Afternoon roundup
Thursday, Aug 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Molly Parker…
At Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, 37 employees have been fired, resigned or face pending disciplinary action after a state watchdog found that they defrauded a federal pandemic-era small business loan program.
The employees who work at the state-run developmental center in south suburban Cook County include 32 mental health technicians – about 6 percent of frontline workers with that job – three residential services supervisors, one habilitation program coordinator and a licensed practical nurse.
A spokesperson for the Illinois Department of Human Services, the agency that runs the 383-bed residential center for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, confirmed these additional details late last week.
Neil Olson, the general counsel for the Illinois Office of the Executive Inspector General, previously confirmed to Capitol News Illinois that dozens of employees of state agencies and other entities under the OEIG’s jurisdiction are the subjects of an ongoing investigation into whether they fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans. Beyond confirming the investigation, Olson declined to provide any additional details about the probe.
* In other news…
On a somewhat related note, here’s Sen. Durbin…
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding ProPublica reporting providing the fullest public account yet of Justice Clarence Thomas’ undisclosed gifts and troubling ethical conduct, to the tune of at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, and numerous other luxury gifts:
“The latest ProPublica revelation of unreported lavish gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas makes it clear: these are not merely ethical lapses. This is a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires.
“Justices Thomas and Alito have made it clear that they are oblivious to the embarrassment they have visited on the highest court in the land. Now, it is up to Chief Justice Roberts and the other Justices to act on ethics reform to save their own reputations and the integrity of the Court. If the Court will not act, then Congress must continue to.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act to the full Senate on July 20. The bill would require the Supreme Court Justices to adopt a code of conduct, create a mechanism to investigate alleged violations of the code of conduct and other laws, improve disclosure and transparency when a Justice has a connection to a party or amicus before the Court, and require Justices to explain their recusal decisions to the public.
Durbin has been calling on the Supreme Court to adopt an enforceable code of conduct for more than a decade. He first sent a letter to the Chief Justice on this issue more than 11 years ago.
Click here for the story.
* Oof…
According to a copy of the Stellantis proposal [UAW contract negotiation] obtained by Automotive News, the company said it lost 16,706 units of production because of absenteeism in 2021 and 2022, which cost it $217 million. In 2022, it had an absenteeism rate of 23 percent, the document said.
* Daily Herald…
The three school districts locked in a property tax battle with the Chicago Bears launched a website Wednesday about that and other issues related to the proposed stadium at Arlington Park.
The website, suburbanstadium.org, was created and is maintained by Palatine Township Elementary District 15, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 and Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 — the school systems whose boundaries lie within the 326-acre former racetrack property now owned by the NFL franchise.
It joins similar informational websites maintained by the Bears and village of Arlington Heights, as the schools seek to increase their public messaging around the monthslong tax controversy.
* WCIA…
The Illinois State Fair opened in Springfield Thursday morning, but amusement rides did not open to fairgoers along with the grounds.
The Illinois Departments of Agriculture and Labor announced that the rides are unable to operate because safety inspections were not performed on Wednesday. Rainy weather resulted in the inspections being delayed.
IDOL ride inspectors will be performing those inspections on Thursday. Officials said they hope to have the rides open at 3 p.m.
* He’s not too bad at that…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* Tribune | The Price Kids Pay: Ticketed at school: Ticketing students violates the intent of an Illinois law that prohibits schools from fining students as a form of discipline. Instead of issuing fines directly, school officials refer students to police, who write the tickets. The fines attached can be hundreds of dollars, an impossible burden for many families. An analysis also found Black students were ticketed at higher rates than their white peers.
* Tribune | State representative takes witness stand at perjury trial of Madigan ‘gatekeeper’ Tim Mapes: “He ran a tight ship,” Rita said, with a frown on his face and a slight waver in his voice. “He ran the House, he kept the trains on time, he kept a lot of moving parts moving.”
* Daily Herald | Embattled DuPage clerk’s spending questioned by county board again: “What we’re all hearing here is that it seems to be the same department that is coming forward with these requests and budget issues. That’s why we’re having this discussion,” said board member Lynn LaPlante, a Glen Ellyn Democrat. “I’m concerned that this is going to be death by a thousand papercuts as a way to backward-map a budget that works for you.”
* Tribune | Quantum information school launches at Fermilab, using subatomic principles for groundbreaking technology: About 150 students, including scientists, researchers, college students and industry professionals, are spending two weeks at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to learn theory and practical skills. They’ll focus especially on superconducting quantum platforms for computing and sensing.
* Crain’s | A new lawsuit against Northwestern alleges inaction on report of sexual assault: Filed yesterday by a current student identified in the complaint as Jane Doe, it’s the latest in a series of lawsuits against Northwestern since allegations of hazing in the university’s football program unleashed a firestorm of controversy and led to the firing of former head football coach Pat Fitzgerald. Northwestern also has appointed former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct a wide-ranging probe into the culture and practices of its athletic department.
* 21st Show | Comptroller Susana Mendoza talks Illinois budget, pensions, and diversity: Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza (D) joins The 21st show to discuss the state’s growing rainy day fund from $48,000 to nearly $2 billion, which would cover 10 days’ worth of state operations.
* Axios | Illinois farmers join calls for migrant work authorization: Farmers tell me they can’t continue their operations without immigrants coming in and reinforcing our workforce,” Durbin told the audience at a food policy conference last week.
* WBEZ | What do you think a new Illinois flag should look like?: We turn to a longtime local flag maker for his take.
* SJ-R | Former chief deputy appointed Sangamon County Circuit Clerk: Joe Roesch, who worked for more than 20 years at the sheriff’s office, including a four-year stint as chief deputy under Wes Barr, was confirmed as the new circuit clerk after the Sangamon County Board approved his nomination Tuesday. Roesch is currently serving as an attorney specializing in labor and employment law with Stratton, Moran, Reichert, Sronce and Appleton in Springfield, with a wide range of public and private employers under his purview.
* Tribune | Corn dogs, livestock and the Butter Cow: Illinois State Fair kicks off Thursday in Springfield: Gov. J.B. Pritzker was on hand for the unveiling of the Butter Cow sculpture Wednesday afternoon. Sculptor Sarah Pratt’s work depicts a cow being milked by dairy farmer Lorilee Schultz of Orangeville. A fixture at the fair since 1922, the cow celebrates Illinois dairy farmers.
* SJ-R | Five Grand Central Stage acts at the Illinois State Fair you won’t want to miss: Fairgoers can also find free musical entertainment at the Apex Stage (corner of Grandstand and Illinois Avenue); the Busch Light True Music Tent (on the Avenue of Flags behind the Commodity Pavilion); the Coors Light Tent (across from the Grandstand); the Illinois Building/Senior Center (just inside the Main Gate); the Lincoln Stage (on Central Avenue across from The Shed); the Miller Lite Tent (on Illinois Avenue) and Village of Cultures.
* WICS | Copi returns to Conservation World for 2023 Illinois State Fair: “We know there’s a lot of curiosity about Copi, and the Illinois State Fair is a perfect time for people to find out what all the buzz is about,” Phelps Finnie said. “Anytime IDNR has offered Copi during the fair, people walk away impressed by how light, delicious and versatile it is.”
* WICS | Illinois State Fair delays opening of amusement rides due to safety inspections: Officials say Ride safety inspections were canceled on Wednesday due to the rain. To ensure the safety of fairgoers and amusement riders, IDOL ride inspectors are working Thursday morning in an effort to permit the rides to operate for Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m.
* Sun-Times | The Jerry Reinsdorf problem: When an owner doesn’t want to own up to anything: It’s hard to understand the point of this nothingness, this sports nihilism. Why own a team if you don’t want to behave like an owner? If you want to run a neighborhood grocery store where all the employees have worked there for 30 years and you know the customers by name, go do that. But even a grocery store owner wouldn’t put up with ineffective stockers and some bad apples in the produce department.
* NYT | The Sandwich Southerners Wait for All Year: Five years ago, Mary — a Greensboro, N.C., YouTuber known as SouthernASMR Sounds — posted an innocent-enough video of herself making and eating a classic Southern tomato sandwich. Speaking gently, she walked through each element of her ideal sandwich, from the soft white bread to the thinly sliced, salted and peppered tomatoes, down to the brand of mayonnaise (“twangy” Duke’s, of course). “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” she says.
* Illinois Newsroom | Champaign Clippers is a throwback to vintage baseball: Before baseball became the popular game we know today, in the mid-19th century an early iteration of the game known as “base ball,” yes two words, was the game of the century. On August 26, the Champaign Clippers will host a vintage base ball game at Weaver Park.
* WBEZ | Meet the lobster-like crustaceans invading the Chicago River: It turns out the creature the listener saw was a red swamp crayfish, and its presence in Chicago waterways is a warning sign. According to one ecologist, that particular crayfish species currently inhabiting the Chicago River is second only to Asian carp in terms of its invasiveness and potential to wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
* Peoria Journal Star | These are the Illinois vanity license plates denied by Secretary of State in 2022: Illinois received 54,236 requests for personalized vanity plates in 2022, according to a news release from the state office. Of those submissions, 383 were denied based on “their tawdry, lewd or offensive nature, or because they were difficult to read.”
