Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
Setting aside the Madigan stuff for a moment (if you can), Bridgeview is eye-deep in debt because the town financed a gigantic soccer stadium which doesn’t currently have an MLS team. It’s still in junk bond territory, according to S&P. And now he’s on a board that, by its own account, is “one of the largest issuers of private activity bonds in the nation.” * Press release…
The complete scorecard is here. * Rep. Dan Didech’s new Republican opponent…
Gov. Pritzker won that district by almost 36 points. Mr. Henning is on his own. * WTTW…
Ald. Rodriguez Sanchez won that February race by 21 points. * Isabel’s roundup… * Politico | ‘A big f-ing deal’: Dem convention delegates will stay within Chicago city limits: “It means we’ll be able to conduct joint activities together whether it’s nighttime fundraisers or events. You name it,” Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party for the past 13 years and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, told POLITICO. * Crain’s | Why rescheduling would be more than just a tax break for cannabis: Now that the Department of Health and Human Services recommended moving cannabis to schedule 3, the industry is asking what impact a potential reclassification would have on the financial futures of U.S. cannabis companies. Mike Regan, director of research at Excelsior Equities, recently spoke with Green Market Report to break down the math. “Consensus estimates expect about $4.3 billion of total gross profit in 2024 for the public U.S. marijuana companies, so removing 280E taxes would free up about $900 million to pay interest expenses and be reinvested in operations, marketing, and employees,” he said. * Center Square | New Illinois program aims to help reduce legal fights among divorcing parents: Established by the Illinois Supreme Court, the program allows local circuit courts to establish a program permitting judges to appoint a “parenting coordinator” to resolve minor disputes between parents who cannot come to agreement with each other. * Chalkbeat | Illinois parent mentors kick off the school year, ready to get back into classrooms: The Parent Mentor Program has around 2,000 parent mentors and staff in over 200 schools, at almost 40 school districts around the state, according to a press release. The organization works with 44 community-based organizations across the state to help recruit parents from their neighborhoods. Through the program, community organizations train parents to work in their child’s school — experience that they can later use to work in classrooms as a special education classroom assistant or toward becoming a teacher. * Crain’s | United Airlines lifts nationwide ground stop: This is the second ground stop this year due to a computer malfunction. Southwest Airlines issued a ground stop April 18 that delayed nearly 2,000 flights nationwide. * SJ-R | Here’s the latest on what we know about the cybersecurity attack on HSHS systems: Workers are still trying to restore the clinical, administrative and communications systems that were impacted by the attack, including MyChart communication, which helps patients schedule, manage, and check in for appointments; message care teams; pay bills; get test results and after-visit instructions and request prescription refills. * WBEZ | Chicago says employers should give contracts to domestic workers, but that’s not happening: As of January 2022, house cleaners, nannies and caregivers who work in Chicago are entitled to a written contract in their preferred language, outlining, at minimum, their wage and work schedule. If households use an agency, the agency is responsible for providing workers with the contract. Other provisions in a written contract might include who provides supplies, what happens when an employer cancels, and situations where a worker might be asked to do something outside their scope. The contracts are meant to protect workers from being taken advantage of, as well as to make employers’ expectations clear. * Sun-Times | Chicago Trump Tower’s pollution fines don’t have to be covered by insurers, court rules: The state agency said that every day, the owners of the building drew about 20 million gallons of water out of the Chicago River for its cooling system and released the same amount back into the river at a higher temperature — potentially causing harm to fish and other aquatic life. * Benzinga | Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference Unites Industry Titans and Advocates in Chicago: Speakers for the Sept. 27-28 event include Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, former Rep. Ed Perlmutter, former Sen. Cory Gardner, and more. … Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the world’s largest and most successful cannabis investing and finance event, will return to Chicago on Sept. 27-28, 2023, at the Magnificent Mile Marriott in the heart of the Windy City. This year’s event promises to be an extraordinary convergence of thought leaders, policymakers, advocates, and institutional investors at a time when community is vital to the success of the industry. * WBEZ | New union petitions continue to rise in Chicago, following last year’s trends: The high number of new union petitions is even more powerful when combined with high success rates of union votes, [Robert Bruno, professor of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign] explained. His research has found that most petitions for new unions are making it past the union elections, which if successful, means the union can officially enter negotiations with the employer. * Citizens for Ethics | Routine Disqualification: Every state has kept ineligible candidates off the ballot, and Trump could be next: In Illinois, the secretary of state excluded presidential candidate Linda Jenness from the ballot because she was 31, four years younger than the requirement in Article II of the U.S. Constitution that a president must be at least 35 years old. Following Jenness’ petition for candidacy, the State Electoral Board, composed of state election officials including the secretary of state, governor, and attorney general, voted to deny certification, excluding Jenness from the ballot on two grounds. First, Jenness refused to submit a signed loyalty oath, which Illinois state law required at the time. And second, Jenness did not meet the federal constitutional requirement of being at least 35 years old. * AP | Conservative book ban push fuels library exodus from national association that stands up for books: This summer, the state libraries in Montana, Missouri and Texas and the local library in Midland, Texas, announced they’re leaving the ALA, with possibly more to come. Right-wing lawmakers in at least nine other states — Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota and Wyoming — demand similar action. * The Guardian | Texas fracking billionaire brothers fuel rightwing media with millions of dollars: “Farris and Dan Wilks, who believe their billions were given to them by God, have spent the last decade working to advance a dominionist ideology by funding far-right organizations and politicians that seek to dismiss climate change as ‘God’s will’, remove choice, demonize the LGBTQ community, and tear down public education, all to turn America into a country that gives preference to and imposes their extreme beliefs on everyone,” said Chris Tackett, a Texas-based campaign finance analyst. * Star Tribune | Consumers have yet to develop a taste for Kernza, the environmental wonder grain: “I still have half of my 2021 crop in storage, I have all of my 2022 crop in storage, and at this point I will have all of my 2023 crop in storage with no market available to me,” Coffman said. He decided to plant only 10 acres of Kernza next year, down from 30.
