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Reader comments closed for the weekend
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Saw these folks last weekend at the Salt Shed. They still have it… Entertaining passers-by
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Sun-Times | UAW strike spreads to GM, Stellantis parts sites in Bolingbrook, Naperville: Two auto parts distribution sites in the Chicago suburbs are striking Friday, after the president of the United Auto Workers expanded its action against major automakers by walking out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis parts centers in 20 states. Ford was spared additional strikes because the company has met some of the union’s demands during negotiations over the past week, said UAW President Shawn Fain. As a result, Ford’s Chicago operations are not included in the new walkouts. * Tribune | Blood suppliers warn of potential rationing at hospitals if donors don’t step up: ‘We need it now’: “We don’t ever want to be in a situation where we have to start making a decision on who does and doesn’t get blood,” said Versiti’s area vice president, Amy Smith. “We need it now.” Versiti seeks to have 10,000 units of blood in its inventory. Instead, inventory has dropped to 2,800 units for the nonprofit, which supplies blood to 85 nearby hospitals, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Edward-Elmhurst Health and Silver Cross Hospital. * WCIA | Scherer files bill to give Dennis Lab students their summer back, but at a cost: Dennis Lab students started the school year two weeks late. The two Dennis Lab buildings in Decatur were found to be structurally unsafe this past summer and the district set up modular classrooms for students. But they were not ready by the official start of the school year. Since they started two weeks late, the students are also scheduled to go two weeks longer in this summer. * Press Release | Governor Pritzker joins U of I System board in roundtable discussion: “Affordability really matters,” Pritzker said. “Scholarship money and financial aid is the most important thing, at least from the General Assembly and the governor, that we can do for you.” U of I System President Tim Killeen said the governor’s participation in the meeting was a reflection of the state government’s extensive commitment to and support of higher education, as well as the role that the system plays in the state’s overall well-being. * WTTW | Debate Continues Over Plan to Raise Real Estate Taxes on High-Priced Homes to Fight Homelessness in Chicago: Mayor Brandon Johnson recently announced a new proposal dubbed “Bring Chicago Home,” which would raise about $100 million dollars to fight homelessness by raising taxes on all sales above $1 million, and then an additional hike on sales of more than $1.5 million dollars. The proposal would also slash the transfer tax on real estate that sells below $1 million. * WCIA | Drug company announces move into Decatur using former Akorn building: Rising Pharmaceuticals, based in New Jersey, announced its move in the community earlier this week. Company officials said they plan to use the former Akorn building to make and package sterile products. Back in February, Akorn announced that it was filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and laying off its hundreds of workers. It sparked outrage from local politicians and prompted a state investigation. […] Rising Pharmaceuticals said the move into Decatur is expected to improve the company’s portfolio and boost the country’s supply chain. * CBS Chicago | Hundreds turn out in Chicago suburb’s municipal court to pay tickets they didn’t know they had: “At first, I thought it was $50 – and then I had to put my glasses on,” said Elizabeth Watson. Watson quickly saw an extra zero for a total sum of $500 – if she did stand in the line to appear in court. * Crain’s | Chicago’s hospitality business hasn’t seen this bullish an outlook since 2019: Travel and hospitality in Chicago continue to make a comeback from the depths of the COVID pandemic, when at a point in 2020 hotel occupancies sank to a low of 26%. Travel industry consultant HVS, employing research from STR Inc. as well as its own surveys of hotels and restaurants, recently released its most bullish assessment of the Chicago market since 2019. * STLPR | Barges are very efficient. Does that make them a good climate alternative for shipping?: It would take more than 1,000 semitrucks to carry the same load as 15 barges and a single tow boat, the standard for this part of the Mississippi River, he said. That’s significant given that the transportation sector accounts for about 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. But only about 2% of that sector is ships and boats, Rohde said. * Block Club | The Voice Of The CTA Hits 25-Year Milestone Of Telling Us Where We Are: The polished voice actor, now 64, drives down to Chicago two or three times a year to record updates to the transit system. Most recently Crooks told Chicagoans about detours due to the Blue Line’s West Side rebuild, laid down sharper recordings for the new 7000-series trains and