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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sierra Club…
* AP…
Pics from the event…   * Tribune…
* Members of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ+ Affairs….
* Press Release | Andrade-Backed Measure Secures Prosthetics Coverage for Cancer Survivors: The Andrade-backed Senate Bill 2573 would require insurance companies to cover the cost of one wig or scalp prosthesis every 12 months for cancer survivors, those with alopecia or other conditions that would cause hair loss. The initiative is supported by the Illinois State Medical Society and passed unanimously out of the Senate on Friday, April 12. * The Guardian | Tyson Foods dumps millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into US rivers and lakes: Tyson Foods dumped millions of pounds of toxic pollutants directly into American rivers and lakes over the last five years, threatening critical ecosystems, endangering wildlife and human health, a new investigation reveals. Nitrogen, phosphorus, chloride, oil and cyanide were among the 371m lb of pollutants released into waterways by just 41 Tyson slaughterhouses and mega processing plants between 2018 and 2022. […] The water pollution from Tyson, a Fortune 100 company and the world’s second largest meat producer, was spread across 17 states but about half the contaminants were dumped into streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands in Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri. * Press release | As Respiratory Virus Season Winds Down, Virus Levels Continue Downward Trend Across Illinois: With the respiratory virus season continuing to wind down, Illinois’ overall respiratory virus level is now Minimal and all counties in the state are at Low level for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to CDC data for the week ending April 20. The total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Illinois declined 22% during the same week, according to the CDC COVID Data Tracker. * Tribune | Support letters for convicted ex-Ald. Edward Burke to be made public in advance of sentencing : The agreement came after several letters sent on Burke’s behalf were posted on the federal court docket under seal. Last week, attorney Steven Mandell filed a motion on behalf of the Sun-Times and WBEZ arguing there is a longstanding presumption under the First Amendment that such letters should be open to public scrutiny, particularly if the judge is going to consider them in fashioning a sentence for a high-profile defendant like Burke. * WaPo | As Chicago Trader Joe’s votes on unionizing, grocer fights other efforts: The outcome of a vote on unionizing a Trader Joe’s on Chicago’s North Side is unclear after ballots were tallied late Monday in a closely watched union election at the national grocery chain, which has been gaining a reputation for opposing labor efforts. Workers voted 70 to 70, with one contested vote, which will determine whether the union succeeds, according to the National Labor Relations Board. If the NLRB decides to count the vote and it’s a yes, the union wins; if the vote is determined invalid or a no, the union loses * ABC Chicago | Organizers push back against plan to downsize the Chicago Pride Parade 2024 in Lakeview on June 30: Organizers announced in early April that this year’s event would be smaller than previous years. They announced entries would be capped at 125 groups, down 35% from last year, and would start an hour earlier at 11 a.m. “We understand there will be some disappointed groups that will not march with us this year; we extend a heartfelt thank you for your support and understanding,” a statement from parade organizers read. “We remain committed to prioritizing LGBTQ+ organizations, LGBTQ+-owned businesses, and businesses with LGBTQ Employee Resource Groups.” * ABC Chicago | Relative of suspect in murder of CPD Officer Huesca in court on gun charge: Chicago police are still searching for the man charged with Officer Luis Huesca’s murder. But a relative of Xavier Tate Jr. has been charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. A Cook County state’s attorney spokesperson said Caschaus Tate is still in custody after prosecutors moved to revoke his pre-trial release for a burglary earlier this month after allegedly violating it with this new gun charge. * Crain’s | Loop office tower owner hit with $276 million foreclosure lawsuit: A joint venture of local real estate firm Hearn, Chicago-based GEM Realty Capital and San Francisco-based Farallon Capital Management defaulted on a $305 million mortgage loan tied to the office tower at 70 W. Madison St., according to a complaint filed last week in Cook County Circuit Court. Lender Bank of America, which leads a group of financial firms that provided the mortgage in 2018, alleged in the lawsuit that the ownership venture failed to make its loan payment last month. * Greg Hinz | Bigger hurdles await as Johnson tries to put the start-up blues behind him: Despite some nasty fights and the unexpected influx of tens of thousands of refugees from the Southern border, Johnson has pretty much had his progressive way with the City Council. Allies such as Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates and Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter say they are pleased with his performance. Notably, so does anti-violence crusader Arne Duncan, who almost ran for mayor against Johnson. Beyond that, Johnson has shown signs of at least soothing some wounds with an irate business community, beginning to recognize that focusing on jobs and economic development is a win-win proposition, as Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce chief Jack Lavin puts it. * Crain’s | Daily Herald names longtime staffer as next executive editor: The Daily Herald is heralding a change in leadership as longtime editor Jim Baumann is set to leave the suburban news publication. Managing Editor Lisa Miner will succeed Baumann as executive editor starting May 13. Transitioning to the role of executive editor looks to be effortless for Miner, who in her current role takes on day-to-day activities, including supervising editors of various departments, the copy and design desk and photo staff. As executive director, Miner will continue to oversee news operations while also being in charge of budgeting, strategic planning and collaboration between all departments. * Daily Herald | Developer pays $9 million for long-sought Guitar Center property in Arlington Heights: Work has begun to transform the southern gateway of Arlington Heights, but developer Bradford Allen is already eyeing its next phase of redevelopment. The Chicago-based real estate firm recently paid $9 million for the long-sought Guitar Center property at 2375 S. Arlington Heights Road, according to Cook County property records. * WSIL | Poshard Foundation grants go to help abused and neglected children in southern Illinois: More than $104,000 will go to help abused and neglected children in southern Illinois through various organizations. It’s part of the Poshard Foundation’s annual grants. That funding will go to 28 agencies across 30 area counties. * WCIA | Harvest Moon Drive-In closes in on #1 in USA Today competition: Gibson City’s beloved Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In Theatre is currently in second place for USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 10 Best Drive-Ins. They are encouraging more votes to become number one. Currently, another Illinois drive-in — the Skyview Drive-In in Belleville — is in the top spot. Staff from Harvest Moon Drive-In believe their theater can take the throne with enough votes, and are encouraging their fans to spread the word. * AP | US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say: The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. * Axios | COVID-era hospital reporting set to end: Hospitals starting this week will no longer have to report data on admissions, occupancy and other indicators of possible system stress from respiratory diseases to federal officials as another COVID-era mandate expires. The sunset of the reporting requirement on May 1 marks a turning point in the government’s real-time tracking of airborne pathogens that helped drive coronavirus surveillance and reports like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s FluView. * NYT | Inside an Abortion Clinic Days Before Florida’s Six-Week Ban Takes Effect: Starting on Wednesday, Florida will ban abortions after six weeks, a dramatic change in a state that less than two years ago allowed the procedure up to about 24 weeks. Prohibiting it at six weeks, when many women do not yet know that they are pregnant, will further restrict access to abortion in the Deep South where a number of other states have near-total bans, and force many patients to travel much farther for care.
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Get The Facts On The Illinois Prescription Drug Board
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The price-setting board proposed in HB4472 is not the solution for Illinois. It would give bureaucrats the power to arbitrarily set medicine prices, deciding what medicines and treatments are “worth” paying for. We can’t leave Illinoisans’ health care up to political whims. Let’s make it easier, not harder for patients to access their medicines. Click here to learn more.
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Today’s quotable
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * “I honestly can’t recall a single time that he ever questioned my judgment” is a classic Paul Vallas quote…
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Question of the day
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Crain’s…
* The Question: What’s your prediction(s) for that meeting? Snark is heavily encouraged.
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Protect Illinois Hospitality - Vote No On House Bill 5345
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.]  “Menu prices are sure to increase, making restaurant visits less appetizing. We’re also wondering: Will customers continue to eat out as often and tip generously — or at all — when prices increase and service charges and other fees are added to bills? And what about those servers who already make more than minimum wage because of tips, especially in bustling, high-end establishments? Nationally, according to a 2022 survey by the National Restaurant Association, tipped workers make an average of $27 an hour.” Read the full editorial here and tell state legislators to VOTE NO on House Bill 5345 and Protect Illinois Hospitality.
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Jak is back!
