* We told you yesterday that a man had been arrested for threatening Rep. Nicole La Ha. More from the Tribune…

[Rep. Nicole La Ha] received submissions May 15 and 16 through her website allegedly from Brady, in which he included expletives, called her names, referenced her family and indicated he would harm or arrange for others to harm the representative and her family, according to court documents.

When officers contacted Brady, he allegedly stated “you got my message,” according to the court documents.

“He informed police he wanted political figures arrested for stealing from him,” court documents said. “He confirmed that the email address used in the submissions was his email address.”

“Based upon the nature of these threats, the defendant is a threat to the community and a specific threat to Representative La Ha, as well as her family members,” court documents said.

* Tribune…

Federal agents appeared to have arrested multiple people inside Chicago’s immigration court on Wednesday and Thursday, lawyers told the Tribune, in what seems to be the latest escalation in President Donald Trump’s bid to enact mass deportations.

Throughout Wednesday, groups of men were spotted detaining individuals inside the downtown courthouse, with many of those agents wearing badges or verbally identifying themselves as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, according to four attorneys. More arrests were seen Thursday, according to the National Immigrant Justice Center.

An ICE spokesperson did not provide comment, but a Tribune reporter also witnessed three individuals be taken into custody by men dressed in plainclothes and holding clipboards early Wednesday afternoon. Their lawyer, Essam Abdallah, told the Tribune his clients are immigrants who have been in the country for under two years but did not know where they were being taken.

“I’m not sure what’s going on,” a surprised Abdallah said as he left the courthouse to find a way to help his clients.

* Attorney General Kwame Raoul…

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced his office has reached a settlement with 401 North Wabash Venture LLC, known as Trump International Hotel & Tower. Once approved by a judge, the settlement will resolve violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations relating to the building’s cooling water intake system, which uses water from the Chicago River. […]

The federal Clean Water Act regulates cooling water intake structures because they withdraw large volumes of water into a building’s cooling system, pulling in fish and other aquatic life with it. Fish and other aquatic organisms can also get trapped against intake screens. The building at 401 North Wabash, located along the Chicago River, operates a cooling water intake system capable of pulling more than 20 million gallons of water from the river per day to cool the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

In 2018, the Illinois Attorney General’s office filed a lawsuit against 401 North Wabash Venture LLC based on a referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). The lawsuit alleged 401 North Wabash Venture LLC failed to obtain the necessary permit and submit information to the IEPA that is required to demonstrate compliance with federal regulations related to operation of the building’s cooling water intake system. Also in 2018, the Sierra Club and Friends of the Chicago River filed an intervening lawsuit against 401 North Wabash Venture LLC over continuing violations of the Clean Water Act and creating a public nuisance.

The proposed settlement comes after a Cook County Circuit Court judge in September 2024 granted Raoul’s office’s motion for summary judgment, finding that 401 North Wabash Venture LLC violated both the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and Illinois Pollution Control Board regulations and created a public nuisance.

Under the proposed agreement, 401 North Wabash Venture LLC will pay $4.8 million, including $1.5 million in civil penalties and $3 million for a supplemental environmental project (SEP), which will involve restoring the Chicago River habitat for fish and aquatic life. The defendant will also pay $300,000 for litigation costs. The settlement requires the installation of flow meters to monitor the volume of heated water it discharges into the river. A third party will audit the accuracy of the meters, and monthly monitoring data will be shared with all parties in the case. In addition, 401 North Wabash Venture LLC will make changes to its cooling system to prevent aquatic life from becoming trapped.

The agreement is now subject to a 30-day public comment period, after which it will be submitted to a judge for approval.

* IPM | More babies are being admitted to NICUs in the Midwest, according to CDC data brief: The report found that about 1 in 10 infants nationwide were admitted to a NICU in 2023, which marks a 13% increase from 2016. Many Midwest states saw increases in the rate of babies being admitted to NICUs during that time period. In 2023, the percentage of babies admitted to the NICU was 11.4% in Indiana, 10.1% in Illinois, 10.7% in Iowa, 8.5% in Kansas, 11.3% in Kentucky, 10.5% in Missouri, 11.4% in Nebraska, 10.2% in Ohio, and 8.9% in Oklahoma.