gave folks a reminder to give up their seats to “people who are pregnant.” * SJ-R | Sangamon County home prices rose 8.2% in August, with houses listed at a median of $194,800: Sangamon County’s median home was 1,885 square feet, listed at $108 per square foot. The price per square foot of homes for sale is up 4.5% from August 2022. * SJ-R | A memorial service for trailblazing SIU physician to be held on Saturday: Robinson-McNeese was best known for his work in diversity and inclusion initiatives at SIU, helping to found the Office of Diversity, Multicultural and Minority Affairs, serving as the system’s executive director of diversity initiatives, and for collaborating with Springfield Public Schools District #186 to create the Physician Pipeline Preparatory Program (P4). * Daily Southtown | Homer Glen mayor nixes parade request as strife between village, township mounts: The village of Homer Glen has declined Homer Township’s application to conduct its annual Independence Day parade as political tensions between some local leaders were heightened during meetings this month. Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike said she felt the parade, which usually takes place in late June in conjunction with HomerFest, has become too political when she and village staff declined the township’s request to use village streets. The application was not voted on by the Village Board. * Commercial-News | Tilton cannabis dispensary now open; cultivation center construction underway: It had a soft opening Friday and Saturday. An official grand opening will be Saturday for the dispensary and the two other businesses of the 14,500-square feet building. The site also includes Molly’s Joint, cannabis consumption lounge with couches and tables and chairs; and a bar/restaurant area with video gaming machines and an outdoor patio and grass area for bands and food trucks. * WTTW | Lin-Manuel Miranda Talks Chicago, His PBS Roots and the Return of ‘Hamilton’: Lin-Manuel Miranda made a stop in Chicago to commemorate the official return of “Hamilton.” Arts Correspondent Angel Idowu sat down with Miranda to get his take on why the show’s return to Chicago is so special.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Another supplement to today’s edition (Updated)
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Question of the day
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * We’ve all seen the amusing back and forth over the US Senate’s relaxing of its attire rule. But the Illinois Senate also has a rule…
It’s generally defined as “business attire.” Men must wear a jacket and tie, for example. Masks are considered to be “attire,” and that’s how they enforced their mandate during the pandemic. * The Question: Should the Illinois Senate drop its attire rule? Make sure to explain your answer and stick to Illinois, please. Thanks.
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Illinois State Library closed after emailed bomb threat
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * From the Illinois Secretary of State’s office…
…Adding… I’m told there are no suspects as of now. But the incident “will be investigated and the FBI will be notified.”
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Campaign news
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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*** UPDATED x1 *** Illinois *not* spared from expanded UAW strike
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Illinois has just 5,621 UAW members in the auto industry, according to a recent analysis by Fitch Ratings. All those members work for Ford. The Stellantis plant has been at least temporarily shuttered. From the AP today…
* Meanwhile, Fitch also looked at the effects of a UAW strike on state budgets…
*** UPDATE *** Welp, turns out Illinois wasn’t spared after all. The headline has been changed as a result. From the Illinois AFL-CIO…
* From ABC 7, the impact is pretty small…
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Bailey back to his election-denying ways
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Darren Bailey on Nov. 10, 2020…
* After Bailey won the Republican gubernatorial primary with Trump’s help, he moved away from the former POTUS. From an October, 2022 Sun-Times editorial…
* Now that he’s running for Congress…
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Today’s quotable
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Craig Wall at ABC 7…
There’s more, so go read the whole thing. * It would also be nice to know why the Inspector General didn’t do anything about this for years. I reached out to former IG Joe Ferguson several days ago, but have not yet heard back.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Supplement to today’s edition
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today’s edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Open thread
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * It’s Friday! What’s going on?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go…
