Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Yesterday, during an unrelated news conference, Gov. JB Pritzker said executive action may be an option to regulate hemp…

Pritzker: I’m deeply concerned, I think some of you know, about intoxicating hemp in this state. And we are going to have to do something, either legislatively or from the executive branch, to stop the sale of intoxicating hemp at without any regulation whatsoever in this state. It literally is making our children sick, and it is a shame on legislators and on this state that we are not already doing something about it. We need help from the legislature to make it happen, or if not, we may need to impose executive authority to try to shut those sales of intoxicating hemp down.

Crain’s…

A bill that passed the Illinois Senate last year would have allowed intoxicating hemp, also known as delta-8, to be sold only by licensed dispensaries, as well as requiring testing and labeling.

Some opponents viewed it as a giveaway to the cannabis industry. The hemp industry is hardly monolithic and includes shops selling CBD products and retailers who sell products with THC levels rivaling recreational marijuana, as well as THC beverage makers. Some favor regulation but others do not. The battle over how or whether to regulate the industry resulted in an intense lobbying campaign in the Capitol. […]

Exactly what Pritzker could do by executive order is unclear. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation and the Department of Agriculture regulate the sale and production of marijuana, but cannabis industry regulations were created by statute. […]

“We very much want regulation: 21 and over, labeling, testing — all the things the governor is interested in,” [Craig Katz, a board member of the trade group Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association,] said. “It’s a question of reaching the right method of achieving that goal. (The previous bill) would have killed the hemp businesses in the state.”

When asked what specific executive authority the governor has to regulate hemp, Pritzker spokesperson Matt Hill told me yesterday: “The Governor has a wide range of executive authority to protect public health and consumer interests.” He did not elaborate.

* Illinois Answers Project…

For decades, county treasurers in Illinois have collected unpaid property tax bills by selling the debt to private investors. If homeowners behind on their taxes fail to repay the debt plus interest, those investors can get the deed to their homes. In those cases, the homeowners lose the entire value of their residences, even though they often owe only a fraction of that amount.

In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that such actions are unconstitutional. A Minnesota homeowner argued that Hennepin County violated her Fifth Amendment rights by taking her home and pocketing more than the $15,000 she owed in back taxes. Following the ruling, states rushed to reform their laws to avoid legal fallout.

All except Illinois, where serious efforts continue to flounder in the statehouse as competing special interests clash over the best route to reform. […]

Last fall, a federal judge allowed to move forward a lawsuit by suburban homeowners against officials in eight Illinois counties, citing a loss of millions of dollars in home equity in tax sale seizures.

This spring, many of those same officials sued the state of Illinois which, they say, left them vulnerable to litigation because they haven’t reformed the law. […]

“This is a crisis, and something needs to be done,” said Rep. Will Guzzardi, who sponsored a reform bill. “We weren’t able to come to consensus by the end of session on what that something should be.”

At the last minute, legislators did manage to pass a bill delaying the county’s fall tax sale until next March. In a statement, [Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas] said she advocated for the delay to give lawmakers more time to craft a solution. But attorneys argue that the delay won’t stop the lawsuits already in motion.

* Daily Herald…

Developers of a $500 million data center looking to build in Batavia have promised an efficient cooling system to cut down on water usage, which the city has capped at 1,000 gallons per day. […]

As part of a contract the city council approved on Sept. 2, the data center will be limited to 1,000 gallons of water per day on average. […]

Mayor Jeff Shielke said the proposal still has a long way to go before final approval. He was not concerned with water usage but said many questions remain unanswered. […]

“The negotiations for the data center have missed, and continue to miss, many opportunities,” said Batavia resident Susan Russo, who is not against the proposal.

But the city failed to define its source of electricity, educate the public and engage energy experts in the process, she said.

*** Statewide ***

* WMBD | IDNR opens bids for farm leases to aid conservation efforts: The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is accepting sealed bids this fall for about 20 agricultural lease contracts for crop years 2026-2030. […] The total number of acres up for leasing is unclear; the lease sites are on different schedules. The 20 or so locations up for lease renewal are in the pool of 125 lease sites located throughout more than half of the state’s 102 counties. A check of the website shows the chief use of the acres up for lease includes grain, hay, sunflowers, pasture, and cover crops.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Politico | RFK Jr.’s vaccine crackdown sparks a rebellion among blue-state governors: JB Pritzker is exploring ways to stockpile Covid shots in Illinois. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order protecting vaccine access in New York. Maura Healey is requiring insurers in Massachusetts cover the costs of injections recommended by her health department, regardless of federal guidelines As Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health department curtails access to the Covid-19 vaccine and mulls restricting the availability of others, Democratic governors are forming a bulwark against him as they take on an issue that has strong public support ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterms.

* Insurance Business Mag | Legislative action on Illinois homeowners’ insurance may backfire, Triple-I warns: “While calls for rate regulation may appear politically appealing, it is critically important to appreciate that recent increasing insurance rates are a reflection of the risk, rather than the cause,” said Sean Kevelighan, CEO of Triple-I. He added that premium increases are driven by genuine and rising costs, including natural disasters, inflationary pressures, and misuse of the legal system. He also noted that Illinois residents pay less than the national average for insurance, which points to a relatively stable market with strong competition.

* Press Release | Attorney General Raoul Files Brief To Defend Workers From Unjust Discrimination By Employers: ttorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 20 attorneys general, today filed an amicus brief in support of Ellenor Zinski, a former employee of Liberty University. The brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Zinski v. Liberty University, urges the court to affirm Zinski’s right to sue her former employer for sex-based discrimination after Liberty fired her upon learning of her identity as a transgender woman.

* Illinois Times | New law increases mental health access for college students: As part of efforts to increase mental health care across the state, Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law last month requiring public colleges and universities to have a certain number of mental health professionals available to students. University of Illinois Springfield, one of the state’s smaller public universities, is in line with the new mandated ratio of one counselor for every 1,250 students enrolled. Bethany Bilyeu, a counselor and executive director of student support services at UIS, said the university is uniquely positioned to offer counseling services without session limits or a waitlist.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Mayor Brandon Johnson seeks $90 million in settlement of suits tied to corrupt cop: The first-of-its-kind deal, first uncovered by the Tribune in federal court records, would settle all outstanding wrongful conviction cases involving Sgt. Ronald Watts, according to Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry. The top Johnson attorney said the massive payout is “the responsible thing to do,” arguing it could save the city as much as $400 million compared to the cost of settling the cases individually or taking them to court. “We spent a lot of years kicking cans down the road,” Richardson-Lowry said. “We cannot carry that burden further. We have to solve for these cases… We have to close that chapter.”

* WTTW | Will Chicago Cops Be Allowed to Turn Off Body-Worn Cameras While Being Questioned After Shootings? Judge to Decide: A federal judge is set to decide whether Chicago police officers can turn off their body-worn cameras while being questioned by their supervisor immediately after they shoot a member of the public, court records show. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office urged U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer to order CPD officers to keep their cameras on “in the immediate aftermath of an officer-involved shooting or death” over the objections of CPD leaders and city lawyers.

* Block Club | Downtown Streets Could Close During Mexican Independence Day Celebrations, City Warns: For years, car caravans of revelers have flooded Downtown during Mexican Independence Day weekend, causing traffic snarls and congested streets. Last year, the city temporarily closed off the Central Business District to most traffic to stem the flow of caravans and limit public partying. The city’s emergency management department is ready to do the same thing this weekend and into next week, if necessary, according to a Thursday news release. Mexican Independence Day is Tuesday.

* Sun-Times | Officials demand answers from Noem, Hegseth on Naval Station Great Lakes’ use for immigration arrests: The letter said the Defense Department’s reliance on “verbal agreements” for base support was “easily susceptible to mission creep, difficult to communicate widely to all parties involved and not transparent or accountable to the taxpayers and their elected representatives.” It requests confirmation that no more base resources will be diverted to the operation, that it won’t house “DHS-managed lethal munitions” or anyone detained by the agencies, that troops stationed there will not be asked to assist in immigration enforcement and that federal officials will wear “clear labels” identifying themselves while in Illinois.

* The Bond Buyer | Chicago GO bonds cheapen: Chicago’s general obligation bonds have cheapened in recent weeks despite a broader municipal market rally as the city’s junk-rated school district comes to market and investors watch to see how leaders manage a substantial budget deficit, rising pension costs and chronic negative headlines from the Trump administration.

* Block Club | SW Side In ‘Trouble’ If Warehouse Park Doesn’t Replace Ford City Mall, Ald. Says As Some Neighbors Oppose Plan: Ald. Curtis, whose ward includes Ford City Mall, called the development a “good project” that will fulfill the community’s need for economic development and provide up to 1,000 jobs. Namdar Realty Group, a private real estate firm based in New York, purchased Ford City Mall in 2019 and have become “slumlords,” Curtis said. […] Despite its years-long decline, Curtis hasn’t contacted any other companies to repurpose Ford City Mall because it’s such a large development, he said. Bridge Industrial is the only company that has approached him to purchase and redevelop it, Curtis said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* WJOL | Hollywood Casino Joliet Has Generated 11.2 Million Dollars In Its First Weeks Of Operation: According to the Chicago Tribune, Hollywood Casino rose to fifth among the state’s 17 in adjusted gross receipts and had more than 101,000 visitors. Rivers Casino captured the top spot by generating nearly $42 million. Other strong August performers included Wind Creek at $17.1 million, Grand Victoria Casino at $12.6 million, Bally’s Chicago at $11.3 million, Hollywood Casino Joliet at $11.2 million, Harrah’s Joliet at $11 million, and Full House Resorts Illinois at $11 million.

* Evanston Roundtable | Officials grapple with whether library should get a cut of tax fund: The issue came up in a discussion during the city’s Finance & Budget Committee meeting Tuesday on a proposal to establish an escrow fund to deposit funds from the tax — which climbed to close to $6 million in annual revenues at one point — dedicating that money to meet the city’s stiff public pension contributions.

* Shaw Local | Joliet District 86 Superintendent Rouse to step down in 2027: “The Board is grateful to Dr. Rouse for the direction and initiatives that she has provided for the district to date, including increasing student achievement, providing leadership for the construction of two new junior high schools, and fostering a climate of inclusion,” the district said in a statement released Thursday. The board also expressed appreciation for the advanced notice, so the process of finding a successor for the 2027-2028 school year can begin.

* Daily Southtown | Tinley Park officials recognize the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks: About 30 Tinley Park firefighters and officials stood next to a steel beam from the World Trade Center towers Thursday for a Patriot Day Ceremony recognizing the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. […] The steel beam, which Tinley officials and residents gathered around, was recovered from the twin towers and brought to Tinley Park in 2011. It rests outside Station 46, and the annual observance is usually held near the beam.

*** Downstate ***

* NPR Illinois | UIS enrollment drops due to fewer international students: Total enrollment at UIS after the first 10 days of classes is 4,364, down from 4,628 last fall. Officials point to fewer international students which was the bulk of the drop. UIS enrolled 638 international graduate students this fall, compared to 875 in 2024. Undergraduate international enrollment also fell slightly, with 77 students enrolled this year, down from 82.

* BND | SWIC spending $62M on capital projects, but withholds key details: The plans include construction of a multiuse building for the SWIC Police Academy, which is housed at the former Main Street campus of Belleville West High School and Lindenwood University. Tebbe said the project also includes a special needs school and vocational school at the Red Bud campus, and meeting records show the project will also include systemwide renovations to existing buildings and other unspecified capital improvements. […] Board documents and Tebbe’s statement provided a broad overview of the project, but omitted key details such as construction timelines and specific funding allocations. Key aspects — including how the $62 million figure was determined and the bond repayment timeline — remain unclear.

* WCIA | Champaign’s Black Dog eyes Saturday to reopen: “Truthfully, the most important thing is just being open each and every day for the staff,” Mike Cochran said. “The biggest thing for us is making sure that all our people are able to work and make money. You know, the game days are nice. They are a little bit more for everybody, but you know, our every day is enough.”

*** National ***

* AP | Supreme Court to quickly consider if President Donald Trump has power to impose sweeping tariffs: The court agreed to take up an appeal from the Trump administration after lower courts found most of his tariffs illegal. The small businesses and states that challenged them also agreed to the accelerated timetable. They say Trump’s import taxes on goods from almost every country in the world have nearly driven their businesses to bankruptcy. “Congress, not the President alone, has the power to impose tariffs,” attorney Jeffrey Schwab with the Liberty Justice Center said.

* NYT | Yes, Your Morning Coffee Has Gotten More Expensive: Coffee prices rose 20.9 percent from the same time last year, the largest jump since the 1990s, according to the Consumer Price Index, released on Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In August alone, the price of coffee rose 3.6 percent.