* WEEK 25 | Illinois House passes school hazmat emergency preparedness bill: This plan calls on the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security to work with the State Board of Education to develop guidance for local emergency responders and school districts. Sponsors said the guidance will cover federal, state, or local agencies responsible for identifying whether a spill or explosion has occurred and how that information can be communicated to school personnel.

* Crain’s | Loop Capital’s Jim Reynolds: No sacred cows in fixing Chicago’s $1B budget gap: The working group, led by Loop Capital founder Jim Reynolds, began meeting last weekend in an effort to put business, civic and labor leaders in a room to look for solutions that either haven’t been found or have been cast aside because of a lack of political will to implement them. “We’re getting data on everything. Everything. There’s no sacred cows, there’s no political influence on anything,” Reynolds said during Crain’s C-Suite Conversations event this morning.

* Chalkbeat | Some Chicago high schools are rethinking lenient grading amid surging absenteeism: Teachers at Richards Career Academy High School on Chicago’s Southwest Side raised a question last spring that took principal Ellen Kennedy aback: Should the school stop giving students so much leeway on grades and go back to stricter standards? The school — which serves mainly low-income Latino and Black students — had piloted a new grading approach in 2019, then embraced it when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted students’ lives and learning. Students could redo assignments repeatedly and turn in work late. Even if they didn’t complete the assignment, the lowest score they could get was 50 rather than zero — a concept known as no-zero grading.

* Block Club | After City Removes Gompers Park Tents, A New Encampment Pops Up Across The Street: Thirteen tents were removed from Gompers Park by residents or by city workers during a May 12 “coordinated cleaning event,” and fencing was put up around the former encampment area. Most Gompers Park residents have relocated across the street to a small patch of green space near the Harmony Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, where 12 tents were seen Monday. Three tents remained at Gompers Park, though closer to the river, not in the former encampment area.

* Sun-Times | Security bollards eyed around Wrigley Field, with $30 million-plus in cost shared by city, state and Cubs: The ordinance introduced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting by Wrigleyville Ald. Bennett Lawson (44th) calls for installation of “anti-terrorism-rated removable bollards” around the ballpark and the widening of sidewalks along Addison Street. It resolves a long-running security stalemate between the Cubs and City Hall.

* Sun-Times | Beyonce helps set hotel occupancy record, but city must spend more on tourism, Choose Chicago CEO says: The city’s new convention and tourism agency chief, Kristen Reynolds, is beating the drum for a so-called tourism improvement district that would more than double her agency’s annual budget by increasing the tax on rooms in Chicago hotels with 100 or more rooms by 1.5 percentage points — to 18.9%.

* WBEZ | Chicago’s festival season kicks off without bolstered security requirements for big events: Ald. Raymond Lopez, 15th Ward, says the city is not prepared to keep large-scale events safe. He first raised concerns about event security at a February meeting of the City Council’s cultural committee. In the wake of the New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans, when a motorist plowed a truck through crowds on the famed Bourbon Street, Lopez called on the city to strengthen security requirements. Reached this week, he said that discussion did not go anywhere.

* Tribune | Chicago beaches set to open for summer season on Friday: The Office of Emergency Management and Communication, the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago police and the Chicago Park District are asking residents and visitors to be mindful of safety rules while visiting beaches or the Chicago River. Officials are asking patrons to read and adhere to signage that indicates swimming is prohibited in certain areas. Patrons can consult the Park District’s website before heading out to beaches to ensure water conditions are safe. Officials also said to only enter the water if a lifeguard is on duty. Swim hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

* Sun-Times | Obama Foundation partner launches shared vendor network for small businesses: The Shared Purchasing Network gives businesses and organizations access to benefits typically reserved for larger counterparts that reduce operational and administrative costs. The program is initially offering waste hauling services, but Emerald South expects to add offerings such as insurance, security and natural gas in the coming months. The program is free to join and available citywide, but Emerald South is focusing on raising awareness in Chicago’s historically under-resourced communities.