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First look at mass transit rethink
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Greg Hinz…
Many thanks to Greg for reading the entire study. He has more, and the study is here. Bottom line: This is gonna be a huge lift. Huge.
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Meanwhile… in Opposite Land
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Minnesota…
Illinois passed a similar law, but it was not funded. * Michigan…
In Illinois, at 16, minors can get married with parental permission. * Denmark…
Here’s the Illinois statute…
* California…
* Texas…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * WBEZ…
* The Question: Your suggestions for the class syllabus?
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Murderous carjacker caught in three hours because of eyewitness, police and high tech
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Harwood Heights Police Department…
The victim later died. * The Law Enforcement Agencies Data System, or LEADS, is run by the Illinois State Police and “allows access to Criminal History Information, Hot Files and Interdepartmental Messaging as well as an access portal to the Secretary of State Drivers License and Vehicle Database, NCIC [National Crime Information Center] and other Federal Databases.” ISPERN is the Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network. Information on the Flock license plate reader system and its LPR cameras is here. A good eyewitness, combined with quick and strong police work and the proper use of technology resulted in an apprehension within 3 hours of an absolutely hideous crime.
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Some stories from the break
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Background is here if you need it. Decertified Riverside cop’s career is back on track after state committee backs appeal. Tribune…
* Chalkbeat…
* A year since the first buses of migrants arrived from Texas, Tribune reporters reflect on Chicago and Illinois’ response…
* More… * Daily Herald | At last, a move to lure teachers for disabled : Over the past 14 years as a parent advocate for my adult son with autism, I have passed from start to finish, over seven state developmental disability pieces of legislation. None have been more important than the last two that passed through the General Assembly, SB 3972 and just recently SB1558. This legislation will allow interested students from junior and senior year in Illinois high schools through the first two years of college to set up training programs through the Illinois Department of Human Services for credit courses and apprenticeship programs that will provide a career path to be a direct support professional, to work with adults with developmental disabilities in adult day programs and group homes. * Tribune | State Rep. Mayfield behind drafting of Illinois Literacy Plan; ‘I knew we needed to do something’: When passage of the legislation became certain in the spring, the ISBE began to write a first draft of its Illinois Literacy Plan. It began a four-city listening tour the same day the law was signed, ending with virtual sessions July 31 and Aug. 4. Educators, organizations and other individuals who want to give their ideas about the Illinois Literacy Plan and teaching literacy in the state’s schools must submit them online to the ISBE by Sept. 1 to have it considered for the next draft of the plan. * Labor Tribune | Union member, Labor ally seek to unseat Elik for Illinois’ 111th House District: At least two Democrats are planning to challenge Republican state Rep. Amy Elik for the 111th House District next year. Labor ally Don McDonough and union member Nick Raftopoulos have both launched their efforts to win the Democratic nomination for the 111th District. * Jim Dey | Changing of the guard for Vermilion County Democrats: Vermilion County Democrats have a new leader. Mickensy Ellis-White, who unsuccessfully sought the appointment to fill the late state Sen. Scott Bennett’s legislative seat, has replaced former party chairwoman Sandra Lawlyes. * WTVO | Illinois opens new center to train students for the trades: Governor JB Pritzker cut the ribbon on the South Central Illinois Training & Innovation Center on Monday, which is located about 40 miles south of Springfield in Litchfield. It will give high school students an opportunity to train for certain jobs. The idea is for these students to get a boost so they are able to enter the work force more quickly when they graduate. * WAND | Illinois bill calls for age verification to access porn websites, protect vulnerable kids: Under this plan, porn companies could face a $5,000 fine for each day they fail to have reasonable age verification methods. The Attorney General would also have the power to investigate violations of the law after companies receive 30 days to comply. Courts may impose an additional civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each company “knowingly failing to perform reasonable age verification methods.” * CNN Politics | Dana Bash asks Pritzker about abortion limits: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker tells CNN’s Dana Bash that women from nearby states are coming to Illinois because his state protects abortion rights. * Center Square | Pritzker ‘not informed’ if AG will appeal injunction against pregnancy center law: “Well, I am not the one who takes that on,” Pritzker told The Center Square. “That is the job of the Attorney General, and I do not know. He has not informed me of what his plans are for that.” […] “I think Kwame Raoul will let it die. I do not think he has the guts to appeal it,” Glennon said. “I wish he would because then the [Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals] would then further affirm what is going on here. They