* City Cast | Hannah Meisel’s Guide to Springfield: Springfield became the state capital in 1839 thanks to Abraham Lincoln and his associates. Railroads, agriculture, and mining once contributed significantly to Springfield’s economy. Today, Illinois legislators wheel and deal at the Statehouse while tourists explore Lincoln’s legacy. Hannah Meisel, a Capitol News Illinois reporter, has covered Springfield for the last decade. She shares her recs.
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* Why this ever made it to trial is completely beyond me. So ridiculous. From Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards at ProPublica…
Earlier this week, Amara Harris had one last chance to take a plea deal. For $100, she could have avoided a trial, the testimony of her former high school classmates and deans, and the stress of not knowing whether a jury would believe her when she said she had mistakenly picked up a classmate’s AirPods — not stolen them. It would’ve been over.
Instead, as she had for more than 3 ½ years, she chose to fight. Like other families and students across Illinois who have been ticketed by police for alleged behavior at school, Harris and her mother saw the system as unfair and capricious.
But in a rare move, Harris, now 20, went to trial, hoping to clear her name — even as she knew that municipal tickets are hard to beat because the burden of proof is so low.
On Wednesday, she was cleared of violating Naperville’s ordinance against theft when a six-person jury decided that the city did not prove she’d knowingly taken a classmate’s AirPods.
“I’m glad we were able to see it through,” Harris said Thursday morning before the verdict. She noted her story never changed.
The verdict capped an extraordinarily unusual, drawn-out saga over a controversial municipal ticket issued to Harris when she was a junior at Naperville North High School, in DuPage County, west of Chicago.
The case was decided after a three-day trial heard by a jury of two young women, including an 18-year-old college student, and four men, three of whom are fathers of teenagers. A trial over an ordinance violation, which carries a fine only and no jail time, is so rare that the judge and lawyers had to repeatedly tweak instructions and other procedures to adapt to this type of case. […]
The principal said while she initially suggested that Harris get a one-day in-school suspension for the AirPod incident, the suspension was never issued. […]
Minutes before jury selection began on the first day of trial Tuesday, Prosecutor Joseph Solon Jr. offered Harris a deal to settle the case with no fine and a $100 court fee — an offer he said he had made several times before. Harris would have had to agree that she could be found liable by a jury, something she said she could not accept since she says she accidentally picked up the AirPods and returned them to the rightful owner when school officials determined they weren’t hers.
“We offered to waive the fine because the case dragged on so long,” Solon told reporters outside the courtroom.
The testimony from nine witnesses, over two days, largely centered around two questions: How did Harris come into possession of AirPods that weren’t hers and when did she realize they weren’t hers? […]
A series of other city witnesses acknowledged a lack of direct evidence that Harris knowingly took AirPods that weren’t hers.
Unabia, when pressed on how she could be sure Harris had stolen the device, said there wasn’t any direct evidence.
“So, you made an assumption?” Yeary asked.
“Yeah, I guess,” Unabia said. […]
Even the officer who issued the ticket, Juan Leon, testified he had no direct evidence that Harris had sought to steal the AirPods instead of picking them up in error. […]
A Naperville spokesperson said the city hasn’t spent extra money on legal fees for the case because it’s being handled by a city prosecutor, though he has spent many days in court handling it. A school district spokesperson would not immediately say whether the district has incurred costs, but multiple attorneys representing it were at the trial this week.
Not to mention all the money Ms. Harris likely had to spend while defending herself.
* By the way…
She graduated early from high school, earned an associate’s degree at a local community college and next week will move back to Atlanta to begin her senior year at Spelman College.
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* From Hannah Meisel’s latest Tim Mapes trial story…
[Mapes’ defense attorney Katie Hill] also tried to preempt the dozens of wiretapped phone calls the jury will hear during trial by telling them that Mapes’ indictment is based on his answers to just seven of the more than 650 questions he was asked during his grand jury testimony.
“You already know the government’s big punchline: All of this is on tape,” Hill said. “But as you consider that evidence ladies and gentlemen, consider that…they didn’t play him the tapes.”
The idea that Mapes was not given the opportunity to review any of the wiretapped calls or any other evidence – save for one document – during an early 2021 meeting with the FBI or his grand jury testimony is one the defense sprinkled throughout opening statements and while cross-examining the two witnesses put on the stand on Wednesday. Hill likened it to not being able to recall details from high school a decade after graduation unless prompted with items like a yearbook or notes passed in class.
Hill told the jury that when the defense makes its case later in trial, they’ll hear from a witness with expertise in how memory works, and how the ability to recall certain facts can be affected by being under stress. On that note, Hill said, Mapes was acutely aware of the high-stakes immunity order he was under, and therefore chose his answers to the grand jury carefully.
* From yesterday’s cross examination of former House Majority Leader Greg Harris…
* From today’s testimony by Rep. Bob Rita (D-Blue Island)…
It’s probably the best, maybe even the only thing the defense has in its favor. But this is a federal trial with federal rules. Always bet on the prosecution in these things. We’ll see.
* Meanwhile, from the ILGOP…
As the Tim Mapes trial gets underway, let us remember: Mapes is accused of lying to federal agents and facing prison to protect Mike Madigan. The two of them oversaw multiple governmental and political entities that demanded blind loyalty from state legislators for more than 4 decades, made or broke careers of politicians based on their votes, and buried any dissent while helping their chosen few patsies rise to the highest levels of state government. From the Governor’s Administration to the House Floor, Illinois Democrats across this state have been tainted by Madigan and Mapes culture of corruption they created, and even now continue to shape Illinois policy even after their patriarch’s actions have been exposed to the public.
ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy issued the following statement:
“Madigan and Mapes controlled all the levers of power between the Speaker’s office and DPI. They decided how government and political money was among legislators and areas of the state, cut out legislators that voted against them and elevated those that were loyal to them.
In this case, Mapes is accused of perjuring himself to stay loyal to Madigan. Madigan’s handpicked successor, Speaker Welch shut down the legislative committee established to investigate the crimes alleged against Madigan. These are not the actions of dedicated public servants, rather they are the actions of ambitious politicians putting their personal political careers above the public good.”
* And the HRO…
As Tim Mapes stands trial today at the federal courthouse, Illinois voters should be reminded of the integral part he played in Mike Madigan’s corrupt enterprise. Not only did Mapes serve as Mike Madigan’s longtime Chief of Staff in the Illinois House, he was also the Illinois House Clerk and the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois. Mike Madigan’s operation would not have functioned without Tim Mapes making the trains run on time.
So why is Tim Mapes before a federal jury? Federal agents approached Mapes and offered him a full immunity deal - all he had to do was tell the truth. The problem? That would mean selling out his long-time boss. So what did he choose? The allegations against him in court are that Mapes lied in order to protect Madigan. When Mapes was given the choice between protecting himself and his own interests or staying loyal to Madigan, he chose Madigan.
“For decades Illinois Democrats have chosen blind loyalty to Mike Madigan over the interests of the state of Illinois. Today, that loyalty to Madigan at all costs is coming home to roost for Tim Mapes. Following this trial, every single House Democrat who has chosen loyalty to Madigan and his corrupt political system over the interests of their constituents should also be held accountable at the ballot box.” - Tony Esposito, Executive Director of the Illinois House Republican Organization
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Question of the day
Thursday, Aug 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Jud DeLoss, CEO of the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, writing in the Sun-Times…
According to a 2019 report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately one in five adults in the U.S., or around 47.6 million people, experienced a mental illness in 2018. The report also revealed that approximately 11.4 million adults had a serious mental illness that resulted in significant functional impairment. This prevalence underlines the immense need for mental health workers nationwide.
However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that by 2025, the country will have a shortage of about 250,000 mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and psychiatric nurses. This data shows that the current supply of mental health professionals is far from meeting the existing demand, leading to vast service gaps across the country.
The situation in Illinois is an example of this national crisis. The state serves as a microcosm of the broader U.S. and has been grappling with a shortage of mental health professionals for years. A recent report by the Illinois Psychiatric Society highlighted that out of the 102 counties in Illinois, 91 lack sufficient psychiatrists. This shortage means that individuals seeking help often have to travel long distances, face long wait times or go without necessary care — which in turn jeopardizes the well-being of millions of people who are unable to access timely and adequate care. […]
Rural areas, for instance, are particularly underserved, with 60% of rural Americans living in a mental health professional shortage area. Additionally, marginalized communities, such as those who are low-income, uninsured, and racial or ethnic minorities, are disproportionately affected by the shortage. […]
First, the aging mental health workforce is retiring at a faster pace than it is being replaced. The American Psychological Association reports that 40% of practicing psychologists are 60 years or older, and are hence nearing retirement. Second, compensation for mental health professionals, especially in public sectors, is not competitive with other medical fields, which disincentivizes professionals from joining the field. Lastly, the stigmatization of mental health issues could also be contributing to the lack of interest in pursuing a career in this field.