* Harvest Public Media | When will beef prices drop? We asked a rancher, a butcher and an economist: From his corner booth at the Barton Creek Farmers Market, Jim Richardson sells beef, pork, chicken, eggs, milk and cheese. His beef products include stew meat, steak and ground beef. And lately they’ve become pricier. “I went up roughly a dollar a pound,” Richardson said. “My processor went up that much or more. So without kind of keeping up, it erodes your profitability.” Richardson Farms isn’t the only purveyor that’s had to raise beef prices recently, either. The average retail price of beef, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is now $9.69 per pound – the highest ever.

* New Republic | Trump’s Own Tweet Backfires on Him as Judge Delivers Harsh Loss on Fed: Yet buried in the ruling is an amusing tidbit worth highlighting: Judge Jia Cobb cited one of Trump’s own tweets to buttress the case that he’d acted unlawfully. The judge wrote that the timing of Trump’s initial tweet calling for Cook to resign suggested she’d been denied due process. Which opens a window into a bigger story: The lower courts are doing important work in creating concrete fact sets around Trump’s illegal actions that illustrate the deep rot of bad faith eating away at their core—thus exposing an essential element of his ongoing lawlessness.

* CNBC | Consumer prices rose at annual rate of 2.9% in August, as weekly jobless claims jump: For the vital core reading that excludes food and energy, the August gain was 0.3%, putting the 12-month figure at 3.1%, both as forecast. Fed officials consider core to be a better gauge of long-run trends. The central bank’s inflation target is 2%.

7 Comments

Pritzker says Bears must agree to pay off stadium debt before property tax relief

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* From Gov. JB Pritzker’s press conference yesterday…

Q: Bears CEO says they’re focused on Arlington Heights. They’re going to build a stadium without state help. They need legislators to give them property tax relief. What have you said? What conversations have you had with the Bears about that? And have you seen a property tax proposal that you’re willing to support?

Pritzker: So first, the state of Illinois, I think, as you know, believes that, you know, private businesses should be partners with the state wherever we can help them. That includes the Chicago Bears. It includes lots of other businesses. We provided lots of incentives and worked with them to provide infrastructure, etc.

Second, I have said directly to the Bears in the past, I want them to stay in the city of Chicago. That doesn’t mean they’re going to, they’re a private business. They can go wherever they would like to go. But I would like them to stay in the city of Chicago, partly because I’m a Bears fan, and I would like them to be somewhere nearby for Chicago fans who live in Chicago.

And lastly, I, you know, I’m going to, I have not talked to the Bears recently, so this is not from anything that’s happened in the last, I don’t know, several weeks. Actually haven’t had any conversation with them. They’ve not come to talk to me about it. But look, first, we need the Bears to pay off what’s owed on the existing stadium. So that’s going to be a really important feature of whatever happens going forward. And if they want a PILOT [payment in lieu of taxes] bill or some other help, we’re going to make that a prerequisite for something like that happening.

* Crain’s…

The Bears have been seeking legislation in Springfield that would allow payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, a tool that would allow companies to freeze their property tax breaks and negotiate an annual payment in lieu of their regular rate.

Such legislation would help all so-called megaprojects, or those totaling $500 million or more, not just the Bears. But it would be central to the Bears’ plan to build a stadium in Arlington Heights, which the team is indicating is more likely than staying in the city of Chicago. […]

The Illinois Sports Facilities Authority still owes $534.4 million in combined principal and interest debt tied to Solder Field renovations that were made in 2003. The authority has another $48.3 million tied to what is now Rate Field, the home of the Chicago White Sox. […]

State Rep. Kam Buckner told Crain’s the governor’s comments are “aligned with what many of us have been saying for a long time, including in some overtures from (Pritzker), and that is that the Bears have some unfinished business here in the city, to at least have a public conversation” about them getting Springfield help to move to Arlington Heights.

* Tribune…

The Bears also want to get a piece of the expanded sales tax revenue their stadium would generate over the racecourse.

Discuss.

51 Comments

Charlie Kirk

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* There is not enough time in the day to moderate comments on an issue like this…

The Left is the party of murder https://t.co/qN1oToUHNc

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 10, 2025

“I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.” -Charlie Kirkhttps://t.co/W9qMQw7KfL pic.twitter.com/rNV8V49Wik

— Jorts (and Jean) (@JortsTheCat) September 10, 2025

There are a kabillion other places to point fingers and tear each other apart over this murder. I decided last night that we’d just post stories.

* So, here’s a news roundup compiled by Isabel…

* Politico | Friends worried about Charlie Kirk’s safety: “Those of us who love and care about Charlie have been worried about his safety,” Illinois businessman Gary Rabine said in a text statement. Rabine was an early backer of Turning Point USA, which Kirk cofounded in 2012 to bring conservative ideas to college campuses. “I have watched him over the past 13 years become the greatest leader behind positive change in our college universities and our country,” said Rabine, who ran for governor in 2022. “Terrible tragedy,” said former Gov. Bruce Rauner, another early donor to Turning Point noting Kirk was part of his 2014 rise to Springfield. Rauner described the young activist as “bright, talented and charismatic.”

* Shaw Local | Illinois politicians mourn Charlie Kirk, who was from Chicago suburbs, after shooting death: Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association President Mark Guethle, who also chairs the Kane County Democratic Party, said in part in a statement: “We are shocked and horrified by what seems to have been a politically motivated murder, and we extend our deepest sympathy to Charlie’s wife and family, as well as the students and community members who had to endure this tragic event.” State Rep. Jeff Keicher, whose district includes parts of DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties, said in part on Facebook: “This young man, an Illinoisan by birth, empowered open, peaceful dialogue on complex issues across our nation’s college campuses, which has been long overdue. Violence is never the answer to political differences. We must get back to being able to disagree without espousing hate toward one another.”

* SJ-R | Pritzker: ‘Attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying’; Illinois officials react to Kirk’s death: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying,” Gov. JB Prtizker posted on Facebook. “Political violence has no place in this country and should never become the norm. I’m sending my sympathies to his family and friends at this time.”U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin expressed similar sentiment. “Political violence is wrong—no matter the ideology it stems from,” he posted on Facebook. It has zero place in our country. My thoughts are with Charlie Kirk and his family.” Conservative activist and Turning Point USA cofounder Charlie Kirk addresses a Utah Valley University event in Orem on Sept. 10, 2025, when he was fatally shot. Livestream video of the event showed crowds of people running from the university’s courtyard where Kirk, 31, was speaking when the shooting occurred.

* Center Square | Pritzker says political violence ‘has got to stop’ in reaction to Kirk shooting: “First, I want to express my sympathy to Charlie Kirk’s family and to Charlie Kirk, who obviously, has, you know, become a target for somebody,” Pritzker said. “I don’t know whether it’s political violence because I don’t know who did it. I know they seem to have somebody in custody, but I will say that political violence, unfortunately, has been ratcheting up in this country.” Pritzker said political violence is not acceptable. “We saw the shootings. The killings in Minnesota. We’ve seen other political violence, occur in other states. And I would just say, it’s got to stop,” Pritzker said. “And I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country.”

* ILGOP…

On Wednesday, immediately following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Governor Pritzker doubled down on the violent political rhetoric the left is known for, and blamed President Trump for the despicable, violent act that occurred in Utah. Speaking to reporters, Pritzker said that, “there are people who are fomenting it in this country. I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it.”

ILGOP Chair Kathy Salvi released the following statement:

“JB Pritzker is a despicable human being for using this tragedy to take political shots and launch his campaign for president. Not only are these comments dangerous and unacceptable, but Pritzker seemingly ignores the fact that left-wing shooters attempted to assassinate President Trump during the 2024 campaign. Political violence has no place in this country and the ILGOP continues to pray for Charlie Kirk’s family.”

Don’t Forget: in April, Pritzker stoked a New Hampshire crowd in calling for political violence against Republicans, saying that “Republicans cannot know a moment of peace.”

* Fox Chicago | Illinois leaders call Charlie Kirk shooting ‘horrifying,’ condemn political violence: Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie also issued a statement: “My heart is broken, and I am angry. Charlie Kirk was assassinated in a senseless act of violence. My prayers are with his family, friends, and all who loved him. “It is deeply disturbing that hatred has escalated to the point where lives are being stolen. That this happened while he was speaking on political violence at a university, a place that should be dedicated to free speech and the open exchange of ideas, makes it even more tragic. If ideas cannot be debated on campus without fear of violence, we have truly lost our way.”

* WCIA | Illinois politicians react to deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk: “I’m absolutely, heartbroken for as for his family, his wife and his two young babies.” said State Rep. Blaine Wilhour. Kathy Salvi, the Chair of the Illinois Republican Party, released the following statement in a news release: Our hearts are broken over the tragic death of Charlie Kirk. Charlie’s work for Republicans in Illinois and across the country was invaluable. Charlie gave an important and unique voice to young people across the country and engaged in thoughtful, open, and honest dialogue that our country desperately needs. Political violence has no place in this country and we continue to pray for Charlie’s family.

* WCBU | Illinois elected leaders decry killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk: In a social media post, 16th District U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., asked followers to join him in praying for Kirk and his family. “The rise in political violence across our country is abhorrent. This vile attack on [Kirk] must be condemned in the strongest possible terms and justice must be served,” LaHood wrote on X.com. LaHood later followed his post with a media statement saying political violence has become too common in the U.S.

* WGLT | McLean County, Illinois political leaders decry killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk: “We lost a great man to senseless violence,” the McLean County Republican Party said in a statement on social media. “His death is a blow against free speech and freedom of thought. We must continue to pursue free speech and truth and not allow the violence stop that mission.” The McLean County Democratic Party called the shooting “horrific and wrong.”

* PJ Star | Charlie Kirk, Illinois native and conservative influencer, dies after Utah shooting: Before the announcement of Kirk’s death, Durbin’s colleague, Tammy Duckworth, said that the attack was “horrifying” and shouldn’t happen in the U.S. “It does not matter which side you are on. There is simply no place for political violence in this country,” Duckworth said. “This is horrifying and should not happen in America.”

Comments Off

Competition Works: Lower Bills. Reliable Power. Say NO To Right Of First Refusal

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Illinois families are sweating through heat and higher electricity bills this summer. Across the Midwest, some relief from energy inflation is in the forecast. Thanks to competitive bidding, dramatically lower costs have resulted compared to no-bid Right of First Refusal (ROFR) proposals.

Here’s the proof:

$87 Million Saved

Fairport to Denny Transmission Line (MISO – Missouri)

• Competitive bidding cut MISO’s initial estimate from $161 million to just $74 million – saving Missouri Customers millions!

$6 Million Saved

Reid EHV to IN/KY Border Transmission Project (MISO)

$14 Million Saved

Matheson–Redbud Transmission Line (SPP – Oklahoma)

In many cases, incumbent utilities won these bids, proving that when they compete with other qualified builders, consumers win. It saves money and drives better results.

Competition Works.

Legislators should choose competition and protect Illinois families.

Comments Off

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign news

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comments Off

Isabel’s morning briefing

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: Gov. Pritzker ‘glad’ Trump shifting focus from sending National Guard to Chicago: ‘We don’t need them’. Sun-Times…

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* Sun-Times | Timothy Evans out as Cook County chief judge after 24 years: Beach, the newly elected Cook County’s Circuit Court chief judge, received 144 votes to Evans’ 109, or about 57% of the votes cast by circuit judges; one ballot was “spoiled,” the spokesperson said. Beach will serve a three-year term starting Dec. 1.

* Capitol News Illinois | Under emergency rule, Illinois prisons begin withholding physical mail: Under the rule that went into effect Aug. 14, IDOC will electronically scan mail and provide a digital copy or paper copy to an incarcerated person. The rule also specifies that books, magazines and other publications can only come through the prison’s mailroom from the publisher. After a series of incidents last fall that left dozens of correctional personnel hospitalized after exposure to substances or overdoses in the prison population, IDOC introduced the rule under pressure from Republicans and the prison workers’ union.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Daily Herald | ‘We represent the entire state:’ Del Mar joins Bailey on GOP governor’s ticket: Conservative farmer Bailey from downstate Xenia, who contested Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022, will head the ticket. Del Mar will take another shot at lieutenant governor, the Palatine resident confirmed Wednesday. “I bring a deep understanding of what matters most to voters in Chicago and the suburbs, while Darren brings the perspective and values of southern and central Illinois,” said Del Mar, the Cook County GOP Chair and Palatine Township’s highway commissioner. “Together, we represent the entire state.”

