Quincy aldermen will consider an ordinance making the city a “Safehaven City of the Unborn.”
The ordinance would prevent health care providers offering abortions from setting up in Quincy by making it illegal to receive abortion-inducing pills and abortion-related medical equipment in the mail on the authority of the 1873 Comstock Act, a federal law prohibiting “obscene” or “lewd” materials from being sent in the mail, including birth control or abortion-related items.
The City Council heard from several residents in favor and opposed to the ordinance during Monday night’s meeting where Alderman Jake Reed, R-6, requested it be placed on the agenda.
Mayor Mike Troup and aldermen, such as Greg Fletcher, R-1, expressed support of the ordinance but also concerns the state of Illinois will sue Quincy and lay litigation fees at the taxpayer’s feet.
That’s a pretty safe bet, mayor.
…Adding… Sarah Garza Resnick, CEO, Personal PAC…
“The Quincy proposal is yet another attempt by anti-choice extremists to restrict abortion rights in Illinois. Like the ordinance that passed in Danville, this proposal is an insult to the Illinois Constitution and the Illinois Reproductive Health Act. Personal PAC is partnering with pro-choice organizers on the ground to make sure that if the Quincy Mayor and City Council take a vote on this ordinance, they know that we are watching, and we are working toward municipal elections in 2025.”
* Another campaign attack…
@BostForCongress has always been a rubber stamp for the establishment. His first vote in Congress, choosing Boehner as speaker, set the tone. With unwavering loyalty to McCarthy with every vote, he falls in line and neglects the people's needs. We need a true fighter who'll upend…
I asked whom Bailey was supporting, but never heard back. Follow along here.
…Adding… Looks like Bailey and Rep. Miller (No Relation) are on opposite sides at the moment…
Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) released the following statement on her vote to prevent a “coalition government” with Democrats:
“I agree with President Trump that right now, we should be focused on stopping the radical Democrats,” Miller said.
“I voted against Kevin McCarthy 15 times in January, but no one else has stepped forward to run for Speaker and I will NOT surrender the majority to a “coalition government” with the Democrats through a power-sharing agreement with extreme liberals Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries.
* This district is represented by freshman Democrat Eric Sorensen…
Ray Estrada drops out of #IL17 race, clearing the GOP primary field (for now) for retired Circuit Court Judge Joe McGraw, who will kick off his campaign next week. McGraw is believed to be the preferred candidate by the NRCC. #twillhttps://t.co/Ljv4J1JWg3pic.twitter.com/WDndZoh1aM
Today, Governor JB Pritzker visited the University of Chicago Library to announce the University’s plan to build a collection of books that have been historically banned, creating an accessible library open to the public. The event takes place during National Banned Books Week, which runs from October 1-7. The governor was joined by Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton and University of Chicago leadership.
“When we can engage with ideas that are new to us, challenge and be challenged by different perspectives, learn new things, understand all the amazing miracles and darkest hours of the world around us — we are all better off,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Today’s announcement not only means that any member of the public can come access commonly banned books here in person at UChicago — it also means that residents throughout Illinois can access these texts digitally. Even in the face of rising censorship around the country, I have faith in the power of free speech and free thinking to overcome. Through programming and protests and advocacy like this, Illinoisans demonstrate to the nation and the world what it really looks like to stand up for liberty.”
“Illinois continues to stand on the right side of history, refusing to censor educational and social reading material that celebrates our diversity and the richness of the human experience,” said Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. “As we celebrate Banned Books Week, our administration is committed to protecting the voices and stories of those who have historically gone unheard and unseen.”
The event was held at the University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library and highlighted the value of intellectual freedom in Illinois and nationwide. Governor Pritzker emphasized the importance of literary access and supporting library staff, who have been dealing with threats around the state.
With support from the American Library Association (ALA), the University of Chicago will be consolidating dozens of “banned books” for their new collection, which can be freely accessed by members of the public with a UChicago Library visitor pass.
The collection will be digitized and made available to those nationwide who lack local access to these titles, in partnership with the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). The virtual “Banned Book Club” app uses geolocation services to determine book titles that have been banned in users’ areas. The UChicago Library and DPLA have already made over 900 titles accessible, and are consistently increasing the number of available titles on the app.
In June 2023, Governor Pritzker signed a bill making Illinois the first state to outlaw book bans, encouraging schools and libraries to embrace education, literary justice, and equity. HB2789, which takes effect January 1, 2024, protects libraries from external restrictions to book collections.
Governor Pritzker also included $1.6 million in the FY24 state budget to launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide. This initiative includes a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter a family’s income.
The Banned Book Collection at the Regenstein Library is currently available for access. The digital collection can be found on DPLA’s recently launched “Banned Books Club” on the Palace e-reader app.
With the downtown property market ranging from torpid to downright depressed, a bit of news about the sector in September had a “man bites dog” importance.
Menashe Properties bought a 29-story office building at 230 W. Monroe St. The family-owned firm, based in Portland, Oregon, and making its first investment in Chicago, took the plunge as other property moguls talk about tax rates, high crime and the still-uncertain comeback from COVID-19 as reasons to shun deals here. […]
Menashe said he checked out Chicago in his first visit to the city and found it to be “the polar opposite of what you hear about in the news.”
“It’s vibrant. It’s architecturally beautiful. You could feel the vibe,” he said. He was a follower of the late tycoon Sam Zell, remembered for an ability to profit from others’ failures.
“It was certainly a first in front of the Ritz: a good-sized, sort of fancy tent astride two large industrial carts, all topped with a large Chicago Fire [soccer] tarp,” said a nearby resident who is elderly and asked not to be identified.
“It was illegally blocking the use of a public way and up against the fence of Schulman Park on Pearson Street, ostensibly across from [Streeterville’s Ritz-Carlton hotel] in order to use the bathroom facilities.
“I was walking my shelter dog when I called to the inside of the tent, and a woman I didn’t see said she was nine months pregnant. Then, a well-groomed man appearing to be in his 30s showed up, accused my dog of pooping on his tent, swore at me in a salacious manner and told me to get lost when I told him the tent placement was illegal. So I called the police, who were there in minutes.”