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * For whatever reason, WSIU-TV stopped production on this valuable program, which was a darned shame because it was a must-watch and an opportunity for viewers to see and hear influential legislators questioned by one of the best in the business about the issues of the day. I’m glad to see it’s coming back…
Way to go, Lester.
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like the Trebacz’s, who serve their communities with dedication and pride.
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Top labor leaders warm to more transit funding, cool to agency consolidation (Updated)
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Some background is here if you need it. Press release…
* Related…
* Illinois Lawmakers Unveil Proposal to Merge CTA, Metra and Pace; Plan Would Replace RTA and Add $1.5B in New Funding: “The upcoming fiscal cliff facing transit is a moment that demands we reimagine transit so it is the first choice for people to travel, not a service of last resort,” said Derek Douglas, president of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago. “To achieve this goal, we need reforms. We cannot just throw more money at the same system at the same problems and expect a different result.” * Illinois lawmakers unveil plan to combine Metra, CTA and Pace into one: “The intent behind the consolidation is more about being a more responsive transit agency, to make sure that we’re not kind of in our own little silos providing certain services,” said state Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado, a Democrat representing the Northwest Side. …Adding… Illinois Transportation Labor Association Chairman J.J. Balonek…
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Support House Bill 4781
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] 
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Berlin doubles down (Updated x2 with Pritzker react)
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin last month…
* Daily Herald this past weekend…
* CBS 2’s Megan Hickey yesterday…
Um, domestic battery is a detainable offense…
Somebody needs to send all Illinois reporters an easy to understand list of detainable offenses. Either way, the Daily Herald reported that Berlin’s office didn’t even ask that the defendant be detained. …Adding… Sens. Robert Peters and Celina Villanueva and Rep. Kelly Cassidy…
…Adding… Gov. Pritzker was asked about the DuPage case today…
He also said that accused domestic abusers “should remain incarcerated.” * The governor was also asked about the above-mentioned Karina’s Law proposal…
North Carolina just went through a horrible experience with just this sort of thing. [OK, it’s been pointed out to me that the NC tragedy is not the same. However, it’s what the police do worry about, and that, and the police staffing levels, are some of the main obstacles to overcome as far as the bill goes.]
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It’s just a bill
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Rep. Kam Buckner introduced HB5823 yesterday…
A great thread from Metropolitan Planning Council Senior Advisor Thomas Bamonte…
To read the rest of his thread click here. * Rep. Maura Hirschauer…
* The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Alliance…
HB2864 has been re-referred to the Rules Committee in the House. The House committee deadline has long past and the bill does not have an extension. * WGN…
SB1161 is on Third Reading and has until May 3 to pass through the Senate. * WAND…
* National Center for Science Education…
* WSPY…
* WGEM…
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Open thread
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Proft and Bailey feud underlined illegal campaign coordination, lawyers argue. Crain’s…
* Related stories…
∙ Capitol News Illinois: Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated Governor Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker to announce historic document donation to Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum at 1:00 pm. Click here to watch. * WTTW | Efforts to Add Abortion Protections to the Illinois Constitution Cool as Election-Year Focus Turns to Other States: State legislators would need to vote by May 5 to place a question on the November ballot, and key players indicate there’s no effort to do so despite earlier talk at state government’s highest levels after Roe v. Wade was dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court almost two years ago. * Pantagraph | Lincoln mayor pledges to fight Logan Correctional Center move: Lincoln Mayor Tracy Welch said Monday that he and other elected officials were not given much notice of Illinois Department of Corrections’ recommendation to shutter the Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln and rebuild the prison in Will County. While hoping for greater transparency in the future before such decisions are made, he said he was focused on making the city fiscally stable and continuing to provide goods and services to the community. * WBEZ | Weight-loss drug coverage for Illinois state workers could cost hundreds of millions of dollars: Pritzker’s administration says access to the medication will yield important health benefits for those who take advantage of the benefit and would equitably give access to the medication across the state’s insurance plans. But one economist who has studied the cost impact of this new class of drugs told WBEZ the state’s yearly outlay could cost as much as three times the state’s estimate, depending on the number of people who access the program. * Tribune | Illinois lawmakers consider measures aimed at making mental health care more accessible: Illinois legislators have advanced two measures pushed by proponents of reform in the state’s behavioral health system that are intended to expand the insurance coverage available for those seeking care. The bills, both of which were passed by the House on April 19 and are now before the Senate, aim to combat what supporters say are inequities in access to support systems for people suffering mental health and substance abuse issues, which have remained at stubbornly high rates following the COVID-19 pandemic. * WBEZ | What is ranked choice voting? And what could it mean for Illinois?: The 2024 elections are just seven months away, but a task force of state lawmakers, county officials and voters’ rights advocates are already thinking about the way Illinois residents will vote in the 2028 presidential primaries. They’re mulling over a process called ranked choice voting, where voters can rank multiple candidates instead of choosing one candidate per party. The Illinois Ranked Choice Voting Task Force, which launched in January, has concluded its monthly meetings and is expected to release their report recommending whether to adopt the voting method to Illinois lawmakers in the coming weeks. * WBEZ | Chicago will relaunch a guaranteed basic income program: The relaunch was announced as part of the Johnson Administration’s plan to dedicate and spend more than $374 million in federal funds earmarked for community projects. The city — which has been slow to spend the money it received in 2021 — has to allocate all funds by the end of this year, and spend them by 2026, or lose the money. City officials hope to have the funds allocated by November ahead of the end-of-year deadline. * ABC Chicago | Many iconic Chicago bridges are deteriorating, officials race to fix problem before disaster strikes: City and state transportation officials tasked with maintaining these bridges are adamant that any bridge that’s open is considered safe to use, and “rigorous inspection schedules” are in place to keep travelers safe. Right now, there are billions of dollars earmarked for repairing the long list of bridges in poor condition across the state and city, something Illinois has never had before, officials say. * Crain’s | Peeling back the sticker price on Bears stadium reveals even more costs: The total cost to taxpayers to build a domed stadium on the lakefront in an effort to keep the Chicago Bears in the city will be nearly $5 billion and would not be paid off until the team’s 22-year-old rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams, is in his 60s. The Bears’ plan to tap into government bonds to pay for their dream stadium is estimated at $4.97 billion over 40 years, when accounting for interest payments. That’s roughly $4 billion more than the $900 million in upfront capital the team would receive to build their new home. * WGN | ‘The city is up for grabs’: Chicago Tribune reporter’s new book details Lightfoot’s tenure as mayor: Lightfoot won in a landslide, sweeping all 50 wards. She made history as the first openly gay person, and first black woman to hold the office. But, in Pratt’s analysis, she made an immediate error: alienating city council during her inauguration speech, in which she called out corruption in city government. Pratt’s book argues that the moment was indicative of a theme throughout Lightfoot’s time in office — the impulse to act as a prosecutor instead of a politician. “You can’t slap everybody all the time as though they were a criminal, because that’s just not the way you get stuff done., and she could not adapt her personality and her leadership style,” Pratt said. * WBBM | Wish granted: Nine-year-old boy takes his family for a ride on CTA train: dris Lockett has a life-threatening heart condition and has endured several surgeries, but on World Wish Day, the 9-year-old’s wish of being a Chicago Transit Authority train operator came true. […] Jessica Miller, senior communications manager for Make-A-Wish Illinois, said granting Idris’ wish to be a CTA train operator was no easy task. “Logistically speaking, this is kind of a complicated wish,” Miller said. “There’s a lot of agencies involved. We live in a big city, so there’s a lot of people we need to connect with.” * Daily Herald | Merge CTA, Metra and Pace? Lawmakers debut fix amid pushback from suburbs, transit agencies: Proponents promised benefits such as a universal fare and more efficiency, but the seismic shift will be anything but a smooth ride in Springfield. “We know that our current regional transit system needs improvement to provide integrated and community-centered service for all of our residents,” Democratic state Sen. Ram Villivalam of Chicago said during a Union Station briefing. * WGN | All eyes on Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso as Sky start training camp: “It’s a mindset being able to come in here and not make any excuses because everybody is here is just fighting to be on the team and just fighting for greatness,” remarked Reese. “Coming in here, I didn’t have the mindset to be tired. I had the mindset to go into work every single day and figure everything else out later. I’m just happy to be here.” * Wednesday Journal | Housing Forward opens Broadview Legacy Apartments: Housing Forward, a nonprofit organization working to end homelessness, has