* Inside Climate News | Pritzker’s signature climate law has seen slow progress on clean energy, green jobs promises: Today, renewable sources make up only 10.5% of power. That includes not only current projects but also others planned with promises they will soon come online. On the promised new “equitable” jobs in clean energy industries, the state has yet to train or help place even one worker, though training programs are being set up to be in place by next year. * WIFR | Trial over Illinois abortion referral law begins in Rockford: Attorneys are arguing the 2016 an amendment to the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act that requires medical and counseling personnel to promote abortion regardless of their ethical or moral views. The act became law seven years ago but it’s not in effect because it’s hung up in court. Lawyers who are trying to stop it say requiring someone to go against their personal and religious beliefs violates the First Amendment of the Constitution * Tribune | National Association of Realtors takes additional steps to address alleged workplace issues: A new member task force will work with outside legal counsel, whose attorneys will conduct an independent assessment of company policies and practices and then make recommendations “to improve our procedures, trainings, and systems to prevent inappropriate behavior, encourage reporting of alleged misconduct, and promote an environment of transparency and accountability,” according to Goldberg’s email. * Daily Southtown | Indicted Orland Park pastor requests to have case severed from Trump, other defendants: Lee’s legal team, led by Illinois-based lawyer David Shestokas, has similarly filed a severance request and is waiting to hear back, Shestokas confirmed“We are of the opinion that, on a couple of levels, Pastor Lee will be prejudiced by having his trial take place with everybody else,” Shestokas said. Shestokas is working on the case with Georgia-based lawyer David Oles. * Chicago Daily Law Bulletin | Illinois Supreme Court disbars 12 attorneys, suspends 11: The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred 12 attorneys and suspended 11, including former ComEd CEO Anne R. Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain, in lawyer disciplinary orders since its last term. * ABC Chicago | Chicago treasurer denies wrongdoing in exclusive interview after IG launches ethics investigation: Conyears-Ervin repeatedly evaded questions about whether she engaged in such activity. “According to the allegations, employees were doing personal errands on city’s time. That did not occur,” Conyears-Ervin said. “Craig, I am going to speak to the allegations, and the allegation spoke to employees doing work for me on city’s time; that did not occur.” * WCIA | New dispensary planning for future changes to state’s marijuana law: Constructing a business plan is all about planning for the future, but what if your plans are illegal in the present? The owners of Share. — Springfield’s newest dispensary — don’t think that’s a problem.[…] The owners are already building a drive through window on the building. Drive throughs are not allowed by law now, but lawmakers have already considered the change in the past. * WBEZ | ‘A good place:’ Queer youth seek acceptance at state’s first foster home for LGBTQ+ teens: Nationally, about one-third of foster care youth identify as LGBTQ+, and according to researchers, they are at significantly higher risk of experiencing homelessness, physical harm and exchanging sex to meet basic needs. “It’s important that they’re doing this,” said Charles Golbert, a court-appointed lawyer who advocates for children in DCFS custody and a vocal critic of the department. But now, Golbert said, “it needs to be expanded for more than just five beds.” * Sun-Times | My fault Sox game not stopped after stadium shooting, interim police superintendent says: Interim Chicago Police Supt. Fred Waller told the Sun-Times the game was allowed to continue without interruption due to “miscommunication” on the protocol for notifying Major League Baseball. That issue has been addressed and won’t happen again, he said. * WBEZ | Johnson administration defends contract with private defense firm to prop up migrant ‘base camps’: In a brief interview with WBEZ, Johnson’s deputy chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas said the city had limited options as it seeks to move people out of police stations as quickly as possible. “There’s not many companies that have this type of capability of literally standing up prefabricated structures driving 50 foot poles, creating flooring, and then staffing 24/7,” Pacione-Zayas said. * Tribune | Cook County chips in to help buy hotels in Evanston and Oak Park for people who are homeless; also approves water bill relief: The board voted to award a $7 million, no-interest, fully forgivable 30-year loan to Connections for the Homeless Inc. so the nonprofit can buy the Margarita Inn in Evanston. It also approved a similar $6.5 million loan to Housing Forward LLC and the Oak Park Residence Corp. for the purchase of the Write Inn in Oak Park. * Tribune | Chicago Plan Commission approves Fulton Market apartment tower that will reserve 30% of its units as affordable: The original plan called for reserving 20% of the units as affordable housing to comply with the city’s Affordable Requirements Ordinance, but after a last-minute push by 27th Ward Ald. Walter Burnett, city planners hammered out a new agreement with the developers, boosting that to 30% using tax increment financing dollars from the local TIF district. * Sateline | States and cities eye stronger protections for gig workers: Roughly 1 in 6 American adults have engaged in gig work for platforms such as Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, according to a 2021 report by the Pew Research Center. But while those jobs promise flexibility and a low barrier to entry, they often pay less on an hourly basis than the prevailing minimum wage and lack basic protections such as overtime, sick pay and unemployment insurance. * Crain’s | Oscar Mayer is renaming its hot dog vehicles, again: Just four months after rebranding as the “Frankmobile,” Oscar Mayer is calling its iconic six-car fleet of hot dog-shaped vehicles the “Wienermobile” once again. “It was a franktastic summer celebrating our 100% Beef Franks with the Frankmobile from coast to coast,” Oscar Mayer Associate Director Kelsey Rice said in a statement. “Though, like many of you, we miss our original icon. Starting this week, we’re welcoming back the Wienermobile.” * Sun-Times | Acorns galore: ‘Mast year’ for oak trees means massive seed production across Chicago: An abundance in acorns this fall is the result of a “mast seeding event,” a phenomenon that only happens once every few years, when oak trees produce a much larger amount of acorns than normal. * Crain’s | Portillo’s expansion plans just got even more aggressive: Portillo’s is boosting its growth goals by more than half, aiming to open at least 920 restaurants around the country in about 20 years. It’s the first time the Oak Brook-based hot dog and Italian beef chain has updated its growth goals since going public in 2021, when it was targeting 600 restaurants in 25 years. Portillo’s also increased its annual growth target to 12% to 15% annually from 10%.
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Live coverage
Friday, Sep 22, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news.
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Protected: SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - This just in… (Updated)
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller
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Isabel’s afternoon roundup
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * IDES | Jobs Up in Most Metro Areas in August: Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs increased in eleven metropolitan areas, decreased in two and was unchanged in one for the year ending August 2023, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in thirteen metropolitan areas and decreased in one. * WICS | ACLU meets with Springfield Police Department about Pre-Trial Fairness Act: The meeting also gave the police department a chance to explain what new training was involved and how paperwork would be filled out when it comes to citations. […] “People were afraid that the doors to the jail were going to be open and all kinds of violent offenders were going to be released. That’s not the case at all. If a violent offender is arrested we’ll be in contact with the state’s attorney’s office to let them know why we feel the subject needs detained,” Commander Sara Pickford said. * ABC | Illinois man pleads guilty to trying to burn down planned abortion clinic: Philip J. Buyno of Prophetstown, Illinois, entered the plea Tuesday to a federal charge of attempting to use fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce. Buyno admitted that, on May 20, he brought several containers filled with gasoline with him and used his car to breach the front entrance to a commercial building in Danville to burn it down before it could be used as a reproductive health clinic, prosecutors said. * Capitol News Illinois | Former Illinois State Police trooper who pleaded guilty in relation to deadly crash postpones hearing: Henry Haupt, a spokesperson for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, said in an email that the hearing had been postponed until Nov. 1 at Mitchell’s request. Mitchell pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated reckless driving in connection with a crash the day after Thanksgiving in 2007 on Interstate 64 east in St. Clair County. That conviction triggered the revocation of his driver’s license. He has tried five times in the past to have his license reinstated. * WAND | IDHA grant provides millions in neighborhood revitalization: The Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) Board approved $19 million to support affordable housing and community revitalization efforts across Illinois. The grants are being awarded under the Strong Communities Program (SCP), the initiative will provide funding to 68 units of local governments and land bank authorities for the acquisition, maintenance, rehabilitation, and demolition of abandoned residential properties in their communities. * WSIL | Perry County Steelworkers could go on strike soon if good faith negotiations don’t resume: Eaton’s final offer consisted of a 4 percent increase in wages over the first year and a 3 1/2 percent increase each of the next two years. It was rather appalling to the membership for what they were asking for,” said Dodds. * WTTW | Chicago Sues Monsanto for Polluting City’s Air, Water, Soil with Toxic Chemicals: “Monsanto knew for decades that its commercial PCB formulations were highly toxic and would inevitably produce precisely the contamination and human health risks that have occurred, perpetuating the environmental abuse and stark inequities so many of Chicago’s neighborhoods have long suffered from,” Johnson said in a statement. * Sun-Times | Mayor Brandon Johnson’s team will scrap INVEST South/West name, but not its aims: While Johnson’s team is still evaluating the program, they may take “a very different path” toward investing in the South and West sides, and a forthcoming approach won’t be dubbed INVEST South/West, according to Johnson’s Deputy Mayor of Business and Neighborhood Development, Kenya Merritt. […] But Merritt would not say what exactly Johnson’s new approach will look like. When asked what needs to change about the program, Merritt said Johnson wants to see results. * Crain’s | Chicago-area home prices growing at twice the speed of the nation’s: The median price of homes sold in the nine-county Chicago metro area rose to $339,900 in August, up 9.6% from the same time a year ago, according to data released this morning by Illinois Realtors. Nationally, the median price increased 3.9% to $407,100, according to a separate report from the National Association of Realtors. * CBS Chicago | No threat found after Chicago area school evacuated over bomb threat: North Shore School District 112 said Red Oak Elementary School was evacuated Thursday morning and students were safely relocated to Sherwood Elementary School, after a call of a bomb threat. Shortly before 10:30 a.m., police and school district officials confirmed a thorough search of the building found no credible threat. The school was set to resume normal operations at 11:30 a.m., with all bus routes running at 11 a.m. * AP | Biden uses executive power to create a New Deal-style American Climate Corps: In an announcement Wednesday, the White House said the program will employ more than 20,000 young adults who will build trails, plant trees, help install solar panels and do other work to boost conservation and help prevent catastrophic wildfires. * Tribune | Rupert Murdoch, whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down: Rupert Murdoch, the 92-year-old Australian media magnate whose creation of Fox News made him a force in American politics, is stepping down as leader of both Fox’s parent company and his News Corp. media holdings. Fox said Thursday that Murdoch would become chairman emeritus of both companies, effective at board meetings in November. His son, Lachlan, will become News Corp. chairman and continue as chief executive officer of Fox Corp. * AP | 4 free COVID-19 tests per household will be available Monday — how to get them: Orders can be placed online starting Monday via COVIDtests.gov — and the tests will be delivered for free by the U.S. Postal Service, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. * USA Today | Paying for X? Elon Musk considers charging all users a monthly fee to combat ‘armies of bots’: Musk said X will come out with a “lower-tier pricing” than the existing cost for current X premium subscribers. He did not specify what the pricing could be. “We want it to be a small amount of money,” Musk said. “This is a longer discussion, but in my view, this is actually the only defense against the vast armies of bots.” * NYT | Mexico Feels Pressure of Relentless Migration From South America: In Mexico, people coming from South America are outpacing those from Central America for the first time since data has been collected. Mexican officials recorded 140,671 migrants from South American countries the first seven months of the year, compared to 102,106 from Central America, with record numbers coming from Venezuela and Ecuador. * MediaIte | Project Veritas Suspends All Operations Amid Devastating Layoffs and Fundraising Struggles: Six staffers were laid off from the embattled organization this week, sources said, including all remaining journalists and one development associate. One former Project Veritas staffer said just 11 people remain on the non-profit’s payroll, including CEO Hannah Giles. Kiyak wrote in the letter that the group cannot “carry the present staff count any longer” and reminded those being laid off of their nondisclosure agreements. * Tribune | ‘I’m a little bit of everything’: Margarito Flores opens up in exclusive interview about twins’ rise to top of Chicago drug trade, new law enforcement seminar: Chicago-born Margarito Flores Jr. was around eight years old when his father started taking him and his twin brother Pedro on car rides to Mexico. It was mostly business for his father, a hard-scrapping immigrant making ends meet by hauling drugs across the border.