No police report was filed, but the tent was gone the next day.
Chicago has been named the “Best Big City in the U.S.” for the seventh straight year by readers of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine, officials announced Tuesday.
According to a press release from City of Chicago tourism agency Choose Chicago, the award “speaks to Chicago’s enduring allure to all types of travelers from around the world.”
* Rep. Steve Reick…
The adverse opinion issued last week by the Illinois Auditor General’s office of its compliance audit of the Department of Children and Family Services deals not only with certain financial irregularities within the agency, but it also shines a harsh light on the failure of this agency to protect the children within its care. DCFS exists for one purpose and one purpose only, and that is to protect vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. The fact that the agency failed on so many levels, and then saw fit to hide its failures by providing material misstatements boggles the mind.
Since the audit’s release, we’ve heard nothing from the Governor, even though he had two press availabilities last week where he could have addressed the issue. I just spoke with a member of the Springfield press who told me that the Governor’s office was going to leave it to the Agency to respond.
Since the audit was released on September 26th, there’s only been one comment made by DCFS regarding the findings. Heather Tarczan, DCFS communications director, pointed out the audit took place amid COVID-19 when many state agencies were dealing with staffing issues. I would find that to be somewhat persuasive if it wasn’t for the fact that the issues raised in this audit go back long before COVID.
The Auditor General’s report discloses 33 separate findings, of which 17 were “Category One” findings which describe “material weakness in internal control” or “material non-compliance with state laws and regulations”. Of the 17 Category One violations shown in the audit, twelve of them were raised as far back as 1998. These failures aren’t due to COVID.
And what about Director Smith? Was he hired to fix this agency, or was he merely hired as a caretaker of a dysfunctional agency that has failed so many kids? If he’s any kind of a leader, he should be marching into the Governor’s office and demanding that he be given complete authority to overhaul this agency. Neither he nor the Governor can be considered as profiles in political courage.
The governor is quick to point out that Republicans could be more supportive of his efforts if we would but vote in favor of his budgets. That’s a topic for another day, but let’s just say that if the administration were to propose its budget in piecemeal fashion (by appropriation committee) instead of as a single 3,000-page document, we might find things in there that we’d be willing to vote for, even though we had no say in what goes into it. But he’d rather have political talking points rather than a cooperative effort toward doing the work that the people of this state deserve.
* Isabel’s afternoon roundup…
* Capitol News Illinois | Pritzker urges Biden to intervene amid ‘untenable’ pace of migrant arrivals: Without naming GOP figures like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Pritzker blamed political leaders who “have shipped people to our state like cargo in a dehumanizing attempt to score political points.” But he also faulted the Biden administration for its lack of support for Illinois, which has already dedicated $330 million to addressing the influx of 15,000 migrants and counting.
* Sun-Times | Migrant shelter plan at Amundsen Park field house draws City Council member’s ire: Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) on Monday unleashed his anger at Mayor Brandon Johnson’s plan to turn the Amundsen Park Fieldhouse into a shelter for 200 migrants for at least six months. Three days after Taliaferro warned that the burgeoning migrant crisis was bringing historic tensions between Blacks and Latinos to a boil, the situation hit even closer to home.
* South Side Weekly | Tent Camp Debate Highlights Uneven Burdens in Migrant Response: Antonio Gutierrez, a strategic coordinator at Organized Communities Against Deportations (OCAD), told the Weekly that because the plan is a temporary solution, they’re concerned about the long-term plan. “The crisis is not the recently arrived migrants, but the overall lack of affordable housing in the city of Chicago,” Gutierrez said. “We also don’t think that will be the best usage of these millions of dollars…that could otherwise be used in other ways to actually create permanent affordable housing.”
* Shaw Local | Yorkville school board investigated by Illinois attorney general over closed meeting complaint: The Illinois Attorney General’s Office is investigating a complaint alleging that the Yorkville School District 115 board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act when discussing the book “Just Mercy” in closed session. The board voted 4-2 at its Aug. 7 meeting to prohibit use of Bryan Stevenson’s memoir in the Yorkville High School English II Rhetorical Analysis course.
* Patch | $750,000 Settlement In Black Officer’s Lawsuit Against Joliet Chief: According to his federal lawsuit, the city of Joliet had at least 10 job openings on its police force in 2019, and Anthony Sinnott later discovered he ranked No. 5 out of the 227 eligible candidates. On Aug. 26, 2019, Sinnott learned that Joliet’s Police and Fire Board rejected his job application, his lawsuit states. […] Anthony Sinnott’s lawsuit also stated that, “Roechner made false statements about Sinnott to the Board and verbally accused him of being a ‘habitual woman beater’ in front of the Board.
* PJ Star | Peoria congressman Darin LaHood voted ‘no’ to avoid shutdown. Here’s what he said: In a Facebook post, LaHood said he voted no on the bill because it did not address “out of control spending addiction” and did not “address the crisis at our southern border.”"Families in #IL16 must meet a budget and it’s past time that DC do the same. With $33 Trillion in debt, Congress needs to change the way it spends or we will threaten the economic future of our kids and grandkids,” LaHood’s statement said.
* Lake County News-Sun | Officials scrambling to maintain federal funding levels for North Chicago schools in the face of potential cutbacks: Potentially facing a revenue loss of nearly $5 million over the next two years from a cut in federal impact aid received for educating military dependents, North Chicago School District Superintendent John Price is trying to maintain the current funding levels. With Naval Station Great Lakes occupying 30% of North Chicago’s real estate, the land is exempt from paying local property taxes. Instead, it pays impact aid of $12,700 annually for each military dependent student in the district. That may drop to $2,000.
* Rockford Register Star | Rockford rejects expansion of group homes for recovering addicts: Neighbors signed petitions and wrote letters opposing the expansion. Oxford House lawyers say the residents in their group homes are considered “disabled persons” under the law and therefore protected by it and the Fair Housing Act. They asked to increase the number of residents allowed at the homes beyond the six permitted in areas zoned R-1.