* NPR | Why Gov. Pritzker says Trump’s threats to Chicago make him worry about 2026 elections: The Court, without explanation, overturned a lower court ruling that found immigration agents engaged in racial profiling on the streets of Los Angeles. One of the justices in the Court’s conservative majority, Brett Kavanaugh, argued that it was reasonable to question people who worked at construction sites or spoke English poorly. “You think they’re questioning them? Because that’s not what any of us are seeing in any of the bystander videos that have been made. People are being grabbed,” Pritzker said. “You shouldn’t have to walk around with papers the way that they did in the early days of Nazi Germany to prove that you belong and that you’re not one of them. And that is essentially the kind of country that we’re becoming.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Plea deal ends career of Chicago police officer who struck 14-year-old student: Craig Lancaster, 56, was placed on 18 months’ supervision and ordered to undergo eight hours of anger management as part of a plea deal in which prosecutors reduced the original felony charge of aggravated battery to misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Lancaster also agreed to voluntarily decertify as a police officer, ending his nearly 30 years of service to the Chicago Police Department. He was indicted in late 2023 after the Tribune published a video that showed Lancaster striking 14-year-old JaQuwaun Williams near his throat as the boy walked into Gresham Elementary School that May.

* Block Club | South Siders Demand Jobs Under South Works Quantum Campus Community Benefits Agreement: Coalition members announced the latest community benefits agreement proposal, which features employment, environmental and anti-displacement measures, during a town hall Tuesday at the Salud Center, 3039 E. 91st St. in South Chicago. The proposal aims to “make sure that our voices are heard, our concerns are addressed and our requirements are met,” Renee Nowlin, a member of the KECS Block Club Association in the 7th Ward, said during Tuesday’s town hall.

* Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools wants to tighten up employees’ use of paid time off: The Chicago Board of Education is considering tightening up paid time off policies for CPS employees, including requiring more notice for taking off for religious holidays and adding explicit language that says CPS can fire employees who misuse sick days. The district also proposed changes to bring its sick leave policies for non-union employees into alignment with new City of Chicago policies. CPS is proposing the changes for approval at its board meeting on Sept. 25.

* Sun-Times | Chicago pedestrian ways violate ADA requirements, lawsuit alleges: The lawsuit claims the city is riddled with “deteriorated, cracked, crumbling, sunken, uplifted, uneven,” sidewalks, crosswalks, curb ramps and other pedestrian passages. It specifically alleges that the city is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a landmark law enacted in 1990 that requires cities to ensure people living with mobility disabilities have equal access to public ways and buildings. It also alleges the city is violating Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibits discrimination based on disability.

* Sun-Times | Lot full of apparently legally parked cars towed during Bears game: ‘I couldn’t believe it’: On Wednesday, Matty received a message from SpotHero apologizing for their “egregious mistake.” The message said they were “happy to add $250 credit” to her SpotHero account. Additionally, they said they would refund the cost of her SpotHero reservation, and be reimbursed for the tow costs. Fans who parked in the lot booked their placement through parking app SpotHero and had no issues when it came to arriving at the lot, several of the affected drivers told the Chicago Sun-Times. Many had their spots reserved until 11:15 p.m. and arrived before the expiration time to find the lot empty.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Feds seize vape products from Bensenville warehouse: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, standing by a display of some of the items, said the materials were produced in China and “smuggled” into the United States, evading federal regulations regarding disclosing what chemicals are in the products. The seizure at Midwest Goods, also known as Midwest Distribution, was part of a national campaign carried out Wednesday in five states at distributors and stores. She said the sellers of vaping products target children, young adults and U.S. military personnel.

* Daily Herald | Cook Co. invests more than $1.5 million in suburban biking infrastructure: Cook County boosted biking to the tune of over $1.5 million when Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Cook County Department of Transportation and Highways recently announced Invest In Cook grants for five suburbs and the Forest Preserve District. Oak Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Park and Streamwood earned project construction funds while design funds were awarded to Niles and the forest preserve’s Des Plaines/Salt Creek Trail system. Nearly $8.3 million was granted for 32 transportation-related projects this year.

* Daily Southtown | Oak Lawn regulates use of e-scooters and e-bikes as popularity grows: The village voted 6-0 on Tuesday in favor of updating traffic code to define e-bikes and e-scooters and restrict riders’ ages, motor wattage and riding locations. “We’ve all experienced some type of incident involving the scooters throughout the village of Oak Lawn,” Mayor Terry Vorderer said Wednesday. He said his own recent experience included a close call with a child on a scooter riding alongside his vehicle in the dark. “Thank God I caught him out of the corner of my eye, because he had no wherewithal of what he was doing and I slammed on the brakes,” Vorderer said.

* Aurora Beacon-News | New hire in Aurora’s legal department sparks debate at City Council meeting: Aurora Mayor John Laesch has said the city is facing a nearly $30 million shortfall in the 2026 budget, which is currently being developed. One of the ways Laesch is working to bridge that gap is by putting in place what he has called a “hiring slushie,” as opposed to a full hiring freeze. That means the city is not hiring any new employees, even for currently-open positions or positions that become empty when an employee leaves, unless first approved by the mayor’s office, Laesch has said. Aurora’s Corporation Council Yordana Wysocki said at Tuesday’s meeting that she’s looking to bring in a new lawyer to deal with labor and employment matters, which the city currently contracts out at a cost of over $300,000 each year. The new part-time employee would instead cost the city around $164,000 each year, which includes both salary and benefits, according to numbers city staff shared at the meeting.

* Daily Herald | 9/11 remembered with fields of flags; World Trade Center survivor to speak in Naperville: Laura Murphy worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center and descended 59 floors to escape. She is scheduled to speak Thursday evening during a ceremony at the Cmdr. Dan Shanower Sept. 11 Memorial along the Naperville Riverwalk. Shanower, a Naperville native and Naval intelligence officer, died at his post in the Pentagon. The memorial’s theme was inspired by an article written by Shanower.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Aurora area events to mark anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks: In Aurora, a remembrance ceremony open to the public will be held beginning at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at Aurora Central Fire Station at 75 N. Broadway in downtown Aurora. Aurora Fire Chief Dave McCabe will speak, followed by the presentation of colors and the Pipes and Drums of the Aurora Police Department, city officials said. Aurora Mayor John Laesch will speak at the event, as will Aurora Police Chief Matt Thomas.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Peppers sought from local gardeners for community hot sauce to benefit Batavia food pantry: The local producer of well over 400 flavors of hot sauce launched the first collaborative effort back in 2023 with a sauce dubbed Fire on the Fox, which sold all of the roughly 250 bottles that were made and raised nearly $1,300 for the food pantry, Gindo’s officials said. Company officials said the name of last year’s sauce called Fire on the Fox Vol 2 Hot 2 Handle proved to be prophetic in some respects as some consumers did, in fact, find it a bit too fiery.

*** Downstate ***

* Crain’s | Northern Illinois University sees enrollment jump, cuts deficit: Northern Illinois University announced a bump in its fall enrollment, a good sign for a school working to eliminate a $31.8 million deficit it reported in fiscal year 2024. The school welcomed 2,435 new freshmen this fall, a 22% jump over last year and the second-largest freshman class since 2014. Overall enrollment is up to 16,078 students, a 4% increase compared to the previous year.

* WCIA | So far, so good: Danville High School’s new phone policy in its third week: The pouches — made by Yondr — are the same ones used at some concerts where artists don’t want the crowd videotaping or photographing their performance. They are locked by pushing a green pin at the top of the pouch and unlocked with a special magnet as students leave the building at the end of the day. […] “There’s been a market increase in student discussions, assignment turn in rates have already gone up,” Bretz said. “You will see a lot of students playing cards, uno, far more students are reading books in the cafeteria.”

* WGLT | Mayor Brady soothes zoning worries and calls for talks on shared sales tax: Brady said during a WGLT interview on Sound Ideas the text amendments are limited in scope and the report is not one size fits all. “This report is not aimed at or will be allowed to go into subdivisions and make significant changes that would hamper not only that subdivision, but would reduce property value and make something dangerous on the side of parking,” said Brady. “I also don’t see the report taking any foothold anywhere without additional council action.”

* WGLT | Green infrastructure could help reduce flooding and water pollution in Bloomington-Normal: In an effort to modernize wastewater and storm water treatment, the Bloomington-Normal Water Reclamation District [BNWRD] and Illinois State University’s Center for a Sustainable Water Future are forming a partnership to bring green infrastructure directly to Twin City residents. “Storm water management comes from rainfall, where since we are in an urban environment, we have a lot of impervious surfaces where large amounts of rainfall can actually cause water to flow over the ground picking up contaminants, picking up just unwanted material,” said Tim Ervin, BNWRD’s executive director. […] Green infrastructure treats the water at its source, rather than traditional methods like gutters, pipes or tunnels. Common examples include rain gardens, bio swells, and different natural grasses and trees than what might be found in a yard already.

* WCIA | Champaign Co. United Way has a new CEO, but goals remain the same: The new CEO, Beverley Baker, said that she’s honored, humbled, and nervous, but overall really excited. Baker said that working in the non-profit sector has allowed her to fulfill her goals as a person, professional, and a mom, and she’s ready for this new role at United Way. Baker has worked there for eighteen years. She was previously serving as the Director of Community Impact and as a Chief Impact Officer. Her background is in early childhood education.

* WSIL | Sesser to host city-wide garage sale: The event will take place on both Friday and Saturday, with dozens of homes and locations participating throughout the city. Organizers are actively updating the list of locations to assist residents and visitors in finding all the places to shop. For additional information and a complete list of locations, visit here.

*** National ***

* NYT | Rise in U.S. Inflation Likely to Keep Fed Cautious on Pace of Rate Cuts: “Core” inflation, which the central bank tracks as a gauge of underlying inflation since it strips out volatile items like energy and food prices, steadied at 3.1 percent. The overall measure of inflation rose 0.4 percent for the month, slightly higher than economists had expected. The core measure rose 0.3 percent. The inflation data has been pivotal to the Fed’s debate about not only when it should lower interest rates again after a long pause but also the speed at which the central bank moves once that process kicks off.

* AP | Income inequality dipped and fewer people moved, according to largest survey of US life: These year-to-year changes, big and small, from 2023 to 2024 were captured in the bureau’s data from the American Community Survey, the largest annual audit of American life. The survey of 3.5 million households asks about more than 40 topics, including income, housing costs, veterans status, computer use, commuting, and education.

11 Comments

Open thread

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* What’s going on? Keep it Illinois-centric please…

10 Comments

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comment

Live coverage

Thursday, Sep 11, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

Comment

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* CNN…

US Steel is shuttering production at a mill in November, but its hundreds of workers will keep their jobs – for now – thanks to an agreement the company reached with the Trump administration.

US Steel will stop producing steel at its Granite City, Illinois, mill at the end of October, but the 800 workers at the plant will stay on the job, maintaining equipment, until at least 2027. That’s due to the structure of the deal the company reached with President Donald Trump to allow its purchase by Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel. The agreement included various job protections and production guarantees.

“US Steel will optimize its footprint by focusing on producing and processing steel slabs at the Mon Valley (Pennsylvania) Works and Gary (Indiana) Works, and reducing slab consumption at Granite City Works,” the company said in a statement to CNN Monday. “As a result of this decision, US Steel will not lay off any Granite City Works employees nor adjust their pay rate.”

* WGLT…

The McLean County Sheriff’s department is fessing up to an error that allowed federal immigration agencies to search its database of Flock Safety license plate reading cameras for more than four months this year. […]

Flock Safety let the sheriff’s department know an audit showed other agencies were using its camera images for immigration purposes. That is against Illinois law.

“Within a few hours, we had everyone shut off outside the state of Illinois,” said [Sheriff Matt Lane].

He said the original department policy was to have a relatively open door on the data, but agencies had to attest that they were following Illinois law in not using the data for immigration purposes.

So, the agencies were signing off on that requirement electronically, and then going ahead and using it on immigration?

“Yes,” said Lane. “When we did this policy, it was before January. We didn’t have an immigration push. It wasn’t on the forefront. And now it is.”

*** Statehouse News ***

* Press release…

State Representatives who touch Congressman Danny Davis’ 7th Congressional District are strengthening the call for Welch to represent them and their constituents, shaping and building the state party.

House Representative and Committeewoman Theresa Mah, State Representative Michael Crawford, State Representative Lisa Davis, and State Representative Yolonda Morris all endorse Speaker Welch. […]

Welch has opened the political committee Team Welch for 7th District State Central Commiteeperson; and has already collected and verified the required signatures for filing.

* Windy City Times | Sara Feigenholtz seeks reelection, citing LGBTQ+ record and decades of service: While Uniejewski is making the case for new leadership, Feigenholtz points to her long record of championing LGBTQ+ rights, health care access and neighborhood priorities as reasons voters should keep her in office. “I love this neighborhood, I love this community, and I think that no matter how long I serve, I still jump out of bed every day very, very excited to puzzle through some of the problems that we have here,” Feigenholtz told Windy City Times. “I’ve always had a very close connection to the community, and it’s only gotten deeper over time.”