opened a permanent supportive housing development on Roosevelt Road called Broadview Legacy Apartments. The apartment complex has 16 apartments for individuals and families who were experiencing homelessness, 12 of which are one-bedroom units and four of which are two-bedroom units. The complex also has communal spaces and office space for Housing Forward. […] The project cost $7.8 million, according to the release, and was funded through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Cook County Department of Planning and West Cook Coalition – Illinois Healthcare Transformation Collaborative. * Fox Chicago | Thornton Township subpoenas reveal Tiffany Henyard is target of criminal investigation: One subpoena focuses entirely on Henyard, including two businesses she owns: a restaurant and a property management company, as well as Henyard’s political fund and the charity bearing her name. It asks for all records including personnel files, wage and tax statements, time and attendance, records of work performed, contracts, and checks written to “cash.” * WPSD | Carbondale city councilwoman receives death threats: She said she’s gotten emails consistently over the course of being a public figure. She said within two weeks of setting up her city council email account, she received an email in which a constituent said she was “a branch on the tree of life that necessarily must be pruned.” Worse are the death threats and messages explicitly advocating that she kill herself. She said people have told her the world would be better if she found the nearest chair and rope. “It does beg the question, ‘What about me is so threatening that it prompts this sort of rhetoric?’ And that’s a question I still haven’t quite answered,” she said. * SJ-R | ‘Pain, grief, with a sense of joy and unity’: Lincoln Christian University says goodbye: Brian Messner plunks down on his desk a manila envelope full of notes from his former students telling him what a difference he made in their lives. A 29-year teaching veteran in Lincoln Christian University’s history department, Messner admitted his favorite came from a student working at a state agency. She thanked him for making her write shorter papers. “I never thought anybody would thank me for (that), but those kinds of things are meaningful,” Messner said. * SJ-R | Illinois State Fair: Get early taste of Fair food, discounts at 100 Days Out celebration: You can get your hands on juicy ribeye sandwiches, fluffy cozy corndogs, tart and chilly lemon shakeups and of course – the infamous turkey legs. The cherry on-top of the day isn’t on the donuts, but the savings Springfieldians can claim at the event. Every menu item purchased comes with a ticket that can be used in a raffle to win State Fair prizes.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - More stuff
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * The Pantagraph…
* Tribune…
 * Press release…
* DPI | Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez Congratulates New DSCC 7th District Committeewoman Emma Mitts: Yesterday, the committee people of Illinois’s 7th Congressional District selected Alderwoman Emma Mitts as the new Democratic State Central Committeewoman after the passing of Committeewoman Karen Yarbrough. Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Lisa Hernandez shared the following to congratulate the newest DSCC Committeewoman: “Committeewoman Emma Mitts’s enthusiasm for the role–and for Democratic values–is palpable. Her decades of public service experience and commitment to “Unity In The Community” will bring invaluable input and energy as we gear up for critical elections up and down the ballot this November. * SJ-R | Could a result in an Alabama election impact Illinois? One abortion-rights group says yes: This November, Planned Parenthood is backing a slate of abortion-rights Democrats running for the Illinois House and Senate. That list primarily consists of incumbents, but also 11 challengers to Republican-held House districts. Democrat victories in those districts would make House Minority Leader Tony McCombie’s job even harder, where she and 39 fellow Republicans in the 118-member chamber often lack the voting power to carry through on many of its major policy initiatives. * NBC Chicago | Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson not attending funeral for Officer Luis Huesca: The last-minute change comes after multiple sources told NBC Chicago Huesca’s family asked Johnson not to come. Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said she and another state official were asked by Huesca’s “grief stricken mother” to tell Johnson “he was unwelcome at her son’s funeral.” * WTTW | ‘He Was a Great Man’: Slain Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca Remembered, Celebrated During Funeral: “Luis left a great impression on not only everyone sitting here, especially his team, but he’s leaving an impression on the entire country,” Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said. Huesca’s family described him as a “kind soul,” who always wanted to protect the innocent. * Chalkbeat | Chicago school board candidates gather virtually for first debate: The group that organized the candidate forum has been advocating since the start of the school year around restoring busing for roughly 5,500 general education students who lost transportation service at the start of this school year. Most of those students travel to magnet and selective enrollment schools. CPS stopped busing general education students as it worked to ensure students with disabilities whose Individualized Education Programs require transportation were getting it and that their ride times were not longer than an hour. * Borderless | After Decades Of Disinvestment, Black And Latino Leaders Want ‘Profound Transformation’ Amid Migrant Crisis: “Unfortunately, Black and Brown people are taking the bait,” said the Rev. Kenneth Phelps, senior pastor of Concord Missionary Baptist Church in Woodlawn. “It’s not just a feud; we’re seeing it right before our very eyes. The tensions are real.” […] “We, too, were a little bit angry with how the city was handling things,” according to Phelps, who acknowledges the complexity of it all. “ But for us, [the migrants] were helpless. They were hungry, they were hurting, and they were human. So we decided to take another tack, as opposed to protesting their presence, we decided to welcome them and approached the city, you know, and said, ‘How can we help?’” * Crain’s | Three Chicago-area bridges among most vulnerable in the U.S.: Bloomberg’s review of government inspection reports found 14 bridges in the entire country have significant deficiencies in each of three critical structural elements. Those bridges in Chicago are: the Lake Street bridge crossing the South Branch of the Chicago River, the Chicago Avenue bridge crossing the North Branch, and the Harlem Avenue bridge crossing the Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal — just north of where the street crosses Interstate 55. * Daily Herald | ‘No Mow May’ is a little helpful, but native plants are better, experts say: Several suburbs will see hundreds of unwieldy lawns next month as homeowners partake in “No Mow” programs, which exempt residents from local mowing codes in the name of providing shelter and food for early spring pollinators. The hands-off lawn care practice, which originated in England, has been gaining traction across North America over the last five years, and suburban communities such as Westmont, Glenview, Lombard and Northbrook are gearing up for another year of “No Mow” programs, including “No Mow ’til Mother’s Day” and “Slow Mow May.” * Crain’s | Why Rockford, small Midwestern cities dominate list of hottest home markets: Rockford’s affordable housing market helped put it at the No. 1 slot on the list of the nation’s hottest housing markets of first-quarter 2024, compiled by Realtor.com and published first in the Wall Street Journal on April 25. The median listing price for Rockford homes was $235,000 in March, according to the report. In Schaumburg, it’s about $283,000, according to online real estate marketplace Redfin, and in Elgin, $335,000. * Rockford Register Star | A new market analysis says Rockford is in need of new housing. Here’s why: Rockford’s loss of population but increased employment made it difficult for the 2024 Housing Needs Assessment and Market Study to nail down an estimate for the number of needed housing units. Usually increased employment means increased population. That hasn’t been the case in Rockford, authors said. They estimate the city needs to plan for an additional 3,000 to 9,000 units of housing over the next decade to keep pace with supply and demand. * WBEZ | Candace Parker announces retirement after 16 seasons, three WNBA championships: “I’m retiring,” Parker continued. “I promised I’d never cheat the game and that I’d leave it in a better place than I came into it. The competitor in me always wants one more, but it’s time. My heart and body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it.” * Tribune | Arlington Heights still wants Chicago Bears to consider moving there: ‘I don’t think it’s anything close to a done deal’: “We offer the opportunity for the Bears to own their own stadium, which is a big difference between our opportunity and the proposal that they submitted” to the city of Chicago for the redo of the land immediately south of where their current Soldier Field home sits, said [Mayor Tom Hayes]. […] The Arlington Heights plan, Hayes said, would have allowed the Bears to “provide that game-day experience that they have told me from day one that they were looking to do with a new stadium – that’s really kind of the industry standard now” and to be landowners. * NBC | Supreme Court rejects Elon Musk’s challenge to SEC agreement to vet his social media posts: The SEC cracked down on Musk after he posted tweets in 2018 saying he had secured funding to take Tesla private, which came as a shock to the market and initially sent the company’s shares surging. The agency said the tweets were “materially false and misleading” in violation of securities law. […] Now, Musk is saying that the limits on his speech are unconstitutional and says he was effectively coerced into agreeing to it. His lawyers say in court papers that the SEC has waged an “ongoing campaign” against Musk. […] The SEC responded in court papers that Musk had waived his right to bringing his argument when he signed off on the settlement. * NYT | Florida Abortion Ban to Take Effect, Cutting Off Major Access Point: Between 2018 and 2023, about 60 percent of abortions in Florida happened after six weeks of pregnancy, according to state data. Clinics are scheduling ultrasounds earlier and ramping up other health care services to try to stay open. Funds are training volunteers to plan travel for patients to Illinois, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. (North Carolina is closer but its waiting period to get the procedure makes it a less feasible destination.)