* WICS | Illinois police officer indicted, accused of assaulting handcuffed man: Justin Gaither, 33, was indicted on September 27 on one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, namely the right to be free from the use of unreasonable force. The indictment accuses Gaither of assaulting someone on Nov. 20, 2022. The victim was handcuffed and was not posing a threat to anyone, the indictment says.
* Bloomberg | Video slot machines spur gambling revenue windfall for Illinois: Illinois’s tax collections from gaming climbed to a record of almost $2 billion in the year that ended June 30, according to data going back almost five decades. Video gaming currently represents about 41% of wagering revenue, while lottery makes up nearly 44%.
* The Messenger | Colorado Law to Ban ‘Abortion Reversal’ Procedures Could Spark National Trend: Passed by the state Legislature in April, the law has survived months of legal challenges. While anti-abortion activists maintain the “abortion reversal” procedure is a legitimate treatment for those seeking to “reverse” a medication abortion, it has been branded “unproved and unethical” by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The passage and soon-to-come enactment of Senate Bill 23-190 represents a major win for abortion advocates, who say that “abortion reversal” is merely a tool used by “crisis pregnancy centers”—or anti-abortion centers that have been frequently criticized for spreading misinformation and using deceptive measures to prevent women from accessing abortions—to increase stigma and fear around abortions.
* Bloomberg | Ethanol price manipulation lawsuit is back to haunt ADM: U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce on Sept. 26 denied ADM’s request to dismiss the case where competitors accuse the company of violating antitrust laws. The decision came after an analysis of an amended complaint by Midwest in which it names several ethanol producers allegedly affected by what the complaint characterizes as ADM’s anticompetitive practices. For a period between 2017 and 2019, ADM allegedly sold ethanol below cost at Kinder Morgan’s terminal in Argo, a subdivision of suburban Summit, while using derivatives traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to place an “outsized” bet on lower prices.
* WaPo | An epidemic of chronic illness is killing us too soon: After decades of progress, life expectancy — long regarded as a singular benchmark of a nation’s success — peaked in 2014 at 78.9 years, then drifted downward even before the coronavirus pandemic. Among wealthy nations, the United States in recent decades went from the middle of the pack to being an outlier. And it continues to fall further and further behind. A year-long Washington Post examination reveals that this erosion in life spans is deeper and broader than widely recognized, afflicting a far-reaching swath of the United States.
* KHQA | Illinois seeking State Historian: The search committee will be chaired by Millikin University history professor Dan Monroe. “Illinois is doing something important by reinventing the position of state historian. It’s a chance to explore overlooked parts of the Illinois story, amplify new voices, and reach folks who might not realize how exciting history can be,” said Dr. Monroe. “We want to cast a wide net in our search for candidates.”
* Daily Herald | Goodman’s ‘Tommy’ wins nine Jeff Awards: If Goodman Theatre’s production of “The Who’s Tommy” opens on Broadway next year (a transfer expected but not officially confirmed), it received a memorable send-off Monday at the 55th annual Joseph Jefferson Awards ceremony recognizing excellence in Chicago-area theater during the 2022-2023 equity season. Goodman’s record-breaking production — the highest grossing in the theater’s 98-year history — received nine Jeff Awards, more than any other production, and won every category in which it was nominated.
* KLAS | Never-before-seen photos, videos released in Tupac Shakur murder case: Last week, a Clark County grand jury indicted 60-year-old Duane “Keffe D” Davis in Shakur’s murder. Las Vegas Metro police arrested Davis near his Nevada home early Friday morning. The grand jury, which met at least five times over the course of three months, voted Thursday to indict Davis on a charge of murder with a deadly weapon with a gang enhancement. Prosecutors announced the indictment Friday.
* Daily Herald | Trailblazing Advocate president ready to face health industry challenges: Being the only person of color in a corporate board room isn’t unusual for Dia Nichols. For the last two years, the Inverness resident has served as president of the Central Chicagoland Patient Service Area and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge — joining a small field of hospital executives who are people of color. The 49-year-old recently took the helm as Advocate Health Care’s first Black president.
* WCIA | Teutopolis stepping up to honor Bryan Family after ammonia leak: “It’s not your typical one funeral. It’s three,” Willenborg said. The ride is starting right in town at a place that’s helping out in a big way already: Ping’s Tavern. “Within two hours, they raised $8,000 for the Kenny Bryan family,” said Julia Henderson, a bartender at the bar.
* I was born in Kankakee, but spent much of my childhood in a farmhouse rented by my parents in rural Iroquois County, a few miles from my grandfather. So, I suppose that’s partly why I love HGTV’s “Home Town” show, hosted by Erin and Ben Napier. The show and the small town of Laurel, Mississippi (pop. 17,161) was profiled today in the Wall St. Journal…
Laurel hasn’t always been this lovable. “When I first came on the council [in 1997], there was nothing going on downtown,” says [Laurel’s third-term mayor, Johnny Magee]. “You could shoot a shotgun down Central Avenue and not hit anybody.”
Surrounded by crumbling and shuttered buildings, a handful of local government and civic leaders in the mid-2000s championed change. Laurel Main Street, a consortium of local businesses, was formed in 2007 with a mission to revitalize a city once home to thriving timber and textile industries, brick manufacturing and other enterprises. In 2008, the Napiers—fresh out of college and newly married—moved back to Laurel, Erin’s hometown. The couple lived in a small apartment downtown, where they say the only other residents were friends Jim and Mallorie Rasberry and Josh and Emily Nowell. (Jim Rasberry is also Erin’s cousin.)
By all accounts, downtown Laurel wasn’t dying. It was dead. “When we moved back, there was one coffee shop and one restaurant that was open only for lunch,” Ben Napier, 40 years old, recalls. Erin Napier, 38, adds: “Other than that, there were a few professional services like lawyers and a lot of shuttered buildings.”
In time, the three couples became involved in redevelopment and restoration efforts downtown, which many consider a turning point in the city’s rebirth. “The effort by younger people got downtown growing again,” Magee says.