may try to amend the law, they may have to gut it to make it constitutional, or they may just let it die.” * Crain’s | Towns could opt out of Illinois rent control ban under proposed law: Now state Rep. Hoan Huynh, whose 13th District includes north lakefront neighborhoods heavily populated by renters, is pushing to let municipalities to lift the ban within their own boundaries. HB 4104, also known as the Let the People Lift the Ban Act, is Huynh’s proposal, introduced June 6 in the Illinois House. It would allow local governments to adopt rent-control provisions if a majority of voters in the locality support a pro-rent control referendum. * WLPO | A Sit-Down with Rep. Lance Yednock: The day after State Rep. Lance Yednock announced he’d decided not to run for another term in the Illinois House of Representatives, he sat down with Tom Henson to discuss the good and bad of serving in the General Assembly, and his reasons behind his decision to leave the dome. * AG News | Legislation supports Healthy Soils Initiative: The legislation calls for IDOA to administer and support the Healthy Soils Initiative, a locally led effort to pinpoint and guide voluntary strategies to improve the ability of Illinois farms to grow vigorous crops and maintain resilience to extreme weather events. * Daily Herald | State leaders announce mental health grant program for farm groups: Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Tuesday that chapters of FFA — the group once known as National FFA Organization — will be eligible for $1,000 grants to fund mental health awareness programs in schools and rural communities. Up to 20 such grants will be available through the Illinois FFA Foundation starting this fall. * WTTW | As Close Aides Face Prison Time, Madigan Preps for Trial Against Undefeated Prosecutors: U.S. District Court Judge Robert Blakey told Madigan’s attorneys during a brief hearing Tuesday that he was determined to start the former speaker’s racketeering trial April 1, as scheduled, putting an end to delays that will see more than two years elapse between his indictment and his trial. * South Side Weekly | Chicago Cops Accused of Domestic Violence are Rarely Disciplined: Records the Weekly obtained from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and CPD show that at least thirty-eight officers — most from CPD but also including the Cook County Sheriffs and suburban municipalities in Cook County — were charged with domestic battery between 2011 and 2023. At least thirty-one of them had their cases dropped or dismissed, three were found not guilty, and two are active. Only two officers were convicted. That’s not altogether unusual: a 2018 study by the US Department of Justice found that prosecutors in state courts secure convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence offenses, like domestic battery, in less than one-quarter of cases. * Tribune | Oversight commission sharply criticizes arbitration award for police union that would keep discipline from public: Earlier this summer, as the city continues to negotiate a new contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, an arbitrator ruled that state law mandates that police officers accused of serious misconduct should have the option to have their cases heard in private. The arbitration award is not yet binding as the City Council hasn’t voted on the contract. * South Side Weekly | Larry Snelling Was Implicated in ’97 Corruption Scheme: In formal statements to investigators, all four denied that they had threatened the man with prison time or that they had ever told him to get them a gun. Haile claimed that after removing the gun from the bag, he’d balled up the bag and thrown it away without ever seeing the zip-lock baggies with fake crack cocaine. * ABC Chicago | Vacant Tinley Park mental health center sold to park district; 90 acres set to be sports complex: The Village of Tinley Park spent years vying for the land. It was willing to pay close to $20 million for the site and for environmental cleanup. While a casino was once floated as a possibility, the plan was to use the land for mixed-use development. * WBEZ | Chicago State president gets hefty bonus despite school citing financial strain during faculty strike: During a faculty strike this year, Chicago State University’s administration said “significant financial strain” prevented leaders from meeting professors’ salary demands. But last month the Far South Side university’s president, Zaldwaynaka Scott, was awarded a $50,000 bonus, bringing her total compensation for the year to more than $500,000. * Crain’s | Big biz challenges ComEd surcharge that costs them more than $100M: The Aug. 31 filing by the Chemical Industry Council of Illinois, along with several other individual companies and other institutional power consumers, takes aim at ComEd’s monthly charge gradually clawing back credits the utility provided customers last year and early this year under the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). * Block Club Chicago | Why Chicago Is Losing The War On Rats: Last year, Chicagoans made more than 50,000 rat complaints, a slight decline from the prior two years but still significantly more complaints than in recent years, according to data from the city’s 311 call center. * Block Club Chicago | One Real Estate Empire, $15 Million In Unpaid Rat-Related Tickets: The tickets were issued for such municipal infractions as uncut weeds, dumping and “providing rat harborage” by accumulating materials and junk. All of these companies are registered to a single post office box in Glenview and managed by Suzie B. Wilson, of Northbrook, state incorporation records show. Those companies rank as one of the most egregious examples of how the city of Chicago routinely fails to collect after it tickets properties for rat-related issues.
