious beliefs,” Raoul said. “States’ long-standing authority to tailor firearm regulations to local nuances is essential for policymakers to be able to address gun violence and keep their communities safe.”
The brief explains that though the U.S. Supreme Court recently altered the judicial analysis for Second Amendment claims in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the court’s decision did not upend the states’ long-standing authority to regulate the carrying of firearms in certain places. The court reaffirmed in Bruen that the Second Amendment has never given Americans an unrestricted right to carry loaded firearms in all public places. Instead, states may enact a variety of regulations to combat the problem of gun violence, including solutions tailored to local needs.
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Chicago and crime
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* It seems that almost all candidates for local offices in Chicago are talking about crime these days. Even Chuy Garcia put the crime problem at the center of his campaign TV ad.
So, while I don’t agree with everything in this blog comment from the other day, I think it’s pretty insightful overall…
I think there are a few answers to why the crime rate from 25 years ago is so disturbing to modern day Chicagoans.
First, many Chicagoans moved there during the 2000s when things were better. They don’t remember the 80s. They wouldn’t have moved in if things were like the 80s.
Second, like it or not, we are now in a position to read every detail of every attack on the red line or Logan Square or anywhere else. If it bleeds it leads has always been a thing, but the media back in the day would pick one or two stories, not deluge their audience with a full hour of crime stories. Social media, however, can. I think that’s for the better, too much was hidden back in the day, and social media makes for a better telling of full scope of the crime (not just the primary but secondary and tertiary victims).
3rd where the crimes happen has changed a bit. Violent crime on the CTA was low even in the 80s. Crime didn’t happen in wealthier neighborhoods in the 80s. It was limited to places like Uptown and other poorer neighborhoods. Here I would say that Preckwinkle was both correct and impolitic in her observations about violent crime and wealthier neighborhoods.
* And while folks like the governor and others have been saying that crime is going down, check out these year to date numbers and historical comparisons from the Chicago Police Department…
Yes, it’s only a few weeks of data, but it doesn’t look good. And the election is coming up fast.
…Adding… The vehicular hijacking data for this month is here.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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* Press release…
The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other pro-Second Amendment organizations filed a lawsuit today challenging the Illinois law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker that bans commonly owned firearms and magazines.
“The Supreme Court already ruled that the Second Amendment protects the right to keep arms that are commonly used by the people,” said John Weber, NRA Illinois state director. “Gov. Pritzker’s decision to ignore the court and sign this bill demonstrates a blatant disregard for the rule of law and a willful ignorance of the nightmare he and his anti-gun allies in the statehouse have created with their soft-on-crime policies.”
Originally known as House Bill 5471, the law bans many semi-automatic firearms that law-abiding citizens commonly own for self-defense, competition, and recreation. It also bans certain spare parts for those firearms, handgun magazines that can hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition, long gun magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition, and a “combination[s] of parts” from which such magazines can be assembled. Additionally, the bill also expands the duration of “red flag” law restraining orders from six to 12 months.
“Instead of arresting, prosecuting, and punishing the criminals who break the law, Gov. Pritzker is focusing his attention on those who haven’t broken any laws. The people of Illinois deserve better,” Weber concluded.
That’s definitely one to watch.
*** UPDATE *** Another one…
Members of the Illinois Gun Rights Alliance (ILGRA) today filed a federal lawsuit challenging the recently adopted Protect Illinois Communities Act, alleging it to be an infringement on the constitutionally protected activity of Illinois sportsmen, firearms retailers, distributors, and manufacturers, and lawful users of firearms. Defendants are Governor Pritzker, Attorney General of Illinois Kwame Rauol, and Brendan F. Kelly, Director of the Illinois State Police.
Named plaintiffs in this action are:
• Federal Firearms Licensees of Illinois, Inc – the FFL Dealers’ Association
• Guns Save Life – an Illinois-based, grass-roots gun rights organization
• Gun Owners of America - a national grass-roots gun rights organization
• Three private citizens
• One local dealer
“We are, or represent, members and supporters who are law-abiding Illinois residents who seek to purchase, sell, and protect themselves, and/or their homes and families with firearms owned and in common use by millions of Americans for self-defense,” the complaint begins.
