* Isabel posted this SJ-R story earlier today…

Thomas B. Adams Jr., faces time in prison but wouldn’t change a thing about his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. […]

U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta set Adams’ sentencing hearing for June 16. He is out on his own recognizance.

“I wouldn’t change anything I did,” Adams told The State Journal-Register outside of his Ridge Avenue home Wednesday. “I didn’t do anything. I still to this day, even though I had to admit guilt (in the stipulation), don’t feel like I did what the charge is.”

Associated Press today…

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ordered an Illinois man convicted this week to explain why the judge shouldn’t vacate his conviction after he agreed in court that he participated in the riot and then told a newspaper he didn’t actually think he committed the crimes with which he was charged.

Oops.

…Adding… More…

In a brief order Friday morning, Mehta gave both sides one week to explain “why the court should not vacate Defendant’s convictions of guilt in light of his post-stipulated trial statements” included in the article. The judge also attached a copy of the news report.

* From the Macon County hearing on Rep. Dan Caulkins’ push for a TRO on the assault weapons ban law…

Defense also argued if TRO is issued, it be for named plaintiffs, not named association without list of members, which he says would make compliance with restraining order difficult.

— Bishop On Air (@BishopOnAir) February 3, 2023

You may recall that Caulkins put together a new kinda/sort group (not registered with the state) for this lawsuit.

* IDPH…

As of last night, 883 individuals in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19. Of those, 121 patients were in the ICU and 41 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators. The preliminary seven-day statewide case rate is 86 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 Illinoisans.

* Money…

Campaign money raised by Chicago mayor #chimayor23 candidates since January 1st: 💰

Paul Vallas @PaulVallas: $2.4M
Chuy Garcia @ChuyChicago: $829K
Brandon Johnson @Brandon4Chicago: $751K
Lori Lightfoot @LoriLightfoot: $739K
Sophia King @aldsophiaking: $123K pic.twitter.com/1Syxbjg23M

— Frank Calabrese (@FrankCalabrese) February 3, 2023

* Michael Sacks-funded PAC…

These attack mailers are right where they belong: in the trash.

Let’s get one thing straight: wealthy hedge fund managers, Republicans, and Rahm Emanuel advisors are trying to interfere with the 48th Ward election. And we can’t let them succeed. pic.twitter.com/638MvObQ0b

— Nick Ward for 48th Ward Alderman (@NickWardFor48) February 3, 2023

* I think I kinda like this approach. On one side, it looks like a hit piece, but turn it over and…

* Greg Bishop recently interviewed Shannon Adcock of Awake IL…

Bishop: It’s now gotten to the point where we’ve got school board races coming up and Awake Illinois is very much involved in trying to get candidates in places. How’s that going? And tell us about some of the things you’re accomplishing.

Adcock: Yeah, it’s so amazing. So never before has there been a grassroots effort to support school board candidates that are for kids, for communities for academics, and this is where we really launched. Two days after I lost my own school board race, I said, oh, people need better help when they run for this particular office. So that’s when Awake IL lauched, two days after the 2021 school board elections. And now we have over, we’ve got dozens. We had dozens of school board races that we’re helping. We’re empowering candidates to know what it takes to be a school board member ,what the Open Meetings Act is about, what it’s going to take to really connect with your community and to know what issues are affecting them. Is it their property taxes, is it the curricula? Is it the busing contracts? You know, how do you get the message from the community to know how to best represent the community, because unfortunately, too many times people get elected to this role and they bow to government mandates, as it turns out, has been proven illegal. Thank you, Thomas DeVore in the masking case. So you know, it’s important that they know exactly how their community is expecting them to govern and be stewards of their tax dollars and they’re so ready to represent kids and community and put that ahead of the politics and the special interest and the teacher unions. So I think you’re gonna see a massive wave of really, really good grassroots community members run and win their seats for school board. It’s the most important race that people are going to have this year.

Some background on this group from last year…

Last month, former Chicago Public Schools CEO and second-time mayoral candidate Paul Vallas spoke at a fundraiser for Awake Illinois, a group that has been criticized for its transphobic and homophobic rhetoric. 

The group hosted a fundraiser in Naperville about school choice in June, and Vallas was a featured panelist. In addition to promoting school choice, the nonprofit has opposed COVID safety protocols in schools, and the teaching of what it calls “critical race theory.” Last month, the group called Governor J.B. Pritzker a “groomer,” a term increasingly used as an anti-LGBTQ+ slur by the far right, after he signed a sex-ed bill. 