* The house I was raised in was southwest of Chebanse, a tiny town of 1,044 souls which also appears to be experiencing a revival of sorts. Here’s Tiffany Blanchette writing about Chebanse for the Kankakee Daily Journal…
A visit to the Whistle Stop Cafe & Bar in Chebanse brought back a rush of fond childhood memories as well as a renewed appreciation for the people that make that community connection a reality.
The restaurant, owned by local couple Jen Surprenant and Sal Lopez, operates out of the same building as a former, locally-loved spot called Russ & Rosie’s. […]
Next door is the Chebanse General Store, opened in October 2021 by mother-daughter duo Cindy Charbonneau and Brittany Cotter, both lifelong Chebanse residents. They stock everything from dry goods and dairy to locally-raised meat.
You can even get a scoop of ice cream or a couple pieces of candy — something I remember doing as a kid when Bonfield had its own little general store.
A coffee shop, Rally Point 1854, sits around the corner for the early morning crowd of farmers and teachers. It was started by two local veterans in 2019.
A locally-owned hardware store, a new boutique and a couple of bars line the other road through town.
The last time I was in Chebanse, I noticed a place on the outskirts of town called First Stop Bar and Grill, which has a huge beer garden. I made a note to stop by during my next visit (my uncle lives in Ashkum, which is ten miles or so south).
Chebanse is right off of I-57 and about 70 miles south of Chicago. It’s worth a visit.
Point being, it most certainly helps to have a popular TV show and a decent population base to jump-start a small town, but it isn’t always necessary.
* The Question: Do you have a favorite small town? Explain and stay on-topic, please. Thanks.
Joliet Mayor Terry D’Arcy wants Joliet Township Supervisor Angel Contreras to withdraw his application that could bring $8.6 million in state of Illinois tax dollars to Joliet Township to cover the costs of bringing people from other countries seeking asylum status.
“I want to take a moment to clarify the facts regarding the recent news about a grant for Municipalities Serving Asylum Seekers,” D’Arcy announced Monday evening. “The people sitting on this dais were placed here by the people of Joliet with a duty and obligation to preserve and protect their investment in their property and preserve their quality of life.
“That said, the decision-makers in the city did not have knowledge of a grant request made by Joliet Township and with community partners and organizations.” […]
According to Joliet’s new mayor, “The City of Joliet Mayor’s Office and Joliet Fire Department did not sign or approve any Memorandum of Understanding with the Township or with other community partners and other organizations on the grant that was submitted.
Joliet Township is a separate unit of government from the city of Joliet and operates independently. But D’Arcy said he believes the terms of the grant required certain agreements with the city that were never made.
City officials have said they were unaware Joliet Township was seeking the grant and only learned about it after the governor’s office announced the award late Friday.
Contreras did not return calls on Monday seeking comments about the grant.
Township Trustee Ray Slattery told the council at its meeting that the township board did not know about the grant.
Meanwhile, Illinois State Senator Rachel Ventura says Contreras had mentioned that Joliet Township would be a getting a large amount of money but didn’t know the details and nor did she hear from the governor’s office. Local officials say they want to know how and where the money will be spent and in what areas.
* The governor’s office is pointing at the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, which was quoted in the original press release as partnering with the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide “management oversight in the form of a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity process.” Jordan Abudayyeh…
While an award has been made to Joliet Township, that is subject to both an updated budget and entering into a grant agreement. No grant monies are paid until a grant agreement has been completed. As part of this process, the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus, as the administrator and monitor of this program, will be asking the Township to provide additional information on any listed support and partnerships and, once confirmed, how they will support asylum seekers.
I’ve reached out to the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus for a response. Nothing yet.
…Adding… The “updated budget” is for the locals, not the state. “Everyone applied for more money than they got so they have to update their budgets and plans as part of the grant agreements before money is released,” said Abudayyeh.
* More from the governor’s office on the Metropolitan Mayor’s Caucus…
MMC identified external reviewers with expertise in philanthropy, grant-making, and immigrant services as a part of its administrative responsibilities. IDHS and MMC together determined grant award amounts based on reviewer recommendations and scoring.
Oak Park’s portion of grant funds is meant for planning – which is an opportunity to prepare for additional State funds that may become available in the future.
In the end, though, it sure looks like the township supervisor claimed he had the buy-in of other local governments and stakeholders when he clearly did not. And now the supervisor has gone to ground.
Racist propaganda campaigns and antisemitic acts more than doubled last year in Illinois, according to a report released Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League that details alarming examples of extremism across the state.
The report, titled “Hate in the Prairie State,” provides a comprehensive list of radical forces targeting Illinois, including white supremacist groups, anti-LGBTQ+ zealots and adherents of the QAnon conspiracy theory that vehemently supports former President Donald Trump.
“In some ways, we think that we live in Illinois and somehow we’re immune to this,” David Goldenberg, the ADL’s Midwest director, said in an interview. “But the reality is that these groups have a presence here, they are active and, in some parts of the state, we’re seeing this type of hate and extremism become mainstreamed.” […]
Antisemitic acts including assault, harassment and vandalism rose to their highest level in recent history in 2022, jumping 128% from the previous year, from 53 to 121. That was the seventh-largest statewide total in a year that saw “the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide,” the ADL noted. […]
Ahead of a Tuesday news conference detailing the report, Goldenberg noted that hate crimes nationwide are at a 20-year high: “They have not been this high since 2001, in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
• Antisemitic Incidents: According to ADL’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, Illinois has seen a dramatic rise in antisemitic incidents in recent years. In 2022, the number of incidents increased by 128% from 2021 levels, rising from 53 to 121. The state’s total was the seventh-highest number of incidents in the country in a year when ADL tracked the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide. This is a dramatic increase from 2016, when there were 10 incidents. Preliminary numbers through June 2023 indicate that there have been at least 33 additional antisemitic incidents in the state.
• Extremist Plots and Murders: In 2021 and 2022, ADL documented one extremist murder in Illinois. In November 2022, a man allegedly intentionally drove the wrong way on an interstate highway and crashed into another car, killing the driver. The man said he wanted to kill himself after being convicted for crimes committed while participating in the January 6 insurrection, and he has been charged with additional crimes, including first-degree murder.