“We began with the so-called ‘Assault Weapon’ ban,” said Mandi Sano, FFL-IL Spokesman. “As the Governor and General Assembly gleefully strip law-abiding Illinois retailers and gun-owners of their gun rights, property rights, and privacy, we will not stand by. We will act.”
“Our group has said all along that we will not help the State craft a ‘better bill,’ we will not provide subject matter expertise, and that if the State wishes to read our opinions, it may do so in the complaint,” added FFL-IL President Dan Eldridge.
John Boch, Executive Director of Guns Save Life, Inc. holds that, “the so-called Protect Illinois Communities Act does nothing to actually protect Illinois communities. Its only effect is to criminalize law-abiding gun owners. The General Assembly should instead be holding criminals accountable for violent crimes.”
The measure remains broadly unpopular, sparking a surge in purchases before the Act’s effective date and drawing the opposition of more than 80 of the State’s 102 Sheriffs.
“The Supreme Court has reset the table by striking down New York’s concealed carry ‘may-issue’ law and along with it magazine limits in California and New Jersey, and Maryland’s ’assault weapon’ ban. We seek immediate state-wide relief from enforcement of this unconstitutional law and look forward to prevailing in the Federal Court.” concluded Ms. Sano.
Click here for the suit.
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Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced a settlement agreement today with online used-car retailer Carvana, which admitted to violating Illinois law and agreed to abide by new restrictions aimed at protecting consumers. Illinois was the first state in the nation to suspend Carvana’s license in May 2022.
“The admission by Carvana demonstrates what we knew all along: that Carvana was violating the law in a manner that was harmful to Illinois consumers,” Giannoulias said. “Under my administration, I will do everything to ensure that proper safeguards are in place that protect Illinois consumers regardless of how they purchase a vehicle.”
Click here to watch a video statement from Secretary Giannoulias.
Illinois began investigating Carvana’s practices in February 2022 after customers alleged it was issuing out-of-state temporary registration permits and for failing to transfer titles in a timely manner as required by the state’s vehicle code.
The agreement also calls for Carvana to: adhere to Illinois law in the future; surrender its $250,000 bond; and allow for pre- and post-licensing Secretary of State Police inspections to ensure it remains in compliance. Most important, the settlement agreement allows the Illinois Secretary of State to summarily suspend and revoke Carvana’s dealership license once again if it fails to comply with either the agreement or the laws.
Secretary Giannoulias emphasized that Carvana’s actions of putting unregistered license plates on vehicles jeopardized Illinois consumers who were at risk of being ticketed by law enforcement for driving without proper title and registration.
Prior to the settlement agreement, Carvana was allowed to sell cars, but only under strict guidelines set forth by a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) granted by a DuPage County judge. Under these guidelines, Carvana was not allowed to issue temporary registration permits or license plates, but was required to register titles through Illinois remitters, which are third-party entities licensed in Illinois to process title transactions. This ensured titles would be processed expeditiously.
…Adding… From Carvana…
Carvana, a pioneer in the automotive industry, will continue selling and buying vehicles using the Company’s innovative e-commerce platform as well as its iconic car vending machine located in Oak Brook, Illinois under an agreement reached today with the Illinois Secretary of State.
Upon reaching this agreement, the Company issued the following statement:
“For the past eight years, we have been an economic engine in the state by providing Illinoisans with an unmatched e-commerce experience that includes great selection, home delivery and a 7-day money back guarantee and today’s agreement with the Secretary of State allows us to move forward in our journey to becoming the largest automotive retailer,” said Alan Hoffman, Carvana Head of Corporate Affairs. “We look forward to working with Secretary Giannoulias to ensure customers continue having access to the best car buying and selling experience possible.”
* Chicago Tribune editorial headline from 2016…
Say ‘no’ to more Chicago business mandates, including paid sick time
Chicago Tribune editorial headline from today…
A week’s paid leave? What took Illinois so long?