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House Dem staff union reiterates call for Speaker Welch’s recognition or a union election: ‘He should practice what he preaches’
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Axios reports on some new state laws that expand workers’ rights…
* Meanwhile, from the Tribune…
* Full statement from the Illinois Legislative Staff Association…
* Speaker Welch’s office didn’t respond to the Tribune…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition (Updated)
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Call Pritzker’s bluff and run a new nuke bill
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column from the start of the August break…
That veto and another one apparently caused a recent dustup with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The other Pritzker veto was of a bill that gave Ameren the right of first refusal to build new power lines. The United States Department of Justice has publicly argued against this concept, warning that it would reduce competition. The legislature ignored the Justice Department and passed the bill anyway. And now several of the same people who voted for that bill are demanding ethics reforms in the wake of Justice Department corruption probes in Illinois.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * We’re back! What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go…
* WBEZ | Dying and disabled Illinois prisoners kept behind bars, despite new medical release law: Behind the lower-than-expected numbers is the Prisoner Review Board, a state body appointed by Pritzker and confirmed by the Illinois Senate with final say on medical release requests. As of mid-August, the board had denied nearly two-thirds of medical release requests from dying and disabled prisoners who met the medical criteria to get out of prison under the Coleman Act — including Merritt. * Tribune | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch’s staffers say he’s rebuffed their efforts to unionize: “Despite his outspoken pro-labor rhetoric and vocal support for the right of all employees in Illinois to unionize, he is apparently intent on denying this right to his own staff,” the association said of Welch in a statement. “It should not be controversial in 2023 for a group of workers in a blue state with a strong union tradition to form a union, especially when the right to organize is enshrined in the state constitution.” * Tribune | Ex-Madigan aide Tim Mapes found guilty but he’s still collecting a big pension: Illinois’ pension laws generally require a direct connection to a crime that happened during a public employee’s official duties before a pension can be halted. Given Mapes’ lies to a federal grand jury came nearly three years after he was forced by Madigan to resign, the highly forgiving pension laws may give Mapes plenty of room to stop any efforts to halt his pension after he’s expected to be sentenced by a federal judge early next year. * Crain’s | Illinois GOP funding pitch takes a turn for the red-meat right: In a line of attack more commonly heard in deeply red states, the email links to video of a recent speech by state Sen. Andrew Chesney, R-Freeport, objecting to a bill that would require sex-neutral language in certain state health-insurance laws. In his speech, Chesney noted that the bill would specifically affect coverage for pap tests, used to screen for cervical cancer in women, and prostate tests, for men. “Biological males can’t get pap tests. . . .Biological women can’t get a prostate test,” Chesney declared. Such moves explain “why kids get confused. . . .This is why kids are dressing up as furries and want kitty litters in the bathroom.” * SJ-R | State creates task force to consider merits, needed regulations for AI: The task force will consist of 20 members and hold at least five public meetings in Chicago, Springfield, Metro East, Quad Cities and Southern Illinois. The summation of these meetings will lead to a report shared with the governor’s office and the General Assembly by Dec. 31, 2024. * Sun-Times | At O’Hare Airport, hundreds of migrants are stuck at a shelter that’s overcrowded, unsanitary: The problems at O’Hare follow a doubling of the number of incoming migrants to Chicago seeking more long-term shelter. As of Thursday, that figure was 2,089. At the airport, the number was 411, up from just 31 at the beginning of August. That population is almost four times the capacity limit initially set by the city. * Tribune | Illinois is solidly blue. So why did President Joe Biden’s reelection effort spend so much time here this summer?: Illinois is an “easy in and out to a major market in the middle of the country,” David Axelrod, political strategist for President Barack Obama and a CNN analyst, said when asked about Biden’s focus on the state this summer. “I assume some of them are picking up some campaign money while they’re here. And, it is the (DNC) convention city, so they’re building toward that.” * Tribune | Chicago treasurer accused of misconduct and