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Pritzker non-committal on new transit plan, wants CTA to help come up with changes (Updated)
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sun-Times…
* Tribune…
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about this proposal at an unrelated event…
Please pardon all transcription errors. …Adding… Interesting point…  …Adding… Daily Herald…
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Fundraiser list
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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IDOC ’seriously considering’ moving Logan prison inmates to new facility on Stateville grounds (Updated with Pritzker comments)
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Tribune…
* From the IDOC report to COGFA…
* Also this…
* Costs…
IDOC’s Stateville Correctional Center report is here. …Adding… Gov. Pritzker was asked about this at an unrelated event…
Please pardon all transcription errors.
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Protect Illinois Hospitality - Vote No On House Bill 5345
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] “Let’s focus on facts, not optics. This legislation will result in less wages for servers not more. The hospitality industry is already under immense inflationary pressure and this bill will just drive consumer prices up further.” Brent Schwoerer, Owner / Founder / Brewmaster 
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Sen. Harris’ voting record was major factor in party choice for county clerk
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Background is here if you need it. As expected, Sen. Napoleon Harris’ voting record on abortion and, especially, marriage equality came back to haunt him when Democratic Party leaders met last week to choose a candidate for Cook County Clerk. A.D. Quig has a very comprehensive story in the Tribune, so you should read it all, but here’s the state angle…
Shove it down his throat?
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DuPage County State’s Attorney deflects blame
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Daily Herald…
Guy punches his spouse “several times” in the face, neck and back and the state’s attorney just lets him go then tries to pin blame on a state law, which specifically gave his office extra time to deal with the accused. * From the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence…
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After mayor negotiates away other peoples’ money, now comes the (tremendously) hard part
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * My weekly syndicated newspaper column…
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Open thread
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: New legislation would create statewide transit agency, provide additional $1.5 billion for transit. Sun-Times…
* Related stories…
∙ Block Club: Does Chicago Need A New Transit Agency? Watchdog Pitches CTA Merger Into State-Run System ∙ Crain’s: Lawmakers propose unifying CTA, Metra and Pace
Gov. Pritzker will announce IDOT Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) grant awards at noon. Click here to watch. * Tribune | 86% of Great Lakes litter is plastic, a 20-year study shows. And the plastic is ‘just getting smaller and smaller.’: Using data from more than 14,000 beach cleanups over 20 years, a new report from the nonprofit Alliance for the Great Lakes found that 86% of litter entering the Great Lakes in a given year is either partially or fully composed of plastic. Previous estimates and computer simulations indicated that 22 million pounds of plastic debris entered the lakes annually, at that time making up 80% of shoreline litter. * WCBU | Pritzker administration official defends grocery tax cut as report projects modest relief for families: In an interview with WCBU, Deputy Gov. Andy Manar said the grocery tax is “clearly a regressive tax,” and noted that Illinois is one of only 13 states that tax groceries on the state level. Manar said Pritzker wants to open a “public discussion with the General Assembly” regarding government funding approaches. “The governor has said the state should not be in the business of taxing groceries, especially when the state doesn’t spend the money that is generated from the tax,” said Manar. “So if it’s a local decision to spend the money and [decide] how it’s spent, then it should be a local decision as to whether or not it should be taxed.” * Capitol News Illinois | Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans: The report argues that noncitizens are employed at a slightly higher rate than the adult population as a whole in Illinois, so providing that group with health coverage promotes a healthier and more productive labor force. It also argues that medical coverage reduces financial strain and medical debt for a group that would otherwise be uninsured and that covering noncitizen adults results in improved developmental outcomes for their children. * WMBD | Pritzker announces $30 million for Illinois downtowns: Eligible Illinois cities and towns can now apply for the Rebuild Illinois Downtowns and Main Streets Capital (RDMS, $20 million) and Research in Illinois To Spur Economic Recovery (RISE $10, million). RDMS grant money will go towards “construction, repair and modernization of public infrastructure and amenities to boost jobs, improve quality of life and stimulate economic activity for communities that have experienced disinvestment.” To be eligible, the projects must be in a commercial center or downtown area. * Tim Drea-Pat.Devaney | Workers Memorial Day is a reminder: On March 27, Jay was senselessly murdered, the victim of a horrendous attack while on his mail route in which he was stabbed and run over by a vehicle – one of four victims of a 22-year-old man now behind bars and facing charges. But his colleagues refuse to let that day define his career and life. Members of the National Association of Letter Carriers #245 came together in early April to honor Jay Larson, driving his postal route in his honor and watching as blue balloons rose from mailboxes and candles burned at a memorial for his legacy. They noted he served Rockford residents and businesses for 25 years, never took a sick day, and always pitched in to help others – on his route, and with others’ routes. * Tribune | 6 months after Illinois ended cash bail, jail populations are down as courts settle into new patterns: Overall, though, new routines have taken hold, with the law mostly “working as intended” in Cook County, according to a recent report from the Civic Federation and League of Women Voters in Cook County. Since implementation of the reforms in September, the Cook County prosecutor’s office sought detention in about 18% of cases, with judges granting such petitions about 60% of the time, according to data from the chief judge’s office. * Sun-Times | Solitary confinement in Illinois prisons violates human rights, Chicago lawyers group says: “Prisons exist to punish and rehabilitate people — not to torture and destroy them,” says the report from the Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, which found that hundreds of people are kept in solitary confinement at any one time across the state. * AP | Ex-Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis fined $43,475 for campaign finance violations: The violations occurred during the 2021-22 election cycle. Federal campaign finance law prohibits contributions of more than $2,900 per cycle from an individual or single-candidate political committee and $5,000 per election from a multicandidate committee. Excess contributions must be refunded or redesignated within 60 days. In a negotiated settlement with Davis’ committee and Datwyler, the FEC found that one contribution of $3,625 and general election contributions of $479,784 were not properly redistributed within 60 days, resulting in the fine. Davis was not eligible for the larger amount because he was not on the 2022 general election ballot. * Crain’s | Slow work authorizations frustrate new migrants and industry leaders alike: Chicago businesses cheered in September when President Joe Biden extended temporary protected status to Venezuelan migrants who arrived in the United States on or before July 31, buoying hopes that it would provide a legal pathway for new arrivals to work and fill vacant jobs. But months later, migrants who arrived before the end of July are struggling to get work permits, while those who came after that cutoff date will not be eligible. That means even as more buses pull up to Chicago, the people looking for work will likely have fewer legal options without federal intervention. * Sun-Times | Hundreds gather for visitation of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca: Law enforcement officers from Romeoville police, Illinois State Police, Indiana State Police and other agencies were among those who lined up outside Blake-Lamb Funeral Home for the visitation service. The line stretched outside and around the building for hours. A massive American flag hung from the ladder of a Chicago Fire Department truck in front of the funeral home. Motorists passing underneath the billowing flag honked their horns in support of the solemn ceremony. * Sun-Times | After long journey, 15 migrant couples marry in group ceremony in Chicago: The nuptials marked a new stage in the lives of the 30 newly arrived asylum-seekers after a long and tiring journey from South America. Some couples said they had postponed their wedding because getting married in Venezuela is expensive and the paperwork is cumbersome. Formalizing their commitment through marriage has important legal, health and immigration benefits, but the couples who got married Friday said they wanted to solidify their relationship through the church. They prepared for several months, taking classes and getting counseling. More than 150 people witnessed the life-changing moment. * Tribune | True public cost of Bears stadium would be billions more over time: In addition to the $900 million in borrowing, the Bears want the state’s stadium agency, the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, to