Illinois specifically is confronting a serious shortage of mental health professionals. In 2022, the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved a new state budget that included a historic $140 million annual increase for Illinois’ long financially starved mental health care providers. It was a welcome and impressive first-step investment. Yet, it remains imperative for additional government investment in strategies that address this workforce shortage, such as incentivizing mental health professions and investing in telehealth solutions.
* Former US Rep. Glenn Poshard opens up about his own mental health troubles in his new book…
“At one point in my life, I went through a nervous breakdown and [co-author Carl Walworth] and I talked about whether we should include that,” said Poshard, who enlisted in the U.S. Army on his 17th birthday. “We talked honestly and openly about it and how I got through it.
“When I was 14, my sister and three of my best friends, who were all 17, were killed in an accident. My mom and dad’s marriage fell apart over that and then I lost my best friend in Vietnam, and he was the first kid from White County to die over there.
“I worked in a Korean orphanage when I was there in the Army, and I somehow blamed myself for not helping these kids enough to overcome their plight. It all fell in on me one day and poor farmer’s kids don’t go to psychologists.
“I had buried all those feelings and I had to get some help, so we talk about mental health issues in the book. There are a lot of folks today, especially young people, who are going through the same thing and hopefully my experiences can help them.”
* Gov. Pritzker was asked yesterday about whether he believed more people were talking about the mental health issue and whether society was meeting the need…
I feel, I don’t know if you do, that people are more willing to talk about mental health today than they were 10 years ago, or five years ago. That people are willing to share their own challenges, challenges within their families. And that’s part of getting rid of the stigma and recognizing that mental health and physical health are one in the same, or at least they belong treated as seriously as each other. And again, that’s why putting significant resources into bringing up mental health treatment across the state is so important.
* The Question: Can you talk about any mental health challenges your family has faced or is facing? No pressure, of course, but if you can, let us know.
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* As we discussed yesterday, Gov. Pritzker talked about his involvement with the recent Ohio constitutional fight…
I’m proud to have supported the Vote No, that’s the side that supported choice. And it was a resounding victory. As you saw in 2022 in so many places around the country, a resounding victory for those of us who are pro-choice and for the people who live in those states who just want to preserve their reproductive freedom. So I was pleased with the outcome.
* Tribune…
Pritzker, a billionaire entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, in June gave $250,000 to the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom PAC, a coalition of abortion rights organizations, Ohio campaign finance records show.
* Politico…
The governor also assigned some members of his political team, including political adviser and former campaign manager Mike Ollen, to help with strategic support in defeating the Ohio ballot measure. Pritzker team members sat in on the steering committee meetings for Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom.
* Of course, this isn’t the first time the governor has involved himself in other states. ABC News…
A prolific fundraiser, Pritzker has poured money into groups like the DGA and high-stakes races such as the recent contest for a seat on Wisconsin’s narrowly divided Supreme Court. […]
But he is also going out of his way to support the national party, through securing donations in battleground elections, joining Biden’s reelection advisory board and attracting the upcoming convention to Chicago.
* New York Magazine…
Pritzker, Biden confided to those in Chicago’s JW Marriott, “did more in 2020 to help me get elected president of the United States than just about anybody in the country. And that’s a fact.” […]
He is unapologetic about the political headway his donations and suggestions can make — electing Democrats is important, he says, so he’s doing what he can to help — and though he has yet to decide exactly what form his 2024 spending will take, he’s already been inundated with pitches from committees and super-PACs and from people suggesting he consider funding turnout-juicing projects like abortion referenda on swing-state ballots. […]
“From a financial perspective, it would be hard to find a hard-core Democrat who J. B. hasn’t helped,” said former Illinois congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who got her own significant boost from Pritzker after finding herself in political trouble when running the House Democrats’ campaign wing in 2020. […]
Pritzker maintains that he’s perfectly happy about the positive coverage surrounding Whitmer and others — perhaps not least because he knows how they got there. “I helped her get elected,” he says, shrugging. “And I helped her get reelected and I helped them get people elected to their legislatures, too.”
Bustos ain’t wrong. If you click here you can scroll through the contributions the governor has made. It looks, for instance, like he gave a couple of grand to the federal committees of most state parties in the country last year. His top federal contribution was $1 million to the Senate Majority PAC. He also gave at leat $350K each to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s campaign and Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party last year, plus $600K+ to the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Democratic parties in Arizona, N. Carolina and Maine received $100K checks (with some receiving other contributions as well). It’s quite a list.
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Always read the fine print
Thursday, Aug 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Headline…
Illinois EPA Announces Dates of Next Electric Vehicle Rebate Program Funding Round
Program opening November 1st offers $4,000 rebate for purchase of an all-electric passenger vehicle or $1,500 rebate for purchase of an all-electric motorcycle
* The pitch…
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) is announcing that the next funding round for Illinois’ Electric Vehicle (EV) Rebate Program will open Wednesday, November 1, 2023 and run through Wednesday, January 31, 2024. Individuals that purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle from an Illinois licensed dealer, meet all other eligibility requirements, and apply during the rebate cycle will be eligible for a rebate as long as funds are available. Forms and instructions on submitting a rebate application will be made available on the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage on October 18, 2023.
“Here in Illinois, we are leading the clean energy revolution—providing competitive incentives for companies and consumers alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Ever since I signed the landmark Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, we’ve distributed millions of dollars in rebates for residents who buy all-electric vehicles. Today, I couldn’t be happier to announce that the next round of the Illinois EV Rebate Program will open November 1st. I encourage all Illinoisans to take advantage of this nation-leading opportunity—helping us reach our ambitious goal of 1 million registered EVs on the road by 2030.”
“This incentive program was created to encourage Illinois residents to purchase electric vehicles and has already received tremendous response from Illinois motorists, with over $19 million in rebates awarded in fiscal year 2023,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim. “We are pleased to provide notice of the next funding round to share this important information and give ample notice to those who may be in the market to purchase an all-electric vehicle in the coming weeks or months.”
* The fine print…
EV purchasers must apply for a rebate within 90 days of the vehicle purchase date. However, applications will not be accepted or reviewed if submitted or postmarked prior to the November 1, 2023 rebate cycle start date. Payments will be made to eligible individuals as long as funding is available.
The Illinois General Assembly has appropriated $12 million to Illinois EPA for the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, 2024. Actual funding amounts will be determined by the amount of money available in the Electric Vehicle Rebate Fund, not to exceed $12 million.
Generally, to be eligible for a rebate, the vehicle must be exclusively powered and refueled by electricity, plugged in to charge, and licensed to drive on public roadways. Electric mopeds, electric off-highway vehicles, hybrid electric or extended-range electric vehicles that are also equipped with conventional fueled propulsion or auxiliary engines are not eligible under the program. Eligibility requirements for an EV rebate in Illinois are set forth in the Illinois EPA’s regulations at 35 Ill. Adm. Code 275. These requirements include, but are not limited to:
• The purchaser must reside in Illinois at time of vehicle purchase and at the time the rebate is issued.
• An applicant may not previously have received an Electric Vehicle Rebate..
• The vehicle must be purchased from a dealer licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State.
• Rented or leased vehicles do not qualify for the rebate.
• Vehicles purchased from an out-of-state dealership, and vehicles delivered to or received by the purchaser out-of-state are not eligible for a rebate.
• The purchaser must apply for the rebate within 90-days after the vehicle purchase date.
• The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date.
• The rebate amount cannot exceed the purchase price of the vehicle.
• Documentation requirements include a copy of purchase invoice, proof of purchase, vehicle registration, and IRS W-9 or W-8 forms.
The Illinois’ Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage includes a Frequently Asked Questions document, and other relevant information. Please note, a new EV Rebate Application form will be posted to the webpage on October 18, 2023, along with instructions for completing the application.
The Illinois EV Rebate Program was created under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) passed by the General Assembly and signed by Governor Pritzker in the fall of 2021. As required under CEJA, Illinois EPA will prioritize the review of applications from low-income purchasers and award rebates accordingly. Low income is defined as persons and families whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the State median income, as established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All other applications will be processed as received on a first come, first serve basis.
Questions about the EV Rebate Program may be submitted to EPA.EV@Illinois.gov. Individuals interested in receiving updates on Illinois EPA’s EV programs may register for the EV Listserv located at the bottom of the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program webpage.
For information on federal incentives for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, please visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.
* And here’s more fine print from another source…
The new state budget includes less money for a popular electric-vehicle rebate program, potentially hindering efforts to reach a stated goal of 1 million EVs on the road by 2030.
The new budget, signed into law last week, includes $12 million for the EV rebate program, officials said. That’s about $7.3 million less than was spent on the rebate program last year.
The rebates launched in July 2022, offering $4,000 to Illinoisans who bought a new or used EV from an Illinois licensed dealer. The number of applications well exceeded the available funds by early January 2023, said a spokesperson for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which administers the program. In all, 4,832 rebates were awarded, from $19.3 million in funding.