• Extremist Events: Since 2021, ADL has documented four white supremacist extremist events in Illinois, predominately marches and protests.
• White Supremacist Propaganda: In 2022, ADL documented 198 instances of white supremacist propaganda distributions across Illinois, an increase of 111% from 2021 (94). Through May 2023, there have been an additional 64 white supremacist propaganda incidents. Patriot Front was responsible for a large majority of white supremacist propaganda throughout Illinois.
• Hate Crimes Statistics: According to the latest FBI hate crimes statistics available, there were 101 reported hate crimes in Illinois that targeted a variety of communities, including Jewish, Black and Asian American and Pacific Islander. This total was an increase of 80% from the 56 incidents recorded in 2020.
• Insurrection Statistics: Thirty-six of the 968 individuals logged by the George Washington University Program on Extremism who have been charged in relation to the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol are Illinois residents.
• ADL and Princeton University’s Bridging Divides Initiative Threats and Harassment Dataset: The Threats and Harassment Dataset (THD) tracks unique incidents of threats and harassment against local U.S. officials between January 1, 2020, and September 23, 2022, in three policy areas (election, education and health). Illinois recorded six incidents of threats and harassment against local officials.
* Ald. Ray Lopez is a Chicago media darling. He’s one of those people who should teach a class in how to get news coverage for students who don’t really want to accomplish much of anything substantive. But because he receives so much publicity, including regular appearances on Fox News, he has to be taken at least somewhat seriously, even though he dropped out of a congressional race in 2018, and dropped out of the mayor’s race after splashy announcements.
Ald. Ray Lopez (15th), one of the police union’s staunchest City Council supporters, on Tuesday declared his candidacy for Congress against progressive leader U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia.
That sets the stage for a showdown in the March primary election between opposite sides of the political spectrum within the Democratic Party. […]
“After walking the district for the past few weeks, I’ve heard directly from residents who feel as though they don’t have a voice in their current representative. They feel that the politics has gotten too extreme. That Democrats have been left out in the cold or marginalized because they’re not taking some of the more extreme positions that we’ve seen come out of the Socialist and super-progressive movements over the last few years,” Lopez said.
“This district … encompasses the Southwest Side of Chicago, but many of the Southwest suburbs all the way into DuPage who still believe in law enforcement. Who believe in accountability and personal responsibility. Who believe in working toward the middle to find solutions for real problems and they haven’t seen that from their congressman.”
I dunno. Pundits said the exact same thing in 2022 when Gil Villegas challenged Delia Ramirez. Villegas was clobbered by almost a three-to-one margin. And Ramirez actually performed better in DuPage County than in suburban Cook and the city.
Also, Lopez doesn’t have a history of raising much money, is far more of a show horse than a work horse (as evident in his media success vs. actual accomplishments in office) and has not won anything outside his own ward.
Stranger things have happened, of course.
* From García’s campaign…
Today, the García campaign released the following statement after the announcement of Ray Lopez’s second attempt to run for Congress.
“Alderman Ray Lopez’s latest run for a new office is nothing more than an attention-grabbing stunt,” said García campaign manager Manny Díaz. “His dependence on Ed Burke, a figure drowning in federal racketeering charges, raises serious concerns about his ethics. Lopez’s long-standing relationship with Burke, which now includes renting office space in the same Burke compound raided by the FBI in 2019, has also extended to a disturbing pattern of allegedly attempting to extort small business owners in his ward.”
“While we prefer to focus on our dedication to serving the diverse communities in the district, it’s crucial to underscore the stark contrast between our integrity and the cloud of corruption in which Lopez has chosen to operate. As he seeks the limelight and skips essential city responsibilities, our dedication to serving our district remains resolute. We prioritize service over theatrics, ensuring that our focus remains firmly on delivering for our municipalities and constituents.”
“The choice is clear: a proven record of integrity, dedication, and results versus a perennial candidate riding on the coattails of Ed Burke, one of the most disgraced politicians in Illinois history. Our campaign’s dedication to serving the people speaks volumes, and we won’t be distracted by political maneuvers.”
About The Election
Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García is a seasoned public servant with a rich history of electoral victories rooted in his unwavering commitment to progressive values and social justice. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018, representing Illinois’ 4th Congressional District. In Congress, he has been a vocal advocate for affordable healthcare, immigration reform, housing access, environmental justice, and economic equity. His electoral history reflects a steadfast dedication to progressive ideals and a vision of a more just and inclusive society. Congressman García continues to be a driving force for positive change, both in his district and on the national stage.
Alderman Raymond Lopez has a political history that is marked by controversy. After two prior bids for office, he won his election to become the Alderman of the 15th Ward in 2015. He has made a career off of failed runs for office, adding to his unsuccessful attempt for Congress in 2018 and his sham campaign for Mayor of Chicago in 2023. His political history is marked by controversies, questionable policy choices, and allegations of corruption. His divisive approach to governance and inflammatory statements, including his status as a regular contributor to Republican news outlets, has been a source of concern for many. Alderman Lopez’s tendency to engage in political grandstanding, use of incendiary language, and antagonistic gimmicks have hindered constructive dialogue and cooperation within the city council.
Lopez has a very real, concrete and current Ed Burke problem. No doubt. But Mike Madigan’s trial is coming up next year and the political truce negotiated between the two men hurt García in the mayor’s race.
Workers at a Chicago-area Ford Motor Co. plant have been laid off amid the United Auto Workers strike.
About 330 employees were laid off between the stamping plant in Chicago Heights and an engine plant in Lima, Ohio, Ford said in a statement Monday.
“Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy has knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage. In this case, the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant has directly impacted some operations at Chicago Stamping Plant and Lima Engine Plant,” the company said.
At the Chicago Heights plant, 243 employees were laid off as of Saturday. Ninety were laid off at the Lima plant on Monday, according to Ford.