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Caption contest!
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The man has moves…
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It’s just a bill
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Rep. Dan Ugaste…
* Here’s the House Resolution from Rep. Ugaste…
* WAND…
* WAND…
* Rep Nabeela Syed filed HB4142…
* WTTW…
* Rep. Dave Vella filed HB4143 yesterday…
* HR409…
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Bears in disarray
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The full Fields quote is here. Patrick Finley at the Sun-Times…
Fields then walked it back, but he was right the first time. The coaching is awful. The Bears have ruined countless quarterbacks. It’s been fashionable to express dreams about what could’ve happened if the Bears had taken Patrick Mahomes in the draft, but the Bears probably would’ve ruined him, too. * Speaking of coaches, here’s Mark Potash at the Sun-Times…
Attorney Andrew Stroth’s full comment…
* SB Nation’s James Dator…
* Ugh…
* Leaving this here…
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A little context, please
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * This WBBM Radio story is completely devoid of context…
Nobody remembers cash bail? It was the law of the land until the end of this past weekend. But that long history is already being shoved down the memory hole. People were released after posting bond and then quite often committed other crimes. The cash just didn’t matter. * A quick Google search would find this June story about McHenry County…
* Here’s one from May…
* Last month…
I could go on, but you get the gist.
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Question of the day
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * The last time I posted something like this, one of my readers applied and accepted a legislative staff position. So, even though it’s late notice, let’s try it again…
It’s obviously not going to be easy to recruit a new Research & Appropriations Director because a majority of the staff is trying to form a union. Anyway… * The Question: Did you or a family member ever work on legislative staff? Tell us about it. …Adding… Senate Democratic job openings are here.
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Trib wrings hands over zombie threat
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Leigh Giangreco at Crain’s has a solid story today on the hunt for revenues to fund the upcoming Chicago budget…
Emphasis added for obvious reasons. Notice that nowhere did Giangreco’s story mention a financial transaction tax, which would also require legislative approval. As you have known for months, the governor and the two Democratic legislative leaders flatly oppose a financial transaction tax. * And that brings us to today’s Tribune editorial…
And then it goes on and on about the threat of a transaction tax without mentioning the formidable current and longtime Statehouse opposition, which was reported by the board’s own newspaper. I mean, the editorial didn’t even mention that the state government would have to approve such a tax. Also, too, wasn’t that kind of an abrupt dismissal by the board of the scandal that led to Tilly’s ouster?…
Seems kind of important.
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Open thread
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * What’s going on in your part of Illinois?…
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Isabel’s morning briefing
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * Here you go…
* Crain’s | Contractor that moved migrants from Florida wins contract to build their tents here: The city of Chicago partnered with the state of Illinois last week to quietly award an up to $29 million contract to erect large tents to serve as “base camps” in an effort to “expeditiously” move migrants from the city’s police stations before winter. The contract was awarded just a few days after Mayor Brandon Johnson announced plans to “move with expediency” to transfer the nearly 1,600 migrants currently living in the city’s police stations and airports to base camps before winter. * Oak Park Journal | Libraries on edge as bomb threats grow: “We’re all really relieved that these threats have turned out to be false, but, at the end of the day, they’re still threats and those aren’t designed to make people feel comfortable or safe,” said Vicki Rakowski, director of the Forest Park Public Library. * Daily Herald | Murphy honored for support of people with various disabilities: State Senate Assistant Majority Leader Laura Murphy (Des Plaines) was presented the 2023 Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities’ Champion Award by Josh Evans, president and CEO, during the association’s 2023 IARF Educational Conference & Expo at the East Peoria Embassy Suites. * WBBM | Suburban prosecutor says end of cash bail in Illinois is already backfiring on public safety: State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally offered two examples of people he would like to have