refinance about $430 million in existing debt for previous projects and take out about $160 million more to set up as a so-called liquidity fund to cushion the city of Chicago from future shortfalls in revenue from a 2% city hotel tax that’s supposed to cover the cost of the borrowing. Counting interest and other long-term costs, the proposed new borrowing would tally up to at least $4.8 billion over four decades, said Frank Bilecki, ISFA’s CEO. * Tribune | The next item on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s progressive agenda: A new Bears stadium. Will his coalition embrace it?: State Rep. Kelly Cassidy said she’s a “no” as long as there is a single penny of public money obligated to the project. “This is so far from a progressive priority as to be laughable,” Cassidy said. “There is not a case to be made to me that would ever compel me to give a billionaire more money. … This thing is dead in the water.” * Sun-Times | Bears stadium costs? Add another $1.2 billion: Add to that the $1 billion already paid to revamp Soldier Field and Guaranteed Rate Field, and the overall cost to taxpayers is $6.9 billion, says Frank Bilecki, executive director of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. The higher costs were gleaned from figures provided by the Bears during their initial meeting with the stadium authority and in follow-up conversations with the team, Bilecki said. * Chicago Defender | Bears QB Caleb Williams: Criticism of Nails, Fashion Reflect Fan Homophobia: If you’re of a certain age, you were probably conceived by the soundtrack by male musicians who made “out of the box” fashion choices that are considered effeminate. Even when Williams said that he paints his nails in tribute to his mother, who owned a nail salon, it wasn’t enough for the folks who’ve made up their minds about him. * Daily Southtown | Thornton Township residents gather to organize against Tiffany Henyard: Mary Avent, chairperson of Advisory Committee to the People’s Trustees of Dolton, a group she formed earlier this year to unify residents of the 17 township communities, urged residents to come together to oppose Henyard. She said she hopes enough public pressure will force state and local elected leaders to investigate the township’s finances and get to the bottom of why, Avent says, taxes go up but basic public services get slashed. * Fox Chicago | Mayor Tiffany Henyard under further FBI scrutiny as subpoenas served at Thornton Township Hall: FOX 32 has learned that FBI agents served subpoenas on Friday at the Thornton Township Hall in South Holland, where Henyard also works as township supervisor. We do not know yet what the FBI is asking for in those subpoenas. * Fox Chicago | Law firm drops representation of Dolton, Mayor Henyard amid financial strain and FBI probe: The Del Galdo Law Group said it is not being paid, so it will stop appearing in federal and state court and defending Dolton and Henyard in the 22 different lawsuits. In a letter to Henyard and trustees, the law firm said the village is facing millions of dollars in judgments from earlier cases and could potentially be on the hook for millions more in the current lawsuits. The firm also added that the village is quickly approaching the point of becoming uninsurable. * Sun-Times | Cook County Democratic leaders pick Monica Gordon to run for county clerk: ‘I have some big shoes to fill’: The Cook County Democratic Party on Friday tapped Cook County Commissioner Monica Gordon as the party’s candidate to run in the November general election this fall for Cook County clerk. Gordon hopes to finish the rest of the term of the late Karen Yarbrough. Yarbrough had more than two years left in office when she died this month. * Daily Herald | Illinois public schools see another year of enrollment declines: Enrollment at Illinois public schools this year dropped by nearly 10,000 students from the previous year. That includes 1,787 fewer students at 104 suburban public school districts in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry counties, according to fall enrollment figures released by the Illinois State Board of Education last week. * Daily Southtown | Landmarks: Palos Preserves get overdue attention in ‘biggest project ever’ in Cook County: The assemblage of politicians and Forest Preserves staff wore light jackets on a sunny April 25 for the official launch of a $10 million restoration project in the Palos Preserves. The effort to remove invasive shrubs and improve and repair trails will impact almost 1,100 acres, mostly west of Wolf Road. Work began last winter in Red Gate Woods, and the Forest Preserves people wanted to show off early results. At one point on a short hike, Troy Showerman, a resource project manager, pointed out how the older trees uniformly leaned to the east, where undappled sunlight once beamed down on a formerly deforested hilltop. * Daily Herald | Man on release in domestic charge kills wife, self in Villa Park, authorities say: State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said, in a news release, that information in a DuPage County Domestic Violence Report his office received before Elguezabal’s First Appearance Court hearing indicated he did not have access to a gun. Elguezabal surrendered the FOID, as required, April 17. Prosecutors did not seek to detain Elguezabal pretrial. He was accused of pulling Julie Elguezabal’s hair, and punching her several times in the face, neck and back, according to court records.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Cat Power… Leave your stepping stones behind, something calls for you
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Isabel’s afternoon briefing
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * SJ-R…
* Crain’s…
* Sun-Times…
* I wonder how much this is costing the township?…  * NBC Chicago | Illinois flags at half-staff ahead of funeral for fallen CPD officer Luis Huesca: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered all Illinois flags to fly at half-staff in honor and remembrance of Chicago Police Officer Luis Huesca, who was shot and killed in the line of duty last week. According to an announcement, flags were ordered to be lowered beginning Wednesday. They will remain at half-staff until Monday, when Huesca will be laid to rest at a funeral. * Sun-Times | After fighting to have gender-affirming care, a former prisoner adjusts to life in Chicago as a woman: Last year, she became just the second person ever to have gender-affirmation surgery while in federal custody — at Rush University Medical Center. The Federal Bureau of Prisons picked up the entire tab after a three-year legal fight that began when she was housed in downstate Marion. Her attorneys argued, among other things, that she was being denied her constitutional right to necessary medical care. “It’s just feeling like I belong,” said Iglesias, who was released from prison last October and lives on the West Side. * WBEZ | Facing budget criticism, CPS officials say changes are ‘milestone’ to be celebrated: Parents at some selective enrollment and magnet schools have complained of apparent cuts to their budgets as the school district focuses on providing resources to schools where students have high needs. And in a surprise, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s top ally — the Chicago Teachers Union — was also critical of the district’s lack of transparency and failure to prioritize classroom aides in the budget, even though the union has long supported a shift toward needs-based funding. * Crain’s | Downtown commercial property fallout not as bad as people think, Kaegi says: Downtown office vacancy recently topped 25% for the first time ever, and Loop retail vacancy hit a record-high 30%. Kaegi acknowledged that malaise, calling declining activity and property values downtown “a problem for all of us” and one that needs to be addressed to restore downtown’s vitality. But he also stressed that not all office landlords are struggling equally. * Illinois Answers Project | City of Chicago Amps Up Its Legal Battle Against ‘City’s Worst Landowner’: The City of Chicago has filed a lawsuit seeking more than $10 million from a north suburban woman and her real estate company in connection with a vacant-lot-turned-dumping-ground on the South Side, claiming that she is a “scourge on the city and its residents” and “the city’s worst landowner.” The lawsuit, filed last week, targets Northbrook resident Suzie B. Wilson and her company, Regal LLC, which owes the city more than a quarter million dollars in fines and owns a West Englewood lot that for years has been a dumpsite for hundreds of decomposing rubber tires that “piled multiple feet in the air.” * Crain’s | Laid-off Foxtrot and Dom’s workers tell former employer to pay up: “If we can get 60 days’ worth of pay, that’s going to help us at least pay some rent,” said Oscar Correa, a former supervisor at the Foxtrot commissary in Pilsen. Correa, who worked at Foxtrot for five years, was one of about 20 laid-off workers who gathered outside the now-closed site this morning to protest the sudden closures. Their argument: By shutting down without prior notice, Outfox Hospitality, the parent company of Foxtrot and Dom’s, violated federal and state Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification acts. * Bloomberg | Some Parents Battle Long Waitlists – And Line Up Overnight – To Get Kids In Park District Summer Camp: After a chaotic online process that parents likened to the “Hunger Games” early last week, parents flocked to Park District field houses the night before and in the early morning hours to line up for in-person registration over the weekend. Sign-up at other parks opened Monday and Tuesday. Laura, a mom from Beverly who asked not to use her last name, was one of thousands of parents struck out trying to sign their kids up for camp online. She logged in at 8:55 a.m. April 16 for online registration, and by 9:03 a.m., the Ridge Park day camp was full, she said. * WBEZ | For the last year, an army of volunteers has been standing behind migrants arriving in Chicago: City officials sent families to police