“These layoffs are a consequence of the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant, because these two facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to Chicago Assembly Plant,” Ford spokesperson Ian Thibodeau said Monday. […]
Ford employs about 1,000 hourly workers at the Chicago Stamping Plant. The workers, who are members of UAW Local 588, were not called to strike by the union. […]
The strike hit home in a big way Friday when about 4,600 members of UAW Local 551 put down their tools and walked off the job at the Chicago Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs. The Explorer, which is built exclusively in Chicago, is among Ford’s best-selling vehicles. […]
The union is seeking pay increases, shorter workweeks and improvements to retiree pensions and health care plans amid record profits for the Big Three automakers, among other demands.
Once assembly plants go dark, nearby suppliers soon get idled. That means the pain of the first United Auto Workers union strike at Torrence Avenue since 1976 will quickly extend beyond the 6,000 people who make Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviator SUVs. […]
Among other suppliers in the Ford assembly plant’s impact radius, which also covers part of Indiana, is a supplier park that includes companies such as Autokiniton, formerly called Tower International, which makes front-end assemblies and rear floor pans, and Dakkota Integrated Systems, which supplies interior parts to Ford.
Lear employs more than 800 people making seats at a factory in Hammond, which is expected to be impacted quickly. LM Manufacturing, a seating maker in Detroit, laid off workers less than a week after the strike began at a nearby plant that makes the Ford Bronco.
Urbana-based parts maker Flex-N-Gate employs a few hundred at an injection-molding factory that supplies the Torrence Avenue plant.
* Related…
* ABC Chicago | Ford lays off 330 workers at Chicago Heights stamping plant amid UAW strike: Ford said the strike is impacting its stamping facility since that plant makes and sends parts to the workers that have stopped working. The president of the local UAW chapter representing striking workers told ABC7, “The domino effect will continue as the strike prolongs. Ford knows we are all interconnected.”
* Crain’s | Ford lays off Chicago Heights plant workers amid strike: GM met with UAW leaders Monday and “the union did present a counter to our proposal from Sept. 21,” company spokesperson David Barnas said in a statement. “We are assessing, but significant gaps remain.”
* Chicago Ford plant workers hit the picket line as UAW strike spreads: It’s the third Illinois location to picket after the UAW broadened its strike last week to include a GM location in Bolingbrook and a Stellantis site in Naperville, both parts distribution sites. The new walkout does not include a Ford stamping plant in Chicago Heights.
* Center Square making an assertion not evident in reality…
Opposition is building against a proposed Chinese battery plant for Manteno in Kankakee County.
In reality, it was just a press conference held by a tiny minority of a super-minority, which Center Square’s parent company offered free of charge on its newly purchased video platform.
* The release…
The IL Freedom Caucus today held a press conference to demand answers to some of the concerns Manteno residents have with a Chinese company building a battery plant in their community.
The Chinese company Gotion High-Tech Co. is in line for $ 7.5 billion in federal tax credits over five years, while the State of Illinois is kicking in an additional $536 million in subsidies to build the plant. The cost to build the plant is $2 billion and the subsidies add up to an astounding $3 million per job.
“Manteno may not be in our districts, but the people of this community deserve to have their voices heard,” said State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur). “This deal was negotiated in secret without the input of Manteno residents. The Governor needs to answer their questions and address their concerns.”
State Rep. Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville) said it defies common-sense to make a deal with a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party without requiring any kind of disclosures. He said China’s human rights abuses make them a bad-faith partner in business deals.
“China continues to engage in coercive population control through forced abortion, forced sterilization, and involuntary implantation of birth control and the CCP forced labor and detention of more than one million Uyghurs and other minority groups is well-documented,” Halbrook said. “China has forced Apple to remove features that allow people to contact each other without the knowledge of the Chinese government to prevent dissidents from organizing. On Nov. 25th, 2022, video surfaced of an apartment fire in Xinjiang. People were trapped inside because the Chinese government locked them in as part of their cruel response to COVID-19. Imagine being forcibly locked in your apartment building simply because someone in the building had COVID-19. Then imagine not being able to escape a fire because your building is locked from the outside. This is who the Chinese Communist Party is.”
To go into business with a company with CCP ties is one thing but to not even do any proper vetting is another matter entirely.
“What vetting was done to protect Illinois and US interests in this deal?” said State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Diederich). “What agreements were made to protect propriety information of US companies that may be involved in the project? Why wasn’t a Form 800, which is a standard federal form that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) uses to determine if any threats to national security exists in business deals, required? If any foreign companies need to be subject to a Form 800 – it would be a company with ties to the Chinese Communist Party. So again, I ask – Why weren’t any forms or disclosures required? This is what happens when ideology trumps common sense.”
The legislators called for answers to these questions and also called for the Legislature to take action to protect the interests of Illinois residents. Specifically, they called for legislation to ban the use of public funds in investments or institutions tied to the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Republic of China; to ban government officials and employees from having Tik Tok accounts; and to prohibit China from buying farmland in the United States.
We need to put our money where our mouth is on human rights, and we need to lead by example when it comes to China,” said State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City). “JB Pritzker signed a law divesting Illinois from Russia because of the war in Ukraine. If we are condemning Russia – how can we not have the same policies in regard to the CCP? We say we are for human rights but not only are we blindly doing business with a company whose corporate papers pledge loyalty to the CCP, but we are handing over millions in subsidies. And instead of a substantive thoughtful response from JB Pritzker – all we get is insults and hyperbole. Illinois deserves better. Manteno deserves better. We need to put the brakes on this project and return sanity to our state.”
The Illinois Freedom Caucus is comprised of State Representatives Chris Miller (R-Hindsboro), chairman; Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City), vice-chairman; Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich); Brad Halbrook (R-Shelbyville); Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur); Jed Davis (R-Newark) and David Friess (R-Red Bud). The members of the Illinois Freedom Caucus are members of the Illinois General Assembly who are advocating for limited government, lower taxes and accountability and integrity in government.
Oh, they want to ban ban government officials from having TikTok accounts, eh? Well, perhaps Rep. Niemerg can explain why he has an official legislative TikTok account?
I asked for an explanation from a Freedom Caucus spokesperson about that and about whether any Freedom Caucus member owned an Apple product, since that company was mentioned in the release as well. The only response was a personal insult.