ethical violations in letter city kept secret for years: City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin used government workers to plan her daughter’s birthday party and be her personal bodyguard while she also pressured public employees to hold events benefiting political allies and repeatedly misused taxpayer resources, two former top aides alleged in a recently released letter the city fought for years to keep confidential. * WBEZ | At summer’s end, Chicago murders are down 21% from horrendous 2021: Gun violence citywide has been trending down for about 20 months. By Thursday night, the Chicago Police Department had counted 420 murders during the year’s first eight months. That tally is 7.9% less than during the first eight months of 2022 and 21.3% less than during those months of 2021, when Chicago had its worst gun violence in a quarter century. * NBC Chicago | Locked out on Labor Day: Kinzie Hotel workers protest: Sanchez received a letter from Kinzie Hotel’s General Manager Karen Criss, saying in part, “We are exercising our right under the NLRA to hire a replacement worker in order to continue operations. You have an opportunity to apply for reinstatement after the strike. There is no guarantee your positions will be available.” * Crain’s | Union calls off Labor Day strike at 11 Infinity nursing homes: About 900 workers at the nursing homes owned by Infinity Healthcare Consulting of Illinois had threatened to strike over what the union said were “poverty wages” that led to dangerous staffing shortages. The union said staffing levels at Infinity nursing homes often fall critically below state-mandated minimum care hours per day. * Daily Herald | ‘Oversaturation’? Video gambling profits shrinking for many suburban businesses: A Daily Herald analysis of video gambling revenue in 70 suburban locales shows the devices in 27 towns were generating less money per machine from August 2022 through July 2023 than they were during the same months a year earlier. * CBS | Bally’s needs state’s OK before opening temporary Chicago casino in matter of days: The slots are up and running, but the doors remain closed to the public. The Illinois Gaming Board will run testing on Wednesday and Thursday. If approved, the temporary casino could be operational in days. Revenue generated could bring $55 million a year to the city. * USA Today | Student loan repayments surge ahead of official restart, but many may still be scrambling: How people handle student loans, which total $1.7 trillion spread across more than 40 million Americans, could be a barometer for which way the economy could be headed. Early voluntary payments could be seen as a sign of financially healthy consumers, but looking closer, Goldman Sachs says the situation may not be as rosy as it looks. * Crain’s | Rivian hires former Porsche exec as sales chief: Automotive News had reported in July that Gruner was jumping to Rivian after a relatively short tenure with the German luxury brand. Porsche said then that Gruner was leaving “at his own request” after less than three years. Gruner steered Porsche’s U.S. business through the pandemic and put it on track to hit a three-year sales high this year. * WCBU | Stoller says he won’t seek a third term in state Senate: The Germantown Hills Republican says his district shifted much further north after the recent remap, and he doesn’t want to be a career politician. * WBEZ | Professor Lori Lightfoot is teaching Harvard students how to run a city in a pandemic: In an interview with WBEZ, Lightfoot said she’ll use a mock press conference, a simulated community meeting and guest speakers to teach in part about the dangers of politicizing a pandemic and how to interact with the media, drawing on the lessons learned from running a city amid COVID-19. * Tribune | Secretary of state plans requiring appointments at driver service facilities begin: Walk-in service will still be available for people seeking title and registration services or hoping to renew license plate stickers in person, the release said. The secretary of state’s office is also pushing customers to go online for many driver services, including renewals of licenses and plate stickers. The office will also send more alerts to drivers advising them they can renew licenses and get other drivers services online. * SJ-R | Here are the most interesting things included in State Fair Grandstand performer contracts: McGraw was paid $750,000 guaranteed with all the box office receipts over $850,000; Parker received a guarantee of $5,000. Interesting stuff found in their rider(s): McGraw has ten pages of suggestions for meals and dressing rooms, with the suggested meals including a grilled cheese bar for lunch and a made-to-order pasta bar for dinner. As for his dressing room, McGraw asks that in addition to providing him with six cans of Coke, he also have four Muscle Milk protein drinks – preferably the “Intense Vanilla” flavor.
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Sep 5, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news.