The program was “wildly successful,” so it’s concerning that it’s now seeing a 38% funding cut, said Brian Urbaszewski, director of environmental health programs at the Chicago-based Respiratory Health Association.
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Today’s number: 15 percent
Thursday, Aug 10, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Illinois Answers Project…
The city has budgeted more than $200 million this year to provide services for people like David who are experiencing homelessness, with much of that money coming from federal pandemic relief aid.
But what the city’s homelessness support system has actually spent so far tells a different story.
Though the city continues to expel people experiencing homelessness from its airports, underpasses and L cars, it has spent at most only 15% out of one of the largest pots of federal money it was given for programs to help people experiencing homelessness get into housing faster, according to the city.
The clock is ticking for the city.
Municipalities that received pandemic recovery funds must create a plan to use them by the end of 2024 and spend the funds for that plan by the end of 2026, according to the Chicago Recovery Plan. Other federal dollars the city received have a deadline of 2030. The city’s recovery plan devotes $117 million to a range of homelessness support services. […]
In total, the city has budgeted about $52 million in American Rescue Plan Act-related funds for programs to support people experiencing homelessness, but as of the city’s most recent federal report they’ve spent nearly 15% from that pot of federal money, records show.
As a result of the city’s spending, an Illinois Answers Project investigation found that some of its initiatives are off to slow starts or haven’t begun.
• The city’s Rapid Rehousing Program has the largest budget with more than $27.3 million designated for quickly getting Chicagoans into housing. The city has spent $7.4 million — a little more than 27% of the money for a program expected to run 2 ½ years, according to the city’s second quarter report just released to the feds.
• The $12 million Stabilization Housing pilot program was created to help people with complex mental health or substance abuse problems who cycle through jails, emergency rooms and the city’s shelter system. The city has not released any funding for this program yet. City Council members recently voted to approve a $2.9 million purchase of a motel that will be part of the program.
• The $8.2 million Re-entry Workforce Development Program looks to help those facing employment barriers, focusing on people returning from incarceration, people with limited English skills and those experiencing homelessness. City officials initially told the feds they’ve spent $543,315 — or about 7% of the money. But in response to questions from Illinois Answers they said that number was in error and put that spending figure at $157,626 — or about 2% — as of Aug. 1.
• The Rapid Rehousing Services of Gender-Based Violence Survivors, which includes domestic violence survivors, aims to find homes for those people. The program was budgeted to cost more than $4.6 million over 2 ½ years, but it had spent $396,377, according to the city’s most recent federal report. Officials said that figure reflects spending through the end of the second quarter, but as of Aug. 1 the city says it has spent a bit more — $440,691.
The city also created a nearly $5 million program to help formerly incarcerated people at risk of homelessness or returning to the criminal justice system, and another, $500,000 shelter initiative, the second quarter report shows.
When asked about the city’s spending pace, the Department of Family and Support Services said it had to hire new staff to develop and oversee several programs as well as choose a delegate agency to provide direct services.
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Open thread
Thursday, Aug 10, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s goin on in your part of Illinois today? It’s the first day of the State Fair and my dreams were filled of fried food…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Aug 10, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Tribune | Tim Mapes perjury trial opens in earnest with clash over alleged lies in sprawling federal probe: The Mapes defense team countered with a far different picture: Mapes “did his level best” in giving answers during an intimidating grand jury process but simply could not remember details about key questions prosecutors asked about Madigan’s political association with a top confidant.
* Sun-Times | Defense in perjury trial of ex-Madigan top aide begins with talk of high school reunions, old crushes and a faulty memory: But Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur argued that Mapes was once part of a tight inner-circle involving Madigan and fellow Springfield insider Michael McClain. She stressed that Mapes claimed in 2021 not to know anything — “anything” — about work that had been done by McClain for Madigan.
* ABC Chicago | ‘Butter Cow’ sculpture unveiled ahead of 2023 Illinois State Fair: One of the most famous stars of the Illinois State Fair made its first appearance Wednesday. The 2023 “Butter Cow” was unveiled ahead of Thursday’s fair opening. The cow made its first appearance in 1922 and has been a fan favorite ever since.
* Block Club | As Illinois Becomes Hub For Abortion Care, New Hotline Connects People With Complex Cases To Hospitals: The CARLA hotline, which stands for Complex Abortion Regional Line for Access, will connect abortion clinic staff with four major Chicago-area hospitals so they can schedule abortion appointments for patients who need hospital-based care.
* Sun-Times | Lawsuit over ‘sham’ Waukegan casino selection process could delay construction, developer says: Full House Resorts has been running a temporary casino in the north suburb since February, but an appellate court ruling could end up forcing officials to restart the selection process following complaints from the Forest County Potawatomi Community.
* Florida Phoenix | CFO Patronis goes after Gov. Pritzker over abolishing cash bail in IL, says it’s ‘pure insanity’: With Illinois set to become the first state in the nation to fully abolish cash bail next month, Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis made an appeal to Illinois business owners on Wednesday, saying they should consider moving their businesses and family members to the Sunshine State.
* Daily Herald | 14 more suburbs, DuPage County join program to become ‘EV ready’: The 15 local governments — which include those of Batavia, Elgin and Highland Park, as well as DuPage County — will receive training programs and technical assistance to prepare for a growing demand for EVs and charging infrastructure.
* WTTW | From Delayed Ambulances to Late Buses, Some Chicago-Area Communities Hit With Lengthy Blocked Train Crossings: Illinois has registered 8,550 complaints, the third highest total in the country since blocked crossings began being tracked at the end of 2019 by the Federal Railroad Administration, an agency within the United States Department of Transportation.
* Sun-Times | Keeping campaign promises will take time, top Johnson aide says: ‘Nothing can be done in a single year’: Johnson campaigned on a promise to make $1 billion in investments in people, with that money coming from $800 million in increased taxes, fines and fees. But Chief Operating Officer John Roberson said the mayor knows it’ll take years to deliver those investments, with the pace of progress depending on how much new revenue he can get, and when.
* Greg Hinz | The top cop pick is a decision Johnson — and the city he runs — can’t afford to blow: In theory, Johnson could reject the three finalists sent to him by the Chicago Commission on Community Safety & Accountability: Larry Snelling, a long-term Chicago Police Department veteran who now heads its counterterrorism unit and appears to be the front-runner; Angel Novalez, CPD’s chief of constitutional policing and reform; and Madison Police Department Chief Shon Barnes, who despite working in Wisconsin’s capital has lots of Chicago experience.
* Chalkbeat | Chicago will get smaller share of state’s increased K-12 education budget for second year in a row: The largest share of the state’s new K-12 funding – $35 million – will go to Elgin U-46, Illinois’ second largest district. Plainfield School District 202, the state’s fifth largest district, will receive $13.1 million of the increase.
* Capitol News Illinois | 160 years later, activist Elizabeth Packard honored in place of psychiatrist she exposed: “Today we are putting a spotlight on the real hero associated with this institution,” Gov. JB Pritzker said before signing an order Wednesday to change the name of the 120-bed mental health hospital. Packard, he said, is “someone who, in truth, better expresses our proud history of positive reform; someone who changed our world for the better.”
* The Intelligencer | Glenn Poshard shares struggles: Poshard, 77, is a former U.S. representative and was a 1998 gubernatorial candidate. He was also the system president for Southern Illinois University from 2006 to 2014. Poshard discussed those parts of his life and much more Tuesday afternoon at Lovejoy Library at Southern Illinois University in a signing for his new book, “Son of Southern Illinois: Glenn Poshard’s Life in Politics and Education.”
* Tribune | Videos show longtime Tylenol murder suspect James Lewis discussing the crime with undercover agents: Arlington Heights police, the lead law enforcement agency in the investigation, provided the video clips late Tuesday in response to a Tribune open-records request. The Tylenol investigation remains open, but Lewis’ July 9 death from a blood clot in his lungs cleared a legal path for some of the long-confidential recordings to be released.
* Sun-Times | Can classical music deter panhandlers? Walgreens blares Bach outside Chicago stores: The Sun-Times this week found classical music greeting customers as they approached the entrance of stores in Greektown, the West Side and River North at 641 N. Clark St. It plays from speakers connected to the building that are covered by a protective screen.
* Sun-Times | Leo Louchios, an adviser to Jesse White and Alexi Giannoulias and Greektown staple, dies at 66: “Ever since I was much younger, he was always the guy, not just in the secretary of state’s office, but in the Greek American community, he was one of our leaders and someone everyone knew,” Giannoulias said.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Aug 10, 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. You can click here to follow the Tim Mapes trial.
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Afternoon roundup
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* From the Tim Mapes trial…
…[Defense attorney Katie Hill] stepped up to speak on Mapes’ behalf. She told jurors to imagine being forced to take a pop quiz on their way into their high school reunion.