seen put in jail, pending trial, but who instead were freed because judges had no choice. * WMBD | Washington mayor running for state senate: Washington Mayor Gary Manier announced Wednesday that he will seek to become an Illinois state senator as a Republican in the next election. According to Manier, he will be running for the 53rd district seat which is currently held by Tom Bennett, a Morris Republican. * Herald-Whig | Frese announces he will not seek reelection: “It has been both an honor and a privilege to represent the fine people of West-Central Illinois for the past eight and a half years,” Frese said. “The job I have been elected to is both quite challenging and very rewarding.” * NBC Chicago | Chicago takes another step toward raising subminimum wage for tipped workers: The move isn’t complete just yet, however. The proposal now heads to the full City Council for a vote, which is expected in two weeks. The change would mean raising the minimum wage for tipped workers from $9 to $15.80 per hour, though such employees could still get tips. Under the guidelines, the $9 hourly wage would rise by 8% for five years until it reaches the $15.80 total. * Crain’s | City Council has its own budget wish list for Johnson: The Johnson administration also has nixed the idea of instituting a service tax, at least for the 2024 budget. In 2019, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot floated a tax on professional services like attorneys and accountants as a way to shore up the city’s pension payments, but the measure requires approval from the Illinois General Assembly, which is now entering its fall veto session. * WBEZ | Midwives could help prevent more deaths. Why don’t more Chicago-area hospitals have them?: Despite research that shows midwives tend to have low C-section rates and better outcomes for both parent and child, WBEZ found many hospitals across the Chicago area are not investing in midwives — or, they’re cutting back. The latest example is Swedish Hospital on the North Side, which has been a training ground for other midwives and a destination for pregnant people who sought out the hands-on care the midwives were known for. * Tribune | Without busing, CPS parents tell board of ed, they’re commuting for hours and risking their jobs: Jha was among the scores of Chicago Public Schools parents who received a three-week notice that their children wouldn’t have bus transportation to and from school this year. For Jha, not only will winter affect the long stretches of walking and waiting outdoors for buses during their daily travel, but costs are adding up, totaling about $400 a month. * Week 25 | Group forms to stop CO2 pipeline project in Central Illinois: Berg and more than 1,900 other people have joined the Tazewell County: Stop the CO2 Pipeline Facebook group. Their main concerns were the safety and property values of their homes. Group spokesman Elton Rocke says many people they speak with don’t initially know about the pipeline proposal. * NBC | White House told U.S. ambassador to Japan to stop taunting China on social media: Officials at the National Security Council told Emanuel’s staff in recent days that his comments risk undermining the administration’s efforts to mend deeply strained relations with China, including with a possible meeting this fall between Biden and Xi, according to the officials. * Sun-Times | Bears coordinator Alan Williams resigns after bizarre day at Halas Hall: Williams, who was in his second season as defensive coordinator, left the team last week after a 38-20 loss to the Packers on Sept. 10. His absence and the lack of clarity regarding it led to internet and social-media speculation, including a report that Williams’ home and Halas Hall were “raided” as part of an investigation into presumed wrongdoing. * IEA | Former president of Illinois Education Association dies, fondly remembered: Bob Haisman, who served as president of the Illinois Education Association, from 1993 to 1999 and who was an ardent supporter of public education in Illinois, passed away at age 77 on Sat., Sept. 2 at his home. * Daily Herald | Metra dubious about idea of merging with Pace and CTA: “The cost of action is greater than the cost of inaction,” CMAP’s Laura Wilkison told the board. The key is “not only to go back to where we were (before COVID-19), but to make it better.” * Sun-Times | James Hoge, Sun-Times editor who oversaw era of audacious investigations and 6 Pulitzers, dies at 87: Former Sun-Times Editor James Hoge helped usher in a golden age of Chicago journalism by hiring young talent and signing off on audacious investigative projects, including the Mirage Tavern undercover sting. The newspaper would win six Pulitzer Prizes under his watch.
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Live coverage
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023 - Posted by Isabel Miller * ScribbleLive is still down. Twitter has stopped allowing people to embed list feeds on websites. So, click here or here to follow breaking news.
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