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | President Donald Trump seems to pump brakes on deploying National Guard troops to Chicago: “We’re going to be announcing another city that we’re going to very shortly, working it out with the governor of a certain state who would love us to be there, and the mayor of a certain city in the same state that would love us to be there,” Trump told reporters Tuesday night in touting the results of his federalization of law enforcement and National Guard assets in Washington, D.C., by dining out at a restaurant.

* Facilities Dive | University of Illinois-Chicago tackles deferred maintenance at no upfront cost: The $30 million energy conservation project at UIC, the second public university in the University of Illinois system and the largest university in the Chicago area, includes the installation of 24 energy efficient air handling units and implementation of heating and cooling smart controls in an administrative building and a science building. The initiative is expected to generate approximately $1 million in yearly energy and operational savings and reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 2,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

* Crain’s | Potbelly to be acquired by convenience store chain in $566M deal: Potbelly, the Chicago-based sandwich chain, is set to be acquired by convenience store operator RaceTrac in a deal valued around $566 million. Under the agreement, announced yesterday, RaceTrac will pay $17.12 a share in cash for Potbelly, according to a news release. The transaction will be carried out through a tender offer for all outstanding shares.

* Block Club | Lincoln Park’s Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool Reopens After Years Of Renovation: Designed by Alfred Caldwell, the famed architect behind Promontory Point and Riis Park, the Lily Pool was part of a Victorian garden built in 1889 that was home to tropical lilies and other aquatic plants. When that garden fell into disrepair, Caldwell, who was appointed as the Park District’s principal designer in the 1930s, designed what was formerly known as the Lincoln Park Rookery.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Wauconda cancels Mexican Independence Day festival as other suburbs plan to stay the course: In a Sept. 5 Wauconda police Facebook post, police, church and village officials said the determination was made based on the “recent climate and concerns in our area related to immigration.” “We know how meaningful this event is for our community and the choice was not made lightly by the committee,” the post reads. “Our goal is always to ensure that everyone feels safe, respected and welcome in Wauconda.”

* Daily Herald | Batavia’s new energy policy ‘a work in progress’ say mayor: The Municipal Electric Utility Energy Policy, which will be reviewed on a schedule yet to be determined, sets sustainability goals and guides future infrastructure upgrades, energy procurement and other electric facility-related investments. Addressing doubts posed by council members during recent discussions over the attainability of some of the goals, Mayor Jeff Shielke admitted the approved policy is not “real strong,” but said it points the council in the right direction.

* NBC Chicago | Suburban business among several targeted in multistate vaping raids by ATF, FDA: Attorney General Pam Bondi and Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. traveled to Illinois Wednesday to announce the results of the raids, highlighting a company in northwest suburban Bensenville, which saw more than 600,000 units of allegedly illegal products seized in what was considered to be the largest of the reported raids. The so-called “seizure operation,” a joint effort from the ATF and FDA, targeted five distributors and nine retailers across six states.

*** Downstate ***

* IPM | International student enrollment increases at University of Illinois despite Trump policies: The System announced Wednesday that international student enrollment increased 5.9% across the Springfield, Urbana-Champaign and Chicago universities. That bucks the trend seen elsewhere across the country. U of I System President Tim Killeen said in an interview with The 21st Show that the most significant issue affecting international students at the three locations is visa delays.

* SJ-R | UIS sees freshman enrollment jump, but international numbers dip: The University of Illinois Springfield has seen a 19.1% increase in first-year student enrollment this fall, with 312 freshmen compared to last year’s 262. “We are pleased to see more first-year students choosing UIS to begin their college journey,” Janet L. Gooch, UIS chancellor, said in the announcement. “Through new scholarships like the Prairie Promise Program, innovative academic programs and hands-on experiences such as internships, UIS is opening doors and preparing students for successful careers.”

* WGLT | Illinois Wesleyan reports biggest incoming class in 15 years: Nearly 600 new students have begun classes at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington. The small liberal arts college says it’s the biggest incoming class since 2010, with 544 freshmen and 51 new transfer students enrolled. The large new class also tips total enrollment above 1,600 for the first time since 2021.

* BND | Private water providers expand, raise prices in metro-east. Some are pushing back: As some towns like Madison debate the advantages and disadvantages of keeping water systems locally owned or selling to the publicly traded subsidiary of American Water, there are others that are taking a different approach. A consortium of smaller water districts in Madison and Jersey counties are pooling their resources to take advantage of the available groundwater — and eventually separate their system completely from Illinois American Water in the hopes of maintaining local control.

* BND | 20 days into school year, Cahokia teachers are still without a contract: A crowd of members from the Cahokia Federation of Teachers Local 1272, wearing blue union shirts and holding signs, gathered at Monday evening’s school board meeting to draw attention to the delay. Many chanted outside the Board of Education building after security denied them entry because the boardroom neared capacity. Superintendent Curtis McCall Jr. said much of the delay comes from sifting through policies and procedures that, for more than 50 years, had not seen significant changes in terms of what’s in the best interest of students. When asked, he said he was unable to provide a specific problematic policy as an example.

* WCIA | Illini fans react to U of I stadium’s new name after multi-million-dollar donation: A multi-million-dollar donation is bringing change to one historic University of Illinois landmark over the course of several years. Larry Gies — a U of I alumnus — is donating $100 million to the athletic department, and now the football stadium has a new name: Gies Memorial Stadium. Larry Gies said it’s in honor of his father Larry Gies senior, who is a U.S. army veteran. Gies and the athletic department said that adding the name still keeps its purpose of honoring those who served, but fans are split on whether or not they agree.

*** National ***

* WaPo | National Guard documents show public ‘fear,’ veterans’ ‘shame’ over D.C. presence: Friday’s assessment highlights “Mentions of Fatigue, confusion, and demoralization — ‘just gardening,’ unclear mission, wedge between citizens and the military.”

* NYT | Nick Fuentes: A White Nationalist Problem for the Right: “Fuentes represents the cutting edge of a right-wing racism that has surged over the past decade during the rise of Trump,” said Matt Dallek, a political historian and expert on right-wing movements at George Washington University. “And it’s clear that he’s becoming more prominent because these bigger influencers are now fighting with him.”

5 Comments

Speaker Welch predicts data center regulation will be in energy bill, which he says will pass during veto session

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* House Speaker Welch talked about data center regulation last night…

At a Tuesday forum hosted by state Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, a Cook County Democrat, said lawmakers will tackle this very issue during the upcoming fall veto session. […]

Welch said the Illinois General Assembly is “very likely” to address the regulation of data centers as part of an energy bill. Lawmakers, he said, want to seize the potentially lucrative jobs but also want the companies to be good stewards of the earth.

“We certainly want Illinois to be front and center and take advantage of this boom from a jobs perspective,” Welch said, “but we want to make sure we don’t hurt our environment.”

“We think we’re close,” he said. “We think we’re going to be able to get something done.”

The rest of the quote…

We want to be able to take advantage of this from a jobs perspective, but we also want to be responsible about it. And want to make sure we don’t hurt our environment.

And that’s why all of these groups are at the table. That’s why we didn’t pass something in May, similar in ‘21. We’ve been working on this all summer.

My team’s telling me we think we’re going to be able to get something done in the upcoming veto session, that all the parties agree on labor, environmentalists.

There was a time in Springfield where, you know, environmentalists weren’t even at the table, right? They just weren’t even heard. Under my leadership style, all of these folks are at the table. Might take us a little longer to get things done, but I would rather take our time and get it right. Make sure the policy is right for rural Illinois, rather than rushing it wrong. These jobs are going to go somewhere. If they’re not in Illinois, they’re going to go to Iowa, they’re going to go to Indiana. So let’s make sure we work with the business communities. Get their input. Let’s work with the utility companies. Let’s get environment on this, labor, work with everyone.

The problem with these big bills is that can get too big and then fall over, like an over-decorated Christmas tree. So, we’ll see.

8 Comments

Campaign stuff: Del Mar called Bailey “a horrible politician” last month; Reilly announces for county board prez; JYR, DeVore running for state central committee

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Lake Forest Podcast almost exactly a month ago…

Joe Weis: I’ve met Darren a number of times, as I’m sure you have. He’s a nice guy, but he should stick to, he couldn’t even win in Southern Illinois down there for Congressman.

Aaron Del Mar: He’s a horrible politician!

Del Mar is now Bailey’s running mate. Bailey, by the way, endorsed one of Del Mar’s opponents for Cook County Republican Party Chair back in April.

* Ald. Brendan Reilly has announced a bid for Cook County Board President. Video…

* Politico…

State Rep. Janet Yang Rohr is running for the Democratic State Central Committeewoman seat in the 11th District. Current committeewoman Kristina Zahorik isn’t seeking reelection — and is endorsing Yang Rohr, who is out with a list of other endorsements, too.

— Tom DeVore is running for the Republican state central committee, and Congresswoman Mary Miller has endorsed him.

— FAIR GAME: The League of Women Voters of Illinois is endorsing the Fair Maps group headed by political stalwarts Bill Daley and Ray LaHood. Their Fair Maps group is working to get a ballot on the measure aimed at ending partisan map-drawing.

In a statement to its supporters, the Illinois League said it “acknowledges that the proposed amendment falls short of our larger objectives, including map-drawing that is fully independent of the Illinois state legislature. … But given the history of Illinois Supreme Court rulings that limit what citizens may do via referendum, the League is choosing to focus on what voters could gain from the current proposal.”

Subscribers know more about that Janet Yang Rohr campaign. Whew, things are heating up.

13 Comments

And now for something completely different

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Rarely will you see opinion columns like this one published by the Irish Echo…

Prometheus stole fire from Zeus and gave it to humanity, who in turn transformed fire into a force for good and not evil.

Zeus is the Democratic Party of Illinois and Prometheus is young buck Kevin D. Ryan, a United States Marine Corp veteran, teacher, Oxford and Georgetown graduate, who is running in the Democratic primary for the Illinois Senate.

His story and his youth are aflame as Kevin travels across the State campaigning and gathering petitions in an old school bus he bought for 19 grand as he launched his Promethean campaign.

Like many great men, Kevin grew up on the far Southside of Chicago, mostly in Orland Park, went to Marist HS, where his dad and all his brothers went: legacy grads.

He showed me his bus, tricked out for the campaign with slogan “runwithkev.com” and intends to hit every county in the State of Illinois, taking his message to the working-class folks. He’s got bigger cojones than the entire Illinois General Assembly and he says he wants to get money out of politics.

It’s daunting, but something tells me Kevin Ryan is on to something. I ask how old he is, and he chuckles, “I’m 33 years old, the same age as Jesus!”

Check out the highlighted cutline…

24 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Update to today’s edition (Updated)

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Trump appears to back off Chicago, teases Guard deployment with supportive governor

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Bloomberg…

President Donald Trump said he plans to deploy federal troops to another US city, as he made a surprise visit to a Washington, DC, restaurant in a bid to argue his federal takeover of the city’s law enforcement is working.

“We’ll announce it probably tomorrow, and it’s going to be something where we will do like we did here,” Trump told reporters Tuesday outside Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab, an upscale surf and turf restaurant near the White House.

The president said he was working with a governor “who would love us to be there,” though didn’t name the city, state nor politician he was in contact with. Trump earlier this month suggested he might deploy the National Guard to New Orleans, which is in a state that has a Republican governor, before his long-threatened operation in Chicago, where Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson have opposed such a move.

* The Hill last week…

President Trump announced Friday that he will soon be sending the National Guard to New Orleans after previously teasing that he would be targeting the city in his next federal crime crackdown.

“We’re going to come into New Orleans, and we’re going to make that place so safe,” Trump said during a Friday night event held in the White House’s newly renovated Rose Garden. “It’s got a little problem right now, a couple of headaches, like murders, a lot of little murders going on, and we’re not going to stand for it. And we’re going to come in, we’re going to clean it up.”

Trump’s confirmation that he’s planning to federalize New Orleans’ law enforcement comes days after he floated the idea. Trump on Wednesday said he was debating between sending Guardsmen into New Orleans, targeting a Republican-controlled state, or to Chicago.

“We’re making a determination now — do we go to Chicago, or do we go to a place like New Orleans where we have a great governor, Jeff Landry, who wants us to come in and straighten out a very nice section of this country that’s become quite tough, quite bad,” Trump said Wednesday.