stations as they ran out of shelter space. People slept on floors or camped outside and didn’t have access to showers. This chaos – with parents and children in need of food, clothing and water – marked a turning point in the humanitarian crisis and activated volunteers. Last April kicked off a more unified grassroots volunteer movement that evolved into a fundamental safety net for newcomers. The frenzied scenes at police stations motivated volunteers – mostly women like Jennie Kim. She lives near the South Loop district police station and got involved out of a desire not only to help migrants, but also to help coordinate donations. * WGN | Chicago appeals court rejects R. Kelly ‘s challenge of 20-year sentence: The singer R. Kelly was correctly sentenced to 20 years in prison on child sex convictions in Chicago, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. Jurors in 2022 convicted the Grammy Award-winning R&B singer, born Robert Sylvester Kelly, on three charges of producing child porn and three charges of enticement of minors for sex. * Daily Herald | Extend Central Road? Schaumburg annexes land near Medieval Times that could help fund project: Schaumburg trustees have annexed 5.9 acres owned by Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament to add to the area’s existing tax increment financing (TIF) district that could help fund an eastward extension of Central Road to connect the Sunstar Americas headquarters with the Veridian development near Topgolf. Schaumburg Mayor Tom Dailly said while he’s open to the possibility of such a road extension being studied, he’s skeptical that soil conditions and other environmental factors in the undeveloped area between Sunstar and Topgolf would make it viable. * Daily Herald | Wheels in motion for dissolving the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District: In March, a referendum to dissolve the district failed to receive support, with 48 voting against and only 5 in favor. Following that failure, efforts to close it moved to the state legislature. The district is still collecting property taxes. However, it ceased providing fire and emergency medical services in October, and the area is now covered by Mount Prospect. With a shrinking tax base due to annexations by surrounding municipalities, the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District had been running out of money. * Rockford Register Star | WSJ/Realtor.com names Rockford metro area no. 1 housing market in country: “The median listing price of a home in the Rockford metro area soared to $235,000 in March, up a stunning 51.7% compared with a year ago, which is the largest gain of any metro area in the ranking’s top 20,” the report states. According to the Wall Street Journal, buyers are drawn to the area’s affordable housing stock and its growing healthcare, aerospace and logistics industries. The publication also noted the Rockford area’s quality of life such as access to parks, a variety of retail and low climate risk. * BND | Residents who lost property due to unpaid taxes say St. Clair County owes them money: St. Clair County residents and a business owner who lost their residential and commercial properties due to unpaid taxes filed a federal lawsuit this month arguing the county owes each of them thousands of dollars. Their properties were worth more than the back taxes they owed. They argue that after foreclosure, they should have received compensation for their lost property: the difference between what they owed the government and the fair market value of their property. And they cite a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to support their argument. * WGIL | Former police chief, interim city manager now a part of Knox County economic development efforts: Partnership president Ken Springer tells Galesburg’s Morning News on WGIL there’s been a lot of interest in Galesburg as of late, so he decided he needed to add to the staff to get it all taken care of. “In the last couple months, we were very fortunate to be able to bring John Schlaf on to KCAP’s team,” said Springer. “John had got done with his interim stint as City Manager; and we, of course, were able to work with him a lot during that timeframe. He’s helping to advise entrepreneurs, which is a huge area of growth for the organization in the last few years.” * Rockford Register Star | 4,000 solar panels will help fuel innovation at Rockford aerospace facility: Collins Aerospace broke ground on a new 6.5-acre solar farm Friday at its Electric Power Systems facility in Rockford. The farm will be owned and operated by ENGIE North America as part of a 15-year power purchase agreement. ENGIE is a clean energy company that helps customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy and other resources. * WSIL | Local fire departments receive grants from Illinois Fire Marshal: The total was divided among 165 departments and EMS providers in Illinois. In our region, 24 departments received a portion of the money. Recipients were given up to $26,000 to purchase new equipment. The idea is that offices can use this money to buy smaller equipment not covered by fundraising efforts. * 21st Show | How the Illinois Central Railroad helped develop the Midwest: Recently, the Macon County History museum held a special presentation that showcased the history of the Illinois Central Railroad. This railway was pivitol to the development of the Midwest, as it fostered cities and towns along its path. We’ll look back to the past, around the 1830’s, when Illinois was less than 20 years old. We’ll discuss what the state of the state was like, and when the Illinois Central railroad first emerged. Then, how the railroad was financed, built, and what its current status is. * PJ Star | Why Caterpillar is warning its heavy machinery sales may drop: Shares of the global economy bellwether slumped 7% in morning trade as it said end-user sales of its machines was weaker than planned. The stock had gained about 23% for the year so far as of Wednesday’s close and hit a record high earlier in April. Caterpillar reported weak construction equipment sales in all regions except North America, where construction demand is expected to stay healthy for the rest of the year thanks to the U.S. government’s $1 trillion infrastructure law. * Crain’s | Compared to Chicago’s largest film fest, the city paid a premium for Sundance event: For a weekend of programming featuring the distinguished Sundance Institute, the city paid more than what it’s given the Chicago International Film Festival in the past five years combined. In an email to Crain’s, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, or DCASE, revealed it paid $175,000 to bring the Sundance event to the city. * Crain’s | Caleb Williams comes to the Bears and one of the NFL’s cheapest mansion markets: When the Chicago Bears tapped him yesterday as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, quarterback Caleb Williams praised the team’s culture, coaches, fans and hunger to win. What Williams didn’t mention is that he’s coming to one of the NFL markets where his mansion-buying money will go furthest. With a four-year salary package reported at about $38.5 million, Williams isn’t likely to have to stretch his housing dollars. Nor is the Bears’ No. 9 pick, wide receiver Rome Odunze, who will reportedly earn $22.7 million in four years with the team. * Food Safety News | USDA declares that Salmonella is an adulterant in some chicken products: As of today, the USDA considers Salmonella an adulterant in raw, breaded, stuffed chicken products, making it illegal to sell them if they are contaminated with the pathogen. The decision has been almost two years in the making. In August 2022 the deputy undersecretary for food safety for the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) said the move would be a first step in cleaning up America’s chicken. * Sun-Times | How Realtors deal will affect homebuying: Villegas, president-elect of the Chicago Association of Realtors, describes her clients’ awareness about the settlement as a “mixed bag.” It’s become a point of conversation with some clients, but even before the settlement, Villegas regularly discussed how fee structures and compensation worked with her clients. “We’re adding now that there is a proposed settlement and how it could affect them,” she said. “But these conversations we’ve had … haven’t really changed from the day I started doing business.”
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Things that make you go ‘Hmm’
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Hmm…
* Hmm…
* Hmm…
* Sounds like Bears CEO Kevin Warren is already starting to downplay his deal with the city…
Hmm.
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Did Dan Proft’s independent expenditure PAC illegally coordinate with Bailey’s campaign? The case will go before the Illinois Elections Board next week
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * In 2022, the Tribune found evidence of alleged illegal coordination between Dan Proft and Darren Bailey. Here’s the Democratic Party of Illinois’ summery of the story…
Click here to read the Democratic Party of Illinois’ complaint to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Back to DPI’s press release…
* Last year, the ISBE took the first step to probe possible collusion between Bailey and Proft. Crain’s…
Click here for the report. * And now to today. Crain’s…
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PJM’s massive fail
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * PJM Interconnection, which runs the power grid in all or parts of more than a dozen states, has been a fierce critic of Illinois’ Climate & Equitable Jobs Act. There are several others, but this is just one such story is from 2023…
* Mentioned in some of those articles are claims from Illinoisans that PJM has been dragging its feet on approving power generation sources. The Tribune’s Nara Schoenberg took a closer look at those claims earlier this week…
The Citizens Utility Board’s Consumers for a Better Grid manager told the Tribune that PJM “has unnecessarily set our transition to cleaner energy back by years.”