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Reader comments closed until after Labor Day
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The Illinois State Fair is over, the governor has taken action on all legislation, the Illinois Supreme Court has finished (I think) issuing major opinions for the summer, petition filing doesn’t start until Sept. 5 and the Tim Mapes trial has concluded. Next week looks like a unique opportunity to take a little time off and Isabel concurs. May the wind take your troubles away… Not enough living on the outside
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Afternoon roundup
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the National Labor Relations Board…
Wow. That’s big. The decision is here. * IDPH…
* I read this report and thought the same. A rarity…
* Press release…
* On to politics. Rep. Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) has a primary opponent. From Kelvin Coburn…
* CD7…
* Texas…
* Dude was already a little godzilla, so I suppose it won’t hurt him /s…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WSIL | Illinois Public Libraries given $27 million from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias: Giannoulias gave over $21.4 million to library services and $5.7 million in adult literacy grants across over 140 Illinois libraries. The money was given in support of libraries, education and lifelong learning. * Block Club | Migrants Return To West Side Police Station Despite Ongoing Sexual Misconduct Investigation: “Because of the rising numbers and lack of space, the City of Chicago is once again utilizing the [Ogden] and [Town Hall] Police Districts,” Johnson’s office said. “The city of Chicago is focused on the safety of all Chicagoans, including our new neighbors. We are committed to working with CPD to ensure there are protocols in place to keep new arrivals at police stations safe while they wait for more adequate shelter.” * SJ-R | Former Illinois Capitol Police investigator sentenced to 18 years behind bars: A former Illinois Capitol Police investigator involved in a 2021 car wreck that killed two people in Christian County was sentenced to 18 years behind bars earlier this week. Robert Milton Hodson, 48, of Taylorville changed his plea to guilty to a single charge of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol in May after originally pleading not guilty. * Sun-Times | Federal law protects you from many financial scams, but not this one — and scam artists have figured that out: A West Loop business owner, a Southwest Side day care teacher and a retired city worker are among those who collectively have lost billions through wire transfer fraud. Critics say banks need to do more to fight it. * WSIL | Senator Dick Durbin unveils plan to combat nursing shortages in Illinois during roundtable today: “By forging partnerships between local schools and nearby hospitals and clinics, we can bridge the gap in health care access and tackle the shortages of health care workers that afflict our rural communities,” said Durbin. “Together, we’ll ensure that every single Illinoisan, no matter where they live, can access the quality health care they deserve.” * Daily Herald | ‘Flat-out lied’: Ex-Gurnee man imprisoned 29 years on bad conviction sues police, prosecutors: Williams this week filed a federal lawsuit against nine former law enforcement officers, a pair of former prosecutors and a deceased pathologist, along with several Lake County communities. It alleges they fabricated a confession, manufactured some evidence and kept other evidence secret because it would have cleared him of the killing. * NBC Chicago | Proposed Midwest Interstate Trail would link Illinois, Wisconsin nature preserves: Officials have launched an effort to construct the Midwest Interstate Trail, which would link natural areas in Illinois’ McHenry County and Wisconsin’s Kenosha County. An official kickoff event took place on Thursday, with organizers pushing for funding to get the project underway. * Daily Herald | ‘They just need that chance’: Arlington Heights coffee shop staffed by people with disabilities opens: Gerry’s Cafe — a nonprofit that hired 45 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to staff the shop — is finally open. A formal grand opening event is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Saturday. * Tribune | Rev. Stephen Lee from Orland Park church surrenders in Trump Georgia case: On Aug. 14, Lee was named along with 18 others, including former President Donald Trump who turned himself in Thursday, in an indictment the group broke a variety of laws in an efforts to alter the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. Lee is pleading not guilty, according to his lawyer David Shestokas. * NBC Chicago | Residents in Tinley Park, Orland Park asked to conserve electricity by ComEd: According to the company, ComEd is “addressing a localized and emergent issue,” and as a result, they have had to take a piece of equipment in the area out of service. Residents in Tinley Park and Orland Park are being asked to conserve energy until at least 7:30 p.m. Thursday to “reduce the risk of outages” in the area. * Sun-Times | Friday Morning Swim Club canceled, but hundreds show up — with police monitoring: The organizers announced this week there would be no official jump. Still, around 6:30 a.m. Friday, hundreds arrived at the harbor to swim. Police were called over to the 4400 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive and found the group was “gathered peacefully,” but officers remained on hand to monitor. * Tribune | Chicago woman allegedly stalked Trump’s teen son at Florida school months before threatening to kill him: Tracy Marie Fiorenza, 41, was arrested in Chicago this week following the unsealing of a federal criminal complaint in Florida charging her with transmitting threats to kill another person, which carries up to five years in prison. * NBC Chicago | ‘Buttergate’: Secret inside Illinois State Fair’s iconic butter cow sparks online controversy: A picture shared on X shows a sculptor applying and shaping butter for this year’s State Fair, and it is going viral. You can see the butter being applied over wire mesh shaped into a cow. People are dubbing this “Buttergate,” with people saying we’ve been sold a lie all these years. * NYT | This Is Public Housing. Just Don’t Call It That: The Laureate is an attempt to marry these ideas — supply and subsidies; public and private — in a single project. It’s the first building financed with a new $100 million fund that Montgomery County created to speed development by having H.O.C. invest directly in new projects, then using its ownership position to become a kind of benevolent investor that trades profits for lower rents. * SJ-R | Heat to finally abate over weekend; chance for thunderstorms overnight Friday: According to the National Weather Service in Lincoln, Friday will be the last day of extremely hot temperatures, with Springfield forecasted to see a high of 98 degrees with a heat index possibly getting as high as 115. However, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected around 11 p.m., continuing through the evening and into Saturday morning.