* Press release…
Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) today announced that $113.8 million has been awarded to downstate transit providers as part of the historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. The funding brings the total investment in downstate transit via competitive grants to $337.8 million, supporting the Governor’s mission to create economic opportunity by improving all modes of transportation while boosting safety and efficiency. […]
Today’s announcement, made in Decatur to celebrate three awards that will help expand the city’s transit campus, install solar panels on a bus barn, and replace older vehicles with hybrids, represents the third round of competitive grants in Rebuild Illinois funding to invest in transit outside the Chicago area. Awards are supporting projects that include the purchase of new vehicles as well as the construction of bus shelters, plus stations and maintenance facilities that expand and improve service. The projects provide more transportation options in downstate communities and promote an enhanced quality of life. […]
A total of 32 transit systems are receiving $113.8 million to advance 44 projects, including:
• St. Clair County Transit District, $10.8 million for the electrification of transit vehicles with supporting charging stations.
• Champaign–Urbana Mass Transit District, $7.2 million for hybrid bus replacement.
• Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK), $6 million to replace six buses with zero emission buses.
• Sangamon Mass Transit District, $6.9 million for a secondary transfer center.
• Coles County, $70,000 for new bus passenger shelters.
• City of Macomb and McDonough County Public Transportation, $2 million for new buses.
* Something that’s been noted by many since last year’s campaign is the number of junk polls, mainly GOP in origin, flooding the discourse and skewing the average to make a “Red Wave” look much bigger than it turned out to be. As a result, some money shifted away from competitive races to shore up what had been presumed to be comfortable Democratic incumbents. An argument can be made that this may have cost Wisconsin Democrats a Senate seat, among others. And, right here in Illinois, junk polls were used to try to stir up money for and news media interest in Republican candidates who wound up being clobbered. Is this happening again in the city’s mayor’s race?
Here’s a Paul Vallas campaign press release. The first poll is from a GOP pollster and the second is not verifiable…
According to an independent poll by M3 Strategies, mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is now leading the field in the race for Chicago Mayor with 26% of the vote. Vallas is followed by Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia and Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, with Mayor Lori Lightfoot in fourth and businessman Willie Wilson in fifth place among the nine candidate field.
“These polling results prove what our campaign already knew — that Paul Vallas is surging and establishing himself as a frontrunner in the race for Mayor,” said Vallas campaign chief strategist Joe Trippi. “Paul’s message of putting crime and Chicago’s safety first is clearly resonating with the voters and our campaign has the financial resources and support necessary to continue driving that message home over the next six weeks.”
The results of the poll are consistent with another that was reportedly done on behalf of the SEIU Healthcare union, which also shows Vallas in the lead with 32% of the vote.
Yeah, about that second “poll”…
SEIU Healthcare Illinois issued the following response to coverage by NBC 5 concerning a poll attributed to SEIU Healthcare:
NBC 5 recently reported on a poll “conducted by Celinda Lake with SEIU Healthcare” stating that NBC had reached out to SEIU Healthcare concerning the poll but had “not yet heard back” from us.
This is not our poll. Our only knowledge of this poll has come from media sources. We are not currently working with Celinda Lake on any polling projects.
We communicated this information to NBC 5’s Mary Ann Ahern on Sunday evening.
And yet the Vallas campaign still flung it out there.
* Mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson’s website…
Audit Lightfoot’s Inefficient Spending to Save Half a Billion
Ah, yes, the ol’ waste, fraud and abuse approach.
More magic…
Stop Raising Property Taxes
…Adding… Has anyone told him he lost?…
Enough with this nonsense! The Republican Party wants to distract from their failures by blaming the candidates that…
Posted by Darren Bailey on Tuesday, January 24, 2023
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WTVO | New Illinois House Budgeteer first woman, African-American to hold position: The Illinois House of Representatives has a new Chief Budgeteer, and she is making history with the new title. Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth is now the first woman, and first African American lawmaker to run budget negotiations for the House.
* ABC Chicago | Hundreds pack DuPage County Board meeting to criticize, laud sheriff over assault weapons ban: On Tuesday morning, DuPage County residents from both sides of the aisle, both for and against the ban, filled the county board meeting rooms, passionate about how they feel about this new law.
* Chalkbeat | Illinois public school enrollment continues to drop, preliminary numbers show: Preliminary data released last week by the Illinois State Board of Education shows overall enrollment dropped by about 31,000 students — or 1.7% — between last school year and the current one, according to numbers as of Dec. 14. Chicago Public Schools accounts for at least a quarter of the decline. The district lost 9,000 students and its place as the third largest school district in the country.