“The test is full of questions about your life from that time period,” Hill said. “Who was elected class president your junior year? What was the name of that guy your best friend had a crush on when you were a freshman? What color was the corsage you wore to prom?”
Hill later turned to the reputations Madigan and McClain had in Springfield — where people assumed McClain spoke for Madigan. But she said Madigan was not “free-flowing” with information. And when information is not free-flowing, she said, “folklore takes its place.”
But for someone like Mapes, she said, “there was no need to rely on folklore or common knowledge.”
Hill said someone like Mapes, with rare direct access to Madigan, “would not have considered what McClain said to be the gospel truth about what Madigan actually said or wanted.”
More…
According to Hill, Mapes did his “level best” to inform the grand jury about his relationships with Madigan and McClain. She claimed he was only charged because in seven questions out of some 500 he was asked, Mapes gave “answers the government did not like.”
More…
Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane MacArthur contended Mapes “perverted” the grand jury process and “jeopardized” the corruption investigation against Madigan with “false testimony.”
“The defendant lied. Not just once but again and again and again, to prevent the grand jury from finding out” about Madigan’s actions.
* Not going well, particularly for the Belvidere workers…
UAW President Shawn Fain on Tuesday criticized early bargaining proposals from Stellantis as a “slap in the face” to members before throwing a copy of the document in a trash can during a livestream on Facebook.
Fain, who last week detailed the union’s “audacious and ambitious” economic demands, including more than 40 percent raises, said the response from Stellantis doesn’t address the union’s concerns. The two sides started bargaining last month on contracts that expire Sept. 14. […]
The company, Fain said, is seeking cuts to medical coverage, threatening profit-sharing payouts, refusing to reopen the idled Belvidere Assembly Plant and insisting on keeping a two-tier wage system.
* The Washington Post took a look at the costs of recharging electric vehicles as opposed to filling up with gas…
The bottom line? In all 50 states, it’s cheaper for the everyday American to fill up with electrons — and much cheaper in some regions such as the Pacific Northwest, with low electricity rates and high gas prices.
Illinois finished in the top ten for average savings…
* Shades of Gov. Abbott in the SJ-R…
That frustration was also voiced by Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette who detailed how recently a neighboring law enforcement agency drove a homeless individual from their community to Springfield to drop that person off.
“That person is now a consumer of our health system, is now a consumer of our social service system, is now a consumer of the mental health system,” Scarlette said. “People are bringing homeless individuals into our community because they think this is where the services exist.”
* Press release…
In a year that saw exponential growth in the youth in agriculture movement, the Illinois State Fair, along with Governor JB Pritzker, announced that the Illinois State FFA Officers will serve as Grand Marshals for the annual Twilight Parade.
Since Governor Pritzker announced in 2022 that every student in the state of Illinois taking an agriculture class would have their FFA dues paid, FFA membership increased from 23,000 to over 41,000 members strong. Additionally, 5,500 students not enrolled in agricultural education courses joined FFA, demonstrating an appreciation of the value of the organization. […]
The Grand Marshals are as follows:
President Thaddeus Bergschneider- Franklin FFA
Vice President Eric Wisely- Nashville FFA
Reporter Cooper Nelson- Canton FFA
Secretary Riley Kessler- Staunton FFA
Treasurer Benjamin Bremmer- Pearl City FFA
* Northwestern’s sports culture ain’t ready for reform…
* Isabel’s roundup…
* WBEZ | Researchers say tens of thousands in Cook County have a high risk of flooding: Roughly 172,000 properties in Cook County have a high risk of flooding — about eight times more than what FEMA’s maps show, according to First Street’s assessment. In the city of Chicago, roughly 79,000 properties are at high risk, according to First Street. That’s more than 50 times higher than the number of high-risk Chicago properties indicated in FEMA’s maps.
* Sun-Times | ‘We’ll protect the boss’: Perjury trial kicks off for Madigan’s chief of staff, but defense says no evidence he lied: “Tim Mapes did not lie in the grand jury,” defense attorney Katie Hill argued as Mapes’ perjury trial began in earnest. “He did not attempt to obstruct justice.” And, she said, the trial jury he now faces will not hear any direct evidence that Mapes knew and remembered the things he was asked about before the grand jury March 31, 2021.
* WTTW | ‘The Defendant Always Tries to Defend the Boss’: Opening Statements Underway in Perjury Trial of Ex-Madigan Chief of Staff Tim Mapes: MacArthur said Mapes spent his entire professional career working for Madigan — whom she repeatedly referred to as “the boss” — describing him as the former speaker’s “right hand man, the gatekeeper, the person who kept the trains running on time.”
* Tribune | Tim Mapes perjury trial opens in earnest with clash over alleged lies in sprawling federal probe: Hill maintained Mapes was “limited to what he actually knows” and an appearance before a grand jury “is not the time to start making assumptions, not the time to start guessing.” And while McClain might have told Mapes directly at times about orders he got from Madigan, Mapes knew that McClain was prone to exaggerating, Hill said.
* SJ-R | Helping Hands will most likely open shelter on Dirksen after New Year’s: As members of the city council took up consideration of an ordinance dealing with already-budgeted funds to deal with the city’s homelessness issue, Ward 3 Ald. Roy Williams Jr. raised a question of whether the issue had worsened in the city.
* Business Wire | ComEd Announces New Programs to Accelerate Adoption of EVs Across Northern Illinois: ComEd today joined with regional and municipal leaders to unveil its latest programs designed to accelerate the adoption of electrified technologies, including electric vehicles (EVs), in northern Illinois. As part of ComEd’s $231 million investment in new customer programs geared toward removing barriers to electrification, ComEd today announced a new EV Charging Delivery Rate option to incentivize the buildout of an expanded network of EV charging infrastructure to meet a growing need in the northern Illinois region.
* Daily Southtown | Thornton administrator says help may be coming to alleviate stench from quarry reservoir: But Beckman said the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is now taking a proactive approach to address the odor concerns. “They’ve been talking to us about different operational procedures to try to control it, but I think they finally realized they have to do more than that,” Beckman said. “They finally started investing some money.”
* Block Club | Walter Payton Grad’s Study Finds ‘Adequate’ But Not ‘Equitable’ Internet Access At 6 CPS Schools: But only 13 percent of tests run at the schools met the federal long-term benchmark, which is 1 megabit per second for every person in the school. None of the tests met a national tech directors association’s goal for large districts like Chicago Public Schools, which is 1.4 megabits per second per person.
* Block Club | Police Are Launching A Nightlife Patrol In The West Loop And West Town: The new unit will consist of six officers and one sergeant, all focusing on criminal activity along entertainment strips. Several focus areas include Greektown, parts of Taylor Street, the University of Illinois Chicago and part of Division Street, said Sgt. Mike Karczewski, business, licensing, and special events supervisor for the 12th District.
* Bond Buyer | On Yvette Shields, and the Hall of Fame: I first want to make it clear that this is not a decision we came to lightly, impulsively, or emotionally. Our intention with this Hall of Fame has been to celebrate those individuals who, over the course of their life’s work, have made an indelible impact on the municipal finance community. When we set that criteria, we did so intending to honor the practitioners of muni finance themselves, not necessarily fellow journalists covering the industry. But that notion began to change after Yvette’s passing.
* WGN | Elmhurst baseball team on the brink of Little League World Series: That has shown as the Elmhurst team is now just one win away from Little League World Series after an impressive season & run through the Great Lakes tournament. They’ll face Ohio for the regional championship in Whitestown, Indiana at 4 p.m. time and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
* ABC Chicago | Red Bull bringing Formula One race car to Chicago for free showrun: The Formula One grand-prix winning race car RB7 to show its speed and agility on a 2,000-foot temporary “pop-up” circuit down Madison Street and in the parking lots surrounding the United Center.
* Forbes | Chicago’s 30 under 30: The Second City is first class when it comes to its bevy of young entrepreneurs, tech geniuses and changemakers. The inaugural 30 Under 30 Local Chicago list includes a photographer capturing the 2020 protests across the city, a duo creating a burgeoning ceramics studio and a founder streamlining composting for apartments.
* Crain’s | McDonald’s new meal celebrates its pop culture cameos — from ‘Seinfeld’ to ‘Loki’: The meal, which will be available for a limited time starting Aug. 14, is tied to the chain’s upcoming appearance in the second season of “Loki” on Disney+. The bag for the meal includes a list of TV shows, movies and songs that have also referenced McDonald’s, including “Seinfeld” and “Space Jam.” “Loki Season 2” appears last on the list, with an asterisk that clarifies, “New season streaming soon.” The season premieres Oct. 6.
* Sun-Times | Out of sriracha? Try one of these 12 Chicago-made hot sauces: Even now, a 28-ounce bottle of Huy Fong sriracha was spotted selling on Amazon for $24.99, down from $29.99. On eBay, you can still find sellers listing sriracha packets, possibly a hangover from the height of the pandemic-driven hoarding mania.