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$117.7B In Economic Activity: Illinois Hospitals Are Essential To Communities And Families
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] The vital role of Illinois hospitals and health systems in health and well-being is only part of the story. While best known for treating everything from cancer and broken bones to delivering babies and performing lifesaving surgeries, hospitals are also major contributors to the state economy—to the tune of $117.7 billion annually. A new report expands on hospital and health system contributions to Illinois’ economy: Together, the Illinois hospital community:
• Supports working families through 445,000 full-time jobs. • Creates 1.4 jobs in other sectors for every hospital job. Hospitals across Illinois are economic anchors, and are oftentimes the largest employers in the communities they serve. They fuel job growth as consistent creators of healthcare jobs in Illinois, which have increased 11% between 2010 and 2023. All this comes as hospitals face financial challenges, with an average 3% operating loss as a percentage of net revenue in 2022. Illinois hospitals are essential to communities, essential to families and essential to the economy. Learn more about the hospital community’s economic impact.
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It’s just a bill
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * WGEM…
The bill remains in the Senate on Third Reading, but SB595 has been given a May 3 deadline extension. * Rep. Anthony DeLuca…
The House committee deadline has long past and the Third Reading passage deadline was earlier this month.
* Sens. Ram Villivalam and Celina Villanueva…
* Rep. Janet Yang Rohr…
* Rep. Harry Benton…
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Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Advertising Department [The following is a paid advertisement.] Retail provides one out of every five Illinois jobs, generates the second largest amount of tax revenue for the state, and is the largest source of revenue for local governments. But retail is also so much more, with retailers serving as the trusted contributors to life’s moments, big and small. We Are Retail and IRMA are dedicated to sharing the stories of retailers like Beth, who serve their communities with dedication and pride. For more information, click here Happy Dog Barkery - We Are RetaIL (irma.org)
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Open thread
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ICYMI: Gov. J.B. Pritzker pushes increased funding to fight racial disparities in homelessness. Tribune…
- The report found that Black people are about eight times as likely as white people to experience homelessness in Illinois. - Pritzker said that $35 million from the increased funding would go toward rental assistance, $13 million would be for pilot programs to reach at-risk populations and work on racial disparities in homelessness and $2 million would be earmarked for legal aid for those facing court-ordered eviction. * Related stories…
∙ Sun-Times: Pritzker announces new action plan to combat homelessness and address racial disparity ∙ Capitol News Illinois: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations Subscribers know more. * Ugh…  * Paul Colgan has passed…
It’s the final day of Governor Pritzker’s statewide tour to amplify the Healthcare Protection Act. The Governor will give remarks at Lurie Children’s Hospital at 10 am. Click here to watch. * WTTW | Coal Byproduct, Other Pollution Sources at Waukegan and Michigan City Power Plants Face Strict Regulations Under New EPA Rules: The EPA came out with four new regulations Thursday, including a sweeping regulation to sharply limit greenhouse gas pollution at coal-burning plants. Those facilities must cut 90% of emissions by 2039 or shut down. The regulations also take aim at mercury emissions, wastewater treatment and the coal ash byproduct amassed at current and former power plants across the country — including NRG’s offline generating station in Waukegan and NIPSCO’s slated-for-closure generating station in Michigan City. Both of those plants, situated alongside Lake Michigan, have been a flashpoint for environmental activists. * Illinois Times | Attorney trio in trouble: A Springfield lawyer was asked to resign from her city job this month after allegations of unethical behavior came to light from her time working for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General. At the heart of the controversy is Salena Young and the two men with whom she lives; both also worked with her as assistant attorneys general. One of the men, Thomas Ewick, was her supervisor while she worked at the Office of the Illinois Attorney General and the other, Jason Young, is her husband. * Daily Herald | How’s cashless bail going? Here’s what the data says: According to the latest data — which spans from the end of cash bail on Sept. 18, 2023, through April 13 — 30,012 defendants have been granted pretrial release in Cook County, while 1,970 have been detained. Of those released, 26,930 of them — about 90% — have appeared in court as required, including 88% of felony defendants. That’s an improvement from three years ago, when about 80.4% of those charged with felonies and released on bond attended their scheduled court hearings, according to a report from the Civic Federation. * Illinois Times | Man arrested by FBI owns property with an Illinois state trooper: A 60-year-old man charged in federal court with operating six “houses of prostitution” in Springfield wants to transfer his ownership interest in an office building to an Illinois state trooper who jointly owns the building. Gregory L. Fraase of Springfield asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen McNaught for permission to transfer his interest in a vacant two-level building at 2040 Timberbrooke Drive to Nathan Shanks. * Sun-Times | Illinois Republicans grapple with mail voting amid mixed signals from Trump. ‘We have to adapt’: While rallying his political troops last summer in Springfield heading into the primary campaign season, Illinois Republican Party chairman Don Tracy highlighted some of his top priorities to help the party regain a foothold in the Democratic-dominated state. “We’ve got to embrace early voting and voting by mail,” Tracy said at the Illinois Republican Party State Central Committee & County Chairmen’s Association breakfast in August. “Democrats have won too many close elections on the strength of their vote-by-mail programs.” * Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association | IDCCA Statement of Kari Lake in Illinois: In advance of election denier and failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake visiting St. Charles, Illinois on Sunday, April 28, 2024 to raise money for her run for U.S. Senate in Arizona, Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association President and Kane Co. Democratic Party Chair Mark Guethle released the following statement: “Kari Lake is a far-right, disinformation spreading, election denier. In addition to Kari Lake, her event is hosted by conspiracy theorists who discuss things like a global world order and share misinformation about vaccines. Sunday’s event is a who’s-who of individuals who don’t represent the values of Kane County or Illinois, and I hope their event is as unsuccessful as Kari Lake’s past legal escapades and her candidacy for office.” * Chalkbeat | Illinois’ children and toddlers are experiencing more delays in getting early intervention services: About a year after Desi Evans’ son Christopher was born, she noticed he wasn’t making sounds or babbling like other young children. After the mother from Barrington, Illinois – a town west of Chicago — raised her concerns to her pediatrician at Christopher’s one-year check-up, the doctor recommended having him evaluated for a state program designed to help students with disabilities or developmental delays. […] But, even though Christopher was found to have a speech delay and approved by the state to receive speech, developmental, and occupational therapies, he was not able to receive service until three months before he turned 3, when children are no longer eligible for Early Intervention. * WCIA | ‘He inspired us’: Family, friends honor Sen. Scott Bennett with highway dedication: People who knew Bennett said he traveled on I-74 frequently. They said it was a trip that showed his dedication to the wide and diverse district he represented. “They were like trying to decide where they would do it,” said Bennett’s wife Stacy. “There was no other option really, because he did this drive so much and just truly loved it.” * WICS | ISP warning public of phone scam: Over the past two days, ISP has received several phone calls from individuals reporting a person claiming to be an ISP investigator telling them their identity has been stolen. ISP says this is a scam. ISP special agents will not make cold calls requesting personal or financial information, or ask you to confirm personal or financial information. * Illinois Answers | Johnson Administration Faces Credibility Crunch Over a Key Plank of $1.25B Bond Plan: But wary financial analysts, TIF experts and even some alderpeople have warned that the city will get access to those recurring revenues only if city officials let the districts expire on schedule — which would be a sharp departure from the city’s past practice. An Illinois Answers Project analysis of TIF districts shows that between 2019 and 2023, city leaders approved extensions for 26 districts, most for 12 years, while allowing 22 districts to expire. * Sun-Times | Facing budget criticism, CPS officials say changes are ‘milestone’ to be celebrated: Christel Williams-Hayes, a senior Chicago Teachers Union official and former school paraprofessional, said the union sees some good aspects of the new budgeting system. But she’s concerned about the impact on paraprofessionals, who aren’t among a few positions — assistant principals and counselors — that will now be guaranteed at every school. * Tribune | Ex-Ald. Edward Burke resigns from Union League Club, scene of key meeting in corruption case: Burke, who joined the Union League Club on West Jackson Boulevard in the mid-1970s and was one of its most high-profile members, officially had his resignation accepted by the club’s admissions