* Aurora Beacon-News | District 204 school board OKs sale of up to $156.5 million in bonds for facility improvements: Indian Prairie School District 204 is continuing on with a second bond sale for capital projects in the district, as part of the $420 million in bond sales approved by voters in November. On Monday, Indian Prairie’s school board approved a resolution for the district to sell a round of bonds to generate up to $156.5 million in funding for capital projects. This is the district’s second bond sale from the referendum, as it issued almost $15 million in December. The sale of the bonds will happen in rounds through 2029, according to past reporting.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Matt Thomas sworn in as new police chief of Aurora: Surrounded by his family and Aurora elected officials, Thomas said after he was sworn in at Tuesday’s City Council Committee of the Whole meeting that his commitment is to continue serving the Aurora community with professionalism, transparency and integrity. “We’ll stay focused on making Aurora a city where people feel safe in their neighborhoods, where our partnerships with the community continue to grow and where every officer has the tools and support they need to serve with excellence,” he said.

* Daily Herald | Legal fight brewing over Pope Leo’s childhood home? South suburb plans to acquire site: Despite the current owner’s plans to sell the home to the highest bidder in an auction next month, the village “intends to purchase the home either through direct purchase or through eminent domain powers,” village attorney Burton Odelson wrote in a letter Tuesday. The pope’s parents purchased the home, at 212 E. 141st Place, new in 1949, paying a $42 monthly mortgage. The current owners purchased the home intending to flip it and sell it. They renovated the home last year and on May 5 put it on the market, listing it for $219,000. Ultimately the owners decided to put the Cape Cod-style home up for auction, according to brokers iCandy Realty.

* Daily Herald | Mount Prospect looking at possible improvements for pedestrians, diners on Prospect Avenue: Mount Prospect village board members this week approved a $114,000 contract with Civiltech Engineering of Itasca to look at ways to enhance the look and feel of Prospect Avenue between Main Street and Elmhurst Avenue. Downtown Mount Prospect south of the tracks is no longer a sleeping giant. Restaurants are popping up along Prospect Avenue, a phenomenon that led the village to put up barricades to create an alfresco dining area in front of the Patina Wine Bar and Lady Dahlia.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Mayor taps former St. Charles City Clerk Nancy Garrison to return to post while city fills vacancy: On Monday, the St. Charles City Council voted to approve former City Clerk Nancy Garrison to return to her post temporarily while the city accepts applications for the position. The position was left vacant because Susan Hanson, who ran unopposed in the April 1 election, relocated downstate for work outside of the St. Charles city limits, according to past reporting.

* I guess this is almost an island getaway…

* WGLT | Olympia School District ‘frustrated’ by error that led to incorrect McLean County tax bills: Administrators in the Olympia School District in western McLean County say they are frustrated by county government’s efforts to fix an error in tax bills recently sent to property owners. “Our attorneys are involved [with the county] and we are trying to remedy the situation,” said Olympia superintendent Laura O’Donnell. Olympia recently notified school district families in McLean County that the county did not apply the new tax rate prompted by voters’ approval of a March 24 referendum.

* WCIA | Springfield City Council approves 25-year solar contract: The contract with Sangamon Solar LLC, approved this month, is in conjunction with a new 100 MW, 750-acre solar installation to be built in Sangamon County south of Chatham. This project is expected to start in 2026 and begin operation in 2028. It will also create a number of construction and maintenance jobs.

* River Bender | Country Star Jake Owen To Headline Illinois State Fair Grandstand: With 10 No. 1 singles and more than 2.5 billion U.S. on-demand streams, Owen is a standout performer in the country music scene. His laid-back style and chart-topping songs like “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Beachin’,” and “The One That Got Away” have made him a household name. “August 8 is Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair, and this is the perfect way to celebrate,” said Jerry Costello II, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. “Country artists are a crowd favorite in central Illinois, and we are excited to bring Jake Owen to the Grandstand.”

* AP | Stop making cents: US Mint moves forward with plans to kill the penny: The U.S. Mint has made its final order of penny blanks and plans to stop producing the coin when those run out, a Treasury Department official confirmed Thursday. This move comes as the cost of making pennies has increased markedly, by upward of 20% in 2024, according to the Treasury. By stopping the penny’s production, the Treasury expects an immediate annual savings of $56 million in reduced material costs, according to the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the news.