* NYT | This Is a Reminder That You’re Probably Oversharing on Venmo: The snooping works the other way around, too. Even if you seldom use Venmo today, the app is most likely leaking sensitive information about you to the general public. How do I know? I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I recently discovered that my contacts list, which includes the names of people in my phone book, was published on Venmo for anyone using the app to see.
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Question of the day
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Last night…
* From Gov. Pritzker’s press conference today…
Q: Last night, voters in Ohio rejected a measure which would have made it more difficult for them to amend the constitution. You sent a tweet that it is a massive win for democracy. However, Ohio makes it a lot easier than Illinois does for citizens [scrambled audio about passing constitutional questions]. Would you support a change to the Illinois Constitution to make it more easy for Illinois citizens to make similar changes like they currently do in Ohio [simple majority]?
Pritzker: What went on in Ohio, leading up to the vote last night was solely an effort to stop pro-choice forces from passing an amendment to their constitution, that’s all it was about. That’s all it was about. It was masquerading as we need to make it harder or, you know, raise the bar for putting an amendment into our Constitution. But it only grew out of the fact that they had already put together the petitions to get it on the ballot, to change the constitution to make Ohio a pro-choice state. So entirely, that’s what that was about. And I’m proud to have supported the Vote No, that’s the side that supported choice. And it was a resounding victory, as you saw in 2022 in so many places around the country, a resounding victory for those of us who are pro-choice and for the people who live in those states who just want to preserve their reproductive freedom. So I was pleased with the outcome.
You’re asking about whether Illinois should change. We have a 60 percent threshold here. We’ve had amendments pass and fail in Illinois. And I think I wouldn’t change what we’re doing here in Illinois.
But I’m just saying what you saw last night was really about choice. That’s all it was. And you also heard Republicans who are backing that, saying last night that they intend to bring their referendum back, to make it hard for people to change the constitution. Maybe they will. But by that time, Ohio would have put into its constitution a restoration of a woman’s right to choose.
Please pardon all transcription errors.
The Illinois Constitution allows the General Assembly, with three-fifth majorities, to put constitutional amendments on the ballot. Those questions must be approved “by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election.”
* The Question: Should Illinois lower its constitutional amendment threshold to simple majorities of those who vote on the question? Make sure to explain your answer. We’re not going to tackle the legislative aspect of this today. So please just stick to the question at hand. Thanks.
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Meanwhile… In Opposite Land
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Prepare yourself for a lot of Florida…
After Florida adopted its Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking standards in 2020, the Department of Education distributed recommended reading lists it said included “top of the line literary works with world renowned titles.”
Authors on the high school list included William Shakespeare.
Three years later, some Florida school districts are shying away from Shakespeare, along with other classic and popular materials. They say they’re attempting to comply with new state law restricting books with and instruction about sexual content.
Hillsborough County became the latest to take this step, telling teachers they could assign excerpts of plays such as “Romeo and Juliet,” but not the full text.
* More from Florida…
To comply with state law, a major Florida school district has issued guidance that will bar transgender employees from sharing their preferred pronouns and force trans students and staff members to use group restrooms that follow their “biological sex at birth.”
Orange County Public Schools — the fourth-largest district in Florida, with about 209,000 students at 210 schools — released the new guidance for the 2023-24 academic year Monday. […]
As a result, transgender employees or contractors “may not provide a personal title or pronoun to students which does not correspond [to] the employee’s or contractor’s biological sex at birth,” the memo said.
The law also mandates that employees and contractors may not ask a student to provide his or her preferred personal title or pronoun, the memo said.
* Florida…
Large school districts across Florida are dropping plans to offer Advanced Placement Psychology, heeding a warning from state officials that the course’s discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity violates state law.
Eight of the 11 districts with the largest enrollments in the class are switching to alternate courses, and just one said it will stick with AP Psychology. Two others are still deciding, officials said.
The state of Florida has encouraged schools to teach the course without objectionable material about sexual orientation and gender identity. But the College Board, which runs AP, says these topics are central to the study of psychology and cannot simply be excised. Last week, the College Board said the course was “effectively banned” and advised districts not to offer it.
Further complicating the matter, a day later, Florida’s education chief told districts that his agency believes the schools can offer the course “in its entirety” but also said it should be “in a manner that is age and developmentally appropriate.” The state has previously said teaching school-age students about sexual orientation and gender is inappropriate.
* Even more from the Sunshine state…
Civil rights groups asked a federal judge Tuesday to stop Florida officials from enforcing a section of a new state immigration law that criminalizes transporting someone who has entered the United States unlawfully. But the jurist denied the request immediately on a technicality.
The portion of the law known as Section 10 makes it unsafe for people to get to medical appointments, meet with family and go to work, the groups said in a motion that is part of a July lawsuit challenging the law.
“For many individual Plaintiffs, Section 10 interferes with their ability to go about their daily lives,” said the motion, which asks for a temporary injunction halting enforcement.
Almost immediately after it was filed, U.S. District Judge Roy Altman denied the request for a temporary injunction on a technicality, saying Gov. Ron DeSantis and other defendants who include prosecutors from across Florida hadn’t been properly given notice about the motion. The judge said the civil rights groups could file the request again.
* This is the last one from Florida today. I promise…
* Moving on to Nevada…
The long-simmering debate over school choice in Nevada will hit a pivotal moment Wednesday, when the state’s Interim Finance Committee decides whether to use unallocated federal money to replace dried-up funds for a private school scholarship program pushed by the Republican governor but rejected by legislative Democrats.
It’s a last-ditch effort by Gov. Joe Lombardo to pass a remnant of his landmark school choice priority in Nevada’s increasingly rare split-party government. Instead of expanding the program in both funding and eligibility, Lombardo now is looking to maintain the program at previous levels.
Lombardo originally wanted to expand eligibility and provide an additional $50 million for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship program, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2015, that allows businesses to receive tax credits on donations that go toward the private and religious school tuitions of mostly low-income students.
With that proposal dead, Lombardo is seeking $3.2 million in unallocated federal coronavirus relief funds to maintain existing scholarships that his office says will soon run out. Lombardo’s spokesperson Elizabeth Ray said nearly 800 students could be forced to switch schools without additional funding.
* Texas…
Newly uncovered records show Texas officials ignored warnings that installing anti-migrant buoys in the Rio Grande and concertina wire along the banks violated federal law and a U.S. treaty with Mexico.
On March 29, a Texas Highway Patrol captain even asked the International Boundary Commission that controls the Rio Grande to help with a permit the city of El Paso refused to grant, to put electricity in a command trailer.
The commission declined, reminding the captain that the trailer — under a bridge in the floodplain — was on federal property without authorization.
“The State of Texas, operating through various entities, including but not limited to, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) (and its contractors) does not have authorization for its presence on the federal property that is managed, owned, and/or controlled by the United States, International Boundary and Water Commission” or USIBWC, said the April 21 response.
* Here’s a closer look at those buoys…
* Indiana…
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana says it filed a lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of a citizen journalist from South Bend, claiming Indiana’s new 25-foot “encroachment” law violated his constitutional right to observe and record the police.
The new law, which went into effect on July 1, prohibits a person from knowingly or intentionally approaching within 25 feet of a police officer after the officer has ordered them to stop. According to our sister station WTHR, it is classified as a Class C misdemeanor.
The ACLU of Indiana says the plaintiff, Donald Nicodemus, is a citizen journalist who lives in South Bend and monitors the activity of public-safety personnel — primarily the South Bend Police Department. Nicodemus regularly posts videos to his YouTube channel “Freedom 2 Film,” which has more than 24,500 subscribers as of Tuesday afternoon. […]
“The unbridled discretion given to law enforcement officers by the new 25-foot law allows for, and invites content and viewpoint-based discrimination,” said Ken Falk, legal director at the ACLU of Indiana, in a press release sent to 16 News Now. “This gives police officers unchecked authority to prohibit citizens from approaching within 25 feet of the officers to observe their actions, even if the actions of the citizens are not and will not interfere with the police.”
* Idaho…
Six university professors and two teachers’ unions are suing Idaho over a law that they say violates their First Amendment rights by criminalizing teaching and classroom discussion about pro-abortion viewpoints.
The 2021 No Public Funds for Abortion Act prohibits state contracts or transactions with abortion providers and also bans public employees from promoting abortion, counseling in favor of abortion or referring someone to abortion services. Public employees who violate the law can be charged with misuse of public funds, a felony, and be fired, fined and ordered to pay back the funds they are accused of misusing.
The law is “simultaneously sweeping and unclear” and places a “strait jacket upon the intellectual leaders” of Idaho’s public universities, the educators, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, wrote in the lawsuit.
The case was brought by five University of Idaho professors who teach philosophy, political science, American literature and journalism, as well as a Boise State University professor of social work. Other plaintiffs include the Idaho Federation of Teachers, which represents faculty at UI, BSU and Idaho State University, and the University of Idaho Faculty Federation.
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Let’s do this
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* A few comments on a post about some new state laws yesterday were a hoot, particularly this one…
I don’t believe that Illinois has any need to design or adopt a new/better/different/progressive state flag. Those pushing this agenda aim to abolish history, like Lori Lightfoot removing the Christopher Columbus statues in Chicago.