Stay classy.
…Adding… Patiently awaiting a press conference denouncing the Illinois Soybean Association. From August…
In a bid to continue fostering international agricultural partnerships and enhance global trade relations, the Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) recently hosted three Asian trade teams on the farms of Illinois soybean farmers. The farm visits aimed to provide representatives from South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan with firsthand insight into the soybean farming practices, innovations, and quality standards maintained by Illinois farmers.
The November issue was whether a special advocacy body known as a 708 Mental Health Board should be created with limited taxing powers to provide mental health services to township residents who need them.
Similar boards had previously been established by voters of at least three other suburban townships, and in November, voters in six suburban regions joined Wheeling Township in approving the boards.
The Wheeling Township Board, though, was never a big fan of the measure, arguing that the township already allots about $500,000 a year for mental health services. Supporters of the 708 board responded that much more is needed and sought a panel with special taxing authority to manage about $1.5 million. Voters said yes, but when the Wheeling Township attorney discovered a loophole in technical ballot language last August that authorized the board but not its powers to collect revenue, the township board was quick to respond with a call for a whole new election.
This in spite of the fact that state Rep. Dan Didech, a Buffalo Grove Democrat, has proposed legislation, expected to be addressed in this November’s veto session, that could correct the error without the need for another vote.
Township leaders have complained that a 708 board could seek a levy of as much as $8 million, though supporters always insisted their goal was only the $1.5 million.
Now, with a straight-faced claim of prioritizing transparency, the township board has approved a new question with the technical language addressed, plus an insertion of the obviously alarming $8 million figure. The new language makes no reference to the actual $1.5 million sought.
Hmm.
* A campaign committee was formed in September of last year called “Vote No Mental Health Tax.” Its stated purpose was “To oppose the referendum to create a community health board in Wheelling [sic] Township.”
The chair and treasurer of the committee was Dan Patlak, a Wheeling resident who also just happens to be the Director of Community Engagement for the Illinois Policy Institute.
The committee raised just one contribution: $25,000 from Republican contributor Dick Uihlein. Mr. Uihlein has been a strong supporter of the IPI’s work.
Right around that same time, Uihlein contributed $12,000 to Republicans of Wheeling Township. That contribution represented the vast majority of the township GOP’s individual contributions during the quarter. The township Republicans raised another $31K from the Northwest Suburban Republican Lincoln Day Committee PAC. Uihlein gave almost $26K to that committee last year.
* According to WCIA, traffic was diverted from I-70 to Route 40 following a crash on the interstate. I-70 is under extensive construction and these crashes and diversions have become all too common. From CNN…
The sequence of events that led to the accident appears to have started when someone tried to pass the semi-truck, the NTSB said at a Sunday media briefing.
“Preliminary information indicates that another vehicle may have been involved in a passing maneuver near the tanker truck. The driver of the truck appears to have reacted by pulling to the right,” said board member Tom Chapman. “The tanker truck departed the roadway. After departing the roadway, the truck rolled over, and the cargo tank was compromised.” […]
“As it rolled over, the tanker truck jackknifed and exposed the head end of the tank,” said Chapman. “As momentum carried the tank forward, it came into contact with the hitch on the utility trailer. The hitch punctured the cargo tank, leaving a hole approximately 6 inches in diameter.”
Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said the five dead included three from the same family: one adult and two children under 12. The other two were adult motorists from out of state, Rhodes said.
Additionally, five people were airlifted to hospitals, their conditions unknown.
* I told you all that so I could show you this ISP press release…
The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a vehicle potentially involved in a crash on September 29, 2023 just outside of Teutopolis that resulted in five fatalities and multiple injuries.
On Friday, September 29, 2023, ISP, the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office, Teutopolis Fire Protection District, and other local law enforcement, fire, and emergency services responded to a crash that occurred at 8:42 p.m. on 19740 East U.S. Highway 40. The crash involved a semi-truck tanker carrying anhydrous ammonia that was punctured and leaked.
The initial investigation shows at approximately 8:35 p.m., a dark colored vehicle (unknown make/model) potentially involved in the incident traveling westbound through the intersection of U.S. Highway 40 and Spring Creek Road in Montrose, Illinois. The investigation determined the vehicle continued traveling Westbound through Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40 and would have passed the semi-truck tanker.
ISP agents are in Casey, Montrose, and Teutopolis communities retrieving surveillance video that could provide more information into this incident. If you have doorbell or security cameras that may have captured video of this suspect vehicle before or after the incident, or any information, please contact Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 8 Investigations at 217-342-7881.
Video of the vehicle passing through the intersection can be found here https://youtu.be/b4l68efYq7A.
With asylum-seekers expected to arrive in Chicago at a peak 25 busloads a day, Gov. J.B. Pritzker is stepping up criticism of the federal government’s response to the crisis, writing in a letter to President Joe Biden on Monday that Illinois is in an “untenable situation.”
“Today, Illinois stands mostly unsupported against this enormous strain on our state resources,” Pritzker wrote in the letter. […]
It followed a phone call both Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson had on Sunday with White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, senior adviser Tom Perez and agency staffers from the Department of Homeland Security.
On the call, Pritzker and Johnson warned that Chicago is expected to see 25 buses a day from Texas beginning this week, potentially bringing in 1,250 migrants a day, according to a source with knowledge of the call. The city is receiving about 10 buses a day, with 40 to 50 people on board.
The total number of arrivals since the first bus from Texas arrived in August 2022 is expected to jump from 15,000 as of last week to 20,000 this week, the sources said.
That total could double within three weeks. The projection is based on information from people along the southern border that indicates 20 to 25 additional buses a day will be arriving in Chicago, at least five days a week, each with about 50 migrants aboard. That means about 1,000 to 1,250 new arrivals daily.
* More…
* Pritzker: Federal response to migrant crisis ‘uncoordinated’, Illinois requests for assistance ‘ignored’: After two busloads of migrants arrived at CPD’s Area 2 on the far south side over the weekend, Alderman Anthony Beale sounded the alarm about just how untenable the situation has become there. “The problem with that is the Area Two 5th District is a sex registry where you have sex offenders that have to come and check in on a daily basis and you have women and children that are being housed there and it’s totally illegal.”