committee on Tuesday, according to a member who requested anonymity. Jeffrey Gray, the club’s director of public affairs, said Wednesday he could not confirm or deny whether Burke had resigned. * Tribune | Dexter Reed shot 13 times by Chicago police officers, autopsy finds: Dexter Reed was shot 13 times by Chicago police officers during a fatal March traffic stop that left one of the officers shot in the wrist, authorities found. The Cook County medical examiner’s office released Reed’s autopsy and toxicological reports Thursday, five weeks after he was fatally shot in the Humboldt Park neighborhood. The Civilian Office of Police Accountability said four officers fired a total of 96 shots during the 41 seconds of gunfire. * People’s Fabric | Cop Who Fired 50 Times at Dexter Reed Among Youngest Tactical Officers in the City: In response to a FOIA request for tactical team requirements, CPD sent a recent 15th District solicitation for applications. It lists a minimum requirement of three years with the department. Exceptions are made for prior police or military experience, which [officer Thomas Spanos] does not appear to have. […] According to our analysis of CPD attendance records, the average age of a tactical team member, excluding lieutenants and sergeants, is 35.6, with an average of 8.4 years with the department. * Sun-Times | Four Corner Hustler chief’s conviction threatened by revelation from feds: The feds now say a former prosecutor on the case, Peter Salib, made a more specific — and previously undisclosed — promise as Booker prepared to testify before a grand jury in September 2017: That Salib would recommend a 25-year prison sentence for Booker. Prosecutors only disclosed that information to U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin and defense attorneys in a letter late last week. During a hearing in the case Wednesday morning, Durkin told the feds to file the letter on the public court docket, and they did so later in the day. * Tribune | Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testifies he suppressed a story about alleged Rahm Emanuel affair: The ex-publisher of the National Enquirer tabloid testified during former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial Thursday that in the run-up to Rahm Emanuel’s first run for Chicago mayor, the publisher helped quash a story about an alleged affair Emanuel had. David Pecker, who has had a long relationship with Emanuel and has contributed tens of thousands of dollars to his political campaigns over the years, testified he paid $20,000 for a story about an alleged Emanuel affair before Emanuel’s Chicago mayoral campaign kicked off in 2010, according to testimony reported by Politico. * Block Club | Iconic South Side Blues Bar Lee’s Unleaded Reopens After Long Hiatus: John Primer, fresh off a 2024 Grammy nomination for his album “Teardrops for Magic Slim,” rings in the newest era of Lee’s Unleaded this weekend with his band, the Real Deal. It’s the first show at Lee’s since it closed in 2015. Primer’s band will hit the stage 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Lee’s, 7401 S. South Chicago Ave. in Greater Grand Crossing. * Sports Handle | DraftKings Approved For Full Mobile License In Illinois, Retail License At Wrigley: Shifting from the gridiron to the diamond, a day after the NFL’s Bears formally unveiled plans for a multibillion-dollar stadium project on the downtown Chicago lakefront, the IGB voted unanimously to grant Northside Crown Gaming, a DraftKings subsidiary, a four-year master sports wagering license to offer retail betting at its sportsbook outside the city’s oldest professional sporting venue, Wrigley Field. * WBEZ | Mayor Brandon Johnson defends his progressive credentials after supporting the Bears’ new stadium: The Bears’ pitch would deliver on his progressive agenda, the mayor said, by creating 43,000 construction jobs for the region, bringing in millions in anticipated economic impact and adding green space and amenities that all of Chicago could enjoy. “I’m proud to be a union member,” Johnson told NBC Sports. “But I’m also very proud of the fact that we have an organization and we have a leadership with Kevin Warren, who listened to my platform: public benefit, public use. Let’s make sure we do something that’s special that generations to come can benefit from.” * Sun-Times | Bears President Kevin Warren: ‘I’m not going to think negatively’ about stadium obstacles: What happens if the city and state can come up with only the $325 million for basic infrastructure improvements to open the new stadium — but not the additional $510 million needed for the second phase of work, which includes deconstructing Soldier Field to create new green space? […] On Thursday, Bears President Kevin Warren was asked about that worst-case scenario during a somewhat contentious meeting with the Sun-Times Editorial Board. * Daily Herald | ‘A different philosophy’: Bears’ original goal to own stadium shifts with latest public-private plans: But, [Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes] added, if the club’s initial goal of owning and controlling their own product is paramount, “then Arlington Heights provides everything they’re looking for. Except the lakefront.” In a round of media interviews Thursday, the Northwest suburban mayor was touting a Bears stadium at Arlington Park as a plan B if Warren’s pitch to legislators for lakefront stadium subsidies falls through. Hayes believes the sprawling former racetrack site provides a “much more exciting opportunity for revenue growth,” and better transportation access than the latest city plans presented by the Bears. * Crain’s | Bears angling for huge cut of cash-flow pie at new stadium — including concerts: During an interview with the Crain’s editorial board [yesterday], Bears executives said key pieces to the deal the team is trying to land with city and state officials are either being negotiated or haven’t been broached, including the terms of the Bears’ revenue sharing and lease agreement with the park district. “In all transparency, we have not reached that point of saying ‘what is the proper amount of rent and what is the (revenue share) split, how many events are there, who gets what?’ We have not reached that point,” Bears president Kevin Warren acknowledged during a virtual interview with the Crain’s editorial board. * Daily Herald | Bears making right moves for their roster, not for their stadium dreams: Now, in a span of 30 hours, the Bears announced plans to build a new lakefront stadium that will include a price tag of over $4 billion and then will draft the much hyped quarterback Caleb Williams. It’s easy to be skeptical when it comes to this team based on history. But I can tell you they are operating differently in both processes and gone are the days of doing business of a ma and pop shop. * Tribune | Cook County Democrats to choose Karen Yarbrough’s replacement : Seventeen interested applicants sent their credentials to the party by the Wednesday deadline, including several County Board members, a sitting state senator and the current clerk of Evanston. Yarbrough’s passing came too late for Democratic voters to choose from a slate of candidates — as they did for Mayor Brandon Johnson’s replacement on the Cook County Board in the March primary. Instead, the party will choose both an interim clerk who will serve through December and a candidate to be placed on the November ballot. * Fox Chicago | Suburban teachers call for change amid allegations of toxic work, learning environment: The Hinsdale High School Teachers Association claims the school board’s dysfunction caused an unprecedented amount of administrative turnover. The group said the board made decisions about what students would learn in math, science and social studies without consulting the teachers. […] The Hinsdale High School Teachers Association is asking for a new board president and a reorganization of the school board. * AP | These people were charged with interfering in the 2020 election. Some are still in politics today: Several of those charged or accused of involvement in election interference across the states are still involved in Republican politics today — including the lawyer overseeing “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee. And Trump, who faces federal charges in Washington and state charges in Georgia for his efforts to overturn Biden’s win, frequently still claims the 2020 election was stolen, a falsehood echoed by many of his supporters. * LA Times | How treatment of miscarriages is upending the abortion debate: A seven-figure April ad buy in battleground states by President Biden’s reelection campaign highlights the story of a happily married pregnant Texas woman named Amanda Zurawski. “At 18 weeks, Amanda’s water broke and she had a miscarriage,” the ad reads, with white lettering against a black background. “Because Donald Trump killed Roe v Wade, Amanda was denied standard medical care to prevent an infection, an abortion.” The 60-second ad concludes “Donald Trump did this,” after showing Zurawski and her husband, Josh, looking through a box of items that they had bought in anticipation of the birth of their first child, including a baby book and the outfit they planned to dress her in to bring her home from the hospital. * NYT | This May Be Our Last Chance to Halt Bird Flu in Humans, and We Are Blowing It: The outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza among U.S. dairy cows, first reported on March 25, has now spread to at least 33 herds in eight states. On Wednesday, genetic evidence of the virus turned up in commercially available milk. Federal authorities say the milk supply is safe, but this latest development raises troubling questions about how widespread the outbreak really is. So far, there is only one confirmed human case. Rick Bright, an expert on the H5N1 virus who served on President Biden’s coronavirus advisory board, told me this is the crucial moment. “There’s a fine line between one person and 10 people with H5N1,” he said. “By the time we’ve detected 10, it’s probably too late” to contain.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Live coverage
Friday, Apr 26, 2024 - Posted by Isabel Miller * You can click here or here to follow breaking news. It’s the best we can do unless or until Twitter gets its act together.
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