In July, Awake Illinois and other right-wing groups publicly maligned UpRising Bakery and Cafe in suburban Lake of the Hills for planning a family-friendly drag show. The bakery was subsequently vandalized, and the bakery’s owners canceled the show as a result. Joseph Collins, a 24-year-old from Alsip, was later charged with a felony hate crime and criminal damage to property. […]

Vallas added that he thinks the school-choice movement “has got to find natural allies” such as police unions and conservatives and build coalitions with them to “advance a pure school choice agenda.”

Vallas eventually distanced himself from the group.

* I dunno. Is it me or does Chuy look like he’s just phoning this stuff in?…

Paul Vallas is a wolf in sheep's clothing. pic.twitter.com/bfI7Fu9hRl

— Jesús “Chuy” García (@ChuyChicago) February 3, 2023

…Adding… Press release…

Today, Governor JB Pritzker took the following bill action:

Bill Number: SB 1836
Description: Amends the Nurse Practice Act by making changes to contracts between foreign nurse staffing agencies, nurses, and healthcare facilities.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately

Bill Number: SB 2951
Description: Makes a series of changes to tax and revenue related codes.
Action: Signed
Effective: Immediately

And here’s the IMA reaction…

The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) has issued the following statement after Gov. JB Pritzker signed SB 2951 into law, strengthening the state’s efforts to encourage in-state production of electric vehicles and related components:

“This measure will make Illinois more competitive with neighboring states by creating a closing fund to encourage businesses to locate here and increasing incentives to retain employees. Manufacturers thank Gov. JB Pritzker for his leadership on this issue and praise his dedication to growing the next generation of electric vehicle, battery and semiconductor producers and suppliers in Illinois,” said Mark Denzler, President & CEO of the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association. “We are excited to build on our state’s strong history of automotive manufacturing.”

…Adding… Late news…

Proud to also have the support of State Central Committeeman ⁦@MauriceAWestII⁩, ⁦State Central Committeewoman ⁦@Croke4Illinois⁩ , and Speaker of the House ⁦@ChrisWelch_JD⁩ https://t.co/if7sRXZ2hV

— Kevin Olickal (@kevinfor16th) February 3, 2023

* Isabel’s roundup…

* Crain’s | Key Lightfoot City Council ally backs mayoral opponent: Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, who shepherded four Lightfoot spending plans through the grueling annual budget process, is endorsing Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson at an event in her South Side ward Friday morning.

* Sun-Times | Ja’mal Green’s marketing biz steered COVID relief loan applicants to firms faulted by Congress for turning a blind eye to PPP fraud: The mayoral hopeful’s marketing company — which also rents out coach buses — directed businesses to three lenders that were blasted last year in a congressional report. He says his payouts on those deals were “very minimal — we probably [were] getting $50 or $100 per person.”

* WBEZ | Paul Vallas gets help in Chicago mayoral bid from ex-officer in Laquan McDonald scandal: The Vallas For Mayor political fund reported getting a contribution of $5,000 from former cop Richard E. Hagen on June 30, according to campaign finance disclosure reports. Hagen has also publicly supported Vallas on Twitter.

* Chalkbeat | If elected Chicago mayor, Paul Vallas promises to open schools on nights and weekends, expand choice: After leaving Chicago, Vallas led school systems in Philadelphia, New Orleans, and Bridgeport, Conn.   The Philadelphia School Reform Commission hired him in Philadelphia after the state took over the public school system. He made dramatic changes, but left the system with a deficit. 

* Illinois Answers Project | BGA Sues Charter School Network For Refusing To Release Records: A lawsuit filed by the Better Government Association on March 26, 2015, in Cook County Circuit Court contends that Intrinsic violated FOIA by refusing to turn over records that would show what web sites high-ranking staff members are accessing. This request for documents “sufficient to show Internet browser activity . . . for the ten highest paid employees” is fairly standard, similarly requested from a number of public agencies in recent years, including other charter school networks.

* Axios Chicago | Jesse White’s Best Day Ever in Chicago: We asked White to describe his perfect day in Chicago. Breakfast: “I go to Griddle 24 at Chicago and Orleans or Hashbrowns at Wells and Division. I get the liquid and gastronomical appeasement that I have enjoyed over a long period of time: bacon, eggs, hash browns with orange or grapefruit juice.” […] Morning activity: “I exercise in the gym where I live on Division, and I have been doing that for 35 years.”

* CBS Chicago | CIA aims to inspire Chicago students with contest for $30,000: “It could be a public school, a private school, any educator, it doesn’t matter, a charter school,” said Shane Tilley, who is in charge of the “Mission Possible” competition. “All they have to do is submit a three to four-minute video.”