* Related…

WaPo | National Guard documents show public ‘fear,’ troops’ ‘shame’ over D.C. presence:

* NYT | One of Trump’s Powers Over D.C. Reaches a Time Limit. May Remain: At the stroke of midnight on Wednesday, that particular intervention will end. The 30-day window that temporarily grants presidents great powers in the city’s affairs will come to a close, a moment that city officials and many residents have been looking to as a sort of deliverance after four surreal weeks. But it is unclear how much, if anything, will immediately change.

* AP | Judge pauses California’s request to bar Trump administration’s ongoing use of National Guard troops: A federal judge who ruled last week that the Trump administration broke federal law by sending National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area said Tuesday he will not immediately consider a request to bar the ongoing use of 300 Guard troops. In a court order, Senior District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said he was not sure he had the authority to consider California’s motion for a preliminary injunction blocking the administration’s further deployment of state National Guard troops. That’s because the case is on appeal before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the judge said. Breyer indefinitely paused all proceedings related to the state’s motion, though he suggested California officials could file the request with the 9th Circuit.

Thoughts?

43 Comments

When RETAIL Succeeds, Illinois Succeeds

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Findings of a recent economic study are clear: the retail sector is a cornerstone of the state’s economy and crucial to our everyday lives. Retail in Illinois directly contributes more than $112 billion in economic investment annually – more than 10 percent of the state’s total Gross Domestic Product.

Retailers like Alejandro Urzagaste in Wilmette enrich our economy and strengthen our communities. We Are Retail and IRMA are showcasing the retailers who make Illinois work.

Comments Off

Isabel’s morning briefing

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: For every person in an Illinois prison college class, another waits their turn. Sun-Times…

* Governor Pritzker will be at McCormick Place for the FABTECH Expo at 1:30 pm, with a press availability at 2:15 pm after his tour. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGN | Here’s how ICE agents operate at courthouses, inside jails: Outside of Chicago’s largest criminal courthouse Tuesday, there was an unmissable ICE presence. Agents drove off when the WGN News photographer took notice. “It really creates this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty and incentivizes people not to show up for court,” Cook County public defender Sharone Mitchell Jr. said. Mitchell said the presence of immigration agents at local courthouses has a chilling effect on the judicial system for victims, witnesses and the accused.

* CNI | Sources: Darren Bailey to run for governor again in Illinois: The former state senator and farmer from Clay County would become the highest-profile Republican to enter the race, having lost the 2022 campaign against Gov. JB Pritzker and a close primary race in 2024 against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost for a downstate congressional seat. […] Bailey plans to enlist Cook County Republican Party Chair Aaron Del Mar as his running mate, a source said. Del Mar ran for lieutenant governor in 2022 alongside Gary Rabine, receiving 6.5% of the vote.

* WAND | IL Supreme Court hears arguments over whether good conduct credits should reduce pretrial jail sanctions: Geoffrey Seymore has asked the Illinois Supreme Court whether good conduct credit can be used to cut down on jail time he received after violating pretrial release conditions. Seymore is facing several drug charges related to meth, but a circuit court judge released him on electronic home monitoring last year. Court records show Seymore violated the conditions of his release the very next day by leaving his home and visiting three unauthorized locations, leading the state to ask for pretrial jail sanctions.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Rep. Margaret Croke for Comptroller…

Today, State Representative Margaret Croke announced the endorsement of Illinois House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch and a diverse group of 31 additional Illinois House Democrats representing communities from across the state.

These endorsements include: House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch (D-07), Speaker Pro Tempore Kam Buckner (D-26th), Majority Leader Robyn Gabel (D‑18th), Deputy Majority Leader Bob Rita (D‑28th), Assistant Majority Leaders Eva-Dina Delgado (D-03rd), Marcus Evans (D-33rd), Jehan Gordon‑Booth (D‑92nd), Jay Hoffman (D‑113th), Camille Lilly (D-78th), Katie Stuart (D‑112th), Curtis Tarver (D‑25th), Ann Williams (D‑11th), Majority Officer and Sergeant at Arms Nick Smith (D‑34th), and Representatives Jaime Andrade (D-40th), Michael Crawford (D-31st), Lisa Davis (D-32nd), Marti Deuter (D-45th), Kimberly Du Buclet (D-05th), Mary Gill (D-35th) Jennifer Gong‑Gershowitz (D‑17th), Nicolle Grasse (D‑53rd), Gregg Johnson (D‑72nd), Mike Kelly (D‑15th), Natalie Manley (D‑98th), Yolonda Morris (D‑09th), Marty Moylan (D‑55th), Suzanne Ness (D‑66th), Rick Ryan (D‑36th), Justin Slaughter (D‑27th), Dave Vella (D‑68th), Larry Walsh (D‑86th), Jawaharial Williams (D‑10th).

* Evanston Now | Gabel plans run for Evanston Dems top job: Illinois House Majority Leader Robyn Gabel is preparing to circulate petitions for the spring primary ballot as a candidate for Evanston Democratic Committeeperson, according to a source with knowledge of the plan. A win would give the 72-year-old state representative from Evanston substantial local political power. The current committeeperson, Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, is engaged in a hotly contested campaign for Congress next year.

*** Chicago ***

* Tribune | Immigration enforcement subdued Tuesday as local officials brace for Trump’s ‘Operation Midway Blitz’: A day after President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security launched “Operation Midway Blitz,” its latest immigration crackdown, area politicians and immigrant rights groups said it was relatively subdued on the ground Tuesday with minimal arrests. But they’re preparing for more. Speaking before more than a dozen cameras on a quiet street in Pilsen, Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday said the federal immigration enforcement agency has plans to send in more than 200 agents and 100 vehicles in its Chicago immigration “blitz.”

* Tribune | Aldermen press Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team for report on potential savings: Downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly, a frequent Johnson antagonist, was one of a handful of council members who asked Budget Director Annette Guzman whether the council would be given access to the firm’s full conclusions. Guzman told him that any report would “go through many iterations,” including fact-checking and “filtering.” The administration will then release “the final options that we believe are — after talking to our own departments who have to do this work — practical for the city of Chicago,” Guzman said.

* Crain’s | Fire South Loop soccer stadium wins alderman’s blessing — if Sox stay away: Speaking during a virtual town hall meeting last night on the proposal from developer Related Midwest and the Major League Soccer team, 3rd Ward Ald. Pat Dowell said she supports the plan for a 22,000-seat stadium to anchor the 62-acre development along the Chicago River south of Roosevelt Road. Dowell’s blessing puts the development on track for consideration by the city’s Plan Commission on Sept. 18 and possibly the full City Council the following week. But Dowell’s support comes with a catch: Related’s 62-acre site can have only one stadium, not a second. That would seem to shut the door on the Chicago White Sox, which teamed with Related last year to publicly pitch plans for a ballpark at the site. The Sox suggested in June that it’s still an option to build a stadium alongside the Fire.

* WBEZ | What local colleges are telling students to do during increased federal immigration enforcement: Several of the campuses, including UIC, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago, have their own police forces. Under a state law implemented in 2017 known as the Trust Act, state and local law enforcement, including campus police at both public and private universities, cannot cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. However, none of the universities disclosed how administrators at their campuses interact with federal immigration authorities. DePaul University officials referred WBEZ to a campus communication sent last week, noting that leaders at the private university are monitoring the situation and staying in touch with local and state authorities.

* Block Club | As North Park Homeless Encampment Cleared, Residents Say They Have Nowhere To Go: Ronaldo Gonzalez, 54, said city workers came to the encampment about 7 a.m. Tuesday and told residents they had two hours to gather their things. He put all of his valuables into a cart and left his home, which he had been living in for a little over a year. […] In a statement, a Department of Family and Support Services spokesperson said outreach workers will be at the park all week helping connect residents with shelter and other resources. Only five encampment residents have accepted shelter placement since early August, the spokesperson said. Gonzalez said he declined shelter placement because he has spent time in shelters before and had to deal with bed bugs and people stealing from him.

* WTTW | Prairie in a Pot: Chicago Plant Scientist Tackles Challenge of Native Gardening on an Urban Balcony: Over the past 15 years, Fant, who has a Ph.D. in plant genetics, estimates he’s tested some 200 prairie species in containers on his balcony. “Which is crazy, I’m not recommending it,” he said. “But, as a nerd, I enjoy it. I’ve learned a lot about what succeeds and doesn’t.”

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Tribune | Organizers hope new political group Elevate Oak Park will offer alternative to progressives in power: About 35 people gathered Sept. 4 in a small room on the second floor at One Lake Brewing in Oak Park for the first meeting of Elevate Oak Park. The crowd was mostly a mix of middle aged and older people and included only two Black people. “If I’m honest, that’s something I’m very worried about,” Saam said. “There’s a lot of groups of, kind of, the old guard liberals that skew a little bit older in this community and we don’t want to get branded as that. If we do this right, the next time we have a gathering I would hope that it would be a much more diverse crowd and I would hope that it would skew a little bit younger. I’m 50, I want to be a bit above the median age of the group, not below. To be successful we need a much larger cross section of Oak Park.”

* Daily Herald | Mayor: Public meetings to review Bears’ Arlington Heights stadium plans coming soon: Tinaglia and village officials have been meeting weekly with Bears brass since the team returned its stadium development focus to the 326-acre former racetrack site in May. The mayor said he’s happy with the way the project is advancing, and those efforts will continue to move forward through a multitiered approval process that engages the community.

* Daily Herald | ‘We need $500,000 and we need it now’: PADS of Elgin facing dire budget crisis as winter approaches: The budget shortfall stems from an end to federal American Rescue Plan Act funding that the organization had come to rely on during and after the pandemic. While PADS of Elgin leaders knew that COVID relief funding would expire, other federal dollars they were expecting have been frozen. As a result, the organization is short nearly half the annual $1.7 million operating budget projected for the next fiscal year.

* Daily Southtown | Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere pledges vigorous defense to computer tampering charge: Will County Board member Jacqueline Traynere pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of computer tampering in Will County Court. Traynere, a Bolingbrook Democrat and the past Democratic Leader, was charged last month with three counts of computer tampering, a class B misdemeanor, for allegedly accessing the email of fellow board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican and the former board chair, in March 2024. […] The case was continued to Oct. 21.

* Crain’s | After Schill’s exit, pressure mounts on Northwestern board to get it right: “The pressure really couldn’t be higher to get the next appointment right,” said Ron Culp, a veteran public relations consultant who teaches at DePaul University. “They’ll be under a microscope.” Schill came under fire for missteps in navigating multiple crises, and, at each turn, managed to anger and frustrate different Northwestern constituencies. “For three years I guarded the integrity of Northwestern as it faced crisis after crisis — ranging from the hazing scandal I inherited, to the campus activism following Oct. 7, and now the federal funding freeze,” Schill said in a written statement to Crain’s. “I realized in recent months that, for a variety of reasons, it was time for a new leader to take over who was unencumbered by the past.”

* Crain’s | After decade of reinvention, an icon of the plastics world cashes in the suburban family business: Patricia Miller, one of the plastics industry’s most high-profile and unconventional leaders, has sold M4 Factory, the family-owned injection molding business she transformed into a design-driven, sustainability-focused manufacturer. The factory building in Woodstock is now home to AFA Dispensing Group BV, a Netherlands-based packaging firm known for sustainable dispensing systems. The sale, which closed in late June, included the building, equipment and an opportunity for existing employees to stay on under new ownership.

* Daily Southtown | Orland Park District 135 approves $133 million 2026 budget, discusses hiring 2 more assistant principals: The approved budget projects about $120 million in revenue and $133 million in expenses from July 1 through June 30, 2026. District 135 Finance Director Scott Beranek said about $13 million of expenses went toward construction projects completed over the summer, which were covered by selling bonds. “If you were to remove the construction projects from the budget, it’s almost a balanced budget,” Beranek said.

*** Downstate ***

* Shaw Local | NIU freshman enrollment up, second-largest incoming class since 2014, officials say: This year’s freshman class at Northern Illinois University is the second largest since 2014 and made up of a majority of first-generation college students, marking a break in a two-year incoming class slump and what officials said Tuesday shows NIU’s commitment to making higher education accessible to all.

* WGEM | School vaccine deadline draws near: The Adams County Health Department (ACHD) is reminding parents about the Oct. 15 deadline to get their students their required school vaccines. ACHD Director of Nursing Emily Hendrickson said if students don’t have their required vaccines by the deadline they will have to leave school. “So, exclusion day, if you have not vaccinated then you cannot go to school anymore, so after Oct. 15, that’s that deadline for all the schools within the state of Illinois, you have to have it or you can’t go back to school,” Hendrickson said.

* WGEM | Parents accuse Macomb School District of not being transparent following alleged threat: The Macomb School District released a post over the weekend explaining they had been alerted to a social media post by a student that involved what they said was bullying and harm material. “In the video, he’s really only speaking to two or three other students about his desire to have cyberbullying stopped,” said Macomb School District Superintendent Patrick Twomey. Twomey explained several parents who had been alerted to the student’s post had reported it to the district and the Macomb Police Department.