“The first of these was adopted on July 6, 1915, after a campaign by Ella Park Laurence, State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution.” This is what the leftists don’t like, pesky reminders of the people that founded this state and nation.
Hilarious.
* To the synopsis…
Establishes the Illinois Flag Commission Act. Creates the Illinois Flag Commission for the purpose of developing new State flag designs and making recommendations to the General Assembly concerning whether the current State flag ought to be replaced with a redesigned State flag. Identifies the members to be appointed to the Commission. Describes the duties of the Commission. Requires the Chair of the Commission to convene the first Commission meeting by no later than September 1, 2023. Requires the Commission to report its recommendations to the General Assembly by no later than December 3, 2024. Provides for the repeal of the Act on January 1, 2026. Effective immediately.
One of the top proponents of Senate Bill 1818 (get it?) is former Rep. Tim Butler, a Springfield Republican and hardly a leftist progressive.
* And abolish history? Here’s the flag…
Let’s see, there’s “1818″, the year Illinois became a state. “1868″ is the year Illinois adopted a new state seal, which is hardly an historically significant fact except that it’s a self-referential nod to the flag’s design…
Illinois Secretary of State Sharon Tyndale spearheaded the drive to create a third state seal for Illinois. In 1867, he asked State Senator Allen C. Fuller to introduce legislation requiring a new seal, and suggested to Fuller that the words of the state motto be reversed, from “State Sovereignty, National Union”, to “National Union, State Sovereignty”. However, the bill passed by the legislature on March 7, 1867, kept the original wording. Despite declining his suggestion, the legislature nonetheless entrusted Tyndale with designing the new seal. And Tyndale managed to (literally) twist the legislature’s intent; he kept the words in the correct order on the banner, but the banner twists, so the word “Sovereignty” is upside down, arguably making it less readable.
So, the state seal, which is on the state flag, violates legislative intent.
Lovely.
* And the design was so non-Illinois that the state actually added the word “Illinois” to the flag in 1970…
In the 1960s, Chief Petty Officer Bruce McDaniel petitioned to have the name of the state added to the flag. He noted that many of the people with whom he served during the Vietnam War did not recognize the banner. Governor Richard B. Ogilvie signed the addition to the flag into law on September 17, 1969, and the new flag, designed by Sanford (Florence) Hutchinson, became official on July 1, 1970.
* And who the heck is reminded of the founders of our country by looking at the state flag? Ella Park Lawrence was designated “Honorary State Regent of Illinois for life” for her work to pass the flag bill. But, I gotta say it, the flag she helped choose is subpar.
If you still need more convincing, here’s another commenter from yesterday…
The main reason we need a new flag is that Indiana’s flag is much better than ours, and we cannot be upstaged by Indiana.
*** UPDATE *** Rep. Dan Didech recently received an email from George Lonngren with his suggestion for a “Union State” flag…
I like that. Lonngren’s explanation…
It’s “The Union State” flag because our state is really a microcosm and representation of our nation as a whole. We are in the core of the country, we have provided greatly to its defense and preservation. We are a major portion of its breadbasket. Culturally we have strong communities of all groups large and small from all over the nation, and world. We have large cities and small rural communities. If you removed the other 49 states and just had Illinois, the American Spirit would be little diminished in Illinois’ sole contribution to our nation.
Blue Field: Illinois massive contribution to the union army during the civil war to preserve our nation
Lincoln Silhouette: The president who saw us preserve our nation, also from our state
Yellow Silhouette: For Illinois Agriculture
Stars: One for each president with strong ties to Illinois (Reagan, Grant, Lincoln, Obama).
Point being, let’s see what people can come up with.
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Unclear on the concept
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The headline, “Alderman Taylor turns thumbs down on migrants becoming cops,” tells you all you need to know about this story…
When Governor JB Pritzker signed HB 3751 into law allowing non-U.S. citizens to become police officers, it sparked a flurry of protests, especially from Alderman Jeanette Taylor (20th).
“It’s a no for me,” Taylor said. “The folks at Wadsworth (in Woodlawn) have been kicked out of their shelter. They are standing around the shelters because they are not familiar with the city.
“Your allowing people who are not familiar with our city or our laws to become law enforcement officers just doesn’t make sense,” Taylor said. “I think once they go through the immigration process and they become citizens, then yes.”
Reminded that federal law prohibits non-citizens from carrying guns, Taylor said she doesn’t understand why the bill was passed in the first place, chalking it up to politics.
“I hope this was not the reason, but I don’t support it because you are talking about people who don’t know the United States. If we know anything about policing, it has not worked in Black and brown communities,” Taylor stated.
The alderman is so frustrated over this added burden of keeping the peace between her residents and migrants, along with fighting for resources, that she placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott who continues to send busloads of migrants to Chicago.
She actually believes that asylum-seeking migrants, who are not even allowed to work, are gonna become police officers. Wow.
Also, just saying, but it might help “keep the peace” between residents and migrants if she stopped ignorantly popping off like this.
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* Press release…
Former Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White has been selected as the 2023 recipient of the Paul Simon-Jim Edgar Statesmanship Award. Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar and John Shaw, director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, announced White’s selection on Aug. 8.
Edgar and Shaw applauded White’s half-century of constructive, practical and principled leadership in Illinois.
White, a native of Alton, Illinois, served in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, played baseball in the Chicago Cubs farm system and created the nationally famous Jesse White Tumbling Team for underprivileged young people.
He served in the Illinois House of Representatives, as the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and as the 37th Illinois Secretary of State. As secretary of state from 1999 to 2023, White worked for traffic safety, teen driver safety, strong DUI laws, truck safety, and enhanced organ and tissue donations.
“I first met Secretary White in the 1970s when we were both junior members of the Illinois General Assembly,” Edgar said. “Jesse has always been modest, gracious and committed to working with members of both parties to solve problems.”
“Jesse respected the people of Illinois, and they liked and respected him – and -voted for him in record numbers.”
Shaw said White’s career illustrates the value of searching for common ground and viewing everyone as potential allies and partners.
“Secretary White has been a model public servant,” Shaw said. “He has demonstrated the ability to set partisanship aside to advance the public interest.”
The annual Simon-Edgar Statesmanship Award is presented to an elected state or local government official in Illinois who has demonstrated a pattern of public service characterized by vision, courage, compassion, effectiveness, civility and bipartisanship.
The Simon-Edgar Award shines a spotlight on remarkable leadership that is taking place in our state and our communities, inspiring current and future public servants to act in the best traditions of Illinois.
Edgar, the 38th governor of Illinois, founded the Edgar Fellows Program at the University of Illinois’s Institute of Government and Public Affairs. Shaw is the director of SIU Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute.
Discuss.
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* From the Sangamon County Historical Society’s website…
Dr. Andrew McFarland, the namesake of the Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center near Springfield, directed the Illinois Hospital and Asylum for the Insane in Jacksonville in the 1850s and ’60s. Perversely, McFarland (1817-91) also helped expand the rights of people accused of mental instability – by opposing them.
McFarland’s nemesis was a Manteno woman, Elizabeth Packard (1816-97), who won national fame in the late 1800s for her efforts to reform mental treatment and the mental confinement process.
Packard was sent to the Jacksonville asylum in June 1860 – literally carried out of her house and put on a train – on the sole authority of her husband, Theophilus, a Calvinist minister. The “evidence” of her insanity was that she publicly disagreed with Theophilus on religious issues. […]
The legislature nonetheless set up a commission in 1867 to investigate Packard’s allegations against McFarland and the asylum. Among other things, the panel found McFarland had tolerated a variety of abusive treatments, including one similar to modern-day waterboarding: obstreperous patients would be wrapped in a straitjacket and dunked in a bathtub over and over, submerged each time until they nearly passed out. […]
McFarland, suffering from depression, hanged himself at Oak Lawn in 1891.
* Today, Gov. Pritzker fittingly announced that the Andrew McFarland Mental Health Center’s name would be changed to commemorate Elizabeth Packard…
Today, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced a new name for the McFarland Mental Health Center. By executive proclamation, it is now officially the Elizabeth Parsons Ware Packard Mental Health Center. On signage and in common use, it will become known simply as the Packard Mental Health Center. Located on the south side of Springfield, the psychiatric hospital employs more than 250 staff and supports over 120 patients with serious mental illness on a 24/7 basis.
“Today, we are putting a spotlight on the real hero associated with this institution, someone who in truth better expresses our proud history of positive reform and someone who changed our world for the better,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Here in Illinois, we are committed to righting the wrongs of the past wherever we can. Renaming this Center in honor of Elizabeth Packard, who founded the Anti-Insane Asylum Society and pushed multiple states to reform their laws to better recognize the rights of mental health patients, is an important step in the right direction.” […]
Best-selling author Kate Moore published The Woman They Could Not Silence about Packard in 2021. This non-fiction book tells the story of Packard’s involuntary commitment and chronicles Dr. McFarland’s role in keeping her inappropriately confined. Since the book’s release, staff and community members have questioned the appropriateness of keeping Dr. McFarland’s name on the building. In January 2023, an online petition was created, calling on the State to rename the facility.