* Pritzker escalates call for help with migrants in letter to Biden: Chicago officials have warned they expect Republican governors to escalate the busing of migrants to the city ahead of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August and have urged Biden’s administration to make more funds available for Chicago to handle the crisis.
* Sun-Times | Pritzker presses Biden for more help as migrant buses double: ‘Illinois stands mostly unsupported against this enormous strain’:“Mr. President, I urge you, [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Secretary Mayorkas, and the rest of your administration to take swift action and intervene on our behalf and on behalf of the other affected states and their residents,” Pritzker continued, “as well as on behalf of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers who undertook a dangerous and difficult journey in hopes of attaining public safety and forging a better life for themselves and their families.”
* Shaw Local | DeKalb alderwoman to run for 76th House District in 2024 election: Carolyn Zasada, 1st Ward alderwoman for DeKalb, announced that she’ll seek the 76th District in the Illinois House in 2024 as a Democrat, putting her in line for another battle with Mayor Cohen Barnes. Barnes also announced Sept. 22 that he plans to run as a Democrat.
* Sun-Times | Racist propaganda, antisemitic acts spiked in Illinois last year, report shows: Antisemitic acts, including assault, harassment and vandalism, rose to their highest level in recent history in 2022, jumping 128% from the previous year, from 53 to 121. That was the seventh-largest statewide total in a year that saw “the highest-ever number of antisemitic incidents nationwide,” the ADL noted.
* Center Square | Illinois legislator tells prison agency ‘do your job’ on sex offender notification: Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savannah, said she has no interest in legislative changes. “I don’t understand what the problem is. It is their responsibility and their mandate to report that sex offenders are getting out,” McCombie said. “I am certainly not interested in any legislative fix to remove that mandate. If that’s something they’re interested in, I’m certainly not interested in that, and I don’t think anyone in the public is.”
* AP | 5 died of exposure to chemical in central Illinois crash, preliminary autopsies find: Five people died from exposure to a chemical that spilled after a semitruck overturned in central Illinois, according to autopsies conducted Monday. Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said official results from the autopsies won’t be available for several weeks. The victims of the multi-vehicle crash in Teutopolis, about 110 miles (177 kilometers) northeast of St. Louis, were Teutopolis resident Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his children, Walker Bryan, 10 and Rosie Bryan, 7; Danny J. Smith, 67 of New Haven, Missouri; and Vasile Cricovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio, were killed.
* Tribune | Ford lays off 243 workers at stamping facility in Chicago Heights due to UAW strike at nearby Chicago Assembly Plant: A total of about 330 layoffs were announced Monday between the Chicago Stamping Plant and the Lima Engine Plant in Ohio. Both facilities supply parts to Ford’s idled assembly plant on the city’s Southeast Side, where thousands of employees walked off the job Friday in the United Auto Workers’ expanding strike against the Big Three automakers. “These layoffs are a consequence of the strike at Chicago Assembly Plant, because these two facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to Chicago Assembly Plant,” Ford spokesperson Ian Thibodeau said Monday.
* Crain’s | Impact of Chicago Ford plant strike is already spreading: The autoworkers’ strike that reached the Ford plant on the South Side on Friday didn’t take long to spread. Once assembly plants go dark, nearby suppliers soon get idled. That means the pain of the first United Auto Workers union strike at Torrence Avenue since 1976 will quickly extend beyond the 6,000 people who make Ford Explorers and Lincoln Aviator SUVs.
* Sun-Times | Illinois sues alternate electric supplier for ‘deceptive’ tactics that may have cost residents $15 million: Illinois is suing alternative electric supplier Residents Energy LLC, accusing the company of “deceptive and unfair tactics” that made some state residents liable for “millions” more in energy costs. The lawsuit, announced by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office Monday afternoon, accused the company’s sales force of promising “historically low,” first-month rates without disclosing that they were temporary deals.
* Press Release | September U of I Flash Index remained steady: The U of I Flash Index for September 2023 remained at 102.9, the same as in August. The Index appears to be in a holding pattern since the beginning of 2023, remaining in a narrow range of around 103. As noted last month, this may be an indication that the long-sought-after soft landing is in sight. This is in marked contrast to the general outlook prevailing until recently that the economy was likely heading toward at least a minor recession.
* Tribune | Union sues over Signature Room layoffs: The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago by hospitality union Unite Here Local 1, alleges about 130 workers it represented there were laid off in violation of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires certain large employers to provide written notice of certain business closures or mass layoffs at least 60 days in advance.
* Tribune | Celebrating the late, great local musician John Prine in the new book ‘Prine on Prine’: Editor Holly Gleason tells me she first heard Prine when she was a 12-year-old in Cleveland. She writes about eventually meeting him when she was a 20-year-old living in Florida and writing music reviews. She interviewed Prine for a story that was never printed. But as she went on to become a veteran of the music journalism scene and author of books, she maintained a close relationship with Prine and his colleague and friend Dan Einstein, to whom she was once long ago engaged and who did not live to see this book completed.
* Crain’s | Black Panthers’ medical, day care sites part of historic district proposal: Locations in Chicago where the Black Panther Party offered medical care, free breakfast and day care in the late 1960s and early 1970s are part of a proposed scattered-site Illinois landmark district that would memorialize the group’s social service agenda. “The Black Panther Party was not about going around toting guns like they’ve made it sound in the past 50 years,” said Leila Wills, a program officer for Landmarks Illinois who is leading the landmarking effort as executive director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
* Tribune | ‘Invasion’ of tropical birds known as limpkins reported in Illinois; invasive snails may be attractive food source, experts say: Once nearly wiped out in Florida, the limpkin has recently spread to the Carolinas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Louisiana, where it successfully nested. In the late 1990s, limpkin populations were declining in Florida as wetlands were drained and their main food supply, the native Florida apple snail, was decreasing. In the mid-2000s, various types of apple snails native to Central and South America as well as Asia were introduced to the United States, often for use in aquariums.