* Week 25 | Peoria moves forward on Riverfront amphitheater, $11 million donation a ‘wonderful gift’: The council unanimously signed off on a letter of intent in which the Hengst Foundation agrees to pay for the venue, but the city would pay for infrastructure upgrades, and the city would have to maintain the property. The foundation is the same organization that withdrew a letter of intent to build the amphitheater in Washington. Its former mayor, Gary Manier, attended Tuesday night’s council meeting representing his friend and foundation founder Jim Hengst, who intends to name the amphitheater after his late wife, Dee.

* 25News Now | Opinions mixed on proposals to boost Bloomington’s housing stock: “I think we’ve gotten to a point where this community realizes that we’re in the midst of a housing crisis. We heard it [Monday night]. This is beyond just needing a few units; we need to do something and do it now,” said Deputy City Manager Billy Tyus. The first item amended the zoning code classification of accessory dwelling units city wide. ADUs are permitted in all Bloomington neighborhoods, but city staff said current zoning rules make them hard to build. The ordinance removes the unnecessary barriers and allows more flexibility.

* WPSD | Cairo’s iconic overpass to remain as landmark after Sunday removal project: The city confirmed Tuesday that, while Cairo’s iconic red overpass is also on Highway 51, that overpass will not be removed — the “CAIRO” overpass is more than 100 years old and serves as a landmark for travelers into the city. The removal project is set to begin at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, during which time U.S. 51 will close. The project is expected to last until 5 a.m. Monday.

*** National ***

* Bloomberg | Trump announces crackdown on drug ads, a sign of trouble for big-spending AbbVie: President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Tuesday that calls on federal health agencies to require pharmaceutical companies to disclose more side effects in their ads and enforce existing rules about misleading ads. The administration is pitching the moves as a way to increase transparency for patients. The US is the only place, besides New Zealand, where pharma companies can directly advertise to consumers. Limiting pharmaceutical advertisements has been a longtime priority for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though the new regulations would stop short of banning the ads entirely.

* AP | Should you carry your passport amid ICE concerns? Experts weigh in after SCOTUS ruling: Attorney Layla Suleiman González said those who might be concerned should consider carrying their passport. “I think yes, it’s better to carry your passport, that’s the best. But everyone needs to have this very, very clear: you don’t have to answer their questions, you don’t have to say where you’re from, you don’t have to say whether you are a citizen or not,” she told Telemundo Chicago. “You don’t have to talk to them or give them any information. They are the ones who have to prove who you are. The truth is they have taken so many people who are citizens. And even when they say, ‘I’m a citizen, I’m a citizen,’ they still get taken anyway.”

14 Comments

Good morning!

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Mr. Peter Freaking Frampton…

Woke up this morning with a wine glass in my hand

And by you?

7 Comments

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

Comments Off

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comment

Live coverage

Wednesday, Sep 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

Comment

Isabel’s afternoon roundup

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Evanston Now…

The Democratic congressional primary field in the 9th district grew to 18 active candidates Tuesday.

Evanston economist Jeff Cohen, an advisor at Analysis Group in Chicago, announced he’ll join the field of candidates to replace Rep. Jan Schakowsky.

If all 18 make the ballot, it would give voters here the longest ballot for a congressional race in state history.

Cohen, who said in a news release that he believes his experience as an economist would separate him from the field, wrote, “If you want to fix the economy, send an economist.”

More on Cohen from Politico…

Jeff Cohen, a veteran economist, is announcing his campaign for Congress in the 9th Congressional District Democratic primary. “I’m running because of the concern I hear from every corner of the 9th District about the lack of affordability,” Cohen said in a statement. “There are reasonable (even bipartisan) ways to lower costs and increase income for many folks, but we have to stop sending politicians to Congress who don’t understand how the economy works.”

Cohen is a senior adviser at Analysis Group in Chicago, where he’s done analysis on the economic feasibility of the 2016 Olympics and Evanston’s pension challenges. Earlier, he worked for the Department of Justice, where he helped halt a proposed merger of health insurance giants Anthem and Cigna.

* Justice P. Scott Neville Jr. has been selected as the next Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court. WTTW…

P. Scott Neville, a Chicago native and former Cook County judge, has been tapped to serve as the next chief justice of the Illinois Supreme Court.

Neville, who has served on the high court for the past seven years, will take over for current Chief Justice Mary Jane Theis beginning in October. He’ll become the second Black chief justice in Illinois history. […]

Neville himself said that public trust in the courts “requires justice that is accessible, procedures that are understandable, and support services that meet the needs of litigants.”

“I will also work to make the Illinois courts a national model, safeguarding the constitutional promise of equal justice without regard to who a person is, where they live, or what resources they have so all litigants are seen and heard,” he said.

*** Statewide ***

* Crain’s | Bears opener brings first big test of Illinois’ new sportsbook fees: It’s too early to say whether bettors will cut back their gambling budgets, move to the unregulated market or simply accept the fees. At least some bettors in Chicago seemed unfazed by the fees during the Bears’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Jerry Simon, for example, bets weekly on sports with individual wagers ranging from $10 to $500 across platforms like Fanduel, DraftKings and ESPN Bet. “Obviously tax is never good,” Simon said, though he maintained the entertainment is still worth the added cost.

* Crain’s | This cannabis giant was doing well in Illinois. It wasn’t enough to save the company:[4Front ex-Chairman Kris Krane] said the company had even been negotiating with a possible lender as recently as this past spring, and a deal to bring $40 million in cash into 4Front fell through just weeks before it filed a formal request for a court-appointed receiver in May. “We would’ve needed about $40 million to essentially handle a lot of the debt issues, to basically zero out a lot of the debt and consolidate the debt into one place,” Krane said. “And it looked like that was going to happen right up until about a month before we went to receivership. We went really, really, really far down the road with this lender.”

*** Chicago ***

* Sun-Times | El Grito is back on in Pilsen, organizers say: Organizers for El Grito in Pilsen will move forward with the celebration despite the threat of increased immigration enforcement across the city. It will be held 5 p.m. Monday — the evening before the beloved holiday — at St. Paul Catholic Church. “Canceling is not an option,” said Teresa Fraga, president of El Comité Cultural Mexicano de Chicago. “We are committed to celebrating our history.”

* Sun-Times | Another North Side homeless tent camp is targeted by the city: After several dangerous fires, a North Side homeless tent camp is scheduled to be torn down by the city beginning Tuesday. An estimated 15 to 20 people are living in tents and other structures along the Chicago River north of Bryn Mawr Avenue in Legion Park. City officials say the fires, three just this past summer, pose a serious threat and the wooded riverfront areas are hard to reach.

* Sun-Times | How Chicago doctors are encouraging telehealth during the expected ICE surge: “Any time there is a wave of increased ICE activity, we will see a wave of patients opting to cancel appointments or do them by telehealth,” said Steph Willding, CEO of CommunityHealth, a primary and specialty care provider that treats uninsured adults and many immigrants. […] “There’s a lot of ways in which our command structure right now is operating similarly to how we did during the first months of the pandemic, where we are taking it day by day,” Willding said.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | ‘Odd thing out’: Neighbors upset about proposed data center development in Naperville: Karis Critical has proposed a pair of data centers near Naperville and Warrenville roads. A glass-and-steel building, designed years ago for Lucent Technologies, formerly occupied the site. There’s “quite a bit of fiber optic cable” tied to the original Lucent campus, Karis CIO Brett Rogers said. “So much of the public discourse around data centers is tied to AI data centers or hyperscale cloud data centers, very, very large facilities,” he said. “What we’re proposing we’d call a colocation data center or a metro data center. These tend to be a little bit smaller, tend to be highly networked, and that’s kind of why we like this site so much.”

* Tribune | Union Pacific sues Metra amid payment dispute: Last week, Metra scored a win in the conflict via a U.S. Surface Transportation Board decision that granted the commuter railroad the right to use Union Pacific’s tracks. But the STB’s decision did not rule on how much Metra should pay to use the tracks. According to the lawsuit, Union Pacific issued what it calls a “Condition of Entry” for Metra to use its tracks, setting what it described as “market-level” payment rates to take effect when the parties’ previous agreement expired this summer.

* WTTW | Staff Shakeup at Fermilab and Argonne as Buyouts Follow Budgeted Funding Drop, Federal Research Shift: The buyout programs at two of the Chicago area’s pre-eminent scientific research facilities come at an uncertain time for research institutions and universities across the country. The proposed budget for the DOE Office of Science, which oversees many of the national laboratories and provides support to research across the country, was cut about 14% for fiscal year 2026.

* Evanston RoundTable | Local grocery tax moves to city’s checkout counter: Evanston City Council members on Monday moved to back a local grocery tax to replace the state grocery tax, which expires Jan. 1, leaving time for them to override Mayor Daniel Biss’ intended veto. Rather than wait until their next regular council meeting in two weeks, councilmembers voted 6-3 to adopt a 1% grocery sales tax as a special order of business at a meeting scheduled next Monday, Sept. 15, anticipating the mayoral veto.

* Aurora Beacon-News | Geneva firefighters get new union contract: The Geneva City Council last week approved a four-year collective bargaining agreement with the Geneva Professional Firefighters Association Local 4287 that extends from 2024 through 2028. Included in the contract are 3.15% annual raises for firefighters and 2.65% raises for lieutenants. The union represents firefighters and lieutenants who are part of the Geneva Fire Department, per the new contract. It does not represent, for example, employees with designations of captain, deputy chief or fire chief or civilian employees of the department.

* Tribune | Hollywood Casino Joliet opens to big revenue boost in August: The $185 million facility, which opened on Aug. 10, generated more revenue in three weeks than its predecessor riverboat did in any full month over the past five years, according to Illinois Gaming Board data. Hollywood Casino Joliet jumped up to fifth among the state’s 17 casinos with nearly $11.2 million in adjusted gross receipts during 23 days of operation in August. The casino ranked fifth in admissions with more than 101,000 visitors, according to Gaming Board data.

* Daily Herald | Park district awards contract for demolition of Palatine Stables: With only Commissioner Sue Gould voting no, the park board awarded the contract to Strategic Demolition & Excavation of Elmwood Park for an amount not to exceed $133,500. Gould motioned to table the vote, but did not receive a second. Last year, the board voted to close the stables, located near Northwest Highway and Dundee Road. The property, built in the 1950s, was privately owned until 1988, when Palatine Park District acquired it.

*** Downstate ***

* WCIA | Champaign School District, teachers’ union reach three-year agreement: WCIA talked to school board member Christy Arnold and union President Mike Sitch. They’re both feeling good about what they put together and how it can set the district up for hiring success going forward. […] Some of the highlights include pay increase of 15-17% depending on the role, Champaign will now honor all experience from previous districts when it assigns its pay scale, and the implementation of two-weeks paid parental leave.

* WCIA | Long Creek votes to end ambulance service despite public opposition: In just eight months, the ambulances of the Long Creek Fire Department responded to 537 emergency calls, averaging 2.2 per day. They’ve transported 461 patients and maintained an average response time of 4 minutes and 34 seconds, which is far faster than the national benchmark of eight minutes or less in 90% of cases. Despite the success, the village board said the service is not generating enough money.

* Illinois Times | U of I to begin drilling test well this winter: Dr. Kathleen Campbell spoke in front of the Springfield City Council in June to express opposition to plans for drilling of a test well by University of Illinois Urbana Champaign’s Prairie Research Institute in partnership with City Water, Light and Power. Campbell, an emeritus professor at SIU School of Medicine and a Glenarm resident, lives roughly 5 miles from the test site – a rural plot off Pond Road in Pawnee. “I urge you to postpone, and preferably reconsider, the installation of this well,” Campbell told the council. “Though we are not CWLP customers, my neighbors and I are expected to bear the risk of a future carbon sequestration project. Experience tells us those risks are real.”

* WSIL | Lawyer in the Library program expands to Cairo Public Library: Alexander County Presiding Resident Circuit Judge Jeffery A. Farris, Cairo Public Library Director Toya Wilson, and First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge William J. Thurston announced the program’s expansion. Attorney Julian Valdes volunteers his time to support this initiative as well. The program offers patrons a chance for a 20-minute private session with an attorney to receive legal advice or assistance with documents. There is no fee, but pre-registration with the library is required.