* Tribune | Who are the candidates for mayor of Chicago?: Voters in Chicago will head to the polls on Feb. 28 to cast their ballot for mayor, 50 aldermanic seats, the city clerk and city treasurer. There are nine candidates running for Chicago mayor. Here’s what you need to know about each of them.
* Center Square | Illinois lawmaker demands change at embattled child services agency: State Rep. Dan Ugaste can’t see how Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker can remain silent about all the turmoil now going on at the Department of Children and Family Services. “We’ve been pressing the governor for over a year now about all the chaos at DCFS and he simply chooses not to respond,” Ugaste told The Center Square. “I’m again calling on him to do something about the situation that only seems to be getting worse by the day.”
* Tribune | Chicago is a key battleground as railroads struggle to figure out the future: The turbulent week stands as an apt metaphor for the state of the nation’s railroads, and the role of Chicago and its suburbs as the biggest freight hub. They’re key battlegrounds as the U.S. struggles to decide what sustainable growth means, and whether it’s possible.
* Sun-Times | Is ShotSpotter missing the mark?: We also see it as yet another flaw with the high-priced system. It was sold to the Chicago Police (and other departments more than 140 cities) as a law enforcement tool that is accurate and technologically-advanced — with heavy emphasis on the ‘technology’ part — but time and again, it has proven to be considerably less-than-advertised.
* Crain’s | City touts ’social bonds’ sale as success: According to the city, 8% of the bond offering, or $12 million, went to Chicago retail investors who were able to make investments from a minimum of $1,000 up to $1 million. Illinois residents made up 24%, or $38 million, of the purchases. And $88 million in orders came from “11 ESG-focused investors,” following outreach to the ESG market ahead of the offering to learn how to structure what services the city would fund with the bond proceeds.
* KFVS | Southern Illinois native appointed new IDNR director: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (KFVS) - A former Illinois State Representative and southern Illinois native has been named the new director of Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Governor JB Pritzker appointed Natalie Phelps Finnie to lead IDNR on Monday, January 23.
* Daily Herald | Northern Illinois Food Bank launches innovative food finder map to help connect neighbors with food pantries and programs: Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva recently launched Vivery, an innovative platform and digital Food Finder map helping neighbors experiencing food insecurity connect with vital food resources in their community and surrounding areas. The new mobile-friendly map increases access to the fresh and nutritious food neighbors need to thrive.
* Center Square | High operating expenses tempering Illinois farmer optimism for 2023: “It looks like 2023 is going to be another good income year – but down from the recent years because of high operating costs,” ag economist Gary Schnitkey of the University of Illinois told The Center Square.
* Crain’s | Rivian’s chief lobbyist is leaving the company: His departure comes after several top executives at the startup, including the vice president overseeing body engineering, its supply-chain chief and general counsel, have exited in recent months as the company seeks to implement cost-cutting measures.
* The Guardian | Ohio Republicans accused of taking $60m in bribes as corruption trial opens: The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, is the latest utility scandal following cases in the last 10 years in Arizona, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida which experts say has led to higher bills for consumers, less green energy, and more CO2 emissions.
* AP | EPA considers tougher regulation of livestock farm pollution: EPA has not revised its rules dealing with the nation’s largest animal operations — which hold thousands of hogs, chickens and cattle — since 2008. The agency said in 2021 it planned no changes but announced Friday it had reconsidered in response to an environmental group’s lawsuit.
* SJ-R | Here’s what you need to know about the snow headed to Springfield and central Illinois: A relatively quiet winter in central Illinois is about to get a bit busier this week, with nearly half-a-foot of snow expected for much of the area. The National Weather Service in Lincoln has issued a winter weather advisory for Sangamon County and areas north of Interstate 72, beginning at 9 p.m. and continuing through Wednesday. NWS says that 2-6 inches of snow are expected for areas in this band, with slick roads coming as a result of the blanketing.
* Sun-Times | Thousands of letters — some sent from Chicago nearly 2 centuries ago — up for auction: One piece of mail on the block features faded red fountain pen looping across an envelope mailed in 1833 from Chicago to Connecticut. Another is an envelope from the 1860s with the words “Death to Traitors” stamped in one corner — which showed support for the North during the Civil War.
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
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