* Crain’s | State AGs warn Walgreens, CVS about mailing abortion pills: A group of 20 state attorneys general, all Republicans, sent a letter to Walgreens and CVS claiming that their plans to sell abortion pills through the mail violate federal and state laws. The letter—written by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and dated Feb. 1—is co-signed by other state AGs representing Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

* Block Club | Ruben Olivares Dedicated His Life To Helping Neighbors. Now, They’re Helping His Family After He Was Slain: Northwest Center leaders launched a GoFundMe to support Olivares’ wife and their two children, 7 and 4. It’s raised more than $13,000 as of Thursday. The 20-year-old community organization aims to support Belmont Cragin residents through housing counseling, financial literacy programs and community activism.

* Press Release | Our Campaign Offices Attacked Overnight: Overnight on Friday, February 3rd, unidentified vandals attacked the campaign office for 1st Ward Alderman Daniel La Spata. Windows were smashed across the entire glass storefront of the temporary campaign headquarters—a former convenience grocer located at 2110 N Milwaukee Ave across the street from the historic Congress Theater building.

* WBEZ | No driver, no bus: Inside the CTA’s campaign to put more drivers on the road: The CTA has been pushing hiring fairs as a way to fill hundreds of vacancies — vacancies it blames for service delays and filthy trains that have been testing the patience of Chicago commuters. The agency has sweetened the pot for prospective job candidates in the past few months, offering to cover the cost of taking classes ahead of the road test for the commercial drivers license, rolling out hiring bonuses and increasing starting pay.

* Sun-Times | Charles Dunne, former union leader survived car bombing, helped others: Mr. Dunne was raised in a conservative Irish Catholic family in Andersonville that affixed holy water fonts to the doorway of every room in their home. But he’d veered off the beaten path into the eccentric home of Cynthia Fosse, whose parents, Bud and Marge, were champion ballroom dancers and whose uncle, Bob Fosse, was a legendary actor, dancer and musical director.

* WaPo | Restaurants can’t find workers because they’ve found better jobs: Nearly three years since the coronavirus pandemic upended the labor market, restaurants, bars, hotels and casinos remain short-staffed, with nearly 2 million unfilled openings. The leisure and hospitality industry, which before the pandemic accounted for much of the country’s job growth, is still short roughly 500,000 employees from 2020 levels, even as many other sectors have recovered. But these workers didn’t disappear. A lot of them, like McGrath, who were laid off early in the pandemic, moved to behind-the-scenes office work where they are more likely to have increased flexibility, stability and often better pay.

* WBEZ | TV is fascinated by ‘zombie’ fungus. So is this Chicago scientist.: Despite the scientific inaccuracies woven into The Last of Us’s storyline, Nelsen is happy to see fungi attracting broader curiosity. As a college student, he took a mycology class on a whim, in part because it sounded “really random and strange,” but he was “blown away by it.”

* NBC Chicago | Chicago’s Northwest Side Community Rallies Around 8-Year-Old Girl Battling Cancer: As 8-year-old Molly Morris battles stage four cancer, support around Chicago’s Northwest Side is growing for her and her family. This weekend, several businesses on near Molly’s neighborhood will hold fundraisers to benefit her family.

* The Triibe | Terry Hunter on working with Beyoncé, his Grammy nod and why Chicago radio doesn’t play house music: While the 65th Grammy Award nominations were being announced virtually, Hunter instead was focused on listening out for renowned Chicago poet and rapper J. Ivy’s name to be called for his seventh studio album, The Poet at The Door, which would be nominated “Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.” “I just didn’t think it would be up for consideration,” Hunter said about his “Break My Soul” remix. He added that neither he nor his team submitted the song for consideration.

* WaPo | Netflix once said ‘love is sharing a password.’ Now users are heartbroken.: The latest backlash began after Netflix inadvertently updated its Help Center page on Wednesday for some countries, stating that users will have to connect to WiFi networks at their “primary location” at least once every 31 days to ensure their devices still have access to their account. Devices that are not associated with the account’s primary location may be blocked from Netflix, unless the account owner pays more to add an extra member.

* Chalkbeat | Meet the Chicago educator who is a finalist for Illinois Teacher of the Year: The moment late last week brought veteran music teacher Anne Gray to tears, she later recounted to Chalkbeat. […] “I’m in shock,” Gray told Chalkbeat. “I’m just touched, and honored, and grateful. I’m excited for my students and the program to be recognized.”

* Deadline | Artificial Intelligence Creates ‘Seinfeld’ Streaming Spinoff ‘Nothing, Forever’ On Twitch: The audience is rapidly increasing for “Nothing, Forever,” described as an AI-generated and nonsensical version of “Seinfeld” that streams on Twitch. Motherboard reported on the show on Tuesday. The Twitch account that the show runs on is called @watchmeforever, now has more than 83,000 followers as of early Thursday, with 11,000 or more viewers taking a look at any time.