* Tribune | Illinois renames its football venue Gies Memorial Stadium after $100 million donation from alumnus: The donation comes in the midst of a massive change in college sports thanks to the finalization of the House vs. NCAA settlement in June. College athletic departments now can participate in direct revenue sharing with their athletes, with the cap set at $20.5 million this year, and many still are figuring out how to navigate the new landscape. It also comes at a time of buzz around the Illinois department under athletic director Josh Whitman. The football team is ranked in the Associated Press top 10 for the first time since 2001. The men’s basketball team has won 20-plus games in six straight seasons, made an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance in 2024 and advanced to the second round in 2025. The women’s basketball team has made two NCAA Tournament appearances in coach Shauna Green’s first three seasons.

*** National ***

* NYT | To Shrink Mamdani’s Lead, Cuomo Seeks to Broaden His Campaign Team: Now, as the contest enters its final two months, Mr. Cuomo — known for keeping a tight circle of advisers — is expanding his team to include a new campaign manager, Greg Goldner, who has worked on campaigns in Chicago for Rahm Emanuel, the former congressman and mayor; and a new pollster, Cornell Belcher, who worked on Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. The selection of Mr. Goldner, who helped create a super PAC that sought to defeat Brandon Johnson in the Chicago mayor’s race in 2023, seemed aimed at drawing a parallel between Mr. Mamdani and Mr. Johnson, another progressive leader, whose mayoralty has been besieged by problems.

* Crain’s | Rivian plans $45,000 R2 crossover for 2026 in push toward mainstream: The move toward more mainstream vehicles begins with the midsize R2 crossover in the first half of 2026 with a starting price of around $45,000 before shipping, the company has said. The California electric vehicle maker will assemble the R2 at its factory in downstate Normal while it builds a new plant near Atlanta, which will make the R2 and a less expensive R3 model as early as 2028. Rivian hasn’t disclosed pricing for the R3.

* Columbia Journalism Review | I Tested How Well AI Tools Work for Journalism: Jeremy Merrill, a journalist at the Washington Post, used to spot-check AI tools to see which ones might work best for his data projects. But he realized his spot-check method was inadequate. “Vibes are not enough,” he said. “You’re not taking a good enough look at your real data. Is it 60 percent accurate? Seventy? Ninety-five? You just don’t know.”

Comment

Dabrowski said Bailey should’ve toned down gun stuff, Bailey fires back

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski was speaking at a Northside Republican 2026 Prospective Candidate Forum on August 27th at Glascott’s Saloon. An audience member asked about Darren Bailey’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign and the difficulties in coordinating with him in the city…

Well, I think you know, everybody knows that for somebody who wins statewide, you gotta get something like 33 to 35% of Cook County. And so, you know, Darren Bailey was from downstate, and you know, he had to come up here to try to get that Cook County vote. You know, he made a few mistakes, sadly, when he pulled out his AR-15, which, which works well downstate, but it doesn’t work well in the suburbs. Yeah, and again, again, I’m all for, I’m all, I’m a huge second, second rights, proponent, defense. But I’m just saying, from a marketing perspective, Darren may not want to do that.

* I asked the Bailey campaign for a response. Jose Durbin…

The Second Amendment isn’t about marketing, it’s about freedom. Law-abiding citizens in Illinois have the right to defend their families in the way they see fit, whether they live in Chicago or downstate. There’s nothing wrong with being from downstate. Our families, businesses, and taxpayers matter just as much as anyone else’s. Treating our values like a liability means selling them out, and Illinois can’t afford leaders who cave when it counts.

29 Comments

Competition Works: Lower Bills. Reliable Power. Say NO To Right Of First Refusal

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

Here’s the proof:

$87 Million Saved

Fairport to Denny Transmission Line (MISO – Missouri)

• Competitive bidding cut MISO’s initial estimate from $161 million to just $74 million – saving Missouri Customers millions!

$6 Million Saved

Reid EHV to IN/KY Border Transmission Project (MISO)

$14 Million Saved

Matheson–Redbud Transmission Line (SPP – Oklahoma)

In many cases, incumbent utilities won these bids, proving that when they compete with other qualified builders, consumers win. It saves money and drives better results.

Competition Works.

Legislators should choose competition and protect Illinois families.

Comments Off

Question of the day

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Rep. Mike Coffey (R-Springfield) appeared on Sam Madonia’s Springfield morning show today…

Madonia: All right. Darren Bailey, what are you going to do?

Rep. Coffey: You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to worry about Mike Coffey and the 95th District. That’s what I’m going to do.

Madonia: You know, I don’t think—I really don’t think—the Republicans can win the governor’s office. But I think with a legitimate, serious candidate and enough money, it could be closer than people think. Yeah, I really do. Mike, I think there are a lot of people, even in the burbs, a little concerned with the direction the state is going. I think taxes could be an issue raised with people, public safety could be an issue. The sanctuary city—I don’t really care what those polls are showing. You may not like the messenger, but are you okay with the message? I don’t think JB Pritzker is beatable, but I think Republicans could really make a much closer showing. But Mike, nobody’s going to do it. Nobody wants to go out there and spend all that money and time and effort and say, “Oh, you ran a good race. You came within five or six points.” They’re not going to do it. So it doesn’t look good for Republicans at the state level. […]

Coffey: Hey, I’ve got a great candidate: Tony McCombie. I would love for her to run for statewide office. I think she’s very dynamic. She’s a great female leader, she’s smart, she’s a great people person, great campaigner. I’ve encouraged her. But she wants to remain as the leader of the House Republicans. From my point and purpose right now, new to the House, I’m worried about those races—what we’re going to do, how we’re going to pick up seats. And we’ll see how the governor’s race shakes out. We don’t know what the political landscape is going to be over a year from now, and we’re just going to have to put out a good message. And we’ll see who comes out of the Republican primary and puts that message forward. […]

Madonia: Mike, but again, you’re not going to get anything until you get a legitimate candidate that has deep pockets, that can make a serious run. And at the state level, you tell me, it starts at the local level and you can make that argument. I’m not going to disagree. I think you have to have legitimate candidates who have a chance, and there’s nobody in the bullpen. I can make an argument that you would be as good a candidate for statewide office as anybody I’ve heard mentioned.

Coffey: Yeah, and that’s a problematic state of affairs.

Madonia: No, it is. Because you’re one term. I think you’ve done everything you need to do. You return calls, you’re running the office, you’re speaking the language. People listen to you and say, whatever party they agree with—property taxes are too high, we’re a high-tax state, we should not have been a sanctuary state, and so on and so forth. That would resonate. But there aren’t a lot of people in the Republican elected hierarchy right now that share your opinion.

Coffey: Well, and I will tell you, in politics in general, it’s become so divisive. And in order to be in it, they want me to say something bad about you. And I don’t think people—the general public—likes that real nasty politics. And so it’s driven a lot of people off. Because if you’ve got a good job and you’re successful and you’ve got the money to maybe, you know, put in a run for governor—all that, you know—why do you want to expose your family to it? You’ve got to be kind of a special person to want to do it. No, I understand—we need to. We need to fill in the ranks and get people running statewide. And hopefully, as we get people… you know, it’s not like you’re going to win these races in one cycle. You’re just not. I mean, we can get out there and say we’re going to win everything and tell you that—rah, rah, rah—but we’ve got to get people out there, get them exposed. Because it’s all about exposure. It’s all about name recognition. And we’ve got to get some candidates out there with name recognition.

* The Question: Which Republicans do you think could be viable statewide candidates? Make sure to explain your answer.

63 Comments

*Yawn*

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* No Chicago legislator has one iota of honest motivation to vote for this proposal unless there’s something in it for the city. If the Bears don’t pay off the hundreds of millions still owed on the Soldier Field renovations, if the city gets no new projects, then why support it?…

Unless I missed something, there's nothing new here. The Bears are still insisting on legislation that'd allow for their property taxes to be frozen and for them to instead negotiate a PILOT with local taxing bodies. It's a long shot to pass during the fall veto session. https://t.co/36NCJqQoTj

— Brenden Moore (@brendenmoore13) September 8, 2025

* Explained…

65 Comments

What Illinois Can Learn From Texas On Battery Energy Storage

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Advertising Department

[The following is a paid advertisement.]

As Illinois confronts skyrocketing electric bills, legislators are on the hunt for solutions that provide relief as quickly as possible. Battery energy storage is our best and most cost-effective solution.

But last session— without evidence —opponents attempted to claim that battery energy storage wouldn’t work. Try telling that to Texas, where the rapid deployment of battery storage has already prevented blackouts and saved consumers billions.

Called “Ground Zero for the US Battery Boom” by Bloomberg, Texas added enough storage in 2023 to power 3 million homes and drop grid emergency risk during peak hours from 16% to less than 1%. The result? Storage saved consumers an estimated $750 million in 2024.

Texas has proven that storage is the quickest, cheapest, most reliable way to get consumers relief from skyrocketing, demand-induced price spikes. Storage is a nimble way to address growing populations, power-hungry data centers, and meet other electrification-related power needs. These are benefits Texas saw from storage even as the state reduced its gas generation capacity by 166 MW last year.

Illinois lawmakers should follow Texas’s lead and pass SB40 this fall to deploy 6GW of energy storage by 2035. Click here for more information.

Comments Off

Isabel’s morning briefing

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* ICYMI: President Donald Trump’s administration announces immigration ‘blitz’ beginning in Chicago. Tribune…

* Related stories…

• Sun-Times: Who is Katie Abraham, the Illinois native at the center of the latest DHS deportation campaign?
• Reuters: Chicago protesters defiant in face of Trump’s deportation threats
• Fox Chicago: Illinois officials decry Trump post threatening Chicago with deportations: ‘Disgusting’

* Governor Pritzker will meet with ICIRR at 11:30 am in Brighton Park, then hold a 1:15 pm press availability outside the National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen. Click here to watch.

*** Isabel’s Top Picks ***

* WGN | Illinois state prisons can’t compute recidivism rates: IDOC officials acknowledge they have not been able to calculate the recidivism rate since 2022 due to what they describe as a computer “programming issue.” In 2022, the last time the number was updated, IDOC reported just under 37-percent of inmates re-offended within three years of their release. […] Sheriff Hain partnered with State Rep. Matt Hanson (D-83rd district, Batavia) to pass a law they hoped would better prepare inmates for life beyond prison walls. The law passed the Illinois General Assembly unanimously. It said, if the local sheriff was willing, state prisoners could be transferred back to county jail for the final few months of their sentence to receive localized and specialized re-entry services, everything from substance abuse to job training and housing help.“Not a single person has been able to take advantage of this law,” State Rep. Hanson said while acknowledging the text of his bill said IDOC “may” instead of “shall” do so. “They might be afraid the success that Kane County would have would illustrate they need to have a [better] re-entry program themselves.”

* Sun-Times | Justice Department’s civil rights boss takes on Illinois’ assault weapons ban: The Justice Department’s top official in charge of civil rights has joined the legal battle over Illinois’ controversial assault weapons ban, and is expected to personally argue against the law this month before the federal appeals court in Chicago. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed late last week to hear from Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights. A group challenging Illinois’ gun law agreed to cede five minutes of its time before the court to Dhillon, records show. It’s “extremely unusual” for the Justice Department “to treat Second Amendment rights as civil rights and advocate for them in such a direct and personal way at the appellate level,” Hannah Hill, vice president of the National Foundation for Gun Rights, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

* Stateline | Illinois among blue states to keep public health dollars while red states lose out: After the Trump administration slashed billions in state and local public health funding from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year, the eventual impact on states split sharply along political lines. Democratic-led states that sued to block the cuts — including Illinois — kept much of their funding, while Republican-led states lost the bulk of theirs, according to a new analysis from health research organization KFF. The uneven fallout underscores how politics continues shaping health care in the United States. The nearly 700 CDC grants were worth about $11 billion and had been allocated by Congress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

*** Statewide ***

* WSIU | Second Amendment Foundation Challenges Illinois Firearms Ban in Foster and Day Care Homes: The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a motion challenging Illinois rules that ban firearms in foster and day care homes. Current law prohibits licensed foster parents and day care providers from keeping functional firearms in their residences. SAF argues that being a caretaker should not mean giving up fundamental rights, and criticized the state for spending taxpayer dollars to defend what they believe is an indefensible law.

* WCBU | Chicago Republican enters congressional primary against Rep. LaHood, who he calls a ‘RINO’: MAGA candidate John Kitover is a former Internal Revenue Service employee who worked in project and facilities management. He previously served for four years in the Army National Guard. He resigned from his job in May to run full time in the district of central and northwestern Illinois. Garth Gullette of Chillilothe is also seeking the GOP nomination in the 2026 primary. Referring to himself as a “carpetbagger,” Kitover said the reason to leave his job after five years was to primary LaHood. While currently residing in the Chicago-area neighborhood of Jefferson Park, he is running in LaHood’s district to take him on directly.