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The local angle
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Republican congressional candidate Darren Bailey’s reaction to the booking of a former POTUS…
* US Rep. Mike Bost is trying to fend off Bailey’s challenge…
* US Rep. Mary Miller has been a Trump and Bailey ally…
* Republican US Rep. Darin LaHood’s non-government XTwitter account has been silent all month. The Illinois Republican Party’s account hasn’t been silent, but it has been mum on the Georgia indictments…
* The Cook County Republican Party has been far more active, rextweeting various memes and things like this…
* I searched the accounts I follow and didn’t see anything mentioning yesterday’s events from elected Democrats, the state party, etc. * Let’s move on to a different Illinois angle. More background on Illinoisan Trevian Kutti is here if you need it. She’s a bit on the weird side, to say the least. Her booking photo…
Whew. * Some background on Stephen Lee is here…
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Giannoulias ‘disgusted and disheartened’ by library threats, chides Republicans for their silence
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. Media advisory…
* Giannoulias’ response to a question about security resources for libraries…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
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Mapes conviction coverage roundup
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * We covered most of this yesterday and before and during the trial, but let’s do a roundup. Jon Seidel at the Sun-Times…
Mapes is now a convicted liar. His word on anything can no longer be trusted in any court, including the court of public opinion. Even so, a commenter asked this yesterday…
My reply…
Also, if the feds truly needed Mapes to make their case against Madigan and McClain they’d have pressed him much harder during the grand jury on far more topics. Also too, Mapes’ cooperation could actually complicate their case because the defense lawyers would make mincemeat out of him on the stand (although I’d almost pay to see it). * Mapes wasn’t ever cooperative, as Hannah Meisel points out in her story…
The time to flip was February of 2021, well before the feds asked a judge to impose an immunity order on him. The train left the station and he wasn’t on it. Others quickly hopped aboard, and they’ll be home with their families while Mapes is serving whatever time he gets. * Jason Meisner and Ray Long at the Tribune…
* Todd Feurer and Suzanne Le Mignot at CBS 2…
…Adding… True…
* Isabel rounded up some more…
* Tribune | Following Tim Mapes’ conviction, lawmakers condemn his conduct, GOP renews call for reform: Among the most notable was Sherri Garrett, who worked in the clerk and speaker’s offices and publicly came forward with allegations that for years she endured and witnessed harsh behavior by Mapes, saying it was “often sexual and sexist in nature.” “My experience speaking out about the sexual harassment I endured in 2018 was painful — and more painful was knowing that there were countless others like me who were too afraid of Mr. Mapes to come forward and speak their own truths,” Garrett said. “I hope that those individuals feel some relief today, as I know I do.” * WGN | Jury finds Tim Mapes guilty of perjury, attempted obstruction of justice: There wasn’t much of a reaction from Mapes when the verdict was read. He was flanked by his defense team and quickly walked out of the Dirksen Federal Building.
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Pick a lane, please
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Center Square…
* Leader Windhorst was asked at that press conference, “What specific ethics reform would address Mapes’ case of lying to a grand jury and the problems with harassment and intimidation that happened when he was chief of staff?“…
I don’t disagree that more rule changes are necessary in both chambers. I have long argued that the chamber leaders should not choose committee chairs, vice chairs and minority spokespersons. That should, in my opinion, be done by a caucus vote. I’m sure we can all think of something that could be changed. * But Mike Madigan and Tim Mapes are long gone. That sort of velvet hammer rule no longer exists. I mean, just ask House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, who said this during the Illinois State Fair last week…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * South Carolina…
* Florida…
* More from Florida…
* Tennessee…
The signs returned to the Tennessee statehouse after a judge blocked the House GOP rule…
* Wisconsin…
* Missouri…
* Georgia…
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Open thread
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s goin’ on in your part of Illinois? Here’s a little known fact for Friday: Oscar also has a mugshot…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go… * Sun-Times | Three women who brought #MeToo allegations against Madigan circle find relief and hope in guilty verdict of ex-top aide: “It was just a few minutes of tears of relief,” Cassidy, D-Chicago, said shortly after a jury convicted Mapes of perjury and attempted obstruction of justice. “And really, I still work with people who told us they were afraid to come forward, and they’re heavy in my thoughts right now.” * NBC Chicago | Jury reaches verdict in case of Tim Mapes, former Madigan chief of staff: Mapes’ trial marks the latest chapter in the wide-ranging, years-long federal investigation into public corruption that has ensnared some of the most powerful people in Chicago and Illinois. * WCBU | Lt. Gov. Stratton talks preventative measures to stop gun violence, calls for federal assault weapons ban: WCBU’s Camryn Cutinello spoke with Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, who says Illinois is on the right side of history with the ban and other measures