“I am delighted for Elizabeth that this mental health center is being renamed in her honor, and I have no doubt she would be thrilled too. In her lifetime, she was denigrated and dismissed as a madwoman because she stood up for those in need, but today we honor her courageous stance and her remarkable achievements,” said Kate Moore. “It is fitting, too, that Elizabeth’s name replaces that of her tormentor and doctor, McFarland. She always warned him she was not mad, simply ahead of her time, and today, at long last, her truth is heard. Truly the woman they could not silence, Elizabeth deserves this honor deeply and I am so grateful to the Governor and the State for recognizing this very special woman.”
This renaming reflects the State’s commitment to righting the wrongs of the past, while celebrating the contributions of those who have historically been overlooked.
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Do these guys ever win?
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
* By now, you’ve certainly heard about this…
Ohio abortion rights backers have a clearer path to victory in November now that voters refused to make it harder to amend the state constitution.
Those pushing for a reproductive rights amendment will only need to convince a simple majority of the electorate rather than the 60% sought by the Republican-led legislature and Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
About 57% voted against the proposal (Issue 1) to raise the threshold for future constitutional amendments after some ad campaigns emphasized the potential impact on the abortion question to come in the fall election. The initiative was closely watched as the latest evidence of the extent to which abortion is an issue that animates voters and gets them to the polls.
* Ohio Capital Journal…
The yes campaign committee, Protect Our Constitution, raised a little more than $4.85 million according to its filing. Nearly all of it came from a single individual who lives out of state.
Illinois billionaire Richard Uihlein donated a total of $4 million to the committee. The right-wing megadonor owns the Uline shipping and office supply company, and his grandfather and great-grandfather ran Schlitz brewing.
* The Uihlein crew also appears to have done its usual schtick, adding to the boss’ direct spending by pushing fake news…
Some of the messaging from the outside groups has been deceptive. A fake newspaper distributed throughout the state has spread misleading claims about the opposition while conspiracy theorists hosted a get-out-the-vote event. […]
But a closer look revealed the mailer was far from unbiased journalism. The articles emphasized prominent elected Republicans who supported Issue 1, while stereotyping the opposition as communists, Black Lives Matter supporters and LGBTQ+ allies. […]
An internet search for The Buckeye Reporter reveals it is one of more than a thousand pseudo-local news outlets created by an Illinois-based network known as Metric Media or Pipeline Media, which churns out content promoting Republican candidates and ballot issues across the country.
A Chicago return address on the mailer matches the business address of Pipeline Media, according to state filing documents.
* You remember these folks, and so does Pearson…
* Earlier this week, Marcus Gilmer at Crain’s noted that Uihlein is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid. The closing paragraph was about DeSantis, but could’ve also been about the Ohio effort…
Ahead of last year’s midterm elections, Richard Uihlein donated millions to candidates up and down the Illinois ballot, including GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey. And given what happened to Bailey — not to mention Walker and Cruz in 2016 — there’s reason to think that this could just be more money sunk into a candidate destined to fall short.
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Open thread
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* What’s up! Keep it related to Illinois please…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Wednesday, Aug 9, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Here you go…
* Sun-Times | Jury of 6 men, 6 women selected as perjury trial gets underway for ex-top aide to Madigan: Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz has signaled one witness will likely be former state Rep. Greg Harris, who was secretly recorded by the FBI speaking with a longtime Madigan ally about becoming majority leader.
* WTTW | Illinois Lawmakers Look to Address Domestic Violence Rise With Laws to Help Survivors: “Illinois is one of the best funded states for domestic violence services. In this year’s budget we allocated $70 million,” said state Rep. Joyce Mason (D-Gurnee). “We also have one of the most comprehensive Domestic Violence Acts. So, we stack up very well compared to other states — but that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work still to be done and so many victims who need better protection and services.”
* WGFA | Ducat to seek 53rd Senate seat: Ducat is currently the Vice-Chair of the Iroquois County Board. He’s held several positions at the county level. He’s chairman of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) committee, which came about thru the Federal government plan to distribute recovery monies from the COVID pandemic. ARPA is filtering federal dollars to help agencies and people recover from the economic burdens brought on from the pandemic.
* Tribune | Metra took its board members on a train ride to a monthly meeting. It cost the agency more than $10,000: Board members and Metra executives made the journey in an observation car lent by BNSF Railway. Attendees had coffee and breakfast available during the train ride, and lunch after the board meeting. Shuttle vans were provided to take the board members from the Joliet train station to the meeting at the Will County Office Building. All told, records show the outing cost Metra at least $10,836.
* NBC Chicago | Cook County improperly used nearly $240 million in transportation funds for other projects: The legal battle has been raging for years after the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association filed a lawsuit, along with numerous other groups, arguing that Cook County was violating the language of the “Illinois Transportation taxes and Fees Lockbox Amendment,” which was overwhelmingly supported by voters in the 2016 election.
* Fox 2 | This Metro East school district serves 93 students, but costs $3M to operate: The Venice School District runs only one school building, caters to exactly 93 kids, and costs $3 million per year. On top of that, district leadership received state funds to build a brand-new school for the kids, to the tune of $26 million.
* Crain’s | Wilmette officials unanimously oppose Northwestern’s Ryan Field proposal: In a unanimous vote late Tuesday night, Wilmette’s board passed a resolution outlining its concerns over the addition of up to 10 concerts at the stadium, citing increased traffic and parking issues, noise pollution and potential public safety effects.
* Chicago Mag | As companies flee big headquarters and office parks, suburbs are scrambling to reinvent those spaces — and themselves: One popular option for filling these vacancies: companies acquiring, demolishing, and replacing office campuses and towers with multibuilding logistics hubs that will rival Amazon’s 200-acre distribution center in Kenosha, Wisconsin. That metamorphosis is underway at Allstate’s former 232-acre site (since annexed by Glenview), which sold last year to a Nevada investor group for about $232 million. The insurance giant’s home since 1967 is becoming a 10-building trucking and warehousing complex.
* Sun-Times | Chicago’s ‘bikeability’ is behind the curve in recent cycling studies: Compared to the average of the 50 cities, Chicago had fewer fatal crashes, more bike-share docking stations, a higher percentage of bike commuters and a bikeability score of 72 out of 100. But the city fell short of having enough trails, bike shops and bike rental places per 100,000 people.
* Grist | On Chicago’s South Side, neighbors fight to keep Lake Michigan at bay: Lake Michigan has long tried to take back the land on its shores. But climate change has increased the amount of ground lost to increasingly variable lake levels and ever more intense storms. What was once a tedious but manageable issue is now a crisis. The problem became particularly acute in early 2020 when a storm wreaked havoc on the neighborhood, severely damaging homes, flooding streets, and spurring neighbors to demand that City Hall support a $5 million plan to hold back the water.
* USA Today | Supreme Court backs Biden’s tougher federal rules on untraceable ‘ghost guns’ for now: A divided Supreme Court on Tuesday backed a Biden administration effort to regulate “ghost guns,” temporarily allowing the government to require manufacturers of the untraceable weapon kits to conduct background checks on customers and mark their products with serial numbers.
* AP | Voters in Ohio reject GOP-backed proposal that would have made it tougher to protect abortion rights: The defeat of Issue 1 keeps in place a simple majority threshold for passing future constitutional amendments, rather than the 60% supermajority that was proposed. Its supporters said the higher bar would protect the state’s foundational document from outside interest groups.
* Sun-Times | Obama Foundation, fueled by two mega-donors, has record fundraising year in 2022: The Obama Foundation compensation package for its chief executive, Valerie Jarrett, jumped to $754,064, in 2022, up from $592,905 in 2021.
* Bloomberg | Rivian’s software chief vows big upgrades in surprise visit on earnings call: Rivian Automotive Inc.’s head of software made a surprise appearance on the EV maker’s Tuesday call with analysts, promising upgrades ranging from adaptive tracking of battery range to “drone mode” operation using augmented reality.
* NBC Chicago | Sorry, sunshine lovers: Tuesday marks milestone in Chicago’s march toward winter: By the end of August, the sun will be setting before 7:30 p.m. each night, and the city of Chicago will be down to just over 13 hours of daily sunlight.
* Tribune | Can you eat a dish from every nation on Earth without leaving Chicago? This TikTok influencer is trying: Since January, he has been posting videos of himself on TikTok eating those meals. He uses the tag @BoredinChicago, though considering the work and prickly issues he must navigate to accomplish his goal, he may be the least bored person in the city. His videos, which are posted alphabetically by nation and only now moving into the F’s, have drawn an average of 100,000 viewers per post. What started as a personal project has become decidedly public.
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Live coverage
Wednesday, Aug 9, 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. You can click here to follow the Tim Mapes trial.
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