*** Statehouse News ***

* Stateline | Wagers on touchdowns, strikeouts and even penalties: States eye limits on prop bets: Major League Soccer, for example, successfully pushed Illinois regulators last year to ban wagering on whether yellow and red penalty cards will be shown during a match and whether a specific player will receive a yellow or red card penalty. Similarly, the state in February banned prop bets on NFL player injuries, player misconduct, officiating assignments, replay results and the first play of the game, following lobbying from the league. Illinois Gaming Board spokesperson Beth Kaufman told Stateline the regulatory agency doesn’t maintain a list of specific prop bets that are allowed. But the board does require licensees to receive approval from the agency for specific wagers offered, she said. “The IGB regularly monitors ongoing trends and developments in the industry and in major sports for any possible impact to the integrity of sports wagering in Illinois,” she said in a statement.

* Center Square | State rep says IL GOP will be outspent ‘20 to 1′ in 2026 elections: State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, told Lars Dalseide of the American Legislative Exchange Council that Gov. J.B. Pritzker has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on elections, allowing unions and other groups to spend down ballot. “So that’s one of the reasons why we’re having a real hard time trying to pick up some seats. I’m hoping that we don’t lose any this time around, but we’re going to be outspent 20 to one,” Cabello said.

* WAND | New Illinois law allows student teachers to be paid: While the law does not require payment for student teachers, it eliminates longstanding prohibitions that block school districts colleges, and nonprofit organizations from providing stipends or wages. “This is how we start solving the teacher shortage, not by asking people to do more with less, but by removing the structural obstacles that have stopped too many from getting started,” said Sen. Adriane Johnson (D-Waukegan).

* WAND | New IL law will require insurance coverage for peripheral artery disease screening: Screening will be given to anyone above the age of 65 or people who have a history of smoking, lung disease and heart issues, among other health indicators. “My brother passed away from a similar disease,” said Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City). “He had his leg amputated and passed away. This bill seeks to identify and help at-risk individuals and allow them to have the blood pressure taken through their legs.”

*** Chicago ***

* ProPublica | Three Chicago Schools Get Expensive STEAM Makeovers. Can the Effort Reverse Declining Enrollment?: Students returning to Chalmers last month found an expansive new engineering space, computer lab and arts studio. The teachers who greeted them had received special training. A cache of new technology — 3D printers, computers and bee-shaped robots to teach students basic coding — offered fresh possibilities. The influx of dollars and attention has lifted hopes at Chalmers, with officials at Chicago Public Schools and City Hall testing the idea that investing in high-poverty schools can reverse enrollment losses. But it could take years and millions of dollars to see if it works.

* Tribune | Fight over Chicago ‘granny flat’ legalization to move forward with vote: A version sponsored by Ald. Bennett Lawson, backed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, would make the additional units legal throughout the entire city, with per-block limits in single-family residential areas. A competing plan from Ald. Marty Quinn would give aldermen the ability to effectively block the added units from such areas, but allow them elsewhere. The political wrangling over the issue has stretched over a year, a headache for Johnson that outlasted his last Zoning Committee chair tasked with landing the change, former Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. The ordinance appeared poised to pass in July until Quinn, 13th, and Ald. Greg Mitchell, 7th, used a parliamentary maneuver to delay a vote. “We’re gonna pass something in September, whether it’s his version, my version or a combination of the two,” Lawson, 44th, told the Tribune Monday.

* Sun-Times | What parents should know about sending kids to school as feds scale up immigration enforcement: The district is reminding parents that it already has policies in place for interacting with federal agents. CPS doesn’t share student records with U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement officials and doesn’t allow agents to enter school facilities without a criminal warrant signed by a judge. It also doesn’t ask a family’s immigration status. CPS has also created a guidance document on how families can stay safe in their communities. And the district has partnered with the city’s Office of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights to promote family preparedness workshops being held this month.

* Block Club | Inter-American Magnet Parents Push CPS To Remove Principal As School Faces Safety, Staffing Turmoil: A CPS investigation into Principal Juan Zayas’ leadership has already concluded, but the disciplinary review process is still pending. Parents say that while the district deliberates, Zayas has continued to make decisions that destabilize classrooms and drive families and teachers away. The climate at the Lakeview elementary school has deteriorated over the past year under Zayas’ leadership, parents and council members told Block Club. Zayas has ignored serious safety concerns and made unilateral budget decisions without transparency, they said.

* Crain’s | Chicago-connected quantum startup makes IPO plans: Infleqtion, a quantum-computing company with strong Chicago ties, plans to go public and raise more than a half-billion dollars. The company recently said it would build a quantum computer at the Illinois Quantum & Microelectronics Park being developed on the former U.S. Steel South Works site in Chicago. The Boulder, Colo.-based startup is one of several companies that are trying to build a utility-scale quantum computer, one that’s large enough to be commercially useful.

* Tribune | Obama center construction tab reaches $615M as opening nears: The cost to build former President Barack Obama’s namesake center campus rose to $615 million through the end of 2024, according to the latest reports from the Obama Foundation, quickly nearing the total construction budget as fundraising efforts continue to bring massive amounts of money into the foundation’s coffers. That cost is more than double the earliest $300 million estimate from when the center was first contemplated. Foundation officials revised the estimate up to $500 million when the design was unveiled in 2017, then again in 2021 to $700 million for construction costs alone.

*** Cook County and Suburbs ***

* Daily Herald | Republican candidate clarifies comment about immigrants’ rights: A Republican congressional candidate who in social media posts Sunday said immigrants in the U.S. illegally “do not have constitutional rights” has clarified the remark. Glen Ellyn’s Niki Conforti on Monday said she made the statement in the context of voting rights, which was the focus of her posts on X — the platform formerly called Twitter — and Facebook. […] When asked via email to explain her stance, Conforti — the lone GOP hopeful for the 6th District seat now held by Downers Grove Democrat Sean Casten — acknowledged the Constitution affords anyone in the U.S. some rights. “But they are to a much lesser degree than those granted to U.S. citizens and are mostly in regard to due process,” Conforti said. Those rights “certainly do not include voting in elections,” she added.

* Daily Herald | Advantage Metra: Feds give agency track rights in Union Pacific dispute: Metra and Union Pacific may be embroiled in a power struggle, but a significant federal ruling in the commuter railroad’s favor ensures riders won’t experience any drama, officials said Monday. The U.S Surface Transportation Board agreed last week to award Metra rights over the tracks used by the UP North, Northwest and West lines in the Chicago region. Union Pacific decided in 2019 it wanted to focus on freight and shift passenger operations to Metra. But the two are millions of dollars apart on the cost of using UP’s tracks, according to legal documents.

* Tribune | Case referrals to Cook County restorative justice courts lag amid policy debate: Making good on a campaign promise, State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has stopped approving gun possession cases for participation in the court, instead sending other types of offenses, such as retail theft, burglary and criminal damage to property. Burke’s office says the move is in line with her oft-stated concerns: “For us, it’s guns, guns, guns. Every single day,” said Yvette Loizon, chief of policy at the state’s attorney’s office. And in response to Tribune questions about the shift, Loizon pointed out that the office has sought to address cases like Robinson’s when Burke lobbied for a state law that makes it easier, in certain cases, for people who have been arrested for carrying guns illegally to obtain a firearm permit.

* Shaw Local | Data center construction could be more expensive in Yorkville with increased building fees: The new fees would increase the permit application fee per building from $750 + $0.20 per square foot to the higher $1,000 + $1.00 per square foot. They would also increase plan review fees per building from $650 + $6.50 per 10,000 cubic feet over 200,000 feet to the higher $950 + $9.50 per 10,000 cubic feet over 200,000 cubic feet. The new rates would only apply to data center buildings. Data center campuses often have more than a dozen buildings at full build-out.

* Shaw Local | Will County Democrats host forum for U.S. Senate candidates: The Illinois Democratic Women of Will County (IDWOW) will host a forum for Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate and Illinois comptroller on Sunday, Sept. 14, in Joliet. The forum, which is open to the public, is 1 to 3 p.m. at the Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 176 Hall, 1100 NE Frontage Road, Joliet.

*** Downstate ***

* BND | U.S. Steel will move processing from metro east to Indiana and Pennsylvania: “This commercial decision allows U.S. Steel to maintain future flexibility, while maximizing our domestic production footprint,” the company said in a statement. “This option avoids challenging product mixes at each facility, impact on customer orders, and extensive cost inefficiencies.” The newly acquired company’s acknowledgement on Monday confirms a union memo sent to local steelworkers late last week, which outlined there will be no layoffs at the Metro East steel mill. Instead, the roughly 900 remaining employees will “maintain the facility in case the situation changes and run ancillary facilities,” according to the company.

* BND | Former East St. Louis library director pleads guilty to wire fraud, embezzlement: The former director of the East St. Louis Public Library pleaded guilty in federal court to five counts of wire fraud related to the misuse of library funds. Kenyada Harris entered her plea in the U.S. District Court of Southern Illinois before Judge Staci Yandle admitting to five counts of wire fraud and embezzlement. Harris agreed to the charges as part of a plea agreement, acknowledging she used library funds for personal purchases and cash advances.

* Muddy River News | Couple spends wedding anniversary at Quincy City Council meeting to make the case for Hope House: This is another attempt by Hope House to operate in Quincy. Back in July, the council rejected its request for a Special Use Permit at 2122 Jefferson Street for pregnant mothers at risk of homelessness. Hope House Board President Todd Hastings says that was probably because the area was zoned for residential only. He told Muddy River News the Center Avenue location is an area where there’s a combination of residential and industrial, with a group home not too far away. So, he’s more optimistic. He says he appreciates the concerns some neighbors might feel.

* WCBU | State Police release video of Peoria officers shooting man with wooden bat: Illinois State Police have released body camera footage of Peoria officers shooting and killing a man who swung a wooden bat at the officers and tried to run away. In the video of the Aug. 5 incident in the East Bluff neighborhood, 41-year-old Brandon Lewis of Peoria is seen swinging the bat. He hits one of the officers. One officer responded by firing a taser. Another officer — the one hit by the bat — shot Lewis as he tried to flee. […] The incident started when police told Lewis they planned to detain him for public urination on the sidewalk. An officer ordered him several times to stand up as he sat while holding the bat. As the officer slowly took three steps toward Lewis, he stood up and swung the bat at them.

* WAND | IL livestock apprenticeship lets students go hog wild with debt-free tuition, certificates: The Illinois Pork Producers Association announced in a Sept. 8 press release that a new livestock apprenticeship program will be available at five Illinois community colleges. Participating colleges include Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Lake Land Community College in Mattoon, Kaskaskia College in Centralia, John Wood Community College in Quincy and Illinois Central College in East Peoria.

* Herald Whig | Bicentennial finale celebrates “the agricultural roots of Adams County”: Barb and Brent Speckhart stood in the Heritage Farms Pavilion, studying a wall filled with history and honoring farm families across Adams County. “You see familiar names, neighbor names. It’s pretty awesome,” she said.

* WCIA | Chatham Police Dept. wins statewide award in traffic safety challenge: The CPD was recognized by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police with an award for the Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge, which recognized law enforcement for their efforts in traffic safety. The challenge promotes improving community safety related to traffic and encourages law enforcement to adopt a comprehensive strategy to enhance safety through various initiatives, policies, education and enforcement. The winning agencies were recognized during the Midwest Police and Security Expo in Tinley Park. The CPD received the award for municipal agencies with 11-25 sworn officers.

*** National ***

* The Guardian | US union membership declining in ‘right-to-work’ states, report reveals: The report on the state of unions by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found significant discrepancies between the 26 states in the US with “right to work” laws compared with the 24 states and Washington DC that protect collective bargaining rights. The right-to-work states, concentrated in the south and central US, have a union density of 5.1%, compared with 14.2% for states with collective bargaining rights, concentrated on the coasts and in the north.

* NYT | Trump Administration Quietly Seeks to Build National Voter Roll: The Justice Department is compiling the largest set of national voter roll data it has ever collected, buttressing an effort by President Trump and his supporters to try to prove long-running, unsubstantiated claims that droves of undocumented immigrants have voted illegally, according to people familiar with the matter. The effort to essentially establish a national voting database, involving more than 30 states, has elicited serious concerns among voting rights experts because it is led by allies of the president, who as recently as this January refused to acknowledge Joseph R. Biden Jr. fairly won the 2020 election. It has also raised worries that those same officials could use the data to revive lies of a stolen election, or try to discredit future election results.

11 Comments

Good morning!

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Little Richard busts through the door to super-charge your morning…

Everything’s alright

What’s happening in your world?

5 Comments

Selected press releases (Live updates)

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

Comment

Live coverage

Tuesday, Sep 9, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller

* Click here and/or here to follow breaking news. Hopefully, enough reporters and news outlets migrate to BlueSky so we can hopefully resume live-posting.

Comment

« NEWER POSTS