to stop gun violence. * Sun-Times | $2 million in grants heading to Chicago literacy centers: More than 400,000 Illinois residents — about 3% of the population — have less than a ninth-grade education, and about 900,000 adults older than 25 don’t have a high school diploma, according to state figures. * Sun-Times | Migrants returned to controversial police stations as crisis intensifies: The Ogden and Town Hall police districts had been emptied due to allegations of sexual misconduct. The city said a rising number of immigrants arriving has forced them to reuse the stations. * Tribune | Chicago COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on the rise; Northwestern team warns of undiagnosed long-COVID consequences: “It’s a good reminder that COVID is here, that COVID can make an impact,” said Massimo Pacilli, the Chicago Department of Public Health’s disease control deputy commissioner. “The pandemic isn’t gone. While there is some desire of putting it behind us, COVID is with us.” * Taylorville Daily News | State Rep Speaks Out On Behavioral Health Licenses: Representative Rosenthal says that those who suffer mental health and substance abuse need professional aid to provide necessary treatment that helps them. Rosenthal stressed that the state is in need dire need of licensed staff to fill vacant positions, and unnecessary delays have a negative impact on qualified applicants and the constituents in the community. * Bloomberg | Chicago Blames Carmakers as Thieves Livestream Thefts: hicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has a plan to help tackle soaring car thefts in the city: sue the automakers. The city has filed a civil suit against Kia Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. for failing to include engine immobilizers in various models, causing “a steep rise in vehicle thefts, reckless driving, property damage, and a wide array of related violent crimes in Chicago,” according to a statement on Thursday. * Block Club | Logan Square Farmers Market Canceled For First Time Ever, Leaving Vendors Scrambling: The market organizer called off this weekend’s event after the city denied expansion plans she said would make the event safer. But vendors said they will lose key profits and have nowhere to sell harvested produce. * Sun-Times | New details on little-known Obama Presidential Library, tucked away in Hoffman Estates: When Colleen Shogan, the new archivist of the United States, pulled up in front of the Obama Presidential Library in Hoffman Estates for the first time, “I thought it looked like a wedding center.” The gray brick exterior of 2500 Golf Rd. in the northwest suburb, once a Plunkett Furniture showroom and warehouse, has decorative front and side portico entrances. But there’s no grand architectural detail or even a sign to suggest that inside, for the past seven years, it’s been the temporary home of the official Barack Obama Presidential Library. * WPSD | Walker’s Bluff Casino Resort officially opens Friday: “We’re thrilled to have worked with local and regional contractors and suppliers who brought their exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to the table,” Dan Kehl, CEO at Elite Casino Resorts, said in a statement released Thursday. “This collaboration has not only resulted in a state-of-the-art establishment but has also empowered our community by driving economic growth and creating jobs. I’d also like to thank Cynde and the late David Bunch for bringing this project here.” The Bunches built Walker’s Bluff. David Bunch died in 2021. * Tribune | Chicago Water Taxi to return Sept. 5, refocusing on commuters: A lone boat will make trips three days a week, from Tuesday to Thursday, between Ogilvie Transportation Center in the West Loop and Michigan Avenue in Streeterville. The West Loop stop is located between Ogilvie and Union Station, while the Michigan Avenue stop is located near the intersection of North Rush Street and East Kinzie Street. * Shaw Local | Current Illinois state flag designed by former school teacher: The state flag was back in the news this month with Gov. JB Pritzker’s announcement that a commission was being established to consider a redesign of the flag. Whether Mrs. Hutchison, who died in 2004 at age 93, would have been happy with that news is unclear. But there is no questioning her vast knowledge of flags, in addition to her keen interests in history, genealogy and cemetery records. Indeed, Hutchison found a way to turn her passion into her life’s work. * Capitol News Illinois | Illinois heat wave is the latest of several weather extremes in the state: The heat index, a measure that combines air temperature with humidity, reached higher than 128 degrees in Galesburg Wednesday. Chicago’s O’Hare airport recorded an air temperature of 98 degrees, the highest temperature for Aug. 23 since 1947, according to the National Weather Service. The heat index there peaked at 116, just two degrees shy of the record high that came during Chicago’s infamous 1995 heat wave. * NBC Chicago | What could Chicago’s winter look like? Here are the latest projections: Last winter provided a surprising amount of rain and warmer-than-normal temperatures in the Chicago area, but could the region be in for a repeat? According to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center, that very well could be the case. * WGN | Bears legend Steve McMichael named 1 of 4 committee finalists for 2024 Hall of Fame class: The three finalists from the Seniors Committee now move on to the main vote for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2024. That will be in front of the main 50-person committee that will meet Super Bowl week, with each candidate needing 80 percent approval to get in.
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Live coverage
Friday, Aug 25, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news.
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